Such skilled knife work could never be achieved by practicing spiritual cultivation alone. Feng Miaojun watched without blinking.

The fingers pressed against the fish were fair and slender, creating a stark contrast against the black fish’s body. It gave one the illusion that being sliced into a thousand pieces by him might be a kind of happiness.

What a terrifying thought. Feng Miaojun shuddered.

Yun Ya had already sliced the fish, seasoned it, and marinated it. He then turned to wash and peel bamboo shoots and slice the cured meat.

At least at this moment, he seemed like an ordinary domestic man, preparing a meal for the woman he cared for. Just watching how meticulously he handled these mundane tasks, who could imagine what earth-shattering deeds he had accomplished in the past?

They say a man is most attractive when he’s focused on his work. Then what about a handsome man who’s focused on his work? At any rate, Feng Miaojun had to restrain herself from clutching her heart.

It was about to burst!

Stay calm! She summoned her composure. This fellow was trying every trick and using every pose to flirt with her.

At least for now, she decided to temporarily forget about their respective identities and the barriers between them.

In the blink of an eye, the black fish went into the clay pot and onto the fire. Feng Miaojun clicked her tongue in admiration: “Does State Preceptor Yun cook for others?”

It wasn’t surprising that he could cook, after all, he was a genuine foodie. People with discerning palates usually had some skill with their hands. What she was curious about was how lonely it must be to eat alone—didn’t he need a dining companion?

Yun Ya wiped his hands and smiled faintly: “Rarely. You’re the second person.”

Few people qualify for such a privilege.

The dishes were served.

Two people, two dishes: blackfish stew and bamboo shoots stir-fried with cured meat.

She still remembered he was injured, so she didn’t have the heart to make him work too hard.

Feng Miaojun had deliberately brought out a black fish to increase the difficulty for Yun Ya since its flesh could hardly be described as delicate and was generally only used in soups. However, this fellow had handled it properly. When eaten, it was richly fragrant and juicy, and remarkably had a certain crispness to it, quite different from the delicate tenderness of most freshwater fish.

The other dish was equally simple. Feng Miaojun had only given him bamboo shoot tips, cured meat, and red chili peppers. He tossed all three ingredients into the wok for a quick stir-fry over high heat, causing flames to leap up more than two feet high.

Feng Miaojun applauded him and whistled: “I thought gentlemen stayed away from the kitchen.” Wasn’t he afraid of ruining his image?

Yun Ya glanced at her. The kitchen was hot, making her small face glow red. Her eyes sparkled with brightness, having lost their usual shrewdness. Right now, she just looked like a hungry girl from next door: “I’m honored that An’an still considers me a gentleman.”

Indeed, scrutinizing this fellow up and down, he really didn’t match up with the term “gentleman” at all.

The hot dish was served, even more fragrant than the fish. The greasiness of the cured meat was balanced by the slight bitterness of the bamboo shoots, while the bland taste of the bamboo was driven away by the chili peppers. Though not an extravagant dish, it had a lingering aftertaste, carrying an irresistible sense of everyday life.

Looking at the person before her now, he seemed much more agreeable.

Feng Miaojun picked up a slice of cured meat and blew on it: “Delicious!”

When it came to good food, she was never stingy with praise. Then she took out a jar of fine wine and poured for both of them.

“Peach blossom wine?”

Yun Ya still remembered where this wine came from, and he remembered how she had sat beneath the peach blossom tree, smiling beautifully. Back then, she hadn’t yet defeated Fu Lingchuan but was already surrounded by handsome men, each like a male bird displaying its wings to court her, eager to show off in front of her.

Now she was a queen in name and reality, and it went without saying.

This girl always gave him the illusion that he was very close to her, so close that he could reach out and hold her in his arms. But what he had, she disdained; what she wanted, he couldn’t give.

At least not yet.

She had traveled thousands of miles from Wuser to Inzi City and then risked her life and international relations to rescue him from Mo Tizhun. Surely she must have genuine feelings for him? But this woman was like a cat—one moment she could be acting cute and affectionate, the next she could abandon you without a second thought.

Just then, Feng Miaojun asked him: “Who was the first person?”

Yun Ya was lost in his thoughts and didn’t immediately respond: “What?”

“You said I was the second one.” Curiosity got the better of her, and she still wanted to ask.

“Oh.” He smiled. “Before you, I only cooked for my mother.”

Mother? Caught off guard by this answer, Feng Miaojun was momentarily stunned. That made sense—no matter how extraordinary he was, he didn’t just spring from a rock. “Ah, is the elderly lady well?” Suddenly her speech became awkward.

How did such a simple question make her stammer? Yun Ya gave her an inquiring look, and Feng Miaojun suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

Yun Ya picked up a slice of fish: “She passed away when I was seven.”

His voice was flat, as if devoid of any emotion. In fact, for him, it was indeed a distant memory, so distant that he often thought he had forgotten it.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Feng Miaojun responded politely but was curious about what kind of mother such an extraordinary being would have.

First of all, she must have been a great beauty, otherwise, how could she have given birth to a son with such looks?

“From a young age, my heart was injured by someone. That person wanted my life, but my mother protected me with her own, and thus they failed.” Yun Ya pointed to his chest. “But she also suffered serious injuries because of it. In the years that followed, she transferred her inner core to keep me alive. She exhausted herself, and didn’t make it to the eighth year before she passed.”

Feng Miaojun let out a soft “ah,” not knowing what to say. When it came to comforting others, she had always been awkward. She could only say stiffly: “What a pity, she truly loved you.” But in her heart, she was speculating that Yun Ya’s mother must have been a cultivator as well and of considerable skill.

“Mother loved all the delicacies in the world, especially fish. The pond behind the house was dug to store fish. But her cooking was terrible—she could even burn down the kitchen while cooking. So after I turned six, all these chores fell to me.”

Feng Miaojun caught on: “The pond behind the house… wait, you mean the pond in the Fang Cun Bottle?”

“Yes.”

“Then the house in the Fang Cun Bottle, could it be…” It was just an ordinary small courtyard in the mountains, too simple to be the residence of someone of State Preceptor Yun’s status. She had always wondered why it was inside the Fang Cun Bottle, but now she understood there was a reason.

“It’s where I lived as a child.” Yun Ya smiled slightly. “After my mother passed away, I placed it in the Fang Cun Bottle as a memento.”

Feng Miaojun lowered her head and took a couple of bites of rice. From just these few words, she could tell that Yun Ya had been sensible from a young age and had a deep bond with his mother.

The person before her possessed extraordinary powers, yet his heart condition remained unhealed to this day, showing how severe it was. As a child, he certainly didn’t have the cultivation level he had now, so the heart condition must have tormented him terribly. Thinking of such a frail child having to bear the pain of losing his mother and then being all alone afterward, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy.

Having lived two lives, she had never experienced a complete family herself, so she deeply empathized with his loss.