Chapter 43 Don't even think about getting a reward.
As the morning sunlight, tinged with a rosy hue, gradually became clearer, the clouds on the horizon were edged with gold. Morax checked the time and went to wake Qiao Xi. He came to Qiao Xi's bedside, squatted down, and pulled back the curtains. When the curtains were pulled back, Qiao Xi's sleeping face quietly appeared before Morax's eyes.
He lowered his eyes slightly, a hint of tenderness in them. He didn't wake her immediately. She was like a rabbit; the contrast between her recent desperate attempts to memorize her lessons and her current quiet and obedient state was striking. Morax couldn't help but smile. He began to wonder what kind of life she had led during the eighteen years she had existed in this world.
Countless eighteen years have passed in his life, and this is her first eighteen years. There will be a second, a third, and so on. Will Qiao Xi be as bright and lively as she is now, or will she be more composed? Morax doesn't know, and he's not sure if he'll ever know. The wars in Liyue are becoming increasingly frequent, and several demon gods are more restless than ever before, all eyeing the area he guards with covetous intent.
Morax knew that although his strength far surpassed theirs, he was helpless against the sheer number of demons, both large and small. He could not protect the innocent while wiping them all out in one fell swoop. Thus, it was like a light, persistent cold, easy to treat but time-consuming.
He had been fighting like this for a long time. Occasionally, when he had some free time, he would stop at places like Mount Ozo to admire the scenery or have a cup of tea with Liu Yun and others.
Countless eighteen years have passed in the blink of an eye, yet now he feels that these eighteen years with Qiao Xi have been incredibly long, so long that he can't possibly know a single detail of them. He is like a stone that is still oblivious to the world, yet he can feel his heart trembling slightly because of her.
When did it start?
Morax was unable to draw a clear line between his emotions.
He imitated the immortals who moved clouds and shifted the sky, and softly called out, "Xiao Xi."
Qiao Xi's sleepy eyes twitched slightly; she was sleeping too soundly to wake up.
Morax smiled slightly, then mimicked Jinlan and called her, "Little Qiaoxi."
Xiao Qiaoxi is still not awake.
Morax's smile faded, blending into the depths of his eyes, becoming a look that revealed its meaning.
He reached out and pinched Qiao Xi's cheek, then pressed his thumb against her lips, and finally leaned down to give her a gentle kiss.
"Qiao Xi, is it time to get up? It's already very late."
His voice was very soft.
But the phrase "it's late" seemed to be a curse etched into Qiao Xi's bones. As soon as Morax finished speaking, she sat up unexpectedly like a spring, and Morax was caught off guard and hit on the forehead by her.
Forces act in pairs.
Qiao Xi felt a sudden "thud," and her forehead jolted. She clutched her forehead, "Ouch!"
Morax frowned, staring at her with a helpless expression.
Qiao Xi, still half asleep, said, "Are we going to be late? I'm skipping breakfast!"
Morax: "You..."
After seeing Morax's face clearly, Qiao Xi, who was still half asleep, realized that she was no longer in her world and that she had already graduated. Even if she woke up late in the morning, there would be no director blocking the door to give her a demerit.
But suddenly recalling that moment, it was really quite frightening. Qiao Xi wiped her forehead and smiled at Morax: "It's so good to see you."
Morax pinched her cheek: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Qiao Xi: "You don't understand this feeling of being dominated by morning self-study."
Morax didn't understand. He told Qiao Xi, "Go wash your face," and then began practicing his skills.
Qiao Xi: "Molacs, why do you give me the feeling that you want me to master everything right away since you came back this time?"
Morax paused for a moment, looked into Qiao Xi's eyes, and said seriously, "The opportunity to become an immortal is not easy to come by. If you can master it as soon as possible, you can protect yourself in any situation in the future."
Qiao Xi frowned slightly; it turned out Morax was worried about her.
She said, "I understand."
Although Morax is very powerful, Qiao Xi knows that he can't protect her forever, so it's important for her to hone her own skills.
Knowing something is one thing, doing it is another. Just like Qiao Xi, who made countless meticulous study plans for herself, but in the end she could never complete them. She would even tear up the plan sheet and flush it down the toilet because she was too ashamed to face the blank paper with the plan printed on it.
Even now, the thought of practicing martial arts makes her sigh.
She sat on the bed, and Morax squatted beside her. Qiao Xi stared at him for a while, then suddenly reached out and cupped Morax's cheeks, squeezing them together.
Morax didn't say anything and let her do as she pleased.
Qiao Xi looked into his eyes.
Morax looked at her too, assuming she wanted to kiss him. After all, the girl had brought up kissing him several times since he came back yesterday, and he didn't intend to refuse this time.
Just as Morax was waiting for Qiao Xi to take the initiative, Qiao Xi bumped her forehead against his again, and then put her hand down.
Morax, puzzled, asked her, "What are you doing?"
