341: Chapter 340 Getting Up, Dumplings Fall to the Ground

In the blink of an eye, it was dawn.

The next day, as the first light of dawn seeped through the gaps in the curtains, Xu Qian woke up.

Thinking that Qin Yi was going to the Southwest today, she didn’t dare linger in bed—following the custom of her hometown, "Departure dumplings, arrival noodles," she had to personally make a meal of dumplings for Qin Yi to wish him a smooth and safe journey.

Just after five o'clock, the kitchen was lit with a warm yellow light.

Xu Qian washed the vegetables and ground the meat with light movements, keeping the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board extremely low, for fear of waking Qin Yi, who was still sleeping in the bedroom.

For a full hour, with flour on her fingertips, she pinched the pleats and arranged them on the tray, her movements skillful and earnest.

At exactly six o'clock, a whole steamer tray of plump white dumplings was neatly arranged, emitting a faint aroma of dough, just waiting for Qin Yi to wake up so they could be boiled.

Xu Qian wiped her hands and tiptoed to open the bedroom door.

Seeing Qin Yi still buried under the covers in a deep sleep, her expression softened unconsciously—he had just been in an accident yesterday and had spent half the night tossing and turning with her; he must be exhausted.

Xu Qian couldn't bear to wake him, so she gently closed the door and turned into the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of rushing water spread through the quiet house like fine rain.

Hearing the movement, Qin Yi rolled over, his eyelashes trembling as he slowly opened his eyes, his dark pupils still carrying a bit of morning drowsiness.

The spot beside him was already cold. Hearing the sound of water in the bathroom, he curled his lips into a smile and sat up against the headboard. Then, he closed his eyes, and his consciousness instantly sank into his Sea of Consciousness.

"System, start today's lucky draw."

As his voice echoed in his Sea of Consciousness, Qin Yi couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation, silently praying: "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, System, System, show your power! Give this host another gene strengthening potion to help me break through to the Anjin Stage in one go."

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the golden lucky draw wheel spun rapidly.

Before long, accompanied by the System's notification sound, the lucky draw wheel came to a halt.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host. In today's lucky draw, you have obtained one cultivation technique upgrade card!]

Qin Yi's eyes lit up; it was actually a cultivation technique upgrade card!

He remembered the last time he obtained this was as a reward for completing a random System task during his battle with Chen Mo. Based on the lucky draw probabilities, being able to pull this card was already quite lucky.

Qin Yi immediately pulled up his Cultivation Technique panel and began to study it.

Although his Xingyi Quan was only at Minor Achievement, with his six-dimensional attributes far exceeding those of an ordinary person, Qin Yi was confident that even if he encountered a Xingyi Quan Grandmaster, he would have nothing to fear;

Looking at his movement technique, Divine Movement Hundred Changes was currently still at the first stage.

However, the System had previously prompted that he needed his Realm to break through to the Anjin Stage before it could advance;

As for his Body Refining technique, the Basic Body Forging Art didn't need upgrading; he only needed to keep practicing to continuously strengthen his Physical Body;

Finally, there was the Supreme Soul Suppressing Art copied from Zhang Yu. Although it was currently only at the first layer, it consumed a massive amount of Mental Energy when used. If it were to advance, with his current strength, he probably wouldn't be able to sustain it for long.

Looking at the panel, Qin Yi quickly made up his mind—Divine Movement Hundred Changes was stuck by his Realm, and he couldn't afford the cost of the Soul Suppressing Art, so it was most practical to upgrade Xingyi Quan first.

"System, use the cultivation technique upgrade card to upgrade Xingyi Quan!"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host. Using the cultivation technique upgrade card, you have successfully upgraded Xingyi Quan to Major Achievement!]

As soon as the System notification finished, Qin Yi suddenly felt a wave of heat—a warm current surged from his Dantian straight to his four limbs and hundred bones, and his Meridians felt like a stream was rushing through them. The Xingyi Quan Moves that he already knew by heart instantly became incomparably clearer.

Qin Yi's consciousness body began to practice within the Sea of Consciousness. He could clearly feel that the power of his punches and the transition of his footwork were more than several times smoother than before.

A sharp light flashed in Qin Yi's dark eyes, and he couldn't help but chuckle—with Xingyi Quan at Major Achievement, even if he hadn't reached the Anjin Stage yet, his strength had increased significantly.

The moment his consciousness withdrew from the Sea of Consciousness, Qin Yi rolled out of bed and stepped barefoot onto the slightly cool floor.

The sound of running water in the bathroom hadn't stopped. With a smile on his face, he reached out to grab the door handle and gave it a gentle push—warm, moist steam wrapped in the fresh scent of body wash rushed toward him.

"Ah!"

Xu Qian cried out in instinctive alarm, the shower head in her hand wobbling. Qin Yi gave her no time to react, stepping forward to wrap his arm around her waist and blocking her lips with a warm kiss.

"No, don't..." Xu Qian's voice was soft as cotton, with a shy tremble.

