Fireflies flickered along the riverbank, shimmering under the moonlight, hazy and dreamlike.
Occasionally, the chirping of insects rose, mingling with the gurgling of the river, like a serenade, adding to the tranquility.
Within the serenade, another chord played: the soft, low singing of a young couple.
"Enough...enough..." a weak female voice murmured, "You tricked me here with just a big mooncake, a few cotton candies, and some jianbing (Chinese crepes), and then kissed and touched me for so long..." The ten-thousand-year-old grandmother was filled with indignation, feeling like a pig.
Why did she come to this riverside in the suburbs? Now that she thought about it, it seemed there was really nothing else to do sitting in a place like this except for kissing and hugging.
Completely a freebie.
Even clearing the area required her own magic. How infuriating.
This is a guide to love; be sure to write it down and show it to other girls. If a boy wants to take you to a deserted area at night, don't go. He only wants to kiss you... If he does, then it's about taking things further...
Of course, write this down too: If you want to kiss him yourself, pretend you don't know anything, just go along cluelessly, and then you'll get to kiss him until your lips are swollen.
Under the flowers and moon, by the flowing river, in the desolate wilderness, the environment is so romantic and enchanting that you might end up kissing so much that you don't even realize you've climbed the mountain! Waaah...
"Don't touch me again..."
"Yes, ma'am."
"?"
"..."
"I said no more touching! My clothes are all messed up!" Chu Ge kissed her cheeks and neck, murmuring all the way, "Qiuqiu, I love you so much." Qiu Wuji was a little dazed. It seemed like this was the first time he had confessed his love with such a cheesy "I love you" in modern terms. These three words were indeed direct and powerful, much more impactful than all sorts of pretentious, literary confessions he'd heard before, leaving Qiu Wuji still feeling dizzy. He really does seem to love me, he's not lying.
My mind went blank for a moment, and Cloud Peak completely fell.
Mainly because I was wearing ancient costume today, it was so easy to slip it in through the lapels, sob sob… It wasn't my fault.
Wait.
Qiu Wuji opened his eyes and gritted his teeth: "You tricked me into coming to the riverbank, you wouldn't happen to be doing something like this in one fell swoop, would you?"
"Huh?" Chu Ge really didn't have that thought. He was just in the mood, and couldn't help himself without realizing it.
Now that he'd been told that, he was a little more awake, and then he realized he'd actually invaded Cloud Peak… He was so moved he was practically in tears, even being thrown into the river was worth it!
He subconsciously flicked it.
A cherry trembled.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, Qiu Wuji's face as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Ouch!" A scream rang out, birds took flight in fright, even the chirping of insects stopped.
Chu Ge really wanted to post a thread titled "What's it like to be constantly held captive by your girlfriend in a relationship?" Regardless of the experience, today was worth it—that warm, smooth touch, that trembling moment.
The sensation still lingers in his palm, though his wrist aches now.
"I will definitely train to surpass you!" Chu Ge swore to the moon.
Qiu Wuji's tone was cool: "I think this is probably the most sincere vow a man makes under the moon."
Chu Ge: "..."
"Really." Qiu Wuji released him, pouting, "Are you thinking about all that nonsense?"
Chu Ge secretly glanced at her.
Under the moonlight, her flushed face was faintly visible, her clothes still slightly disheveled, revealing a glimpse of white snow. Her hair was also disheveled, looking strangely alluring.
He swallowed hard, saying with some difficulty, "Men and women are attracted to each other, it's natural and perfectly normal... It wasn't just to appease you, I couldn't help myself..." Qiu Wuji's face was still warm. She knew she couldn't help herself either; she was too, otherwise she wouldn't have been so easily taken advantage of.
This was yin and yang, seemingly naturally attracted to each other, thus creating Tai Chi.
Chu Ge continued, "If we're talking about vows under the moon... besides the sincerity of the previous vow, the one before that was also true." The one before that? Which one did he say before that? "Huh?" or "Ah?" She hadn't said anything at all... Qiu Wuji thought for a moment, confirming it was that sentence: "Qiuqiu, I love you so much."
Thinking of this sentence, Qiu Wuji's heart still felt a little tingly. She turned her head away and said, "I don't believe you. Mengmeng said that the most unreliable thing a man can say is this. She even gave me an example of a proverb from a country called Spain or something."
Gu Chuge asked curiously, "What proverb?"
"I will love you forever, for three months."
