My ancestors were spiritual plant growers, so it's not surprising that I hunt demons every day,

Although the location of the Xiankelai Restaurant is secluded, it is renowned and is a well-known name in Songlin Market.

I heard that the owner is a powerful cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining. Since he had no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he simply returned to his hometown and opened this restaurant. He often charges high prices to collect rare and exotic beasts hunted by wandering cultivators in the vicinity as the signature dishes of the day.

It was lunchtime, and the Xiankelai Restaurant was bustling with people.

As soon as Cui Ying stepped across the threshold, she looked up and saw a wooden sign hanging in the center of the hall, which read: Crystal Pork Knuckle, Double Pepper Fish Roe, and Stir-fried Phoenix Liver.

"Brother Shiyin, there are empty seats here, let's sit here."

"Ah."

Cui Ying and her companion found an empty table and sat down, while Wu Mingzhu, who was following behind, stood at the door, hesitant and unsure whether to come in or not.

Cui Ying also noticed Wu Mingzhu's hesitant expression. She smiled gently and waved, saying, "Fellow Daoist Wu Mingzhu, come and sit down to eat with us."

"Ok?"

Wu Mingzhu was initially puzzled as to how Cui Ying knew her name, but when she turned her head and saw Gu Shiyin, she understood immediately and finally went inside and sat down.

She stared blankly at Gu Shiyin across from her, wanting to say something. Gu Shiyin, however, only gave her a distant smile, picked up the tea on the table and poured a cup for Cui Ying, then made no further move.

Seeing this, Wu Mingzhu pursed her thin lips, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Just as the two were feeling awkward, the waiter came over, beaming with a warm smile:

"Is this your first time visiting Xiankelai, esteemed guests? Please feel free to tell me what you would like to eat."

"Brother Shi Yin, what kind of food would you like to eat?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shiyin withdrew his gaze from looking around and replied thoughtfully, "I'll just have a bowl of chicken noodle soup."

"Our chicken noodle soup uses handmade, finely shredded noodles made by our experienced chef, topped with a spoonful of broth made from black-boned snow-feather chicken that has been simmered for three or four hours. You are truly a lucky customer!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shiyin's expression changed slightly, and he asked with a hint of nervousness:

"May I ask how much a bowl of noodles costs in spirit stones?"

"Three spirit stones for a bowl!"

"It's so expensive, I'll just have a bowl of plain noodles then!"

The waiter was a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining. He was used to seeing gluttons who spent lavishly at Xiankelai. He thought a big spender had come, but it turned out to be a bunch of naive people.

Therefore, the smile on his face faded a bit: "Okay, sir."

Cui Ying shook her head, pointed to the wooden sign above her head at the waiter whose smile had faltered slightly, and said lazily:

"One of each of today's signature dishes, plus a serving of crispy lion's head meatballs, a stir-fried mixed vegetable dish, three bowls of spirit rice, and five catties of braised beef bones."

"Oh, and add another bowl of the chicken soup you mentioned earlier."

At this point, Cui Ying paused, but the waiter beside her reminded her with a smile:

"Look, the little one was too quick to speak and didn't explain clearly. It's Snow Feather Black Chicken Soup."

Cui Ying gave the waiter a meaningful look, staring at him until he felt a chill run down his spine, before finally smiling knowingly and saying:

"Yes, a bowl of chicken soup, please. Also, give me twenty pine needle and crab meat steamed buns to take away."

The waiter realized he had misjudged the dish and quickly calculated the bill, then announced the amount: "A total of twenty-eight spirit stones. Fairy, who would like to pay?"

"Ah."

Knowing that Cyclamen Restaurant always had a rule of paying the bill before eating, Cui Ying didn't hesitate to put her hand into her bosom, which was actually her storage bag.

“Sister Ying, I have some here.”

"Need not."

Cui Ying shook her head and took out a handful of spirit stones, throwing them onto the table.

Seeing that Cui Ying had taken out so many spirit stones, Gu Shiyin felt relieved.

Having received the spirit stones, the waiter's voice became three times louder. He flicked his white handkerchief, loudly announced a series of dishes to the kitchen, and then called out to Cui Ying and the others again:

"Please wait a moment, sir, your food will be served shortly."

Cui Ying waved her hand dismissively, telling the waiter to go about his business, and then asked Gu Shiyin beside her:

"Brother Shiyin, have you finished buying your things?"

"We're just missing one or two things."

"After we finish eating, I'll go shopping with Shi Yin."

"it is good."

The two chatted for a while, oblivious to everyone else, while the table was filled with exquisite delicacies that seemed to radiate spiritual energy.

Cui Ying picked up a lion's head meatball covered in crab roe and put it into Gu Shiyin's bowl, saying, "Brother Shiyin, you should try it."

After saying that, she looked at Wu Mingzhu beside her and said:

"Although Cyclamen may not be as luxuriously decorated as the restaurants in your Thundercloud City, the chef's skills are quite good. Miss Wu, please don't be offended, have a taste."

