Niu Niu is gone, and Pudding is gone too. The two little ones usually go out to play together and don't spend much time at home, but when they leave, the house feels so empty.
Niu Niu's little house is still there on the desk, the door is not closed. Its owner just went out temporarily and will never come back.
There's a little dress that Ruan Bei started working on in the drawer. It only needs one last bow belt to finish. Last night, Niu Niu was still on the balcony watching Ruan Bei sew the little dress for her.
Ruan Bei sat at the table and raised his hand to cover his face.
"The ghost messenger said we'll see each other again, so just think of it as sending the child to boarding school," Qin Gu said gently, patting his head.
Ruan Bei covered her face, her voice slightly nasal: "Isn't this what I was saying to Niu Niu's mother? Why don't you ever say anything new?"
When he took Niu Niu to school with him, Zhou Linlin was reluctant to part with her, and this is how he persuaded her.
"Whether it's new or not, as long as it works well, that's fine," Qin Gu said.
"Alright then." Ruan Bei rubbed his face and said sullenly, "I still need to tell Niu Niu's mother that she's pregnant. I don't want to upset her, so let's wait until she gives birth before we talk about it."
Qin Gu pulled up a chair and sat down next to him, wiping his reddened eyes with his fingers: "Why didn't you mention to the ghost messengers that Niu Niu should be reincarnated as her mother's child?"
If Ruan Bei had this idea, he wouldn't have left without asking.
“Because…it’s unfair.” Ruan Bei lay on the table, staring listlessly at Niu Niu’s little house.
Putting aside the question raised by the ghost messenger about whether Niu Niu could be reincarnated into her mother's womb due to her shallow kinship, this situation is unfair to everyone.
"Humans and ghosts are different. Niu Niu's mother has begun to let go and has started a new life. The child in her womb is also full of the expectations of her parents and elders."
Ruan Bei turned her head and looked at Qin Gu: "If Niu Niu really is reincarnated as her mother's child, what do you think will happen in the future?"
Qin understood that Niu Niu was not only Zhou Linlin's child, but also Zhou Linlin's ex-husband's child. Even if Niu Niu didn't remember after being reincarnated, Zhou Linlin did.
She will remember how she raised the child little by little, only to be cruelly murdered by her mother-in-law; she will remember her ex-husband's selfishness and hypocrisy; she will recall the pain she once felt.
That would be harmful to Zhou Linlin, her current husband, and even to Niu Niu, who has lost all her memories after being reincarnated.
“Besides, Niu Niu herself wouldn’t want to,” Ruan Bei said.
Niu Niu is a very well-behaved little girl. She knew that her mother was pregnant, and she secretly hugged Ruan Bei and cried, afraid that her mother's new baby brother or sister would not like her anymore.
But she never intended to hurt the child who was still in her mother's womb. She even asked Ruan Bei for some pocket money, saying she wanted to buy a pretty dress for her little sister and a ball for her little brother.
So Ruan Bei didn't even dare to mention the possibility of Niu Niu replacing that child, because Niu Niu would be upset.
After Niu Niu left, Ruan Bei was listless for several days. Sometimes when he had free time, he would take out his craft box, finish the little dress, and just as he was about to call Niu Niu to try it on, he would remember that Niu Niu was no longer there.
Later, Qin Gu couldn't stand it anymore, so he found a big box and packed up and sealed all of Niu Niu's little house and the miscellaneous little trinkets that Ruan Bei had made for her.
Ruan Bei watched him seal the package, and tried to stop him several times, but eventually gave up.
Seeing things and thinking of someone is pointless. Besides, he knows that Niu Niu has an afterlife. Since there will be a chance to meet again, he doesn't need to wallow in grief like he would when mourning the deceased.
As for Zhou Linlin, considering that she is currently pregnant and quite far along in her pregnancy, Ruan Bei didn't dare to tell her and planned to keep it a secret for the time being.
I'll make sure he's about to start school, then I'll pretend to take Niu Niu to school. By the end of the semester, she'll have already given birth, and then we can talk about it later.
However, something unexpected happened before the start of the school term.
Qin Gu received a message from his junior uncle Luo Zikun, saying that he was passing through Jincheng and wanted to visit him and Ruan Bei, and also to give Ruan Bei a gift as a token of his appreciation.
Luo Zikun was the only senior disciple Ruan Bei had never met. However, he was not entirely a disciple of Xuanqing Temple. He had not formally become a disciple of Xuanqing Temple. The reason he followed the "Zi" generation was because his father was the previous abbot of Xuanqing Temple.
However, Luo Zikun took his mother's surname and followed the path of the fortune teller lineage. But after all, he was the only son of the previous abbot. Master Ruan Bei and several uncles were orphans picked up by their grandmaster, and they all called Luo Zikun junior brother since childhood.
Qin Gu had previously told Ruan Bei that their martial uncle loved to travel around, enjoying the scenery and living a very carefree life, often spending months at a time in some remote mountain valley.
Although he disappeared for a rather long time this time, it wasn't unprecedented, and he would report back to his sect every now and then to let everyone know he was safe, so no one was too worried.
Ruan Bei was quite curious about this senior apprentice, because Qin Gu seemed to be very close to him.
"My junior uncle has always been very good to me, the kind of good that shows him great favoritism." Qin Gu rested his chin on his hand, slowly squeezing and playing with Ruan Bei's hand.
At that time, Xiao Bei had not yet become a disciple. He was the youngest among his master's disciples, and his senior brothers were all much older than him. His fourth senior brother always liked to tease him. He couldn't get along with his senior brothers and was also impatient to play with those younger peers.
The junior uncle is different; he never tries to fool his child, and he always discusses things with him.
