Chapter 34 Cause and Effect: Damp Fog and Incense
"So this is New Year's money?" Qiao Xi asked Morax, fiddling with the two gold coins in her hand.
“You could think of it that way.” Morax walked to her side with his hands behind his back, looked down at her, and said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”
Qiao Xi paused, recalling the journey just now. It seemed that she had been following Morax, and Morax's direction had always been her bamboo garden.
So from the beginning, Morax's only purpose was to send her back?
Suddenly, Qiao Xi took a step forward, put the gold coins in her pocket, looked up at Morax, and the wind blew the stray hairs on both sides of her head in the same direction. She said, "Morax, you must promise me that no matter when you leave, you must tell me, because if you don't come to find me, it feels like I can't find you."
She spoke with excessive sincerity, her eyes were so direct, so undisguised, that there was not a single ulterior motive in them, but rather an indescribable, subtle dependence on the person in front of her.
Looking at her now, Morax suddenly remembered the day he practiced swordsmanship with her by the river, when they passed by that strawberry patch, and she heard Qianyan Junjinlan's expression after he left without saying goodbye.
She couldn't find him, but she seemed unaware that she depended on him, which was why she showed such a worried look at this moment?
Morax thought to himself.
He nodded, then looked down at her and said, "The contract is complete, Qiao Xi, I promised you."
Qiao Xi didn't respond immediately, but she still blinked and smiled. She knew that Morax was a man of his word.
“Morax, you’re so nice,” Qiao Xi said after a while.
Morax looked into Qiao Xi's eyes. The wind was stronger at night than during the day. Morax didn't consider himself to have a particularly good temper, but he could be considered quite stable. However, at this moment, he felt that the wind was a bit noisy, so noisy that it was not easy for him to calm down.
He nodded slightly and said to Qiao Xi, "It's good that you know. Let's go."
Qiao Xi nodded vigorously: "Let's go!"
"Um."
*
As they walked up the mountain path, Qiao Xi couldn't help but skip and hop ahead, seemingly in a very good mood.
Morax followed steadily behind, watching Qiao Xi, who was dressed in a puffy manner. She never wore the cloak he had given her, only her own bright red cape, which suited her youthful appearance.
Morax's lips curled up slightly.
*
In front of the bamboo garden, Qiao Xi said goodbye to Morax. Just as Morax was about to leave, she hesitated and called out to him.
"Morax".
Morax stopped and asked her, "Is there anything else?"
His tone remained calm as he stood facing the wind, his tall frame forming a temporary haven. Qiao Xi stood within it, her eyes clear and innocent.
She smiled at Morax and said, "I gave you the safety amulet because I know you're always fighting on the front lines. I saw the scene when I first arrived. Even though I know you're very capable, I still hope you're safe and sound, and that you won't get hurt at all."
Morax lowered his eyes, his amber pupils seemingly holding countless unfathomable thoughts, yet ultimately appearing so calm.
He looked at Qiao Xi, raised his left hand adorned with a safety buckle, paused in mid-air for a moment, and then suddenly tapped her head lightly, the sound of jade clashing against jade being soft and crisp.
Morax didn't speak; he smiled slightly, then turned and left with his hands behind his back.
Qiao Xi stood there, rubbing the spot on her head where Morax had hit her. Watching Morax's figure gradually disappear into the distance, she smiled unconsciously.
*
After returning to the house, Qiao Xi sat by the window. Thanks to Morax's reinforcement, the house was much warmer, and after she turned on the light and moved around a bit, it got a little hot.
Qiao Xi opened the window a crack, took off her cloak, put on her coat, untangled her hair, and grabbed her pajamas to go out for a shower. She put the gold coins Morax had given her on the table, but when she returned, she found they were gone. Just then, a treasure-stealing weasel jumped out of the window through the crack.
Qiao Xi had heard the villagers down the mountain talk about the treasure-stealing weasel. It is an animal that likes to steal valuable things. It lives in underground burrows, and once something is taken away, it is very difficult to get it back.
Other things aside, that was given to her by Morax.
In her haste, Qiao Xi didn't even bother to put on her clothes. She pushed open the window, braced herself against the windowsill with one hand, and jumped out. The treasure-stealing weasel was extremely fast, and she chased after it relentlessly.
Because she had just taken a shower and was wearing slippers, she didn't run as fast as usual and was quickly lost in the fields on the way down the mountain.
The night dew began to condense, and Qiao Xi sneezed several times from the cold. She walked aimlessly across the fields, the cold wind making her nightgown flutter. The fields were empty, with only a few lonely stars hanging in the sky.
"You damn weasel, where did you run off to?!"
Qiao Xi was panting heavily, her breath condensing into a thin mist. She was bent over, supporting her knees, looking utterly helpless.
She lost the gold coins Morax had given her.
Not long ago, Morax's smiling face appeared in her mind frame by frame. Qiao Xi pounded her leg hard, stood up, and continued her aimless search.
Everything happened so suddenly that it felt like an illusion, but the feeling of being frozen was real, and her body ached terribly.
What should we do?
She chased the treasure-stealing weasel all the way down the mountain, far from the Bamboo Garden. Perhaps she should go back, but if she went back, all hope would be lost.
As the wind around her grew stronger, Qiao Xi, whether from the cold or sadness, began to cry softly.