But Qin Yi's kiss was hot and heavy. She gave a symbolic push twice, but her fingers soon went limp, and she instead actively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Half an hour later, the bathroom door opened. Xu Qian, wrapped in a cream-white bath towel and with a flushed face, walked out of the bathroom, her steps a bit unsteady.

Qin Yi followed closely behind, his eyes full of a radiant, refreshed smile.

After changing clothes, Xu Qian went into the kitchen. The gas stove ignited with a "click," and the blue flame licked the bottom of the pot. Just as she was about to add water, she saw Qin Yi leaning against the doorframe, his gaze falling on the tray of dumplings.

"You made these all fresh this morning?" Qin Yi walked over and touched a dumpling with his fingertip.

"Yes," Xu Qian looked back at him with a smile, her eyes curving into crescents. "Departure dumplings, arrival noodles. Since you're going to the Southwest today, eating a meal of dumplings will make everything go smoothly."

"Thanks for the hard work, Qianqian. Let me lend a hand too."

Xu Qian, however, spread her arms to block him, her palm pushing gently against his chest. "No need, I know how long to boil them. You go pack your luggage first; we have to go to the airport after breakfast." As soon as she finished speaking, she stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek and pushed him out by his back.

Qin Yi smiled helplessly and turned back to the bedroom to pack some clothes.

Ten minutes later, Xu Qian came out carrying two large plates of steaming dumplings, the white mist and aroma filling the whole room. "Young Master Qin, why don't we go upstairs and eat with your parents? They must have prepared breakfast too, knowing you're leaving today."

"Sure. Give them to me." Qin Yi took the plates, and the two of them took the elevator to the top floor.

As soon as the door was pushed open, Wu Xiuhua ran out of the kitchen. Seeing the dumplings in Qin Yi's hands, her eyes instantly lit up. "Oh, Qianqian made these, didn't she? What great skill! We were just about to boil dumplings too; what a coincidence!"

"Yes, Mom. Qianqian got up at five to make them; she's exhausted," Qin Yi said, taking credit for Xu Qian with a tone full of pride.

"Oh, you silly child." Wu Xiuhua took Xu Qian's hand and touched her fingertips, her eyes full of pity. "You still have to work during the day; why didn't you sleep more?"

"Auntie, it's no trouble," Xu Qian shook her head with a smile. "It's a custom where we're from to eat fresh dumplings before a long trip. By the way, did you make dumplings too? Let me help."

"No need, no need." Wu Xiuhua lowered her voice and glanced at Qin Yi. "Xiao Yue's parents came over early this morning; the kitchen is already packed."

"Oh, then I'll go say hello." Xu Qian tugged on Qin Yi's arm and said softly, "Xiao Yue's parents also came to make dumplings for you. Let's go greet them."

Although Qin Yi still felt a bit of resistance in his heart, one does not strike a smiling face. Moreover, they were Qin Xiaoyue's parents and his own father's brother. No matter how wrong they had been in the past, this blood-is-thicker-than-water kinship could not be severed.

Qin Yi nodded and walked toward the kitchen with Xu Qian.

Wu Xiuhua watched their retreating backs and then looked at the steaming dumplings, unable to suppress the smile on her face as she murmured, "What a good girl. My son is truly blessed."

Inside the kitchen, Qin Jianye was rolling the dough, while Qin Jianren and Su Fangfang were wrapping the dumplings. The water on the stove was already bubbling.

"Dad, Second Uncle, Second Aunt." Xu Qian tugged at Qin Yi's sleeve, and Qin Yi took a deep breath and followed suit with a greeting.

The three of them paused their movements and looked toward the door in unison. Xu Qian quickly added with a smile, "Good morning, Uncle Qin. Good morning, Second Uncle and Second Aunt."

"Morning, morning!" Qin Jianye's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Your Second Uncle and Second Aunt came over from the hotel early this morning, knowing you were leaving today."

"Thanks for the hard work, Second Uncle and Second Aunt." Qin Yi's tone was flat. He paused and then asked, "Where's Xiao Yue? She didn't come with you?"

"That girl is still sleeping at the hotel!" Su Fangfang quickly interjected with a tone of helplessness. "She stays up late playing games and can't be woken up in the morning."

"Isn't that the truth?" Qin Jianren looked at Xu Qian and said with a smile, "Qianqian, I heard from Xiao Yue that she'll be working with you from now on. You must keep a tighter rein on her. Give her more work so she doesn't spend all day playing around."

"Haha, okay, Second Uncle. I'll definitely arrange more work for her in the future to make sure she doesn't have the energy to stay up late at night," Xu Qian agreed with a laugh.

"Alright, alright, you two go wait in the dining room. The dumplings will be in the pot in a moment," Qin Jianye said with a smile.

"I'll lend a hand too. Young Master Qin, you go rest outside for a bit," Xu Qian said at this point.

At that moment, Wu Xiuhua stepped forward and led Xu Qian and Qin Yi toward the living room. "No need, no need. You both go rest. We'll call you when they're ready."

The kitchen door closed. Qin Jianren and Su Fangfang looked at each other and both secretly breathed a sigh of relief—Qin Yi was willing to talk to them, which was a good sign. This trip to Modu wasn't in vain.

