49 Wut?

'Just from where did she learn the accursed line? Dormammu wouldn't have been her fan.' Zhao Wei had a look of wonder and confusion on his face but there were slight signs of tiredness showing.

'And I have already started getting sick of this place yet as cultivators we are told to be as patient as possible in every situation.' Zhao Wei shook his head with a sigh but even with such thoughts running through his mind, his eyes retained calmness and desolation.

'Even so, things haven't been that boring as of lately. Having walked the path of aloneness for a very long time, the icy and frozen heart that I once had seems to be slowly thawing at almost negligible rates.' Zhao Wei then gazed at the lone yellow leaf that had broken free from its support and was now on a solitary path to kiss the ground.

He momentarily saw himself in that leaf before Zhao Yufei's soft voice shattered his reverie.

"Hmph, I can't get used to how you can randomly get absent-minded when you have someone as dedicated as me accompanying you whenever I find the time." Zhao Yufei harrumphed and crossed her arms in annoyance.

Zhao Wei lifted an eyebrow, wondering what was wrong with her.

"I never once asked for your dedication, miss." Zhao Wei said matter-of-factly.

"So mean." Zhao Yufei pouted childishly, making her pink wet lips stand out.

"Anyway, you seem kind of tired. That's a new look I never get to see in the cold prince's imperial face." Zhao Yufei slightly squinted her eyes as she meticulously observed Zhao Wei's face.

"I can also see some signs of impatience but I am not sure. Boy, aren't you good at masking your emotions?" Zhao Yufei continued with a faint smile.

"Just stop being nosy, young lady. Is a hot meal enough to keep your ever-increasing curiosity at bay?" Zhao Wei ignored her inquisitive stare, something that he had seen several times from her in the past.

Zhao Yufei gestured the closing of a zip across her lips and her playful yet inquisitive demeanor turned to one of obedience and docility.

'That's one of the tricks to temporarily leash a foodie. It always seems to work.' Zhao Wei mentally nodded to himself.

He then started working on the piece of fresh poultry while Zhao Yufei happily sat on a chair that was close to the table.

Zhao Wei took his sweet time to defeather the dog-sized bird, each move he made was elegant and smooth.

'I am truly shameless. I only know how to eat but I just had to suck at cooking anything edible. I have never been this shameless all of my life. I guess it's this bastard's influence that's slowly changing me.' Zhao Yufei used her palms to hide the blush of embarrassment stuck on her cheeks.

'I should learn to cook like him, hehe, knowing that I won't ever get close to even a thousandth of his skill.'

'Maybe improving my cultivation to the highest levels will enable me to cook anything for him.' A dreamy gaze adorned her angelic face for a few seconds before she bit her lower lip in silent frustration.

Zhao Yufei remembered whom she was dealing with. It was a thick block of ice, to be exact.

Her fantasy was just a mere fantasy with a 99.9% probability of not happening. She decided to keep the 1% due to hope and her womanly pride.

"What are you spacing out for, little glutton? Your food's ready. Keep in mind this might be the last time I am ever going to be your personal chef." Zhao Wei put a plate steaming with a perfectly roasted avian piece of meat in front of Zhao Yufei.

"Wow, this looks delicious as always. Just the smell is enough to raise my spirit… wait? Did you just call me a glutton?" Zhao Yufei blabbered happily but it was then that Zhao Wei's words slowly started being replayed in her mind.

She cast him a look of anger and resentment but Zhao Wei responded with a not-so-sorry smile as his hand stretched toward the attractive plate as if it was being magnetized.

Seeing his actions, Zhao Yufei wore a look of pure terror and trepidation on her face as her hands instinctively tightened on the plate as if her very life depended on it.

"Courting Death!" A tick mark manifested on her temple as she secured her godly food.

"YOU DARE!"

Zhao Wei, as someone from a special world of culture, creativity, and memes, couldn't help but want to crack a genuine smile and laughter. But… he was helpless against it. He couldn't hold it in.

It was inevitable.

"Pfft!"

Zhao Wei laughed hard, harder than he has ever had since he transmigrated to the Fan Universe, much to her chagrin.

Being simply pissed couldn't even begin to describe her countenance, Zhao Yufei was beyond that.

But that wasn't what mattered most to her at that very moment.

Something else entirely took her sole focus as her eyes widened in disbelief and amazement. It was as if she was witnessing something as unbelievable and inconceivable as a cock performing Kung Fu or a rat bench pressing a rat trap.

She was mesmerized by his laughter and a genuineness that she had never felt from him. Ever.

It was truly a sight to behold.

Zhao Yufei decided to perfectly record that moment in her mind, vowing to never forget it. It was as rare as a Qilin's feather.

She reminded herself that there might never be a replica of that laughter as she watched him gradually trying to calm himself after exhausting his energy.

"I am happy." Zhao Wei cleared his throat as he looked at Zhao Yufei.

"Thank you." He really meant it.

Zhao Wei realized that he had never once laughed like this due to being closed off most of the time.

There was a form of enlightenment in his deep abyssal eyes as all the pent-up emotions, negativities, and all such stuff inside of him had been expelled through that one genuine laughter.

It wasn't even exaggeratedly funny but he had laughed nonetheless.

In the journey of cultivation and self-discovery, one can't be stiff and single-minded all the time. One had to enjoy the journey and fully immerse oneself to have the best of the best experiences.

To be free, he had to live carefreely and know the joys and bitterness of life.

Zhao Wei recognized that he lacked in various aspects; he was flawed but that only made him want to see how long he could go on that infinite path.

Zhao Wei wasn't focused on romanticism when he treated a beauty like Zhao Yufei fairly.

'The need for casual human conversations was all I needed and she perfectly played her role. She's really a nice lass.'

Zhao Wei breathed in the cool air of a promising evening, allowing its freshness to grace his lungs.

"By the way, were you serious when you said that you would never cook for me again?" Zhao Yufei, who had been silent all along due to being frozen by the unexpected gratitude from Zhao Wei, suddenly spoke in sadness.

Her immense sorrow immediately changed the lightness of the atmosphere.

She didn't get sidetracked that easily.

Zhao Wei's mouth formed an 'O' shape and amid his internal happiness, he remembered his previous words.

"I am serious."

"Why? Why would you say that?" Zhao Yufei sounded hurtful as if her heart was once again being fragmented into tiny pieces. Small beads of tears began forming at the corners of her eyes.

Her love for his food had become such an integral part of her life. She was that addicted and to suddenly part with it.

She didn't want that to happen.

It. Couldn't. Just. Happen.

Never.

A crazy light flashed across her reddening eyes as she sniffed back her snot.

Zhao Yufei then cast a predatory look at Zhao Wei who suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.

"What if I insist that you don't stop cooking for me? I would do anything for you if you say you were joking."

Zhao Wei denied with a headshake.

"Then what if I kidnap you?"

Zhao Wei was going to shake his head but…

"Wut?"

That was definitely not a laughing matter!

***

Enjoy!

For more advanced chapters and extra support (Patreon.com/OneArmedImmortal)