Chapter 287: Dinner at My Place Tonight
Xiong Jie followed behind, his steps somewhat heavy.
When that eerie red light reached out from the door, he instinctively paused, looking utterly resigned, then sighed as he rubbed his forehead.
Jiang Che and Ding Ning entered the room shoulder to shoulder.
Ding Ning curiously examined the furnishings inside, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration.
Just looking made her very satisfied, whether it was the unique texture of the floor tiles, the textured decorations on the walls, or the uniquely shaped ornaments on the table, every piece was full of thought.
Although the ornaments appeared gruesome, Ding Ning knew that these stains were not real blood.
This seemed to be one of the first special techniques humans used, employing clever methods to create a seemingly grotesque and terrifying, yet aesthetically pleasing and uniquely captivating visual effect.
Perhaps she was tired of bloodstains.
The scene devoid of any slaughter or gore once made her yearn.
But now, as she looked at the carefully decorated parts throughout the room, those designs seemed full of blood yet ingeniously crafted, she thought this was also good.
At that moment, she suddenly understood that what she liked was not humans themselves.
She was captivated by the feeling of humans relying on each other, entwined and intimate, and the sincere warmth they can offer others.
Just like the home Jiang Che was now meticulously preparing for her, even if its style greatly diverged from that of the Human Realm, she still felt full of joy.
Once, while understanding human culture, she had come across the phrase, "Home is where the heart finds peace."
At that time, she was naïve about its meaning.
She only saw that humans all had a home, so she also longed to have a home of her own.
"It’s wonderful, we have our own home!" Ding Ning happily touched and inspected everywhere, like a curious child.
She wandered around the house, just turned a corner.
She then saw the kitchen Jiang Che prepared for her, which was spacious beyond her imagination.
The kitchen was large, much bigger than she had envisioned.
Nearby stood a colossal refrigerator, its exterior decorations retained the same mysterious and unique style as the rest of the house.
But as she gently opened the refrigerator door, a burst of cold air swept over, a touch of fresh green instantly caught her eye.
Below were placed some meats.
She looked at these with full joy, taking the items out one by one and placing them on the table.
Jiang Che took over the items to help, his movements skilled and natural.
Xiong Jie, meanwhile, was clumsy and chaotic, thinking of helping in the kitchen, but hesitating in his steps.
His gaze wandered at the kitchen entrance, internally conflicted, feeling that it might be inappropriate to lend a hand with the couple in there.
His face showed awkwardness and unease, as he was still adjusting to the shift from subordinate to friend.
Having been accustomed to following orders and executing tasks, now having to interact on equal footing felt like a role change that needed time to adapt and settle into.
"Uncle Xiong, don’t stay here, go attend to your own things, come over for dinner later tonight, and bring Feihu and the others along," Jiang Che said to Xiong Jie, not wanting him to witness Ding Ning’s cooking process.
If Xiong Jie saw Ding Ning pouring salt into the pot as if it were free, it would be unimaginable the kind of shocked expression he might reveal.
Jiang Che did not think Ding Ning needed to change her cooking habits for them.
After all, they only occasionally came to eat, while he was the one who ate his wife’s cooking regularly.
He was the one constantly enjoying his wife’s cooking, Ding Ning didn’t need to heed their comments.
Xiong Jie took a deep breath, nodded, and quickly left Jiang Che’s home.
Before closing the door, he couldn’t help but take another profound look at the home’s decor.
Then, he gently closed the door, slowly turned around, and left.
If it weren’t for the Lord having different interests and aesthetics because of racial differences, Jiang Che probably wouldn’t have decorated the house like this.
This style of decoration was truly unique and unconventional, every time he entered, it felt like an invisible giant hand was gripping his throat, suffocating him.
In such a blood-soaked environment, he couldn’t fully adapt internally.
Even though he knew all the stains were artificial, not a real bloody scene, the visual impact and psychological pressure still made him feel extremely suppressed and uncomfortable.
Today, Feihu and Zhou Ang were arranging accommodations for newly arrived family members, their current residence was very concealed.
Later Jiang Che thought about it, but didn’t let them build his house underground.
Initially, he felt he shouldn’t let other things affect the scenery he created for Ding Ning, eagerly anticipating crafting a unique and splendid living environment for her without any flaws or disturbances.
But over time, he thought perhaps all these liveliness was also part of the scenery.
When Xiong Jie found them, they were efficiently sorting out another batch of people.
Seeing Xiong Jie rush over, the two immediately looked at him, eyes full of doubt and concern. "How’s it? What was that earlier cry?"
That previous sharp horn stabbed directly into their eardrums, like a razor blade, causing immense pain, its piercing sound seemed to echo in the mind, leaving lingering fear.
Xiong Jie shook his head helplessly, "I don’t know, but Jiang Che has already dealt with it."
"Jiang Che asked me to call you over for dinner later." Xiong Jie showed a complicated expression.
"Dinner? When did he learn to cook?" Feihu was stunned, full of disbelief.
Lately, everyone was busy, the territory had dedicated chefs preparing meals for everyone, and Jiang Che’s meals were delivered to his residence daily, not requiring him to cook.
"It’s not Jiang Che cooking..." Xiong Jie was puzzled on how to introduce Ding Ning to everyone, even he was unsure how to address her.
Calling her Lord felt too formal.
"Is it sis-in-law?" Zhou Ang suddenly raised his head looking at Xiong Jie, his eyes brimming with curiosity and expectation.
As soon as he heard someone cooking for Jiang Che, he roughly guessed who it was.
Xiong Jie nodded.
"Whoa, is sis-in-law here? Isn’t it said the passage has been sealed and hasn’t been opened?" Zhou Ang was stunned by his own words, his expression instantly froze.
Because her arrival meant the passage between the Human Realm and the Evil Spirit Realm had been completely opened.