Chapter 137: Not Even a Word of Greeting (Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year)

Chen Shu, on the contrary, was no longer in a hurry, leaning in to examine her closely.

Qingqing's skin was excellent—snow-white and delicate. It was due to her lineage, due to her cultivation, and perhaps due to her skincare routine; in short, her face was so tender it seemed as if it could be pinched to release water, so fine that pores were almost invisible, even better than a baby's.

Chen Shu reached out a hand and covered her eyes.

Not letting her see.

Then his gaze couldn't help but drift downward, stopping on Ning Qing's lips. These lips were truly exquisite and beautiful, like an artwork under a painter's hand.

Wonder what they would taste like.

It is said that the saliva of a Night Person contains a substance that makes other races feel a slight sweetness, hallucinations, and numbness; simply put, their saliva is sweet.

Qingqing does not have much Night Person Bloodline in her; I wonder if she inherited this trait?

Chen Shu thought to himself as he leaned in.

He planted a kiss on Qingqing's cheek, a spot just below her eye, the most prominent part of her entire face.

He counted two seconds in his heart.

When Chen Shu pulled his mouth away, he had almost sucked up the flesh of Qingqing's cheek. He felt only the delicate softness, bouncy like jelly—how could one imagine that this cold face of Qingqing's would have skin as tender and smooth as a baby's?

"Smack~"

A hand gripped Chen Shu's wrist and pulled down the hand he was using to cover her eyes.

Ning Qing opened her eyes, but the first thing she did was look behind her.

Chen Shu also followed her gaze.

He saw the little girl had already changed into a looser, more form-fitting outfit. She carried her matcha-green ceramic cup, walked straight into the living room, and went to the water dispenser.

The little girl was very focused, looking straight ahead.

Even when passing by the two of them, she did not cast a glance their way.

The water dispenser gurgled.

She filled a cup and left, holding it.

Like a robot programmed with a water-dispensing routine, she wouldn't participate in anything else besides getting water.

Ning Qing felt her leg grow heavy; when she looked down, this person had already rested his head on her lap again. She didn't say anything, just covered his face with her palm, also blocking his eyes.

Her other hand wiped the saliva off her face.

"Qingqing."

"?"

"Help me guess, if I go to the Hunting Festival in the middle of the month and stop by the Forbidden Land to look for the Full Moon See, will it go smoothly?"

"It will."

"Really? That was fast!"

"..."

"That's good then."

"..."

"Your palm is so soft, it smells fragrant. What good stuff did you put on it?"

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"..."

Ning Qing didn't make a sound for a good while, then said faintly: "When it's my birthday, sing a song for me."

"Hm? Aren't you going to kiss me?" Chen Shu wanted to push Qingqing's hand away to meet her eyes, but as soon as he pushed away her right hand, her left hand covered him again. This woman's amusement is a bit strange.

"No."

"Emmm..." Chen Shu pondered for a few seconds, "Since you want to hear me sing so much, I'll treat it as a bonus and gift it to you. That way, you won't have to painfully give up the chance to kiss me for it."

"..."

"Then what do you want to hear?"

"Anything is fine."

"I'll have to think about it..."

Chen Shu was actually keeping his eyes open.

The skin around his eyes could feel the softness of Qingqing's palm, and through the tiny gaps between her fingers, he could receive a bit of light. But the temperature in Qingqing's palm made him feel as if he were wearing a steam eye mask; it was so comfortable he wanted to close his eyes. His breath was filled with the scent of Qingqing, which was exceptionally reassuring.

When he closed his eyes, he could see almost no light at all.

The little girl came down to get water again, still looking straight ahead, unable to see her sister and brother-in-law.

The water dispenser gurgled.

Chen Shu, pillowing his head on Qingqing's lap, drifted into dreamland.

Zhang Suannai opened her eyes groggily and woke up on the sofa.

When she straightened up, her hair was as messy as a bird's nest, and one cheek still had the imprint of the sofa cushion fabric. Because it was hot, she had slept until her face was flushed red.

Zhang Suannai scratched her head, her two long legs tilted to one side, her body leaning to the other, hands propped on the sofa to maintain the posture—now in a state of post-nap fatigue and confusion, her mind was a blank slate.

Then, some things gradually surfaced in her heart.

She had stayed here all morning, thinking about things.

The things she was thinking about were mainly in two aspects.

One aspect was about Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao's brother-in-law—

How could Ning Qing be in a relationship?

What is Ning Qing like when she is in a relationship?

What is their usual dynamic when they are together?

Then, thinking about how she often unilaterally sought out Ning Qing to chat, constantly complaining about how she couldn't date, Zhang Suannai felt a wave of mental exhaustion. Especially since Ning Qing would occasionally agree with her, saying that dating was indeed meaningless; every time this happened, Zhang Suannai would nod repeatedly, filled with excitement, as if she had found a kindred spirit, or as if her own views had been validated by her goddess.

Now that she thought about it...

It was just so damn hard to accept!

Later, Zhang Suannai began to imagine what it would be like for Ning Qing to date, but she soon realized she couldn't imagine such a scene at all.

