I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

The supermarket's automatic doors slid open, and a blast of warm air rushed out.

Qingyuan's hands were full of plastic bags.

Before his newly received salary had even settled in his bank account, he promptly "squandered" it.

The purchase targets were all fresh vegetables and a large piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat.

Passing by a braised food shop with a long queue on the street corner, Qingyuan couldn't resist and ordered half a roast chicken to make a vegetarian platter.

Finally, he even took a detour to a popular pastry shop to buy a box of exquisitely presented desserts.

With everything ready, he carried bags of various sizes and walked briskly towards the stairwell.

"Knock knock knock".

Qingyuan stood in front of Liang Huilan's house and knocked on the door.

The door opened.

Liang Huilan, dressed in her familiar floral loungewear, looked surprised to see him: "Xiao Qing? What's going on here?"

"Aunt Liang!"

With a big smile on his face, Qingyuan deliberately pushed the braised dishes and vegetables in his hand forward.

"The company gave me a windfall today. I live alone and I'm too lazy to even turn on the stove."

I figured the food here would be better than takeout, so I brought some "gift" over to mooch a meal. You won't find me annoying and kick me out, will you?

Liang Huilan was clearly taken aback by his move. She was stunned for a moment, then laughed at his antics.

She stepped aside to let him in, grumbling, "You silly child, what nonsense are you talking about! You're already here, why did you spend so much money buying all this stuff? Come on in!"

"hey-hey."

Qingyuan didn't stand on ceremony. He went inside and carried the vegetables straight to the kitchen.

This was Qingyuan's first time entering Liang Huilan's home.

The living room is really big, with genuine leather sofas and mahogany coffee tables; it's definitely not your average quality.

The large house was tidied up too much, making it seem empty and deserted, with no signs of anyone living there regularly.

The TV screen was off, and the coffee table was spotless, with no snacks on it.

It feels like a luxurious show flat that has been neglected for a long time—beautiful, but lacking in warmth.

He recalled the phone call he had heard yesterday, and a lonely sigh.

Looking at Liang Huilan's back as she tied on her apron and busied herself in the kitchen, Qingyuan felt a mix of emotions.

Without much thought, he rolled up his sleeves and strode inside.

"Auntie, let me lend you a hand. You can't just wait for me, a grown man, to take care of you all by yourself."

In the kitchen, Qingyuan was in charge of washing and preparing the vegetables, while Liang Huilan was in charge of chopping and cutting them.

One assisted, the other took charge of the cooking; they worked together quite well.

Soon, the steam from the oil pan and the aroma of the food dispelled the slight chill in the room.

"Xiaoqing, you're pretty good at washing vegetables."

Liang Huilan chatted casually while preparing the pork belly.

"I had no choice. I live alone and can't eat instant noodles every day. This skill was born out of necessity."

Seeing Qingyuan diligently washing the celery, Liang Huilan's gaze softened considerably, as if she saw something through him, and she unconsciously began to speak:

"My son isn't half as diligent as you... When he was little, he wouldn't even cook, he'd just push his bowl away and run off after finishing his meal."

Her tone was filled with nostalgia, and also with a touch of a mother's unique doting affection.

"His father passed away early, and I raised him alone. I spoiled him. Later, he went abroad, and several years have passed in the blink of an eye. He always says that he is doing well over there, but how can a mother not miss him..."

Qingyuan listened quietly, his hands still moving, without saying a word.

He could "sense" that a hint of gray-blue, representing loss, was slowly mixing into the warm emotional tone surrounding Liang Huilan.

"Oh, look at this old woman, she's getting old and talks a lot. Why bother talking to you about these old, trivial things?"

Liang Huilan seemed to suddenly wake up, quickly shook her head, changed the subject, and deftly put the meat into the pot.

With a "rip" sound.

The rich aroma of meat instantly filled the air.

"That's enough chatting, dinner's almost ready! Xiaoqing, you go wait outside!"

She urged him on, practically "driving" Qingyuan out of the kitchen.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was slightly somber.

Qingyuan tried a piece of braised pork; it melted in his mouth and tasted absolutely delicious.

He noticed that Liang Huilan was also eating, but her eyes were a little unfocused, clearly still caught up in the emotions she had just experienced.

With a thought, the "Mind Monkey" talent was silently activated.

A vague thought flashed through Liang Huilan's mind; the image was warm, as if it were about a fish.

Qingyuan put down his chopsticks and said with feigned surprise:

"Auntie, your braised pork is absolutely amazing! The taste is just right, no doubt about it. But when I was little, my mom always said that boys should eat more fish to become smarter."

Every time I got a perfect score on a test, she would definitely make me a steamed sea bass as a reward.

"Really? My son also loves eating fish!"

Liang Huilan's eyes lit up, and a genuine smile appeared on her face.

"When he was little, he craved my squirrel-shaped mandarin fish the most. Every time I made that dish, he could eat two big bowls of rice, and he would have to use steamed buns to soak up all the sauce on the plate..."

The atmosphere at the dinner table, filled with vivid memories, suddenly became lively.

Laughter and cheerful voices brought a long-lost warmth to the spacious house.

After a satisfying meal, Qingyuan insisted on washing the dishes, but Liang Huilan forcibly made him sit on the sofa to watch TV.

Seeing that it was getting late, Qingyuan got up to say goodbye.

"Auntie, I'm going back now. You should get some rest too."

"Be careful on the road."

After Liang Huilan finished tidying up, she realized that the box of pastries that Qingyuan had brought had been "forgotten" on the shoe cabinet in the entryway.

"This child..."

She smiled and shook her head, intending to put the pastries in the refrigerator.

The moment her hand touched the bag, she sensed something was wrong.

At the bottom of the bag was a thick red envelope.

Liang Huilan opened it with a puzzled look; inside was a stack of brand-new banknotes.

I roughly counted them, and they totaled a full five thousand yuan.

You see, she only charged him 1,500 yuan a month in rent because she thought Qingyuan was a recent college graduate who didn't have much money.

There was a small note tucked inside the red envelope, with a cute smiley face drawn on it and a line of text next to it:

"Aunt Liang, I'm going to rely on you for the meal money I prepaid, so please don't find me annoying! :)"

Clutching the note, Liang Huilan stood there, her eyes welling up with tears.

"This child..."

......

"Click".

Close the door, shutting out both the warmth and noise of the real world.

Qingyuan sat back down at the table.

Turn on your computer and double-click the ink painting Tai Chi icon.

The music was clear and melodious, and the scene unfolded beautifully.

The game interface remains frozen at the moment he activated the [Proxy] function for Shu Yan.

The time displayed in the upper right corner shows that the ten-year period since the founding patriarch issued his second divine decree is fast approaching.

Qingyuan took out a notebook filled with plans, turned to a brand new page, and his eyes sharpened.

"It's time to make things a bit more difficult for you during this first major test of the decade."

He gazed at the small sect on the screen and murmured to himself, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.

"Let me see just how much of Heaven's will you can bear!"

The words fell.

[Continue the game].