Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 324 - 211: The ’Empty-Nester’ in Need of Care and the Beast Fight

"Hmph. I lugged a beast weighing several hundred pounds all the way back here for you. Can’t I at least get a meal out of it?" Chi Li grumbled, lounging back in his chair with one leg propped up, his chin resting in his hand.

"That wild boar’s blood splattered all over me, and the smell was disgusting. I had to go all the way back just to take a bath." He ground his teeth, looking furious.

’That old bastard actually dared to use his spiritual power to suppress me!’

An Jin pushed aside the door curtain and glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. ’Is it just me, or is this fox in a particularly foul mood today?’

"It’s not like I said you couldn’t stay for dinner. But since we’re on the topic, should we count? How many meals have you mooched off us this month?"

After leaving him speechless, she and Mi Yin took their seats. The five of them were gathered around a large, round table.

The table before them was laden with a magnificent feast. The rich aroma whetted everyone’s appetite. It was all Ling Hong’s handiwork—truly the perfect househusband, as capable on the battlefield as he was in the kitchen.

On the ceramic plates in front of An Jin were sausages with golden-brown, crispy skins. She took a huge bite. ’Mmm, it has both meat and starch! And that undertone from the special blend of spices... this is amazing!’

"I made them with the wild boar you caught this afternoon and some starch we had at home. Are they good?" Ling Hong rolled up his sleeves, revealing a powerful, sturdy forearm as he picked up his bamboo chopsticks.

After several years of training, they had all long since learned to use chopsticks. They no longer ate like primitives, grabbing food with their bare hands and devouring raw meat.

Seeing An Jin eat so happily, his smile deepened. He discreetly added a few slices of vegetables to her plate and admonished her like a doting father, "I saw you making them the other day and wanted to give it a try. I didn’t expect them to be such a success. Eat more vegetables, don’t just fill up on sausages..."

Mi Yin, meanwhile, ladled a bowl of soup for her.

It was a shiitake mushroom and tofu soup. The broth was a creamy white, with a few emerald-green leaves floating on top. It was a perfect harmony of color, aroma, and flavor.

An Jin took several large gulps. ’GULP, GULP... Awhoo, this is so, so good.’

’Ling Hong’s cooking skills have surpassed even my own. He’s on another level! He’s spoiled my palate so completely, I don’t think I could ever live without him.’

’I’ll have to teach him how to make things like steamed buns and cakes later. Mmm! With my dear wolf’s incredible talent and intuition, I’m sure he’ll be able to recreate them perfectly!’

In the center of the table sat a massive seafood platter, all caught by Xi. He often went for a swim in the nearby waters, and every time he came home from his fun in the water, he’d bring back a basket overflowing with seafood.

"Here, Ah Jin, eat this. Isn’t this your favorite? I caught a ton of them in the water just for you!" Xi said, attentively peeling shrimp for her. He had already filled an entire bowl.

He hadn’t touched a single one himself, pushing the entire bowl in front of her.

This was a typical dinner scene in their home. Chi Li, feeling like the odd one out, glanced from side to side. He felt completely out of place in this harmonious atmosphere.

’Whatever, why should I care? I’m just here for the free food,’ he thought. ’And I have to admit, this meal is seriously delicious.’

"By the way, Ze Sheng... did he say anything to you? Anything... strange?" Chi Li hadn’t forgotten the true purpose hidden beneath his pretense of mooching a meal.

"Oh, Ze Sheng? He didn’t say much. He’s a little strange, but I can tell he’s a really good person!" ’I mean, anyone who gifts you several boxes of precious Blood Crystals has to be good, right?’

When it came to winning people over, Ze Sheng had thoroughly succeeded with her.

"Oh. That’s good, then." Chi Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He lowered his head and poked at his food a few more times with his chopsticks. He didn’t have much of an appetite and was full after just a couple of bites.

After dinner, as the sky grew dark, Ling Hong went ahead to warm up her bed, leaving Xi and Mi Yin to clear the table and wash the dishes.

An Jin walked Chi Li to the gate.

After taking a few steps down the pebble-strewn path from the gate, he turned back to look at her. Still worried about the situation, he felt compelled to try and explain again.

"Ze Sheng... he... he might be seeing you as a friend of his who passed away. That’s why he might act or say some strange things. You shouldn’t take it to heart."

His voice faltered. Chi Li’s gaze fell upon her face. The bright moonlight gently kissed her features, lending her a hazy, cool sort of beauty and tinting the edges of her black hair a silvery white.

He stopped dead in his tracks, his body rigid. He stared blankly at her. "Va—"

’How can this be?’ Even he couldn’t help but mistake her identity. They were two separate figures from different times and places, yet in that instant, they suddenly overlapped.

’Hmph. It must be because of that old bastard’s influence. I’ve never, ever felt this way before.’