Chapter 29 "It's because I used to dislike you a lot..."
After staying at the True Lord's Mansion for several months, Nezha grew restless. He announced that he would soon return to the Cloud Tower Palace, and no one objected to this decision.
As for Jiang Huaisu, Xiaotian considered her a beloved playmate and tried every means to persuade her to stay a little longer. The final agreement was that Jiang Huaisu would stay for another month. After that, she would have to return.
Judging by the time, only half a day had passed in the heavens. Sun Wukong probably hadn't yet discovered that she had descended to the mortal realm, or perhaps he thought she had just gone out to walk her dog.
That night, Jiang Huaisu tossed and turned in bed, feeling unwell but unable to fall asleep; her temples throbbed with pain. The symptoms resembled the early stages of a severe cold, but given her current physical condition, minor ailments hadn't bothered her for a long time.
This sudden illness reminded her of when she was sick in her previous life. Back then, her coping strategies were to take cold medicine, get injections in the buttocks, or just tough it out.
It was already late at night, and the pharmacies and clinics were all closed. She huddled in bed, thinking that these symptoms weren't serious, and that she might get better after a good night's sleep, so she didn't want to make a fuss.
However, after sweating profusely, I had a splitting headache and even my bones started to ache. All my strength seemed to have been drained away, and I felt extremely uncomfortable. The room felt stuffy and hot, so I couldn't fall asleep.
Jiang Huaisu tossed and turned in bed a few times, then kicked off the covers. At that moment, even the air she breathed felt scalding hot, and she longed to jump into ice water to cool down.
She put on her coat, walked to the table, opened the small window, and tried to ventilate the room and get some fresh air. She also hoped the cool night breeze would help calm her restless mind.
Whether it was psychological or not, she did feel much more comfortable. A gentle breeze made her feel as if she were wrapped in icy silk, and she couldn't help but lean against the window, savoring this moment of coolness and enjoying the night view.
The moon was big and round tonight, with excellent visibility. She could even see a toad leaping high into the air from the grass, the branches swaying in the breeze, and shadows moving along the porch...
A figure?
She blinked hard; she wasn't mistaken, there really was someone standing there.
The man had his back to her, his long, half-draped hair flying wildly in the wind.
She heard a few "ptooey, ptooey, ptooey" sounds, which seemed to be the wind blowing a strand of hair into the person's mouth, and the person was irritably pulling the hair out of their mouth.
The tall, handsome young man's figure, his clothes fluttering, his outline lean and upright... This scene, under the moonlight, could have been quite charming, but the moment the sound came out of his mouth, all the charm was instantly lost.
After spitting for a while, the person finally tidied up their hair and tied it back into a high ponytail.
Jiang Huaisu tentatively called out, "Nezha?"
The figure paused for a moment, then suddenly closed in. A rich lotus fragrance wafted on the breeze, and she was so overwhelmed by this inexplicable sense of oppression that she unconsciously took a step back.
"Hey, you're not asleep?" Nezha looked her over.
"I'm not feeling well and can't sleep. Where are you going?"
"Let's go back to Heaven."
"Leaving tonight?"
"Hmm." Nezha tilted his head and said, "Do you need me to pass on a message to Sun Wukong for you?"
Jiang Huaisu thought for a moment: "Then... if you happen to run into him, please let him know for me that I've come to the mortal realm to visit a friend. But he's most likely not in the manor right now, so you don't need to make a special trip."
"oh."
"Thanks." She lowered her eyes absentmindedly.
Nezha didn't leave immediately, but kept his eyes fixed on her.
Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, Jiang Huaisu raised her eyes and spoke first after a short silence: "Does the Third Prince have anything else to say?"
"Xiaotian is your friend."
"......right?"
She didn't quite understand what Nezha meant by that, and it didn't sound like a question. She went over it again and didn't see anything wrong with the statement that "Xiaotian is a friend."
"Why were you fighting so hard in the cave? Knowing you couldn't win, you still chose to risk your life," Nezha said slowly. "I'm curious, can such a deep friendship really be built in such a short time? You'd go to that extent for that stupid dog?"
