Chapter 1371: NO.275: Ignorance is Bliss

NO. 275: Ignorance is Bliss

At sometime past six in the evening, Xi gazed upon the continually increasing number of people in the courtyard and had to admit she had made a low-level mistake.

How could I not have thought of that?

Even when Shu Jie came to ask to borrow that long‑dormant homestead plot, I should have realized it then, especially since she had also specifically requested further modifications to the kitchen stove.

For the Sui fragments that rarely truly gather once, Xi's "portable garden" drawn for everyone's settlement was like an unattainable dream, because the Sui family members each have their own ideas and pursuits; even if they call each other brothers and sisters, it does not mean they must eat and live together.

Rather, they have been trying to avoid it from the start, because for them the saying "nothing happens three times" has a particularly unique meaning—being remnants of the Sui, their essence easily resonates when gathered.

When the number reaches the concepts of three, six, nine, twelve, each nature becomes doubly active, and with a little deliberate effort it is easy to summon the grand existence that nobody wants to see.

【Sui】

Although not a true main entity in the strict sense, in nature it even has a bit of the chaotic blindness of a negative‑energy monster, like a great dream, fully showing the murkiness of being trapped in a dream.

That is not an unsolvable problem for everyone, yet it remains a development nobody wishes to see.

Thus, even if the fragments truly had leisure, they rarely took the initiative to ask for a gathering; even when the second‑ranked one's plan to completely kill the Sui proceeded smoothly, Xi could not tell when everyone might get a chance to meet once.

And the picture prepared for everyone's gathering naturally fell into a state of being ignored by all.

But also occasionally.

Xi, Nian, or Zhong Yue……

Someone will always think of it and step onto that heaven‑earth which, being a world inside the painting, has never changed.

To remember the past, or simply to seek tranquility.

Although it has never been noisy, it is not left to gather dust.

However, no matter how, it would be normal for Nian or the elder brother to want to go, but if it were Shu Jie……

Although Xi had doubts at that time, she didn't pay much attention, merely thinking that Shu Jie had heard a bit of curiosity from the elder brother and might want to go plant something there; the world she painted was not just the courtyard, but also the bamboo groves and mountain‑water beyond it.

They are all the sorts of scenes loved by scholars, but if used for farming……

Xi found it hard to say, since she doesn't know much about agriculture, but regarding the world she herself painted, she was full of confidence, confident that some things could be indistinguishable from reality.

After the other party's inspection, the request she heard was not to improve the soil but to renovate the kitchen……

Indeed, that picture is already an antique several hundred years old; its stove is somewhat backward, and to the eyes of those living in the Federation today it looks downright primitive.

But even Nian never complained when he lived there, so why insist on this…… Sis, you're for farming, not really cooking—don't lose your wits to the praise of those company employees, you're not the youngest——

Even the shut‑in painters who no longer use swords as brushes have grown accustomed to the Federation's advanced food delivery and smart kitchen appliances; it's really not usual for this sister to keep running to the kitchen after she arrives.

Running is fine, but coming back carrying food—although Xi also enjoys the pleasure of good food—this old habit of rushing to meet her manuscript deadline… really can't make her sit at the table, can it?

At those times she would have preferred to just go straight for bread, and this time was no different—last time the work of Horse Girl Only was a great success, although the president seemed busy with other matters and never freed up a new project, Xi's social account as the lead artist still saw considerable growth, setting aside those who tried to learn Umastar's recent situation from her, the Gongbi painting madam indeed got several new manuscripts, so busy she almost wanted to bring back traditional brushes——

——a sword.

That was her usual painting tool back home, used second only to her flexible, free tail, and its unsealing also marked Miss Xi as a hand skilled at seeking out trouble.

Although her problem isn't really having too much work, just procrastination plus poor schedule management, that didn't stop her from quickly dealing with Shu's request without thinking, and while hurrying back to work she vaguely agreed to Shu's invitation to come eat here later.

I should have asked more…… Now Xi can only regretfully think of a nonexistent regret pill; asking Shu Jie for a response now only makes her belatedly recall that she indeed didn't ask those things back then.

