Chen Mian withdrew his gaze. Just as he turned around, he saw Flora standing at the door, seemingly waiting for him.
Seeing him turn back, Flora asked with some curiosity, “Mr. Chen Mian, do you want to develop that territory?”
“Yes. We have too many crop varieties now, and the farm is getting a bit cramped.”
Hearing this, Flora's eyelashes drooped slightly. Her fingers unconsciously pinched the hem of her skirt as she said with some embarrassment, “Is it because of the batch of seeds I brought back from the Royal Capital this time? Actually, we only need to plant a tiny bit of those spices. There's no need to clear out a large area specifically for them. If space is really tight, it's fine if we don't plant them at all.”
Seeing her like this, Chen Mian couldn't help but step closer and pinch her cheek.
Startled by his pinch, Flora's eyes widened slightly. “Mmh...?”
“I just feel that leaving that territory empty would be a waste.” Chen Mian let go and said in a relaxed tone, “Since it's sitting idle anyway, we might as well grow something on it. Besides, large-scale planting might yield even more interesting varieties than golden tomatoes.”
“...Really?” Flora blinked and looked up slightly. “But aren't golden tomatoes only grown in the Mana Garden?”
“Really. The farmland in the territory can also be converted into a Mana Garden.” Chen Mian withdrew his hand from Flora's cheek and gently patted her head. “And there's no need to be so polite with me. Plant whatever you want. You don't need to worry about whether it's too much trouble.”
Flora's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curved upward, and her voice grew lighter. “Then... next time I go pick out seeds, can I choose even more varieties?”
“As many as you want.”
“That territory is very large, right?”
“Yeah, huge. With our current planting scale, even if you wanted to grow a bit of every crop in the Hella Kingdom, it would be more than enough.” Chen Mian nodded, then asked, “Was the effect of the fruit wine you drank this morning obvious?”
“The effect is very obvious.” Flora nodded and replied with some disbelief, “The flow of my mana has indeed become much smoother, and my affinity for light-attribute mana has also clearly enhanced. To put it more accurately, it feels like my magic talent has improved significantly just from drinking that glass of fruit wine. Combined with my previous accumulation, I'm almost at Level 79.”
Chen Mian nodded slightly. “What about Loviki?”
“It's even more obvious for her.” At this point, a smile played on Flora's lips. “She chatted with me for a few words at the door just now and then rushed back to her room, saying she could break through to Level 61 with just a bit of meditation.”
“I'm glad it's useful. Once we grow special grapes in the future, I'll let you try them. The effect should be even better.”
“Special grapes? Can grapes produce entirely new varieties like tomatoes do?” Flora's eyes sparkled slightly.
“Theoretically, yes.” Chen Mian nodded and continued, “I'll head to Linyu Port after lunch to sort out the territory matters. Would my Flora like to come with me?”
“Are you inviting me?” Flora asked, her voice carrying an unmistakable smile.
“Yes, a date invitation.” Chen Mian leaned against the doorframe and said in a relaxed tone, “After we finish registering the territory, we'll still have plenty of time. We can browse the market in Linyu Port to see if there are any new seeds or spices, buy some clothes you like, or try some of Linyu Port's delicacies. Anything you want.”
“What about Loviki and Louise?”
“Loviki will probably spend the whole day meditating. As for Louise...” Chen Mian looked toward the kitchen. “I'll just take her with me next time.”
“Well then...” Flora dragged out her words playfully, then nodded gently. “Then I will reluctantly accompany you this once.”
“Reluctantly?” Amused by her playful antics, Chen Mian chuckled. “Then forget it. I'll go by myself.”
“No way!” Flora immediately reached out and grabbed his sleeve. “I've already agreed, you can't take it back.”
Chen Mian looked down at her fingers gripping his sleeve, then looked up at her. “So, is it still a reluctance?”
“...Not anymore.” Flora let go, her ears turning slightly red, but the smile on her lips grew even more pronounced. “I want to go!”
“That's more like it.” Chen Mian turned around and took two steps into the house, glancing back at her. “We'll head out as soon as we finish lunch.”
“Okay.” Flora quickly followed, staying half a step behind him, her voice filled with clear cheerfulness. “Then I'll go get lunch ready now.”
“Sure.”
However, as they walked into the apartment, they saw Velyan standing at the kitchen door, watching Louise prep the fish she had caught with great interest. Seeing Chen Mian enter, she looked up. “Human, Louise says the fish soup she makes is delicious. Is that true?”
Hearing this, Louise turned her head, a kitchen knife still in hand. Her purple-gold eyes looked earnestly at Chen Mian, her expression carrying a rare solemnity.
“...” Chen Mian fell silent for a moment. He glanced at Louise, who was wearing an apron by the stove, and then at Velyan's curious golden eyes.
“Didn't we say we'd make it tonight?”
“Velyan already brought the fish to our doorstep.” Louise turned back. Her silver-gray hair fell over her ears, slightly blocking her face. She was about to reach up to tuck it back, but she paused, looking at her hands that had just prepped the fish.
“Human, you haven't answered my question yet!” Velyan prodded.
“Yes.” Chen Mian nodded, his gaze landing on Louise. Although she had looked away, her hand holding the knife clearly paused for a moment. “The fish soup Louise makes is indeed very delicious.”
“Then I'm going to have two more bowls later!”
Louise glanced sideways at Chen Mian, slightly surprised.
As their eyes met, Chen Mian smiled at her. Louise's expression froze for a moment, and she quietly turned back to continue prepping the fish, though her hand holding the knife seemed slightly lighter than before.
Chen Mian walked over to the stove. He naturally reached out and tucked a few strands of silver-gray hair that had fallen from her lowered head behind her ear.
Louise's movements slowed down. The kitchen knife hovered in the air for several seconds before descending again. Her voice was slightly airy. “...What are you doing?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to do it,” Chen Mian replied softly, withdrawing his hand. Then, he leaned down slightly, his lips close to her ear, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Even if it's the same as before, I'll still finish it.”
After saying this, he straightened up, turned around, and walked toward the sofa in the living room.
After sitting down, Chen Mian pulled Flora over to sit beside him. He flipped open a botanical encyclopedia she had brought back from the Royal Capital, and they naturally shared it, each reading a page. “We'll leave lunch to Louise. Let's just wait to eat.”
In the kitchen, Louise stood frozen in place, staring at the prepped fish on the cutting board, her heart beating much faster than usual.
“...This guy.” After a moment, she lowered her head to continue slicing the fish, but the smile on her face and the slight blush on her ears refused to fade.
Rate on N.U.
