Seeing Su Jinxiu bring over another cup of coffee, if he still didn't know what had happened, he would truly be an idiot.
"What's wrong? Why are you angry again for no reason?" Liu Nanfeng asked, somewhat confused.
"Angry? I'm not angry." Su Jinxiu said with a smile, as if she truly wasn't.
But her gaze fell on the potted cactus on the table.
Liu Nanfeng instantly understood. She was jealous.
However, Liu Nanfeng didn't find it bothersome. Instead, he found Su Jinxiu like this a bit cute.
"Is it because I glanced at Song Haitang a few times just now?" Liu Nanfeng asked softly.
"No." Su Jinxiu replied.
"Then what is it?"
"You were staring at her shapely posterior."
"Is there a difference?" Liu Nanfeng asked in surprise.
"Yes, her butt looks good."
Liu Nanfeng was speechless. It took him a while to recover.
Then he whispered an explanation, "Yours is better looking, and I wasn't looking at her posterior anyway."
"Really?"
"Of course, I was looking at what was behind her..."
"I wasn't talking about that. I meant, am I really better looking than her?"
Liu Nanfeng nodded silently, wondering if that was the point.
Su Jinxiu maintained her smile, but Liu Nanfeng could feel the subtle shift from before, and it brought him joy from the bottom of his heart.
"What were you saying you were looking at?"
"I said I was looking at the thing behind her..."
"A guardian spirit?" Su Jinxiu's expression shifted to one of realization.
"A guardian spirit? Isn't that a ghost?" Liu Nanfeng asked, surprised.
"Essentially, yes. But these types of ghosts are usually spirits of deceased relatives or elders who are worried about their children and loved ones. Their souls linger behind to silently protect them, helping them ward off disasters. They are a bit stronger than ghosts, but weaker than demons."
Liu Nanfeng was enlightened. He had intended to ask Zhu Yuchan about this, but he received the answer from Su Jinxiu. Since the topic was brought up, Liu Nanfeng directly sought her advice on some of his lingering questions.
"What about person-demons? What level are they?"
"Person-demons?"
Su Jinxiu frowned slightly, looking puzzled.
"You know, those deformed monsters that are born from people's desires, like jealousy, greed, and so on."
Su Jinxiu finally understood.
"You're referring to nascent devils, aren't you? Devils are born from desires, but before they mature, no one can see them except other devils."
"Not even you?"
Su Jinxiu nodded.
Then she realized and asked with some surprise, "You can see them?"
Liu Nanfeng didn't hide anything from her and simply nodded.
Su Jinxiu's expression changed slightly, and she grabbed the hand Liu Nanfeng had placed on the table.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm checking if you're still human," Su Jinxiu said.
Then Liu Nanfeng felt a bone-chilling coldness spread through his body from his palm, causing him to shiver despite the hot summer weather.
However, the coldness came and went quickly.
"What are you doing?"
"It's alright, you're still human."
"You're not human," Liu Nanfeng couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Yeah, you're not discovering that for the first time," Su Jinxiu said with a grin.
Liu Nanfeng didn't know how to respond to that.
Seeing his flustered expression, Su Jinxiu said happily, "But you being able to see nascent devils is something I absolutely did not expect."
"It's person-demons, not devils," Liu Nanfeng corrected her.
"Alright, person-demons, happy now? It seems your Qi-gazing technique is truly extraordinary."
"What about gods?"
Liu Nanfeng had personally experienced the might of the mountain god of Mao Mountain, so he had always wanted to inquire.
"Actually, there isn't much difference between demons and gods. Demons are born from humans' negative desires and feed on human souls. Gods are also born from desires; they are the spiritual sustenance of people. However, these desires are both good and bad, so they lean towards neutrality."
Su Jinxiu's explanation wasn't entirely accurate, but it still resolved Liu Nanfeng's doubts.
In simple terms, devils are born from individuals and grow stronger by devouring other individuals.
Gods, on the other hand, are born from groups. Their strength depends solely on the size of the group, which is what we commonly refer to as believers.
Essentially, there's no fundamental difference between them.
One is a hardworking laborer, self-sufficient.
The other is already a boss, harvesting the leeks and reaping the rewards.
Thinking about it this way, devils seem a bit pitiful.
They deserve sympathy. If I meet them next time, I'll capture them all for 'alchemy' and eliminate them, then I won't sympathize with them.
Of course, if I could capture a 'boss', I'd be rich.
"Boss, can we get off work now?" At this moment, Xu Xinyi, who was behind the bar, asked loudly.
It turned out that it was already closing time without them realizing it.
"Yes." Liu Nanfeng responded.
