Chapter 196: Chapter 152: Spirit Fruit Platter, Beauty’s Peach Gum, and Stealing Fragrance

So, Li Xiang took her on a tour, showing her one room after another.

"It’s nice, very tasteful. But... I don’t think you’re the one who picked all this out, are you? Whoa, is this Ylang Ylang Essential Oil for aromatherapy in the bedroom? Brother, what exactly are you trying to do?" Jiang Cai’Er picked up the bottles of essential oil and the candles, holding them under her nose to smell them while staring intently at Li Xiang.

’Good thing I’ve seen *The Legend of Zhen Huan*,’ she thought. ’I know exactly what this stuff is for.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"They were all gifts. I also have a bunch of air fryers, juicers, and things like that. Come on, I’ll show you. If you like anything, you can take it home." Li Xiang quickly changed the subject, pulling her toward the storage room.

"Hmph."

Unsure if it was from the scent of the Ylang Ylang Essential Oil or from Li Xiang holding her small hand, Jiang Cai’Er felt her body grow slightly warm.

His grandmother was out visiting neighbors, leaving the two of them alone in the huge house. With the door closed, the atmosphere became rather intimate.

"I like this Doraemon one." Jiang Cai’Er spotted a small, adorable air fryer shaped like the robotic cat. Li Xiang helped her bag it up so she could take it home later.

Jiang Cai’Er, of course, didn’t stand on ceremony with him. If anyone else had offered her something, she would have politely refused or insisted on not accepting it. But with Li Xiang, she felt no need to be coy.

The two returned to the backyard to continue drinking tea. Li Xiang checked on her Cultivation progress and answered some of her questions. Jiang Cai’Er’s foundation was very stable, so she could try a higher-Tier Spirit Fruit. With that, Li Xiang took out two of the Crystal Kiwis he had and handed them to her.

"Wow, what a beautiful fruit! This is a true Kiwifruit."

"Go on, eat it."

"You feed me!" Jiang Cai’Er pouted.

"Feed you my foot. How about I peel it and slice it onto a plate for you?" Li Xiang said as he went to the kitchen to get a plate and a fruit knife.

The main reason he held back was that Jiang Cai’Er was still a high school student. Li Xiang was afraid of distracting her from her studies; otherwise, he might have made a more intimate move.

In reality, now that Jiang Cai’Er had formed her Memory Palace, it was highly unlikely that anything could significantly affect her studies.

There were several couples in her class. During evening self-study, they would sneak out for walks. One couple in particular clearly had no sense of boundaries. They would even sneak up to the roof of the academic building after class and had been caught by their classmates several times.

The students would gossip in private that the two had definitely crossed a line, though no one knew just how far they had gone.

After lights-out at night, the girls in her dorm would discuss the topic. Jiang Cai’Er sometimes joined in. When they talked about it, they all felt a little envious.

After all, they were seventeen or eighteen years old—graceful young women who had long since come of age. Their awareness of *that sort of thing* had already awakened.

Li Xiang sliced the two Tier Four Kiwifruit Spirit Fruits. The flesh was a sparkling emerald green, like the finest glass-type imperial green jade, dotted with small, glossy red berries that shone like rubies. He served it on a white jade porcelain plate with a gleaming silver fork on the side. This fruit platter, composed entirely of Spiritual Medicine, looked absolutely beautiful. Placed on the stone tea table, it glittered and glowed in the sunlight.

"I have to take a picture first!" Jiang Cai’Er said with a grin, pulling out her phone. ’Brother really spoils me,’ she thought. ’I have to take a picture to remember this. And of course, I have to post it to my Moments.’

After she posted it, many people asked her, "Where did you buy those kiwis? Why do they look so good?"

"And what are those little red berries? They look so yummy!"

Jiang Cai’Er just replied with a smiley face. ’You can’t buy this anywhere,’ she thought. ’This is my brother’s love for me. It’s something money can’t buy.’

’With Brother feeding me like this, I probably won’t be able to suppress my power for much longer. I’m going to break through to Tier Two soon!’

The peach tree that Li Xiang had transplanted from the Hailuogou Primeval Forest had fully recovered. Not only had it sprouted new buds, but it had also bloomed with many delicate and beautiful peach blossoms.

