Chapter 34 The kitten: "It doesn't like me."
Xie Yihong came to clean up the mess in the end.
The three of them sneaked back, laughing wildly on the deserted path at night.
"Hahahaha!" Cui Mingcan laughed until tears streamed down his face, supporting Cen Ying so hard he couldn't straighten up. "Hahahaha, this is so satisfying! My revenge is complete! Hmph, tomorrow no one will remember my embarrassing moments, hahahaha, all I'll remember is him crying for his mother, hahahahaha..."
Bai Yuheng smacked him on the head and said, "Behave yourself, don't let anyone hear you."
"I never imagined that Liao Mingyuan, who seemed so arrogant, was actually so compassionate?" Cen Ying wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "He admired his senior brother, but secretly harbored feelings for his senior sister. In the end, his senior brother and senior sister became Daoist partners... Tsk tsk, he even said something like 'The three of us can live together.' He's such a pitiful person..."
Cui Mingcan snorted: "What kind of universal love is this?"
Cui Mingcan wanted to say a few more sarcastic remarks to him, but Bai Yuheng stopped him.
"Alright, be careful, walls have ears. Now that you've gotten your revenge, he's been humiliated, and you've had your fun, go back and get some rest. You have to get up early to go down the mountain tomorrow!" Bai Yuheng pointed to the figure walking by in the distance and reminded him, patting Cui Mingcan on the shoulder and teasing him, "This is just a small lesson for him, but if you fail to defeat him after the mission, you'll be the one who loses face."
Cui Mingcan's face fell, and he couldn't help but explode in frustration: "Why did you guys make a bet with him?!"
Bai Yuheng laughed and shook her head at his impotent rage: "I've seen the video of your match. You could have defeated him with your Enlightenment move, but your foundation is still shallow. You only train sporadically, which is why you fell for his trick."
Even the greatest talent is useless without hard work. Bai Yuheng thought to herself, at least let him prove himself and not waste this exceptional talent. She had always cherished and valued talent.
"Practice hard, at least in my opinion," Bai Yuheng encouraged him like a loving mother, "you are more talented than him." And you are extremely lucky.
She didn't say that.
After all, there are very few people who can accidentally obtain a cultivation technique and then accidentally break through the formation with their Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Bai Yuheng only wanted to encourage this chosen one.
"Really?!"
It's obvious they've taken the bait.
Cui Mingcan's eyes lit up, his face full of anticipation for her approval.
"Of course."
Cui Mingcan instantly became incredibly energetic, as if he'd been injected with adrenaline: "Alright! Starting tomorrow, I'll definitely train hard!"
Bai Yuheng and Cen Ying exchanged a glance and laughed.
"Alright, Master Cui, I wish you a speedy breakthrough in your cultivation!"
The three of them burst into laughter.
The next day.
When Bai Yuheng finished washing up, Li Tiankuo and Cen Ying were already waiting outside.
Why are you here so early?
“It’s getting late!” Cen Ying pulled her along and laughed. “Besides, he and I are here to keep an eye on Cui Mingcan.”
"Cui Mingcan?"
Cen Ying nodded, "Yeah! Look."
She looked in the direction she was pointing, and sure enough, Cui Mingcan was already there, carrying a package on his back, muttering to himself, and gesturing with his hands.
"That's great!" Bai Yuheng walked over and praised without reservation, "You're a promising young man."
Cui Mingcan chuckled, then said seriously, "No, I'm going to be a master of formations!"
Cen Ying couldn't help but chuckle.
Cui Mingcan glanced over and asked, "What? You don't believe me?"
"Believe it, believe it, believe it!" Cen Ying grabbed him. "Let's go, Master Cui! If we don't leave now, we'll be missing Liao Mingyuan for ages!"
"Huh? He just made a fool of himself last night. I thought he would hide for a few days!" Cui Mingcan exclaimed in shock.
"After regaining consciousness, they didn't even wait until dawn; they slunk down the mountain long ago."
"Ah!?" Cui Mingcan's pupils widened. He quickly packed his things and hurried ahead. "Hurry, hurry! We can't be slower than him!"
