After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

After parting ways with Cang Yao, Lin Chu returned to the villa, took a shower, and leaned back on the sofa.

He stared at the unfinished glass of water on the coffee table, his mind replaying the events of the day.

Cang Yao walked backwards along the riverbank, her ponytail swaying gently, her peach blossom eyes curving into crescents, and said, "I'll tell you when you stop asking."

If you don't want to ask, then don't ask.

But it's impossible not to want to.

Lin Chu closed her eyes.

It's not hard to guess.

Cang Yao's appearance was too coincidental, and her understanding of him was too accurate. The sense of familiarity that occasionally slipped out when she spoke could not be explained by a simple investigation.

And then there are those blurry images that flash through my mind from time to time.

Willow trees by the stream, red clothes.

The only possible connection these fragments point to is the Xuan Tian Realm.

She definitely knew me before.

Or to be more precise, she knew the version of herself that she hadn't fully remembered.

Lin Chu leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling in silence for a while.

"never mind."

He stood up and went into the study on the second floor.

Thinking about it so much is useless.

Memories will eventually be unlocked. Instead of guessing here, it's better to spend your time cultivating yourself.

With each increase in cultivation level, one can recall a little more information.

Lin Chu took out eight water-element spirit stones from his storage ring and arranged them into a small spirit-gathering array with a diameter of two meters according to the Bagua directions.

Blue light swirled within the array, and the concentration of spiritual energy in the air rose at a visible rate.

Lin Chu sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, closing his eyes and circulating the Haoran Nourishing Qi Technique.

With an innate Dao foundation and the bloodline of a true dragon, the speed at which one absorbs spiritual energy far surpasses that of ordinary people.

As soon as he circulated his cultivation technique, the spiritual energy in the array surged into his meridians as if it had found an outlet.

……

The next morning.

Lin Chu opened her eyes from her meditation and exhaled a breath of stale air.

After one night of cultivation, his cultivation level advanced a little further.

It's time to prepare to attempt foundation building.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

He went downstairs to open the door.

Then he paused for a moment.

Jiang Ruoshui stood at the door.

Her outfit today is completely different from before.

Today she wore a light pink sweatshirt, paired with a white pleated skirt and a pair of low-cut flat shoes.

Her hair wasn't styled with loose curls like before; instead, it was tied into a loose bun with a few wisps of hair hanging down beside her ears.

He looks like a college student.

"...Miss Jiang?" Lin Chu was taken aback.

"Good morning." Jiang Ruoshui pushed her sunglasses up to her head, blinked, and said, "What, don't you recognize me?"

"Almost." Lin Chu leaned against the doorframe. "Miss Jiang, what brings you here today?"

"When I was transferring the property title, I noticed that the outdoor unit of the air conditioner on the first floor was a bit old." She said this without even blinking. "It's easy for the circuit breaker to trip if the air conditioner is used too much in the summer, so I came to take a look and ask someone to replace it."

"How did you know?"

"That's what the property management said."

Lin Chu glanced at her.

The reason isn't particularly clever, but it's certainly plausible.

"Come in."

Jiang Ruoshui entered the house and changed into a pair of slippers in the entryway. She had even brought a pair of slippers with her.

As I passed through the living room, I glanced at the Monstera deliciosa on the coffee table and a slight smile appeared on my lips.

"You must have come all this way." Lin Chu went to the kitchen and poured her a glass of water.

"It's alright." Jiang Ruoshui took the water glass, her fingers accidentally touching Lin Chu's fingertips, causing the glass to sway and the water to almost spill.

Lin Chu instinctively grabbed her wrist and steadied her.

"careful."

"...Thank you." Jiang Ruoshui lowered her head, a smile appearing on her lips.

Lin Chu withdrew her hand, feeling that something was not quite right.

After finishing her water, Jiang Ruoshui put the cup back on the coffee table and looked up at Lin Chu. "Actually, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you today."

"What is it?"