In the living room, Qin Yi turned on the TV, unlocked his phone, found Qin Xiaoyue's number, and dialed it.

The phone rang five or six times before Qin Xiaoyue's lazy voice came through: "Hello..."

"Still not up?" Qin Yi facepalmed. "Your brother is going on a long trip today, and you're not even going to see me off?"

Qin Xiaoyue rolled over, squinted at the time on her phone, and yawned. "It's only seven o'clock, Brother..."

"What's wrong with seven o'clock? I'm giving you twenty minutes to get here, or I'll have Sister Qianqian dock your pay!" Qin Yi intentionally spoke harshly.

"Ah! No!" Qin Xiaoyue's tragic cry came through the phone, followed by a "thud" as she jumped out of bed and the rustling sound of her putting on slippers. "Brother, you are a wicked capitalist now!"

Qin Yi laughed and said into the phone, "Hurry up, the dumplings are about to be served." With that, he hung up the phone.

Xu Qian handed him a glass of warm water and teased with a smile, "Why did you drag her out of bed? Let her sleep a bit more. She was worried sick when you had that accident yesterday." As she spoke, she glanced toward the kitchen, afraid of being overheard by the elders.

Qin Yi had just picked up the water glass and hadn't even taken a sip when his phone rang again—the caller ID showed 'Si Yao'!

"It should be a reminder for me to go to the airport," he murmured to himself, answering the call and naturally pulling Xu Qian into his arms.

The voice on the other end sounded a bit distant, obviously on speakerphone. "Young Master Qin, are you up yet? Just reminding you not to forget today's itinerary."

"I've been up for a while, don't worry," Qin Yi said, leaning back on the sofa with a relaxed tone.

"That's good." Si Yao paused and then added, "Remember to dress up a bit! My dad and the others are going to pick you up at the airport."

"I still need to dress up?" Qin Yi raised an eyebrow. "With my physique, wouldn't I be a handsome guy no matter where I stand?"

"Bullshit!" Si Yao's voice rose. "A play must be acted out fully! If you mess this up, I won't let you off!"

"Alright, alright, just rest assured. Your marriage to Zhao Lintai won't happen! I said so!"

"Look at you acting all capable!" Si Yao huffed. "Nine o'clock, Modu International Airport. Be there or be square." With that, she hung up before Qin Yi could respond.

Qin Yi tossed his phone aside and picked up the remote to change the channel.

Xu Qian leaned over and teased him on purpose, "Young Master Qin, not going to dress up? Miss Si said the play must be acted out fully~"

Qin Yi knew she was having fun and didn't get annoyed, his hand sliding from her shoulder down to her waist.

Xu Qian immediately begged for mercy. "Oh, stop it! I was wrong, I was wrong!" She gave in within seconds.

"If you make fun of me again, I'll let you taste your husband's power." Qin Yi withdrew his hand and pinched her cheek.

Ten minutes later, the dining table was filled with rice porridge, side dishes, and five plates of dumplings. Qin Xiaoyue also came running back, panting for breath.

"Hey, perfect timing. This month's salary is saved." Qin Yi teased, looking at her sweat-covered face.

"Hmph~" Qin Xiaoyue glared at him and mouthed a phrase—it meant, "Careful, or I'll tell Eldest Uncle about what happened yesterday."

Qin Yi immediately raised his hands in surrender. Qin Xiaoyue curled her lip triumphantly, like a proud little rooster, and marched into the bathroom with her head held high.

Afterward, the whole family sat around the dining table. Qin Xiaoyue looked at the porridge, side dishes, and the five large plates of dumplings, gulped, and then said, "So many dumplings? Why do they look different?"

"Then why don't you guess who made which ones?" Wu Xiuhua asked with a smile.

Qin Xiaoyue pointed at three plates of misshapen dumplings. "These three plates were definitely made by my parents; they look terrible. These two plates look great; you can tell they're delicious just by looking!"

"Hey, you child!" Su Fangfang gave her a sharp look. "I didn't see you complaining they were ugly before; didn't you eat them just the same?"

"I didn't have a choice before!" Qin Xiaoyue picked up a good-looking dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes instantly lighting up. "Mmm! Delicious! Eldest Aunt, you made these, right?"

Wu Xiuhua shook her head with a smile and pointed at Xu Qian. "Your Sister Qianqian made them."

"Really?" Qin Xiaoyue looked at Xu Qian with a look of disbelief.

Xu Qian nodded and smiled with an embarrassed look. "Xiao Yue, your acting is a bit much. It's just a home-cooked taste; it's not that exaggerated."

"No way. It's not exaggerated at all, okay?" As Qin Xiaoyue spoke, she picked up another one for Qin Yi and urged, "Brother, try it. They're really delicious!"

Qin Yi took a bite and, imitating Qin Xiaoyue, nodded very exaggeratedly. "Mmm!!! They really are delicious!"

Xu Qian patted him helplessly, but her face was full of an uncontrollable smile.

And so, the laughter in the living room, wrapped in the aroma of dumplings, filled the entire house.