He didn't spend much time at the temple, but every time he came back, his junior uncle would bring him gifts and take him around to play. He wanted to experiment with those strange talismans, and his junior uncle would help him find the materials.
If he fails and is punished by his master, his junior uncle will protect him.
These were all things Ruan Bei was unaware of, and he listened with great interest, his impression of his junior uncle growing ever better.
Finally, Qin Gu beckoned to him mysteriously and said, "I'll tell you a secret."
Ruan Bei curiously leaned closer, and Qin Gu hooked his arm around his neck. Even though it was just the two of them in the room, he insisted on whispering in his ear, "I heard that Junior Uncle has a crush on my mother."
Ruan Bei: "???!!!"
"Does Uncle Qin know?" This was Ruan Bei's first reaction.
"I don't know." Qin Gu shrugged and smiled. "But I think even if my dad knew, he wouldn't care."
His father was just as proud as him. It's perfectly normal for a man whose lover is so outstanding to attract other women. After all, the woman is still his own. A humble admirer isn't even a threat.
Ruan Bei was still a little dazed. He suddenly wanted to see his junior uncle, Uncle Qin. With his appearance and demeanor, even if he hadn't competed with him, he must have been just as good.
"I'm actually looking forward to them meeting." Qin Gu was eager to try, looking like he was enjoying the show.
"Let's not." Ruan Bei said absentmindedly, "What if, I mean, what if they start fighting? Whose side will you take?"
Qin Gu hadn't really thought about this problem. After pondering for a while, he said, "How about I help my dad? He sits in an office all day and at most goes to the gym to lift weights. He probably can't beat my junior uncle. Even though he often tricks his son, I can't be unfilial."
Ruan Bei: "..." I have a feeling that Uncle Qin won't be happy to hear your answer.
Perhaps because the secrets she heard from her elders during the day were too stimulating, Ruan Bei had a dream that night. In the dream, Qin's father lost all his composure, grabbed a man by the collar with a ferocious expression, and yelled at him before beating the man violently.
Although he couldn't see the face clearly, Ruan Bei knew that the person should be his junior uncle, Luo Zikun.
Ruan Bei felt extremely anxious in his dream, not because he was anxious about their fight, but because he was desperately anxious, almost going crazy, but he couldn't do anything about it. His body felt like it was trapped, and he could only watch helplessly.
Finally, Junior Uncle was pinned to the ground by Qin's father, his cheek smeared with unsightly bloodstains. Suddenly, he started laughing, saying something as he laughed. Ruan Bei tried hard to hear him, but he just couldn't make it out, which made him extremely anxious.
He was so anxious that he reached out and shouted, and then Qin Gu woke him up.
When Ruan Bei woke up, he was still a little dazed. The anxiety had not yet subsided, and he felt a tightness in his chest, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Qin Gu gently stroked his back and took out a tissue to wipe his sweat.
Ruan Bei nodded, then shook his head, recalling the experience in his dream. It wasn't a nightmare, but it wasn't a good dream either.
"Hmm? What did you dream about?" Qin Gu asked curiously.
Ruan Bei hesitated, as if to say something, "Do you want me to say that I dreamt that my father and my junior uncle were fighting? And in the dream, my junior uncle seemed to be a villain, and his smile was quite scary."
"I forgot..." In the end, Ruan Bei chose to hug Qin Gu and bury his head in his hands, speaking in a muffled voice.
"Silly boy." Qin Gu chuckled, kissed his forehead, and said in a low, gentle voice, "Don't be afraid, dreams are just dreams."
"Yes, I know." Of course it was fake. He couldn't even see his junior uncle's face clearly, so how could he know he was smiling? Now that he thinks about it, this dream really doesn't make any sense at all. It's too fake.
"Sleep well." Qin Gu pulled Ruan Bei down to lie down, and Ruan Bei snuggled closer to him, burying her face in the crook of Qin Gu's neck.
Qin Gu hugged him tightly and chuckled softly, "Didn't you say you wouldn't let me hug you?"
He was a bit too noisy before bed and annoyed me. I almost pushed him to the ground. In the end, he begged and pleaded, and I barely managed not to kick him out.
"You're not allowed to speak." Ruan Bei's soft command lacked any real threat.
Qin Gu didn't speak, but he laughed, his chest vibrating, which Ruan Bei, who was pressed tightly against him, could clearly feel. Ruan Bei felt both ashamed and embarrassed, yet reluctant to let go.
For some reason, after having that dream and now that he's calmed down, he's not in a hurry anymore, but he still feels uneasy and wants to be closer to Kunkun.
Ruan Bei hesitated for a while, then propped himself up and leaned against Qin Gu. Qin Gu quickly put one hand on Ruan Bei's waist and held the other hand to his ear as if to throw it.
Ruan Bei bit her lip, then suddenly leaned down and kissed him. Qin Gu's surprised expression was replaced by delight before it could fully bloom. Without hesitation, he held Ruan Bei's head and deepened the kiss.
After kissing for a while, Ruan Bei turned his head to avoid Qin Gu's persistent kisses and lazily climbed on top of him without moving—he couldn't hold on halfway through the kiss, and it was only thanks to Qin Gu's support that he didn't fall directly down.
"Why are you being so good tonight?" With kisses pecking from his cheek to his earlobe, Qin Gu was wide awake and even wanted to do something more exciting.
"Am I not good usually?" Ruan Bei mumbled, closing her eyes and missing the desire churning in the eyes of the person beneath her. "You're not allowed to talk or laugh. Let me hold you for a while."
Qin Gu's Adam's apple bobbed: "If you laugh... will you still kiss me?"
If the answer is yes, he'll be laughing himself to death in this bed tonight.
Ruan Bei: "..."
He casually grabbed his unused pillow and slapped it across the face of someone who was being unreasonable.
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