Little Alpaca – Chapter 41
by Little PandaVolume 1: Little Alpaca
Is This Really Something a Human Can Do?
The sun went down the mountain, and the color of the sky gradually darkened.
You Yan walked away alone after leaving behind the sentence 「Go back to the room and wait for me」. Yi Qiu stood blankly at the doorway for a while, but unable to withstand the strong wind on the mountaintop, she shrank back into the room.
She left a crack in the door for You Yan, while she herself flopped down onto the soft little floor pallet1 by the bed, staring at the screen2 carved with green mountains in front of her and began to daze off.
When a person is lost in thought, yet cannot grasp any clue, they always easily neglect time.
Yi Qiu was stunned for a long time. When she came back to her senses, the room, which was not very bright to begin with, had already become completely dark and gloomy along with the night.
The cool wind of the night blew open the door through the crack. The screen blocked it, but it could not block the chilliness mixed in the air.
Yi Qiu raised her neck and hesitated for a while.
She thought, that bird woman isn’t without hands, why would she need an alpaca to leave the door open for her?
Close it earlier, get warm earlier.
Thinking like this, Yi Qiu still stood up from the bedding after all, slowly walked to the side of the door, and stretched out her front leg wanting to close the door.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew on her furry face, at once waking up her long-muddled brain.
She seemed to understand a little why the great villain had recently been like a bystander; the main character who should be persecuted was right in front of her eyes, yet she was slow to act.
In the novel, in order to lead Luo Mingyuan to a dead end step by step, it could be said she expended mind and expended effort3. The entire process involved an unknown number of innocent people, and in the end, it stirred things up until Fusang4 died, the Wood God fell5, and the Heavenly Emperor and his only son, blood relatives, killed each other.
When the novel was nearing its end, the malicious third female lead, Yu Su6, before her body died and soul was extinguished7, asked You Yan a question that all readers very much wanted to know the answer to.
“Why do you have to do this?”
Facing this question, You Yan did not say it was for the Demon Clan, nor did she mention anything about love or hate. She just smilingly asked back a sentence: “Don’t you think, this is very interesting?”
Yi Qiu still remembers to this day that the chapter’s comment section completely exploded the pot8.
One part of the readers felt that the villain did so many things that injure heaven and harm reason9, and to only use 「interesting」 as the motive for everything was really too far-fetched.
Another part of the readers then dug up many details from the previous text to conduct an analysis, explaining to those readers who had their fur bristled10 by that one sentence: “For what reason did Zhao Yun save You Yan? Why does Yu Su hate Fusang? The male and female leads seem innocent, but if they were really innocent, many things simply cannot be explained clearly.
There is so much foreshadowing11 earlier, the novel isn’t finished yet, what’s the hurry? Keep reading, I guess the Qinyuan12 clan and the Golden Crow13 definitely have a feud, and this fire has also burned to Snake Mountain.”
These words were not without reason, but unfortunately Little Bird Coo Coo Fly14 had no heart. The readers listed out all the detailed foreshadowing for her 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, yet she didn’t even fill a single plot hole15, and hastily ended the full text, making the rotten tail16 rotten to the extreme.
In response to this, the majority of the heartbroken readers cried out loudly.
“This is the ending, but it is also not the ending!”
“Little Bird Coo Coo Fly knows jackshit about 《Thin, Withered Branch》!”
“Followed Sister Bird17 for so many books, with this one I’m truly turning into an anti-fan18, reading it makes me feel a nest of fire19!”
“As long as you curse Little Bird Coo Coo Fly, we are different-father different-mother different-surname sisters20!”
At the same time, the 「Withered Branch Nüwas」21 under the text started the 「mending the sky」22 mode. They listed out all those detailed foreshadowing points and the holes the author didn’t fill, seriously analyzed several long reviews, each having their own speculations, and each having their own brilliance.
And among these speculations, most suspected that You Yan’s fall into the demonic path was related to the Golden Crow. Some people even felt that You Yan disliked light because she hated the Golden Crow, and the Golden Crow molding ten suns was in order to deal with You Yan.
Have to say, this speculation was truly cool23. Many readers after finishing it, all expressed from the bottom of their hearts: “Isn’t this fucking24 better looking than the ending? Store has no book to smash, understand?25”
Yi Qiu still remembered, on the day of their first encounter in the mountains, the look in You Yan’s eyes as she gazed at Luo Mingyuan carried killing intent.
Maybe it was because before transmigrating into the book, she had read so many speculations in the comment section, so she naturally understood this killing intent as 「hate」.
