Chapter 160: Fortunately, There Is You

"They have left."

Ning Qing sat on the swing and said softly.

The swing swayed, and every time it swung upward, her toes almost touched Monet in front, but every time it was just a tiny bit short.

Chen Shu did not use Spirit Power to push the swing; instead, he kept swinging his lower legs back and forth, using this simple method to make the swing move. He felt this was more leisurely than using Spirit Power to push it.

Hearing Ning Qing's words, he turned his head:

"What's wrong?"

"When will you sing for me?"

"Emmm..." Chen Shu stopped swinging his legs, thought for a moment, and then said, "Singing is a bonus gift. Since it's a bonus gift, it naturally comes after the main item."

"I want to unwrap the bonus gift first."

"Then you must kiss me after you unwrap it."

"I can refuse to accept the gift you give me."

"You cannot refuse it!"

"..." Ning Qing was silent for a moment, but still nodded, "Fine."

"Wait for me a moment!"

"Here?"

"Mm."

Chen Shu waited until the swaying of the swing became steady before getting off.

He walked into the house, and when he came back out, he was holding a zither in one hand and carrying a chair in the other, placing the chair behind the swing.

Qingqing sat on the swing, her back to him, motionless.

"Old rules, you are not allowed to turn around."

"Mm."

"Starting now."

Chen Shu plucked the strings, producing a gentle and refreshing sound, like a cool breeze blowing on a summer afternoon.

"The sparrows outside the window

"Chattering on the utility pole

"You said this sentence

"It feels very much like summer

"..."

Ning Qing listened quietly, only tilting her head slightly to look at a flower that had poked out nearby.

This was a Spectrum plant she had planted by the swing. The Spectrum is a Moon-Vine; it grows quite large, and the flowers it blooms appear in different colors, like a Rainbow Vine, yet without the cheap feel of a Rainbow Vine. The one that had reached the side of the swing was yellow, appearing very vibrant under the sunlight.

Looking past this flower, there was the white courtyard wall, the persimmon tree, and the blue sky and white clouds.

The cicadas were chirping without a moment's pause.

Two sparrows in the tree happened to return.

It really was summer.

The song ended.

Ning Qing quietly savored it for a while before asking softly, "There's more, right?"

"That's all."

"Secret Sect."

"..."

Is being a Secret Sect Practitioner so amazing?

Chen Shu curled his lips.

The figure in front was very slender, the sunlight making her cheeks look crystal clear, especially her ears. She did not turn her head, only spitting out two words:

"Conditions."

"..." Chen Shu pondered for a moment, "We have to go buy groceries later. I'm too lazy to walk. If you carry me on your back, I'll sing for you."

"The whole way is unrealistic."

"Then carry me for a short bit."

"Be specific."

"Two hundred meters?"

"Fine."

(*⊙~⊙)!

Chen Shu was choked up.

Was the price set too low?

After a brief silence, he touched the strings again and warned, "This one is a bit cheesy, be prepared."

"Does it sound good?"

"Listen for yourself."

No further response came from the front.

Chen Shu plucked the strings again, the sound becoming steadier than before:

"If I hadn't met you

"Where would I be

"How would my days be spent

"Should one cherish life?

"..."

A faint glimmer flickered in Ning Qing's eyes.

Just these few simple opening lines immediately drew her into a question she had pondered many times before—

If Chen Shu did not exist, where would she be right now?

What kind of person would she be?

And what kind of things would she be doing?

If she did not exist, what about Chen Shu?

Many people have likely thought about such questions, but she was somewhat different from others; she was a Secret Sect Practitioner, and as her cultivation gradually progressed, there would inevitably come a day when she could easily obtain the answer to this question.

An incomparably detailed answer.

But is the answer to this question important? Would it be something she wants to know?

"Perhaps I would have met someone,

"Living an ordinary life,

"I wonder if,

"There would also be love as sweet as honey.

"Let time slip away, I only care about you; I am willing to be infected by your scent.

"How much is there to life? To be able to find a soulmate, it would not be a pity to lose the strength of life.

"So I beg you, don't let me leave you; except for you, I cannot feel a shred of affection.

"..."

Ning Qing gently rested her cheek against her right hand, her elbow propped on her left hand which was placed across her abdomen. She looked ahead, expressionless, simply maintaining this posture of earnest listening; no one could tell what she was thinking.

"If there comes a day when you say you are about to leave, I will lose myself and walk into the boundless sea of people.

"I don't want any promises, I just want to be together every day.

"I cannot live by relying only on fragments of memories.

"..."

Ning Qing listened until the end before asking, "What is the name of this song?"

"I Only Care About You."

"Who wrote it?"

"Someone else wrote it."

"I like this song."

Only now did Ning Qing reveal a faint smile. When she smiled, she possessed a breathtaking beauty, like ice and snow beginning to melt—a rare gentleness. It was a pity that Chen Shu, sitting behind her, could not see it this time.

"So you like this kind," Chen Shu said.

"It sounds like there's more," Ning Qing said.

"Recite another part for me when you come back."

"I can."

"This one is called The Moon Represents My Heart. I won't play it; I'll sing it a cappella for you. There aren't many lines." After Chen Shu finished speaking, he coughed twice, gathered his thoughts, and sang. This time, his voice was extremely gentle, and he sang very softly and slowly, as if coaxing her to sleep:

"A light kiss has already touched my heart,

"A deep love has made me miss you until now.

