"Dinner needs to be remade."
While Yan Xiaoxi and Xiaomei were busy in the kitchen, Yan Yuchen was urged by his mother to call Hu Gua Gua over for dinner. After all, the money for the hospitalization was borrowed, so showing gratitude by sharing a meal was only right.
Reluctantly, Yan Yuchen went out to call Hu Gua Gua after the girl's figure had long disappeared from the moat. He had to knock on the door of the neighboring courtyard.
After a considerable wait, Hu Gua Gua's voice came from inside, filled with caution: "Is it Yan Toad? What do you want? Don't think just because Miss is alone at home, you can take advantage or peep. Let me tell you, Miss is skilled in martial arts! I'll explode your head if you try anything!"
Yan Yuchen replied with irritation, "Stop being so self-absorbed. My mom insists I call you over for dinner, and I'm a filial young man. I can't defy my mom, so I'm here just for show. If you stay silent or reject outright, that's fine."
After a brief silence, Hu Gua Gua's voice came again: "Fine, I reject."
Surprised by the straightforward response, Yan Yuchen questioned, "Stinky frog, this isn't like your usual style. Normally, you'd follow me for the meal. What's wrong with you today? Did you fall into the water earlier, and your brain got soaked?"
"Get Out!" was Hugua Gua's succinct reply.
Yan Yuchen muttered a few words, was too lazy to pay attention to her anymore, turned around and left in a happy mood
Since she herself refused the invitation, she couldn't blame himself. Anyway, he had been knocking on the door for a long time and even invited her, so my mother must have nothing to say.
Shortly after he left, in the small courtyard, Hu Gua Gua sat on a stone stool, her face a bit pale, a hint of pain showing between her brows, but she made no sound, seemingly enduring it.
With a bowl of steaming medicinal soup, Aunt Nuan came out of the kitchen, eyes filled with anxiety and anger, saying, "Miss, why don't we just go and take the Golden Core back? If this continues, with the Golden Core detached for so long, not only will your cultivation regress, but your body will deteriorate day by day. Even if we recover those medicinal ingredients, it won't last long."
Shaking her head, Hu Gua Gua took the soup, placed it on the stone table, and said with a despondent look, 'If we could take it back, I would have done it long ago. It seems the Golden Core has already acknowledged that guy as its master. Unless he willingly returns it, it will only lead to their mutual destruction."
Aunt Nuan, crouching beside her with a face full of concern, held her hands and suggested, "What if... we just tell him the truth? Let him return the Golden Core. No matter what he asks for, we'll do our best to satisfy him. Miss, how about that?"
Hu Gua Gua sighed, "That won't work either. That guy was supposed to die early, fated to live a sickly life. Now, because of my Golden Core, he's lively. If he returns it, he'll die. Aunt Nuan, we've lived here for so long, don't you understand human selfishness? Do you think he'd be willing to sacrifice himself to save me?"
Aunt Nuan sighed, saying, "What should we do then? Are we just going to helplessly wait? Wait for your health to deteriorate?"
Hu Gua Gua lifted her head, glanced at the nearby house, and calmly said, "There's no other way, we can only wait for now. When his body heals and no longer needs the Golden Core, we can try then. But we can't let our guard down, we shouldn't stay too far from him. We have to keep an eye on him, to prevent any sudden mishaps that could affect my Golden Core."
With a touch of helplessness on her face, she continued, "I never thought I would end up like this. Every day, I have to attract him, get close to him, hoping that eventually, I can deceive him into returning the Golden Core. If, in the end, all our efforts fail, I'll just find a piece of tofu and run into it."
Aunt Nuan's eyes filled with anger as she said, "Humans are selfish beings, caring only for themselves. That guy has tasted the benefits of the Golden Core. Even if he doesn't need it anymore, he probably won't return it. Miss, we shouldn't just sit here and do nothing."
Hu Gua Gua tapped the medicinal bowl with her fingers, sighed, and asked, "Then what do you suggest?"
After a moment of contemplation, Aunt Nuan's eyes showed determination as she said, "Men are usually lustful. How about letting Hua'er or me seduce that guy, build an intimate relationship with him, gradually gain his trust and affection? Then, when the time comes, pretend to be seriously ill and in need of the Golden Core. Maybe we can trick him into returning it."
Hu Gua Gua, after listening, chuckled bitterly, "Aunt Nuan, it's not that I underestimate your and Hua'er's looks, but that guy is different from other men. Even with my beauty and using fox charm techniques on him, he simply doesn't care, doesn't even bother to look at me. In his eyes, there's only his little sister. Haven't you figured that out?"
Angrily, Aunt Nuan suggested, "What if we just capture his sister and threaten him?"
Furrowing her brows, Hu Gua Gua fell silent for a moment and then said, "That's a last resort. We only have one Golden Core, and if he's determined to destroy it along with himself, we'll all die. Let's be patient and wait a bit longer."
After saying this, she picked up the bowl, took a sip of the medicinal soup, and asked, "How are the preparations for Sunset Valley? Can we depart anytime soon?"
Aunt Nuan nodded, saying, "Everything is ready over there. As soon as we get news that the guy wants to go there, we can leave in advance."
Hu Gua Gua nodded in agreement, fell silent, sniffed the medicinal aroma in the bowl with pain in her heart, and, with determination, pinched her nose and gulped down the bitter medicine.
"So bitter..."
...
During dinner, when Yan Yuchen had just served the food and was about to sit down, mother Yan said, "Chen'er, go call that young lady again. Didn't you say she's been alone at home recently? How is she having her meals? She was just complaining about being hungry earlier."
Yan Yuchen wryly smiled, "Maybe she has a pile of snacks at home. I already called her once, but she doesn't seem interested in coming over."
On the side, Yan's father also spoke, saying, "Go call her again. I need to give her an IOU later. Forty thousand yuan is not a small amount. We just moved here, and we're not too familiar with her. It's better to have an IOU."
Yan Yuchen, with a helpless expression, turned his gaze towards his younger sister.
Before he could say anything, Yan Xiaoxi immediately said, "Don't even think about making me run errands for you!"
So Yan Yuchen had to shift his gaze to Xiaomei, who was enjoying her meal.
Xiaomei giggled, extended her slender fingers, and pointed to her rosy cheek, saying, "Brother Yan, give me a kiss. If you kiss me, I'll run errands for you, even if it's to the ends of the earth."
"Eat your food; I didn't ask you to talk!"
Yan Yuchen glared at her with irritation, and once again, he had to handle it himself.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring courtyard, with Aunt Nuan's support, the pale-faced Hu Gua Gua returned to her room and fell into a deep sleep.
Even in her dreams, a trace of lingering pain remained between her delicate eyebrows.
============
"Thank you for reading! Your feedback is my motivation. If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving a review, rating, or sending a power stone my way. Your support fuels the creation of more content. Happy reading!"