The heavy rain of the past few days had long since stopped, and the air was fresh afterward. The temperature had also started to drop slightly, and people on the streets were already wearing long-sleeved shirts.
Of course, many with good constitutions were still wearing short sleeves. Chu Ge and his companion pretended to be healthy, casually strolling around in their summer short-sleeved shirts.
One of the purposes of this shopping trip was to buy some clothes for the changing season.
But Qiu Wuji, who was impervious to heat and cold, felt a sudden chill upon hearing Chu Ge's words, as if she had been doused with cold water, leaving her drenched.
She crossed her arms, lowered her head, and said softly, "I see…it seems a bit…"
She wasn't interested in most things in this world.
In the past, she only learned about things to "understand the world," not out of genuine interest. Watching movies and reading books was for learning, not because they were entertaining.
What interested her were computers and mobile phones, and the main reason they fascinated Qiu Wuji was their convenience and access to information—efficiency that even surpassed that of the cultivation world.
It was an ancient well, ten thousand years old, its heart serene and still.
"I'm feeling better now, I can even like piglets..." Qiu Wuji thought for a long time, then muttered listlessly, "There are so many things in this world that aren't really that fun... Okay, I admit it's a bit out of place, like a transmigrator observing the world from an outsider's perspective?"
Chu Ge snapped his fingers: "Right, right, the root cause isn't whether you have hobbies or interests. Maybe others don't have them either, and that might just be a symptom? The real difference seems to be that you're an observer, not someone who considers themselves part of this world."
"Mid-Autumn Festival, Qiu Wuji's mid-stage of integrating into this world!" Qiu Wuji clenched her fist with boundless energy: "I'll solve this problem!"
Chu Ge smiled and took her hand, swaying slightly as they walked a short distance: "I suddenly think it's quite good that you know Zhu Mengmeng..."
"Why?"
"So that your world won't just consist of Chu Ge... You'll have your own social circle, your own life trajectory." Chu Ge said, "Everyone's existence in this world is built up over a long period of time from childhood to adulthood. But you appeared out of thin air, your trajectory has only lasted a few months, so many, many links are missing... Zhu Mengmeng is the first link to fill this gap, and slowly you can have others." Qiu Wuji said, "So it's about making more friends?"
"Not necessarily just friends... Your life right now revolves around me. Apart from going to Zhu Mengmeng's for tea, which is something you do on your own, everything else is related to me. Think about it, what else is there that you do on your own that has nothing to do with me? Hobbies are just one aspect." Qiu Wuji tilted her head and thought for a long time, but couldn't think of anything.
Because without you, there's nothing in this world worth staying for. I don't need to stay here at all, and I have no need to integrate into this world. So why should I seek out things that have nothing to do with you?
In the end, she didn't say these words, afraid that if she did, Chu Ge would become too smug.
Qiu Wuji finally said, "Actually, listening to music isn't entirely unrelated to you. Does listening to music while reading or cooking at home count? Do you think I'd leave you to go to a concert?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Hmph."
"Listening to music is just a random example, not a very applicable one… Of course, when you open an app and search for your favorite songs one by one, that's for your own enjoyment, and it's indeed unrelated to me."
"Hmm…" Qiu Wuji thought for a moment and found it quite reasonable: "I can try… But as for songs, I'm not used to the songs of this world. Although they're quite nice, they just don't feel right. Or perhaps I could look for some guzheng or guqin pieces?"
Chu Ge nodded and smiled: "That's right. There's always something you like." Qiu Wuji tilted... She looked at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled: "Thank you."
Chu Ge: "?"
"You... you've been helping me integrate into this world, even going so far as to separate me from your influence... you've been doing that all along."
"Uh..."
"A few days ago, we seemed to have forgotten about this, as if I were just browsing the internet, getting used to the internet slang of this world, and becoming a modern person... Now, don't you suddenly feel like you were when I first arrived?" Qiu Wuji shook his hand: "The time when Chu Ge went to great lengths to deceive me to keep Qiu Wuji here."
Chu Ge was also starting to miss that time. Back then, Qiu Wuji was naive, afraid to speak when going out to buy things, obediently listening to him negotiate with people, unable to hail a taxi when he went out. Those were such fun times.
