Chapter 54. Opportunity knocks but once. ...
Jiang Huaisu's earlier guess was correct; Sun Wukong had indeed been suppressed under the Five Fingers Mountain.
Gone is the day of its former glory. The tiny monkey, carrying the weight of an entire mountain, is crushed and unable to move, not even able to turn over. It looks pitiful. Its situation is miserable, yet there is no resentment on its face. It even has the leisure to play with the leaves.
Jiang Huaisu walked over and squatted down to brush the dust and withered leaves from his head. The monkey looked up and saw that it was her, and immediately his face lit up with joy: "Hey, you came so quickly? I thought you would stay in Lingshan for a while."
It's amazing he can still laugh. After suffering such a crushing defeat, he can still adjust his mindset so quickly. Jiang Huaisu truly admires him.
She laid out the fruit she had brought in front of Sun Wukong, letting him choose whichever he liked. As Sun Wukong crunched on the apple, she began to share her recent experiences with him.
She said the mess from before had been resolved; the demon who injured her had been utterly destroyed by Nezha, and there would be no further trouble. She had also regained her original physical body, spent two years cultivating in seclusion on Mount Ling, and her physique was much stronger than before, with her strength also greatly improved.
Sun Wukong nodded repeatedly, increasingly convinced that letting Jiang Huaisu return to Mount Ling with Jinzha was an absolutely correct decision. If she had stayed by his side, there would now be a bird in addition to a monkey under the Five Fingers Mountain.
"In comparison, things didn't go so smoothly for me." Sun Wukong finished eating the fruit and wiped his mouth with satisfaction. "But if you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. This time, the old Buddha was a cut above the rest, and I have nothing to say about it."
He paused, then, as if thinking of something, his expression suddenly turned dejected: "Alas, it's just a pity for the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain. No one is taking care of them. I wonder what the Heavenly Court will do to them."
Nezha, who was watching from the sidelines, snorted: "You don't need to worry about that, Jiang Huaisu has already taken care of it for you."
Jiang Huaisu nudged Nezha's shoulder: "Don't be modest, you also deserve credit."
Sun Wukong looked puzzled: "What kind of riddle are you two playing?"
"The demons and monsters that dared to covet Flower Fruit Mountain have already been beaten up. Now, with the aquatic creatures of the East Sea looking after them, the monkeys will be fine. Don't worry."
After Jiang Huaisu explained in a few words, Sun Wukong's expression relaxed again. Since the East Sea was involved, Nezha must have been involved; it seemed he had helped with the arrangements. This kid could be quite reliable sometimes; no wonder Jiang Huaisu liked him.
Thinking this, Sun Wukong couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, wondering if Jiang Huaisu had confessed her feelings to him during their time together at Mount Ling, and how far their relationship had progressed.
Nezha stood there motionless like a stone, never leaving Jiang Huaisu's side, which gave Sun Wukong no chance to question him alone. He could only try to glean some clues from Nezha's expression.
Meeting Sun Wukong's scrutinizing gaze, Nezha looked back, raised an eyebrow, and said in a clear tone: Why are you looking at me?
Sun Wukong: "..." Nezha's attitude towards him seemed unchanged from the past, unconsciously revealing a faint hostility. It seemed there hadn't been much progress yet; otherwise, since he was practically family to Jiang Huaisu, Nezha should have been more polite to him.
However, one is a deity and the other a demon, and neither lacks longevity; they have plenty of time to fall in love, so there's no rush. Perhaps Jiang Huaisu intends to slowly gnaw at this tough nut?
Having thought of this, Sun Wukong stopped worrying about the speed at which their relationship was progressing. He simply gave Jiang Huaisu an encouraging look and waved to her casually, saying, "You two can go do whatever you need to do. Just leave the fruit here."
Jiang Huaisu looked around, observing the surrounding terrain: "No rush."
After all, this was the place where Sun Wukong would be staying for five hundred years, so it was best to make it as comfortable as possible. She used what was available, cutting down some bamboo, and gathering some dry grass and wood to build a simple yet sturdy shelter over Sun Wukong's head, providing both shade and shelter from the rain. With the enhancement of her magic, the materials would corrode very slowly, so it should last for about a hundred years without any problem.
