Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 454 Outside the Peony Pavilion

When Chen Anran and Lu Kong returned to the Wei residence, it was already very late, but the lights were still on in the guest courtyard.

The Qinghui Pavilion was brightly lit with candles. Daoist Tianbao, Qi Lan, Huiming, Jiang Yan and others were sitting in the hall. Several plates of snacks were laid out on the table, and a pot of tea was empty.

Master Tianbao was the first to stand up. His eyes swept over Chen Anran and Feng Wenzheng, then he glanced at the smiling Lu Kong. Next, Master Tianbao filled the teapot with hot water and poured a cup of hot tea for each of the returning guests.

Chen Anran and Lu Kong sat down.

Lu Kong glanced at the tea on the table and said, "I've had enough tea today. Does anyone have any drinks?"

Jiang Yan blinked and asked, "How about cola?"

Lu Kong's eyes lit up. "Amazing! The first drink I had after waking up from my slumber was Coca-Cola. I was absolutely blown away!"

Chen Anran chuckled and teased, "You've already forgotten about your roasted chestnuts?"

"After eating it for three years, even if it's delicious, you'll get tired of it by now."

While the two were talking, Jiang Yan had already taken out a 2L bottle of cola and a stack of paper cups from his storage ring.

Then Jiang Yan first poured a full glass for Chen Anran and Lu Kong, and then carefully poured half a glass for the others.

Seeing this, Qi Lan, who was sitting on the other side of Chen Anran, couldn't help but complain, "You're being too stingy."

Jiang Yan's chubby face was all smiles, his small eyes narrowed into slits: "Fellow Daoist Qi, every bottle of cola we drink is one less available. Where are we going to get supplies in this Great Qian Dynasty three thousand years ago? Drink it sparingly, drink it sparingly."

Qi Lan rolled her eyes at him, picked up the half-full glass of cola, and took a small sip. His amber vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Master Tianbao held the cup, carefully took a sip, then smacked his lips: "I drank this stuff when I was in modern times, and back then I thought it was just so-so. But after staying here for three years, drinking it again, why does it taste...so delicious?"

"That's called the scarcity effect." Jiang Yan poured himself half a glass and savored it with relish. "You only realize how precious something is when it's gone."

No one would question why Jiang Yan filled Chen Anran and Lu Kong's cups to the brim. Everyone here was shrewd, and they had all witnessed Su Wan, a disciple from a thousand years ago, before their transmigration. Therefore, no one would think he was weak.

In their small group, Chen Anran is generally considered to be number one, and Lu Kong is number two; they are their "face".

Qi Lan held the half-full glass of cola, her amber vertical pupils gleaming mischievously in the candlelight. She glanced at Chen Anran, and the smile on her lips deepened.

She put the cup on the table, leaned back in her chair, and asked, "Where did you all go today?"

Lu Kong was holding a glass of cola, sipping it slowly as if he were savoring some exquisite wine. Noticing Qi Lan's gaze, he looked up and said with a smile, "As you all know, three years ago, my martial uncle sent me to Tianjing. So today, I took my martial uncle to Tongtian Pavilion for a stroll, and then we had a meal at the Imperial Palace. We just happened to run into the two members of the Feng family."

"Tongtian Pavilion?" Daoist Tianbao's mustache twitched. "You went to the Immortal Alliance's territory?"

"I went." Lu Kong nodded, took another sip of cola, and "met someone else."

"Who?"

Lu Kong did not answer, but looked at Chen Anran.

Chen Anran put down his cup, his gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone in the hall, finally settling on the flickering candlelight.

"My senior sister," he said.

The hall was silent for a few seconds.

Master Tianbao opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. A complex light flashed in Jiang Yan's small eyes, and the hand holding the cola paused in mid-air. Huiming stopped fiddling with his prayer beads, and his eyelids lifted slightly.

Qi Lan didn't speak, she just looked at Chen Anran.

There was no surprise or questioning in his eyes, only a quiet waiting.

"Her name is now Su Changning," Chen Anran continued. "She is a true disciple of the Celestial Pivot Hall of the Immortal Alliance, in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and is in charge of general affairs within the Great Qian territory."

"Mid-stage Nascent Soul..." Daoist Tianbao murmured repeatedly, "That's higher than everyone else here."

"Not high," Lu Kong suddenly spoke, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather. "It's just so-so."

Master Tianbao wanted to say something, but found that he couldn't refute what he said.

Jiang Yan held the Coke bottle in mid-air, his small eyes darting around the room, and suddenly exclaimed "Eh!"

"Didn't Senior Lu say that the two members of the Feng family were with you?"

Lu Kong smiled and pointed to the door: "They're in the back. We walked fast, and Old Man Wei pulled them aside for a chat. I reckon they should be here by now."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.

Feng Wenzheng strode into Qinghui Pavilion. His square face was expressionless, but Feng Changyuan, who was following behind him, had a hint of excitement in his eyes that he couldn't hide.

"Cola?" Feng Changyuan's eyes lit up when he saw the 2L bottle of cola on the table. "Give me a full glass!"

Jiang Yan glanced at the remaining cola in the bottle with a pained expression, then looked at Feng Changyuan's young face, gritted her teeth, and poured him a full glass.

Feng Changyuan took it, gulped down a big mouthful, then let out a long breath, leaned back in his chair, and looked as if his bones had been removed.

"I'm so tired."

Feng Wen sat down on the chair next to Chen Anran, took the half-cup of cola handed to him by Jiang Yan, thanked him, but did not drink it. He just held it in his hand, staring blankly at the dark brown liquid in the glass.

Master Tianbao's gaze swept over the two men's faces, and he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Feng, how's it going at the palace? Did you see that princess?"

Feng Wenzheng raised his head and remained silent for a moment.

"I saw him," he said. "He didn't say anything."

"Didn't you say anything?" Master Tianbao was taken aback. "Then what were you two doing inside?"

Feng Changyuan straightened up from the back of his chair and spoke before his uncle could: "Daoist Tianbao, you didn't see that scene. That Elder Yun Jiu from the Immortal Alliance forced our True Person Chen to dance in the Peony Pavilion!"

"puff--"

Master Tianbao spat out a mouthful of cola.

Jiang Yan almost dropped the Coke bottle in her hand.

Huiming's hand, which was holding the prayer beads, paused. The sandalwood prayer beads hung in mid-air and swayed.

Qi Lan stopped holding the cup, her amber pupils narrowed slightly, and her gaze fell on Chen Anran's face. The smile on her lips gradually changed, becoming serious.

"Dancing? Or have the elders of the Immortal Alliance do it?" Her voice was tinged with disbelief.

"He jumped," Feng Changyuan said excitedly. "He jumped so awkwardly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, twisting and turning. We were standing outside the pavilion, trying so hard not to laugh that our stomachs hurt."