In the next two days, Li Xin visited the Shadow Owl and the Canon Law School, making a few rounds. Shadow Owl seemed very busy, with Jiang Jin Xiao nowhere in sight and Tang Yinxiao also absent. Seeing Meng Po's hesitant expression, Li Xin didn't want to stay any longer. The two magic potion materials needed for the sugar cake are not only rare but also extremely expensive, a sky-high price for him. He initially mentioned casually that he wanted to help find them, a bit hastily, giving Meng Po a lot of hope.

Over at the Canon Law School, they were busy preparing for the Celestial Principle Study's lecture. Bai Peng and Lu Shuai were exceptionally excited. Bai Peng had a lot of activities; he seized this opportunity to really make his presence felt within the Black Rose. Lu Shuai also enjoyed some of the spotlight alongside him. Bai Peng is a nice guy, he knows how to share, and even wanted to gather a few "acquaintances" from the Secret Castle for a get-together. Li Xin didn't plan to steal his thunder, and he wasn't sure if those acquaintances were really familiar with him. At this stage, he didn't want to complicate things further, so after politely declining, he went home to do some writing. These past couple of days, he's been feeling pretty good, so he seized the chance to catch up on his progress, thinking he would need it sooner or later. If he really finds the materials, he'll have to pay for them. Given Utopia Mountain's current situation, coupled with Auntie Fei's position at Bird Society, they should be able to get a decent price.

Having a goal, Li Xin's focus improved significantly. His performance at home also made Lin Fei very pleased. In Lin Fei's eyes, Li Xin becoming fond of studying is a good sign; it means he's starting to enjoy life at the Canon Law School and is beginning to be motivated. However, Xueyin felt a bit regretful that Ah Xin had ultimately strayed, slowly sinking into a sea of bitterness. The unruly young man from the Underground City could never return.

During dinner, Xueyin watched Li Xin and Lin Fei seriously discussing work and suddenly said, "We all end up becoming the person we despise." Lin Fei widened her eyes, looking at the deeply moved Lin Xueyin, giving her a sharp smack on the back of her head. The much-admired Sister Lin from the Grace Class tucked her tail and played the role of a meek diner sister.

Kathy will come over on the weekend. Although Lin Fei said she wanted to prepare herself, having a ready-made meal is indeed delightful. She could happily sleep in. This week, the entire newspaper office has been working overtime on preliminary preparations. Meetings big and small have been nonstop, discussing details, and everyone is full of energy. Promotion at the Canon Law School will begin next week. One could say the Canon Law School's involvement will directly determine the project's success or failure. For Lin Fei, if it succeeds, her position as deputy editor is secured. If it fails, forget about being deputy editor; she might not even know if she can continue as an editor. The Citizen Daily has made a significant investment in this project.

Despite the pressure, Lin Fei enjoyed it, full of fighting spirit. A woman who has her career and focuses on it passionately exudes charm every moment. Besides, Lin Fei is quite beautiful; she's just not very aware of it. Li Xin fully supports Aunt Fei in living her life to the fullest.

On Saturday morning, Lin Fei and Xueyin both slept in. Xueyin stayed up late doing homework the night before. Li Xin heard the sound of slapping, unsure if she had been smacked on the butt or the palm. To this, Li Xin could only express sympathy: "A spanking shows care, scolding represents love. Prepare more of her favorite foods to make up for it."

In the nearby market, as familiarity grows, given Dragon Capital's standing as a royal city, its ingredients are indeed more abundant than those in Celestial Capital, although prices are relatively higher. The area where they're located is also quite good. Li Xin first prepared some seasonings, then bought vegetables and meat. Today, he wanted to make braised pork. He didn't buy seafood, thinking Sister Kathy must be tired of eating it all the time. For snacks, he prepared air-dried ham, fried French fries, and stir-fried peanuts, aiming for a mix. Currently, ingredients in Dao Yuan have yet to involve any sophisticated technology, which is quite reassuring in terms of safety.

Carrying large and small bags back home, it was already past ten in the morning. Li Xin changed clothes, put on an apron, washed his hands, rubbed his face, and began preparing lunch. In fact, during his time in Hedan, he learned quite a lot from Ma Liu, paying attention to dish prep and pairing details. The kitchen clanked and clattered, Li Xin quite enjoyed cooking. When cooking, one is particularly focused and relaxed, able to temporarily forget complex matters and concentrate on culinary delights.

Kathy also arrived; they're so familiar with each other that she casually hung her clothes and changed into slippers. Watching Li Xin busily working in the kitchen, while the beauties upstairs were still sleeping, … even Xueyin's soft snores had a rhythm; are kids these days this tired? 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Kathy hadn't been seated long when Lin Fei groggily appeared at the stairway, wearing loose sleepwear that exposed her fair skin, emanating a milky fragrance in the sunlight streaming through the window between floors. Lin Fei waved to greet Kathy and peeked at Li Xin in the kitchen, brimming with expectation, before heading back to freshen up.

Kathy expertly opened the cupboard, took out wine glasses and a decanter. She had bought a new set, arranged for the attendant to deliver it earlier. In her current life, the most indispensable things are her work and wine.

Opening the red wine, watching the crimson, fragrant liquid flow into the decanter, Kathy felt a sense of relaxation wash over her, quietly observing as everything fell into perfect harmony. Until Lin Xueyin woke up, and with an exclamatory "Wow," she dashed downstairs, startling Li Xin, who nearly cut his hand and quickly peeked over.

"Sister Kathy, wuwuwu, Mom hit me yesterday, hit me so hard. Wuwu, Sister Kathy, can I stay with you? I feel like I might not even be her real child..." Lin Xueyin finally found someone who could make decisions and began her complaints.

Kathy hugged Xueyin, "Where did she hit you?"

"Hands, butt, both are swollen. Got hit six days out of the week!" Xueyin became animated, eagerly showcasing Lin Fei's violent deeds.

Kathy smiled faintly, "Back when I was learning dance, we were hit with thin bamboo sticks. Wrong moves were corrected with a strike after two mistakes, ten strikes after three. They'd target the calves where it hurt the most; people's palms and butts aren't as sensitive, basically, no need for that kind of motivation in under three days."

"Auntie Kathy, I've thought it through, I still love learning." Lin Xueyin stood up quickly, feeling a chill in her ankles, as she walked into the kitchen, dainty fingers pinching and popping salad into her mouth, "Mmm, mmm, delicious. Ah Xin, your skills keep improving. Let's open a restaurant together, guaranteed fortune!"

Li Xin adjusted the heat on the braised pork, looking at the confident Xueyin, "I think I can make a fortune without you?"

"What are you saying? I am your lucky charm. Without me, you wouldn't be able to get rich!" Lin Xueyin put her hands on her hips, "Make sure your mindset stays right, study hard at the Canon Law School, and don't veer off course. Quick! Say, you can't live without Xueyin!"

"Alright, alright, I can't live without Xueyin." Li Xin said with a wry smile.

Finally, there was someone at home to manage things. Xueyin contentedly went off to play with Justin. Typically, when Xueyin rushed over, Justin would immediately play hide and seek. But as soon as Kathy arrived, Justin behaved like a normal cat, soft meowing under Xueyin's rough treatment. Only after Xueyin was called away by Lin Fei did he collapse limply in his nest.