The next morning.
Gu Chen slowly opened his eyes. After yawning, he glanced at the time in the chat group—it was already ten in the morning.
The warm winter quilt made him reluctant to get up.
He cast a glance at the window. It probably hadn't been closed tightly; from time to time, a strand or two of cold air slipped in, lowering the room's temperature a little.
Fortunately, Hu Tao was curled up in his arms. This girl was practically a little furnace—just holding her was enough to stay warm.
Lowering his head, Gu Chen saw Hu Tao nestled against him, one fair, jade-like leg exposed outside the blanket, completely unbothered by the cold.
After a moment's thought, Gu Chen reached out and tucked her leg back under the quilt. Only then did he carefully study the delicate girl immersed in sleep.
Her brown hair was spread loose, her long lashes trembling slightly with her steady breathing. Gu Chen pulled the blanket up and covered her more snugly.
"Mm…"
His movement made Hu Tao roll over. She stretched lazily under the covers, then fumbled her way back into Gu Chen's arms. After burying her face in his chest and taking a deep breath, she rubbed her eyes and looked up at him.
Just as she was about to speak, a wave of soreness surged up. Hu Tao frowned lightly.
"Hiss… it hurts a bit."
Gu Chen slipped an arm under her head as a pillow and pulled the quilt up higher.
"Don't catch a cold."
Hu Tao obediently tugged the blanket up, leaving only her head exposed. After giggling, she said,
"There are still quite a few differences compared to the memories! Is it because in those memories, this Hall Master married you when she was almost thirty? Tsk—though that's not exactly old, compared to that, I'm much younger and more fun now, right?"
Gu Chen's face darkened.
What kind of tiger-and-wolf words were these?
He reached out and pinched her cheek, annoyed.
"Where did you learn this stuff?"
"Oh come on, don't forget—this Hall Master is extraordinarily talented!" Hu Tao widened her eyes and said righteously.
"Isn't being self-taught more than enough?"
"Yes, yes, you're the most impressive," Gu Chen nodded repeatedly, then added,
"Lie down properly. What do you want to eat?"
"Why lie down? I'm still young—should be getting up early! This Hall Master can climb up by herself."
As if to prove her words, Hu Tao really did climb up. A few cold gusts of wind made her shiver, so she lifted the blanket and draped it over her shoulders like a cloak.
Seeing this, Gu Chen had seen everything clearly and immediately teased,
"Oh? Not shy now?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Hu Tao knelt down, wrapping herself tightly into a big bundled lump, only her head showing. Her pretty face carried a hint of shyness, yet she spoke confidently.
"We're already an old married couple…"
"Is that so?"
Gu Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Then last night you weren't exactly—"
"Hey! Don't say it!"
Hu Tao pounced, flailing, and covered Gu Chen's mouth.
Unable to speak, Gu Chen could only blink and nod to show he understood.
"From now on, you're not allowed to talk," Hu Tao declared.
Then she continued calmly,
"Later, heat some water so I can take a bath. I feel sticky."
"Mhm." Gu Chen nodded, waiting for what came next.
"You prepare the food. This Hall Master is a bit hungry. I'll come eat after washing. Mm-hm, that's the plan. Any objections?" Hu Tao asked.
"None," Gu Chen shook his head.
"Then it's happily decided!"
Hu Tao was just about to stand up when she sat back down again, blinking.
"It hurts."
Gu Chen had thought she might bounce around like Lumine the next day. Turns out people really did differ in constitution.
After chuckling helplessly, Gu Chen told Hu Tao to wait there.
He directly brought over the large tub used for bathing.
In a world with supernatural powers, many things became incredibly convenient.
Just like now.
Water gathered into a floating mass in midair. With Gu Chen's will, in only a few blinks, it turned into warm water.
After placing the water into the tub, Gu Chen carried Hu Tao inside, then sat aside and said,
"You wash first. I'll go find Xiangling to get something to eat."
The existence of the chat group had made daily life far more convenient.
He only needed to tell Xiangling what he wanted to eat. Soon, a red packet would be sent over. After sending Mora in return, the transaction was complete—neither side even needed to meet.
"Last time, Xiangling even told me that business got much better after the chat group appeared," Hu Tao said, soaking in the bath with her eyes comfortably half-closed.
Gu Chen nodded.
"As it should."
Usually, Wanmin Restaurant was busiest at noon and in the evening, when there were the most customers.
Red packets froze items at the moment they were placed inside. So while Wanmin Restaurant was still busy, business became even more prosperous.
Xiangling and Chef Mao could prepare dishes in advance and put them into red packets. When customers arrived, they'd just take them out. Even customers who couldn't make it to Wanmin Restaurant could enjoy the food this way.
In the group, Gu Chen would occasionally see Xiangling talking about being busy yet happy.
Soon enough.
By the time Hu Tao finished bathing and eating, it was already close to noon.
Unlike her mother, Hu Tao wasn't frail. Having inherited Wangsheng Funeral Parlor from a young age and running around everywhere, her physique was quite good. By midday, although her body still felt a bit uncomfortable, moving around wasn't a problem.