It was embarrassing to cry, but she couldn't help it.
Just then, an aged voice came from behind her: "Little girl."
Qiao Xi hurriedly wiped away her tears, turned around, and saw an old woman standing in front of her. Qiao Xi was stunned for a moment, and asked, "Grandma? Are you lost? Where do you live? I'll take you home."
"What a good child, just like that child." The old lady smiled, her eyes narrowed.
"That child?" Qiao Xi sneezed as the wind blew.
"It's late at night, it will be very cold," the old woman looked up, her white hair fluttering in the wind, her eyes bright and piercing. She said, "Child, have you lost something?"
“Yes, it’s two gold coins,” Qiao Xi said.
“Gold coins, those are very precious things,” the old woman said. “But it seems you care more about the person who gave you the gift, don’t you?”
Qiao Xi did not deny it.
The old woman continued, "Treasure-stealing weasels are hard to find, but I, this old woman, have experience dealing with these guys."
Qiao Xi stared at her blankly: "How did you know it was a treasure-stealing weasel?"
"Because you appeared here."
The old woman picked up a twig, looked at Qiao Xi, and tapped it on the ground a few times. Suddenly, a treasure-stealing weasel appeared, carrying two gold coins in its mouth. It obediently curled up in front of the old woman.
The old woman had a kind face. She bent down, took the gold coin from the treasure-stealing weasel's mouth, and handed it to Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi looked at the still-warm gold coin in her hand, then looked up at the old woman in front of her. Memories began to replay, from the stolen gold coin to the suddenly appearing old woman, and the treasure-stealing weasel that seemed to know the old woman very well...
After considering all this, Qiao Xi calmed down. She frowned and asked, "Grandma, who are you?"
The old woman smiled kindly, but said something completely irrelevant: "Qiao Xi, by interfering in other people's cause and effect, you are both the cause and the effect."
Qiao Xi froze: "You know my name?"
The night wind howled, but the old woman's expression remained unchanged. She seemed not to have heard Qiao Xi's question and continued speaking to herself:
"If you change the cause, you also change the effect."
Qiao Xi frowned as she looked at her. Suddenly, as if a needle had pierced her mind, she asked cautiously, "Do you know why I came here?"
The old woman seemed to hear these words and smiled slightly: "Qiao Xi, you ask me who I am. I am in the story, yet I am not in the story, or rather, I am in another world. I appeared because of his intentions and handed over the cause and effect to you."
Qiao Xi was stunned. Suddenly, her vision blurred and her eyes became foggy. When she could see her surroundings clearly again, the old lady had disappeared.
Qiao Xi looked down at the two gold coins in her hand, wondering what kind of riddle this person was.
A gust of wind blew by, and she shivered from the cold. She looked up at Tianheng Mountain, where she lived, so high up.
Qiao Xi clutched the gold coins tightly, wrapped her clothes tightly around herself, and ran back to the bamboo garden.
*
Back in the house, Qiao Xi hid the gold coins and quickly crawled under the covers. She covered herself for a long time, but she was still cold; she felt completely frozen.
That night, she began to have a fever and felt dizzy.
Around five in the morning, Morax came to see her as usual, but as he stood outside the door, he sensed something was wrong.
Morax pushed open the door. The room was pitch black, and the air was thick with the lingering, stuffy scent of the girl who had slept all night.
It has a slight fragrance.
He frowned, as if he heard a few uncomfortable groans coming from the direction of the bed.
"Qiao Xi," Morax called out.
Qiao Xi did not respond to him.
Morax stretched out his hand, and rock elemental energy condensed in his palm, emitting a light that faintly illuminated the area. He strode into the room, heading towards Qiao Xi's bed.
He lit the lamp beside him, his gaze falling on the bed curtains, but when his fingers touched the curtains to pull them open, he hesitated.
There was another uncomfortable groan from inside the bed, clearly audible through the thin curtains.
Finally, Morax closed his eyes slightly, sighed, and pulled back the curtain.
With a rustling sound, Morax looked down and saw Qiao Xi's hair disheveled and tangled between the pillow and the blanket. Her nightgown was too big and pale pink, unlike the bright cloak she always wore. She was frowning uncomfortably, and her face was slightly flushed.
Morax frowned, squatted down, and softly called out, "Qiao Xi?"
Qiao Xi seemed to have heard it. She turned over in the direction of Morax, her collar falling down with the movement, and her hair slipping down to cover part of her face, sticking to her neck. Her hair was damp with sweat, and she still kept her eyes closed uncomfortably.
Moraxton paused, then reached out and gently placed his hand on Qiao Xi's forehead.
She's very hot; how did she get a fever?
When we parted yesterday, she was still so lively, smiling and saying she hoped he would be safe.
Seemingly sensing the coolness of Morax's hand, Qiao Xi's brows relaxed slightly. She actually took her hand out from under the covers and slowly, greedily and aggressively, grasped Morax's hand that was covering her forehead.
Morax paused slightly, wanting to remove his hand, but ultimately let her have it.
Qiao Xi moved forward and pulled Morax's hand down, unexpectedly rubbing it gently with her mouth.
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Author's note: See you tomorrow.
I've finished 90% of the writing for the next chapter, and I'll keep updating daily!!
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