“Look at him,” Cen Ying said disdainfully, holding Bai Yuheng’s hand. “He only runs away after being whipped.”
Bai Yuheng burst out laughing.
If it only runs after being whipped, isn't it a donkey or a horse?
Cui Mingcan had walked quite a distance when, as if by telepathy, he turned back to see the two of them laughing heartily. He frowned and shouted, "You two are talking bad about me again!!!"
That idiot has really sharp ears.
Bai Yuheng quickly explained, "No, no, I misheard you!"
Cui Mingcan muttered something to himself, staring at them with a questioning look in his eyes.
My face clearly showed my disbelief.
The three of them walked to the foot of Wangxian Mountain, laughing and joking.
A figure stood beneath a pear tree amidst falling petals, tall and elegant, dressed in white with flowing black hair, his robes billowing in the wind, like a banished immortal, as if he were about to fly away with the wind at any moment.
Bai Yuheng asked in surprise, "Master, what are you doing here?"
Pei Yuan turned around.
His indifferent gaze swept over the others, finally settling on her, like ice and snow melting into gentle spring water.
He spoke slowly, "I've come to join you, to join all of you."
His gaze swept over the other three, lingering a moment longer on Li Tiankuo.
Bai Yuheng walked over and stood with him under the tree.
Don't you want me?
Her voice was soft and fragile as she whispered her question.
His gaze was fragile and pitiful. For some reason, Bai Yuheng hallucinated the pitiful and pleading look on his face on the day she died.
"..."
Of course not!
This time, she could use Bai Yuheng's voice to say it: "Yes, yes, yes!!!"
She was completely powerless against the way he looked at her.
However, she spoke too quickly, and Bai Yuheng felt awkward for a moment.
Pei Yuan was satisfied with her answer and became serious: "I have already discussed it with the other elders. All four of you are novices and may not be very familiar with this kind of mission, so I will accompany you throughout the process. There is no need to feel pressured. Just treat me as," he paused, "as a friend."
Bai Yuheng hesitated, glancing at her three friends: "But they are not familiar with you, Master, and I'm afraid you won't feel comfortable among them." Actually, Bai Yuheng was more worried about the three of them not feeling comfortable.
Besides, if he spends every day with her, wouldn't her identity be exposed? They were the people who knew each other best before, and they still are now.
Pei Yuan's lips turned down slightly, and he didn't insist on forcing her to agree.
"good."
After he finished speaking, he handed her the things he was holding.
"This is the armor left behind by you, by your grandmaster, the Emperor." He waved his sleeve, and the armor was put on her. "Let it protect you on your journey."
"Thank you, Master." Bai Yuheng cupped her hands and happily touched the armor on her body, its shape faintly appearing as she touched it.
Pei Yuan smiled and nodded: "Go ahead."
Bai Yuheng caught up with their group and waved goodbye to him as the sun rose.
She has a bright and beautiful appearance.
Pei Yuan's smile slowly faded, his lips flattened, and his dark eyes became deep and unfathomable.
He will never leave her side again.
Absolutely not!
*
“The three of us will each be responsible for leading the way for one day.” Li Tiankuo opened the map and pointed to the place they were going to. The three of them tacitly deprived Bai Yuheng of her right to lead the way, so Bai Yuheng could only squat down and draw circles on the side, listening to their arrangements.
"The compass is now pointing to Jiangzhou, which is our nearest city."
“I know this place well!” Cui Mingcan interjected. “I live in Jiangzhou!”
Li Tiankuo glanced at him and continued, "Yu Chen County of Huai Prefecture, which is next to Jiang Prefecture."
“I know Huaizhou well too; my maternal family lives there.” Cui Mingcan patted his chest. “Once you come to Huaijiang Prefecture, I guarantee you’ll be so happy you won’t want to leave!”
Cen Ying couldn't help but tease him: "Do you still remember your bet? You're still having so much fun you don't want to leave. Get back to work! Don't embarrass yourself and end up crying later!"
Cui Mingcan retorted angrily, "I didn't cry!"
