wouldn’t be complete without brown sugar steamed buns!

In an instant, a torrent of thoughts rushed through Xu Jinghuai’s mind.

He pulled back his drifting focus and broke the silence, reaching out to take the bowl from Xia Jin. With his other hand, he pressed down on her head, ruffling her hair gently with a smile.

“Mhm, thank you. You’re very thoughtful, Jin’er.”

Xia Jin’s body trembled, and she buried her head even lower. To hide her flushing face from the man before her, she let out a soft, low “Mhm.”

But…

‘The Immortal Master’s hand is rubbing my head… it feels so good…’

‘I love it…’

‘I want him to keep doing it for a little longer…’

Her wish, however, went unfulfilled. Xu Jinghuai withdrew his hand after a moment and picked up the porcelain spoon, scooping a bit of congee.

Looking at the aesthetically pleasing, steaming bowl of porridge, Xu Jinghuai activated his eye technique to give it a quick scan.

‘Mhm, not poisoned. Safe to drink.’

Only then did he place the spoonful into his mouth.

It was sweet.

Xu Jinghuai’s eyes widened imperceptibly, though he quickly regained his composure.

At this moment, Xia Jin looked up, her small hands clenching tightly as she watched his reaction with bated breath.

With a soft gulp of a swallow…

Xia Jin’s heart leaped into her throat.

Finally, Xu Jinghuai delivered his verdict. He looked at her and smiled. “It’s delicious. Your handiwork is excellent, Jin’er.”

“R-really, Immortal Master…?”

“Of course. If possible, I’d like to have a breakfast like this every morning from now on.”

Xu Jinghuai looked at the bowl in his palm, dazed for a moment.

These were his true feelings.

Actually, a long time ago, even after he had completely mastered the state of abstaining from grain, he would still prepare three meals a day for himself—just for that inner sense of human ritual.

However, that hadn’t brought him spiritual solace or satisfaction.

Every time he sat alone at the dining table, even with delicacies from Immortal Eater Town before him, he found it hard to muster an appetite. The food in his mouth tasted like wax.

In those moments, he would look at the empty seat opposite him, an alien sense of loneliness rising in his heart.

In a trance, he would always see a glimpse of her figure.

Eventually, one day, Xu Jinghuai realized: he simply couldn’t adapt to being alone.

From then on, he stopped obsessing over the ritual. He gave up his persistence, fully embraced the fasting state, and became an almost total shut-in on Youyun Peak.

For all these years, aside from the memory of the taste of wine, his other senses of taste had remained dormant.

Sweet…

What a long-lost word that was for him.

To experience this flavor once again was truly enough to make one sigh with emotion.

Even though Xu Jinghuai hid his emotional shift well, it was still captured by Xia Jin, who was acutely sensitive to the feelings of others.

While she was initially overjoyed that her congee wasn’t rejected, she felt a wave of confusion after catching that shift in his mood.

‘The Immortal Master seems… a little lonely?’

‘Is he worried that Jin’er will refuse him?’

She had no idea what Xu Jinghuai was actually thinking; she simply drew this conclusion based on what she saw and heard.

Thus, Xia Jin plucked up her courage and looked at Xu Jinghuai. “If it is what the Immortal Master wishes, Jin’er will prepare breakfast every day!”

“Whatever the Immortal Master wants to eat, Jin’er will learn how to make it!”

Xu Jinghuai snapped out of his reverie. Seeing the nervous yet determined little sprout, he laughed. “Is that so? Then can I make a request in advance?”

“The congee you made is very good, but it’s definitely missing one thing.”

“Missing… one thing?”

Seeing Xia Jin’s confused little expression, Xu Jinghuai found it quite amusing. He looked back at the fruit porridge in his hand.

The next second, he ditched his calm demeanor and passionately declared his insight.

“Since there is congee, how can breakfast lack Brown Sugar Mantou as a staple pairing?!”

“This is simply…”

“A waste of God’s gifts!”

Xu Jinghuai clutched the bowl with a look of pained regret; it was clear he was genuinely agitated.

“Eh? Ehhh???”

The expression on Xia Jin’s face turned into a “QAQ.”

‘So breakfast congee has to be paired with steamed buns?’

As if guessing her thoughts, Xu Jinghuai said very solemnly, “Things like watery rice and congee cannot exist without Youtiao or Brown Sugar Mantou! Just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem!”

Though she didn’t know what “Jerusalem” was, she could tell from the Immortal Master’s tone that it must be something incredibly important.

Xia Jin could only reply weakly, “Jin’er understands…”

At the same time, she carefully noted down his words, planning to figure out how to make steamed buns tomorrow.

Just then, a low rumble of a stomach growling reached both their ears.

The air instantly froze, and silence fell.

Xu Jinghuai looked at Xia Jin, frowning slightly. “Jin’er, have you not eaten breakfast yet?”

Like a child who had done something wrong, Xia Jin nodded guiltily. “Reporting to the Immortal Master, actually… as soon as Jin’er finished the congee, I brought it straight to you. I haven’t eaten… I thought it would be fine to eat once I went back…”

After a brief silence, Xu Jinghuai asked, “Did you leave the congee in the pot to keep warm?”

Xia Jin shook her head even more guiltily.

Xu Jinghuai: “…”

‘Then how would it be “fine”?!’

Mornings on Youyun Peak were much colder than in the mortal world. Without a doubt, the food would be stone cold by the time she got back!

Immediately, Xu Jinghuai stepped forward without a word and took Xia Jin’s hand, leading her toward the pavilion.

Back in the kitchen, the stove fire had been out for a long time—it seemed the owner had extinguished it before leaving—but the pot lid wasn’t on. On the table, just as Xia Jin said, sat another bowl of congee.

The whole kitchen felt a bit chilly. Neither the bowl nor the pot was emitting steam anymore.

Seeing this, Xu Jinghuai looked at the girl beside him and sighed. “Weren’t you worried that after I finished eating, I’d demand you start today’s training immediately?”

“Did you think your body could handle training on an empty stomach?”

“Or did you plan to hide it from me and secretly drink cold congee when you got back?”

Xia Jin lowered her head; her intentions had clearly been seen through.

Seeing her like this, Xu Jinghuai didn’t plan to continue the lecture. With a wave of his hand, a streak of red light surged from his fingertip toward the stove.

A cluster of flames ignited, driving away the morning chill.

With another wave, the congee in the pot and the bowl began to steam once more, filling the air with an inviting fragrance.

After doing all this, Xu Jinghuai took the lead and sat at the table, setting down his own bowl. He looked at Xia Jin, who was still standing dazed at the door.

“Stop standing around. I’ve reheated the congee. Come and eat breakfast; I still have to teach you the cultivation methods today.”

“Mhm.”

Xia Jin obediently sat down at the table. Xu Jinghuai’s voice reached her again.

“Next time, either eat your breakfast first before coming to find me, or come find me before you start cooking. I wake up very early; as long as you knock, I will respond. Don’t worry about disturbing me.”

“I believe I told you yesterday: as my disciple, it’s fine to be a little willful in front of me.”

“You must never do what you did today again.”

“Jin’er, you must remember that your body is the foundation of everything. Only after taking care of yourself can you talk about anything else.”

“Additionally, if you feel any physical discomfort during the day, tell me immediately. Don’t keep it bottled up, understood?”

The temperature in the kitchen had become warm and comfortable again after Xu Jinghuai dispelled the cold.

Xia Jin didn’t know if it was the warming environment or the words spoken by Xu Jinghuai in his earnest, teaching manner, but she only knew that her heart felt very warm.

“Mhm, Jin’er understands.”