Ha, Karma! – Chapter 58
by Little PandaHmm, Baobao’s mama is right about everything.
Lunch was finished, but the rain was still falling.
Outside, the sky was overcast, the dark clouds hung heavy, and the torrential rain seemed determined to pour its heart out, relentlessly drenching the world for the entire day.
Fu Lianxue sat on the living room sofa, watching the rainy scene outside.
The panoramic glass offered an unobstructed view of the scenery outside, making even the rushing downpour incredibly clear.
She watched for a while, then turned her head to look at the person beside her.
Chu Zhaoqiu was sitting primly beside her, currently feeding Baobao a cat treat stick1.
Without having established a teleportation formation2, their own magical arts could only increase travel speed, not achieve instant teleportation between two places. Therefore, Chu Zhaoqiu would also have to brave the rain to travel back now.
Fu Lianxue silently averted her gaze.
She herself had mercifully allowed the other person to stay and take shelter from the rain. What could she say?
Besides, this person was a bit of a neat freak. Who knew if she hated getting wet from the rain or something…
After a moment—
“Why did you come over when you knew the weather was bad?” Fu Lianxue turned to her again. “It’s raining, there’s no sun, no moon, how are you supposed to take care of the Blue Star Flower? And you didn’t even bring an umbrella…”
She now understood how delicate this flower was.
No wonder Chu Zhaoqiu hadn’t let her casually pick Elder Chu Yang’s3 Blue Star Flower back then.
With her rudimentary skills4 at the time, she probably would have been eliminated by Elder Chu Yang the moment after picking them.
Chu Zhaoqiu looked at the cat eagerly eating the treat stick on her lap and smiled faintly.
“It’s fine if the flowers don’t get sun or moonlight for one day; they can bask the next day. Besides, people are more important than flowers.”
“I have my own selfish reasons. I want to be able to see you every day.”
Such direct sweet words struck right at the heart.
Fu Lianxue fell silent again, quickly averting her gaze and turning her head to watch the rain as if nothing had happened.
One fears a block of wood that never blossoms, but one also fears a block of wood that blossoms and shoots straight5.
This kind of sincere, direct approach and affection was the hardest to withstand.
Immediately after, she heard Chu Zhaoqiu ask, “Lianxue, what did you mean when you said you were originally going to leave? Why did you want to leave?”
Fu Lianxue said, “Isn’t leaving destined? You are the highly anticipated Xuanmen disciple upon whom high hopes rest, and you are determined to cultivate the Dao and achieve immortality. I’m not. We’re simply not people on the same path.”
Any two divergent paths might eventually converge, but not this one.
She thought for a moment, then added, “Also… sigh, you’ll remember this yourself once you regain your memories. There’s no point in talking about it now!”
Waving her hand dismissively, she stopped talking.
Chu Zhaoqiu listened, completely bewildered6 and looking lost.
Seeing her like this, Fu Lianxue found it amusing. “Stop thinking about it. Just looking at you, I know you haven’t remembered. What’s the use of racking your brains7 over something you can’t recall?”
“Instead of dwelling on this, you should probably first think about how you’re going to explain things to your Linlin-meimei.”
After saying this, she glanced at her, then turned her back again to watch the rain.
This remark left Chu Zhaoqiu even more confused.
“Linlin?”
“Why do I need to explain anything to her?”
Fu Lianxue immediately turned back to look at her. “You really didn’t notice at all?”
Chu Zhaoqiu countered, “Notice what?”
Fu Lianxue was stunned. “Notice that she likes you and wants to be your girlfriend!”
Chu Zhaoqiu: “…?”
Ye Linlin likes her??
Chu Zhaoqiu froze.
Fu Lianxue scanned her up and down; that astonished expression didn’t seem fake.
Clearly, she genuinely hadn’t realized that this ‘little sister’ Ye Linlin harbored such feelings for her.
“It’s so obvious, and you didn’t notice? Are you a pig?”
After she said this, the Young Head of the Chu Clan came back to her senses and looked at her with a slight smile.
She flung her hand away and turned her head, stating very objectively, “Pretend I didn’t say anything. What the hell do I know about love8.”
She didn’t understand love before, and she didn’t understand love now.
She even needed a kid to provoke her with a bottle of juice just to realize her own feelings.
How embarrassing9, Fu Lianxue, truly embarrassing.
Good thing you’re a Charm Demon skilled in seduction and not a Love Demon10, otherwise, you’d have lost face big time!
“I indeed didn’t know Linlin likes me,” Chu Zhaoqiu brought the topic back. “How did you find out?”
“She admitted it to me!”
“Oh?”
“She even thinks that with the way I treat you, you’ll eventually lose heart11! She also said she’s confident she can move you, make you stop liking me and like her instead.”
Chu Zhaoqiu listened quietly without speaking.