If she had asked a bit more back then, she could have figured out why to come eat here, and then……

Refusing would probably be hard to do, but running away should still work, right!

"Hey hey hey! Look over there! Those two were on TV before, right? What's their name…"

"Ludaofu Xiangzheng, SymboliRudolf." First in Dongyan language, then in Hong English, Xi explained expressionlessly, "Beside her are the Qianming representative, Gechengwangpai, and Narita Bai Ren; they all appeared in the afternoon's Dream Cup."

On a normal day she would already have begun mocking Nian's rudeness and ignorance, then putting on an especially provoking attitude and tone to explain each point, displaying the superiority pride of an industry insider.

But she obviously doesn't have that leisure now.

As someone who, though not beside Aomo, constantly hears acquaintances of Aomo Lindun in discussions related to the Horse Girl field, Xi has practically heard every rumor, true or false, about them.

Even if uninterested, someone will forward it to the public social sphere you can see; rather than calling it garbage big data, it's more like the information cocoon you've cultivated by your own filtering.

In most cases, the information cocoon is a comfortable network environment.

Regardless of good or bad, comfort is real comfort, after all it's the network environment built from your own interests guiding it.

But during specific periods, like when acquaintances' scandals are flying everywhere, this information cocoon is hard to maintain.

It will only push over the information of acquaintances you don't want to follow, stirring a little bit of gossip curiosity, then after waiting for the big sister to send over news that shocks you for a whole year, when you look back at those true‑or‑false rumors, what would you think?

No matter what others think, Xi herself will only see that every female guest present is highly suspicious!

And when those female guests appear in the same frame as Aomo——each person's subtle demeanor and hidden actions push her alertness to an even higher peak!

Heavens, as the great painter Xi, although she has considerable observational skill and can capture every spirit of what she paints and set it into the picture, her observation of people—namely reading looks and expressions—only showed its full brilliance when she gave each family member a painting back then.

That was who knows how many years ago.

Even that brief lodging place, Poshan Town, the restoration of a certain accountant there was built from day‑to‑day interaction, not the essence gained from a brief observation.

Who would have thought that after all these years, restarting it would be used now, and moreover in this extremely torn‑apart state.

Originally I didn't want to look, but I couldn't help glancing once, then again, and several more times——

Then I discovered……

Hmm… a bit sinister……

Seems… maybe…… perhaps……

Doesn't look fake?

She'd rather believe she was mistaken, after all she herself has never dated, but lately she's been watching plenty of romance‑themed comics, animations, and even game streams.

Creation and reality ought to differ, and as the creator Xi naturally knows this all too well.

And precisely for that reason, her mind isn't all that certain either; just the alarm keeps ringing, and every time a female guest enters she feels like a tournament announcing a new contestant.

But she lacks the bloodthirsty excitement of those arena spectators; instead she has a sheep‑among‑wolves sort of timid dread.

Aomo, what are you up to?! I've never seen such a scene even at the doctor's place!

Never expecting that she herself hardly had a chance to meet the doctor and a group of female staff together, Miss Xi felt only that Aomo was too heaven‑defying; just imagining that lot seated together inevitably made her look toward Elder Sister Ling's whereabouts—but she couldn't see a thing.

"Where is elder sister?"

She turned her head, asking toward those still standing there, commenting on each guest's appearance, but she seemed like someone who wanted to get to know everyone, and in her heart she felt a pity: 'You don't even know what battlefield you'll be facing later, do you?'

Ignorant child, not even knowing that the war is about to begin, a feeling of sorrowful superiority rose in Xi's heart.

"Elder sister? She wasn't just welcoming those horse girls together with elder brother, was she?" Yanran likewise didn't notice where the other person was; after looking around the courtyard for a while, she immediately looked toward the kitchen.

"I suspect she's sneaking food."

"Ah?" Xi froze.

"Shu sister and Aomo's gang have been inside for a while; she probably couldn't resist going to get some food and drinks."

"Oh… oh……"

"?"

"Why are you reacting so strangely? You don't really like Aomo, do you?"

"... Your brain can also be used as a side dish."

"How did it suddenly turn into a personal attack!"