But just now, the words You Yan said before leaving, clearly had words within words…
Especially her tone, a bit of ridicule, a bit of lament. Other than that, no resentment, no hate, only indifference.
You Yan said she had never seen the Golden Crow, and Yi Qiu was willing to believe it. After all, for a great villain who follows her heart and her nature like this, there was really no need to go to the trouble of deceiving a little alpaca.
She could feel that, during these days of following You Yan after leaving the demon realm, although You Yan had many concealments from her, there was no deception.
It was as if there were some things that, if she asked, You Yan would say, and if she was unwilling to say, You Yan would also not permit her to ask.
So, You Yan’s temperament is probably really as written in the novel; whatever she does, she does it because she wants to, as long as it’s interesting, without needing any extra reasons.
But there is one point the author was indeed wrong about. Relying solely on the motive of 「interesting」 is not enough to support this extremely willful great villain in expending the effort to stir up so much trouble.
Because in You Yan’s view, Luo Mingyuan is simply not interesting enough.
Yi Qiu couldn’t help but think, to a crazy psycho villain, what is considered interesting?
Is it splashing ink to defile flawless white? Is it dragging a person who is high high up above to fall into the dust? Or perhaps, is it bit by bit destroying all the pride of a proud person?
Whatever it is, the premise of all this seems to lie in ruining, destroying a 「good」 thing.
In the original text’s worldview, the Three-legged Golden Crow26 was the only son born to the Heavenly Emperor Di Jun27 and the Sun Goddess Xihe28. A thousand years ago, perhaps from being eaten full and having nothing better to do29, he used his divine power to create nine extra suns, ultimately committing a great mistake, having his leg broken and being demoted, falling to the mortal world.
Time passed in a flash, a thousand years have gone by. The Golden Crow crossed tribulations for nine lifetimes30, all ending in failure.
This current tenth lifetime is his last chance.
The author once mentioned that the name Luo Mingyuan, every character carries water, is for the meaning of 「the sun sinking and falling into the deep abyss of the sea, the light submerging into endless darkness」.
Just as You Yan said, it is like a setting sun; once it sinks and falls, it will be dim and lightless again.
Perhaps at the very beginning, You Yan was interested in him, but that was only at the very beginning.
The one from the Feathered Clan who once had the most brilliant light within the Three Realms, has now long lost all his divine power, trapped in this mortal swamp, easily trampled by anyone.
To her, he is like a pitiful worm; looking at him one more time is considered boring.
It is precisely because of this that You Yan, upon the first glance of Luo Mingyuan, had a reaction that was completely different from the original text.
Yi Qiu preliminarily concluded that You Yan’s entire mental journey31 was perhaps, possibly, seemingly, probably very simple.
Before meeting Luo Mingyuan——So boring, I heard the Heavenly Emperor’s son is undergoing tribulation, I’ll go make some trouble for him.
After meeting Luo Mingyuan——This piece of trash is the Three-legged Golden Crow? Utterly uninteresting! A wasted trip, so angry, might as well just kill him directly, and then go confront32 his old dad!
“So, the reason You Yan didn’t directly kill Luo Mingyuan, is entirely because… because of me?”
Yi Qiu, thinking to this point, couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
That bird woman hasn’t done anything recently, and doesn’t let her do anything either, just quietly stays here every day passing the days lazily.
If she hadn’t mentioned the matter of the trial assembly today, that bird woman wouldn’t even be bothered to go out the door.
For this great villain to act like this, no matter how you look at it, it doesn’t have the slightest connection to the main plotline.
The only explanation is that You Yan has already lost interest in the main character, and now only wants to figure out what medicine this little alpaca next to her is selling in her gourd33.
Although this conclusion is very absurd, it is indeed logical and reasonable.
Yi Qiu couldn’t help but get a headache.
Yi Qiu felt she was like a beam-jumping clown34, for the sake of the main plot, she diligently instigated the villain to do what a villain should do, while the great villain was just a spectator, watching her with great interest all along, clearly knowing she was acting, but just never exposed her.
No wonder she always had the illusion that You Yan saw through everything.
After all this time, that was not an illusion at all!
You Yan must have long seen that something was not right with her. Even if she doesn’t know what her exact thoughts are, she should know that her motive for doing all this is definitely not simple.
She thought, in You Yan’s eyes, she must be a stupid and clumsy big fool who was just short of writing the plan on her face, yet still considered herself full of scheming every day.
Outrageous, too outrageous…
How can there be such an outrageous villain in this world, who doesn’t play with the main character right under her nose, but insists on playing with an alpaca that is useless at everything except eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping!
Grass Mud Horse35 ah! Is this really something a human can do?
