187: Chapter 186 Ye Qing is back

The next few days passed in a mundane and trivial manner.

Little Rabbit's post-evolution excitement hadn't faded yet, and it spent every day pacing around the shop.

The holy white giant rabbit squatted behind the counter, looking more like the boss than Lin Fan did.

Whenever a customer entered, it would lift its head and stare at them with its dark gold eyes, making them feel so uneasy that they would quickly leave after buying their items.

Lin Fan felt that Little Rabbit had a natural talent for business—customers were too embarrassed to haggle.

Tun Tun had also reached Level 23; Lin Fan had already fed it half of that piece of Whale Oil.

The remainder was at least enough to push it to Level 30.

This afternoon, Lin Fan was squatting in front of the shelves organizing Spiritual Liquid, wiping each bottle clean and arranging them by grade.

He did this once a week; if the shelves were dusty, customers wouldn't want to buy anything. This was a business tip taught to him by Old Mo.

The wind chime at the door rang.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Without looking up, Lin Fan continued wiping a bottle of Spiritual Liquid, his voice carrying a professional warmth.

"Our shop specializes in Armor Spirit evolution and cultivation, Armor Beast treatment..."

"When did you become so talkative?"

A familiar female voice came from above him.

Lin Fan's hands paused, and he looked up.

Sunlight flooded in from the doorway, casting a golden outline around the newcomer.

She stood on the threshold wearing a light blue dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders with slightly curled ends swaying gently in the breeze.

Ye Qing.

Lin Fan froze for a moment. He quickly set the bottle down and stood up, banging his knee against the corner of the shelf and grimacing in pain.

"Ye Qing? When did you get back?"

Ye Qing walked into the shop, tapped her fingers twice on the glass countertop, and tilted her head as she looked at him.

"It's break time! Little Fan-fan, did you miss your big sister?"

Lin Fan's mouth twitched.

"How long are you back for this time?"

Ye Qing brushed her hair back. "About a month."

Only then did Lin Fan notice the changes in her.

Ye Qing's skin was a bit fairer than before—not the kind from makeup, but a healthy, well-maintained glow.

Moreover, her hair, which she used to always keep in a ponytail, was now loose, making her look a bit more gentle.

She looked radiant, her eyes bright, and she seemed much more relaxed than she had been in high school.

Going to university and being in high school were indeed two different lives.

"How is Dongchen University?"

Lin Fan rearranged the Spiritual Liquid on the shelf, brushed the dust off his hands, and walked around the counter. "I heard the cafeteria there is the best in the entire Federation?"

Ye Qing rolled her eyes.

"Is eating the only thing on your mind? Dongchen University is one of the top four universities in the Federation, not one of the top four restaurants."

She paused and then smiled. "But the cafeteria is indeed quite good. It's eight hundred times better than our high school's."

"Then it's over." Lin Fan sighed. "You've definitely gained weight."

Ye Qing's smile froze, and she raised her hand to strike him.

Lin Fan jumped back, dodging her, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I'm kidding! You haven't gained any weight at all! You're even thinner than in high school!"

Ye Qing pulled back her hand and snorted. "At least you know what's good for you."

Little Rabbit poked its head out from behind the counter, its dark gold eyes warily fixed on Ye Qing, its nose twitching as if trying to discern if the newcomer was friend or foe.

Ye Qing looked down and saw the holy white giant rabbit, momentarily stunned. "Is this... Little Rabbit?"

"Yeah." Lin Fan squatted down and rubbed Little Rabbit's head. "It evolved. It's called the Heavenly Light Prison Hou now."

"Heavenly Light Prison Hou?"

Ye Qing squatted down and reached out to stroke Little Rabbit's ears.

Little Rabbit's ears flickered, but it didn't pull away, letting her pet it.

"This fur feels even better than before."

Ye Qing stood up after petting it, dusted off her hands, and looked around the shop.

"Where's Xu Ziyan?"

Lin Fan said, "He's not on duty today."

"So you're watching the shop alone?"

"Yeah."

Ye Qing walked behind the counter, plopped down into Lin Fan's chair, and spun around.

"How's business?"

Lin Fan leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "It's alright."

Ye Qing spun a couple of times in the chair, her gaze scanning the shop before finally landing on the potted devil's ivy in the corner, which had been gnawed almost bald by Little Rabbit.

She stared at the devil's ivy for two seconds, then looked at the innocent-looking Heavenly Light Prison Hou squatting behind the counter; her mouth twitched slightly, and she decided not to ask.

"Lin Fan."

Ye Qing suddenly stopped spinning. The chair came to a halt as she propped her hands on the counter, resting her chin on the back of her hands, and stared at him without blinking.

Lin Fan felt a bit uneasy under her gaze. "What is it?"

"You have a month off. What are your plans?"

Lin Fan thought for a moment.

"Watch the shop, Cultivate..."

After hearing this, Ye Qing was silent for three seconds before letting out a meaningful "Tsk."

"How is the way you're living any different from a retired old man?"

Lin Fan was indignant. "How do I look like an old man?"

Ignoring him, Ye Qing pulled her phone out of her bag, scrolled through it a few times, and flashed the screen at Lin Fan.

"Let's go here."

Lin Fan leaned in to take a look.

On the phone screen was a photo—green mountains and clear waters, shrouded in mist, with several buildings featuring white walls and grey tiles faintly visible on the mountainside, looking like an ink wash painting. The corner of the photo was labeled with the place name: Qingyou Valley.

"Qingyou Valley?"

Lin Fan muttered the name. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen it before.

"Yeah."

Ye Qing put her phone away and leaned back. "It's a Federation 5A-rated scenic spot in Dongyun City. The average summer temperature is twenty-two degrees. It has mountains, water, and hot springs, and it's a three-hour drive from Dongyun City. I checked, and the guesthouses there are in the off-season right now, so the prices aren't expensive."

Hearing the words "prices aren't expensive," Lin Fan felt half-relieved, but the other half of him was still hesitant.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Ye Qing looked at him with an "are you a pig?" expression. "To go out together! It's finally the holidays; shouldn't we relax a bit?"

"Go out?" He looked up at Ye Qing. "Just the two of us?"

Ye Qing rolled her eyes.

"In your dreams. We'll call Wushuang and Xu Ziyan too. It's livelier with more people."

"Sure." Lin Fan draped the rag on the edge of the shelf and took out his phone. "I'll ask Wushuang first."

He sent the message, and in less than a minute, Ye Wushuang replied with two words: "Fine."

Then he sent a message to Xu Ziyan: "Going to Qingyou Valley the day after tomorrow. Want to come?"

Xu Ziyan replied instantly: "I'm in!!! Who's paying?"

Lin Fan looked up at Ye Qing. "Who's paying?"

Ye Qing said generously, "I am. I'll cover the accommodation; you guys handle your own food."

Lin Fan relayed this to Xu Ziyan exactly. Xu Ziyan sent a long string of exclamation marks and added, "Long live Sister Ye Qing! I'll drive!"

Lin Fan put his phone away and looked at Ye Qing. "It's settled. All three are coming."

Ye Qing nodded with satisfaction, stood up from the chair, and patted Lin Fan on the shoulder.

"Alright, then I'll make the arrangements. At eight o'clock the day after tomorrow, Xu Ziyan will drive. You guys meet at my house."

"Okay."