Chapter 295: Another Year, Another Hunting Festival

Half a moon hung on the branch tip, two sparrows slept nestled together in their nest; by the moonlight, one could see the eggs beneath them, only three or four. The two people on the swing beneath the tree were also pressed tightly together. Once the songs ceased, the courtyard seemed exceptionally serene.

"Why do you like me?"

"What?"

"What do you like about me?"

"..."

Chen Shu fell into deep thought.

If it were any other time, he would certainly have said she was being silly.

But thinking about it now, he truly couldn't come up with an answer.

He was not the only one who felt this way—

Liking someone is naturally just liking them, but if you are suddenly asked to provide a reason, it is not necessarily something you can articulate.

It seems like a matter of course, requiring no reason. If one insists on thinking about it, perhaps an answer could be found, but it would take slow, long deliberation. The answer found would likely take a long time to tell, because it covers every aspect, covering over ten years of living side by side. Because it is a genuine liking, a truly deep liking, for many years now; there are so many things about the other person that one likes, from the inside out, from the past to the present, and on into the future. Even the few things one doesn't like so much become likable because of this, or at the very least, are completely acceptable.

Between Chen Shu and Qingqing, there was neither a sophisticated or coincidental meeting, nor a grand, earth-shattering moment of falling in love; everything was very plain.

It was a love born of long companionship, not the joy of a sudden encounter.

It was mutual company and habit, the silent, nourishing influence of years passing by; it was not the impulse of naive youth, nor was it intracranial pleasure influenced by hormones.

It is very hard to describe.

Chen Shu pondered quietly.

Ning Qing waited quietly.

In the end, Chen Shu scratched his head, unable to say it.

Ning Qing revealed a smile, as if she had sensed his answer and knew he couldn't say it.

So she only smiled, then pursed her lips again, knowing he couldn't say it, yet she still had to continue urging him:

"Hurry up and say it."

"Just kidding, I grew up with you since I was little, we are childhood sweethearts, I started teasing you since I was..."

"Teaching?"

Ning Qing tilted her head to look at him.

"Emmm..."

"Teaching?"

"No, I mean..." Chen Shu adjusted his words, "We started grinding together since we were little, grinding and grinding, slowly we both became the way that suits the other, just like two gears in a machine; we just happened to be together, and just happened to be the best fit, and we have been keeping each other company like this for a long time now. Come on, that's cool! So don't you think it's only natural that we are together? If either of us let the other go, wouldn't we be complete idiots? We'd regret it for a lifetime, right?"

After hearing this, Ning Qing made no sound.

The swing also stopped quietly, serving as a bench.

The temperature of the night in this late spring was just right, and the insects had already begun to chirp.

After a long while, Ning Qing said softly:

"I have liked you since I was little."

"Secretary Ning, that's cheesy."

"And you?"

"Me too."

Chen Shu said it without hesitation.

"Wrong."

"?"

"Wrong."

"How is it wrong?"

Chen Shu turned his head to look at her.

Are you grading an exam paper here?

"At the very beginning, you only thought this little girl looked pretty and lacked care, and seemed quite pitiful, so you gave her extra attention.

"You felt doing so was quite interesting.

"Later, you discovered this little girl grew up with you, became more and more to your liking, and grew even prettier, and only then did you slowly develop feelings for her as time passed."

Ning Qing pursed her lips, her voice flat:

"But she is different.

"When she was little, the care and joy she received were nine times out of ten derived from you; this was unfair at first.

"In this game of affection, she was born passive, born at a disadvantage.

"She is a genius, but not a genius who only knows how to study; on the contrary, she matured earlier than her peers. A long time ago, she was prepared to spend her life with you just like this, or perhaps it could be otherwise—whatever, anything was fine.

"But she was also afraid. She feared your youthful recklessness, feared your empty promises when young, feared your heart would change after growing up, so she dared not show it. What she actually feared was not being abandoned or betrayed by you; it was fearing that she would influence your decisions, influence your decision to change your heart, influence you to fall in love with someone else, influence you to choose a life you wanted more.

"When you look back on the day you met later, it was actually a very ordinary day, but when she looks back, it was a miracle, the beginning of everything."

Ning Qing stopped speaking.

Chen Shu had already understood by the time she was halfway through.

What Qingqing worried about was that compared to him loving her, she had fallen in love with him first and loved him more. He had never worried about her leaving him, but she often worried that compared to her need for him, he did not need her as much.

A common thought for those who give their hearts in a relationship.

After listening, Chen Shu didn't say anything either; the future is the answer. At this moment, he just grinned and teased, "Secretary Ning has such a delicate, girlish side to her heart too, how rare, how rare."

"..."

"After saying all these words today, I'm afraid you won't speak for the next half a month."

"The Hunting Festival is about to begin."

"Tsk tsk..."

Chen Shu couldn't help but shake his head; it was truly cloying.

"The night is deep."

"Let me kiss you once; consider it a birthday gift from you to me. After that, we can still develop slowly, so you won't worry that I'll get bored of you quickly because I got you too easily."

"..."

No sound came from beside him.

Chen Shu adjusted his posture, turned to cup Qingqing's face, and gazed at the clear, exquisite face in his palms. The sensation from his hands was warm and soft, making his heart race, and she showed no intention of resisting or refusing, nor did she cooperate, simply letting him handle her as he pleased.

Chen Shu met her gaze, then looked down.