"...Hearing you say it makes me feel like I'm quite selfless."
Jiang Huaisu twisted her hair with her fingers, pointing out the truth with some embarrassment, "But it wasn't just for him, it was for myself too. He wasn't conscious at that time, and I couldn't just obediently wait to die with him."
"I thought you wouldn't be too emotionally affected by this kind of thing."
"What kind of thing?"
"A matter of life and death."
Jiang Huaisu exclaimed in surprise, "What gave you this illusion? I haven't reached that level!"
"But when I died, you didn't react strongly," Nezha asked, puzzled. "Was it because I wasn't liked by you before?"
"You mean...Miaolian?"
"yes."
“I knew all along that you were a deity reincarnated and wouldn’t really perish, so I knew very well that it wasn’t a matter of life and death.”
"...Is that so?"
She patted his shoulder hard: "Of course, why would I lie to you?"
"So you're not sad at all?"
"Huh, you're concerned about this?"
"No, I just feel like I can't be such a failure as a person. We've been together for so long, how could I be worse than a stupid dog?" Nezha said thoughtfully, seemingly genuinely puzzled by the situation.
“I was also sad when I burned paper money at your grave,” Jiang Huaisu recalled. “After I finished burning it, I felt a little regretful. It was all for nothing, and you wouldn’t receive it.”
......
Nezha turned away expressionlessly, revealing only half of his profile. Seemingly accepting the explanation, he didn't pursue the topic further. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, "I understand."
Another gust of cold wind blew by, and Jiang Huaisu sneezed. She sneezed hard and her stuffy nasal cavity felt a little better.
But staying here in the cold wasn't a solution. She really didn't have any strength left, and thought she should go back to bed and rest. If she wasn't feeling better by tomorrow morning, she would go see a doctor.
Before he could finish his pleasantries, Nezha suddenly said, "Your voice sounds a bit strange."
She cleared her throat and raised her voice: "Now?"
"Still strange, his breathing is very unstable. Is he sick?"
"It might be something like a heatstroke." She coughed softly.
Nezha didn't understand: "Your body shouldn't be so weak."
"Perhaps it's because the mortal realm is different from the heavenly realm, with more unpredictable weather, making it easier to fall ill? Besides, my constitution can't compare to that of a true immortal." Jiang Huaisu could only guess at this.
Thinking about it, that makes sense. As a demon, she is too young, and her strength and cultivation are still lacking. There is still a lot of room for improvement.
Nezha said "Oh". "Then you rest, I'm leaving."
"Alright... Goodbye, Third Prince!"
As soon as she closed the window, Jiang Huaisu's barely held onto energy vanished, leaving her looking utterly dejected. The soft bed was right in front of her, but she seemed to have no strength left to walk over, practically crawling forward.
Finally curled up in bed again, she slumped on the pillow, feeling utterly hopeless. Her head ached so much she wanted to bang it against the bedpost, but she was afraid of breaking it.
She told herself to close her eyes, not to think about anything, and to get a good night's sleep, but no matter how she tried counting sheep or meditating, her mind just wouldn't drift off to sleep.
In the absolute stillness, she could even hear her own heartbeat. It was like a drumbeat, thump, thump, thump. She couldn't catch her breath, so she took a few deep breaths, rolled over, and went from lying on her side to lying face down, which made her feel a little better.
In the latter half of the night, his consciousness finally became blurred, and he couldn't tell whether he had fallen asleep or fainted from the pain.
She remained in that prone position, but her breathing became increasingly labored. In her hazy state of consciousness, she turned back, crossed her arms over her chest, and curled herself into a ball.
Knock, knock, knock. At this critical moment, there was a knock on the door.
It rang three times and then stopped, neither too loud nor too soft, quite rhythmic.
Jiang Huaisu was unconscious at this moment, her eyes still tightly closed, so naturally she couldn't get up to open the door. Even if she woke up, she wouldn't have the strength.
In a daze, she murmured incoherent words, as if she were talking in her sleep.
