Chapter 278
"Ah, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Isn’t that a wonderful sentiment?"
Li Mo grabbed a piece of candy and tossed it into his mouth.
"But aren’t we talking about something more... colorful? Doesn’t this candy look a bit..."
"Candy? What candy?"
Li Mo wore a serious expression, as if he had just experienced a moment of clarity after amnesia.
"Oh, right! Where were we? We were discussing the colors, aromas, and flavors of cooking. How about we have some barbecue today? That would really put my theory to the test."
"....."
Seeing his cheeks puffed out, with the sugary glaze on his lips untouched, and him still speaking with conviction, Ying Bing remained expressionless. She gently withdrew her hand from his grasp, took off her jade hairpin, and let her long hair fall free.
With her hair down, it could shield her ears and neck.
Zhong Zhenyue looked bewildered, while Zhong Ling began to harbor some doubts about Li Mo's culinary skills.
Before long, they arrived at the restaurant.
The owner of Jiao Wei Restaurant, a former sergeant under the command of the King of Southern Town, recognized Zhong Zhenyue. As soon as he saw him, the one-armed owner hurried over to greet him.
The two engaged in conversation, sharing many sentiments.
Ying Bing, upon stepping off the carriage, quickly retreated to a private room, her footsteps seeming a bit... hurried?
Li Mo was puzzled by her sudden change.
"I'll call you when it's time to eat."
"..... Okay."
Li Mo noticed her pause at the door, seemingly lost in thought. After a couple of seconds, she gently nodded, which made him speculate a bit.
Was Ying Bing perhaps contemplating some profound martial arts philosophy, causing her to zone out?
It felt somewhat similar to his own earlier state.
After informing the owner, Li Mo slipped into the kitchen. It was past dinner time, and the kitchen was empty.
As he was slicing vegetables with his trusty knife, a familiar figure entered the kitchen. She looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Zhong Ling.
"Li Shaoxia."
"Haha, are you interested in learning how to cook?" Li Mo twirled his knife, slicing a green pepper into strands as fine as hair.
Zhong Ling shook her head and said, "No, I wanted to ask about Zhenyue in Yunzhou and that Tianmo Shengnv. What’s going on there?"
"Ah, well..."
The freshly cut green pepper fell onto the cutting board.
Li Mo wondered if Zhong Ling had a habit of flipping tables.
"Did Zhong Zhenyue not tell you?"
"He mentioned a bit. He only said that the demoness had bewitched him, and you were the one who woke him up. He said you talked more about it but avoided the main points."
Li Mo replied earnestly, "I don’t think the young lord was avoiding the main points. It’s possible that I left a deep impression on him."
After all, he had seen Zhong Zhenyue 'escape from the jaws of death' and then frantically search for a restroom.
"How was he bewitched? What right did that demoness have to..."
Zhong Ling gritted her teeth.
She had quietly stood by Zhong Zhenyue for so long, while that demoness had only met him a few times and already captured his heart.
How could he be deceived if he wasn’t moved?
Li Mo pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you know what the young lord likes?"
"Strong people."
"?"
"So I’m working hard to become stronger. He never beat me when we were kids. What’s wrong with that?"
"....."
Li Mo's lips twitched slightly. He thought to himself that their current situation couldn’t all be blamed on Old Zhong.
He wasn’t exactly a love expert either.
Yet, the dynamic between Zhong Ling and Zhong Zhenyue somehow made him feel like a bit of a love guru.
It was as if he could see his younger self pulling Ying Bing's hair.
Perhaps that was why.
Li Mo found himself genuinely contemplating: "I’m stronger than Zhong. There are plenty of people stronger than him in the world. His feelings are more about admiration and aspiration; he wants to become a strong person himself."
"Then how did that demoness manage it back then?"
"Let me think..."
Li Mo fell into deep thought.
From his own experience, it seemed that the more of a 'straight man' someone was, the more susceptible they were to the charms of a 'green tea' type.
She brings you breakfast, ties your shoelaces, helps you with your homework, but nothing compares to a simple 'Brother, are you there?' from a girl with big waves.
"That demoness must have done something like this..."
Li Mo, the emotional mentor, was on duty!
Yes.
A mentor who had never eaten pork but had seen pigs run in his past life...
"Is that really going to work?"
.....
PS: I’ve been feeling a bit foggy today; I think I might be coming down with a cold. I’m requesting two updates for approval.