Nezha transplanted several fruit trees to the foot of Five Fingers Mountain: pears ripening in March, peaches in June, pomegranates in September, and kumquats in December. This ensured the monkey would have fresh fruit all year round. Jiang Huaisu tore off a piece of cloth, nailing one end to a tree and the other end near Sun Wukong's hand. This way, when the fruit ripened and fell, it would inevitably roll towards Sun Wukong, making it easy for him to reach it.
Then a slope was built to divert water and prevent rainwater from accumulating.
The two had a clear division of labor and worked together skillfully, clearly having discussed it on the way. Although Nezha seemed somewhat reluctant, he was very efficient in his work, which amazed Sun Wukong.
"Still laughing? Do you know how long this mountain will weigh you down?" Nezha continued his sarcasm without stopping his hands or his mouth.
Sun Wukong shook his head: "I don't know." But as long as he's alive, he'll be able to get out sooner or later. He wasn't too panicked.
"I guess it won't be more than six hundred years," Jiang Huaisu patted the monkey's head. "I'll come to see you often."
After renovating Sun Wukong's living environment, she looked around and expressed her satisfaction with the results. She then chatted with the monkey for a while before reluctantly bidding him farewell and setting off for the Cloud Tower Palace with Nezha.
On the way, Jiang Huaisu said with relief, "It seems that your relationship with Sun Wukong has improved a bit." At least this time he didn't take advantage of her misfortune to mock the monkey, nor did he chase after her afterward to ask who was more important.
Nezha choked up and immediately retorted, "I only did these things because of you."
"Well, it's not a bad thing for you to have more friends."
Jiang Huaisu recalled a childhood lesson about how a single chopstick is easily broken, but ten chopsticks bundled together are strong enough. However, when she repeated this to Nezha, trying to explain the importance of unity and friendship, Nezha only gave a cold laugh: "Don't even mention ten, I could break a hundred chopsticks."
"......" That's a lot of strength.
However, as it turned out, Nezha's attitude towards Sun Wukong was not as cold as it seemed. After settling down in Lianxin's place, she would visit Sun Wukong every few days, and Nezha never objected or stopped her.
But when it came to things other than visiting Sun Wukong, he wasn't so agreeable. In his view, his own needs should come first, and right now Jiang Huaisu should be focused on enjoying a leisurely holiday with him in the Heavenly Palace. He didn't care about those trivial matters; as long as the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain were alive, there was no need to worry too much.
According to the messages regularly sent by the Dragon King, Flower Fruit Mountain was indeed safe and sound. Jiang Huaisu mostly went along with Nezha and didn't make a special trip there again.
However, time flies, and it's been almost three months since I started living in Lianxin.
Nearly a century had passed in the mortal realm, and Sun Wukong had grown accustomed to life under the Five Fingers Mountain. Although he longed for the day he could regain his freedom, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas had never appeared, and he knew he had to continue. Fortunately, the scenery wasn't static; occasionally, passing hunters and shepherds would chat with him to pass the time, and Jiang Huaisu would visit him from time to time. Life was somewhat boring, but still within tolerable limits.
For Jiang Huaisu, however, life was far too comfortable.
For the past three months, besides visiting him in prison, I've done almost nothing but play, eat, and sleep. I've been idle for so long that even my bones have become lazy.
Jiang Huaisu thought it was time to end her stay in the Heavenly Palace and return to her own little mountain, but she was met with strong opposition from Nezha. He reasoned with her and appealed to her emotions, almost listing out items to prove that the Heavenly Palace was a hundred times better than Flower Fruit Mountain, and that Lotus Heart Residence was a more suitable place for her whether she wanted to rest or cultivate.
After discussing it, the two decided that Jiang Huaisu would stay for another half month to reach the hundred-day mark, after which she would have to return home. Staying away from home indefinitely wasn't a solution; if she didn't return to the mountain soon, the newborn monkeys wouldn't even recognize her anymore, and her status as the second-in-command would decline further.
To be honest, being able to stay at Yunlou Palace for so long has far exceeded my expectations.
Jiang Huaisu initially intended to stay for a few days as a token gesture before leaving, but Nezha's repeated nagging kept delaying her return to the mountain. There was no way to refuse when the person she liked clearly expressed a desire to spend more time with her.
