NOVEL WEB Chapter 196: Chapter 196
Dreams are always bizarre and fantastical.
There are towering mountains, surging waves, bountiful fields, dense forests… houses made of candy and pastries, oceans of dandelions and roses…
All the beautiful dreams Shenhe had lost during her years of rigorous training were now being rediscovered.
Nestled in Xia Zhi's arms, she took in the various scenes flying by beneath them, feeling as though the emptiness in her heart was being filled with something warm and comforting.
"Shenhe."
"Big Brother?"
"Do you know the best way to deal with nightmares?"
"No…"
"It's not about forgetting them, but replacing them with new, beautiful dreams."
Little Shenhe was stunned for a moment, then a bright smile spread across her face.
"Yes!"
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The next morning, Xia Zhi woke up from his dream.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he opened his inventory to check his gains from the previous night.
Recalling the experiences, a smile crept onto his lips.
With Little Shenhe's company, his usually monotonous material gathering had become much more enjoyable.
Xia Zhi converted the collected items into points, closed the inventory, and turned to look at the wall separating his room from Shenhe's.
His expression grew slightly peculiar.
He had once purchased a book titled [Basic Knowledge of Dreams] from the [Shop].
The book mentioned that ordinary people rarely leave their own dreams while sleeping.
Once they realize they are dreaming, their dreams become highly unstable, dissipate, and they wake up.
But Shenhe's situation last night was different.
She had followed Xia Zhi out of her own dream, naturally accepting the existence of the dream world without any issues.
This made Xia Zhi suspect that Shenhe, like him, might have entered the dream world with a clear consciousness through some method.
This would also explain why he never saw the wild monster in her dreams—it probably existed but was dealt with by Shenhe beforehand.
So… was Little Shenhe last night actually Shenhe herself controlling things? Calling him "Big Brother" so sweetly…
Xia Zhi thought about it and decided it was better to pretend he didn't know.
He got up, changed his clothes, crafted his daily quota of items, and opened the shop.
Just like the previous morning, he ran into Shenhe, who was also just stepping out of her room.
Shenhe looked at him and greeted softly, "Good morning, Boss."
Xia Zhi smiled and nodded. "Good morning, Shenhe."
The two walked downstairs together, both tacitly avoiding any mention of last night's dream.
After breakfast, everyone gathered the gifts they had prepared and headed to Yujing Terrace.
Miss Chi Yu stayed behind to watch the shop, asking everyone to convey her blessings.
On the way, they ran into Baishi, who was carrying breakfast, presumably for Ningguang.
After exchanging greetings, they parted ways and arrived at Granny Ping's house.
This was Xia Zhi's first visit.
Granny Ping's home wasn't large, far from the grand mansions of the wealthy in Yujing Terrace, but the layout and appearance of the house gave him a sense of comfort.
As a connoisseur, the fact that he couldn't find any flaws in it already made it superior to those ostentatious mansions.
Granny Ping stood at the door, smiling as she welcomed everyone.
Yaoyao, being the well-behaved child she was, brought chairs and served tea.
Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver were already inside, drinking tea. Mr. Zhongli and Miss Ganyu hadn't arrived yet.
Xia Zhi handed over a small box containing a silver-grade tea he had bought from the [Shop], which had the special effect of calming the mind and regulating the body.
"A small token of my wishes for your birthday, Granny Ping."
"You're too kind, Mr. Xia. Your presence is more than enough."
The others also presented their gifts. Granny Ping thanked them one by one, accepting the presents, and then introduced the two Adepti to everyone.
"Greetings, Mountain Shaper. Greetings, Moon Carver."
"No need for formalities. Liyue is now governed by its people. Treat us as ordinary individuals."
The two Adepti were gentle and easy to get along with. Xia Zhi chatted with them for a bit, then casually asked, "Granny Ping, how is lunch arranged for today?"
"I've reserved a table at Wanmin Restaurant."
"Wanmin Restaurant, huh?"
"In previous years, Xiangling would come and cook at home, but she's out traveling this year."
"Eating at home does have a better atmosphere."
"Indeed."
"Granny Ping, we have quite a few people today, and Wanmin Restaurant doesn't have private rooms. The noisy environment might not be ideal."
"What do you suggest, Mr. Xia?"
"How about we eat at home? I can take over the cooking in place of Xiangling."
"Mr. Xia, you're a guest. It's not proper to have a guest do the cooking."
"Granny Ping, you and the others have protected Liyue for many years. I just want to take this opportunity to express my respect."
"Well…"
Granny Ping hesitated.
Mountain Shaper coughed lightly and said, "A-Ping, I think Mr. Xia makes a good point. Eating at home is quieter and more convenient."
Moon Carver added, "Mr. Zhongli mentioned yesterday that Xiao would also be coming. He doesn't like crowded places, so it's better to have it at home."
Granny Ping was surprised. "Xiao is coming this year?"
Moon Carver nodded. "Yes."
If Xiao was coming, then having the meal at home was indeed better.
Granny Ping looked at Xia Zhi, somewhat apologetically. "Then I'll have to trouble you with the cooking, Mr. Xia."
Xia Zhi smiled. "No trouble at all. I cook every day at the shop anyway. Zhu Zi, you all go to the market and buy more ingredients."
The girls agreed. "Okay!"
Granny Ping handed a wallet to Shenhe. "I can't let you spend money after all the trouble you've gone through."
Shenhe accepted it. "Understood, Granny."
The girls headed out together. As they passed by Yuehai Pavilion, they saw Baishi again, this time carrying a stack of documents.
Baishi curiously asked what they were up to and learned they were going to the market to buy groceries.
She returned to Ningguang's office with the documents and noticed that the breakfast she had brought for Ningguang was still untouched.
"Lady Ningguang, today is Madame Ping's birthday."
"Yes, I've already prepared a gift. Please deliver it for me later."
"Understood. Earlier, I saw Mr. Xia and the others on the road."
"They're probably heading to Granny Ping's place as well."
"Later, I saw Zhu Zi and the others going out to buy groceries. They said Mr. Xia would be cooking lunch today…"
Ningguang paused, then set down her pen and looked up from her desk, her expression serious.
"Baishi."
"Yes, Lady Ningguang?"
"I've been thinking. After the Osial incident, there was some tension between the Qixing and the Adepti. Granny Ping's birthday is a perfect opportunity to mend that relationship."
"You're absolutely right, Lady Ningguang!"
"Therefore, I think it's best if I attend in person today."
"Huh?"
"Go fetch my best formal attire."
"Yes, ma'am!"
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