"Dear Miss Song Ningran, please allow me to presumptuously express my love for you. You are like the moonlight in the sky, pure and beautiful, elegant and serene. I, Qin Heng, want to..."
The words on the note were incredibly cheesy. Qin Heng knew at a glance that this was most likely something his little sister, Qin Yun, had copied from some romance novel.
"Little Yun! No novels until you've finished your homework!" Qin Heng lifted Qin Yun with one hand, dangled her in the air for a moment, then set her down. "And no more pranks like this," he added.
Ever since Song Ningran moved in over a year ago, Qin Yun, who was an avid reader of various romance novels, had thrown herself into the grand cause of setting up her brother with the beautiful college student.
In the past, Qin Yun had contented herself with impersonating Qin Heng by sneakily sending texts or copying his handwriting to write little notes to Song Ningran. Qin Heng hadn't expected that this time she would go as far as to trick Song Ningran into changing clothes in the living room, allowing him to catch her in the act.
That little note was likely intended for Qin Yun to secretly stick to his back while hugging him. The moment Qin Heng turned around, Song Ningran would see that incredibly cheesy message.
The consequences... are easy to imagine. Too embarrassing!
"Wow! Bro! How are you so strong?!" Qin Yun exclaimed, having just been placed on the ground. She was surprised at being handled like a rag doll by her brother with just one hand.
What kind of strength is this?!
Qin Yun was fifteen this year, a little over 1.5 meters tall, and weighed less than 88 pounds; she was quite slim. In her memory, her brother was frail. He stood 1.75 meters tall yet weighed just a little over 110 pounds. Although he maintained his health through frequent traveling, how could he possess such tremendous strength? He had lifted nearly 88 pounds single-handedly, seemingly with ease and without any sign of strain. That was something even an average fitness coach couldn't manage.
"Bro! Have you mutated?" Qin Yun turned around, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on Qin Heng, her face full of curiosity. "Bro, why don't you go to the kitchen and let out some blood? Ran Ran and I could drink a couple of sips to get stronger. That way, we'll be safer when we go out, and you won't have to worry. How about it?"
This little girl's thought processes were highly erratic; her mind was always conjuring wild ideas, and who knew what went on in that little head of hers.
"Little Yun! Go back to your homework!" Song Ningran's delicate voice called out.
She had quickly dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts, looking prim and proper.
"Alright! I'm off to do my homework. I won't disturb your little world for two anymore!" Qin Yun stuck out her tongue playfully, giggled, and ran back to her room upstairs.
BANG!
Qin Yun's door closed. In the spacious living room, only Qin Heng and Song Ningran remained.
The air was eerily quiet.
A blush crept up Song Ningran's cheeks, resembling the enchanting glow of the evening sky, making her look tender and pitiable.
Yet Qin Heng simply smiled as if nothing had happened. He placed the meat and vegetables on the table and said, "Ran Ran, I haven't had much good food while I was in England these days. I've been craving the hotpot you make!"
Being a nineteen-year-old who had attained Eternal status as the Supreme Immortal Emperor, it was normal to appreciate beautiful things. But to let it affect his state of mind? That would be laughable, an utter impossibility.
"Hot, hotpot?!" Song Ningran was a bit stunned. She was still caught up in the embarrassment of nearly being seen naked and hadn't expected Qin Heng to suddenly ask her to make hotpot.
After a brief pause, her cheeks growing redder, she quickly grabbed the meat and vegetables from the table and scampered towards the kitchen as if fleeing.
"Eating hotpot on a hot summer day? Are you trying to die from the heat?!" Song Ningran's voice, tinged with her typical Yu State Mandarin accent, drifted from the kitchen. It seemed her mood had recovered considerably.
Qin Heng smiled and lay back on the soft sofa in the living room, feeling remarkably content. He had to admit, this life is exceedingly comfortable. His parents and sister are alive and well. Here in Tianhai, he even has a beautiful tenant who is also a first-class chef. It's a delightfully satisfying existence.
Qin Heng opened a can of "happy fat man water" and took a few sips. He then relaxed into the sofa, pulled out his phone to play games, and thought, In the future, if anyone dares to ruin this life for me, they're truly courting death!
In his previous life, Qin Heng became an orphan at six—helpless, alone, and nearly starving to death. At seven, by a stroke of luck, he embarked on the path of cultivation and made rapid progress. At fifteen, he underwent his Crossing Tribulation to become an immortal. By nineteen, he had attained Eternal status, becoming the Immortal Emperor who stood at the very pinnacle of all the heavens and myriad worlds. He had barely enjoyed the life of an ordinary person. Now that he had reincarnated into his parallel-world self, he naturally cherished this hard-earned, beautiful life.
「Evening.」
In the villa's dining room, steam rose in clouds, and the scent of spice was overwhelming.
Song Ningran might have been feeling a bit emotionally unstable, as she seemed to have added a bit too many chilies and Sichuan peppercorns this time. Qin Yun, the little girl, kept drinking beverages and sticking out her tongue, yet she continued to dip meat into the hotpot and eat it, looking utterly satisfied. Even Song Ningran herself was sweating profusely from the spiciness, exclaiming how hot it was.
Qin Heng, however, wore a calm expression, enjoying the flavors of the hotpot as if the intense numbness and spiciness had no effect on him. After all, he was a peak Qi Refinement expert. How could such a cultivator be afraid of spicy hotpot!
In the end, Qin Heng, Qin Yun, and Song Ningran heartily enjoyed an authentic Yu State hotpot meal.
「...」
The Golden Crow rose in the east as the Jade Rabbit sank in the west. A quiet night passed, marking the first Qin Heng had spent in this parallel world since his reincarnation.
As a peak Qi Refinement practitioner, he no longer needed sleep. However, nostalgic for an ordinary life, he still allowed himself a good night's rest.
When he woke up, it was seven in the morning.
It's time to go to school, Qin Heng thought as he checked the time. In his past life, he began cultivating at seven and never truly attended school. He was actually quite looking forward to experiencing school life.
「After breakfast.」
Song Ningran drove Qin Yun to school, while Qin Heng chose to run.
After all, he was still a minor. Even though his family owned more than ten luxury cars, some worth millions, he couldn't drive them.
The early morning sun bathed the horizon in a faint, rising Purple Qi. Qin Heng walked along the road, enjoying the cool breeze of the summer morning, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
Just at that moment, a girl came running towards him.
This girl appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, about Qin Heng's age. She was exceptionally pretty, with long black hair tied back into a ponytail, looking spirited and stylish. She carried her phone in an armband, wore sports Bluetooth headphones, and was jogging. Perhaps for convenience, she was dressed quite lightly; the tight sportswear outlined her exquisite curves.
This girl, in both looks and figure, was of a very high standard, definitely scoring above a nine out of ten. Even though she couldn't quite be described as a peerless beauty capable of toppling empires, she certainly wasn't far from it. Moreover, she possessed an ethereal and pure aura that would refresh anyone with just one glance.
Such a girl would undoubtedly be the focus of attention and admiration wherever she went.
Passersby on the street were stupefied. Some were so engrossed in looking at her that they forgot to watch where they were going and, with a BANG, crashed into a tree on the roadside.
She was practically a human car-accident-magnet!