Chapter 390: Bowing Down to His Sweatpants

“The premixed ingredients for the foot bath packets are ready. I’ve portioned them out according to the measurements you gave me.”

“That’s pretty efficient.” Yang Xun set down the porcelain jar and swept his gaze across the lobby. The renovations were nearing completion, and everything was gradually falling into place. It looked to be going much smoother than he had anticipated.

“The employees are all training on the second floor. I’ve arranged for them to officially start making drinks this afternoon,” Sun Rao said, turning toward the stairs. “Come up and take a look.”

The two of them went up to the second floor, where the layout was also mostly set up. A few rows of neat wooden shelves stood by the windows, holding various jars of medicinal herbs and tools. On the other side were several small square tables arrayed with clean tea sets and raw materials, alongside a few small induction cookers.

Eight new employees sat around the tables, all wearing matching light apricot outfits with white lace aprons tied around their waists. It looked a bit like a maid outfit, tracing their already perfect figures and making them even more alluring.

“This afternoon is practical training,” Sun Rao explained. “You’ll be making the shop’s drinks and sachets yourselves to get familiar with the whole process. Don’t be nervous. If you make a mistake, you can start over; we have plenty of materials.” After speaking, she began to demonstrate how to prepare ‘Wen Yan’ step by step, following the procedure Yang Xun had taught her earlier.

Sun Rao’s movements were steady. She explained as she worked, her tone clear and unhurried.

“Step one: soak the medicinal herbs in warm water for five minutes. This is to awaken their fragrance and medicinal properties.

“Step two: pour the soaked herbs and the water they were soaked in into the pot. Add an appropriate amount of clean water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then turn it down to low and simmer for ten minutes.

“Step three: turn off the heat, add honey and a little lemon juice to taste, stir well, and filter out the dregs.

“The most critical part is controlling the heat and the time. Too much water will make it bland, and too little will make it astringent. If it cooks for too long, the medicinal taste will be too strong, and if it’s too short, it won’t be mellow enough.”

The girls bowed their heads and took notes in their notebooks. Occasionally, someone raised a hand to ask a question, and Sun Rao patiently answered them one by one.

Yang Xun stood on the sidelines and watched for a moment, his gaze falling on Lin Zhi, who was sitting in the corner. She had her head down, studying earnestly. Occasionally, she looked up to watch Sun Rao’s demonstration, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. Despite wearing the exact same outfit as everyone else, she was exceptionally radiant.

Yang Xun withdrew his gaze and turned to go downstairs, not wanting to interrupt their training.

About an hour later, Sun Rao walked down to the first floor carrying a freshly made cup of Wen Yan and placed it in front of Yang Xun.

“Have a taste. I made it in passing during the training just now.”

Yang Xun picked up the cup and took a sip, raising an eyebrow slightly. “It’s a bit worse than mine, but it’s much better than those milk tea shops on the market.”

Sun Rao’s lips curled into a smile, amused by his evaluation. “Lin Zhi did better than me. Her hands are very steady, and her grasp of the heat is very accurate. She has a natural talent for it.”

“Then train her well.” Yang Xun set down the cup and leaned against the edge of the bar counter, his gaze drifting out the window to the gradually slanting afternoon sun. “Have you looked into Lin Zhi’s background?”

Sun Rao let out a sigh. “She said her parents divorced a long time ago. Her mother remarried and cut ties with her. She lived with her father and stepmother, but after she went to college, her father basically stopped caring for her. She earned her tuition and living expenses by working part-time.

“She worked in a pharmacy for two years before this, but she left because the boss ran the business poorly and it went bankrupt. Apparently, she didn’t even get paid her wages.

“She asked for an advance on her salary yesterday to rent an apartment, otherwise she wouldn’t even have a place to stay right now.”

Yang Xun could tell that Lin Zhi’s family background was poor, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad. “Ask her if she still hasn’t found a place to rent. The shop can provide accommodation. She just needs to pay a hundred yuan a month for utilities.”

“Ah Xun, you’re being so considerate. Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to Lin Zhi?” Sun Rao narrowed her eyes, her tone tinged with a hint of jealousy.

“I just think she’s pitiful. I’ll help out where I can. What can I say? I just have a kind heart!” Yang Xun flipped his hair, clasped his hands behind his back, and went upstairs to continue researching formulas.

He stayed at the shop until evening, leaving only after confirming that everything was progressing smoothly.

On the drive home, Zhao Linglong called.

“Xun, are you done with work? Yue went on a business trip out of town today. Do you have time tonight?” Her voice was full of expectation and shyness.

Back in Shunping, the two of them had already engaged in many intimate acts, but they had never taken the final step. Zhao Linglong had gone from initial apprehension and hesitation to eager anticipation, and now she didn’t want to wait a single day longer.

“What’s the rush, little girl?” Yang Xun asked with a wicked grin.

“I… I’m afraid of seeing ghost shadows. Hurry back, I’m waiting for you at home.” Having said that, Zhao Linglong shyly hung up the phone.

Yang Xun chuckled and stepped on the gas.

Tonight, he was going to show off his prowess and make Zhao Linglong bow down beneath his sweatpants!

Truth be told, he hadn’t been idle recently. He had been absorbing women’s Primordial Yin Qi almost constantly, but his cultivation didn’t seem to have increased at all. In fact, there were even signs of regression. He was currently only at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm and hadn’t reached a bottleneck yet. Logically speaking, this kind of situation shouldn’t be happening.

With a slightly chaotic mind, Yang Xun arrived home before he knew it. Since Xu Yue and Xu Feifan were away on a business trip, and Meng Qiaofei and Xu Qian were also not at home, it was just him and Zhao Linglong tonight. He could do whatever he wanted. Just thinking about it made him feel excited.

He pushed open the door to the second-floor guest bedroom. Zhao Linglong was sitting on the edge of the bed with her hands on her knees, her posture exceptionally straight out of sheer nervousness. Only a bedside lamp was turned on in the room, its dim yellow light bathing the entire space in a soft halo. The curtains had been drawn tight, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of body wash, mixed with the uniquely sweet scent of a young woman.

Zhao Linglong had changed into a clean white nightgown. Her long, jet-black hair was still slightly damp, clearly indicating that she had just taken a shower. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. Her gaze flickered slightly the moment it touched Yang Xun, then darted away just as quickly.

“Xun, the hot water is ready. Do you want to take a shower first?”

Yang Xun closed the door and strode over to her. Stroking her soft, tender cheek, he said softly, “Take one with me.”

Her cheeks instantly flushed red. Biting her red lip with her pearl-white teeth, she was too embarrassed to agree.

Seeing this, Yang Xun bent down, scooped her up into his arms, and strode toward the bathroom. Her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, and her body leaned against his chest. Her heart pounded as a surge of heat shot up from her lower abdomen.

“Don’t be nervous. We’ll take it slow.” Afraid that the young girl would be too tense and ruin the experience, Yang Xun’s tone was exceptionally gentle.

The bathroom door closed, and soon, the sound of running water and a young woman’s muffled moans echoed from within.

Yang Xun squeezed some body wash onto his hands and then used the Dragon and Phoenix Immortal Hand to massage her. He stepped into the bathtub, pulled Zhao Linglong into his arms, and pressed his lips against hers.

The two embraced and kissed in the water, splashing water out of the bathtub from time to time.