If I’m not in good shape, the audience definitely wouldn’t want to see me post something boring. Muah!
---
Chapter 301: How to Date? Stinky Little Brother, Eat
"To deal with a straight man like the young lord, you can’t confront him head-on; you have to flirt with him."
"Flirt?"
"Uh, that gesture you just made is a bit over the top. I’m not talking about actions. Haven’t you heard that a woman who acts cute has the best luck?"
Having at least seen pigs run in his past life, Li Mo was quite knowledgeable in this area.
Zhong Ling was momentarily stunned, almost ready to call him Master Li, thinking to herself that he truly was a prodigy from the Qianlong List, having traveled far and wide, and thus knew so much.
Didn’t you see how Han Xianzi looked at him?
Even celestial beings couldn’t resist him; he definitely had some authority.
"If you really don’t understand, just read this."
"This is a storybook, isn’t it?"
"It recently updated the plot about the demoness from the Hehuan Sect. I have to say, it’s quite something. I suspect Ouyang Shixiong did some field research."
"??"
.......
Half an hour later, various skewers were laid out on the table.
At that moment, the restaurant was bustling again. Dinner had passed, and it was now late-night snack time. Jiao Wei Restaurant was lively once more, with street vendors setting up barbecue stalls featuring the specialties of the Southern Frontier, smoke billowing everywhere.
Li Mo emerged with skewers and dipping sauce.
This place was originally run by a retired sergeant, and many familiar faces from the barracks had come to enjoy their day off, some even bringing their families. The atmosphere felt like a gathering of old soldiers enjoying barbecue.
"Young Lord, you’re here too?"
"Did you come alone? If you don’t mind, why not join us at our table?"
"Huzi, call the young lord 'brother.'"
"Hello, Brother Hou."
"?"
Zhong Zhenyue hadn’t eaten a bite yet, but suddenly felt less hungry and a bit uneasy, like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on.
To be honest, he felt quite envious, but thinking back to his experiences in Yunzhou, he couldn’t help but shiver.
"Where’s Lingjie?" Zhong Zhenyue casually asked.
Li Mo placed the skewers on the grill and smiled mysteriously, "She said she needed to ask the owner’s wife for help changing her clothes."
"Changing clothes?"
Zhong Zhenyue was taken aback.
After just a few exchanges, the owner’s room suddenly opened, and Zhong Ling walked out, adorned with silver accessories and wearing a style of clothing from the Southern Frontier that was relatively revealing compared to the Central Plains, striding gracefully toward them.
To be honest, she did have a certain charm in that outfit.
Tsk, I wonder how Ying Bing would look in something like that?
Ying Bing’s waist wasn’t just a waist; it was...
Li Mo turned his head, grinning as he prepared to watch Zhong Zhenyue’s reaction.
"Bold demoness! How dare you come to the Southern Frontier to harm me!"
Zhong Zhenyue sprang up, looking alarmed, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, brandishing a lamb skewer as a shield.
Li Mo: "....."
Well, once bitten, twice shy.
But this reaction was within Li Mo’s expectations! (Thanks to his divine foresight), and he had warned Zhong Ling in advance.
"You ate your own..."
"Sis, please don’t say any more..."
Zhong Zhenyue quieted down, while Zhong Ling twitched her lips, sitting beside him. She glanced at Li Mo, who was casually grilling skewers, and suddenly felt a surge of courage, putting on a bright smile.
"Today, don’t call me sister; it makes me sound so old."
"Come on, have a skewer~"
"Here comes the little flying stick~"
Zhong Zhenyue was sweating profusely, swallowing hard, his eyes pleading with Li Mo: 'Save me.'
Unfortunately, Master Li was too busy with the smoke to notice.
Before long, the large restaurant fell silent for a moment as Ying Bing gracefully emerged from the room, sitting beside Li Mo, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him grill skewers.
She glanced at the two not far away, her expression somewhat peculiar.
"What’s going on with them?"
"They’re probably... dating?"
"?"
Ying Bing was just about to look at the skewers when her cool gaze lingered on Zhong Zhenyue and Zhong Ling. The smoke rising from the skewers added a touch of ethereal beauty to the scene, making it feel almost surreal.
For a moment, she was lost in thought.
Dating...?
In her past life, she had mostly faced crises and treachery. She didn’t enjoy the intrigues of others, so she had quietly locked herself away in the Gui Palace.
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