"A new Sichuan restaurant just opened nearby," Jiang Ruoshui said. "I'd like to find someone to go try it with; eating alone is too boring."

Lin Chu was slightly taken aback.

"Miss Jiang—"

"Just call me Ruoshui." She took a small step forward, looked up at him, and blinked. "Or... Jiang Jiang is fine too? That's what my friends call me."

Lin Chu scratched his head.

He smiled helplessly, looking at the woman in front of him who was clearly well-prepared, even bringing her own slippers.

Her youthful and vibrant outfit today is no coincidence.

The so-called reason of "aging outdoor air conditioning unit" was probably made up on the spot.

This woman is interested in me, and her intentions are becoming increasingly obvious, but the question is—why?

I remembered that I had made an appointment with Cang Yao this afternoon.

"I'm afraid it won't work today," Lin Chu said. "Let's do it another day."

Jiang Ruoshui's eyes darkened for a moment, but she quickly regained her charming smile, picked up her bag, turned and walked out, but turned back at the door: "Then I'll remember this, you owe me a meal."

"When did you start owing it?"

"Just now," Jiang Ruoshui smiled and pushed open the door to leave.

Lin Chu was helpless.

"Didn't you...come to see the air conditioner?"

Also, why did you leave your slippers behind?

……

The next few days.

Cangyao sends WeChat messages every day.

Sometimes it's sharing a song, sometimes it's a picture of a sunset, and sometimes it's just three words: "Have you eaten?"

Lin Chu returned every time.

The two also went out for a few meals, all at restaurants she chose. The food was good, and the conversations were pleasant.

Jiang Ruoshui also kept subtly striking up conversations with him on WeChat.

"Remember to bring an umbrella today because it's raining." "Did you know the courier station downstairs moved?" "I posted something funny on my WeChat Moments, you should check it out."

Lin Chu would occasionally reply with a sentence or two, and she would immediately reply with a long message.

Like the legendary... simp? Lin Chu was stunned when the word came out.

He quickly shook his head, a strange look on his face.

He put down his phone, touched his face, and wondered when he had become so charming.

……

in the afternoon.

Lin Chu was in the study on the second floor, trying to find the method of Foundation Establishment in his memory, when he suddenly sensed several auras heading towards the villa.

Three of them actually showed fluctuations of spiritual energy.

A convoy of cars was slowly driving along the main road of the villa area.

Three black cars, without any markings, but Lin Chu could immediately tell that the person sitting in the back of one of them had obvious spiritual energy fluctuations.

Qi Refining Stage? Are there already people on Earth who have reached the Qi Refining Stage?

Lin Chu raised an eyebrow.

The convoy stopped in front of his villa.

A young man jumped out of the passenger seat of the first car and quickly opened the back door.

The first person to get off was an elderly man wearing an executive jacket.

He was in his early sixties, with gray hair, but he was in good spirits and stood up straight.

He glanced at the villa, his gaze lingered on Lin Chu for a moment, and then he gave her a friendly smile.

The old man was followed by four people, two men and two women.

One of the women particularly attracted attention.

She wore a simple white shirt and dark blue trousers, with her hair tied in a single ponytail. Her features were delicate, but her expression was aloof.

He was holding a long, narrow object that was wrapped tightly in a cloth cover; it looked like a sword.

She was staring intently at Lin Chu.

His gaze was complex, as if he wanted to say something but held it back.

Lin Chu met her gaze for a second, and her heart stirred inexplicably.

Everyone looks familiar to me.

Just as I was in a daze, the old man had already reached the door.

"Mr. Lin." He extended his hand, his voice deep and gentle. "I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Lu Chenghong, and I am currently the Director of the Special Affairs Management Bureau for National Defense of the Xia Dynasty." He paused.

"I'm here today to discuss some things with you. Are you available now?"

Lin Chu looked into Lu Chenghong's eyes.

The old man spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, his gaze open and honest, conveying a sincerity that was hard to refuse.

He nodded.

"Come in."