Chapter 53 Sweet as Honey
Chi Li began to try to stop trying to block out or deny Tang Lu's instinctive emotional fluctuations, and instead chose to clumsily accompany and guide her.
That afternoon, Tang Lu squatted under the windowsill, staring blankly at the "rainbow grass" that she had planted herself, which changed color with the light. Her little hands unconsciously stroked the grass leaves, her eyes drifting into the distance.
Chi Li put down the jade slip in her hand, walked to her side, lifted her clothes, and sat down directly on the ground, looking at the clump of grass next to her.
"What's wrong?" She deliberately slowed her speech.
Tang Lu was pulled back to her senses by her approach. She tilted her head and leaned on her arm, whispering, "Lili, it seems to be breathing."
Chi Li's gaze fell on the Rainbow Grass. With her divine sense, she could naturally "hear" the rhythm of the plant's life.
"Yes, all things have a spirit and all things have life."
"Then... if its 'breathing' stops, does that mean it's dead?" Tang Lu raised her head, her amber eyes filled with bewilderment. She was probably still affected by the invisible collective grief from before, and had become particularly sensitive to "extinction".
Chi Li remained silent for a moment.
In the past, she might have simply said "yes" to gloss over it, or directly ordered her not to think about these things.
She reached out and, mimicking her, touched the leaves of the rainbow grass with her fingertips extremely gently.
The movements, performed by the ruthless and decisive demon king, appeared particularly awkward and even somewhat stiff.
“Its life will merge into the earth.” Chi Li carefully considered her words. She had never imagined that one day she would need to explain such a basic yet profound question to someone.
She pointed to a newly sprouted, tender green shoot next to her: "Nourish new life. Look at this, it may be the continuation of that withered grass from last year."
Tang Lu looked in the direction she was pointing, and her eyes brightened slightly.
"Like...like leaves turning into soil, and then new saplings growing?"
"Mm." Chi Li nodded, feeling inexplicably relieved.
She's not good at this, but it seems... she's heading in the right direction.
"Then... that 'gone' thing that made Tang Lu feel sad before," Tang Lu suddenly brought the topic back, her little brain always seemed to be able to connect different feelings, "has it also turned into something else?"
Chi Li's body stiffened for a moment.
She couldn't tell Tang Lu the truth about Qing Linze; it was too cruel, and she was afraid Tang Lu would dislike her because of it.
She is a demon queen, and using force to solve problems is merely an instinct developed over the past ten thousand years, but in the end, she has harmed her people.
She... dared not say.
But she could no longer use lies to cover things up.
"Perhaps." She finally chose this vague but not deceptive answer, then quickly changed the subject, "But if it makes you sad, then it's not good. I don't like it."
As she spoke, she reached out and pulled Tang Lu into her arms: "You only need to remember that no matter how the world changes, as long as I am here, your life will continue forever."
This is not a love confession, but the Demon King's most basic promise based on his absolute strength.
Tang Lu was held in Chi Li's arms, the warm and powerful familiar scent lingering around her nose, and that inexplicable bewilderment seemed to have been dispelled quite a bit.
She instinctively snuggled closer to Chi Li.
"Mmm!" She nodded vigorously, and two small, golden ginkgo blossoms unconsciously appeared at the ends of her hair. "Tang Lu likes Li Li the most! Li Li is the warmest!"
Seeing her bright smile return, the heaviness in Chi Li's heart quietly dissipated.
She seemed to have figured it out a little.
There's no need to force her perception to change; simply provide her with a more solid presence and clearer direction when she becomes confused and uneasy as a result.
However, she also knew that this was not a permanent solution.
Tang Lu's spiritual consciousness is growing, and her perception of the world will become richer and deeper.
Chi Li looked down at the little tree spirit in her arms, who was chattering away again about the interesting things she had seen about ants moving house that day, and sighed softly.
Protecting her pure joy was far more demanding than expanding territory or suppressing all sides.
But I find it sweet.
At least for now, her tree spirit is happy.
As for the future... we'll deal with whatever comes our way.
Chi Li, has never feared a challenge.
Since that awkward conversation about "life, death, prosperity, and decline," Tang Lu seems to have entered a small "growth explosion period."
She was no longer content with simply nourishing flowers and plants with the essence of wood, and began to show a stronger curiosity and desire to explore everything around her that contained life.
She would squat by the pond, staring at the lively koi for half a day, trying to understand their swimming posture and the breathing of the tiny creatures in the water.
She would carefully touch the rough bark of the old tree, feeling the traces of time and the sap flowing inside.
She even developed a strong interest in the guards sent by Chi Li to protect her, who occasionally revealed their true forms to take a nap, and always wanted to reach out and touch the patterns that rose and fell with their breath.
On this day, Chi Li was reviewing memorials in the pavilion, while Tang Lu lay on the grass not far away, with several fallen leaves of different shapes and colors spread out in front of her.
She picked up a red maple leaf and then a ginkgo leaf, comparing them with a slight furrow in her brow, as if pondering why they were different and why they both fell.
After a while, she suddenly got up, ran to Chi Li's side, and tugged at her sleeve.
“Lili,” she said, holding up the ginkgo leaf with its edges already somewhat withered and curled, the one that had fallen from her original tree, “Tanglu’s leaf has fallen.”
Chi Li put down her vermilion brush, looked at the yellowed, dehydrated leaf in her hand, and then at Tang Lu.
The little guy's face showed no sadness, only an eagerness to explore his new discovery.
“Yes, as the seasons change, you also need to metabolize.” Chi Li used a word that she thought Tang Lu could understand.
Tang Lu seemed to understand but not quite. She looked down at her little hands, then touched her still-green hair, and asked in confusion, "But Tang Lu hasn't lost any leaves, has she?"
Her human form seems to be out of sync with the cycle of growth and decay of the tree itself.
Chi Li paused for a moment, then explained:
You have taken human form, transcending the laws of mortal wood.
The shedding of leaves is a way for the plant to accumulate strength, waiting for new buds to sprout in spring.
For you, this is also part of your spiritual practice.
This explanation seemed a bit too profound for Tang Lu.
She blinked her big eyes, thought for a long time, and finally came to a conclusion:
So, the leaf fell not because it died, but because... it went to sleep?
So that new, more beautiful leaves will grow in the future?
Chili: "..."
Although the metaphors are naive, the core message is surprisingly fitting.
She nodded slightly: "That's one way to understand it."
Tang Lu immediately cheered, as if she had solved a huge problem.
She held the fallen leaf in her palm like a precious treasure: "Then Tanglu must keep them all safe! Wait until they 'wake up'!"
She ran back to the meadow and began to carefully collect all the leaves that had fallen from her own tree, smoothing them out one by one and stacking them neatly. Her solemn manner made it seem as if she were handling some precious treasure rather than dealing with withered leaves.
Chi Li watched her busy little figure, her eyes flickering slightly.
Her little tree spirit is understanding and accepting the cycle of life in her own way.
She was not saddened by the falling leaves; instead, she found in them the meaning of "hope" and "new life".
This is perhaps the most authentic and healthiest form of growth.
My previous worries seem to have been somewhat unnecessary.
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