This time, however, she was determined not to be led by the nose by Nezha again, letting him delay time and time again without understanding why. The agreed-upon last half-month was the last half-month; not a single day more.
But in the last three days before returning to the mountain, she discovered that Nezha had started avoiding her.
This wasn't something she hadn't experienced before, because she had said beforehand that she would definitely say goodbye to Nezha before leaving, and wouldn't just walk away without a word. This seemed to have created a psychological misconception in Nezha, that as long as the two of them didn't meet, Jiang Huaisu couldn't say goodbye to him, and naturally wouldn't leave.
He did manage to stall Jiang Huaisu once using this method, but one cannot stumble twice on the same path.
She knocked on Nezha's door, but there was no answer, so she simply pushed the door open and went inside. The room wasn't locked, but there was no one inside; she had no idea where Nezha had gone.
"Where is the Third Prince?" she asked, looking at the fairy maid at the door who seemed hesitant to speak.
The fairy hesitated before answering, saying that the Third Prince was in seclusion in a quiet room and it was inconvenient to disturb him.
Sometimes I wonder about Nezha's mental age; this attempt to cover things up is no better than a child's. If you really can't bear to part with her, just go back with her!
Jiang Huaisu raised her eyebrows helplessly and slowly walked to the table to sit down. She glanced at the little fairy out of the corner of her eye; she was still standing at the doorway. She reasonably suspected that the girl was Nezha's spy, but she was clearly not very skilled; how could someone spy on another person by staring so intently?
She sat in Nezha's room for a while, but he didn't come back. It seemed he was determined to avoid her. Jiang Huaisu sighed, got up to leave, but after taking only half a step, she swayed unsteadily and quickly braced herself on the table to avoid falling.
As she stumbled, her robes swept across the ground, causing the copper box on the table to roll with a loud thud. The fairy maiden was startled: "What's wrong, young lady?"
"My old ailment has flared up again, and my head is throbbing terribly, like my soul is leaving my body." Jiang Huaisu gasped painfully. "It's alright. Since the Third Prince is busy, I'll go back to my room first and see if I can suppress it by circulating my internal energy."
The fairy maiden said in a panic, "I...I'll go and report this to the Third Prince!"
Watching the fairy's departing figure, Jiang Huaisu relaxed her brow, the pain on her face vanishing instantly. She bent down and picked up the copper box from the ground. It was a rare opportunity to showcase her acting skills, and the effect was unexpectedly good. She thought she might have a real talent for acting.
The clasp on the brass box had come undone, and the lid was slightly ajar. She glanced inside and caught a glimpse of a familiar corner of a drawing.
Jiang Huaisu was taken aback. She opened the box and found a rolled-up drawing paper inside. Upon closer inspection, she recognized it as a portrait that Li Zhenying had drawn for her.
She took the painting out and unfolded it, staring at her own face on the paper, somewhat dumbfounded. Nezha had actually claimed the painting for himself and even placed it on his desk!
She remembered that she had wanted to secretly take the painting back, but gave up because she wasn't sure where Nezha had put it. She regretted it a little; if she had searched his room earlier, she might have found the portrait sooner.
After hesitating for a while, she put the painting back in the box. After all, so much time had passed, and her desire to find it wasn't as strong as it had been. Besides, the timing wasn't right...
As she placed the painting down, the copper box made a soft clattering sound. She reached inside with her fingertips, feeling around for a moment, and discovered that the box had two layers, and there were other things inside.
Perhaps because of the portrait, a rather narcissistic suspicion arose in her mind that the other things might also be related to her. In any case, curiosity overcame her personal restraints, and after a brief hesitation, she reached out and lifted the top shelf, thinking: Just one look.
The second layer of the box was rather empty, containing only two items: a sachet and a talisman.
The design of the sachet looked very familiar. She racked her brains for a while before remembering that it was something she had given to Miaolian in the mortal realm to soothe her mind. She hadn't expected that he would still have it now? She recognized the communication talisman at a glance; it was also a communication tool she had given to Miaolian before. There was also a lotus-shaped seal in the lower left corner of the talisman, so there was no way she could mistake it.
However, she clearly remembered that the talisman had long ago been buried with Miao Lian as a funerary object, so its reappearance here now was illogical. The only explanation was that Nezha had dug up Miao Lian's grave. To go to such lengths, it seems this item held extraordinary sentimental value for him?
