Fu Zhi couldn't understand Fu Gui's words, but ever since rescuing the crow, the bird had been quite loyal. It often helped out with little chores around the house—handing over a towel, turning off the faucet, that kind of thing.

In Fu Zhi's mind, Fu Gui was a gentle and considerate pet, but he still reminded it, "Don't bully the new friend."

After that, he made sure the door was closed properly before taking Ruan Xing out of his pocket.

"I'll go make dinner. You two get to know each other."

Fu Gui flew in front of Ruan Xing and observed him from top to bottom. "What's this pitch-black thing?"

He hadn't even had time to enjoy being the favored pet, and now Fu Zhi had brought back a new one? Some random critter from who-knows-where, trying to steal his spotlight? Sure, it made sense for Fu Zhi to keep him(FG)—he(FZ) was a sentimental guy, and Fu Gui reminded him of Ruan Xing. But this thing?

Fu Gui hopped closer and tilted his head, studying the little black blob in front of him. Aside from the two green eyes, which vaguely resembled Ruan Xing's, nothing else looked similar.

Could it be… Fu Zhi was trying to make some kind of stand-in puzzle?

Fu Gui was shocked by his own thoughts and started circling around the black blob frantically.

Ruan Xing smiled and said, "I'm your dad."

Fu Zhi was cooking when he suddenly heard a loud bird squawk from outside.

He was still wearing his deep navy blue apron, a choice that was both simple and refined. With his sleeves rolled up, he revealed a well-defined forearm. As he walked out of the kitchen in his slippers, he conveyed a distinct stay-at-home husband persona.

Ruan Xing squinted his eyes and slowly gave him an up-and-down look before retracting his gaze.

Fu Gui had finally fixed his posture and gave a couple of reserved coughs. "No—nothing's wrong."

To Fu Zhi, it just sounded like some incomprehensible "caw caw" noises. But seeing that the two little black things were not fighting, he felt relieved.

"Don't fight. Dinner will be ready soon."

Fu Gui nodded eagerly like a suck-up.

Then, the two lowered their voices.

"What's going on? Weren't you dead?"

Ruan Xing shot him a glare. The mycelium crawled out from under Ruan Xing's body and let out two sharp squeaks, like it was scolding Fu Gui for betraying their master, making Fu Gui super embarrassed.

Sucking up to someone else right in front of the former master… even he would be angry.

"If I really died, you wouldn't be alive either."

Only then did Fu Gui remember—right, they had signed a master-servant contract. Their lives were probably tied together. He slumped down.

"If I die, I'm dragging someone down with me too."

Before Ruan Xing could blow up, Fu Gui immediately dropped to his knees. His two skinny legs even made a little "plop" sound. "I was wrong, Master! I shouldn't have sucked up to Fu Zhi, but I had my reasons! Your old boss saved me, and he threatened me too…"

Fu Gui cried and whined, complaining about all the things Fu Zhi did to him after picking him up, especially emphasizing how miserable he had been.

"Fu Zhi is not human! He abused me! Didn't feed me! Didn't let me leave the house! I was just a caged canary… so delicate, so weak… boohoohoo…”

Ruan Xing looked at Fu Gui's belly, which had clearly grown rounder in just half a month, and obviously did not believe a word.

"Oh right, he also forced me to write down everything that happened to us."

Ruan Xing's heart tightened. "What did you tell him?"

Fu Gui raised one wing as if swearing an oath. "Don't worry, Master! I absolutely didn't reveal that you can transform into a magical girl!"

Fu Gui had seen Ruan Xing in his long-haired form. But at the time, things were too chaotic. Fu Gui was barely keeping himself alive and had no time to worry about Ruan Xing. The shockwave had already blown him away. By the time he came to, the factory had collapsed, and he was stuck under the rubble. If Fu Zhi didn't accurately locate him, he would have died.

"I really didn't mean to suck up to him, sob sob sob…"

In just half a month, Fu Gui's acting skills clearly improved.

"Dinner's ready." Fu Zhi's voice called from the kitchen, snapping Ruan Xing out of his thoughts. Ruan Xing wanted to ask more but now was clearly not the right time.

Ruan Xing caught a whiff of the food's aroma and could not help but glance toward the source.

Fu Zhi had taken off the apron. His hands, freshly washed, were clean and slightly pink from the hot water. His nails were also neatly trimmed, and blue veins were faintly visible under the skin—strong and elegant.

