Feng Jiu was without question genuinely clever, and Lan Yue had finally come to understand why she had spent the entire afternoon keeping him at her side.

Not only to keep him company while she cooked, to keep him company on a stroll through the rear courtyard, and to keep him company over a meal — but most importantly, this girl kept needing him nearby to reach out and take things from across the room every so often.

Only someone with inner energy deep enough to a certain degree could take things from a distance in a way that made it impossible to tell it was actually their own hand doing it.

The rear courtyard was staffed only by ordinary servants, and even the guards, in terms of martial arts, were only average by the standards of cultivators of their caliber.

And yet even people of that level, upon seeing Feng Jiu standing beside Lan Yue and reaching out to pluck things from across the room, could not tell whether it was Feng Jiu or Lan Yue who had done it.

Naturally, if at that moment one were to extend one’s hand as though doing something, anyone would assume it was she who was retrieving the object.

Taking things from a distance — was that something a person who had completely lost their martial arts could do? The answer was obviously no.

In the time it took to share an evening meal, the rumor that Feng Jiu’s martial arts had been completely destroyed was dismantled on its own, without any effort.

“Uncle’s cooking really is so terribly ugly to look at. Can you work on improving your technique a little for next time?”

Feng Jiu’er had been lodging complaints for the entire duration of the meal. In the end, it was Yanu who could bear it no longer, slipping immediately into the kitchen and emerging in the shortest possible time with three dishes and a soup.

Lan Yue glanced at the young person sitting across the stone table and could not quite determine what to make of the situation.

She had made use of him for the entire afternoon, and even now had the nerve to find fault with his food and call it inedible.

Though, to be fair, it genuinely was rather inedible. But was there any call to be this insulting about it? Could she not at least have kept her complaints behind his back? To his face?

Truly — this was an outrageous, reckless girl!

“Don’t look at me like that. I am only telling the truth, and surely Uncle, as a manor master, understands this principle — truthful words are hard on the ear, but they benefit one’s conduct.”

With an entirely earnest air, Feng Jiu’er slid the dishes Lan Yue had cooked in front of him. “If Uncle doesn’t believe me, taste them yourself.”

Then she pulled Yanu’s three dishes and soup over to her own side, flashed Lan Yue a smile. “I won’t fight you for them. I still prefer Yanu’s cooking.”

Lan Yue gave a cold snort. He looked at her eating with such obvious delight, then looked at the three dishes sitting in front of him, and immediately lost all appetite.

Indeed. A little inedible.

But for a first time in the kitchen, to have produced something like this was already remarkable, was it not? What was there to find fault with?

Long Yan, standing to one side, gave a soft cough, unable to help himself from saying a word in his master’s defense. “Young Master, our manor master is cooking for the very first time. The manor master has truly been more than generous toward you.”

And that was the truth. After all these years at the manor master’s side, when had he ever seen the manor master set foot in a kitchen?

“My, Long Steward looks quite envious. How about this — the dishes Uncle made, you have them!”

And just like that it was decided! Feng Jiu’er moved the dishes from in front of Lan Yue and pushed them over to the side. “Yanu, bring an extra set of bowl and chopsticks for Long Steward.”

Yanu turned and left.

Long Yan stared at those dishes, and immediately panicked. “Young Master, these were personally made by the manor master for you. How could I dare touch them?”

“It’s fine. This manor master bestows them upon you.” Lan Yue’s tone was utterly bland.

That blank-faced, perfectly serious manner was genuinely astonishing in its straightness.

Of course, having Long Yan eat them was better than having this girl nag him into forcing them down himself. It was not as if he had not tasted the food just now — he knew better than anyone how terrible it was.

Lan Yue had no particular demands when it came to food, but that did not mean he was willing to abuse his own stomach.

Feng Jiu’er was also grinning, her eyes on Long Yan. “Long Steward, look how well Uncle treats you. Go on and eat them all — leave not a single bite behind. Otherwise, you are saying Uncle’s cooking is bad.”

“How could the manor master’s cooking possibly be bad?”

“Then eat up!” Yanu arrived with the bowl and chopsticks, and Feng Jiu’er immediately placed them in front of Long Yan.

Lan Yue also looked at Long Yan. He said nothing, but his expression made plainly clear: to not eat was to disrespect him.

Good heavens! How had this situation managed to end up falling entirely on his own head?

Long Yan was genuinely on the verge of tears right now. What on earth had the manor master cooked? Dark as pitch — could it even be eaten?

“Is there a problem?” Lan Yue’s brow furrowed slightly, the face beneath the mask cold as a glacier.

Feng Jiu’er planted a hand on her hip, indignant. “Uncle, this person actually dares to find fault with your cooking!”

“Oh?”

“No — no, no, that’s not — of course not!”

“If not, then eat. Uncle’s cooking is absolutely delicious, and Uncle and I both cannot bear to part with any of it.”

Feng Jiu’er cast a sidelong glance at Lan Yue. “Uncle, isn’t that right?”

“Mm.” Lan Yue gave a mild sound of agreement. His face still held no expression, but his indignation was plainly being vented right alongside Feng Jiu’s.

Long Yan genuinely wanted to cry. The fish scales had not been removed. The innards were most likely still inside. The vegetables were black — whether burned or from some mysterious addition, he could not tell.

The egg dish with minced meat was in truth large chunks of braised meat and egg. Whether from too much water or badly beaten eggs he could not say, but the result looked like a pile of… mush.

He had not even tasted it yet, and Long Yan’s stomach was already quietly protesting in distress. He desperately wanted to retch. What was he supposed to do?

“Not eating?”

“Hm?”

“Eating!” He grabbed the chopsticks in both hands, faced that pile of mush, and adopted the expression of one resolved to meet their fate.

First bite… well. He wanted to die even more.

“Uncle, try some of the dishes Yanu made. They may not be quite as good as yours, but the flavor is quite decent. Here.”

Feng Jiu’er scooped a bowlful of dishes for Lan Yue, smiling warmly. “Go on, have a taste.”

Then she glanced at Long Yan and rolled her eyes. “Though Uncle’s cooking is delicious, there is no need to be so moved you cry over it. Quite awkward.”

“If you don’t watch, you won’t find it awkward.” Lan Yue was sensibly not watching.

“It seems Uncle should make more dishes for him to sample regularly in the future. Once he gets used to it, he won’t be moved to tears every time.”

“…All right.” First use Long Yan to practice, so next time when cooking for this girl, he would not be disparaged again.

Practice makes perfect. After making it a few more times, it should be fine.

But… for no particular reason, why had he developed such an intention?

Cooking for this girl? Did he have that kind of leisure? Was it not enough to have been made use of already?

“Uncle, go home and practice that egg dish with minced meat. Next time I still want to eat it.”

“…All right.” He was genuinely not idle at all — he really was quite busy. But somehow he had agreed regardless.

Perhaps his head was not working properly.

Feng Jiu’er’s mood that evening was genuinely good. She served Lan Yue two more pieces of meat and smiled. “You have to get to the point where Long Steward can eat your cooking without being moved to tears before you can make it for me, all right?”

She was not going to eat unpleasant food, not even for Uncle. One simply could not abuse one’s own body.

Lan Yue looked sideways at Long Yan, who was still in the grip of his emotions, and was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. “…All right.”

With a loud clatter, a certain someone was so startled that his chopsticks dropped right out of his hands.