Chapter 121: Today's Smile Is the Loveliest

Pei Chuyun had been following Lu Xingzhou for some time now, and her impressions had been thoroughly overturned.

Previously, limited by information, she had always assumed that Lu Xingzhou was already twenty this year, his cultivation was only sixth-rank, and he must have spent a great deal of time on the paperwork of Yan Luo Hall, rarely cultivating, his strength about on par with other alchemists... this mistaken notion cost her dearly.

Now she realized that Lu Xingzhou had virtually no leisure time in his daily life.

Apart from the necessary social engagements, he never left his quarters—either pondering cultivation or pondering alchemy, a downright cultivation maniac.

His little child A'nuo was the same, holed up in her room cultivating day after day. Acting cute was just a side gig; Ghost Child was her true self, and even when out, A'nuo was actually quiet most of the time.

That brief stretch on the road to the capital was Pei Chuyun's first time sightseeing, and likewise the first time for Lu Xingzhou and his disciple—none of them wasted any time on leisure.

If one were to call it idle business, perhaps it was only when he was flirting that he wasn't doing his proper work. But as for his so-called flirting, Pei Chuyun was well aware—at least toward her, Pei Chuyun, it wasn't sincere.

Even those few lines he'd just spoken, she didn't know how much was human calculation, how much was sincerity.

Pei Chuyun felt a little like laughing. Last night she'd been disappointed that he didn't trust her, but in truth she had never truly trusted him either.

They were even.

To be blunt, Pei Chuyun herself didn't really trust herself. Perhaps in that moment she'd been moved, willing to share pleasure with him, but afterward? Halfway through, wouldn't she think the chance was too good and want to use the Maiden Mystic Art to control him? Pei Chuyun wouldn't dare vouch for herself on that.

His guard was warranted.

Pei Chuyun sighed, rose and threw on her clothes, and brewed a cup of tea for Lu Xingzhou, who was absorbed in alchemy.

Lu Xingzhou was somewhat surprised by her attitude and turned his head to glance at her, puzzled.

"What are you looking at? Don't drink it then, forget it." Pei Chuyun shot him a look and sat to one side, propping her cheek on her hand.

"Drink? A'luo's loving cup of tea—why wouldn't I drink it?"

"You, this person..." Pei Chuyun clicked her tongue: "I really can't tell which of your words are sincere and which are fake."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Likewise."

Pei Chuyun said sarcastically: "With self-control this good, you'd actually make a fine Monk."

Lu Xingzhou said earnestly: "That goes both ways—your self-control is actually better than mine. If I become a Monk, how about you keep me company next door as a Nun?"

"Why should I keep you company? Who do you think you are..."

"I'm your Young Master, little maid A'luo."

Pei Chuyun flew up with a kick; Lu Xingzhou casually caught it.

On her foot was the embroidered shoe he had returned to her.

Lu Xingzhou casually slipped it off and tossed it aside, holding her little foot in one hand to toy with, while the other hand kept reading.

Even though she was being taken advantage of, Pei Chuyun still felt like laughing: "Has Shen Tang ever told you that you're not normal..."

"I thought that for a Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect, this level would count as the low end of perception."

Pei Chuyun wiggled her little foot, toes lightly brushing against the armrest: "Is this a bit higher-end?"

Lu Xingzhou widened his eyes: "Enchantress, I'm reading—cease disrupting my cultivation."

Pei Chuyun's big toe kept brushing: "Don't you know I'm actually still your enemy? Keeping an enemy by your side is bound to end badly—disrupting your cultivation is the bare minimum."

Lu Xingzhou found it genuinely funny: "You really can't stand to see me do well?"

Pei Chuyun propped her cheek and said: "Anyway, as you said—after tonight, we part ways for good. No matter how much I disturb your cultivation, it's only for one day, it won't affect anything... how about accompanying me out to see the capital?"

