Chapter 525: The Ever-Burning Heart of Gossip—Ling Lan
Chu Chu slowly propped herself up and sat on the ground, still a bit dazed from witnessing Bai Feng and Zuo Qiu’s little interaction. While she envied them deeply, she also felt a twinge of confusion stabbing her in the brain.
It kept feeling like Bai Feng and Zuo Qiu weren’t exactly your typical master-servant duo. Honestly, the way Zuo Qiu was being petted earlier? It sorta looked like she was a well-loved pet rather than a servant.
But! Bai Feng was so talented and strong! Why would someone as formidable as Zuo Qiu end up as a pet? That was just too abstract for her. She didn’t even hesitate—she shot down that wild guess immediately.
She had heard that Zuo Qiu had once launched an attack on Bai Feng under the pressure from the Divine Monarch Black Lotus. Yet Bai Feng didn’t hold it against her. Instead, he rescued her from Black Lotus’s grasp and then actively nurtured her afterward. Because of this, Zuo Qiu was utterly devoted to him, willing to be his lifelong follower and obedient servant.
Perhaps it was out of dependence cultivated through Bai Feng’s meticulous care, that Zuo Qiu behaved like that just now? she pondered. Her theory seemed reasonable, especially since her own fate mirrored Zuo Qiu’s somewhat. She was also rescued by Bai Feng in a crisis, showered with care, and grew to depend on him, though she kept her feelings in check due to her circumstances—afraid to act spoiled in front of him.
Unaware of Chu Chu’s thoughts, Bai Feng strolled over and sat down beside her on the ground, sharing the same relaxed pose.
“Training these days must be exhausting, huh? Let’s take a break tomorrow,” he suggested casually.
Chu Chu wanted to shake her head in denial, but then Bai Feng continued:
“I remember you said last time you wanted candied hawthorn. How about I take you out to get some tomorrow?”
“Okay!”
Chu Chu quickly stopped her refusal and nodded eagerly, secretly stealing a glance at Bai Feng. Her cheeks warmed at the memory of what had just happened.
Oh, she was so looking forward to tomorrow.
The next day.
“Lately, there might be some movements from the Siku Family, so we’re not going shopping today,” Bai Feng said, placing an iron pot in the courtyard and addressing Chu Chu who had arrived early.
Chu Chu nodded hurriedly. “Anywhere is fine.”
As long as she could stay by his side.
She secretly watched Bai Feng, adding in her mind, *Of course, I promised to get candied hawthorn for you, after all…*
Bai Feng snapped his fingers, and a table suddenly appeared before them, loaded with sugar, various spirit fruits, and the classic hawthorn.
He picked up a bamboo skewer and threaded the hawthorn onto it: “Let’s make our own candied hawthorn.”
“Mm,” Chu Chu nodded, then looked at the other spirit fruits on the table. “Are those for making candied hawthorn too?”
“Yeah. I remember some vendors use apples besides hawthorn, so I thought maybe other spirit fruits could work too,” Bai Feng said, handing her a few bamboo skewers. “Pick the ones you like, I’ll melt the sugar.”
Chu Chu took the skewers, eyeing all the colorful spirit fruits, but ultimately her gaze settled on the plain old hawthorn.
Soon, Bai Feng had boiled the sugar syrup. He inserted the skewered hawthorn and fruits into the thick syrup, then quickly removed and blew on them to cool.
“Try it,” he said with a grin.
“Thanks,” Chu Chu quickly reached out.
She looked at the hardened sugar coat on the hawthorn, then gently bit into it.
At first, her face was all smiles, but within seconds, her eyes widened, and her expression shrank as if she’d just eaten a lemon.
“Wow… so sour!” she exclaimed.
“Is it that sour?” Bai Feng paused his second batch of candied hawthorn, walking over to peek at her. He leaned in to take a quick bite of his own hawthorn sucker, and his face instantly contorted in a similar manner—like he’d just bitten into a lemon.
“Y-Yeah, it’s pretty sour,” Bai Feng admitted, rubbing his jaw. “Did these hawthorn grow up drinking vinegar and lemon juice?”
He gaze drifted over the remaining hawthorn on the table, silently packing them away. Deep down, he thought, *If I’d known, I should have bought these hawthorn separately. Now I’ve been conned by the vendor who gave me this batch of subpar fruits.*
He grumbled inwardly: *What kind of shady merchant sells me spirit fruits and then tries to pass off defective hawthorn as part of the batch?*
After blocking the merchant in his mind, Bai Feng pulled out his communicator. He quickly scrolled through the contacts and paused on Ling Lan’s name—the freeloader who’s been eating at his place without a care.
He even noticed that Ling Lan seemed a little rounder lately. Yep, time to find her a job—something to slim her down.
He clicked her profile and sent a message:
**Bai Feng:** Bring me some hawthorn. Not too sour—just a hint of sour, okay?
Lying comfortably in her nest, stuffing herself with popcorn, Ling Lan glanced at the message, a bit reluctant:
**Ling Lan:** Oh…
**Bai Feng:** Hurry up. If you do well, I’ll make caramel popcorn for you.
**Ling Lan:**!!!
**Ling Lan:** Promise to complete the task.
Seconds after she sent that, Bai Feng noticed a white blur streaking overhead—vanishing into the air faster than lightning.
Is Ling Lan daring enough to risk exposure?
He shook his head helplessly, turning back to make some candied hawthorn. But then he caught sight of Chu Chu quietly nibbling on the exact spot she’d just bitten—trying to hide her hawthorn behind her back with a reddening face.
Probably worried Bai Feng would get mad again? he thought.
He stepped closer, and just as he was about to lecture her, she instinctively lowered her head. Just when she feared her “perverted” behavior had annoyed him, Bai Feng suddenly reached out, grabbing her shoulder, and pressed a somewhat soft object to her lips.
“!!!”
“Is that okay now? You can stop eating that hawthorn,” Bai Feng said with a smile, ruffling her hair. “I’ve asked someone to buy new ones; let’s enjoy some spirit fruit candied hawthorn first.”
“…Mm,” Chu Chu blushed, feeling her fragile grip on her self-control loosen. The line of reason in her mind nearly snapped.
—
The Silver-Winged Dove indeed flies fast. Bai Feng didn’t wait long before Ling Lan showed up, lugging a big bag of hawthorn into the yard.
“Good job,” Bai Feng said, handing her freshly made caramel popcorn.
Ling Lan eagerly took the popcorn, then curiously peeked into the pot. “What are you guys making?”
“Candied hawthorn. Want some?”
Ling Lan shook her head quickly—she’d tried it once, and one bite made her spit it out. She hated how sweet it looked outside but sour inside. Not as tasty as popcorn at all!
“Then go rest first. You’ve flown all this way. Looks like you’re probably tired,” Bai Feng said gently.
“Okay,” Ling Lan nodded, turning to leave. But midway, she paused atop a tree, using its leafy branches to hide herself. Her gaze lingered on Bai Feng and the girl with her—who looked flushed, as if Bai Feng had done something to her. The scene ignited Ling Lan’s gossip engine into full blaze.
