Chapter 265

He shut out Cheng Ying’s chatter entirely, deliberately blocking the voice from his mind. Then, with practiced ease, he wiped away any trace of a smile and lowered his head, rummaging through his storage pouch for something.

Ning Ning, curious, blinked and watched him intently.

Pei Ji had just finished practicing his sword, and his black hair, damp with sweat, was scattered messily across his forehead and temples, contrasting with his pale skin. Under the cold moonlight, the teardrop-shaped mole under his eye gleamed, making him look excessively beautiful.

His fingers, long and slender with prominent knuckles, soon produced a round object from the pouch.

It looked like a snack or dessert, meticulously wrapped in white paper. As the gentle night breeze blew, it carried with it the faint scent of peach blossoms.

Pei Ji moved his arm slightly closer to her.

“For you.”

“What is it?”

Ning Ning accepted it without hesitation, quickly glancing up at him.

“Can I open it now?”

Whether it was her imagination or not, Pei Ji seemed to grip his sword tighter.

But he still nodded, expressionless.

As she unwrapped the layers of paper, the pleasant fragrance grew stronger.

The faint scent of the trees and the peach blossom aroma in the bamboo forest surrounded her, and the moonlight illuminated the carefully wrapped surprise inside.

It was a flower cake.

There was no such treat in the cultivation world.

She had once mentioned to He Zhizhou the potential for making a fortune by selling flower cakes.

Unfortunately, after trying to make it a few times, all their attempts had failed, and the idea was abandoned.

She had only casually mentioned it to Pei Ji once, in passing.

“The taste might be off.”

His voice was taut with tension.

“I don’t know how to make it.”

That’s right.

She hadn’t told Pei Ji anything—neither the ingredients nor the recipe.

He had no knowledge of the process or the steps involved.

All he had heard was the simple phrase, “a pastry filled with flower petals.”

Yet, Pei Ji had still managed to make one, wrapping it carefully and earnestly in layers of paper, then solemnly presenting it to her.

Ning Ning stared at him in a daze.

The black-clad sword cultivator, with his cold, sharp features, still lingered in her mind, as did the image of him amidst the scattering leaves and radiant sword light. And yet, this same Pei Ji had also spent time in a kitchen, painstakingly experimenting with flower petals and starch to perfect this dessert.

…Did Pei Ji wear an apron?

No, there probably weren’t aprons in ancient times.

Her thoughts began to wander uncontrollably, her mind bubbling with silly ideas, and she unconsciously rubbed her cheek with her free hand.

This was just too unfair.

Ning Ning didn’t dare look at him again.

Holding the peach blossom cake, she lowered her head and took a bite.

The soft pastry crumbled gently between her lips, its delicate, buttery texture mingling with the sweetness of the peach blossoms in a way that was impossibly tender.

It was sweet.

So sweet, in fact, that it made her feel inexplicably happy.

Pei Ji remained silent, but the moment he saw her take that first bite, his grip on the sword tightened, his knuckles faintly turning white.

Then Ning Ning smiled up at him, her eyes filled with unrestrained joy.

“It’s delicious!”

All the tension in his heart melted away.

His throat moved slightly, and he turned his face away, responding in a low voice, “Mm.”

In the awkward silence that followed, Pei Ji heard her voice again, “By the way, are you… Are you alright? After seeing Xie Yu?”

Ning Ning asked cautiously, but he never showed any expression of sadness.

In a deep voice, he replied, “It’s fine.”

After a pause, he hesitated and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever told you about my mother, have I?”

Ning Ning abruptly looked up, her eyes wide.

“It’s not a very important story,” Pei Ji said calmly, as if discussing the weather.

When he spoke of the past, his lips curled slightly, but there was a cold, mocking smile in his eyes.

“She was born into a prestigious family. One day, she encountered an injured and unconscious young man and saved him. They fell in love and broke the rules.”