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

In the evening, Lin Chu changed into a clean shirt and went out.

As he arrived at the mall entrance, he could see Jiang Ruoshui standing at the entrance waving at him from afar.

"Lin Chu! Over here!"

She wore a black sleeveless knit top today, her hair was casually tied back with a silver hairpin, revealing her slender neck, and she wasn't wearing sunglasses.

Her makeup was very light, and standing under the warm yellow light made her skin appear even whiter.

A pair of thin-rimmed gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, adding a touch of asceticism to his already exquisite face.

Standing at the entrance of the bustling shopping mall, she was the center of attention.

Lin Chu walked over.

Several boys waiting for a table followed Jiang Ruoshui's gaze and looked at Lin Chu, their eyes filled with undisguised envy.

"Let's go." Lin Chu walked up to her.

"Let's go." Jiang Ruoshui walked naturally beside him, her arm occasionally brushing against his sleeve.

The two walked into the mall.

Then it stopped in front of that baked food restaurant.

Lin Chu looked at the familiar sign and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Ruoshui tilted her head to look at him.

"...It's nothing." Lin Chu pushed open the door. "Come in."

At noon, the waiter was standing at the welcoming position.

She looked up and saw Lin Chu, then saw Jiang Ruoshui beside her.

It took a full two seconds for his expression to change from a professional smile to a blank stare.

Lin Chu coughed lightly.

The waiter finally snapped out of his daze, glanced down at the reservation form in his hand, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Welcome, please come in."

As she handed over the menu, she couldn't help but glance at Lin Chu again.

Besides shock, there was also a hint of solemn respect in his eyes.

Lin Chu pretended not to see anything and sat down to flip through the menu.

Jiang Ruoshui took the menu and immediately flipped to the page for chicken baked rice without hesitation.

Lin Chu glanced at her and realized she hadn't asked her what she wanted to eat yet.

"I've already ordered."

"So fast?"

"Baked chicken with cheese rice." She closed the menu and pushed it towards the waiter. "I've already decided."

Lin Chu remained silent.

Now we've tried all three signature dishes.

After the waiter finished taking down the order, he glanced at Lin Chu one last time before leaving.

Lin Chu picked up her water glass, took a sip, and decided never to come to this store again.

While waiting for her food, Lin Chu watched her elegantly drink water from her glass.

Miss Jiang

"Ruoshui"

"...Ruoshui." Lin Chu put down her cup. "Have you been paying attention to the changes on Earth lately?"

"What changes?"

"Spiritual energy is reviving, visitors from beyond the realm, demonic beasts," Lin Chu said. "It's all over the news."

Jiang Ruoshui put down her water glass and blinked.

"I've followed it. But these things are too far removed from ordinary people, so thinking about them too much is pointless."

Aren't you worried?

"What's the use of worrying?" Jiang Ruoshui rested her chin on her hand and smiled charmingly at him. "Besides, aren't you worried too?"

Lin Chu did not respond.

He discovered that this woman was impeccable, able to deflect any criticism without batting an eye.

Soon, the chicken baked rice arrived. Jiang Ruoshui picked up a piece with her chopsticks, rolled it up, and stuffed it into her mouth. Her eyes narrowed, and she looked as satisfied as a cat basking in the sun.

"Is it really that delicious?" Lin Chu asked, looking at her.

"It's super delicious." Jiang Ruoshui mumbled, then scooped up another spoonful. "Do you know how important a chicken is to a fox?"

Lin Chu paused for a moment.

"...What?"

"I'm saying," Jiang Ruoshui looked up innocently, "For someone who loves chicken, chicken meat is the most important thing."

After finishing their meal, Jiang Ruoshui walked ahead of them as they exited the mall.

When she reached the mall entrance, she suddenly stopped and turned around, her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses staring straight at Lin Chu.

"Lin Chu."

"Um?"

Are you starting to get curious about me?

Lin Chu nodded decisively.

Jiang Ruoshui's lips curled up slightly.

She turned around and continued walking forward, but after a few steps, she suddenly turned back again.

The light from the streetlamp fell from the side, casting her face in half light and half shadow.

"Jiang...Lin Chu".

She paused, as if swallowing a title that was about to slip out, then smiled again. "You'll find out soon enough."

Lin Chu stood there speechless.

This person speaks with the air of a riddle, revealing only half of what they mean.

Jiang Ruoshui waved to him, then turned and left.

The sound of high heels gradually faded into the night.

Back at the villa, Lin Chu sat on the sofa for a while.

He was bothered by what Jiang Ruoshui had left unsaid, and he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

Unlike Cang Yao and Zhou Caiwei, he felt no familiarity with Jiang Ruoshui at all, so he simply gave up.

I returned to my study to cultivate.

……

Time flies when you're practicing.

The next day, in the evening.

Lin Chu changed into a clean light gray shirt, looked at herself in the mirror, and then went out.

As soon as I drove out of the garage, I saw Cang Yao standing under the streetlight in the distance, one hand behind her back and the other holding a small paper bag.

Today she wore a beige knitted cardigan over a light blue floral maxi dress, and her long hair was loose, flowing smoothly over her shoulders.