He was so loud that Cen Ying covered her ears and said disdainfully, "Okay, okay, you weren't crying. It was just a kitten that came into your room, meowing and whimpering."
"..." Cui Mingcan held his breath, his cheeks turning red.
Bai Yuheng smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, alright, let's see which route is shorter."
After saying that, the four of them carefully looked at the road again.
Meow~
"Hmm? Where did that sound come from?" Cui Mingcan, with his sharp ears, craned his head and scanned his surroundings.
Cen Ying also looked up and thought he was making a fuss over nothing.
"No way! Listen carefully."
After saying that, he pressed his head down and continued listening to Li Tiankuo's plan.
Meow~
Meow~
"Meow meow meow~"
“There really is a sound!” Cui Mingcan stood up and looked around for the source of the sound.
"It's a kitten!"
Cen Ying, with her sharp eyes, spotted a small kitten with a milky white belly and a light gray back, stuck in a mud puddle, weakly howling a few times.
"I told you I didn't hear wrong!" Cui Mingcan retorted as he quickly ran to the mud pit and pulled the kitten out of the mud.
"What an adorable kitten."
Bai Yuheng cast a cleansing spell, and the mud stuck to the kitten was washed away, leaving it spotless.
"Judging from its listless appearance, it must have been out in the wild for a long time. Let's feed it some of the dry food and water we bought this morning," Bai Yuheng suggested, scratching the kitten's chin.
Cen Ying touched the kitten all over to make sure there were no injuries, and that it was just weak because it was hungry and thirsty.
The four quickly took out all the dry food they had on them, considered what the kitten could eat, soaked the biscuits until soft, and fed it to the kitten with the water.
"Look how cute it is to eat with its eyes half-closed!"
Cui Mingcan's heart melted at the sight.
"Is this a stray cat?" Cui Mingcan looked around. "Why hasn't the adult cat come looking for the kitten after it's been outside for so long?"
“It’s not a stray cat; there are marks on its neck from wearing a collar,” Cen Ying said, recounting what she had just carefully examined.
"So it was abandoned?"
Bai Yuheng looked at the mud pit: "There is water in the mud pit. It must have fallen in by accident while trying to get a drink. With its small size, it couldn't get out and could only sink deeper and deeper."
The mud pit wasn't very big to begin with; even a slightly larger cat could jump out of it.
Li Tiankuo walked around and came back, saying, "There's cat poop around here. It looks like it's been around for a long time."
"so……"
The four of them fell silent.
They weren't going on a picnic; they were looking for the Square Mirror. They were bound to encounter dangers along the way, and taking this kitten with them would make it even more perilous.
But they certainly can't leave it in the wild any longer.
“Let’s take it with us,” Bai Yuheng said. “When we get to the village, we can see if anyone wants it and give it to them for adoption.”
Li Tiankuo nodded in agreement: "I think it's feasible."
"Let's make a happy decision then!" Cen Ying said, making the final decision.
Cui Mingcan hugged the kitten and cheered, "Great! We'll have company on the road now!"
Cen Ying tugged at his ear, telling him to watch out like a kitten: "Aren't we all just company?"
"Cen Xiaoying, you're distorting the facts! You're inciting hatred!"
The two started arguing again.
Bai Yuheng smiled helplessly, picked up the kitten, and soothed it intermittently.
Perhaps having eaten and drunk something, the kitten regained its strength. It carefully raised its head, its dark green eyes looking at her. Its pink tongue, with soft little barbs, licked her fingertips, and then rubbed its head against her.
Bai Yuheng: "..."
"Should we give the kitten a name? We can't just call it 'kitten' forever, can we?"
The two children, who had been playfully fighting, ran over excitedly and said, "Let's call her Cui Xiaoguo!"
Cen Ying pushed him aside: "Why should I take your surname?!"
“The kitten I found will take my surname.” Cui Mingcan carefully and gently picked up one of the kitten’s legs, looked down, and said, “It’s a boy!”
"..."
Cen Ying was speechless: "Is this how you behave?"
