'Could it be that Lu Chen went to meet his girlfriend? But doesn't he not have a girlfriend?'
Lu Chen didn't notice He Suyan's shifting gaze. Right now, his mind was filled with images of Liu Jie's beautiful face.
"Oh no, I forgot!"
Even though He Suyan had never been in a relationship, she wasn't oblivious. Anyone could see that Lu Chen was head over heels in love, even without experience.
With the faint fragrance still lingering on Lu Chen's clothes, He Suyan silently mused that the girl he met must be incredibly beautiful.
For some reason, He Suyan felt a pang of emptiness in her heart, as if something precious was slipping away.
Hearing Lu Chen's words, she couldn't help but glance at him. He smiled at her and said, "Sister Suyan, you can continue reading. I'm heading to the kitchen to refine some pills."
He Suyan was momentarily stunned. Although she didn't know Lu Chen very well, she had learned in these past few days that he came from a long line of pill refiners.
However, while she had seen him bring out pills before, she had never actually seen him refine them. In her imagination, pill refiners always wore Taoist robes and carried a giant cauldron living in a secluded mountain or sect. But Lu Chen didn't seem like that type at all.
She had always harbored some doubts about whether Lu Chen truly inherited his family's craft. But hearing him suddenly say he was going to refine pills, He Suyan's curiosity was piqued.
If Lu Chen had put on a Taoist robe and headed into some mountains with a large cauldron, she wouldn't have been too surprised. But the fact that he was going to the kitchen made her wonder—'was there a cauldron hidden in there?'
No, that couldn't be. She had been in the kitchen before, and there was definitely no cauldron. Even if Lu Chen had hidden it, such a large object wouldn't fit in that tiny kitchen!
While He Suyan was lost in her thoughts, Lu Chen rushed into the kitchen, muttering to himself, "A pill to treat frigidity? That would be the 'Spring Desire Elixir'—a mild aphrodisiac that nourishes yin and enhances beauty. It's perfect for stimulating a woman's desire, but it's nothing like those crude, overpowering aphrodisiacs. No way would I make something like that for Liu Jie!"
As the formula for the Spring Desire Elixir surfaced in his mind, he noted that the key ingredient was Celestial Mountain Snow Lotus, along with a dozen other precious herbs. Fortunately, his Space Ring was well-stocked with such rare materials, so there was no need to buy more. This saved him quite a bit of money!
Lu Chen swiftly retrieved a handful of herbs, sorting them neatly before preparing to begin the refining process.
He Suyan walked into the kitchen just in time to see Lu Chen organizing the herbs, but there was no cauldron or immortal fire in sight. Puzzled, she asked, "Lu Chen, are you really refining pills?"
Lu Chen nodded, "Of course! Do you doubt me?"
He Suyan smiled and nodded, "I believe you, but isn't pill refining supposed to require a cauldron and immortal fire? Why don't I see those?"
Lu Chen chuckled, "Who said you need a cauldron and fire to refine pills? Let me show you my improved method of pill refining!"
Knowing that Lu Chen came from a family of pill refiners, He Suyan wasn't too surprised by his claim. But she was intrigued, so she said with interest, "Alright, I'd like to see how you refine pills without a large cauldron or immortal fires."
Lu Chen grinned, "Step back and give me some space. I'll begin now and guarantee you'll be amazed."
Seeing the proud look on Lu Chen's face, as if he was about to reveal a treasured secret, He Suyan couldn't help but smile softly. Her eyes were full of gentle curiosity as she watched him.
Lu Chen carefully pulled out a modest-sized cauldron, no bigger than a pressure cooker, with no intricate carvings of dragons or tigers on it.
As He Suyan looked on in surprise, Lu Chen turned on the gas stove with a whoosh, igniting a bright flame.
When she saw Lu Chen place the cauldron on the gas stove, He Suyan gasped, "You... you're actually using a gas stove to refine pills?"
Lu Chen seemed very pleased with her reaction and nodded, "Yes, why? Is that strange?"
He Suyan's lips parted slightly as she said, "It is a bit strange. In my mind, pill refining always involves using Immortal fire to give the heat."
Lu Chen laughed as he added the herbs to the cauldron, "That was in ancient times. Fire was the most stable and long-lasting fuel, which is why many pill refiners used it. But nothing is set in stone. After all, fire is fire, and the gas stove flame works just as well for refining pills. Plus, using a gas stove has its advantages."
He Suyan asked curiously, "What kind of advantages?"
Lu Chen placed the lid on the cauldron and adjusted the flame, "See this? Right now, it's a low flame. I just need to adjust the gas flow to control it. With immortal fire, only the most experienced pill refiners could manage the flame's intensity so precisely."
He Suyan's face lit up with amazement as she nodded, "I see. I never thought you'd come up with the idea of using a gas stove to refine pills. My little husband really is something special."
Lu Chen nearly choked at He Suyan's last comment, his face turning red as he glared at her. But by then, she had already giggled and darted out of the kitchen.
Seeing He Suyan's mood brighten, Lu Chen shook his head slightly, then focused intently on the cauldron. Although the gas stove allowed him to control the flame, he still needed to manually switch between low and high heat throughout the process.
Once Lu Chen entered the kitchen, he didn't come out again. At first, He Suyan peeked in occasionally, but after a few times, she gave up and returned to her room. Lu Chen told her he would need to stay by the cauldron all night.
While Lu Chen could stay up all night, He Suyan wasn't as energetic. After reading for a while, she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Around 10 p.m., she yawned, called out a good night to Lu Chen in the kitchen, and went to bed.
The night passed quickly. By around 5 a.m., Lu Chen was closely watching the cauldron, which was now emitting a faint herbal aroma. The pills inside had taken shape, and it was almost time to retrieve them.
Slowly extinguishing the flame, Lu Chen felt a bit of nervous excitement as this was his first time refining the Spring Desire Elixir. Carefully, he opened the cauldron. A rush of pure, white pill vapor escaped, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. The purity of the white vapor indicated that the pills had been successfully refined.