Chapter 513: “Why Won’t You Make Me a Fruit Cake?”
“There’s still the one from Sister Su that I haven’t delivered.”
Bai Feng eyed the last storage bag, then took out his communicator to ask where Sister Su was. After getting the info, he headed straight for her house.
And as for why he waited until the very end to deliver to Su Lan Qian…
He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Almost instantly, hurried footsteps echoed from inside.
“Senior Sister Su, I brought you a gift from the Southern Region.” He grinned, waving the storage bag in front of her.
“Th-thank you!” Su Lan Qian reached out to catch it. She didn’t rush to open it—instead, she quickly shifted her body aside.
“Um, do you wanna come in and sit?” she asked, eyes darting around nervously.
“Ah, I’ll bother you then.”
Bai Feng stepped inside, and almost immediately, he heard the faint click of the lock.
“Sit here first. I’ll pour you some tea.”
After stealthily locking the door, Su Lan Qian dashed into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with a teapot and a tray of pastries.
“Look at the gift I brought for you.” Bai Feng casually picked up a pastry and took a bite. “But it’s not anything super fancy—just some specialty fruits from the Southern Region.”
“Hmm…” Su Lan Qian opened the storage bag, pulling out a handful of regional fruits, their faint aroma drifting out.
Staring at her fruits, her mind floated back to the recipes she’d seen before. If she remembered correctly, there were desserts made with fruit, and one even used fruits from the Southern Region.
“I originally wanted to buy some array materials for you, but the Array Peak has dedicated suppliers—they’re cheaper than buying solo. So, I went with fruits instead.”
Bai Feng explained with a smile. Honestly, choosing gifts for Su Lan Qian had given him some trouble. Besides arrays, she didn’t have many hobbies—unless you count baking. So he just picked some baking-friendly fruits.
“I like it,” she said softly, placing the fruits back into the storage bag. Slowly, she scooted closer to Bai Feng, and seeing no objection, she nudged even further until she was pressed against him.
Her hands gently wrapped around his arms, and she whispered, “I want to make some snacks with these fruits. Can you give me some pointers?”
“No problem. What kind of sweets do you want to make, Senior Sister Su?”
“Let’s start simple. I remember you mentioned fruit cakes before…”
“Then let’s make a fruit cake.”
Actually, she wasn’t really planning to bake. She just enjoyed working together with Bai Feng—more time with him meant more reasons to keep him close.
…
Bai Feng took a bite of the sliced cake, then looked at Su Lan Qian, leaning on him with her eyes slightly closed, as if sleeping peacefully. He gently reached out and tousled her hair.
And as he withdrew his hand, her head ‘followed’ his motion, seemingly unwilling to let his touch go.
That was actually the reason he bought her presents in the first place. Sure, she wouldn’t say much openly, but as long as he didn’t react to her little movements, she’d gradually cling closer. She could break free if she wanted to—yet she didn’t. And once she was attached, there was no quick escape.
“Umm…”
Su Lan Qian slightly lifted her head. Pressed even closer, her lips seemed to brush against his neck—though based on his experience, it wasn’t accidental.
He’d usually watch her slowly making more intimate moves, but this time, he decided to be a little more proactive.
So he leaned down and lightly kissed her neck. He could feel her body stiffen suddenly, clearly caught off guard by his move.
He found her reaction amusing. Encouraged by her tense anticipation, he lowered his head once more…
…
“…”
“…”
Since his return, Bai Feng had been staring at Tian Yan, who sat silently and fixedly, her gaze void of expression. For a moment, he didn’t quite know what she intended.
“What’s wrong?” he asked hesitantly.
“I want to eat cake,” Tian Yan replied evenly.
“Hadn’t I already made a lot? Did you finish it all?”
“I want to eat fruit-topped cake.”
Despite her still emotionless face, Bai Feng sensed a trace of longing—like a quiet, ‘Why won’t you make me a fruit cake?’
“… It’s just adding a few sliced fruits to the cream,” Bai Feng muttered, slightly exasperated but still planning to whip up a new one. “What fruit do you want?”
“Any is fine.”
Finally, Tian Yan shifted her gaze away from him. And he sensed her mood improved significantly, though her expression remained unchanged.
“By the way, you still haven’t finished the wheat and stuff you were working on, right?” Bai Feng asked while baking. “Had any trouble?”
“Not exactly trouble,” Tian Yan shook her head. “There were issues before, but they’ve been resolved now. Wheat used to be overly dependent on the environment. When the spiritual energy concentration was a bit low, it would die or even degrade. I had to put in a lot of effort to fix that.”
“Oh… hmm? Wait, you mean Spirit Wheat?” Bai Feng turned sharply to look at Tian Yan.
He’d only been thinking of having her grow hybrid wheat or rice to harvest more, but now… she was messing with Spirit Wheat?
Although wheat and Spirit Wheat look similar, the differences are huge. Don’t even get him started on ordinary wheat, but Spirit Wheat can be turned into Spirit Rice—mildly infused with spiritual energy, ideal for Qi-conditioning practitioners. Usually regarded as medicinal ingredients, not food, unless you’re from a big family.
Plus, Spirit Wheat requires very careful cultivation, needing steady, rich spiritual energy. Some even bury Spirit Stones in the soil to boost growth.
“Yes, I’ve improved Spirit Wheat so that it no longer demands such specific conditions. Now, you can plant it just like ordinary wheat—even if the surroundings are low in spiritual energy, it will still grow, though not as well.”
He blinked. “Sounds like you made something incredible…”
If what Tian Yan said was true—that Spirit Wheat could be cultivated in regular wheat-growing environments—then maybe Spirit Wheat really could be eaten as food.
Of course, it wouldn’t be as effective as perfect conditions, but still—it’s Spirit Wheat! Better than regular wheat for sure!
“Plus, I also created some high-yield ordinary wheat on the side. You can help me distribute it later.”
“No, can’t give that away,” Bai Feng shook his head immediately. That wasn’t about making money, but because he knew that things given away often weren’t treasured. Especially for farming—harvest only every half-year or so. “We need to handle some publicity first for your wheat.”