"..." Chuge was both amused and exasperated: "We have so many poems about this in ancient times, when did it become a foreign proverb?"
Qiu Wuji was angry: "So you know a lot, huh!"
"I've loved you for much longer than three months, Qiuqiu." Chuge hugged her again and whispered, "We've known each other for almost four months, but I feel like I love you even more now, I wish I could be wrapped around you forever..."
Qiu Wuji's heart started to tingle again, and she stammered, "You, anyway..." "Even if it's more than three months, it'll be at most three years."
"If we have to use the number 'three,' then I think it should be at least three lifetimes."
"Do you know how many years one of my lifetimes is?" Qiu Wuji scoffed. "You want three lifetimes?"
"Yes, no need for three lifetimes, because this lifetime of ours is eternity." Qiu Wuji's heart skipped a beat again, and he retorted with some difficulty, "I haven't yet broken through the limits of heaven and man, my lifespan isn't eternal, let alone yours, so you still won't admit that this is just fooling people?"
"If an ordinary man and woman said one lifetime was eternal, then that could probably be considered fooling people. But Qiu Qiu..." Chu Ge said softly, "In my writing, you are destined to achieve eternity. In fact, if you were outside the book, you could even break through the level of the Heavenly Dao yourself, which I think would also be transcending heaven and man, immortal and indestructible. So no matter what, you are very likely to be eternal." Qiu Wuji paused, without answering. But Chu Ge continued, "And I... all my cultivation was to keep up with you, Qiu Qiu... both in terms of lifespan and in order to find you in the book."
Even to be able to defeat you, to possess you honorably.
This last half-sentence was left unsaid, and there was no need to say it.
Qiu Wuji's heart began to race again, his mind starting to spin.
The sweet words of love were almost as lethal as a mental spell, their effects terrifying.
Most importantly, Qiu Wuji knew in his heart that he was telling the truth, every single word.
And so, under the moon, amidst the flowers and by the river, it was all the more moving.
In his dazed state, Qiu Wuji came to his senses and realized that he was kissing him again, not even knowing whether he or she had taken the initiative this time.
As he had said, he wanted to cling to him, never tiring of him.
Even when his hand climbed again, she didn't object. She possessed the strength to easily throw him into the river, yet her limbs felt weak and powerless, devoid of any strength, and she didn't want to exert any.
Ancient costumes were truly unfortunate; they allowed him to easily sweep his shoulders aside, leaving a trail of hickeys on her neck and shoulders.
Qiu Wuji, somewhat lost in thought, tilted his head slightly upward, gazing at the moon's pale, bright light, like the face of a smiling aunt.
It seemed as if a rabbit was pounding medicine within the moon.
In that world, the Heavenly Dao was him, and the moon was his manifestation.
In this world, the Heavenly Dao was unknown; would the witness under the moon hear its testimonies?
Could that jade rabbit bear witness?
May our love last forever.
She felt that this environment had both ruined her and, in a way, protected her—if the occasion allowed, she truly didn't know if she could refuse his advances; she felt utterly powerless. But precisely because of the chaotic setting, with rocks and debris everywhere, it was inconvenient and difficult for him to succeed.
He could feel his heavy breathing, as if he were about to burst.
Qiu Wuji suddenly felt sorry for him and couldn't help but laugh.
Chu Ge: "..."
"Alright..." Qiu Wuji gently pushed him away, looking down to straighten her clothes, which he had torn to shreds, and pouted, "You're such a lecher."
Chu Ge: "..." Turning to look at his pitiful expression, Qiu Wuji smiled sweetly, her charm captivating: "Father God, are you feeling wronged?"
Chu Ge: "..." Qiu Wuji moved closer, her breath sweet as orchids in his ear: "You spoke so nicely today, this is a reward for you..."
She imitated Chu Ge, kissing his neck, her slender hand slowly moving down to grasp the pestle.
Chu Ge's eyes widened.
"Don't look..." Qiu Wuji murmured, "She's just a little cutie..."
The little cutie was so angry her veins were bulging.
The little cutie was about to cry.
Chu Ge also stared blankly at the moon, in which he seemed to see a jade rabbit holding a pestle, striking it again and again… The person before him was more beautiful than the jade rabbit, gentler than the moon, like autumn water in a dream, rippling with the moonlight, washing over his heart and engulfing his soul.
For a moment, he seemed to see the moon also smiling.