Chapter 341

At this moment, things were completely different from before.

Both were acutely aware of their surroundings. The window was wide open, letting the winter wind brush past their cheeks and hair, its icy touch awakening every drowsy sensation.

Outside, the snow drifted down lazily, while warm sunlight poured in, bathing Pei Ji’s long lashes in a faint glow. The sunlight outlined his features with stunning clarity, so vivid that Ning Ning only had to open her eyes to meet the depths of the young man’s gaze.

Pei Ji’s movements were still clumsy.

His tongue, carrying the faint sweetness of milk, moved like a deer in the forest tentatively lapping at a stream. The moment their lips touched and parted slightly, it swept in, landing at the edge of her dazed lips.

“Ning Ning.”

His voice was deep, low, and magnetic, causing her ears to tingle as he murmured, “Open your mouth.”

Something in her chest exploded like a roaring fire.

Ning Ning’s eyes darted aimlessly, unsure of where to look.

Her mind went blank as she obediently parted her lips.

And so, the soft sweetness invaded unrestrained, spreading the floral and milky fragrance to every corner of her mouth.

His kiss was without finesse, almost timid, as though testing the waters.

His tongue moved slowly, every touch feather-light and cautious.

Beside them, the rose milk cakes were still steaming, releasing thick clouds of white mist that quietly filled the space between them.

Through this hazy veil, Ning Ning caught sight of his face, impossibly close.

The cold sharpness and killing intent that once resided in his eyes had melted away completely, replaced by an intoxicating warmth like ink spreading on water, rippling with emotions that tugged at her heartstrings.

She also noticed the faint redness at the corners of his eyes.

For something like this, he was clearly a novice, likely even more inexperienced than her.

Ning Ning, overwhelmed by the sweetness, instinctively reached out her tongue to reciprocate.

He clearly hadn’t anticipated this.

When their tongues touched, his entire body seemed to heat up, his temperature rising abruptly.

If someone were to walk in right now… that would be disastrous.

Her heart pounded wildly.

The kiss left her weak, unable even to muster the strength to pull away.

Their warm breaths intertwined, binding them together like silken threads.

Pei Ji gradually deepened the kiss, seemingly finding a rhythm.

His unskilled but earnest motions, sweeping and pressing, sent waves of tingling sweetness that carried a faint milky scent.

Whenever Ning Ning tried to avoid his intense gaze out of shyness, he would tilt her chin back with his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes directly.

This was too much.

She thought in a daze, “If this is how he is now, then in the future—”

Wouldn’t it only get worse?

The kiss had come out of nowhere and ended just as abruptly.

By the time Ning Ning’s head had stopped spinning, she vaguely remembered his lips pulling away, his face still close to hers, eyes serious yet innocent.

Just moments ago, he had been as wild as a wolf.

Now, slightly out of breath, his voice turned husky and nervous as he asked, “Was that… okay?”

Ning Ning tried her best to glare at him.

Your technique is terrible! I almost passed out from lack of air! You even forced my chin up—what’s wrong with me looking elsewhere out of embarrassment?

She said none of this out loud.

Flustered and meek, she touched the tip of her nose and mumbled, “It’s… okay. Let’s get back to cooking.”

How pathetic.

Ning Ning gritted her teeth, thinking, “For the sake of preserving Pei Ji’s dignity as a rookie, I’ll let this slide. But one day, I’ll turn the tables and take the lead.”

—

Pei Ji’s cooking skills were unexpectedly impressive.

Half an hour later, a grand feast was laid out across the table.

As Ning Ning and Pei Ji emerged from the kitchen, they saw the others gathered around the table, loudly chatting while focusing on a specific dish.

When they noticed the two approaching, a black silhouette trembled and a wailing voice filled everyone’s minds.

“Pei Xiao Ji! You’re finally back! Do you know how much I’ve suffered? They’ve been bullying me! I’ve been poked and prodded so much I’ve lost all my purity! I’m dirty! dirty!!”

The black sword, trembling furiously, lamented, “They even used their spiritual consciousness to tease me, poking here and there—I feel so violated!”

Pei Ji sighed helplessly.

“You said you didn’t want to stay in the kitchen and smell the fumes.”

He picked up the sword, its silhouette gleaming in the sunlight.

It was a pitch-black, unsheathed blade.

The sword, Cheng Ying, radiated grievance.

Back when the heavenly thunder struck, it thought it was done for, ready to perish alongside Hell’s Path.

Yet not only did it survive, but it was also forcibly ejected from Pei Ji’s sea of consciousness, regaining its physical form.

No longer the suave gentleman of its dreams, it was now nothing more than a black sword.

Still, thanks to the thunder, it had recovered fragments of its lost memory—flashes of adventures alongside its former master, slaying monsters and basking in glory.

Well, even if it is a sword, it is a very cool and awesome sword, and its life was fulfilled.

—So you little bastards, stop poking with your spiritual consciousness! Even a sword will get shy, okay!

Cheng Ying acted like a wronged young wife and kept complaining to Pei Ji.

Meanwhile, Zheng Weiqi, the chief culprit behind the poking, was already tearfully moved by the spread of dishes.

“Do you remember those years when we were so poor that we boiled snow water with a few sweet potatoes and wild greens?”

Meng Jue smiled lightly.

“I made a special trip down the mountain to buy chicken, duck, and fish at that time.”

“You bought them,” chuckled Tian Xianzi, “but no one knew how to cook them. You didn’t even gut them! The taste was… unforgettable.”

Zheng Weiqi protested righteously,”It was you, Master, who threw the whole chicken into the pot without even plucking the feathers! In the end, you even forced me to use the Ten Thousand Swords Technique to scrape the fish scales and use my sword to skewer the chicken. The sword energy and chicken feathers flew everywhere and almost blew up the kitchen!”

Lin Xun shivered at the memory, unable to fathom how chaotic the sect had been in the past.

Meanwhile, He Zhizhou, eyeing the beggar’s chicken nearest to him, rubbed his hands together eagerly.

“This smells amazing! Heh heh heh, chickens truly are humanity’s most delicious friends!”

This senior brother is not normal either!

He sipped his tea nervously, terrified that He Zhizhou might one day declare, “Little Dragon is our most delicious junior brother!”

Too terrifying! He had no doubt He Zhizhou would act on it!

“Pei Ji, this is a feast for the ages!”