I Just Wanted to Teach Cultivation, But Goddesses Keep Coming! - Chapter 396 She Offered Her Heart, But I Only Needed Her Spirit Stones (Bonus - for weekly Webnovel Power Stone ranking! Thank you so much for voting!)
Chapter 396: Chapter 396 She Offered Her Heart, But I Only Needed Her Spirit Stones (Bonus Chapter for weekly NovelFire Power Stone ranking! Thank you so much for voting!)
Li Yuhua paused mid motion, the wine cup hovering just before her lips.
For a brief second, her gaze flickered… complicated, distant. Then she forced a small smile.
“I’m fine, Jinhui,” she replied lightly. “I just happen to like your wine. What kind is this?”
Her tone was casual, almost playful. But it didn’t fool Liu Jinhui.
As Liu Yang’s mother and Li Yuhua’s closest friend, she knew her far too well.
The slight stiffness in her smile, the way her fingers lingered on the cup, the faint distraction in her eyes…
Something was clearly off. Still, Liu Jinhui said nothing. She simply watched.
After all, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be left wondering for long. And she was right.
Li Yuhua set her cup down. For a moment, she sat there silently, as if gathering her thoughts.
Then, without another word, she rose to her feet.
Her movement was graceful, yet carried a subtle decisiveness that immediately drew attention.
Step by step, she began walking toward the main table. Toward Lin Feng.
Liu Jinhui’s eyes widened slightly in realization.
“So that’s it…” she murmured inwardly, her gaze growing complicated.
All around, conversations softened as people began to notice her approach.
Li Yuhua was no ordinary woman.
Her striking red hair was tied into a high, elegant bun, each strand arranged with meticulous care.
Under the soft glow of the lanterns, it shimmered faintly, making her stand out effortlessly from the crowd.
Her features were delicate yet mature, her figure graceful and refined.
There was a quiet confidence in the way she carried herself… something that set her apart from the younger, more inexperienced maidens who had approached earlier.
Where they were nervous… She was composed. Where they were tentative… She was resolute.
With every step she took, more eyes turned toward her.
Even the elders, who had been observing the earlier attempts with measured patience, straightened slightly, their expressions sharpening with interest.
“This one…” one of them muttered under his breath.
“She’s different.”
And indeed, she was.
Li Yuhua stopped just a short distance from Lin Feng’s table.
For a brief moment, she said nothing.
Her eyes rested on him… calm, yet carrying an emotion too complex to be easily understood.
The surrounding noise seemed to dim, as if the entire celebration hall was unconsciously holding its breath.
Three breaths later, Li Yuhua finally moved.
She did not rush, nor did she slow. It was the pace of someone who had already made up her mind.
When she arrived, she didn’t ask for permission. She simply sat down right beside him.
Her presence immediately shifted the subtle balance at the table.
At that moment, Lin Feng had been speaking with the birthday celebrant Liu Yichen.
Up close, Liu Yichen’s features were indeed ordinary… nothing sharp, nothing particularly memorable.
It was easy to see where Liu Yang inherited his looks.
Yet beneath that plain exterior lay a keen mind, one capable of reading situations quickly.
And right now, he read this one perfectly.
The moment Li Yuhua sat down, Liu Yichen understood what was about to unfold.
There was no hesitation.
He rose smoothly, cupping his fists with practiced respect.
“I just remembered that I have a few important guests I need to attend to, Young Master Lin Feng,” Liu Yichen said, his tone natural, as if nothing unusual had happened.
“Please excuse me for a moment. I’ll return shortly.”
Lin Feng gave a faint nod, neither stopping him nor questioning him.
Liu Yichen left without another word. He simply walked away, leaving the rest to have some private conversation.
Back at the table, silence lingered for a brief moment. Not an awkward silence…
But a quiet pause, like the stillness before something significant.
Lin Feng turned his gaze slightly. His eyes settled on Li Yuhua. For a moment, he simply observed.
There was no denying it… she bore a striking resemblance to her daughter, Li Zhiyan.
The same delicate features, the same natural beauty. But where the daughter was like a budding flower…
The mother was already in full bloom. Her beauty carried depth. Experience.
A quiet confidence that came from years of understanding herself and the world around her.
Even the way she sat… poised, composed held an effortless grace that younger women could not replicate.
More importantly… There was intent in her eyes.
Unlike the others who had approached earlier, filled with hesitation or awkward attempts at charm…
Li Yuhua was clear. She knew why she was here. And she wasn’t hiding it.
“I’ve heard quite a lot about you from my daughter, Master Lin Feng,” she said at last, her voice smooth and unhurried.
Her gaze met his directly. There was no shyness. No evasion. Only calm confidence.
In truth, everything she knew about him had been gathered only yesterday from her daughter.
For years, Li Yuhua had played her role perfectly. A dutiful woman. A responsible mother.
Someone who placed obligations above her own desires.
She had never once stepped outside that boundary. But tonight… Something had changed.
It was simply that she was tired of living only for others. For the first time in a long while…
She wanted something for herself.
“I hope they were all good things,” Lin Feng replied, his tone calm, a faint smile resting on his lips.
“Oh, they were,” Li Yuhua said softly.
Her fingers lightly traced the rim of her wine cup, a small, almost absent minded gesture but her eyes never left his.
“In fact… I also heard from Yan’er that you seem to have a soft spot for women my age.”
She leaned in slightly. Not enough to be improper. But enough to close the distance.
Enough to make her intention unmistakable.
“I wonder…” she continued, her voice lowering just a fraction, carrying a subtle warmth, “is that true, Master Lin Feng?”
Around them, the noise of the celebration seemed distant. Not gone but muted.
As if this small corner of the banquet had become its own world.