Qingqing's lips were relatively thin, with a rare and graceful shape, tender, red, and moist—likely thanks to lip masks—and they looked quite delicious.

Perhaps they would be sweet?

Thinking this, Chen Shu leaned in.

Warm, soft, and delicious; delicate and smooth.

Chen Shu's hands couldn't help but wrap around Qingqing, pulling the distance between them closer.

Rare to feel moved, rare to kiss; naturally, it had to be savored carefully.

Not only that, but his eyes had to remain open as well.

Until half a minute later.

Ning Qing pressed her hand against his chest, pushed him away gently, and stood up from the swing.

"Good night."

Chen Shu remained where he was, savoring the lingering aftertaste.

At least it proved one thing—

The saliva of a Night Person is indeed very sweet.

The thirteenth of the third month, the Hunting Festival begins.

Chen Shu rose early and began to pack his things.

The main thing was to bring some food and ingredients; as for pots, pans, bowls, and changes of clothes, he had been carrying them ever since he was stranded overseas last year.

"Brother Jiang, are you packed?"

"All set, that's everything."

"Put it in my Storage Artifact; it should barely fit."

"Alright."

At this moment, Meng Chunqiu's room door suddenly opened, and Meng Chunqiu appeared at the doorway in hunting gear: "Brother Chen, Brother Jiang, may I go with you?"

"You want to go?"

"Will I be a burden to you?"

"Not at all," Chen Shu replied. "It's just that our hunting process is different from ordinary people's; Brother Meng, you might find it boring."

"I know, I asked Brother Jiang," Meng Chunqiu said. "Brother Chen, you are responsible for hunting, and Brother Jiang is responsible for carrying; I cannot participate, but I can stand guard when you catch a Sword Pig to prevent others from stealing it, and it can also improve efficiency... I heard from Brother Jiang that previously, every time you caught a Sword Pig, you had to wait on the spot for him, wasting a lot of time for nothing."

Meng Chunqiu paused, then continued: "I have no interest in money, and money is of no use to me; I just want to experience this feeling."

"You may."

"Truly?"

"Naturally."

"Many thanks!"

After saying this, Meng Chunqiu walked back into his room and returned with his already-packed backpack and an Individual Spirit Power Cannon.

"This??"

Chen Shu couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

"Oh..."

Meng Chunqiu's expression was calm as he patiently explained to him: "Since my cultivation is still shallow and I fear holding you and Brother Jiang back, I found a handy weapon so that you won't have to worry about me while I'm guarding the Sword Pig."

"A weapon..."

"That's right, please help me put it into your Storage Artifact, Brother Chen; I don't know if it will still fit."

"It should just fit..."

Chen Shu only said this.

The three of them went out.

Chen Shu had originally wanted to drive Chen Banxia's car, but that car only had two seats, and now that there was an extra person, he drove the car Brother Meng had brought.

All the way to the outskirts of Qingshan Ridge.

This village had become lively again; it was estimated that there were more people than there were Sword Pigs in the outer perimeter, most of whom were just here to join in the fun. The villagers were quite familiar with them; they had set up various small stalls at the village entrance, some selling low-quality hunting tools for show, some providing tent rentals, others selling barbecue, snacks, and drinks, and some even placed a Sword Pig at the edge of the forest, charging a fee for photos.

Chen Shu happened to find a vacant spot in the open space, dove right in, parked the car, and entered the forest with Brother Meng and Brother Jiang.

"We are going to the very center."

"Brother Chen, no need to explain, I know."

"Good."

The three of them headed deep inside.

Although there were many Sword Pigs now, with so many people flooding in, the Sword Pigs would naturally run toward the depths out of surprise.

Along the way, they encountered all sorts of people: some who came alone, some who formed hunting teams, some who came to camp, and professional hunting teams. There were outsiders who hoped the three could take them along, kind-hearted people who advised them not to go further in, and others who sat and waited for them to encounter danger in the depths.

Not long after walking, the surroundings became quiet.

The mountain forest suddenly grew quiet, with only the shouts of humans and the wails of Sword boars drifting from very far away; otherwise, there were mostly the chirping of insects, the calls of birds, and the sound of the wind.

"Let's start from here."

"Alright!"

"Brother Chen, there's a bird over there."

Jiang Lai pointed at the treetop of a tree.

"No need."

Chen Shu waved his hand: "You two stay where you are and wait for a moment; watch your safety."

The next instant—

"Poof..."

Chen Shu's figure shot into the sky, instantly breaking through the treetops.

The two people on the ground couldn't help but tilt their heads high, looking at the fragmented sky revealed between the dense branches and leaves and that rising figure, their expressions dazed.

As for Chen Shu, after reaching a height above the forest, he immediately broke free from the oppressive shade of the trees, and the world suddenly became extremely vast; looking down, the forest beneath his feet formed a continuous, boundless primeval forest, with branches and leaves so dense they unexpectedly gave one a sense of fluffiness.

Chen Shu's eyes flickered with a faint light.

Spirit Eye activated.

The world changed its appearance once again; the earth and sky were filled with uniform glows of Spirit Power, which became denser and more uneven the closer one got to the Forbidden Land, and in the very center, the Forbidden Land appeared as dark and profound as Nanzhou Island, with only faint golden light shining within.

Chen Shu lowered his head.

Everywhere beneath his feet were bright or dim specks of light, dense and numerous; some came from ordinary animals, some from humans, and others from exotic beasts, all with their own differences.

This was naturally much clearer than borrowing the eyes of birds.