Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 246 Coexistence

Author Wangchuanjia's Dried Rice King personally recommends: I hope you enjoy the story of "Senior Sister, Stop Working and Go Home for Dinner".

Morning light peeked through the gaps in the heavy blackout curtains, creeping up the edge of the carpet and dispelling some of the darkness in the room.

When Chen Anran regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was warmth.

He blinked, adjusting to the dim light, and his vision gradually focused.

Turning his head slightly, he saw Wei Qingyi's sleeping face so close to his.

She lay on her side, facing him, her long, black hair cascading over the pillow, a few strands softly brushing against her fair cheek. Morning light streamed in through the curtains, falling precisely on her face and outlining her delicate features. Her usually cool and aloof expression softened dramatically with this relaxed gaze. Her breathing was even and deep, her long eyelashes drooping gently like butterfly wings.

Chen Anran was momentarily dazed.

They were very close, close enough that he could see the fine downy hairs on her cheeks and smell her familiar, cool fragrance with a hint of herbal notes. She seemed to be fast asleep, one hand gently resting on his chest.

Chen Anran held her breath, not daring to move.

His gaze involuntarily drifted downwards.

Wei Qingyi was wearing a white shirt underneath, with one button undone at the collar, revealing the jade pendant she wore, a slender collarbone, and a small patch of fair skin.

As she breathed steadily, the undulating lines became faintly visible.

The blanket only covered her below her chest, outlining her soft curves. She was already tall and well-proportioned, and her usual clothing didn't reveal much, but now, with her shirt clinging to her body, her graceful feminine curves were on full display.

Her waist was so slender that it seemed one hand could encircle it.

Chen Anran's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

He had never seen Wei Qingyi like this before.

In his memory, she was always the aloof, dignified, and unsmiling second senior sister. She would frown when he made mistakes in his practice, and silently hand him a cup of hot tea when he stayed up late reading. She was like a distant mountain covered in snow all year round, beautiful but unattainable.

But right now, the mountain is within his reach.

Wei Qingyi suddenly moved slightly.

Her fingers, which were resting on his chest, curled up unconsciously.

Chen Anran could clearly feel the warmth emanating from her body; her legs seemed to be touching his as well, soft and warm through the blanket.

Wei Qingyi stirred again; this time she seemed about to wake up. Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The two locked eyes.

Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds.

The confusion in Wei Qingyi's eyes quickly faded, replaced by a fleeting look of panic.

Her hand, which had been resting on his chest, recoiled as if burned, and she shifted back slightly, creating some distance. However, her hasty movements pulled her already loose shirt collar open even wider.

Chen Anran's gaze involuntarily fell on that fair skin again, then he immediately forced himself to look away and look into her eyes. Wei Qingyi had already sat up, her back to him, and was tidying her collar and hair. Her movements were still composed, but Chen Anran noticed that her earlobes were tinged with a faint pink.

"Awake?" Wei Qingyi's voice sounded as calm and collected as ever, only slightly faster than usual. "How are you feeling? Still cold?"

Chen Anran slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard. The bone-chilling, deathly aura within her body had mostly dissipated, leaving only a faint ache and emptiness in her meridians. Although the circulation of spiritual energy in her dantian was sluggish, it was slowly recovering.

"I feel much better, I'm not cold anymore." He said, his voice a little hoarse. "Thank you for taking care of me, Senior Sister."

Wei Qingyi didn't turn around, but simply hummed softly before turning and heading towards the hot spring area to prepare hot water for Chen Anran.

The white mist rising from the hot spring pool is tinged with a pale golden halo in the morning light.

Wei Qingyi, with her back to the bedroom, squatted by the pool, her slender fingers dipping into the water to test the temperature. The splashing water masked her slightly disordered breathing and her still-beating heart.

She composed herself and adjusted the water temperature to a slightly hot temperature, which was most suitable for dispelling the remaining coldness in Chen Anran's body.

After doing all this, she did not get up immediately, but squatted there, staring at the slightly swaying reflection on the water.

The person in the reflection had red tips on their ears.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and turned to walk back to her bedroom.

"The water's ready," she said. "Go soak for a while; it'll help dispel any remaining death energy from your body."

Chen Anran nodded, threw back the covers, and got out of bed. The moment his feet touched the ground, everything went black, and he swayed. Wei Qingyi almost instantly reached out and caught his arm.

"Slow down," she said, softening her voice.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little weak from lying down for so long." Chen Anran steadied herself, smiled at her, and said, "Thank you for your help, Senior Sister."

Wei Qingyi didn't reply, but instead helped him slowly walk towards the hot spring area. When they reached the glass door, she stopped and let go of his hand: "I'll wait for you outside. Call me if you need anything." With that, she turned and went back to the living room, gently closing the door between the bedroom and the living room.

