Chapter 171: A Strong Sense of Belonging
With the glass case in one hand and Shen Lu slung over his other shoulder, Xue Can made it back to the shop just before the downpour.
Cai Su heard the commotion and hurried to the front, helping Shen Lu down.
Shen Lu rubbed her stomach. ’This is so uncomfortable.’
"Mr. Xue, thank you."
Even though she was uncomfortable, Xue Can had still carried her all the way back. Otherwise, she had no idea where she would be right now.
Xue Can grunted in acknowledgment and glanced at the heavy rain outside.
Shen Lu had insisted on going with him, slowing him down. Otherwise, he would have been back at the stronghold by now.
"Mr. Xue, would you like to take a hot shower? I have a washer-dryer, so your clothes will be ready by the time you’re done."
Shen Lu was soaked herself, and she figured Xue Can must be in the same state.
Xue Can nodded in agreement.
Shen Lu desperately needed a shower too, so she let Xue Can use the one in the staff dormitory.
Xue Can had assumed the shower here would be ultrasonic, like everywhere else, but when he entered the bathroom, he saw it was a conventional shower.
’A water shower?’
Stunned for a moment, Xue Can turned on the showerhead.
Just as he expected, the water was pure and clear, and the pressure was strong. He held out a hand, and a tingling sensation washed over him, reaching deep into his soul.
’This water actually has the same soothing effect on the Spiritual Sea.’
’Shen Lu actually bathes in water like this?’
’No, not just that. This water is probably used everywhere else in the shop that needs it.’
’Extravagant!’
’So extravagant!’
Xue Can cursed under his breath, quickly stripped off his drenched clothes, and stepped under the curtain of water.
The warm water pouring over him from head to toe was the ultimate indulgence.
Xue Can couldn’t even remember the last time he’d taken a proper shower, but he was certain it had been nothing like this.
However, the shower water’s soothing effect on his Spiritual Sea was limited. After twenty minutes, Xue Can felt the effect weaken until it was almost gone.
He reluctantly turned off the water, used his superpower to evaporate the moisture from his body, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked out with his wet clothes.
There were two washing machines in the staff dormitory, both on the balcony. Cai Su was busy in the back kitchen, and Xiao Lang was reading in the living room. When the little boy heard Xue Can open the door, he immediately looked up.
"Uncle, do you need to do laundry? The washing machine is over here."
Xiao Lang scampered over to show Xue Can the way.
Xue Can walked in the direction he pointed, put his clothes in the machine, and pressed the start button.
"Uncle, the clothes will take about ten minutes. Do you want to watch some TV?" Xiao Lang acted like a little adult, enthusiastically playing the host for Xue Can.
Xue Can looked down at the little guy, his gaze appraising.
’This kid failed his awakening?’
’But... it looks like he’s about to have his second awakening.’
"Uncle?" Being stared at so intently by Xue Can, Xiao Lang felt as if his blood was freezing in his veins. It was very uncomfortable.
"How old are you?"
"Five."
"You..."
Xue Can was about to ask more when Shen Lu pushed the door open and came in.
"Uh..." Shen Lu hadn’t expected to walk in on a half-naked Xue Can. Amid her embarrassment, she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking a few more glances.
’He’s got nice muscles, but a lot of scars too.’
’That’s the life of a mercenary—always on the edge, injuries are just part of the job.’
"I just wanted to ask what you’d like to eat later. I promised you I’d cook you a big meal as a thank you for taking me to the research institute."
The young woman’s attempt to look without looking was a little too obvious. Xue Can raised an eyebrow, amused.
"There’s no rush. We can talk about it later."
"You’re not going to invite the rest of your Mercenary Corps, are you?" Shen Lu pouted. "If so, I’m not doing it."
The Gale Mercenary Corps has about fifty members. If that many people came to eat, they’d need at least five tables, right?
At ten dishes per table, that would be fifty dishes in total. The mere thought was enough to make Shen Lu feel suffocated.
"I won’t." Xue Can walked over to Shen Lu, his gaze fixed on her. "It will only be me. No one else."
His well-defined muscles were barely three fists’ distance from the tip of her nose. Shen Lu could almost feel the heat radiating from his body.
’Strange, why did the atmosphere suddenly get so weird?’
Shen Lu took a step back. "Then... would you like to join us for a simple meal tonight?"
"Okay."
"Then you can rest for a bit. I’m going to cook."
Tossing those words over her shoulder, Shen Lu ran off without a backward glance, looking for all the world like she was beating a hasty retreat.
The moment she left, the romantic tension that had suddenly filled the living room vanished.
A smile flashed across Xue Can’s lips. He sat down on the sofa and waited quietly for his clothes to finish washing.
Xiao Lang tilted his head. ’Uncle doesn’t seem as cold as before.’
’He was a little scary when he was talking to me earlier.’
Shen Lu changed her clothes and started making dinner, her mind still replaying images of Xue Can’s eight-pack abs.
Ahem...
’Appreciating a handsome man is good for one’s physical and mental health. This is perfectly normal.’
As soon as she gripped the kitchen knife, Shen Lu’s wandering thoughts focused, and she concentrated on chopping the vegetables.
For staff meals, Shen Lu usually kept things simple—one meat and one vegetable dish was generally enough. No one at the shop was a picky eater, as long as there was plenty of food to go around.
With a guest today, she naturally had to make a couple of extra dishes to be a proper host.
She stewed a lotus root and pork rib soup, made a savory cilantro beef stir-fry, a simple stir-fried loofah, and scrambled eggs with tomato. The red and green colors were visually appealing, and the flavors were rich and varied, with both spicy and sweet notes.
Shen Lu set aside a portion to keep warm. With a guest present, she couldn’t just go upstairs as she usually did; she had to finish eating with her guest first.
By the time the food was ready, Xue Can’s clothes were dry. He changed back into them and came out with Xiao Lang.
After spending just a short hour together, Xiao Lang’s slight fear of Xue Can had transformed into wide-eyed admiration. During dinner, he kept putting food on his plate.
"Uncle, this soup is really good!"
"Uncle, the scrambled eggs with tomato are delicious with rice. You should eat up!"
"Uncle..."
Cai Su quickly pulled her son back, telling him to behave.
"Uncle Xue can get his own food, Xiao Lang. Just eat your own meal."
Xiao Lang grumbled a reluctant "oh" and finally sat his bottom back down on the chair.
After dinner, Cai Su brought over a cup of hot tea. Xue Can sat at the table sipping it, while outside, the rain poured down in sheets.
On a damp, rainy day, the warm tea soothed his stomach. Just sitting there like that, Xue Can was suddenly struck by a powerful sense of belonging.
It was as if he had come home.
Home.
’Such a vague word.’
’But the feeling of home should be something like what I’m experiencing now, right?’
’Lively and warm.’
’A cute kid, delicious food, cheerful laughter...’
As Shen Lu carried a tray of food upstairs, she caught a glimpse of Xue Can sitting alone in the dining area. His back, half in shadow, was shrouded in an air of desolation, making him look very lonely.
The next second, Xiao Lang ran over, shattering the previous solitude.
Shen Lu smiled and went up to the second floor.
Fu Cheng was in a terrible mood, and his appetite suffered for it. He ate half his food before turning his head away, refusing to eat any more.
"Is the food not to your liking today?" Shen Lu was surprised. This was the first time Fu Cheng had stopped eating halfway through a meal. "Or are you not feeling well?"