For some reason, Chu Ge now finds himself wanting to laugh whenever he sees Qiu Wuji.
She doesn't actually try to be cute; she often wears a sour face, maintaining that aloof and cold sect leader demeanor, often giving the impression of an older sister.
But she's just so adorable.
Eating chicken legs with greasy mouth is adorable, slurping down a Coke is adorable.
And her resolute refusal to touch a hamburger is still adorable.
"Speaking of which, why aren't you touching the hamburger?" Chu Ge couldn't help but ask, "Do you also think eating this thing will kill you?"
Qiu Wuji looked at the hamburger in Chu Ge's hand, hesitantly: "The vegetables are raw. We're modern people now..."
Chu Ge glanced down at the lettuce, expressionless.
Such a distant memory... I think I was like that back then.
Sure enough, Qiu Wuji's next sentence was: "And that white sauce, it looks weird..."
Chu Ge: "Emmm...you should try it. I used to think this stuff was inedible, but I ended up eating it happily."
"I won't eat it, I won't eat it."
Chu Ge slammed her hand on the table: "Why are you like my daughter?"
Qiu Wuji slammed her hand on the table: "You've raised a daughter, haven't you!"
"...No, that's what everyone says when they post pictures of their kids." Chu Ge softened immediately, coaxing her gently: "You're different from others. You need to experience the world, you should try everything."
Actually, it was the same as other people's daughters, because others also used "try everything" to coax their children to eat.
However, other children might not fall for this, but this sentence still convinced Qiu Wuji, which was a little better than a little girl who refused no matter what.
She hesitantly opened the hamburger box in front of her, the way she carefully peeled off the wrapper was like she had just obtained a strange treasure and was cautiously testing it.
Then she carefully picked up a tiny bit of the "strange white sauce" and licked it.
Seemingly finding the taste strange, she frowned and shook her head, "It's not good."
Then she watched as Qiu Wuji ruthlessly removed the lettuce, scraped the salad dressing clean, put the bread back in, and finally ate it, saying, "This is more like normal food."
Chu Ge blinked, turning to look at a table in the distance where a five or six-year-old girl was doing the exact same thing as Qiu Wuji.
Qiu Wuji noticed his gaze, glanced at him, then glared back at him unhappily, "Even a little kid knows what's good to eat! You're all grown up, and you don't even understand!"
Chu Ge chuckled, "You're right."
Qiu Wuji's cheeks twitched, as if she wanted to scold him, but all she could do was glare.
Chu Ge picked up a tissue again and gently wiped her mouth, "Even though there's salad on your lips, it looks tempting... but my Qiuqiu is still the prettiest when she's clean and white."
Qiu Wuji felt he was making a suggestive joke again, both sentences implying something, but she had no proof.
As for wiping her mouth… she seemed to have gotten used to it.
Just like walking hand-in-hand home after a meal, it was a habit.
"There are more and more fallen leaves." The two walked hand-in-hand along the roadside, Qiu Wuji looking at the fluttering leaves, and asked curiously, "But why does the weather still feel so hot? There's no sign of it getting cooler, it feels different from the traditional 'Indian summer' feeling."
"That's how global warming is, especially since we're in the south. It'll probably only get cooler around the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day."
"Mid-Autumn Festival…" Qiu Wuji asked, "Is this festival important to you? It wasn't mentioned in the book for Qixi Festival before, but it is for Mid-Autumn Festival."
"Yes, it's a festival for family reunions." Chu Ge sighed, "It's been so long since I've seen my parents."
He tightened his grip on her hand, then smiled, "But it's good to have you now."
Qiu Wuji glanced at him, then turned back.
This feeling didn't originally resonate with her deeply, because it was a memory from ten thousand years ago, long since faded. If it weren't for writing her autobiography, this thing wouldn't have stirred even the slightest ripple in her heart. But now, for some reason, I'm starting to feel something.
It's not because of my parents…
I keep subconsciously calculating that I absolutely have to go out on Mid-Autumn Festival.
It's a festival symbolizing reunion; nobody wants to be alone on that day, right?
As for why being surrounded by a bunch of disciples in the book's world is considered lonely, but two people huddled together in a room isn't? Qiu Wuji didn't think about that.