Dating with a blank expression?

The two of them together without saying a single word?

Or perhaps Ning Qing smiling and flirting with someone? That's just impossible, okay!

Zhang Suannai couldn't even imagine Ning Qing holding hands with someone else; usually in the dorm, if she, as a fellow girl, sat a little too close to her, Ning Qing would turn her head and stare at her expressionlessly, and if she didn't move, Ning Qing would move away herself.

Could it be that there are people in this world who date without holding hands or talking?

「emmm……」

On the other hand, there was the relationship between Qingcai Keke, Meng Chunqiu, and Brother-in-law Xiaoxiao.

Shortly after hearing the little girl mention she had a brother-in-law, Zhang Suannai had become a bit suspicious of the relationship between Qingcai Keke and Brother-in-law Xiaoxiao.

Some things she had seen before were gradually becoming clear and connecting to each other—

Ning Qing's manicure;

The familiar stove;

A figure and back that were almost identical to Ning Qing's;

But she had clearly confirmed just two days ago that Qingcai Keke was actually some obscure member of the royal family—didn't that group owner hiring the Imperial Guard to protect him count as a tacit admission of sorts?

And so, Zhang Suannai's brain suddenly stalled.

Qingcai Keke is a member of the royal family;

Qingcai Keke is Brother-in-law Xiaoxiao;

It couldn't be that Brother-in-law Xiaoxiao is a member of the royal family, could it?

Thinking like this, her brain felt so tired that Zhang Suannai just collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep, and when she woke up, it was already past noon.

She even had a dream.

In the dream, Ning Qing, Xiaoxiao, and a faceless man were in the same room; Ning Qing sat on the sofa with a blank expression, Xiaoxiao was also expressionless, and even Taozi had been infected by her owner and became silent. Only the faceless man was fawning over them, busy running back and forth, trying to please the big goddess Ning Qing one moment and the little goddess Xiaoxiao the next, but neither of the two goddesses paid him any mind.

But the faceless man didn't feel awkward at all.

Having spent many years with the sisters, he was long used to it. In order to maintain his relationship with the goddess-like Ning Qing, he had to act like a sycophant, offering his warm face to Ning Qing's cold shoulder.

「emmm……」

As expected of me! Even my dreams are so logical!

Perhaps their way of getting along really is just like that!

Only this way does it seem reasonable.

Thinking this, Zhang Suannai put her feet on the floor, slid them accurately into her slippers, and got up, rubbing her face as she walked toward the bathroom.

She prepared to wash her face and wake herself up.

Then she would go to Yujing Academy to stake out for the afternoon and verify whether that royal family member was really Qingcai Keke.

……

Ning Qing still kept one hand over Chen Shu's eyes to block the light for him, while her other hand rested on his face. The cheeks of someone who has been drinking are scorching hot, and she had been sitting there motionless for nearly two hours, quietly feeling that warmth.

The little girl had already gone downstairs to fetch water four times.

It wasn't until Chen Shu woke up, opened his eyes, and brushed away the hand covering them.

"Ah..."

The sudden appearance of light made him squint, but a cultivator's body is indeed formidable, and he quickly adapted, the scene before him becoming clear.

Qingqing was looking down, her eyes meeting his.

Chen Shu blinked, but before he could savor the tenderness of the moment, a pair of hands forcibly pushed him up; then he saw Qingqing pat her legs, expressionlessly pick up the water glass on the coffee table, and get up to fetch some water.

"What time is it?"

"Almost five o'clock."

"Then it's still early."

「……」

Ning Qing drank a few sips of water and walked out again.

Chen Shu followed behind her.

The air in the courtyard was very fresh, carrying the scent of flowers, and a breeze blew across his face, feeling cool.

In late spring, it is the time when roses are in full bloom, and this will be the best the roses look all year, especially certain climbing roses.

Ning Qing controlled the shape of every shrub rose perfectly, making them into flawless bushes. At the same time, she also controlled the blooming period perfectly; the branches of every flower were covered with blossoms of all sizes, blooming almost simultaneously, which was extremely stunning.

The 'Queen' was also in full bloom just right.

Looking across the entire courtyard, no flower could overshadow it.

Only the 'Morning and Dusk' could barely compete with it in beauty.

Chen Shu walked over to that cluster of 'Queens' and examined the flower closely; on the straight stems bloomed lotus-like pink and white flowers, and a gentle sniff revealed a very faint, soft, sweet fragrance that was refreshing and relaxing.

The blooming 'Queen' was too beautiful.

It's just that this thing doesn't like to bloom much, and its blooming period is short; with the current temperature in Yujing, it would probably wither in five or six days.

It just happened to be at its most beautiful today...

Chen Shu couldn't help but turn his head to glance at Qingqing, who had picked up the atomizer to spray the plants.

Qingqing happened to look at him, and she said very calmly: "You guessed right, I intentionally timed it for today."

Chen Shu:...

This woman has no sense of subtlety at all.

He went to look at the Morning and Dusk again.