The braised ribs were a bright, glossy red-brown, dripping with juicy sauce and giving off a mouthwatering scent. The pine nut corn kernels were distinct and carried a light fragrance. Meanwhile, the crucian carp tofu soup was slightly white, and the fish looked tender and fresh.

These dishes looked even more appetizing than the ones Ruan Xing had eaten at restaurants.

Ruan Xing's eyes widened. Fu Zhi could cook? And he's this good?

Fu Gui's eyes were sparkling as he cawed nonstop, completely forgetting he could talk.

Fu Zhi served three bowls of rice. One was large, and the other two were small, each with a cute little rice mound.

He gave Fu Gui a chopstick full of ribs, a small spoonful of corn, and a small bowl of soup.

Fu Gui: "Thanks Boss!"

Before Fu Zhi even picked up his chopsticks, the whole bird had buried its head into the food, tail sticking up while muttering, "So good! So good!" as it gobbled.

Ruan Xing looked disgusted.

"I don't even know what species you are. Can you even eat this stuff?"

Fu Zhi lightly scratched the little black dumpling's head with his index finger. The sensation under his fingers was soft and warm, and he tried to suppress the smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Just make do for now. If you don't like it, I'll take you to pick your own food tomorrow."

Ruan Xing could not believe those words came out of a major general's mouth.

He wanted to speak but swallowed the urge, so he decided to open his pink little mouth and swallow a big chunk of rib.

Even though he didn't need to eat, there probably wouldn't be a problem if he did.

Ruan Xing chewed and spat out the bone.

He had to admit, unbelievable as it was, Fu Zhi's cooking was seriously amazing. Even better than what they had at their last team dinner.

The little blob showed a satisfied expression and began eating what was in front of him.

Seeing that, Fu Zhi let out a small sigh of relief. He had no idea what this little thing liked to eat, but at least it was not picky.

He picked up his chopsticks and started eating too.

The three finished their meal quickly. Fu Zhi took the bowls to wash, leaving behind a bloated Fu Gui and a burping Ruan Xing.

"Sigh, another day of being bribed," Fu Gui said dramatically, trying to justify himself.

Ruan Xing glanced at his belly. No wonder he had gotten this fat in just half a month. Suddenly, he had a more accurate understanding of the phrase "bird appetite."

Fu Gui let out a long burp. "By the way, after the explosion, how did you end up like this?"

He remembered that every time Ruan Xing absorbed a pollution source, he would become stronger—but not to the point that he'd lose his human form!

"Is it some kind of forbidden spell?" Fu Gui asked, picking his beak with a toothpick.

Ruan Xing didn't respond. He was too embarrassed to admit that he might have done this to himself.

But Fu Gui was no fool. He knew how to suck up to Fu Zhi, and seeing Ruan Xing in this state, he figured it was probably something awkward. Thinking of his own experience, his beak dropped open in shock. "Wait... don't tell me it was caused by… your potion?"

Ruan Xing snorted through his nose.

Fu Gui let out an earth-shattering laugh.

Luckily, Fu Zhi was still washing dishes, and the sound of running water was too loud to hear anything. Otherwise, he would have thought Fu Gui had lost his mind.

"I mean, your potion skills are trash! Who was it that said, 'Don't underestimate an archmage's potion-making skills.'? Look what you've turned yourself into. Don't you think it's time for some self-reflection?"

Ruan Xing turned away and ignored him completely.

After laughing for a while, Fu Gui turned on the TV and started watching intently.

At night, when Fu Gui flew into the bedroom wearing a tiny sleeping cap, Ruan Xing was stunned.

How pampered is this bird? He even has a sleep cap!

Fu Zhi had changed into black silk pajamas and hadn't buttoned them up yet, so his firm, tidy muscles were right in Ruan Xing's face.

Ruan Xing quickly looked away, then turned around again. Weird. Why was he even feeling shy?

The little black blob stared at Fu Zhi without blinking, making the latter feel a bit awkward.

Fu Gui, who was already used to it, lay down in his soft-cushioned box in the corner. He crossed his legs and got ready to sleep.

Ruan Xing took a deep breath and planned to sleep on the sofa.

But Fu Zhi frowned, looked at Fu Gui, then at Ruan Xing, and reached out to poke Fu Gui. "Go sleep on the sofa. Give the spot to him."