“Your little sister is quite ambitious. If you really might come to like her, then hurry up and go find her. I definitely won’t stop you. Don’t keep the young lady waiting too long.”
She didn’t look at Chu Zhaoqiu at all while saying this, but her mouth felt like it was stuffed with a lemon; every word she uttered tasted sour.
Her lips denied liking her, yet every word spoken screamed affection.
After she finished, she heard Chu Zhaoqiu’s soft laughter again.
Her hand was gently taken by Chu Zhaoqiu.
“I won’t like anyone else. I only like you.” Chu Zhaoqiu’s voice, soft as water, drifted to her ear. “This is also something I promised you, Lianxue. Have you forgotten?”
Fu Lianxue looked at their intimately clasped hands.
Here it comes again.
Her heart swelled once more because of Chu Zhaoqiu’s steadfast confession!
She cleared her throat, lifted her chin slightly, a hint of smugness rising in her eyes, careful not to overdo it.
“I remember, but I just worry that the esteemed Young Head of the Chu Clan is a great personage prone to forgetfulness12.”
Chu Zhaoqiu took in every one of her subtle expressions.
So cute. So cute it made one want to steal a kiss.
But given their current relationship status and Fu Lianxue’s ongoing internal conflict, she couldn’t just kiss her casually.
Thus, she asked very politely, “Lianxue, may I kiss you?”
“Because Lianxue is very cute, I want to kiss you.”
“Is that okay?”
Another direct hit. Fu Lianxue was caught off guard13 and started acting awkward and shy again.
She pulled her hand back proudly, saying with feigned arrogance14, “Kiss what kiss? Are we that close? No kissing allowed!”
Chu Zhaoqiu was already used to her tsundere ways and responded calmly, “But didn’t you say you really liked the fragrance I emit when we kiss? Don’t you want to smell it again, have your fill?”
A blatant invitation and enticement.
Fu Lianxue: “…”
It really was fragrant, so fragrant that it was hard for a Charm Demon to refuse.
But she resisted.
What would it mean if she kissed her now? Wouldn’t that be admitting she liked her!
No, absolutely not. Fu Lianxue couldn’t be this spineless again!
“Young Head Chu, please have some self-respect. How can a demon hunter turn around and entice a demon?”
She found her own words amusing as she spoke, unconsciously tracing light circles on Chu Zhaoqiu’s arm with her fingertip.
“You, ah, this is called having an unstable Dao heart. You’re heading down a crooked path15, you won’t be able to achieve immortality anymore.”
Chu Zhaoqiu remained unperturbed, smiling warmly. “Love and desire are fundamental to being human. By following my heart and facing my true feelings honestly, I am being sincere and not evasive. How could that be a crooked path?”
When you love someone, you unconsciously want to get closer, to become more intimate.
Since she chose to love her honestly, she naturally had to honestly face the seven emotions and six desires16 connected to her.
What was there to deny? Humans have mouths; they’re meant to be used.
Fu Lianxue pouted. “Boring. You cultivators always have a whole set of grand principles17 ready.”
She thought for a moment, then said, “If your Dao heart really gets corrupted, let’s see if you can still be this calm. You might even end up blaming me then.”
Hearing this, Chu Zhaoqiu suddenly laughed.
“Why would I blame you? If I cultivate an unwavering Dao heart, nothing in heaven or earth can disturb my mind. If my Dao heart is inherently unstable, forget the test you present—even a slight disturbance18 could unsettle me.”
“So, if I cannot pass the test, it means my own cultivation is insufficient. That’s my own problem. How could I blame the heavens for giving too difficult a test?”
Upon hearing this, Fu Lianxue fell silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out, cupped Chu Zhaoqiu’s face, and examined it from left, right, top, and bottom.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Zhaoqiu couldn’t help but ask with a smile.
“Chu Zhaoqiu, you’ve really matured. You’re becoming more and more like that knowledgeable shijie of yours,” Fu Lianxue said while looking. “I feel like you’re about to ascend to immortality on the spot19.”
Chu Zhaoqiu was amused by her, her eyes curving into a smile. She then took Fu Lianxue’s hands, holding them gently in her own and rubbing them softly.
“If that day truly comes, would you be willing to ascend to immortality with me?” she suddenly asked.
Fu Lianxue paused, stunned. This was something she had never considered, nor was she willing to think about it now.
Then, she said coolly, “Young Head Chu, our relationship hasn’t reached the point where such a decision needs to be made.”
Chu Zhaoqiu’s beautiful eyes curved, and she didn’t press further.
Fu Lianxue listlessly withdrew her hands and turned to play with Baobao.
Nothing in the world was cuter than her fluffy little darling at home.
“Aiya, Mama’s good baby, Mama’s been working these past few days and hasn’t been able to play properly with Baobao, right? Is Baobao sad? Come let Mama give you kisses~”
Baobao meowed twice, then turned with its tail held high and went towards Chu Zhaoqiu—to eat the cat treat stick in her hand.
