"You are here," Wangchen stated. His voice was pitched low, carrying a soft, gravelly resonance that vibrated directly against Ji’an’s eardrums.

Ji’an desperately forced her gaze upward, locking her eyes onto the bridge of his nose to avoid staring at his exposed chest. She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly as dry as the Gobi Desert.

"I... Yes. I am here," Ji’an stammered, her usually razor-sharp wit failing her entirely. She took another, incredibly necessary step backward, putting distance between them. "I knocked! Well, I yelled. You didn’t answer. And you’re... you’re so wet."

’You’re so wet?! That’s what you say?!’ Ji’an mentally slapped herself.

Wangchen tilted his head slightly, his wet bangs falling into his eyes. He raised a pale hand, casually running his fingers through his hair to push it back.

The movement pulled the silk robe open a fraction of an inch wider.

"I was cleansing my meridians," Wangchen replied, his tone entirely serene.

He didn’t seem the least bit self-conscious about his state of undress as he walked past her, moving with that slow, predatory grace, and approached the tea table.

He sat down on a floor cushion, the movement causing the white silk to pool around his hips. He looked up at her, his expression a picture of absolute, placid calm.

"You brought food."

"Right! Food!" Ji’an practically shouted, seizing the lifeline to escape the torturous silence.

She hurried over to the table, aggressively keeping her eyes trained on the jade bento box as she sat down across from him.

She busied herself with unwrapping the velvet cloth, her hands trembling slightly.

"Look, Wangchen, about the other day," Ji’an started, deciding to rip the bandage off before the awkwardness swallowed her alive. "I am really sorry I bolted. I didn’t mean to just leave you hanging after the whole... exploding master... bathhouse... situation."

She opened the first tier of the bento box, revealing the perfectly steamed crystal dumplings.

"You see, actually, I had a massive culinary emergency," Ji’an lied smoothly, slipping back into her comfortable, arrogant chef persona. "My Master, the Drunken Sovereign, who is a complete menace, by the way, dragged me out of the sect. We had to go to Cloud-Burst City to source some highly, incredibly volatile ingredients. If I hadn’t left right then, he would have blown up the kitchen. So... I was a little distracted."

She finally looked up, bracing herself for the interrogation. She expected him to demand details.

She expected the air to freeze, for his dark eyes to narrow in possessive suspicion.

But Wangchen did nothing of the sort.

He simply nodded.

His face remained an unreadable, perfectly sculpted mask of calm.

"I understand," Wangchen said softly.

He reached out and picked up a pair of silver chopsticks from the table. He didn’t interrogate her.

He didn’t ask who she had seen in the city, or why she hadn’t sent a message. He just accepted her excuse with total, absolute serenity.

Ji’an blinked. ’Wait. He understands? Just like that?’

Wangchen picked up one of the crystal dumplings. He held it up to the light, admiring the translucent wrapper and the perfectly pleated edges, before placing it in his mouth.

He closed his eyes, chewing slowly. A look of genuine, soft satisfaction crossed his features.

"The texture of the wrapper is flawless," Wangchen complimented, opening his eyes to look at her. "The infusion of the Moon-Lotus Flour balances the savory profile perfectly. You have outdone yourself, Ji’an." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Ji’an sat there, completely dumbstruck.

The atmosphere in the room was entirely devoid of tension. The suffocating, heavy, yandere possessiveness that usually clung to Xie Wangchen like a second skin was completely gone.

He was now polite, complimentary, acting like a perfectly normal, well-adjusted senior brother enjoying a meal with his friend.

’The juniors were right,’ Ji’an realized, a massive, slightly hysterical wave of relief washing over her. ’He really did cool off! The fire is gone! He finally processed his jealousy and emotions, realized I am just his sworn brother, and we are back to normal!’

The relief was so profound that Ji’an physically slumped forward, letting out a long, heavy exhale. The panic of her dream evaporated.

"Oh, thank the Heavens," Ji’an laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I thought you were going to be furious with me for vanishing. Zhiwei told me you were freezing waterfalls and breaking training dummies. I thought I was going to have to dodge icicles today!"

At the mention of Gu Zhiwei’s name, Wangchen’s chopsticks paused for a fraction of a millisecond. It was a microscopic hesitation, completely invisible to the naked eye.

When Wangchen looked back up, his smile was gentle, almost affectionate.

"Zhiwei tends to exaggerate," Wangchen lied with terrifying, sociopathic ease. "I was merely practicing a new sword form. There is no anger, Ji’an. I am glad you are safe."

"Well, it paid off! The practice, I mean," Ji’an beamed, her vibrant, cheerful character fully restored now that the threat of romantic tension had been neutralized. She eagerly opened the bottom tier of the bento box, revealing the slow-braised Frost-Boar ribs.

"And I wasn’t just shopping in the city, Little Puddle!" Ji’an bragged, leaning forward, resting her elbows on the table. "My Master actually put me through the wringer. He passed down the Dao of the Iron Wok to me. I’ve been compressing my internal meridians all week!"

She proudly tapped her own chest.

"I officially broke through to Spirit Cook Grade 3! I didn’t bulk up, obviously, because I refuse to ruin my aesthetic, but my Qi density has quintupled. I could probably arm-wrestle a Golden Core elder and win. Well, maybe not win, but I’d definitely break their table!"

Wangchen set his chopsticks down.

He looked at her, taking in her bright, enthusiastic smile, the soot still smudged on the edge of her gray apron, and the sheer, unfiltered joy she took in her own achievements.

"Grade 3," Wangchen murmured, his dark eyes softening. "That is an incredible achievement in such a short time. Congratulations, Brother Lin."