Dressed neatly now, Hu Tao looked at Gu Chen and said,
"Shouldn't we go visit the sisters at home?"
Love was selfish.
No matter the gender, no one wanted to share their lover.
But Hu Tao had watched every episode of the Past Life series without missing a single one—and she herself was the protagonist of the seventh episode. She naturally understood the emotional weight carried in each story.
She wouldn't give up. And the girls from the other episodes wouldn't give up either.
Since everyone knew none of them would give up, there was no need to compare who loved Gu Chen more or who was more qualified to stand by his side.
Strife would only bring pain and put Gu Chen in a difficult position. Truly smart women never fought over such things.
In the near-infinite span of future time, such disputes were meaningless.
"If you want, we can go now. Guizhong should get along well with you," Gu Chen thought for a moment and smiled.
"Let's go, let's go!"
Hu Tao pushed Gu Chen forward eagerly.
Yujing Terrace.
Gu Residence.
As soon as Gu Chen pushed the door open and stepped inside, Paimon—who was holding a cup of milk tea—shouted,
"Boss Gu brought Hu Tao back!"
After her shout, Raiden Makoto and Buer, who were sitting in the courtyard knitting sweaters, looked up.
"Hello, sisters!" Hu Tao raised her hand and waved.
Hu Tao's personality was far too lively.
She didn't even need Gu Chen to introduce her—she quickly blended in with the sisters at home.
Especially Guizhong, who liked Hu Tao very much. Their personalities were somewhat similar.
The Gu Residence, quiet all morning, instantly became lively with Hu Tao's arrival.
"Mmm, looks like your wives are getting along pretty well," Paimon nodded with satisfaction and took a sip of milk tea.
Gu Chen glanced at her, then—to her wide-eyed shock—snatched the milk tea and took a sip himself.
"Women always have certain topics they really click over. That's normal."
"By the way, what flavor is this? It tastes awful," Gu Chen frowned.
"What do you mean awful?! That's clearly your taste problem!"
Paimon angrily snatched the milk tea back and complained,
"I'm going to expose you—you awful guy who even steals a kid's milk tea!"
"Nonsense,"
Gu Chen curled his lips.
"You know you're a kid, yet you drink milk tea every day. Aren't you afraid of gaining weight? I was just helping you share the burden."
"It's fine, Paimon can endure this kind of suffering,"
Paimon waved her little hand, completely unconcerned.
Drinking milk tea makes you gain weight?
Everyone knows Paimon has a special constitution—no need to worry about that at all.
"Speaking of which,"
Paimon suddenly looked serious.
Just as Gu Chen thought she was about to bring up something important, Paimon asked,
"What's for lunch?"
Gu Chen's expression turned solemn.
"Good question. I really haven't thought about it."
Food was the foundation of the people—meals always deserved careful consideration.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Chen said,
"How about making you a plate of Ghostly Grand March?"
"Ghostly Grand March? What's that?" Paimon scratched her head in confusion.
"You don't know?" Gu Chen said.
"That's our Hall Master Hu's specialty dish."
"Hu Tao's specialty? Is it good? Is it tasty?" Paimon asked eagerly.
"Hard to say,"
Gu Chen replied mysteriously.
"What do you mean, hard to say?" Paimon asked, puzzled.
"Probably the kind of dish where after eating one bite, you open your mouth and spit out your soul," Gu Chen pondered before describing it.
Paimon froze completely, then said,
"Then I think we need to stay alert around Hu Tao. That's terrifying!"
As she spoke, Paimon felt a chill down her back, as if some great horror were staring at her from behind.
She mechanically turned her head.
Hu Tao's face was only three centimeters away from hers.
"Waaah—!"
Paimon shrieked and scrambled into Gu Chen's arms in panic.
"Heehee, scared you, didn't I?" Hu Tao grinned, then said,
"I heard you talking about Ghostly Grand March just now. Want this Hall Master to make you a serving? Want to try it?"
Gu Chen shook his head repeatedly.
"I'll pass, but Paimon seems quite eager."
"No, no!"
Paimon shook her head vigorously, then said solemnly,
"I don't want to die yet. Absolutely not!"
"You looked pretty excited just now," Hu Tao said, a little disappointed.
"It's all Boss Gu's fault, acting all mysterious!" Paimon immediately accused Gu Chen.
"Sweet Madame. No more than that," Gu Chen said.
Paimon immediately nodded.
"Deal!"
As she spoke, Paimon stuffed a fresh cup of milk tea into Hu Tao's hands, then happily floated away.
"She's that easy to placate?" Hu Tao stared at the milk tea in her hand, stunned.
"Food and Mora are the ultimate tools for placating Paimon. Just don't scare her into crying, or you'll have to coax her for quite a while," Gu Chen laughed.
"Oh~"
Hu Tao nodded in sudden realization.
Gu Chen asked,
"What were you all chatting about earlier?"
Hu Tao snapped back to her senses and said mysteriously,
"That's a topic between your wives. Don't pry!"
"There's something I'm not allowed to know?" Gu Chen froze.