Due to its "injury," the tree was now secreting a lot of peach gum. When Jiang Cai’Er saw this, she took the empty plate they had used for the Spirit Fruit, washed and dried it, and went to collect the resin.

Li Xiang came over to help her.

Peach gum is a wonderful thing, known for its beauty and skin-enhancing properties. It’s typically harvested from March to April, with the peak season being May to June. The gum collected during this period is of the highest quality. Although the yield is highest in July and August, the summer rains cause the gum to turn blackish after being soaked, rendering it suitable only for industrial use.

It can also be harvested in the autumn, from September to October, but this is considered late in the season, and the quality isn’t as good as the spring harvest.

The two of them collected a full plate of peach gum. They carefully picked out all the impurities, and after this refinement, each piece was as clear and translucent as a gemstone, like a beauty’s tears. It’s also known as Peach Blossom Tears.

"My mom loves this stuff. It’s delicious when used to make sweet soups. I’ll take it home for her," Jiang Cai’Er said.

Of course, she herself had no need for it. Having practiced the Breathing Technique and eaten so many Spirit Fruits, she had already reached a realm of beauty that was hard to describe with words. Even the renowned "Little Celestial Immortal," Luo Feifei, would likely be overshadowed by her now, appearing slightly less attractive in comparison.

That was because Luo Feifei had not yet become Extraordinary. If she also became an Extraordinary Being, ate Spirit Fruits, and practiced the Breathing Technique, then it would be hard to say which of the two women would come out on top in a battle of beauty.

Since Jiang Cai’Er was on vacation, she naturally spent all her free time at Li Xiang’s house. She would do her homework, read, practice her techniques, and play the flute. Occasionally, she would help Li Xiang with farm chores like planting vegetables, taking pictures of the rustic country life that made her classmates from the city unbearably envious.

When school was in session, every day felt so long. But vacations always flew by like an arrow. Before she’d had her fill of fun, it was already time to go back to school.

This time, Li Xiang had a car, so he drove her directly in his SUV. There was no need to squeeze onto the local bus and make transfers like before.

"Here, take this for spending money." As she was getting out of the car, Li Xiang stuffed two thousand yuan into her hand.

"I really don’t need it. I haven’t even finished the money you gave me last time." Jiang Cai’Er pushed the money back into Li Xiang’s hand, explaining with a smile, "I’m sitting in a classroom from morning till night every day. Where would I find the time or place to spend money? It’s inconvenient to carry so much."

"Then I’ll save it for you," Li Xiang said with a smile. The truth was, he had been too strapped for cash in college, living a rather frugal life. He believed that a girl should be well-provided for so she could more easily resist temptation.

"Brother, I’m off then!" Jiang Cai’Er waved and started walking toward the school gate, pulling her suitcase. After a few steps, she glanced back and saw that Li Xiang’s car was still parked by the road, his window down, watching her go.

She glanced around, and on a sudden impulse, dropped her suitcase and trotted back.

"What’s wrong? Did you forget something?" Li Xiang asked, turning his head to look.

"No need to look. I didn’t forget anything," Jiang Cai’Er said from outside the window, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

Li Xiang was surprised. ’What’s going on?’ he thought. As he turned his head back, a pair of soft, red lips pressed against his cheek.

Li Xiang froze. ’This girl is way too bold!’ he thought. ’We’re right at the school gate!’

A blush crept onto Jiang Cai’Er’s pretty face. Overcome with shyness, she turned and ran, grabbing her suitcase and disappearing into the school.

In truth, her super-brain had already calculated everything. The angle was chosen perfectly. There were people nearby, but they could only see the back of her head, not her fleeting, dragonfly-like kiss.

’That was my first kiss, and I had to be the one to make the first move. Brother, you’re the worst!’

’Ylang Ylang Essential Oil? Hmph. Even if you don’t tell me, I know who sent it. It’s either some vixen or a green tea bitch.’

The reason Jiang Cai’Er had made such a bold, "risky move" this time was twofold. First, her feelings had reached a point where she couldn’t hold them back any longer. Second, there were too many girls around Li Xiang now, especially that Yao Yao, who was a known seductress and likely a greater threat than Zhao Xueqing. Jiang Cai’Er felt that if she didn’t establish her claim soon, given how little time they spent together, she’d suffer a huge loss if someone else "stole her crystal"!