Chapter 205

At night.

Diona, under the soft glow of the four-sided lamp, slowly read the novel while cross-referencing the dictionary.

Qiqi, exhausted from gathering herbs in the mountains, set down her basket and leaned against a tree, reading the novel by the moonlight.

Shenhe sat at the table, arranged the Seven-Star Lamp, and began reading the novel slowly.

After finishing the novel, it was about time, so Shenhe prepared to enter the dream world.

Arriving in the boss's meditation space, she sat on his lap as usual to play games, a sour plum candy still in her mouth.

But unlike before, today she kept recalling certain scenes from the novel, and her body began to feel a little strange.

"Shenhe, why are you fidgeting so much?"

"You should call me Master."

"Master Shenhe, please have mercy on your disciple."

"Hmm."

"You're moving again!"

Shenhe's body froze. She put down the controller, turned her head, and stared directly at him.

Xia Zhi felt a bit uneasy under her gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"Big brother."

"You should call me boss."

"Big brother."

"..."

"What does kissing feel like?"

"I don't know."

"In your book, it seems really nice."

"Don't believe that. I just made it up."

"Big brother, have you never kissed anyone?"

"Nope."

"I don't believe you."

"I never lie."

Shenhe stared at him, her gaze slowly drifting downward, lingering on his lips.

Xia Zhi felt her eyes were becoming a little dangerous.

This girl… such a strong thirst for knowledge?

Xia Zhi pressed his hand against her forehead and sighed. "Kids shouldn't think about such things."

"I'm not a kid."

"Right now, you are."

"..."

Shenhe fell silent for a moment, then softly chanted a spell: "Soul Transformation…"

In the next moment, she reverted from her child form to her original adult appearance.

Xia Zhi twitched his lips. "You're so heavy now."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"Sure, sure."

"So, let's try it."

"Masters and disciples can't do that."

"Then I don't want you as my disciple anymore."

"?"

"Boss."

"No, this kind of thing can only be done with someone you like…"

"I like you."

"Huh?"

Xia Zhi was momentarily stunned.

Then, Shenhe reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her soft lips against his without hesitation.

And then… well, there was no "then."

If there was anything to say, it was the taste of sour plum candy—sour, sweet, soft, and smooth—utterly irresistible.

When they finally separated, Shenhe's face was slightly flushed. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, licking her lips with a hint of alluring charm. She whispered, "It really is nice."

Xia Zhi savored the delightful sensation for a moment, then looked at her with a serious expression. "Shenhe."

"Hmm?"

"How could you do that?"

"Why couldn't I?"

"Of course, you can't."

"Don't you like me?"

"Well, I do…"

"Then let's do it again."

"?"

Such strong initiative.

Shenhe kissed him again, this time more skillfully, even lightly nibbling his earlobe.

Though her movements were still clumsy and inexperienced.

Xia Zhi found it both amusing and heart-fluttering.

Such a cute girl is hard to resist.

"You're really good at this."

"You taught me."

"When did I teach you this?"

"The book taught me."

"That's all fiction. I wrote that on the first page."

"I didn't see it."

"Fine, I'll ask the publisher to make the font bigger in the next book."

Shenhe pursed her lips, the sweet taste of sour plum candy still lingering in her mouth.

She blinked and suddenly asked, "Do you like Miss Chi Yu?"

"No."

"There's a female ghost in the book."

"That's fiction."

"Hmm."

"Alright, get down now. You're really heavy like this."

"Then I'll make myself smaller."

"It's time to go pick mushrooms."

---

The next morning, Shenhe woke up.

She sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the novel.

This is a good book.

She flipped through it, carefully reviewing it before getting up to comb her hair.

As she left her room, she coincidentally ran into the boss.

"Boss, good morning."

"Shenhe, good morning."

Shenhe walked over and grabbed his sleeve.

"Boss."

"No, I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"That's not it."

"…What's wrong?"

"Give me a candy."

"Huh?"

"Sour plum candy."

"If you eat candy, your mouth will taste like it all day. You won't enjoy your meals."

"It's fine."

"You're impossible."

Xia Zhi took out the jar of [Long-lasting Fruit Candy] and handed it to her, along with the bottle of [Refreshing Mouthwash].

Shenhe looked at the mouthwash curiously. "What's this?"

"Mouthwash. Use it to rinse your mouth before meals, and the taste will disappear."

"Oh."

"Don't worry about wasting it. Eat as much candy as you want. I have more. I'll give you more when you run out."

"Okay."

Shenhe put them away, thought for a moment, then leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his cheek.

It was wet and soft.

Instantly brightening the entire day.

Xia Zhi smiled, wiping his cheek, and "looked" at the anticipation in her eyes. He leaned over and lightly kissed her cheek in return.

Satisfaction filled Shenhe's eyes, and the corners of her lips curled up.

The two went downstairs to wash up.

Miss Chi Yu was in the kitchen washing cups. She looked up and greeted the boss and Shenhe, but as she watched their retreating figures, a hint of confusion crossed her face.

With her years of single intuition, she felt something was off…

Zhu Zi and Diona returned from the market with groceries. Diona looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, as if she had stayed up late last night.

After breakfast, Zhu Zi posted the notice outside the shop.

By mid-morning, many customers had come to the shop with the novel in hand.

Zhu Zi reluctantly gave them a 50% discount, her heart aching.

In the afternoon, Ningguang arrived. Surprisingly, she also brought a copy of the novel.

Who knew even a rich woman loved to take advantage of such small bargains?

Xia Zhi shook his head, then glanced at Shenhe, smacking his lips slightly. The taste of sour plum candy seemed to linger.

I never thought sour plum candy could taste so good before.

---

That night, in the dream world.

Shenhe stood alone in the cave, looking troubled.

When Xia Zhi appeared, he was slightly surprised to see her in her adult form.

"What's wrong?"

"The jar of candy you gave me… I can't bring it into the dream…"

"Oh, that's fine. Keep that jar for the real world. I have more here…"

"I don't want sour plum anymore. I want lemon."

"Alright, here you go."

Shenhe popped the candy into her mouth, looking at him with eager eyes.

And then… well, there was no "then."

If there was anything to say, it was that lemon candy was also amazing—sour, sweet, soft, and smooth—utterly irresistible.

----

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