Qiao Xi: "I'll get my revenge on you."
Morax laughed: "So, you intend to get revenge on Morax this way?"
Qiao Xi nodded: "It's revenge on Morax for dragging me up to practice my skills."
Morax reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her head. He ruffled her hair for a while and said, "Then Morax accepts your revenge."
*
Qiao Xi got out of bed. She was so tired last night that she fell asleep fully clothed. When she woke up this morning, she didn't need to change her clothes. When she put on her shoes, she was surprised to find that they had been arranged neatly.
She looked at Morax and felt he was really nice.
Qiao Xi's hair was a mess, but she didn't care. With her hair all over the place, she asked Morax, "Want to come together? There are new cups, toothbrushes, and towels in the bathroom. I can generously give them to you."
Morax nodded: "Thank you for your generosity."
Qiao Xi also pretended to be mature and waved her hand: "Oh, it's only right, it's only right. Remember to share half with me when you get rich in the future."
Morax casually tidied her messy hair and said, "Here, take it all."
The two walked out of the house and into the yard. When they reached the bathroom door, Qiao Xi pushed it open and saw her underwear, which she had changed out of after showering the night before, still hanging there. Her face suddenly flushed, and she quickly turned to look at Morax behind her. Unfortunately, Morax's gaze had just fallen on her clothes when he frowned slightly and looked down at her.
The two outfits were a vibrant peach-pink color, standing out in the predominantly light-colored bathroom, no wonder Morax spotted them at a glance.
Qiao Xi smiled awkwardly, then looked up at Morax and said, "Why don't you go out first?"
Morax coughed lightly and nodded: "Okay."
He turned and left decisively, and even thoughtfully closed the door for Qiao Xi.
After Morax left, Qiao Xi finally stopped smiling awkwardly. She scratched her head frantically and hopped around to tidy up her clothes, saying as she did so, "Ugh, so embarrassing, so embarrassing."
But she quickly comforted herself by saying, "What's the big deal? Does Morax not wear underwear? It's perfectly normal. There's no need to feel ashamed."
Qiao Xi was unaware that her bathroom was not soundproof at all, and Morax, who was standing outside the door, could hear everything clearly, which made him quite helpless.
*
After Qiao Xi finished tidying up, she opened the door and smiled at Morax: "Okay."
As she spoke, she handed Morax a new set of toiletries.
Morax looked at the pink towel and pink cup in his hand, smiled, tapped her on the head, and accepted.
After going inside, the two stood by the mirror. Qiao Xi squeezed some toothpaste onto Morax toothpaste and explained, "I learned how to make it from Master Liu Yun before. It was a bit of a failure. Apart from the taste not being very good, the cleaning effect is still very good."
After saying that, Qiao Xi squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush, put it in her mouth, and looked in the mirror to brush her teeth carefully.
Morax glanced at her, then put it in his mouth as well. The icy, spicy taste instantly filled his head, and he choked a little. He frowned slightly and looked at Qiao Xi beside him, who continued brushing her teeth without changing her expression.
Feeling Morax watching her, she turned her head, looked at Morax, blinked, and mumbled, "You'll get used to it."
Morax sighed helplessly. Since the girl was used to it, why shouldn't he be? So he gritted his teeth and finished brushing his teeth, enduring the smell he didn't like.
Once everything was ready, Qiao Xi looked at the cups and towels she and Morax had placed together, and felt a strange little thrill in her heart.
Just as she was lost in thought, Morax walked up behind her and placed his hand on her hair.
Qiao Xi saw Morax in the mirror and asked, "What are you doing?"
Morax picked up a comb from the side: "I'll braid your hair."
Qiao Xi turned her head curiously after hearing this. Her hair was being pulled in Morax's hand, and she hissed in pain.
Morax pressed her head down with one hand and turned it back to her: "Don't move."
Qiao Xi looked at Morax in the mirror and smiled, "Okay."
Morax looked at her and smiled.
As she ran her hand through her hair, Qiao Xi felt a slight itch.
Morax didn't braid her hair into the pigtails she usually wore; he simply tied her hair into a high ponytail.
Morax turned her around, reached out and fiddled with the stray hairs on her forehead, and said very seriously, "Beautiful."
Qiao Xi looked at Morax, who was still wearing gloves. She looked at Morax again; his shirt was buttoned up to his collar, so that only half of his neck was visible. He was completely covered up, meticulous in every detail.
“Morax,” she suddenly said.
"What?" Morax looked down at her.
"What reward will you give me after I'm done shaping?"
Morax pressed his finger against her lower lip, watching the color disperse and then gather again. He asked, "What do you want?"
Qiao Xi smiled.
Morax sensed that she wasn't up to any good intentions again.
Qiao Xi said, "I want to see what you look like without clothes."
Morax paused, looking at Qiao Xi with a complicated expression, before finally pinching her cheek hard: "Don't even think about it."
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Author's note: See you tomorrow.
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