Somehow, Lu Xingzhou always managed to find a clingy little-girlfriend vibe from this one. He said deliberately: "Asking me to give up cultivation to keep you company—you should at least offer some reward, no?"

Pei Chuyun bit her lower lip, her alluring eyes like silk: "If you're willing... tonight, if you hold back again, I'll help you let it out."

Lu Xingzhou immediately put away his jade slip: "Let's go."

Pei Chuyun tittered: "Men."

Lu Xingzhou endured the mockery without a word.

The reason a purely platonic solution wouldn't work is that this sort of thing requires the other party to be proactive—you can't exactly grab her hand or foot and do it yourself; if she laughed out loud, how embarrassing would that be. If the little enchantress were willing to take the initiative, then even researching techniques wouldn't be so necessary...

The two called for A'nuo, who pushed the wheelchair with great glee and darted out the door.

Pei Chuyun walked alongside and sighed leisurely: "Look at you, this master of hers—see what you've reduced the child to."

Lu Xingzhou said: "You say that as if you and A'nuo get along well. How many times have you two fought along the way? Can you even count?"

"One thing at a time!"

A'nuo said: "Master never restricted me from going out—I'm the one who doesn't go out."

"Oh you little brat, I'm speaking up for you! If you don't go out yourself, then why are you so happy once you're out?"

"Because going out by myself and going out with Master aren't the same."

Pei Chuyun was stunned for a moment, at a loss for words.

She could go out by herself too—why did she insist on having Lu Xingzhou accompany her?

Same thing.

Thinking this, she suddenly felt A'nuo's round little face looked just like a lantern. Pei Chuyun bent down, her voice laced with charm: "A'nuo, at your young age cultivation should still come first—how about you go back? The tiring job of pushing the wheelchair, leave it to big sis."

A'nuo gave her a contemptuous look: "Big sis, you'd better go up on stage and perform opera..."

Pei Chuyun clenched her pink fist and made a fierce gesture at her.

A'nuo wasn't afraid of her at all, gave a "hmph" and turned her head away.

Though they said they were out shopping, Pei Chuyun didn't really have the interest in browsing and buying that ordinary women do. Within her sect she had everything she could want, whatever she desired was hers; she truly had no interest in jewelry, accessories, clothes and the like. The only things that could pique her interest were probably rare treasures of heaven and earth, but those weren't something one could find by browsing the streets.

The result was that A'nuo completely stole the show, diving toward any stall that had food. Pei Chuyun watched from behind and curled her lip.

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help asking: "You're the one who suggested going out—why are you so desireless? Last time you only bought a poetry collection."

"I don't know." Pei Chuyun said softly: "I've never felt like I wanted to go shopping."

"Then today this is..."

Pei Chuyun gazed absently at A'nuo tiptoeing to place copper coins on the counter, that adorable little look, and suddenly smiled: "You caught me—that was me first showing you goodwill."

"Mm."

"I thought about it for a long time afterward, never figured out where my goodwill came from—I clearly hated you to death back then..." Pei Chuyun sighed: "Thinking it over and over, maybe it was because that day, watching you and A'nuo happily strolling behind you. That might be the dream I'd been looking forward to since childhood, yet never managed to realize."

Lu Xingzhou paused, then nodded again.

Actually, it was much the same with Shen Tang — a father's love had been lacking, so watching this kind of parent-child scene was especially moving. Come to think of it, having a cute kid seemed to be quite a weapon for picking up girls, about the same as having a cat at home that could do a backflip…

"You envy Anuo, so why don't you act like her?" Lu Xingzhou said with a gentle smile. "I see you like sweets too, and you're not afraid of getting fat. Just happily go buy some and eat them… Could it be that after cultivating for too long, and being bound by the identity of Holy Maiden, you've already forgotten what happiness looks like?"

Pei Chuyun pointed at her own nose: "I'm my lord, how could I run around blindly like her?"

"You're only an eighteen-year-old girl, you have the right to run wild all over the street."