Who thinks about such trivial questions!
"I'd rather research fried chicken," Chu Ge said. "Fried chicken is fine to eat occasionally... but it reminds me I've never properly made chicken or duck soup before, too much trouble. Our house isn't suitable for killing chickens..."
Chu Ge said, "I heard there are places at the market that kill chickens for you, you can ask."
"Really?" Qiu Wuji perked up. "That's great! I've seen some really good free-range chickens at the market, I'll make soup tomorrow."
Chu Ge said, "If you really think it's too much trouble, there's no need... I can cultivate without a bowl of chicken soup, right?"
"Dream on! I'll drink it myself!"
"Okay, okay..."
"Mengmeng said fruit can be juiced too, let's buy a juicer..."
"Buy, buy, buy!"
"Wait, I'll buy a bag of milk candy."
Chu Ge accompanied her into the supermarket and bought a bag of White Rabbit candies, smiling as he carried them out. The two held hands again and slowly walked into the residential area.
"Here's one for you," Qiu Wuji handed over the bag.
"You can have it."
"You think this is for you? It's for you to peel for me. I don't have enough hands; this lecherous fellow is holding mine." Chu Ge took one, peeled the wrapper with one hand, glanced at Qiu Wuji's drooling gaze, and shoved the candy directly into her mouth.
His fingers seemed to be touched by her lips, soft and slightly electrifying.
Qiu Wuji seemed oblivious, sucking on the sweet candy. After hesitating for a moment, she handed him the bag: "This time I'll really give you one, only one, no more."
Chu Ge took two.
Qiu Wuji kicked him.
The security guard watched the couple disappear into the tree-lined path of the residential area, his head spinning, goosebumps rising all over him.
Who said global warming? The autumn chill is getting stronger.
Speaking of which, why do I also feel like buying a bag of White Rabbit candies to share with that sallow-faced woman…?
But just imagining it makes me think she'll call me crazy, so I'll pass. The adulterous couple entered their building and were about to press the elevator button when the doors opened by themselves. Yueying stepped out carrying an old computer, with a monitor still inside.
Chu Ge quickly stepped forward to help carry the monitor out, saying, "We said we could help you move it."
Yueying said apologetically, "It's too much trouble, no need."
She turned to Qiu Wuji, "Sister Qiu, do you really not need the Shadow Ability anymore?"
The Shadow Ability had been turned into a set of immortal techniques by the adulterous couple and stored in the Scripture Pavilion… Qiu Wuji herself didn't plan to learn it; it was being cultivated as a special method for her sect, and many of the sect's core members were already practicing it.
Hearing this, she smiled and said, "No need, Yueying is so good."
Chu Ge glanced sideways, thinking, "You were just a little girl a moment ago, and now you're acting like an auntie…"
Yueying, however, was quite pleased; in her heart, this was truly a magnanimous older sister. She clearly got along better with Qiu Wuji, smiling as she said, "I've checked with the authorities about the box Chu Ge mentioned this morning; it's safe to keep. If there's anything else I can help with, just let me know." Qiu Wuji actually nodded: "There really is something I need your help with." Yueying was taken aback: "What?" Qiu Wuji pulled Chu Ge over: "Fight him."
Yueying: "?"
Chu Ge: "..."
"Tonight is when my Chu Ge practices his martial arts. Fighting with me always feels awkward; he's too reserved. It should be better with you." Qiu Wuji was actually serious: "Could you find a training ground? Or try going to the outskirts?"
Seeing her seriousness, Yueying said, "Let's go to the outskirts then; it's not far from here."
As she spoke, she looked Chu Ge up and down. She always felt that with Chu Ge's simple-minded appearance, she could easily beat him to death with a single blow.
Would he really be worth sparring with?
Chu Ge, feeling guilty, tugged at Qiu Wuji's sleeve: "Hey, fighting her seems like I'm just getting humiliated."
"Isn't fighting me just getting humiliated too?" Qiu Wuji crossed his arms and said leisurely, "We always use Yueying as a unit of measurement for combat strength. Now that we can directly weigh ourselves against that unit, doesn't that count as weighing?" Chu Ge was both amused and exasperated.