"Oh come on, the sisters said you're good at cooking. Hurry up and make lunch!" Hu Tao waved her hand.
"Alright then,"
Gu Chen shrugged.
There were always certain topics among women that, even if spoken aloud, would still feel oddly abstract to Gu Chen.
With his hands behind his back, Gu Chen headed into the kitchen. Paimon, guided by her nose, also drifted over to help voluntarily.
While cooking, Gu Chen began casually chatting in the group.
[Transcendent Group Chat]
[Venti]: Friends, today is a happy day! I found a part-time job! (Venti · celebration)
[Jean]: Mr. Venti is starting to work? (Paimon · shocked)
[Diluc]: Hard to imagine.
[Kaeya]: Forced by life? (grin)
[Xiangling]: Last night, Mr. Venti, Mr. Zhongli, and the others came to eat at my place. In the end, none of them could take out any Mora. So they unanimously suggested letting Mr. Venti stay and wash dishes, and the meal would be free. (facepalm)
[Arataki Itto]: What?! There's such a good thing?! Just washing dishes gets you a free meal?! (Venti · starry-eyed)
[Kuki Shinobu]: Boss, now isn't the time to fantasize. Mr. Venti could do that because he's the Anemo Archon. (headache)
[Azhdaha]: No, you misunderstand. It wasn't just washing a few dishes because he's the Anemo Archon. Do you know how many dishes Wanmin Restaurant had last night? (grin)
[Osial]: Elaborate!
[Azhdaha]: Zhongli even moved over all the dishes from the restaurant on the next street for Venti to wash. That restaurant owner paid the Mora. (grin)
[Zhongli]: Together with Wanmin Restaurant's dishes, it precisely offset the cost of that meal. (Zhongli · dragon smirk)
[Gu Chen]: Excellent work! (applause)
[Venti]: Oh? The Cult Leader's awake. Can I get an advance on my salary? (Klee · please)
[Gu Chen]: Why do you need an advance? Didn't you find a dishwashing job? (confused)
[Venti]: Washing dishes covers food, but I also want to drink some wine. (scratches head)
[Gu Chen]: For that, I suggest borrowing some Mora from Zhongli. (grin)
[Zhongli]: None. (empty pockets)
[Venti]: Uh-oh, now we're the poor trio of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. (worried)
[Azhdaha]: @[Ningguang] Does the Liyue Qixing have poverty relief programs? Could you take a look at me? (Zhongli · dragon smirk)
[Ningguang]: (headache)
[Keqing]: Suggestion: if you're strong, you can come move cargo at the docks. (Keqing · thumbs up)
[Venti]: Brothers, let's analyze seriously. Is there any way to fill our stomachs without spending Mora? (thinking)
[Klee]: Fish blasting! Fish blasting doesn't cost Mora! (Klee · little witch)
[Venti]: Where do the bombs come from? (confused)
[Klee sent a group red packet]
[Venti grabbed 2 Jumpty Dumpties]
[Gu Chen grabbed 3 Jumpty Dumpties]
[Yoimiya grabbed 2 Jumpty Dumpties]
[Yoimiya]: Bombs! Yay! (Yoimiya · cheer)
[Jean]: Klee!!! (Jean · angry)
[Klee]: Umm, Klee just wanted to help Lord Barbatos. (Klee · charge)
[Dvalin]: Help the Anemo Archon ascend? (grin)
[Kaeya]: Bro, don't maliciously speculate on little Klee's kindness. (Nahida · pointing)
[Venti]: Good child! Off to blast fish! (grin)
[Gu Chen]: @[Kaliru] How are things on your end?
[Collei]: I asked Amber to help me review the story of the Pure Water Spirit of Springvale. It sounds like a fairy tale—I didn't expect it to be real! (Paimon · shocked)
[Diona]: Huh? It's real? Then does that mean when I was little and always made noise by the spring, I didn't disturb the water spirit? (Paimon · shocked)
[Kaliru]: @[Diona] You didn't disturb me~
[Diona]: That's good, that's good~ (Klee · yay)
[Kaliru]: @[Gu Chen] Thank you for your concern, Cult Leader. I gathered my courage and found Finch. At his age, cultivating the Tai Xuan Scripture is a bit difficult, but at least there's hope now! (Kokomi · morale up)
[Azhdaha]: A story of a long-lived being and a short-lived one, huh? Alright, this Celestial Venerable approves of you.
[Azhdaha sent a special red packet]
[Venti]: As the Anemo Archon, I bless you.
[Venti sent a special red packet]
[Zhongli]: I don't have cultivation resources on hand, but I do have many insights into the Tai Xuan Scripture.
[Zhongli sent a special red packet]
[Gu Chen]: Cultivating at an older age does come with difficulties. Once he passes this hurdle, what awaits him will be beauty and hope. Keep going.
[Gu Chen sent a special red packet]
[Kaliru]: Thank you—thank you, everyone! (Hu Tao · thank you boss)
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus (GI)Chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus (GI)Chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 (GI)Chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/SwipeSage