Fu Gui: ????

Why?! Ever heard of first come, first served? He was clearly here first!

Couldn't they just make another nest?

But since the owner had spoken, Fu Gui did not dare argue. He dragged his little blanket sadly and went off to the living room.

Only the black furball remained on the bed, almost blending into the black sheets.

Fu Zhi said, "Don't be scared. It's a smart crow."

Ruan Xing: I am not scared of him. I am scared of you.

Fu Zhi probably placed him here just to keep an eye on him, afraid he would run off and cause trouble.

Ruan Xing turned his back to Fu Zhi and still jumped off the bed, leaving the man doubting himself.

That night, all was quiet, and the three in the apartment drifted off to sleep.

Fu Zhi found himself surrounded by darkness again.

A strange light shone on him, casting a long white shadow.

Once again, he stood in front of that door. It was adorned with intricate patterns as if it led to another world. He had never been able to open it, not even in his dreams. Only when Ruan Xing was with him had the door been briefly touched.

And tonight, it appeared again—closer than ever.

Fu Zhi reached out and touched it. It felt completely ordinary. Just like everything else in the dream, and nothing felt real.

He knew he was dreaming, but he also knew that, deep down, he wanted to open the door.

He started to push, and the voice inside became clearer.

"Purple gromwell juice, octopus tentacle, elven wings…"

"Did you memorize all that?"

The voice was gentle, with a coaxing tone.

Fu Zhi felt the urge again—open it, open the door!

As his hand pushed, the voice grew even clearer.

"Sort the vials by type; that's how I arranged them… If you want to learn, I can teach you…"

The voice was unmistakable. Fu Zhi felt as though he knew the person, but a veil still separated them, so he couldn't recall who it was.

A sliver of light broke through the crack in the door.

Through it, he saw the silhouette of a man in a black robe with long hair that reached his waist.

"Don't forget," the voice said.

What was he not supposed to forget? Those weird materials, or that person?

He felt something pulling him back into the darkness. As he floated away, the man turned around, showing a pair of familiar emerald eyes.

The door shut, and Fu Zhi fell back into endless darkness.

A sudden suffocating feeling overwhelmed him, like drowning—he kept sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Fu Zhi jolted awake and came face-to-face with a pair of suspicious eyes. Those emerald green eyes matched the ones from his dream.

"Ruan Xing!"

The little black blob was startled and leaped off Fu Zhi's face, bouncing across the bed.

Fu Zhi snapped back to reality. He was back in his bedroom.

The man in the dream vanished, and only the black blob remained.

Looking at the frightened little thing, Fu Zhi sat up and lowered his head. He covered his face with his right hand as if trying to hide his expression in shadow. "Sorry. I scared you."

Ruan Xing looked at him cautiously. He let out a quiet sigh of relief after seeing that he hadn't been discovered.

He had been asleep when he saw the key started to glow. Worried that something happened, he quickly jumped back in, only to find that Fu Zhi was just having a nightmare.

But a normal nightmare wouldn't trigger the key, would it?

Ruan Xing was completely confused. Even though he was the one who made the key, it became a separate entity after creation. Like a child becoming independent after birth—it didn't obey its creator's every command.

For the rest of the night, neither of them slept. One turned on the TV and flipped channels with the remote. The other sat on the bed in silence, lost in thought.

Only Fu Gui snored loud enough that it could shake the ceiling.

Ruan Xing got so annoyed he kicked the bird. But after a short pause, it just rolled over and started snoring again.

At dawn, Fu Zhi had already gotten dressed and was ready to head to work.

Ruan Xing got up from the sofa and looked at him, his eyes unconsciously showing a bit of expectation.

"I'll be at the Tower today, so I might come home late. You and Fu Gui stay home. The food's in the kitchen—just peel off the wrap, and it's ready to eat. I'll cook dinner when I get back."

A scene suddenly popped into Ruan Xing's head.

Fu Zhi looked like a husband going to work, not trusting his delicate, soft-handed wife to be alone at home, so he had to give a bunch of instructions before leaving.

 

 

【A Family of Three Mini Theater (Has nothing to do with reality)】

Fu Gui: Fat, spoiled, and utterly shameless but beloved(?) son.

Ruan Xing: The incompetent dad who can't cook anything.

Fu Zhi: Can fight on the battlefield and manage the household—a top-tier all-rounder dad.