Chapter 25

Xue Jiali led Rao Ke to his house.

It was a two-story wooden cabin nestled beneath a massive tree—delicate and fresh, surrounded by a wooden fence and filled with flowers and plants that formed a beautiful little garden.

"There's a guest room on the second floor. You can freshen up there first, and then we'll head out," Xue Jiali said, guiding Rao Ke upstairs to the guest room.

Rao Ke set down her things, tidied herself up, and came back downstairs.

Xue Jiali had changed into a white silk shirt paired with loose black denim trousers. His silver-white, shoulder-length hair was tied into a small braid at the back with a serpent-shaped clasp, making him look crisp and sharp.

As it happened, his outfit bore a striking resemblance to Rao Ke's.

Rao Ke wore a white silk top with a navy blue denim skirt, giving her an especially youthful and vibrant look.

Rao Ke didn't notice the coincidence, only casually remarking, "Changed clothes?"

Xue Jiali nodded calmly. "Let's go. We'll see my teacher—he's been wanting to meet you."

Rao Ke was curious about what Xue Jiali's teacher looked like.

They headed northeast, chatting about Xue Jiali's teacher along the way.

"...!" Rao Ke paused, taken aback at the sight of the gentle, scholarly beauty with pink hair and pink eyes. Such a rare combination of hair and eye color.

"You must be Rao Ke. I'm Ningfuer, Xue Jiali's teacher." Ningfuer smiled warmly, her gaze flickering to their matching outfits, a hint of amusement curling at the corners of her lips.

Ningfuer led them to the inner reception room and had them sit. "Make yourselves comfortable—I'll prepare some fruit."

Xue Jiali and Rao Ke sat down. Worried Rao Ke might be nervous, Xue Jiali offered a reassurance. "She seems to like you a lot."

Rao Ke wasn't nervous at all, since Ningfuer seemed genuinely kind and treated her well. But Xue Jiali meant well, so Rao Ke smiled and nodded at him.

Xue Jiali's ears inexplicably turned red again.

Rao Ke thought to herself that Xue Jiali may look aloof on the surface, but he was actually quite shy.

Ningfuer, carrying a fruit platter, caught the exchange and couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Here, have a berry." Ningfuer placed a cotton-soft fruit in Rao Ke's hand.

Rao Ke smiled her thanks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just call me Ningfuer. And may I call you Keke?" Ningfuer chatted with Rao Ke as if they were old friends.

"Of course." Rao Ke smiled easily, and the two hit it off right away.

Xue Jiali watched his teacher and Rao Ke grow familiar within moments of meeting, feeling both envious and wistful. He had known Rao Ke for a long time, yet he had never called her "Keke."

Xue Jiali sighed quietly and brought out a teapot to brew some fruit tea.

"Have some tea." He placed the brewed tea in front of them, along with some pastries to accompany it.

"Oh, thank you." Rao Ke picked up a cup and took a sip.

Ningfuer looked at the clear, beautifully colored liquid and the delicate-looking pastries, a bit curious. "These are the goods you told me about. They look quite good." She took a sip of the fruit tea, her eyes lighting up. Then she picked up a snow-white pastry and took a small bite, the soft, sweet cake dissolving in her mouth.

"Very nice," Ningfuer praised with a hint of surprise.

Xue Jiali waved his hand, and a large pile of goods filled the room. "These are the things I brought back."

Ningfuer beamed at Xue Jiali and thanked him.

Mid-conversation, Ningfuer called Xue Jiali upstairs to fetch something.

"How are things between you two?" she asked eagerly the moment they entered the room.

Xue Jiali looked baffled. "What 'things'?"

Ningfuer's eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't tell me you and Keke are just plain friends?!"

"Aren't we?"

"Forget it—you've never been in love before, so it's no wonder you don't get it." Ningfuer sighed. "Xue Jiali, you like Keke, don't you?"

Ningfuer's words hit Xue Jiali like a thunderclap.

Like her?!

Xue Jiali was momentarily speechless. Ningfuer patted him on the shoulder. "As your teacher, take my word for it: with that face of yours, you can definitely win Keke over!"

"Teacher!" Xue Jiali's face turned crimson at the implication.

"See, you're blushing already. Fine, I'll stop teasing you. But since she's right here, strike while the iron's hot." Ningfuer patted him again, took the gift she had prepared for Rao Ke, and left the room.

"Keke~" Ningfuer handed the gift to Rao Ke, beaming as she explained it was a welcome gift from an elder.

Rao Ke, in turn, produced a gift she had prepared—a beautifully crafted plant cultivation kit. She had asked Xue Jiali in advance and learned that Ningfuer loved gardening, so she picked that set.

"Thank you, I love it." Ningfuer accepted it with a smile.

"I'm glad you like it," Rao Ke said happily.

Rao Ke noticed Xue Jiali walking downstairs looking a bit dazed and asked with concern, "Xue Jiali, is something wrong?"

Ningfuer waved her hand nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing. His worldview just got a refresh."

Rao Ke didn't understand, and when Xue Jiali approached, she asked him directly. He shook his head, signaling he was fine.