"I think she should be called Cen Xiao Kui!" Cen Ying suggested, her eyes shining brightly. "She's as beautiful and aspiring as a sunflower!"
“How can a boy be given a girl’s name?!” Cui Mingcan was the first to object.
The two started arguing again.
Seeing Li Tiankuo staring intently at the kitten, Bai Yuheng smiled and asked, "Want to pet it?"
"Yes." Before he even realized what the question was asking, Li Tiankuo had already subconsciously agreed, lowering his head shyly, a blush spreading across his ears.
"Give."
Bai Yuheng handed it to him.
"..."
Li Tiankuo held his breath and reached out to rub it.
For some reason, the kitten, which had been docile, suddenly seemed to sense danger, bristled, and bared its teeth at Li Tiankuo.
"..."
Bai Yuheng quickly hugged the kitten tighter, afraid it would scratch her.
Li Tiankuo looked somewhat aggrieved and said in a low voice, "It doesn't like me."
Bai Yuheng didn't know how to comfort him; of the four, Li Tiankuo reacted strongly to touching the kitten.
She said, "Maybe you're too cold, and the kitten thinks you're fierce. Why don't you smile more?"
She offered her sincere advice.
Li Tiankuo: "..."
He pursed his lips and shook his head: "I can't laugh."
"..."
He said it in a serious tone, and this time Bai Yuheng fell silent.
"It's okay, the kitten will get used to it."
With that, he told the two who were fighting fiercely to pack their things and set off.
"Call her Cui Xiaoguo!"
"Call her Cen Xiao Kui!"
"Cui Xiaoguo!"
"Cen Xiao Kui!"
"Little Fruit!"
"Xiao Kui!"
...
The two argued all the way, but couldn't reach a conclusion.
As the argument raged on, they arrived at Yu Chen County.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Note: The administrative divisions here are fictional, divided into prefectures, states, counties, and districts.
Hoping for a good ranking again! [Sunglasses] [Laughing] [Sunglasses]
I highly recommend my buddy's story~ The "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" trope is super exciting! [Sprinkling flowers][Starry eyes]
The Third Sunset (by Ting Heng)
Jian Jia accompanied Zhou Yan to watch the sunset three times.
It wasn't about romance or anything; it just happened to be her.
She was the daughter of his father's friend and also his childhood sweetheart.
Friends gathering, during the games.
Zhou Yan leaned back in his chair, his eyelids drooping casually, and said nonchalantly, "We know each other so well that I wouldn't have any romantic feelings for her."
Amidst the clamor of those who were merely watching the spectacle, Jian Jia smiled wryly, "Coincidentally, me too."
As she lowered her head to drink water, her eyes secretly welled up with tears.
The third sunset.
She stood silently in place, the evening breeze caressing her face, watching his tall figure gradually disappear into the distance. Years of unrequited love vanished with the wind, arriving silently and ending completely unnoticed.
Letting go and finding peace can happen in an instant.
Later, Jian Jia prepared to leave Beicheng, with no fixed return date.
Zhou Yan rushed over upon hearing the news and asked, "Jiajia, is it alright if we don't leave?"
Jian Jia calmly shook her head and smiled at him, "Zhou Yan, goodbye."
-
Zhou Yan comes from a wealthy family, is arrogant and willful, and is used to boring romances, so he scoffs at love.
When I was a child, a friend jokingly asked, "You always boss Jian Jia around. Aren't you afraid she'll dislike you and stop playing with you?"
At that time, he rested his chin on his hand, not taking it to heart.
"She won't hate me, and she'll never leave me."
Until later—
Reality slapped him hard in the face.
Jian Jia left completely, never looking back.
He belatedly realized his mistake and devoted himself entirely to winning her back, while she simply watched him silently through the rain, holding an umbrella between them.
"Go back, Zhou Yan, I don't like you."
Her voice was calm, its coolness blending into my ears like a gentle knife, "Our relationship is the kind where I won't have any feelings for you."
"Though your love is deep, it is ill-timed."
They really are childhood sweethearts, haha.
But he still ended up in a "wife-chasing hell" situation.
Unrequited love becomes reality, both are virgins.
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