Without further hesitation, the person outside the door exerted force, and the door latch snapped in two.
He pushed the door open without any ceremony, looked around, snapped his fingers with his hands on his hips, and the extinguished flame on the candlestick started flickering again.
The room suddenly became bright and airy.
"Hey, Jiang Huaisu, why don't you come back to Heaven with me? Go see the Heavenly Physician, or ask Laozi for a pill." Nezha leaned against the bedpost, gazing at her sleeping face.
“I was flying just now when I remembered something… You’re listening, aren’t you?” He leaned down and pulled her out of bed, shaking her shoulders.
"Didn't that lizard cast some kind of spell on you? Although it's dead, the residual demonic energy may still be churning inside you, which is why you're experiencing these symptoms. Just like Xiaotian before, when demonic energy enters the body, it can cause a lot of trouble if it's not broken down in time."
"If you don't say anything, it means you agree. I'll carry you away, okay?"
Nezha muttered for a long time, but when he looked at Jiang Huaisu, her eyes were still closed, and she gave no response.
She seemed to be in real pain; even in her sleep, her brows were furrowed, her lips were pale, and her sweaty hair clung to her cheeks.
He intended to just take her away like that, but after picking her up and weighing her in his arms, Nezha belatedly realized that she was only wearing an undergarment, which was too thin, and that the wind might worsen her condition if it blew in.
So he found an outer robe and wrapped it around her, thinking that this should be enough to ensure everything was safe. Holding her waist, Nezha adjusted his position so that she could lie more comfortably in his arms.
He's not very good at taking care of people, and he couldn't think of any other details he needed to pay attention to.
She was sleeping restlessly, being moved around by him. Although she hadn't woken up, she would occasionally mumble in her sleep, as if she were having a nightmare. He lowered his head, his ear close to her mouth, but he couldn't understand a word she said.
Hand-held chicken, parent-teacher meeting, bird pants... what is all this about?
Suddenly, she let out a soft sob.
Nezha stopped in his tracks and looked down to observe her condition. She wasn't crying, but the corners of her eyes were a little red, and her breathing was uneven, probably because she was in too much pain.
At this moment, Jiang Huaisu's fingers emerged from under his wide robe and grabbed his front.
She was still unconscious, muttering strange words, her fingertips turning white from gripping so tightly. This wasn't surprising; Nezha guessed she was dreaming of falling off a cliff or something similar, and unconsciously trying to soothe herself by grasping at objects around her.
"Mother......"
He heard the words clearly as he spoke in his sleep.
Never in his wildest dreams would someone call him "mother." Nezha's lips twitched, he closed his eyes, and decided to put up with it for the time being, considering she was a patient.
Nezha carried his newborn daughter out, making a point of passing Yang Jian's room and knocking on the door. This is where the advantage of having many hands comes in; even while carrying someone, he still has several hands free.
"Jiang Huaisu is sick. Remember to tell that I've taken her away."
After briefly explaining the situation, and not wanting to wait for a reply, Nezha kicked up his Wind Fire Wheels, and with a flash of flame, disappeared into the horizon.
I have to admit, the one in heaven surnamed Sun is better at raising children. He probably has some talent in this area. He raises horses that are plump and strong, and peaches that are big and plump... I just don't know if he steals any.
In short, first send Jiang Huaisu back to the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's Mansion. If Sun Wukong is there, the rest of the matter can be left to him.
Nezha was thinking absentmindedly, but he determined the direction with his feet.
Jiang Huaisu was still snuggling against him, making him a little restless. He could feel the soft, ticklish texture of her fluffy hair on his chin. He guessed he would have the same experience holding Xiaotian, warm and fluffy.
Birds and dogs are obviously very different, aren't they?
If he had to choose one, he would still choose the former. Bird feathers are prettier than dog hair.
My thoughts drifted further and further away, and when I came back to my senses, I could already see the plaque of Qitian Mansion in front of me. Although I always knew that the Wind-Fire Wheels were fast, this time they were exceptionally swift, as if I had arrived at my destination in the blink of an eye.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Sun Wukong!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