Jiang Huaisu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She quickly put the items back into the box, closed the lid, and pretended she hadn't opened it.
Then he jogged back to his room, dove into bed, and rolled around on the mattress, venting his emotions. What did Nezha mean by this? Why would he collect so many things related to her? What other reason could there be besides liking her? If he only felt friendship towards her, there seemed to be no need for him to do all this behind her back.
This time, she definitely wasn't just imagining things!
He might, perhaps, really like her?
Because she didn't want to disappoint herself, Jiang Huaisu always avoided speculating in that direction until she received a definite answer. But given the current situation, she had no choice but to think about it more!
She had previously considered finding a suitable opportunity to test Nezha's feelings for her. Clearly, now was the perfect time! Seizing the moment, she made up her mind to confess. After all, they already had a solid emotional foundation; even if her confession failed, the chances of them never speaking again were slim. At worst, they could start as friends again.
Just as she was getting carried away with her passion and was about to get up and confront Nezha, she heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
"Jiang Huaisu!" Nezha's anxious voice rang out.
Jiang Huaisu shuddered in surprise, almost forgetting that when she pretended to be sick, the fairy had already gone to Nezha to report the situation. Originally, she wanted to use this method to force Nezha to see her so that she could discuss returning to Flower Fruit Mountain with him, but she was distracted by the copper box along the way.
Now... she thought about it. She still wanted to go back to Flower Fruit Mountain, but if she succeeded in finding out Nezha's feelings, she could take him back with her. Once they were in a relationship, she would definitely want to meet her monkey family.
After mentally assessing the situation, she felt the probability of success was over 50%, though she wouldn't dare say it was a sure thing.
"What happened? Has your injury from last time not fully healed? Why do you have a headache?" Nezha walked to the bedside and reached out to feel her forehead. "How about I take you back to Mount Ling?"
Jiang Huaisu shook her head and beckoned him to lower his head, as it was inconvenient to talk at this height.
He obediently leaned down, but Jiang Huaisu suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. With a turn, she pinned him down on the bed and raised an eyebrow triumphantly: "Sorry, I lied to you."
Nezha looked at her suspiciously: "You're lying to me?"
“I was faking feeling unwell,” Jiang Huaisu said angrily. “It’s your fault for refusing to see me, forcing me to resort to this tactic.”
Nezha gently grasped her forearm: "But I can feel it, you're trembling." He wondered if Jiang Huaisu was just putting on a brave face? When it comes to physical health, this isn't the time to be stubborn.
Jiang Huaisu: "..." The trembling was just because she was nervous. This was the result of her trying her best to control it, but she didn't expect that Nezha would still see through it.
But of course she wouldn't admit it. Instead, she chose to skip the topic and softened her voice, saying, "I have something to tell you."
"What?" Nezha asked, then used the back of his hand to test the temperature on her face. It was visibly red and hot. Could it be that there was a problem with the integration of her body and soul, leaving a sequela?
Just as he was contemplating whether to abduct her to Mount Ling, Jiang Huaisu, with an expression of resignation to her fate, slowly lowered her head and approached him.
At such close range, even their breathing could be heard clearly. Nezha's thoughts were in turmoil for a moment; he wanted to ask her what she was doing. Although the posture looked like Jiang Huaisu was about to assault him, he didn't dare to hope for such a thing. The two of them hadn't even confessed their feelings to each other yet; how could they possibly jump to this point?
However, he still instinctively put his arm around her waist and back without thinking.
He hesitated, wondering if pushing her away would be a better course of action. Jiang Huaisu seemed to be in a bad state, trembling more and more violently.
Little did he know that Jiang Huaisu was even more flustered than him, her mind a complete mess. She wanted to hint at her feelings to him, but couldn't bring herself to say it, so she simply acted on it, giving him a kiss instead.
As long as they don't kiss on the lips, it's a matter of offense or defense. Afterwards, they can insist it was a friendly kiss, so what can Nezha do?
At the same time, she was observing Nezha's expression. If he showed even the slightest sign of resistance or disgust, she... no, she absolutely couldn't run away at a time like this. At worst, she would accept being called a hooligan!
