The two sat in the private room for a while before Ye Mingluo arrived. As soon as he sat down, he started complaining, "What a lousy restaurant, they can’t even afford a parking lot. If it weren’t for the good food, they’d close down sooner or later."

Huo Wen’an corrected Ye Mingluo, "The taste is just so-so."

"In Yujiang City, the dishes at Friendship Building are considered quite good," Ye Mingluo said to Xu Xingguang, "Xingguang, you must try their signature dish later, called ’Across a Thousand Mountains.’"

The so-called ’Across a Thousand Mountains’ is actually a plate of braised pig’s feet.

With such an elegant name for pig’s feet, the price of this dish is naturally several times higher than elsewhere.

As soon as Xu Xingguang took a bite, Ye Mingluo asked her, "How is it? Doesn’t it taste good?" Every time he returned to Yujiang City, Ye Mingluo would visit Friendship Building to try this dish whenever he had the chance.

Having tasted countless delicacies in the human world, to Xu Xingguang, this plate of pig’s feet was just alright, not particularly delicious.

But as a guest, she couldn’t let Ye Mingluo down, so she offered a somewhat objective evaluation, "It’s indeed not bad, this level could surpass all the Chinese restaurants in Yujiang City."

Hearing her say this, Huo Wen’an then picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of pig’s foot. But after just one bite, he put down his chopsticks and said to Xu Xingguang, "Not as good as yours."

Being insightful, Xu Xingguang had heard Huo Wen’an praise her cooking twice today and immediately understood his intention.

Xu Xingguang smiled, "If Boss Huo and Doctor Ye are free, you can come over to my house for dinner tomorrow night, as a token of reciprocity."

Huo Wen’an hesitated for a few seconds and then agreed readily, "I’ll come."

Every evening, Xu Xingguang prepares meals, and Huo Wen’an, embarrassed to impose, can only drink medicine while smelling the enticing aroma.

He had wanted to go for a long time.

Learning that Xu Xingguang is also a culinary expert, Ye Mingluo was surprised, "Our Xingguang can cook? I really couldn’t tell. But I might not be free to go tomorrow night."

Huo Wen’an asked Ye Mingluo, "What have you been busy with lately?" Ye Mingluo, being lively and fond of excitement, would definitely accompany him in Cangshan Town if he were free, but he hadn’t been around, indicating that he was busy.

"Very annoying, the Xiahou family’s little darling has returned to the country and keeps asking me to treat him." Ye Mingluo shrugged and said, "I went once, it’s a bit tricky, and I have to go again tomorrow."

Changing the subject, Ye Mingluo said, "By the way, reliable sources say that after the Xia Country Botanical Garden bought the Ice Crystal Grass, they couldn’t successfully cultivate new seedlings, and they’re planning to recruit new talents nationwide."

Upon hearing this, Huo Wen’an said, "Not even those old guys could cultivate it successfully, so it doesn’t look promising."

Xu Xingguang suddenly interjected, "Are you talking about the Ice Crystal Grass?"

Ye Mingluo nodded, "That’s right, the Ice Crystal Grass. Recently, the Xia Country Botanical Garden managed to acquire a living Ice Crystal Grass through special channels and is trying to cultivate new seedlings, but it hasn’t succeeded."

Huo Wen’an glanced thoughtfully at Xu Xingguang and asked, "Do you know about the Ice Crystal Grass?"

Before Xu Xingguang could reply, Ye Mingluo instinctively said, "How would our Xingguang know about these things?" People who don’t have an in-depth knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine wouldn’t know what Ice Crystal Grass is.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xingguang said, "The seedling of the Ice Crystal Grass has to be cultivated in salty soil to sprout. Once it sprouts, it’s easy to grow."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingluo laughed, "Xingguang, stop joking, Ice Crystal Grass prefers cold, not salty conditions."

Seeing that Ye Mingluo didn’t believe her, Xu Xingguang said nothing more and just focused on eating.

However, Huo Wen’an stared at Xu Xingguang in a daze.

After the meal, the three of them returned directly to Cangshan Town. After watching Xu Xingguang enter Building 219, Huo Wen’an opened his own yard gate to go inside. Suddenly remembering something, he turned back and instructed Ye Mingluo, "Send me Dean Su’s contact information."

"Which Dean Su?" Ye Mingluo thought for a moment and asked, "The old guy from the Botanical Garden?"

Huo Wen’an nodded, "Yes."

Ye Mingluo asked him, "Are you looking for him to buy medicinal herbs? Whatever herbs you need, I can get them for you." What he has is no less than that old guy.

"It’s something else." Without further explanation, Huo Wen’an went back home.

Ye Mingluo first shared Dean Su’s WeChat contact card with Huo Wen’an before he drove home.

Knowing that Huo Wen’an was looking for him, Dean Su kept holding his phone, waiting for a friend request. Soon, Huo Wen’an’s request came through.

Dean Su quickly accepted it.

Aware of the true identity of the person on the other side, Dean Su cautiously sent a message to Huo Wen’an: [Mr. Xiao Huo, I wonder if there’s anything I can help you with?]