Wu Mingzhu glanced at the food on the table; its vibrant colors made it look incredibly appetizing.

She hesitated for a moment before picking up her chopsticks, and asked in confusion, "Why are you being so polite to me and even inviting me to dinner?"

Cui Ying smiled nonchalantly and said:

"Shi Yin is so outstanding, it doesn't matter if you're one more admirer. Besides, you've accompanied Shi Yin for so long, so it's only right that I treat you to a meal."

Hearing Cui Ying's words, Wu Mingzhu was stunned and didn't know how to react.

She didn't know what Cui Ying was thinking, but if it were her, she would never be so magnanimous and open-minded.

She glanced up at Gu Shiyin, who was sitting next to Cui Ying with a warm smile, sighed softly, and then began to eat her meal with a carefree attitude.

Cui Ying ladled a bowl of chicken soup for Gu Shiyin, and when she caught a glimpse of Wu Mingzhu's appearance out of the corner of her eye, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Mingzhu's family background is far superior to her own. If she were to willingly give up on Shi Yin, it would truly save her a lot of trouble.

Moreover, Wu Mingzhu genuinely loved Gu Shiyin in her past life, and aside from being spoiled, she had no other bad habits. In addition, since the two had no enmity in this life, Cui Ying couldn't directly target her.

As for her younger brother, he'd better pray he never runs into her again.

Otherwise, we'll settle both old and new scores together.

The three people and the dog quickly devoured all six dishes and the soup. Not only that, but even the remaining bones were gnawed clean by Ta Xue.

After Cui Ying finished the last spoonful of chicken soup, she patted Ta Xue, whose belly was also round, and said, "Brother Shi Yin, let's go shopping together."

"it is good."

As the three of them left Xiankelai, Wu Mingzhu said directly, "I have something to do and need to go back to the city first, so I won't accompany you."

Cui Ying smiled slightly and didn't say anything to persuade her to stay.

"Phew, finally gone!"

Watching Wu Mingzhu's figure disappear at the end of the long street, Gu Shiyin breathed a long sigh of relief. Otherwise, he really wouldn't know how to explain it to his sister, Aying.

The two entered a shop, and Cui Ying didn't care much about the prices, so she started browsing freely.

Two portions of the red crystal sugar and wildflower honey that we couldn't buy, four catties each of fresh purple grapes, lily fruits, and golden thread dates, two bolts of fashionable brocade, four boxes of glass tobacco, and four jars of jade bamboo wine.

"Little sister Ying, why did you buy so many things?"

Gu Shiyin was also stunned by the long list of names Cui Ying recited.

While the shopkeeper was preparing things, Cui Ying took a white jade hairpin and replaced Gu Shiyin's bamboo-shaped hairpin with a gold one, and said with a grin, "You'll find out later."

Gu Shiyin looked at Cui Ying, who was smiling radiantly, and suddenly remembered that Cui Ying had said a few days ago that she wanted to come and propose marriage. His handsome face immediately turned bright red.

He lowered his head and stopped talking, quietly following behind.

After the shopkeeper finished packing everything, Cui Ying said with some lingering satisfaction, "It seems like there's still a bit missing something."

"It cost more than two hundred spirit stones, that's enough."

Before Cui Ying could speak again, Gu Shiyin, who was standing to the side, was so anxious that he almost reached out and covered her mouth.

Seeing Gu Shiyin's anxious expression, Cui Ying smiled and shook her head, deciding to give up. After buying the refined salt and other items that Gu's mother had asked them to purchase, the two left the shop together.

"Brother Shiyin, it's rare that you have free time. Let's walk around some more. After my second sister and the others get out of school, we'll go home together."

Gu Shiyin naturally did not refuse after hearing this.

They usually only see each other every few days, so today they can finally spend more time together.

The most famous thing about Songlin Market is not the cyclamen or the Gongsun family. It is the countless pine forests and the boundless spirit fields.

The two strolled along the forest path, gazing at the spirit fields not far away. A gentle breeze blew by, and countless golden-blue spirit rice plants swayed gently, just like the ebb and flow of Cui Ying's emotions.

"Brother Shiyin, it's so good to have you all by my side in this life."

With just those words, Gu Shiyin's cheeks flushed crimson again. Actually, he wasn't a shy or timid person; it was just that when he was with Aying, he couldn't help but feel his heart race and become a little weak.

After strolling around for a while, the two arrived at the Gongsun family's school to wait for the end of the semester.

"Third sister."

"Three sisters."

Seeing her family rushing out of the school, Cui Ying quickly pulled out the red crystal candy she had bought at noon from her pocket and said:

"One piece per person, don't eat too much, save room for something better tonight."

Cui Lin, being older, was more reserved, but the two little ones, Cui Yue and Cui Yan, grabbed the red crystal candy and stuffed it into their mouths, mumbling indistinctly:

"It's delicious/Thank you, Third Sister/Third Sister is so kind."