Chapter 282: Late-Night Chat Before Sleep.

"Smells good, doesn't it? Tempting, right?"

"Cousin, can you eat meat?"

"We can over here."

"Oh, I see. Then let Mom cook a few pieces."

"Tomorrow, maybe. For now, just put it in the fridge. Tonight, let's eat something light, maybe vegetarian."

No sooner had she finished speaking than his mom came out with a plate of stir-fried peppers and meat. The two of them froze for a moment.

Then, this amusing cousin of his said, "Peppers are pretty light, right? Kind of counts as vegetarian too. I think it's fine."

As they sat down to eat, Li Muxue joined them, chatting away. During the conversation, they learned a lot about her life.

One of the things they found out was that after her father passed away, this cousin went to live with her grandmother for a while. It was during that time she got to know his mom. Back then, Xu Lin's mother had just gotten married but had a falling out with her husband, so she returned to her hometown. That's when she met his cousin, who was just a few years old at the time.

Later, after she left, the cousin went to a certain place in Sichuan Province to begin her spiritual journey. While they stayed in touch through occasional phone calls, the family didn't talk much about her, fearing they might disturb her.

The details remained vague—neither his mother nor his cousin spoke much about it—but they pieced together a general idea of her experiences.

"You've really been through a lot all these years. But it's amazing how, despite everything, you've grown up so graceful and poised. My brother would be at peace knowing that."

"Yeah… It's a pity I was too young back then to understand grief. Now when I think about it, I realize that was the last time I saw him."

Talking about her late father, Li Muxue—usually all smiles—revealed a rare trace of sadness. But it didn't last long, as her cheerful demeanor returned almost immediately.

"Still, I remember the last thing he said to me: 'You should live happily for the rest of your life. Live the way you want to.' So, I think I've fulfilled his wish for me."

"That's good. Happiness is all that matters. Are you planning to stay for a while this time?"

Xu Lin's mother, seeing her niece who had been wandering for so long, couldn't help but want her to stay longer, perhaps even permanently.

"Yes, I'll be around for at least a couple of months."

"Great! We'll have Xu Lin tidy up the study for you."

"No need for all that. I can sleep on the couch or a foldable single bed. It's fine."

"Absolutely not. This isn't just for a day or two," she said, turning to Xu Lin to make arrangements.

"But I have school tomorrow," Xu Lin muttered.

"Then your dad can take the day off and handle it," his mom replied.

"Huh? Alright… I guess," his dad reluctantly agreed.

After chatting for a while, Xu Lin excused himself and went back to his room. Just before midnight, he uploaded two new chapters of his serialized novel.

"Editing videos is going to get delayed again… Ugh, I suddenly feel like those daily-update creators have it really hard. Producing content every single day, and it still has to be decent quality."

"Hey, cousin, what are you up to?"

"Just uploaded two chapters of my novel. Where are you sleeping tonight?" Xu Lin asked, yawning.

"Auntie said I could sleep in your room, but I think I'll just take the couch. Don't want to bother you."

"No way. I'll take the couch. You might not be used to it."

"It's fine. I actually like sleeping on the couch. Or maybe it's because I haven't had a chance to lie on one in years. Don't fight me for it."

"Well, okay then. Do you need a charger?"

"No, I just wanted to chat for a bit."

"Sure, but if I fall asleep while we're talking, don't wake me up."

"Deal."

Xu Lin climbed into bed, leaning against the wall. He looked at his cousin, unsure what to say.

Though he'd become much more outgoing compared to his pre-rebirth self, he still wasn't great at starting conversations—especially with someone he wasn't very familiar with.

"What kind of novel do you write? I actually enjoy reading novels a lot. Since the internet on the mountain is terrible, I mostly just watch videos and read novels—live streams are too laggy."

"Oh, really? This is the one I write."

Xu Lin handed her his phone. She glanced at the interface and immediately pulled out her own phone.

"I saw this one on the train! I didn't read it yet, but I added it to my bookshelf."

"Really?"

"Yeah, for real. It's super popular. When I was reading, someone else recommended it to me. I think it has about 100,000 followers now?"

"Yeah, roughly."

"Wow, not bad! I didn't realize we had such a talented writer in the family."

"'Writer' might be a bit much. We web novel authors get criticized all the time. Personally, I admit my work isn't anything super profound. But I think there are authors out there who combine literary quality, storytelling, and entertainment really well. And yet, people still bash them, saying it's just mindless entertainment, not literature. That really ticks me off. So I just think of myself as a regular writer. I write to bring a bit of joy to others—or even just to myself—and that's enough."

"You've got a pretty open mindset."

"Well, as the saying goes, life's a journey, and the most important thing is to feel at ease with yourself. No need to overthink everything. If you think it's fine, then it's fine."

"I think you'd fit in really well on the mountain with me, cousin. My master would definitely like you."

"Haha, my mom would probably kill me first. But maybe during the holidays, I can come visit you up there."

"Of course! Perfect timing, actually. After the New Year, I'll probably need to return to see my master as well."

"Honestly, cousin, life on the mountain seems pretty nice. Good for the body, mind, and soul. Society these days feels like a giant dye vat."

"That's why I come down every once in a while. Besides, I'm not completely out of touch. I go down the mountain often enough—just haven't left the area much. Plus, we do have internet."

"That's true. The internet solves a lot of problems, though it also creates plenty."

It wasn't so bad now, but thinking about the future of the online environment, Xu Lin couldn't help but feel uneasy. Things were bound to get messy.

"By the way, little cousin, you're 17 this year, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be 18 after the New Year."

"Not so little anymore. Got a girlfriend yet?" Li Muxue teased him with a playful glance. Xu Lin quickly waved it off.

"No, no, not yet. But I do have a girl I like. For now, though, studies come first."

Even as he said that, Xu Lin felt a bit embarrassed. Studies come first, but all he ever thought about was making money—and, to be honest, getting closer to certain girls. Saying that while secretly daydreaming about hugging girls felt a bit contradictory.

Of course, he had said he liked a girl, but whether that girl was one, two, or twelve wasn't particularly important~

"Exactly, studies are what matter most. I never went to school myself, but my master taught me to read and write from a young age. For foreign languages, he even found a junior sister to tutor me."

"Wow, you must be a fast learner, cousin!"

"Not really. It took me a lot of effort to grasp the evening lessons. By the way, want me to give you a little reading on your romantic prospects?"

"Huh? Can you really do that?"

"Of course! While I'm not a master yet, I can still do a basic reading. I can roughly predict where your future girlfriend might be or what your love life might look like."

"Alright, go ahead. I'm curious."

Xu Lin was intrigued. After all, the last time an old Taoist tried this, he left him with nothing but cryptic riddles. Surely his cousin wouldn't pull the same stunt.

But the moment she got his birth date and time, she froze for a second and muttered under her breath,

"Master… you've got to be joking."