Huo Wen’an: [I heard you guys obtained the Ice Crystal Grass.]

Dean Su knew a bit about Huo Wen’an’s health condition. Seeing Huo Wen’an inquiring about Ice Crystal Grass, he naturally thought Huo Wen’an wanted to ask the botanical garden for the Ice Crystal Grass for treatment.

Dean Su was in a difficult position. He told Huo Wen’an: "We did spend a lot of money to acquire a plant, but currently this is the only surviving Ice Crystal Grass in the world. It is the hope of countless people. Mr. Xiao Huo, please give us some time, and we will cultivate new Ice Crystal Grass as soon as possible. Once we succeed, we will immediately send it to Divine Concealment Island." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Dean Su was full of sincerity but also firmly refused Huo Wen’an.

But to his surprise, Huo Wen’an said, "Cut a section of the rhizome and try to cultivate it in salty soil."

Dean Su: "What?"

Huo Wen’an: "Just give it a try, and let me know the results later."

Intuition told Huo Wen’an that the little girl next door had many, many secrets. Ye Mingluo thought Xu Xingguang was talking nonsense, but Huo Wen’an was willing to give it a try.

Give it a try; maybe it will succeed.

Just consider it as him being possessed by a ghost.

Dean Su thought Huo Wen’an was joking, but after all the experts in the botanical garden tried, they couldn’t successfully cultivate new Ice Crystal Grass seedlings.

At this point, cutting a small piece of the rhizome and trying it the way Mr. Xiao Huo suggested was worth trying.

Treat a dead horse like a living one, after all, the loss wouldn’t be much.

Moreover, if Mr. Xiao Huo was actively seeking cooperation, selling him a favor now may be beneficial in the future.

Seeing it clearly, Dean Su told Huo Wen’an: "I will follow Mr. Xiao Huo’s instructions, please await good news. Also, I wish Mr. Xiao Huo a speedy recovery."

Staring at the words "speedy recovery," Huo Wen’an squinted, thinking: Might as well wish me an early demise, that would be more sincere.

On the other hand, just as Xu Xingguang returned home, he received a call from Zhang Zhiyi.

As soon as she picked up the call, she heard Zhang Zhiyi laughing heartily, "I heard something funny today, it’s related to your cheap sister."

Xu Xingguang lay on the bed, staring at the bracelet tattoo on her wrist, she took out a music score to look through. Seeing this music score, her fingers itched.

She wanted to play the piano.

Absentmindedly, Xu Xingguang asked, "What about her?"

"Chu Zimu brought You Mingyue home to meet his parents today. I heard that Mrs. Chu seemingly agreed to the match, but after dinner, she took You Mingyue to the back garden and gave her a hard time."

Feeling intrigued, Xu Xingguang asked, "What kind of hard time?"

Trying to hold back laughter, Zhang Zhiyi said, "Mrs. Chu told You Mingyue that becoming the Chu family’s eldest daughter-in-law isn’t that easy. She has to achieve something on her own merits to enter the Chu Family’s door."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xingguang said, "After all, the Chu Family is a prestigious noble family in Yujiang City, Mrs. Chu’s demands aren’t unreasonable."

"The main point is what follows," Zhang Zhiyi told Xu Xingguang, "You Mingyue signed with a family entertainment company three months ago, right? I heard that these three months were the company’s observation period, but You Mingyue was focused on marrying into a wealthy door, busy courting Chu Zimu, and didn’t cooperate much with the company for promotion. As a result, she was dropped and lost the chance to release an album."

"Hahaha, what do you call this? This is called just deserts!"

After hearing this, Xu Xingguang associated it with the incident earlier at the Friendship Building with You Mingyue picking a fight with her for no reason, and finally understood the reason.

Turns out, she hit a wall with Mrs. Chu and suffered a setback in her career.

Xu Xingguang was very familiar with You Mingyue’s character and knew she wouldn’t let things go easily. Anticipating that she would definitely make a move, she told Zhang Zhiyi, "Senior sister, keep an eye on her for me."

Zhang Zhiyi noticed Xu Xingguang’s attitude towards You Mingyue had clearly changed, and she asked Xu Xingguang, "What, are you finally planning to deal with her?"

Originally, Xu Xingguang didn’t consider someone like You Mingyue worth her time, but after seeing that paternity test report, she could no longer remain aloof.

"Some things have happened recently, it’s hard to explain over the phone, let’s meet tomorrow and talk in detail."

"Then should I come to Cangshan Town to find you?" Zhang Zhiyi asked.

However, Xu Xingguang said, "No, go to the Xiahou Family."

Zhang Zhiyi usually stays at a love nest outside with her husband and only returns for family feasts at the beginning and middle of the month. Without a summons from the Family Head, even she doesn’t enter and exit the Xiahou Family easily.

The Xiahou Family is a truly distinguished lineage, only those with an invitation can visit. But Xingguang is not someone prestigious in Yujiang City. How would she receive an invitation from the Xiahou Family?