"Anyway, why don't you two stay for dinner tonight!" Ningfuer stood up, announcing she'd show off her cooking.

Rao Ke thought nothing of it and nodded obediently, but Xue Jiali's expression changed drastically. "I'll cook. You two chat—you can also get a taste of Keke Shop's food, Teacher."

Ningfuer looked a little disappointed. "All right, then. Keke, let's keep chatting."

Xue Jiali turned and headed into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

Outside, Ningfuer and Rao Ke's conversation drifted to the topic of ideal romantic partners.

"Keke, what kind of person do you like?" Ningfuer asked, feigning indifference.

Xue Jiali could hear everything clearly from the kitchen, so he slowed his movements, listening in.

Rao Ke thought for a moment. "Someone gentle, good at cooking, and good-looking."

Ningfuer measured this against Xue Jiali and grew more convinced it was a match, her smile widening.

"Xue Jiali is a pretty good cook, too," Ningfuer hinted.

Rao Ke, who was dense when it came to romance, didn't catch the hint. "That's true. Xue Jiali is great at cooking."

"Keke, do you think Xue Jiali's looks suit your taste?"

Rao Ke considered and nodded. Xue Jiali was indeed exactly her type in appearance.

Ningfuer saw the potential but also recognized Rao Ke's obliviousness—her poor student had a long road ahead.

As the two chatted in the living room, Xue Jiali cooked in the kitchen, replaying Ningfuer's words and their conversation.

"Dinner's ready."

Xue Jiali carried the dishes out and set them on the table.

Ningfuer's eyes widened at the dazzling spread, colorful and fragrant. She knew Xue Jiali was a skilled cook, but these dishes were unlike anything she'd seen, and they looked utterly delicious.

"Let's eat." The three sat down and enjoyed the meal.

After dinner, Rao Ke and Xue Jiali took a walk back, encountering many elves along the way, which was a feast for Rao Ke's eyes.

"Do I like her..." Xue Jiali lay in bed, replaying Ningfuer's words. Rao Ke's smiling face appeared in his mind.

"It hasn't even been a month..." He thought of something Ningfuer once said when he was young: "Love is irrational—you might fall for someone through daily companionship, or you might fall at first sight."

On the other side, Rao Ke was full and content, organizing the clothes she had bought and preparing for the next day's promotion.

Early the next morning, Rao Ke saw Xue Jiali looking exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. "Why don't you rest today? I can go alone."

Xue Jiali shook his head. "It's fine. I'll go with you."

"Alright, but let me know if you feel unwell."

Xue Jiali had already helped promote the clothes, so any interested elves would come to his place at the scheduled time.

Rao Ke went to her camper van, which had been remodeled to include several rows of rods holding all sorts of dresses and skirts. Multiple full-length mirrors had been installed, along with four fitting rooms.

Qingli was an elf who loved bold, vibrant dresses, but most of her fellow elves preferred plain ones, so Qingli usually had to buy her clothes elsewhere.

When she heard that the witch Xue Jiali had brought back was selling dresses she'd never seen before, Qingli pestered her friend Jian to accompany her.

Qingli had high hopes for the witch's dresses, since the goods Xue Jiali brought from Keke Shop had caused quite a stir in the Elf Forest.

"Alright, I'll come with you," said Jian, who, unlike Qingli, favored minimalist clothing.

"Great!" Qingli hugged Jian excitedly.

The two set off together toward Xue Jiali's place. The closer they got, the more elves they encountered carrying dresses in pretty colors and styles.

Qingli chatted with them and grew even more excited, pulling Jian into a run toward Xue Jiali's house.

There, they saw a strange vehicle parked in the yard, surrounded by elves picking out dresses. The witch lady was smiling warmly as she introduced the clothes to the crowd.

"Hurry up!" Qingli felt like she'd found her paradise, and she grabbed her friend's hand to dive right in.

Faced with well-cut clothes in vivid, striking colors, Qingli grabbed one at random and could already feel the high quality of the fabric.

Buy, buy, buy! Qingli entered a shopping frenzy on the spot.

Jian shook her head and went off to browse simpler styles, only to find herself pleasantly surprised as well. Hoodies, T-shirts, jeans, denim skirts—Jian liked them all, and before she knew it, she was selecting items too.

At the checkout, Qingli with her huge pile of colorful dresses and Jian with her stack of simple, casual wear looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Rao Ke and Xue Jiali worked through the noon rush and finally managed to close up the stand.

"Good work," Rao Ke said, handing Xue Jiali a popsicle. They sat in rocking chairs, enjoying their treats.

Business had been great that day. The elves clearly had a high tolerance for these unfamiliar styles.

Once access to clothing purchases was unlocked, they could expand the customer base to the nobility—that group had plenty of purchasing power and would happily spend big money on such dresses.

"The Elf Festival starts tomorrow. We could set up a stall at the market then," Xue Jiali suggested as he ate his popsicle.

Rao Ke nodded in agreement and stretched.

As Xue Jiali ate, he thought about what gift to pick for Rao Ke. He stole a glance at her, and suddenly, he knew exactly what he'd give her.