Chen Anran stared at the closed door for a moment before pushing open the glass door to the hot spring area.

A warm breeze swept over us. Although it wasn't real hot spring water, thanks to Jiang Yun's processing and modification, the water quality was just as good.

Chen Anran removed her clothes and the relic she always wore. Then she stepped into the pool.

The warm water enveloped his entire body, opening his pores and slowly dispelling the stubborn chill within him. He leaned against the edge of the pool, closed his eyes, and felt his spiritual energy gradually gathering and flowing again through his meridians. Though slow, it was indeed restoring him.

Although I haven't been able to comprehend any so-called low-level Buddhist protective supernatural powers despite wearing this Vajra relic for so long, the increase in my physical strength is undeniable. Otherwise, given my previous constitution, I might have been injured even more severely.

At this moment, Chen Anran's mind started wandering again, and the scene from that morning involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

Wei Qingyi's sleeping face, her scattered black hair, her loose collar, the small patch of fair skin below her collarbone, and the fleeting panic in her eyes and the reddened earlobes when she woke up...

Chen Anran suddenly felt that the water temperature was a bit too high.

He shook his head, suppressing those images, and began to sort through the events of last night and this morning.

Master Liu took the risk because of what the evil cultivators he encountered said when the earth dragon surged. However, there were quite a few people present at the time, and many righteous people also heard it.

Fortunately, they only knew that Su Wan had a "special constitution" and did not know that Wei Qingyi and Feng Xiaolu were the same.

Even so, we need to be more cautious in the future, especially with our senior sister.

Chen Anran had made up his mind not to go down the mountain again until the entire sect was armed to the teeth. Not only that, he also had to find a way to persuade Wei Qingyi and Feng Xiaolu to stay on the mountain as well.

Given the current situation, even though those righteous cultivators were unaware of Wei Qingyi and Feng Xiaolu's circumstances, Chen Anran dared not take the risk again.

Times have changed; the evolution of the magical artifacts must be accelerated. Only when his senior sisters have the ability to protect themselves can he feel at ease.

The steam from the hot spring lingered for about half an hour.

When Chen Anran got out of the pool, most of the remaining cold and deathly energy in his body had dissipated. Although his meridians were still somewhat sluggish, his spiritual energy flowed smoothly. He dried himself off, changed into the clean bathrobe provided by the hotel, and pushed open the glass door to walk out of the hot spring area.

In the living room, Wei Qingyi had already ordered breakfast. It was Chinese-style millet porridge with a few light side dishes, and a steaming basket of shrimp dumplings. She sat on one side of the sofa, the bowl of porridge in front of her already half empty, sipping it slowly, her posture still elegant and composed, as if the scene from that morning had never happened.

Hearing the noise, she looked up at Chen Anran, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment: "You look much better."

"Mmm, soaking in the hot spring feels much better." Chen Anran sat down opposite her, picked up another bowl of porridge, which was at the perfect temperature. He took a sip; the millet was thick and had a faint sweet aroma.

The two ate quietly, with only the soft clinking of their bowls and spoons.

Wei Qingyi didn't eat much, and quickly put down her chopsticks, picking up a tissue to lightly wipe the corner of her mouth. She looked at Chen Anran, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Last night... thank you."

Chen Anran looked up at her and smiled, "Why is Senior Sister bringing this up again? I've already said, we're family, no need to be so polite."

"It's not just politeness." Wei Qingyi shook her head, a complex emotion flickering in her clear, cold eyes. "It was my carelessness. If you hadn't been prepared and hadn't risked injury to shield me from that attack..."

"Even without Senior Sister by my side, Fifth Master Liu's target was still our Yunyin Sect." Chen Anran interrupted her, his tone firm. "The fault lies not with you, but with those who harbor ill intentions. Besides," he paused, looking at Wei Qingyi, "if I were in danger, Senior Sister would have done the same, wouldn't she?"

Wei Qingyi remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

After breakfast, Fatty Li and Huiming also arrived at the hotel. Both had clearly not slept all night, their eyes bloodshot, but they breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Chen Anran's improved complexion.

"Master, you scared me to death!" Fatty Li's honest face was full of lingering fear. "When I saw you vomiting blood last night, I almost lost my mind!"

Huiming clasped his hands together and said, "Master Chen is blessed by Heaven and protected by Buddhism. But that Fifth Master Liu..."

"It's been handed over to Shen Zui to handle." Chen Anran waved his hand. "This matter is temporarily settled. There's no need to dwell on it any further."

"The real person taught me a lesson."

After breakfast, as soon as I stepped out of my room, I saw that there were quite a few tourists in the hotel, and the elevator was even more crowded.