Morning and Dusk was a new variety cultivated in a certain garden in Yiguo over a dozen years ago; it wasn't particularly outstanding, but thanks to Chen Shu's fondness for it, it was allowed to remain in the garden, and Ning Qing never replaced it during her annual clear-outs.

There were many other stunning flowers, but in this spring, the most stunning was undoubtedly the climbing rose by the wall.

The climbing rose grew very quickly, and the flower wall Ning Qing was building had already begun to take shape. Once a climbing rose bloomed in spring, it was incomparable to a shrub—usually, it was considered good if a single large shrub rose could burst with dozens of flowers, but once a large climber bloomed, it meant thousands upon thousands of flowers, a shock of incomparable magnitude.

The drawback was that this effect only occurred in spring; most climbing roses did not bloom well in other seasons.

Chen Shu took a few photos, planning to use them as wallpaper, then asked Qingqing: "When your birthday comes next month, do you want to invite your roommates?"

"You decide."

"It's your birthday, why should I decide?"

"I don't want to make the decision."

"Emmm..."

"Xiaoxiao was chatting with her this morning." Ning Qing glanced at him indifferently. "She already knows I have a boyfriend I haven't started dating yet; before this, she always thought it was impossible for me to date. Perhaps she has already started to suspect you."

"Emmm..."

"I won't cover for you anymore."

"Emmm..."

"Are you panicked?"

"No..."

He was even looking forward to it a little.

By this time, Chen Shu had walked over to that cluster of Night-Illuminating Clears.

The Night-Illuminating Clear was not tall, and its blooming volume was quite good; coupled with Ning Qing's good care, at a glance, dozens of flowers were in bloom, the spring flowers particularly endearing.

Chen Shu reached his hand toward one on a branch.

"Slap!"

He gave it a pat.

"Hiss..."

A spray with a faint medicinal scent was sprinkled over.

Chen Shu instantly activated his Resistance Technique, blocking it all, and turned his head to smile triumphantly at Qingqing.

The weather was getting hotter.

Butterflies and bees were starting to appear.

Around five-thirty.

Chen Banxia came to knock on the door.

Chen Shu also gave up on messing around with Ning Qing; after opening the door for her, he went to prepare dinner.

There were still many dishes left from noon, so he reheated them.

He stir-fried another fresh vegetable.

The sauce from the leftover crayfish hadn't been poured out yet, and half of the Ginger Fried Duck remained. So, Chen Shu tore up a sheet of dough, boiled it, and divided it into two portions; one was mixed into the crayfish sauce, and the other was tossed into the Ginger Fried Duck—a very comfortable, home-style way to eat.

He also discovered a small mouthful of rice left in the rice cooker; he didn't know who was so inconsiderate to leave just this little bit when scooping rice—it was most likely Chen Banxia.

He mixed the sauce and fish meat from the dry-braised whole fish into it to make fish soup over rice, just right to give to Taozi to eat.

Paired with the peach wine Chen Banxia brought...

Chen Shu got drunk again.

Seven-thirty in the evening.

Chen Banxia wiped her mouth, helped clean up the mess, put the bowls and plates into the dishwasher, and even diligently washed the wok.

Ning Qing had replaced it with a new dishwasher a while ago; the space was very large, much bigger than the one at Chen Banxia's house. When there were few bowls, one could even put the extra-large iron pot Chen Shu used inside, though it wouldn't fit when there were many bowls.

Chen Banxia also tidied up the trash cans in the living room and kitchen, held them in her hand, and then looked at Chen Shu: "Chen Shu, are you leaving? If you are, I'll take you back."

Chen Shu rested his chin on his hand, appearing to be in deep thought.

The little girl sat beside him, holding a cup, dipping her lips into the cup to drink water, and looked up at Chen Banxia upon hearing this:

"Goodbye, Sister Banxia!"

"Alright then..."

Chen Banxia left carrying the trash bag.

Chen Shu sat for a while, his head feeling more and more muddled the longer he sat, so he went to Qingqing's room to take a shower. Feeling a bit clearer, he returned to the sofa and began his Daily Cultivation.

Regardless of wind or rain, Daily Cultivation could not be skipped.

He didn't know when a blanket and a pillow carrying Qingqing's scent had appeared beside him.

One o'clock in the morning.

Ning Qing's room was pitch black; she was lying flat on the bed, sleeping with her eyes closed.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes. After a moment of silence, she turned on the light, and heard a series of faint footsteps getting closer.

With a click, the bedroom door was opened.

A figure walked in clutching a pillow, swaggering, turned to close the door, walked straight to the side of her bed, then bent over and reached out, pushing her from the middle of the bed to the far left without saying a word.

Then, without even looking at her, he placed the pillow on the right side and lay down flat on the bed.

He pulled the quilt over.

He closed his eyes.

The movements were done in one smooth motion.

Not saying a word, as if sleepwalking.

When Ning Qing turned her head to look at him, this person's breathing was steady, eyes lightly closed, and he had already fallen asleep.

"..."

Ning Qing pursed her lips and withdrew her gaze—

Are people who have been drinking all this interesting?

It's just a bit lacking in manners.