He stood up, picked up the cactus, and said, "Let's go back too."
"Does this thing really prevent radiation?" Liu Nanfeng asked Su Jinxiu, who was linking arms with him, holding the cactus high.
"That's what I saw online," Su Jinxiu replied with a smile.
"But even if it doesn't prevent radiation, it's fine. We can just treat it as growing a houseplant."
"I'm worried that if you're unhappy when it's hot one day, you'll use this as a weapon. Won't I be miserable? I'll definitely have many holes poked in me."
Su Jinxiu smiled faintly at his words, "Am I that kind of person?"
"Why would I poke you with this? It's too short! It doesn't hurt when you poke someone."
Liu Nanfeng: -_-||
"How about we eat out tonight?"
"Eat what?"
"What do you think about hot pot?"
"Sure, but no tripe."
"Why not? Tripe is so delicious."
"No, I hate that smell."
...
The two of them walked and talked, this was the beauty of ordinary life.
They found a hot pot restaurant nearby, had a meal, drank a bit, and then walked back with the river breeze.
The riverside was especially cool at night, and the streetlights shone as bright as day, so many parents brought their children to cool off by the river.
The music, the children's laughter, the sound of the waves, and the ship horns mingled together, forming a beautiful night scene.
Su Jinxiu was tall and slender, wearing a loose yellow t-shirt on top and a high-waisted beige A-line skirt on the bottom, exuding fashion, elegance, and charm. Her graceful gait attracted countless admiring glances, and she could faintly hear wives scolding their husbands.
However, Su Jinxiu seemed oblivious, tilting her head back and walking forward with large strides, like a proud swan.
After walking for a bit, she suddenly turned her head and asked Liu Nanfeng, "How is it?"
"How is what?"
"Isn't your wife very beautiful?" Su Jinxiu asked with a touch of pride and secret delight.
"Yes, you're the most beautiful," Liu Nanfeng replied with a smile.
"You don't need to tell me that." She wasn't being modest at all.
Then she spread her arms and said coquettishly, "I want you to carry me."
Who could refuse such a beautiful and doting wife?
So Liu Nanfeng slightly bowed and picked her up.
Su Jinxiu's fair arms wrapped around Liu Nanfeng's neck, and her lips brushed against his ear, her soft breaths carrying a hint of warmth and fragrance...
Carrying his wife, with the river breeze, a faint warmth flowed between them, and Liu Nanfeng cherished these moments.
"Come on, chase me!"
"Old wolf, old wolf, what time is it?"
"Watch me do a split for you."
"Wow, Mommy... Mommy... Big brother isn't playing with me."
"This is mine, give it back quickly."
...
Children ran past them, leaving behind bursts of laughter.
"I think we should have a child," Su Jinxiu said softly in his ear.
Liu Nanfeng paused for a moment, then continued forward, smiling, "Then we'll have one."
"Really?" Su Jinxiu's head shot up with joy.
"Of course, it's true."
"Husband, you're so good."
"I'm your husband, who else would I be good to?"
"Hehe..."
Both of them deliberately ignored the issues between them. Why bring up unhappy things at this moment?
At night.
"I really can't take it anymore, I need to sleep."
Liu Nanfeng lay on the bed, looking completely exhausted.
Even though brute force could work wonders, it seemed to be ineffective against a vixen.
"You fell asleep so quickly?"
Su Jinxiu saw Liu Nanfeng drowsy beside her and muttered with some dissatisfaction.
She got out of bed, put on her underwear, and then snuggled back into Liu Nanfeng's embrace, a peaceful smile on her face, before falling into a deep sleep.
However, she suddenly opened her eyes, all sleepiness gone, because she sensed a consciousness invading her dreams.
She sat up in bed, the strap of her silky nightgown slipping down slightly, revealing a curve, but she paid no mind, looking around her surroundings, finally settling her gaze on Liu Nanfeng.
"Dream entry?"
She showed a surprised expression, then lay down again, took one of Liu Nanfeng's arms and wrapped it around her waist, quickly falling back asleep.
...
"Wow, the peach blossoms are blooming, how beautiful."
"Sister, after the peach blossoms fall, will many peaches grow?"
"Of course. We'll pick peaches together then."
"Will Ah Run brother come too?"
"Of course. This is Ah Run's peach orchard. It's said that all these peach trees were planted by Ah Run's mother with her own hands."
"Wow, Aunt is so amazing."
...
The speakers were two little girls, one older, one younger. The older one wore a pale green dress and had her hair styled in a cloud bun, exuding a gentle and refined aura, clearly a young lady from a good family.
