In the next two days, Li Luo remained at House Luolan’s headquarters, not setting one foot outside the door. He was both recovering from the fatigues of the Dao Fields, as well as familiarizing himself with his newfound strength.
In a garden.
Li Luo sprawled lazily on a chair, limbs draping over its arms. The mild sunlight was as warm as a blanket, coaxing him off into a comfortable drowse.
Nearby was Cai Wei, today in a tight red top that flared out daringly at her knees. It hid nothing about her figure.
She was here to report on Suncreek Villa’s progress in the last month. Li Luo was well-pleased with it. Thanks to the addition of Li Bi and the other talents from Resonance Artificers Hall, the scale of Suncreek Villa had increased dramatically. Fueled by his secret watersource and Bai Mengmeng’s four-star formula, Suncreek Villa’s returns were higher than they had ever been.
This was just the start. When the resonance artificers settled in proper and Suncreek Villa’s reputation began to grow, so would the results.
Suncreek Villa’s prospects were incredible.
Two slender fingers placed a peeled grape precisely on Li Luo’s lips. He grinned, pus.h.i.+ng the grape against his teeth, and leaned back to look upside-down at Cai Wei. “Sister Cai Wei, from my upside-down perspective, your mouth is a frown. Thanks to my amazing deduction skills, I know that rightside-up, you’re actually smiling. And I know exactly what that smile means.”
Cai Wei shoved the grape in with a bright smile. “Well in that case, hand over this month’s load please.”
Li Luo chewed the grape sourly. “I’ll have you know that the last training was arduous, and-“
Cai Wei cupped his chin and pushed his mouth shut. “Hush now, be good. I can’t help it either. Suncreek Villa is clamoring for secret watersource every day. If you stop providing, Suncreek Villa’s results will suffer.”
She turned to her other side and picked up a case which she opened in front of him, showing two gla.s.s phials inside. The liquid was filled with a rousing vitality that awoke a thirst in his resonant palaces.
Li Luo immediately sat up straight. “Seventh-grade spirit liquids and purifying lights?!” “Ah, has the young lord found his motivation again?”
Li Luo waved grandly. “Exactly what I needed after my last breakthrough.”
“You are so predictable,” she smiled. “If that’s enough for you, why not prepare more secret watersource – increase the yield of Suncreek Villa?”
Li Luo pulled a long face. “Sister Cai Wei, remember the proverb: thin streams flow longest,” he lectured her with irritating superiority. “If you squeeze too hard, you might break the golden goose’s neck.”
“You’re no weak sponge anymore,” Cai Wei said tartly. “Surely you can take some squeezing?”
Still, she was half-teasing. “Well in any case, Suncreek Villa has its success today mostly due to your secret watersource. That’s a good thing, but in the long run it’s risky. A single supply source is too spa.r.s.e – not diversifying is a big risk.”
Li Luo nodded in surprise. “Sister Cai Wei, that’s some great foresight.”
It was hard to predict the future. Especially when blackholes like the Housemeet were on the horizon. And was Li Luo going to always stay at Xia Kingdom? He did not know himself.
And if he left, Suncreek Villa would quickly revert back to its broken state.
This was a situation they had to deal with beforehand.
“What are you thinking, sister Cai Wei?”
“Nothing concrete. I just think that Suncreek Villa might need to prepare some other secret watersource as a standby. Of course, a supply with high quality and purity is not easily acquired. But regardless, preparations need to be made.”
“Mm. I’ll leave that to you, and also look out for more news on that front,” Li Luo grinned.
She rolled her eyes at him. He was sure taking this lightly… and laying it heavily on her.
“Sister Cai Wei, I have another request,” Li Luo said, pulling out the damaged Octagold s.h.i.+eld. “House Luolan has smithing businesses as well. Can you get someone to repair this? And also help me do some shopping – see if there are twin shortswords treasured artifacts that suit me well. At least upper white-eyes, although gold-eye treasured artifacts would be best.”
Cai Wei received the Octagold s.h.i.+eld with trembling hands. Gold-eye treasured artifact? Li Luo sure said it casually enough. But such treasured artifacts were not common, and they had a price tag to match that rarity. Gold-eye treasured artifacts went for several million skygold. Even with Suncreek Villa’s rising profits, they were not printing money here.
Still, Cai Wei did not gripe about Li Luo’s extravagance. She sighed. “Gold-eye treasured artifacts are rare, and twin shortsword-types rarer still. But I will keep a look out. Still, I think it’s more likely I find upper white-eyes or gilded white-eyes.”
Li Luo nodded. “I’m counting on you,” he said with real sincerity.
“It’s my fault for always being so reliable,” she sniped back at him. After discussing the details of the next batch of secret watersource, she hurried off on her business. After all, all matters in House Luolan, big and small, needed a final pa.s.s from her. She was the keeper of all matters, reporting everything that required attention to Li Luo and Jiang Qing’e.
If not for this dependable manager Cai Wei, Li Luo and Jiang Qing’e would not have any time left over to cultivate at Astral Sage College.
As she left, Li Luo settled back down for his nap in the suns.h.i.+ne. A short while later, he sensed his suns.h.i.+ne blocked, and opened a grumpy eye to see a tall, slender figure with arms crossed, and looking down at him. The suns.h.i.+ne peeked through her hair, lending it a golden s.h.i.+ne that was entrancing to watch.
On her shaded face, her golden eyes were like pools of liquid gold, drawing him in.
“Sister Qing’e, you’re back!” Li Luo exclaimed happily. He had not seen her in the last two days. She had gone back to Umbra Cave to train.
Jiang Qing’e looked him up and down, then smiled. “Not bad, another jump. Fifth Pattern? Seems like this trip to the Golden Dragon Dao Fields was well spent.”
Li Luo sat up happily and looked at the beauty by his side. He noted the chips on her armor and splotches of dark liquid, and understood that she had probably cut her Umbra Cave training short to rush back once she heard news of him.
Perhaps a few hours ago, she was still fighting abominations in that sunless place.
Li Luo felt a sudden surge of worry for her. He reached out and took her hand in his.
She looked back at him with a smile, not resisting.
And then she felt an object roll into her hand.
Looking down curiously, she saw a silvery pocket sphere.
“A present,” Li Luo grinned.
She looked at it in surprise, her own reflection smiling back at her from the pocket sphere’s silvery surface. She turned it over in her hands. It was cool to the touch, but warmed her heart.
“Suddenly hardworking, suddenly a present… did you do anything that’s going to anger me?” she demanded of him with narrowed eyes.
Li Luo puffed up his chest indignantly.
“Okay, forget it. I know you can act.”
She grinned back at him, stifling his epic monologue. She reached forwards to pull him into a tight hug.
She rested her cheek lightly on his shoulder, raising her hand up to look at the pocket sphere from around his neck.
“I like the present very much,” she whispered into his ear.