Succumbing to Xiao Fan's dominance, Huo Ling'er had no choice but to obediently watch him fish by the river.
Plop~
Ripples spread across the water's surface.
"Ah, quick..." Huo Ling'er instinctively wanted to shout, but caught herself just in time.
Xiao Fan glanced at Huo Ling'er, noticing her excitement and nervousness, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to speak. A smile crept onto his lips.
"It's hooked," Xiao Fan suddenly stood up, pulling the fishing rod. A fish weighing over two pounds leaped out of the water.
Thud, thud, thud...
The fish landed on the riverbank, flopping around desperately.
"Quick! Catch it before it jumps back into the river!" Huo Ling'er shouted anxiously.
"Don't worry, it won't get away." Xiao Fan twisted a piece of grass into a string and secured the fish.
Only after seeing the fish properly tied up did Huo Ling'er's heart settle down, her emotions finally calming.
A bright smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
Even during her breakthroughs in cultivation, she had never felt this excited.
Holding the large fish, Xiao Fan looked at Huo Ling'er.
Their eyes met, and a radiant smile also appeared on Xiao Fan's face, sharing the moment of joy.
At that moment, Huo Ling'er found the scenery around them exceptionally beautiful.
After catching another two-pound fish, Xiao Fan pushed Huo Ling'er back home.
That evening, besides the braised fish Xiao Fan had promised, he also made a special pot of fish soup.
"Hurry up! I'm starving," Huo Ling'er urged impatiently.
Looking at the two steaming bowls of braised fish and fish soup on the table, she couldn't help but feel restless, wishing she could dig in herself instead of relying on Xiao Fan to feed her.
"Coming!" Xiao Fan smiled helplessly, "Have some fish soup first to warm up your throat."
Scooping a bowl of fish soup, Xiao Fan carefully blew on it to cool it down.
"What are you doing?" Huo Ling'er asked, puzzled.
"Can't you see? The soup is too hot, I'm cooling it down for you," Xiao Fan replied naturally, giving her a look that seemed to say, "Isn't it obvious?"
"Uh..." Huo Ling'er was momentarily stunned, taking a while to respond.
"I practice fire-based techniques, so I don't mind hot food," she said, pressing her lips together, trying not to laugh.
"Oh..." Xiao Fan was momentarily at a loss for words.
It seemed he had been overly cautious.
For some reason, looking at Xiao Fan's slightly embarrassed expression, Huo Ling'er didn't feel the urge to mock him, as she normally would have.
Instead, she said sincerely, "Even though it wasn't necessary, thank you for your thoughtfulness."
"You're welcome," Xiao Fan replied, a bit taken aback by Huo Ling'er's sudden elegance.
The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment, both of them acting out of character.
After a long silence, they exchanged a glance.
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
They both burst into laughter.
"Your sudden elegance is a bit unsettling," Xiao Fan joked.
"And your lack of sarcasm is just as unsettling," Huo Ling'er retorted.
With the tension broken, the atmosphere became warm and friendly again.
Dinner continued in this lively and cozy manner.
Before they knew it, Huo Ling'er had finished an entire braised fish and a large pot of fish soup, while Xiao Fan barely ate, mostly feeding her.
Seeing Xiao Fan's peculiar smile, Huo Ling'er felt both embarrassed and ashamed, solidifying her image as a glutton.
In the following days, their routine remained the same.
Xiao Fan would handle household chores in the morning while Huo Ling'er watched quietly. In the afternoon, he would push her to the riverbank for a stroll and fishing.
The days were simple and peaceful.
Huo Ling'er never thought she could endure such a monotonous life without feeling any boredom. Instead, she hoped these peaceful days would continue indefinitely.
Outside the Haotian Mirror.
Despite the pressure from the Heavenly Fire King, everyone couldn't help but marvel in their hearts.
"If we didn't know their identities beforehand, we'd think they were a newlywed couple deeply in love."
The Heavenly Fire King watched the scene in the Haotian Mirror with a worried expression.
Only now did he understand how his imperial sister and Xiao Fan had met.
He hoped his sister would stay true to her beliefs and not be swayed by these memories.
In the void, the Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er trembled slightly, her eyes filled with sorrow.
She thought her resolve was strong enough, but facing the memories of her time with Xiao Fan, her soft heartstrings were inevitably plucked.
Her expression became pained and conflicted.
Without a doubt, deep down, she still had feelings for Xiao Fan.
But thinking of her father, the Emperor, who was killed by Xiao Fan, and the innocent citizens of the imperial city who suffered, she had to suppress her true emotions.
She couldn't, and wouldn't, show any mercy towards Xiao Fan.
Looking at Xiao Fan, now a living corpse in the ancient imperial city, the Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er shed tears, her expression pained yet resolute.
"Xiao Fan, I will kill you, I swear..."
The Jade Pool Empress watched Huo Ling'er struggle with her emotions, her face darkening.
Though unafraid of anyone, she knew she had to prepare for certain things in advance.
Thousands of miles away.
The Taiyin Empress, Wen Yaxian, felt bitter and downcast after seeing the scenes in the Haotian Mirror.
The warmth and simplicity of Xiao Fan and Huo Ling'er's life was exactly how she had envisioned her life with Xiao Fan.
Peaceful, content, and happy.
Meanwhile, the Beiming Empress, Leng Ruoxue, watched the scenes with anger, her fists clenched tightly, wishing to confront the Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er.
The thought of her revered master Xiao Fan, cooking and caring for Huo Ling'er, made her seethe with jealousy.
She had never received such treatment from her master in ten years.
Determined, she vowed to seek retribution from the Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er once her cultivation was restored.
The Taiyin Empress, Wen Yaxian, noticed the Beiming Empress, Leng Ruoxue's, agitation and said sternly, "Calm your mind and focus on restoring your cultivation."
Hearing this, Leng Ruoxue knew the priority was to restore her strength and temporarily set aside her animosity towards Huo Ling'er.