Showing no deference at all.
Fu Lianxue: “…”
Chu Zhaoqiu: “It seems it wasn’t that sad after all.”
Fu Lianxue: “…”
She snatched the cat treat stick over. Once the greedy little cat jumped into her arms, she said triumphantly, “See, my little Baobao still misses Mama very much. Isn’t it back in Mama’s embrace now!”
Chu Zhaoqiu looked at the cat, then at Fu Lianxue, and her smile grew even gentler.
“Mm, Baobao’s mama is right about everything.”
Night fell, and the rain in Zhoucheng20 finally stopped.
Chu Zhaoqiu had also arrived home. She carried an insulated bag containing the thermal lunch boxes, which had all been washed clean at Fu Lianxue’s place.
When Ye Linlin saw Chu Zhaoqiu finally return, she happily went up to greet her. “Zhaoqiu-jiejie, you’re back!”
The moment Chu Zhaoqiu saw Ye Linlin, she remembered what Fu Lianxue had said earlier that day.
She first glanced towards the kitchen—it was almost time for dinner.
Then, looking back at Ye Linlin, she began, “Linlin, come to my room after dinner. I have something to talk to you about.”
Ye Linlin blinked.
Although she didn’t know what it was about, she still nodded with a bright smile. “Mhm, okay!”
She would have another chance to be alone with Zhaoqiu-jiejie!
Footnotes
- 猫条 | māo tiáo | Lit. “cat strip/stick”; A popular type of creamy cat treat packaged in a small tube or stick.
- 传送法阵 | chuánsòng fǎzhèn | Lit. “transportation magic formation/array”; A magical construct used for teleportation in fantasy/cultivation settings.
- 楚阳长老 | Chǔ Yáng Zhǎnglǎo | Elder Chu Yang. “Zhanglao” is a title for an elder, often in a sect or clan context.
- 三脚猫功夫 | sānjiǎomāo gōngfu | Lit. “three-legged cat skill”; Meaning: Superficial knowledge or skill; amateurish; dabbler’s ability.
- 打直球 | dǎ zhíqiú | Lit. “hit a straight ball”; Modern slang meaning to be very direct, straightforward, and unambiguous, especially in expressing feelings or intentions in relationships.
- 满头雾水 | mǎn tóu wùshuǐ | Lit. “head full of fog and water”.
- 想破头 | xiǎng pò tóu | Lit. “think until the head breaks”; Meaning: To think extremely hard, to rack one’s brains.
- 懂个屁的爱情 | dǒng ge pì de àiqíng | Lit. “understand a fart’s worth of love”; A vulgar slang expression meaning “to know nothing/jack shit about love.”
- 丢妖 | diū yāo | Lit. “lose demon/spirit”; Likely a playful, self-deprecating term specific to Fu Lianxue’s identity as a Yao (demon/spirit), meaning to lose face or be embarrassing for her kind.
- 爱妖 | ài yāo | Lit. “Love Demon/Spirit.” Contrasted with Meiyao, implying a type of Yao focused on love itself, maybe.
- 心灰意冷 | xīn huī yì lěng | Lit. “heart ashes, thoughts cold”; Meaning: To be disheartened, discouraged, disillusioned.
- 贵人多忘事 | guìrén duō wàngshì | Lit. “noble people have many forgotten matters”; Meaning: Important or busy people tend to be forgetful. Often used sarcastically or teasingly.
- 措手不及 | cuò shǒu bù jí | Lit. “no time to arrange hands”; Meaning: To be caught unprepared, taken by surprise.
- 傲娇 | àojiāo | A term originating from Japanese otaku culture (tsundere), describing a character who acts proud, aloof, or harsh on the outside but is actually soft, shy, or caring on the inside. Often involves denying feelings.
- 邪门歪道 | xié mén wāi dào | Lit. “evil door crooked path”; Meaning: Dishonest or improper ways; heretical paths; nefarious methods.
- 七情六欲 | qī qíng liù yù | Lit. “seven emotions and six desires”; A traditional concept referring to the full range of human emotions and sensory desires. Seven emotions typically include joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire. Six desires often relate to sensory inputs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind). Represents fundamental human nature.
- 一套一套的 | yī tào yī tào de | Lit. “one set after another”; Meaning: To have a well-rehearsed speech, a series of arguments or excuses, often implying skill or perhaps glibness.
- 风吹草动 | fēng chuī cǎo dòng | Lit. “wind blows, grass moves”; Meaning: The slightest sign of trouble, disturbance, or activity.
- 立地成神 | lì dì chéng shén | Lit. “stand on the ground and become a god”; Meaning: To achieve enlightenment or divinity instantly or very quickly.
- 洲城 | Zhōuchéng | Meaning “Continent City” or “Isle City.”
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