Now, as she becomes more familiar with this world, even haggling over prices at the market, this feeling has been long gone. He hadn't expected that a single sentence today would reveal that she wasn't actually that familiar with it; it was just that her life path was too narrow, so there weren't many places where her "ignorance" could be exposed.
We all still have a very long road ahead... let's walk it together.
"Now that I think about it, I should play some games," Qiu Wuji suddenly said. "When I chat with my friends in the group, the most frustrating thing is their gaming jargon. Everyone else understands, but I have to secretly ask Baidu (a Chinese search engine). Even after asking, I only know the meaning; it's just rote memorization, not real understanding..."
"Games..." Chu Ge laughed, "I once thought Sect Leader Qiu would be addicted to games and wouldn't want to return to the sect, but it turns out he doesn't play games at all..."
"My will is firm; I could never be addicted to anything. The only thing that could make me addicted is the Heavenly Dao... uh, not you!"
"It's me!"
"Pah! The Dao I seek is the mystery of the universe, beyond your reach!"
"Okay, I'll give you that."
"..." The two stared at each other for a long time before Qiu Wuji muttered, "It's this kind of language that's so annoying." Chu Ge chuckled, "This isn't game jargon, it's just slang."
"It's all the same." Qiu Wuji said, "So, do you have any game suggestions for me? How about Panda Mining?"
"Panda Mining is called World of Warcraft, an old game from over ten years ago. I was addicted to it back then, it's really a good game... but if you follow the trend and instead go back to archaeology, it's tasteless..." "No, wait a minute..."
"What new games are there?"
"They don't need anything too new. The ones they're always talking about in the group are MOBA games. They can talk about Dota 2, LoL, and Challenger all at the same time, and they can even understand each other's Magnus flips and level 2 ganks... You can pick any game you like. I think MOBAs are perfect for you, since it's all about killing people anyway."
"Then I'll go back and look into it..."
Chu Ge smiled: "When you're killing people in the team, you're really not just revolving around Chu Ge anymore." Qiu Wuji glared: "Are you thinking about your daughter growing up again?"
" "Wait until you're really into it... Dad might beat up this internet-addicted girl by then. I don't even know if letting you play games was the right thing to do..." Chu Ge said with a hint of heartache, "We started off on the wrong foot. We should have had a more positive and progressive topic." Qiu Wuji asked curiously, "What?"
"You don't quite understand the thoughts of people in this world. Why do people behave the way they do? For example, why are there 996 work schedules and people just giving up and lying down? Why are housing prices so high? Why are people unwilling to have children..."
"Wait, people are unwilling to have children?"
"Yeah..." Chu Ge glanced at her furtively.
"Oh, I'm unwilling too." Qiu Wuji said casually, "What's so strange about that... Hmm, why do they?" Chu Ge chuckled.
Qiu Wuji remained expressionless: "If you laugh again, I'll beat you up."
"So you really aren't a modern person... Understanding these things can't be done in a few words, so I was going in the wrong direction earlier... I should have recommended you start with Marxist illegal acts, instead of playing games, which shows my ideological awareness isn't high enough either."
"Why me commit illegal acts?" Qiu Wuji said, "Right, I saw them post this picture in the group chat, and everyone's atmosphere was weird, I don't know why."
"Hahaha..." Chu Ge chuckled dryly, pulling Qiu Wuji's hand and disappearing into the crowd in the shopping mall.
Qiu Wuji swallowed back a bellyful of questions. It seemed illegal acts weren't something to discuss openly... It seemed he really didn't understand this world yet; there were too many things he didn't know.
Are people in this world reluctant to have children?
How strange, is it because they're afraid of pain?
It seems very painful... But isn't it true that many children bring many blessings...? I don't seem to be afraid of pain, so how many children would be better?
Wait, why am I thinking about this!
Chu Ge is definitely doing this on purpose!
"Ouch!" Chu Ge's hand felt like it had been gripped by an iron clamp. He looked at his suddenly aggressive girlfriend with a bewildered and aggrieved expression.
Qiu Wuji turned his head to look at the festive balloons hanging around them, remaining silent.
In the bustling shopping mall during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the Qiu Sect Leader's face was flushed red, just like a red balloon.