The three of them watched the scene in the rain and couldn't help but smile. Yvonne Li was the first to speak: "They're so romantic!"
Turning her head, Ivy Shen looked at Yvonne Li and smiled, "Aren't your male consorts romantic enough?"
Yvonne Li laughed and said, "No one is more romantic than Auntie!" As she finished, she looked at Yvonne Yun and burst out laughing.
Ivy Shen couldn't help but smile as well. "Of course! Uncle has loved Auntie so faithfully for so many years—he's probably the most devoted man in the world. Auntie, you're really blessed!"
"Ah, you two little rascals are actually teasing your elders?" Yvonne Yun's face flushed bright red, but she still couldn't suppress her smile.
"Achoo!" Yvonne Li couldn't help sneezing. "Let's go back, it's so cold!"
"But..." Yvonne Yun glanced at the two people kissing in the rain, a little worried. The rain was pouring—would they be alright...?
"It's fine, Auntie. Let's go! Don't worry, Screwball likes my sister so much, he won't let her catch a cold. How about we go back and have hotpot? Nothing warms you up better on a winter night than hotpot."
"OK!" The other two quickly agreed with a laugh—hotpot was their absolute favorite.
So, the three of them followed Ivy Shen back toward the palace. Out in the rain, Screwball suddenly opened his eyes and looked at their departing figures, a faint smile curling on his lips. Thank you all!
*****
"Wow, it smells amazing!"
Ivy Shen was mixing up her special hotpot base, the spicy, pungent aroma irresistibly tempting—on a rainy, damp night like this, it was pure fatal attraction.
The two old men were playing chess, but the delicious smell lured them over.
The Seven Husbands had just finished dismantling that huge, inconvenient bed and were busy laying out new bedding. As soon as everything was set, the mouthwatering aroma reached them, and one by one they headed straight for the source.
Ivy Shen's hotpot skills were totally unmatched here. Sure, they all knew what hotpot was, but nobody could make it taste as rich and satisfying as hers.
The aroma was so intense—the spicy kick tickled your nose, but it was impossible to resist.
"Ivy, Master loves your hotpot best!" Master Xuanluo said with a grin.
"Totally! Ivy's hotpot is the best. Hey, weren't you planning to open a hotpot restaurant? When's that happening?" Old Man Sai asked eagerly. He'd been waiting for ages for this hotpot place to open—if it did, he could drop by anytime he wanted, instead of having to beg Ivy and hope she was in a good mood. If she wasn't, he'd just have to suck it up. Even if he tried making it himself, the taste was worlds apart—he couldn't get interested at all.
"Soon!" Ivy Shen tossed in a few fish balls with a smile. There were just too many rich folks in the Soaring Phoenix Realm—she definitely planned to cash in!
"Ivy, come here—Master has something for you." Master Xuanluo said quickly, taking advantage of the moment before everyone else arrived.
Old Man Sai, standing nearby, gave a meaningful grin. This was some seriously good stuff, haha!
"Huh? What is it?" Ivy Shen put down what she was holding and walked over to Master Xuanluo, who handed her a tiny wooden box. Ivy looked puzzled—what was this thing?
So she opened it right away. Inside was a small red pill. Ivy Shen looked at Master Xuanluo, still confused.
What was this supposed to be?
"Ahem, well, uh, this is to make your constitution even stronger. You all really don't pay enough attention to that..." Master Xuanluo said, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ivy Shen was thrown off by his awkwardness and couldn't quite react.
Old Man Sai couldn't help chiming in: "Oh, come on, old man, why are you so shy? Girl, this is a special immortal pill Master Rowan made just for you! Those boys torture you every night, and we're honestly worried about your health. So the two of us put our heads together and whipped this up for you. Don't underestimate it—once you have this, hehe, none of them will be a match for you!" Old Man Sai declared, totally unabashed.
"Wha—?" At that, Ivy Shen's face flushed bright red. "Master!" Seriously, why would he give her something like this?!
"Xin'er, this is a special immortal pill Master made just for you—y'know, for that aspect, haha!" Master Xuanluo said, laughing awkwardly at his own words.
"Master!" Ivy Shen was mortified. It must've been her loud cries at night when her husbands tormented her—now everyone had heard, how embarrassing!
"Girl, don't be embarrassed. Those seven husbands of yours are like wolves, and your master is just worried your body can't take it. With this, they'll be totally defeated," Old Man Sai said, stroking his beard with a chuckle. Secretly, he thought: This girl needs to be stronger, otherwise how will she have more babies?
He'd always hoped that one day he could see a baby with a white tail—then the White clan would have an heir!
"It smells so good!" Yvonne Yun and Yvonne Li's voices came from outside. Ivy Shen quickly and shyly tucked the little box into her chest.
Yvonne Yun, freshly changed, came in holding Little Snowball, with Yvonne Li following behind.
"Hehehe!" The little guy spotted Ivy Shen and started waving his tiny hands, wanting her to hold him.
"You little rascal, your mother never takes you with her, but you still stick to her so much. Grandma's jealous!" Yvonne Yun teased, laughing.
"Ah, ah ah!" The little guy ignored the jealous Yvonne Yun, his chubby white hands waving at Ivy Shen.
Seeing this, Ivy Shen laughed and scooped up Little Snowball. The little guy was almost three months old now—big dark eyes, thick brows, features like a carved statue. Anyone who saw him was instantly enchanted. He was just too beautiful; when he smiled, no woman could resist.
Holding this charming little guy in her arms, Ivy Shen couldn't help but marvel: Oh my, when you grow up, who knows how many innocent girls you'll break hearts with!