Hehe, maybe with this Peach Blossom Scroll, Guan Ya will knock on my door tonight. Zhang Yuanqing turned the doorknob, eager to step out, only for his body to suddenly stiffen. No way—she can't go out! If the scroll's effect is to attract romantic interest, then the Queen and the delicate green tea lady will surely swoon and fall for him, and Guan Ya will end up dismantling me bone by bone. With that thought, Zhang Yuanqing snapped his fingers, and a shimmering streak of starlight materialized, carrying him away from the villa. The next moment, he appeared in the large villa garden, several meters away, and headed straight toward the main building. There are so many rabbit maidens here—perfect for testing the scroll's effect. Zhang Yuanqing walked through the garden and into the villa. It was mealtime now, and the dining hall, brightly lit, was occupied only by Ling Jun, who sat alone eating, with a graceful, tall, and charming young rabbit standing beside him. Hmm, this sister didn't seem to feel her body go weak or her gaze grow soft when I entered. Zhang Yuanqing shifted his gaze, glanced around, and asked, "Where is "We left right after the meeting with the Ten Elders," Ling Jun complained, holding up a hot dog. "I've tried countless times to refine his palate and get him to appreciate local cuisine, but he's always stubbornly resistant—quite unlike when he was younger." Zhang Yuanqing, who hadn't eaten yet, immediately sat down and asked the rabbit lady to prepare his dinner, casually inquiring, "So what happened?" He glanced at the rabbit lady again and noticed she was no different from usual, showing no particular enthusiasm. This left Zhang Yuanqing somewhat disappointed. Ling Jun picked up a asparagus stem and chewed thoughtfully. "When he was in high school, he once returned home, saying he wanted to taste authentic national dishes and see the magnificent landscapes of his homeland. I took him to Sichuan and served him a traditional old-oil hot pot." "Then?" "Then he became a jet warrior—and never mentioned trying national cuisine again." Ling Jun sighed. "What a pity," Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "He still has such embarrassing moments." "By the way, is your first Shengzhe-level quest coming up?" Ling Jun swallowed the asparagus and casually brought up a topic: "I'm about to enter a quest myself—maybe we'll meet there." "We're two levels apart; we'll definitely meet in the quest, no doubt." Zhang Yuanqing said. "Will we?" "Hmm. I remember the Lingjing has a matching system—how could a Level 4 Shengzhe possibly team up with a Level 6 Shengzhe?" Ling Jun set down his fork and knife, correcting: "The core of the matching system is difficulty, with level being secondary. There are so many Transcendent-level travelers that matches typically fall among peers of the same level. But once we reach the Shengzhe stage, the number of travelers plummets sharply, and each person enters the quest at different times. So occasionally, mismatches in level do occur. "When I was at Level 5, I experienced this—my team had three Level 6 and three Level 5 travelers. If the quest is a team-versus-team type, the opposing team's composition is usually the same." "And for team-based raids, the tasks at levels 5 and 6 are quite different." Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help recalling the example the elder Si Ji had given when introducing the Lingjing raid instances—when she was at level 2, she had joined a raid previously explored by a level 3 traveler. The level 3 travelers' task was to hunt down eight enemies who had infiltrated the forest. Her task, on the other hand, was to be one of those eight fleeing survivors, evading the deadly hunters. (Note 1) "But this situation is rather rare—I was just mentioning it casually," Ling Jun said, suddenly breaking into the smile that every man understood. "You've been staring at the kitchen maid for several moments now. Are you interested in her? Has Guan Ya failed to make you bed, and are you restless, yearning to seek out new adventures outside?" "I don't need to sneak around. Soon, they'll come to me." Zhang Yuanqing lifted his chin proudly. "Hmph! You're already showing off before you've even mastered your craft. You're still a novice, yet you're already trying to impress me, your own master." Ling Jun looked at him with clear disdain. Perhaps later you'll call me your patriarch... Zhang Yuanqing mused to himself. At that moment, the kitchen maid, holding the tray and coffee, returned and approached the table, nearly reaching Zhang Yuanqing's side—then suddenly slipped on her feet, spilling the coffee and food from the tray onto the table and onto Zhang Yuanqing himself. "Sorry, sorry, Master Yuanshi! It wasn't intentional..." The rabbit maid quickly unfolded the tablecloth, nervously wiping the stains from Zhang Yuanqing's clothes. Zhang