"Pfft, you talk as if you're so old." Though she said that, when Pei Chuyun looked around, there really were quite a few girls giggling and roughhousing on the street, loudly laughing at the stall in front of the owner: "Boss, boss, I want this one!"

Anuo's head poked out from between the two girls' waists: "I want some too, two skewers of candied hawthorns."

Pei Chuyun ran over huffily and scooped Anuo up in one hand: "Why should you get two skewers?"

Saying that, she turned and shouted at the boss: "Make that three skewers!"

Sure enough, no one on the whole street found anything amiss with her.

There was no need to put on the composed air and faint smile as in the sect, no need to put on that feigned charm as when facing enemies out there.

Just a little maid out with her family for fun, with the right to run wild all over the street.

She could snatch food with Anuo, could jostle for position with the other girls.

No one was even pushing Lu Xingzhou's wheelchair anymore; he followed behind, propelling it himself, a faint smile lingering on his face the whole time.

Pei Chuyun happened to turn her head and saw, her face flushing a little, yet she gave a humph and went on chasing Anuo: "Little brat, don't run, these osmanthus cakes are mine, yours are the glutinous rice cakes, you finished yours in one bite and now you're trying to snatch mine — stop right there!"

Anuo ran off clutching her bag: "Just buy more if you want, it's not like we don't have the money…"

"You fat little pig, why can't you burst from eating so much!"

Lu Xingzhou followed behind with a beaming smile, when suddenly a talisman appeared in his hand — but it did not ignite.

Ghost-Expelling Talisman.

On a windowsill somewhere above, a pair of venomous snake-like, vicious eyes vanished behind the window.

Rounding the street corner, he happened to see a patrol squad from the Town Demon Bureau. Lu Xingzhou wheeled past, and without a change of expression sent a voice transmission: "Please inform Miss Sheng — Ye Wufeng is indeed still in the capital, be sure to heighten vigilance… If you want to act, you must find me, don't act on your own."

The Town Demon Bureau squad leader's expression turned solemn.

Lu Xingzhou, smiling cheerfully, continued chasing after his maid and child.

Ying Shuang was right… these people like Ye Wufeng really didn't seem to dare touch him. Hard to gauge King Yama's attitude?

How interesting — when he was in Yama Hall those people couldn't wait for him to die, yet now that he'd truly left they didn't dare make a move… When he'd cursed him with a talisman as a ghost, telling him to scram, the man had actually swallowed it. From earlier until now, he'd basically been alone…

But that also meant the likelihood of him taking out his anger on others was higher. Hopefully Melon Girl had taken his reminder that day to heart, not brushed it off and gone off to cockfighting, horse-racing, or hunting or whatever…

Melon Girl should logically listen to his advice, but the weight she gave it might not be enough — after all, this was the capital! She might think that laying down enough of a net would be enough to go hunting.

But Ye Wufeng was truly dangerous; without sufficient understanding one could capsize… Even Lu Xingzhou himself, not having seen him for a year and a half now, couldn't be sure how much Ye Wufeng had grown, whether his old read on the man still held. And Yama Hall still had other people in the capital, and Lu Xingzhou didn't know which ones were Ye Wufeng's people — hard to even find them.

While he was pondering, Pei Chuyun and Anuo came running back, roughhousing as usual.

Pei Chuyun grabbed a candied hawthorn skewer with a grin and stuffed it into Lu Xingzhou's mouth: "Here, don't say we forgot about you."

Lu Xingzhou bit down on one, tilted his head to look at Pei Chuyun's smiling face, and laughed: "In all the days I've known you, today's smile might be the prettiest."

The little witch was perhaps afraid that carelessly using her power might accidentally harm passersby, so she kept her power fully hidden — and as a result this wild running had actually made her break a slight sweat. A few strands of hair stuck slightly askew at her temples, her cheeks flushed, every brow-tip and eye-corner brimming with the youthfulness of a little maid; that everyday seductive teasing seemed to exist only in dreams, gone in a flash.

(End of chapter)