"You ask me how deep I love you,

"How much I love you,

"Go think about it, go take a look,

"The moon represents my heart..."

Chen Shu only sang these few lines. After he finished, there was silence in the courtyard for a while; no one spoke.

Finally, it was Ning Qing who spoke first: "Come over."

"Hehe."

Chen Shu walked quickly to her side and sat down, facing her.

Qingqing pursed her lips and suddenly felt a bit puzzled: "Why do you take advantage of me on my birthday, and on my birthday, it's still you taking advantage of me?"

"Don't think about that, hold on."

"Only two seconds."

"Okay."

Chen Shu agreed.

A soft, delicate hand covered his eyes, and immediately he could clearly feel Qingqing moving closer. The faint fragrance on her body quickly became distinct, and then two soft lips pressed against his, her nose touching his.

"!"

Chen Shu's eyes widened abruptly.

Subconsciously, he reached out, wanting to remove the hand covering his eyes, but as soon as his hand was raised, his wrist was grabbed by Qingqing's other hand.

Chen Shu calmed down and stopped moving.

Qingqing's lips stayed quietly on his for two seconds before pulling away.

During those two seconds, the concept of time became very complex; it seemed very long, yet it also seemed to be only an instant. When her lips pulled away, the hand covering his eyes also lowered, and his vision returned to the light.

Qingqing's expression was as usual as she said to him: "Cherish it, the next time I take the initiative to kiss you will be in two and a half years."

"..."

Only then did Chen Shu begin to regret—

Why didn't I just take a sip earlier?

What a huge loss, a huge loss.

After a moment of thought: "If I sing two more songs for you, can you kiss me again?"

"No."

"..."

"I'm going out to buy groceries."

After Ning Qing finished speaking, she walked down from the swing, looked up at the increasingly scorching sun, and stepped out.

"..."

Chen Shu had no choice but to follow.

Originally, the lunch dishes were intended to last for two meals because there was also a cake; according to the original plan, heating up leftovers and stir-frying one or two small dishes in the evening would have been enough, but he hadn't expected everyone's appetite to be exceptionally good at noon today, finishing off most of the food in one go, so they had to go out and buy some more.

Walking to the door, Chen Shu looked at Qingqing's back in front of him, took two quick steps forward without hesitation, gave a light leap, and jumped onto her back, his hands naturally wrapping around her neck.

For a moment, he only felt that her waist and back were slender, her body soft, and his breath was filled with the scent of her hair.

"Haha! Let's go!"

"..."

This person really knows how to act.

Ning Qing silently carried him forward.

However, they were both Cultivators, so there was no such thing as feminine weakness; this weight of over a hundred jin was still very easy for her.

"Giddyap!"

"..."

Ning Qing grabbed his hand and lowered her head to take a bite.

"Ah... it hurts!"

"..."

Only then did Ning Qing continue walking forward, the songs Chen Shu had sung for her still echoing in her mind, her eyes shimmering with luster.

Utility pole...

Two hours later.

Zhang Suannai walked back slowly, holding a kite in her hand; just as she passed the intersection, she happened to run into Ning Qing and Chen Shu, who had just returned from buying groceries—

Chen Shu was carrying bags in both hands, and Ning Qing was carrying Chen Shu on her back.

"..."

Zhang Suannai entered a state of stupidity once again.

When she finally came to her senses, she turned her head left and right in a flustered and helpless manner, finally found Xiaoxiao, and then pointed to the front and said to Xiaoxiao: "You, you, you, look quickly!"

"?"

The little girl frowned and looked at her in confusion.

"Big sister and your brother-in-law..."

"Where?"

"Right at the door! Can't you see?"

"..."

The little girl was silent for a moment, then said to her earnestly:

"Don't look."

Zhang Suannai:...

At this moment, Chen Banxia walked past her, looked at her strangely, thought for a moment, and said: "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"You, you aren't surprised??"

"Surprised by what?"

"Ning Qing is carrying Chen Shu on her back!!"

"But isn't she my future sister-in-law? What is there to be surprised about?" Chen Banxia said, suddenly taking out her Mobile Phone, "Though, I have indeed seen such a scene for the first time; I must take a picture."

Just as she raised her Mobile Phone, Chen Shu jumped down from Ning Qing's back; the two had already reached the door and turned their heads to look at them:

"What a coincidence."

"Coincidence my foot!" Chen Banxia was speechless and shouted angrily, "Quickly jump back up for me!"

"..." Zhang Suannai was silent.

"Forget it if you aren't jumping, what did you buy?"

"Bought some beef, two jin of beef tripe, and some vegetables. The button mushrooms at the supermarket today were quite good, so I bought some to use for cooking tonight," Chen Shu said. "Also bought Dumplings wrappers. Didn't you run out of Dumplings again? It just so happens that their Dumplings are also gone. Since everyone is here today, we'll use up all the Sword pig meat stored at home tonight, except for the ribs and pig trotters."

"Then are we making Dumplings tonight?" Chen Banxia asked.

"Yes, don't rush to leave after dinner tonight; wrap some Dumplings first. Wrap your own, and take away as much as you wrap."

"That's not fair..." Chen Banxia clamored, "They are three people, I am one person!"

"But they are also three people eating."

"... I don't care."

"Then what do you want?"

"You help me wrap them too!"

"Fine then..."