Chapter 20: Eating Barbecue.
“Ahh—feels so good!”
Xie Qiyang, barefoot, stepped onto the soft, cool sand, wading step by step into the chilly seawater.
She casually rolled up her pant legs a few inches, letting the cool waves lap over her jade-white ankles.
The perfect coolness mingled with the warm flow of Solar True Essence in her body, creating a soothing balance.
She couldn’t help but stretch, her tense nerves finally unwinding.
How long had it been since she’d been this close to the sea?
Crouching playfully, she pushed against the incoming waves with her hand, like a child.
Her memories were hazy—seven or eight years, maybe?
Growing up by the coast, she’d seen tides come and go, losing their novelty over time.
The last time was probably the summer after her college entrance exams.
After moving inland for school, she hadn’t made a point to visit her hometown’s sea again.
The cool, salty sea breeze brushed past, lifting her thin clothes and sending her cascading silver hair dancing.
In the glow of the setting sun, she glanced back at the shore.
The campfire crackled, and Li Tianxing was focused on cooking something.
A sly glint flashed in her ice-blue eyes as she softly called in her mind:
“System!”
A translucent light screen, visible only to her, popped up with a simple interface displaying two lines:
〔Current Cultivation: Qi Induction Realm〕
(Can be restored to Acquired Realm by acquiring Solar True Essence)
〔Note: Solar True Essence acquisition method: Stable acquisition through intimate actions with a Solar Saint Body.〕
Her lips curled upward, her sapphire eyes sparkling.
“Having cultivation… feels amazing!”
She could feel the changes in her body—light as if she could ride the wind, senses sharp enough to catch the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the world.
With a thought, her fingertips grazed the sea’s surface, instantly freezing a small patch into glittering ice crystals.
Compared to her pathetic state upon transmigrating—drained, powerless, and weak—she was worlds apart now.
Doing nothing (well, almost nothing), relying on that guy and this flaky system, she’d leapt to the Qi Induction Realm.
This carried-by-a-pro feeling is awesome.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
Her slender fingers subtly pointed at the busy figure on the shore.
The screen refreshed instantly:
〔Target: Li Tianxing〕
〔Current Cultivation: Body Refining Realm〕
Xie Qiyang: “???”
She blinked, confused, and tapped “Reload.”
Still, the glaring “Body Refining Realm” stared back.
“Hey! Stupid system!” she grumbled inwardly.
“What’s wrong with you? If he’s only Body Refining, how could he crush the original owner so badly?”
The screen flashed a bold, flickering line, as if bristling with attitude:
〔Loading… Host, do not slander this system! System products are top-tier! Cultivation detection accuracy is 100%! If the host doubts the data, first consider if the host’s own understanding is flawed!〕
Xie Qiyang: “…” This damn system!
But… calming down, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
A reborn old monster with battle experience, advanced techniques, and the original owner already heavily injured… a Body Refining Realm crushing her then kind of made sense?
So… right now… the advantage was hers?!
Her heart pounded uncontrollably, a spark of excitement creeping into her expression, but she lowered her head, letting her silver hair hide the gleam in her eyes.
Hold on! Wait till my cultivation grows higher, till I figure out his trump cards, then I’ll…
I’ll… what?
A bucket of cold water doused her budding excitement.
She fell into a strange confusion.
She didn’t seem to hate him as much as she thought.
Recalling their intimate moments, she’d been subconsciously blurring his gender, picturing him as a stunning beauty, focusing on his face and ignoring his lower half.
It made their closeness less repulsive.
And he’d had countless chances to force himself on her but never crossed that line.
At most, he teased her, made her call him “husband,” and… even helped restore her cultivation?
This guy wasn’t exactly a saint, but to her… he wasn’t all bad either.
Escape?
But sticking with him, backed by a powerhouse, offered better odds for opportunities and safety than fumbling through this world alone.
Xie Qiyang, frustrated, swirled the seawater with her foot, torn between logic and instinct.
Her rational mind said this was the best path, but a stubborn male instinct pricked at her, making her uneasy.
Honestly, she didn’t dislike him—or even being close to him.
But in the short term, she couldn’t stomach fully letting go with a man, doing those… crowd-pleasing things.
If only he were a woman.
“Frost!”
Li Tianxing’s gentle, clear call cut through the sea breeze, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She realized, lost in her musings, she’d waded knee-deep into the sea.
“Got it!” she called back, suppressing her chaotic thoughts and hurrying toward the shore.
Whatever, stop overthinking. Let it flow—deal with it when the time comes.
…
“So fragrant!”
Back on the shore, a mouthwatering aroma of grilled meat hit her, storming her senses.
Cumin! Mixed with the charred scent of sizzling fat!
Her mind buzzed, her taste buds exploding.
Heaven knows what she’d been eating lately—bland meat soup, barely qualifying as food.
Her mouth had nearly forgotten flavor, but the sizzling meat on the campfire, though simple compared to her past life’s lavish BBQ stalls, was divine in her eyes now.
Li Tianxing was grilling a massive, ostrich-like bird, its skin golden and crispy, fat dripping into the fire, sparking temptingly.
He deftly tore off a perfectly roasted, fragrant wing and handed it to her.
“Here.”
All traces of ladylike poise or silver-haired beauty vanished.
Her eyes gleamed as she grabbed the scalding wing, ignoring the heat, and took a huge bite.
“Mmm!”
The skin was crisp, the meat tender and juicy, bursting with rich flavor and cumin’s spicy kick.
She ate messily, oil smearing her lips, eyes squinting in bliss as the cool sea breeze tousled her hair.
Life felt complete, utterly carefree.
Her gaze drifted to the shimmering sea, her thoughts floating with the waves to distant horizons.
But Li Tianxing’s eyes never left her satisfied profile, his focused gaze as if etching her, the sea breeze, and the sunset into his memory forever.