She deliberately slowed her movements, putting all her effort into showcasing her alluring side. However, from Nezha's perspective, it was probably a distorted and trembling pale face slowly approaching. Her intention was to use her beauty to test him, but managing her facial expressions under these circumstances was simply too difficult.
Even as her lips were about to touch Nezha's earlobe, he still showed no sign of resisting. Was he too shocked to react? Jiang Huaisu hesitated for a moment, then considerately delivered her final ultimatum: "I'm going to kiss you."
Having said that, there was no way to end things without a kiss. She mustered her courage and was about to lean in and peck his earlobe when Nezha suddenly turned his head away, thwarting the kiss.
Huh? She met his gaze blankly, her mind going completely blank. Nezha looked away; was that a rejection?
"Did I hear that right?" Nezha stared at her with clear eyes, his tone unreadable, whether excited or confused. "You just said you wanted to kiss me?"
Jiang Huaisu stammered. Should she admit it or deny it? She didn't think Nezha had genuinely misheard her; pretending to be oblivious at this point would probably be pointless. The real question was, how could she legitimize her thuggish behavior?
He kissed me? He kissed me?
Jiang Huaisu had never eaten pork, but she had seen pigs run. However, when it came to actually doing it herself, all she could do was blush bright red. The lack of experience was hard to fill in with words, and the descriptions in novels and storybooks were too general to provide her with sufficient reference.
Although it was a good thing that her honey trap had worked, and she wanted to handle it with ease, she couldn't help but instinctively reach out and push Nezha away, intending to stop the out-of-control kiss and have them talk properly.
The consequence of this was that the other person kissed her more urgently and fiercely, holding her waist tightly, and even took the opportunity to switch positions, so now she was the one being pressed down, with nowhere left to retreat.
The kiss went far beyond what she had expected. It wasn't just a light peck; it penetrated every inch of her lips, leaving her no chance to speak. Under the boy's onslaught of sucking and biting, her lips became sore and numb; she knew without even looking that they were swollen. The feeling wasn't exactly unpleasant... but it was definitely strange. How had things gotten to this point?
She had never known that kissing could be so tiring. After what seemed like an eternity, the long kiss finally ended, and she could finally catch her breath, but Nezha still held her tightly in his arms. Their long, disheveled hair was intertwined, and the mattress beneath them was crumpled from being gripped so tightly.
The good news is that at this point, it's basically certain that she and Nezha are mutually attracted, not just a simple, innocent friendship, but a love mixed with a lot of desire. It's unclear how long Nezha had been holding back his feelings, but during the kiss, he completely let loose, releasing his emotions with an uncontrollable, overflowing feeling; she suspected she'd been sucked until her lips looked like sausages.
The bad news is that she's feeling dizzy and lightheaded, and can't really savor this joy.
Nezha propped himself up on his arms, his gaze lowered, observing the reaction of the person beneath him. Seeing that she was unresponsive, neither slapping him nor hurling insults, he lowered his head again to kiss her collarbone.
Feeling her collar being pulled open, Jiang Huaisu was startled. Was this too fast?
Not content with just a kiss, Nezha seemed to lick her collarbone as well, instantly raising goosebumps. She suddenly recalled the scene of the nurse disinfecting her with iodine before her injection, wondering when the needle and pain would subside, and could only grit her teeth and wait. There was an eerie resemblance to her current situation.
If we were to do that kind of thing... it's not that I can't accept it, but the tension is unavoidable, and is this rapid progress really okay?
While she was lost in thought, Nezha raised his head again and hurriedly untied his belt, much more wildly than when he had pulled at her collar earlier, revealing most of his upper body.
Jiang Huaisu swallowed hard, stunned. Reason told her she shouldn't let Nezha do as he pleased, but her eyes told her this man had an incredibly appealing physique!
And she discovered that she wasn't the only one with swollen lips; Nezha's lips were also abnormally red, glistening with moisture, like a sweet and plump lotus seed cake, brightly tempting... No, stop thinking!
Nezha suddenly asked, "Do you like me?"
She nodded, slightly dazed. It was too much of a stretch to say something like that with that expression; she'd been unconsciously swayed into giving him the answer he wanted. But then again, if she didn't like him, she wouldn't be kissing him anymore.
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