Chapter 654: Chapter 529: Jing Ci, Why Bother?

The next day, just as the sky began to show a faint glimmer of light, Xiao Mo awoke from his sleep.

Xiao Mo swiftly changed his clothes, then stored his already-packed luggage into his Storage Ring.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Mo stepped out of his room.

But just as Xiao Mo entered the courtyard, he saw the young woman standing gracefully before him, looking as if she had been waiting for a long time.

"Jing Ci... why are you up so early?"

Gazing at Jing Ci, Xiao Mo was slightly taken aback for a moment before a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he spoke softly.

"If I hadn’t gotten up early, you would have already left. I wouldn’t have even gotten to see you one last time."

Tushan Jing Ci pouted her rosy lips, walking gracefully forward as she spoke.

"If I remember correctly, the official assembly to set out for the campaign isn’t until the Hour of the Dragon. Why are you leaving so early? Are you really that unwilling to let me see you off?"

Hearing this, Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head, his tone teasing.

"I was just worried you’d get sad and upset. What would I do if you couldn’t help it and started crying, messing up your pretty face?"

"I will not cry..."

Tushan Jing Ci pouted again, then placed her hands on Xiao Mo’s shoulders and, without giving him a chance to object, pushed him down onto the stone stool.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Even if you have to go, you’re not leaving until you’ve had breakfast!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tushan Jing Ci rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair, slender wrists, and turned to walk into the kitchen.

Before long, wisps of cooking smoke began to rise slowly from the kitchen, drifting through the cool morning air.

Immediately after, a CLATTERING sound of pots and pans banging against each other came from the kitchen.

"Agh—"

’How am I supposed to do this part?’

’Logically, this should be the right way to do it, right?’

’This is definitely how Sister Yue Shi taught me, isn’t it?’

’I practiced over and over again for the entire night yesterday. There shouldn’t be any more mistakes, right?’

Xiao Mo sat quietly in the courtyard, patiently waiting for his breakfast.

From the kitchen, Tushan Jing Ci’s soft muttering could be heard from time to time.

Xiao Mo heard her but could only shake his head slightly, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing as he continued to wait quietly on the stone stool.

After about an hour, Tushan Jing Ci finally emerged, carefully carrying out the cooked pumpkin porridge along with a few exquisite side dishes, placing them steadily in the courtyard.

"Xiao Mo, hurry and try it." Tushan Jing Ci urged him on as she personally ladled a full bowl of pumpkin porridge and handed it to him.

"Alright." Xiao Mo nodded, took the bowl, picked up the spoon, and put a spoonful into his mouth.

"So, how is it? Does it taste good?"

Tushan Jing Ci looked at Xiao Mo with great anticipation, her bright eyes filled with a tension and nervousness she couldn’t hide.

"Mmm, it’s delicious." Upon hearing this, the corners of Xiao Mo’s mouth curved up into a warm smile. He then lowered his head and took another bite.

"Is it really good?"

A flash of unconcealable joy crossed Tushan Jing Ci’s eyes. She then quickly took a bowl for herself, ladled some porridge, and carefully took a taste.

But in the very next moment, Tushan Jing Ci’s brows furrowed, and a look of displeasure spread across her little face.

"Xiao Mo, you lied to me! This isn’t good at all!"

Tushan Jing Ci quickly stuck out her tongue, her tone tinged with grievance.

Xiao Mo, however, seemed completely unbothered. He lifted his bowl and took another large gulp of the pumpkin porridge, gazing at her with a smile. "As long as you made it with your own hands, it’s delicious to me. Besides, your cooking has improved so much compared to before."

"But in the end... it’s still really bad."

Tushan Jing Ci lowered her head, her gaze falling on the bowl of porridge before her. She seemed to grow even more guilty and self-reproachful.

"Xiao Mo, I’m sorry... I wanted to make you a proper meal before you left. I practiced for a whole night, but in the end... what I made is still so awful."

"It’s alright."

Xiao Mo comforted her softly.

"When I return from the battlefield, if you’re still willing, Jing Ci, you can cook for me again. I’m sure that by then, your cooking skills will have improved a lot, too."

"’Too’? Why did you say ’too’?"

Tushan Jing Ci’s ears twitched. She suddenly looked up warily, her eyes fixed squarely on Xiao Mo.

"Xiao Mo, do you have another woman out there!"

"No, I just... said it without thinking," Xiao Mo calmly explained.

’But thinking about it carefully, Xiao Mo himself couldn’t explain why he had blurted out the word ’too’ just then.’

’It was just that, deep in his mind, it seemed there was once another woman whose cooking was also an absolute mess at first, yet she had been willing to practice cooking for him again and again.’

’But Xiao Mo didn’t dwell on it. After all, he often had this kind of false impression.’

’It might have been a dream he’d forgotten, but when he encountered a similar scene in reality, it brought a sense of familiarity.’

Xiao Mo raised his head, glanced at the sky, and said softly, "Jing Ci, it’s getting late. I should go."

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