Yuanqing had intended to say "It's nothing," but then a thought struck him. The rabbit maids at Fu Qingyang's villa were all professionally trained, and over the past several months, he had never seen one make a mistake. Could it be the effect of the Peach Blossom Scroll? Under normal circumstances, he would simply eat his meal and leave without any interaction with this beautiful kitchen maid. But now, an unexpected event had occurred—and that very unexpectedness was the intersection. With this realization, Zhang Yuanqing took the rabbit maid's wrist and spoke softly: "Do you know how much disturbance your work mishap has caused me?" The rabbit maid grew flustered, about to apologize, when Master Yuan Shi spoke in a low, sensual voice: "But since it's you, nothing matters at all. My tolerance for you is infinite." In that instant, the kitchen maid felt her most tender spot touched deeply, and she realized how beautifully Master Yuan Shi looked—his features radiating charm and allure. There was a delicate, soothing fragrance about him, one that gently stirred her soul. "Master Yuan Shi..." the rabbit maid lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, unsure of what to do next. Zhang Yuanqing continued, "I need a room to freshen up and change my clothes. I think your room would be perfect!" Hearing this, the rabbit maid's face turned as red as an apple, shyly saying, "I—I can show Master Yuan Shi there..." The attendant Ling Jun stared, wide-eyed and speechless, his expression as rigid as that of a life-sized sculpture. "But right now, I need food," Zhang Yuanqing smoothly shifted the topic. "I'll go prepare right away," the rabbit maid said, a bit disappointed, and departed. Once everyone had entered the kitchen, Ling Jun murmured, "How did you do it?" He was very familiar with the rabbit maids at Fu Qingyang's villa—highly self-assured, admiring the noble Qian公子, and showing little interest in ordinary men. Moreover, they were strictly trained so that even if they developed feelings for certain men, they would suppress their growing affection and never become romantically involved. Indeed, a rabbit maid could only begin dating after she resigned. At Fu Qingyang's level, the power struggles and factional dynamics involved were far beyond what ordinary people could imagine—his personal attendants couldn't simply step in or step out at will. Therefore, Yuan Shi's ability to stir the spring feelings of a rabbit maid, making her act beyond protocol, deeply impressed Ling Jun. "This is true charm!" Zhang Yuanqing said. "Did you use some kind of magic?" Ling Jun didn't believe. "If I used charm, wouldn't you have noticed it?" Zhang Yuanqing asked back. "I don't believe it!" Ling Jun regained his composure. "Unless you try once more and show me—yes, with someone else." This was exactly what Zhang Yuanqing had hoped to do. He stepped right out of the restaurant and just happened to see his rabbit-nymph sister, who was bending down to trim the potted plants in the living room. The rabbit-nymph had been the one to move first earlier; now, with this fresh attempt, Zhang Yuanqing wanted to see what kind of enhancement the Peach Spirit charm might bring. He immediately walked over and sighed, saying, "Flowers and people dance together—yet the person outshines the flowers!" Three years later, my contract will expire. If, by then, your sincere feelings haven't changed, I'll consider it." Zhang Yuanqing paused, surprised—how hadn't he been pursued with affection? "Very good, very good..." he offered a polite smile, then turned and walked toward the restaurant. The Peach Blossom Scroll enables me to connect with opposite-sex individuals within a certain range. If that person happens to have a favorable sentiment toward me, the matter unfolds naturally and smoothly—progress depends on the depth of that sentiment, much like Ruirui’s interest in me, which is significantly lower than that of the elegant chef. Zhang Yuanqing now has a clearer understanding of the Peach Blossom Scroll’s effectiveness. At times, it proves remarkably useful—for instance, when Guan Ya came to dine at my home last time, a Peach Blossom Scroll would have helped steady the atmosphere. Jiang Jingwei, who had done nothing but leaned her legs on the coffee table, was now being looked at by Xie Lingxi, who wore a sleek head-mounted headset around her neck. Turning her head to catch a glimpse of Jiang Jingwei dozing off at an awkward angle, with a series of "hah-hah-hah" breaths, Xie Lingxi sighed impatiently, saying, "She's so noisy. Can't you move her back to her room?" … Note 1: This example was mentioned at the beginning of the novel. Also, when characters of lower rank enter higher-ranked instances, the task difficulty is reduced—this was referenced earlier, I believe in the chapter where Taiyuan Gate issued the "Adjustment Notice for Instance Difficulty."