A gentle evening breeze blew by, causing the hem of her skirt to sway slightly.

Lin Chu rolled down the car window and looked at her standing under the streetlight waiting for him.

My heart skipped a beat again.

"Get in the car."

Cang Yao looked up and smiled at him, opened the car door, got into the passenger seat, and placed the paper bag on her lap. "This is for you."

"What is it?"

"Chenpi tea, I noticed you seemed a bit tired lately." She placed the paper bag on the center console. "Make yourself a cup after dinner."

Lin Chu started the engine and drove the car along Binjiang Road towards the old city.

The city lights were reflected on the river outside the car window. Cang Yao leaned back in her seat, turned her head to look at him, and occasionally said something interesting.

"I went to the beach today and saw a sea otter knocking on seashells on the rocks."

"Did you knock it open?"

"It was knocked on," Cang Yao laughed. "Then it was snatched away by a seagull."

"You didn't help?"

"I wanted to help, but then I thought about it and realized it probably has its own rhythm."

Lin Chu chuckled, gripping the steering wheel, his gaze occasionally sweeping over her profile.

Every time I see her, my mood involuntarily improves.

Before anything was even said, just sitting next to him made my heart beat a little faster.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Cang Yao ordered five dishes, three of which were ones that Lin Chu had eaten a few more times on last time.

He himself hadn't noticed these details, but Cang Yao remembered them clearly.

Lin Chu put down her chopsticks.

"Cangyao".

"Hmm?" Cang Yao looked up.

"I have something I want to ask you."

Cang Yao took a bite of the poached chicken.

"What is it?"

Lin Chu considered her words carefully before speaking.

He said that recently some random images have been flashing through his mind, including her.

He also mentioned that he had learned a lot in the past two days—the Xuan Tian Realm, the Four Seas Dragon Court, and extraterrestrial civilizations.

Then he looked into Cang Yao's eyes.

"Have we met before?"

This was Lin Chu's third time asking.

Cang Yao's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

She raised her head, her fingers slowly lowering the chopsticks and resting them on the rim of the bowl.

"Have you remembered something?"

"There are some blurry images," Lin Chu said, "but they're not complete. I want to hear what you have to say."

Cang Yao remained silent for a long while.

Then she took a deep breath.

I know you.

Her voice was slightly hoarse.

"And it wasn't just an ordinary acquaintance, because you were once my—my husband."

Lin Chu's fingers clenched slightly.

She didn't notice and continued talking.

"You've done so many things for me, so many."

She paused, then continued, "But later, I failed to protect you."

"And then..."

At this point, Cang Yao suddenly stopped.

Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end, it stopped and did not continue.

"Let's not talk about that anymore." Cang Yao raised her head again, the corners of her mouth curving up, but her eyes were already starting to redden. "In short, I've been looking for you for a long time. Later, when Blue Star appeared in the view of all realms, I sensed your presence in this world."

Lin Chu remained silent.

The hazy fragments of memory in my mind began to piece together automatically: the stream, koi, willow trees, Qinghe Village, and Mr. Chen sitting under the veranda drinking tea.

The image became clearer and clearer, and he wanted to think about it more deeply, when suddenly a sharp pain struck him.

Lin Chu instinctively clutched her head, veins bulging on her forehead, her fingers clenched until they turned white.

"Lin Chu!" Cang Yao stood up almost instantly, went around the table, and bent down to hug him.

One hand was around his shoulder, and the other was placed on his forehead.

A faint light flashed in my palm, and a cool, warm power seeped into my brow.

The headache subsided like the receding tide.

Lin Chu took a few breaths and looked up.

Cang Yao stood in front of him, one hand still on his shoulder.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her expression was even more panicked than his.

"If you can't remember, don't think about it." Her voice was a little urgent, filled with unconcealed heartache. "It's okay, don't force yourself."

The customers at the surrounding tables were looking this way, and the waiter noticed it too.

Cang Yao completely ignored him and just gently patted his back again and again.

Lin Chu paused for a few breaths, then raised her head, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"It's alright." Lin Chu stood up. "Let's pay the bill first."

After leaving the store, Lin Chu remained silent the whole way, then drove to the riverbank and parked.

A river breeze blew by, and the city lights outside the car window spread out in the night.

"Cangyao".

"Um."

"I just remembered something." Lin Chu turned to look at her, "The stream, you, the willow tree, and Mr. Chen."

Cang Yao's fingers gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

"I remember you always came to the stream to find me, I remember you often lingered around me, I remember Mr. Chen sitting on the porch," Lin Chu's voice was a little low, "but I don't remember you saying we were husband and wife."

He turned his head and looked into her eyes.

"But I believe in you."

Cang Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly.

"Because every time I see you," Lin Chu said, "I feel very happy. It's not the kind of happiness you feel when you see a beautiful woman; it's something else that I can't quite explain myself."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Cang Yao had already thrown herself into his arms.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and trembled slightly.

"Cang Yao—"

"Don't talk," her muffled voice came from the crook of his shoulder. "Just let me hold you for a while."

Lin Chu did not push her away.

He hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and gently placed it on her back.