The other girl was slightly shorter, with a small, slightly chubby face, bright teeth, and her hair hanging down on both sides, making her appear lively and cute.
"Xiuxiu, Xiaomei, where are you?"
A call came from deep within the peach orchard.
"We're here." Xiaomei replied loudly.
At this moment, Liu Nanfeng, transformed into a wisp of green smoke, floated in the air, looking down at the beautiful peach orchard.
He saw a young boy in scholarly robes emerge from the depths of the peach orchard, and to Liu Nanfeng's surprise, the boy looked exactly like him.
The boy followed the voices and found the two little girls.
"Xiuxiu, Xiaomei." The boy bowed to them.
"Ah Run brother." Xiaomei greeted him happily.
But Xiuxiu covered her mouth with the fan in her hand and said with a smile, "Nanfeng."
Then Liu Nanfeng felt a force pull him into the boy's body.
By the time he reacted, he had become a young boy, and Xiaomei had already disappeared. Only Xiuxiu stood beside him.
Moreover, they were no longer in the peach orchard, but on a green, grassy hillside, with a giant peach tree with branches like a canopy overhead.
A gentle breeze blew, and peach petals fluttered down.
"Nanfeng, isn't the scenery here beautiful?" Xiuxiu asked softly beside him.
Liu Nanfeng nodded gently.
Xiuxiu pointed to a mountain peak opposite them and asked, "Do you know what that place is?"
Liu Nanfeng craned his neck to look, but it was blurry, and he couldn't see its appearance clearly.
"That's where I died," Xiuxiu said mournfully.
Liu Nanfeng gently took her hand and held it tight.
Xiuxiu smiled faintly at him and, in turn, comforted him, "That was a very long time ago, and this place isn't what it used to be."
Liu Nanfeng scratched his head, unsure how to comfort her.
Just then, Xiuxiu pulled him and walked to the peach tree, gently stroking the massive trunk, her expression filled with reminiscence.
A few petals landed on her hair. Liu Nanfeng reached out to pluck them, but Xiuxiu suddenly embraced him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Liu Nanfeng thought for a moment, then placed his raised hands on her back and gently patted her.
"Jinxiu."
"Mm."
Xiuxiu responded softly.
"I'm sorry, I just gained this ability and accidentally entered your dream."
"Mm."
Su Jinxiu responded again, and Liu Nanfeng felt unsure what to say.
He carefully observed their surroundings. This was Su Jinxiu's dream, or possibly her past memories.
"Um..."
"Don't speak, just let me hold you like this."
"Oh, okay."
Liu Nanfeng agreed, but he felt a slight discomfort in his heart.
At this moment, was Su Jinxiu treating him as Ah Run, or as Liu Nanfeng?
After a while, Su Jinxiu let go of Liu Nanfeng.
She tilted her head up and looked at Liu Nanfeng, "Are you angry?"
"No." Liu Nanfeng replied, his words not matching his feelings.
Su Jinxiu walked a few steps forward and looked at the mountain peak opposite them.
"Actually, I know I'm not Xiuxiu, and you're not Ah Run, but..."
"But does that matter? You are you, and I am me. Now that we have each other, isn't this the best outcome?" Liu Nanfeng interrupted her.
Su Jinxiu turned around, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and she smiled charmingly.
"You're right. Actually, there's no point in dwelling on such things."
As she spoke, she took Liu Nanfeng's hand again, and the surrounding scenery changed, transforming into a scene familiar to Liu Nanfeng.
It was the scene of their first date, in the park near the school. It was spring, the season when flowers bloomed in profusion.
The flowers in the flower beds vied for beauty, and even the air seemed to exude a captivating sweetness.
Liu Nanfeng held Su Jinxiu's hand, and they strolled through the flower beds. Although they had only known each other for a short time, they seemed to have endless things to say.
Mostly, Liu Nanfeng did all the talking, while Su Jinxiu listened with a smile.
To make the beautiful woman smile, he even revealed many embarrassing childhood anecdotes.
"I was so silly back then." Thinking about it now, Liu Nanfeng felt a wave of embarrassment.
"How were you silly? I liked listening!" Su Jinxiu pushed him slightly in dissatisfaction.
Liu Nanfeng fell backward, but he felt something soft beneath him. Looking around, he realized he was back in the bedroom.
But he knew he was still in the dream, not back in reality.
Just then, Su Jinxiu suddenly appeared out of thin air and straddled him.
Then she leaned down, revealing alluring curves, and whispered in his ear.
"In dreams, you can do whatever you want."
Su Jinxiu's fingertips traced Liu Nanfeng's cheek, then his chest, and continued downwards...
Damn it, so dream entry is the most powerful ability.