The hotel lobby was bustling with people; it was the weekend, and the resort was much more crowded than usual. Families with suitcases, young people with backpacks, middle-aged couples in casual clothes…

These people are clearly not from Zhao Qiming's circle of wealthy individuals.

This scene left Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi, who had only left three days prior, dumbfounded.

They both remembered that when they went to Lincheng, there weren't this many people.

"It's only been three days..." Wei Qingyi said in a low voice, her voice filled with obvious confusion.

Fatty Li then said, "When Master Huiming and I came up here just now, we were quite shocked to see so many people."

Chen Anran thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps it's because Chairman Zhao and Mengmeng's operations have taken effect."

With that, Chen Anran went to the front desk to check out.

Outside the hotel, the streets of the resort were bustling with people.

This sight briefly stunned Chen Anran and his group.

The main road of the resort, which I remember as tranquil, elegant, and ethereal, is now bustling with people.

Groups of tourists in colorful clothing crowded the shops and food stalls lining both sides of the cobblestone street. There were young people with selfie sticks, parents holding children's hands, and elderly tour groups with cameras...

"Isn't this... a bit exaggerated?" Fatty Li clicked his tongue in amazement. "There weren't this many people when we came over just now."

Huiming, his fingers twirling prayer beads, calmly swept his gaze across the crowd and murmured, "The atmosphere of worldly affairs has suddenly become as intense as boiling water."

As they joined the crowds on the street, Chen Anran and his companions truly understood what it meant to be "completely packed."

The air was filled with the aroma of various foods, the laughter of tourists, and the shouts of vendors, a stark contrast to the tranquil and otherworldly "Hidden Immortal Footprints" of my memory, where occasionally a monk or a wealthy person would stroll by.

"It's only been a few days..." Chen Anran couldn't help but repeat Wei Qingyi's words in a low voice.

Several new food stalls have opened along the roadside, selling trendy milk tea, handmade ice cream, grilled skewers, and takoyaki, with long queues forming. A young girl dressed in Hanfu is taking selfies with her phone in the background, against the backdrop of the upturned eaves of an antique-style building; a family of three with their child is huddled in front of Jiang Yun Asheng's "Lingqiaofang" shop, discussing which style of pendant to buy.

"Excuse me, please make way!" A shop assistant, sweating profusely, squeezed past them carrying a large suitcase bearing the logo of a coffee chain. It seems the resort's commercial facilities are rapidly being completed.

…………

While Chen Anran and his friends curiously mingled in the crowd, at the same moment, on the other side of the street, Feng Xiaolu, accompanied by Zhao Mengmeng, was walking towards the internet cafe in the resort. Feng Lie followed behind them.

"Xiao Lu, how can you still be online?" Feng Lie nagged incessantly in Feng Xiao Lu's ear, exasperated. "Look at what you're wearing! You just threw on some slippers and went out? You didn't even comb your hair or put on makeup. Tell me, where is there any semblance of a girl in you?"

"Hey, Feng Lie, stop nagging! What I wear is none of your business!"

Feng Xiaolu got annoyed by the nagging and suddenly stopped, turning around to glare at Feng Lie: "Feng Lie, can you shut up for a bit? What's wrong with me wearing pajamas? It's comfortable! Besides, why would I put on makeup? Who am I trying to impress?" As she spoke, she deliberately tossed her messy hair, adopting a "what's the use" attitude.

Zhao Mengmeng covered her mouth and chuckled, then quickly smoothed things over: "Third Martial Aunt is naturally beautiful; she looks good even without makeup. Senior Lie, don't worry too much. Everyone at the resort is relaxed; nobody cares."

"Exactly!" Feng Xiaolu snorted, took Zhao Mengmeng's arm, and said, "Mengmeng understands me best." As she spoke, she dragged Zhao Mengmeng forward.

However, the moment she turned around and looked up, her gaze inadvertently swept over the bustling crowd in front of her, and she suddenly froze.

Not far away, Chen Anran, Wei Qingyi, Huiming, and Fatty Li were slowly moving in this direction with the flow of people.

Feng Xiaolu was overjoyed and ran towards the direction where Chen Anran and the others were.

Feng Xiaolu darted through the crowd like a gust of wind, her Hanfu skirt and messy hair flying wildly, almost knocking over a child holding a cotton candy.

"Junior Brother! Second Senior Sister!" Her voice was crisp and bright, filled with undisguised surprise, instantly drowning out the surrounding noise.

Chen Anran and the others looked up at the sound and saw Feng Xiaolu rushing towards them like a cannonball, wearing a baggy dress with a cartoon rabbit print that was clearly made of pajamas, a pair of fluffy slippers, and her hair all messy from sleeping. Zhao Mengmeng behind her covered her mouth and laughed, while Feng Lie had a look of utter despair on his face.