The night wind blew whistlingly. The little alpaca’s heart collapsed, her gaze was dull, her four little legs were motionless, the whole of her stood foolishly by the door, becoming disheveled in this wind.
Looking from afar, it was as if someone had stuck a large ball of cotton on the doorway.
The wind this night was not considered strong, and You Yan did not return late. When the little alpaca was dragged into the room by her, she had not yet had time to stiffen into a piece of gazing-for-husband stone36.
The candlestick in the room was lit, and the dim room seemed to have warmed up a bit.
You Yan tightly closed the surrounding doors and windows, turned around and walked a few steps behind the screen, and looked down at Yi Qiu.
As soon as Yi Qiu entered the room, she ran to her little floor pallet and curled into a ball. At this moment, she looked up at You Yan, her pair of small, round eyes filled with grievance.
You Yan stared at her for a long time with her brows tightly knitted, as if wanting to say a few words of blame, but in the end, her heart softened under that pitiful gaze.
“I already told you to wait in the room, what were you doing guarding the doorway the whole time?” As she spoke, she squatted down and began to smooth the little alpaca’s fleece that had been messed up by the wind.
Regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, You Yan’s fingers were always ice-cold, but although her fingers were cold, her movements were extremely gentle.
Under that gentle stroking, Yi Qiu drooped her head and was silent for a good while.
She had words in her heart, wanted to say them but dared not say them, in the end, she only managed to ask a sentence:
“Where did you go?”
You Yan heard this and couldn’t help but let out a light laugh: “Afraid I’d abandon you again?”
Yi Qiu turned her head away and said in a small voice: “Of course not.”
You Yan rubbed her little head, then suddenly leaned forward, and facing her small, pointed ear, softly said a sentence: “I went to be a thief.”
“Ah?” Yi Qiu subconsciously leaned back a little, for a moment her heart was so chaotic she didn’t know how to handle herself.
“Helped that little piece of trash sign up.” You Yan said with curved eyebrows, “I didn’t ask clearly during the day, so I secretly fumbled around for half the day. It turns out you only need to place that disciple seal on the spirit stone37 next to the register and wait a few seconds. I thought it was much more complicated.”
“You…”
“Are you hungry?” You Yan asked.
Hearing this, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but be stunned. If You Yan hadn’t mentioned it, she would have forgotten that she hadn’t eaten dinner.
Before Yi Qiu could come back to her senses, You Yan had already fished out two shaobing38 from her person. It was unknown where she got them from. They were a bit cold, so she placed them in her palm and used her spiritual power to heat them up.
“You… didn’t you think my suggestion was very childish, very uninteresting?”
“Mm…” You Yan tore off a small piece of the flatbread and passed it to Yi Qiu’s mouth, “Especially childish.”
Yi Qiu took it in one bite, blinked her eyes while looking at You Yan, and a wave of warmth unconsciously surged in the bottom of her heart. The resentment that had been bottled up in her stomach just a few minutes ago had now completely dissipated without a trace.
Childish, yet you still went and did it for me…
Footnotes
- 地铺 | dì pū | A temporary bed or pallet made on the floor, often with bedding or a mattress. It is a simple and common form of bedding in certain contexts.
- 屏风 | píng fēng | A folding screen, a piece of furniture consisting of several frames or panels, which are often decorated. They are used to separate parts of a room, for privacy, or for decoration.
- 费心费力 | fèi xīn fèi lì | A four-character idiom meaning to expend a great deal of mental and physical effort; to take a lot of trouble over something. It describes a task that is both mentally and physically taxing.
- 扶桑 | fú sāng | In Chinese mythology, a divine tree located in the east, from which the suns were believed to rise. It is often associated with the sun and the Golden Crows.
- 堕 | duò | To fall, degenerate, or sink. In a cultivation or mythological context, it often means to fall from a divine or righteous state into a demonic or evil one.
- 郁溯 | yù sù | A character’s name. 郁 (yù) can mean gloomy, depressed, or lush. 溯 (sù) means to go against the current or trace back to the source.
- 身死魂灭 | shēn sǐ hún miè | A four-character idiom meaning for the body to die and the soul to be completely extinguished or annihilated. It signifies total and permanent death, with no chance of reincarnation or an afterlife.
- 炸翻了锅 | zhà fān le guō | A popular internet slang phrase literally meaning “the pot exploded.” It is used to describe a situation where a discussion, comment section, or community erupts into chaos, intense debate, or excitement over a shocking event or controversial statement.
- 伤天害理 | shāng tiān hài lǐ | A four-character idiom meaning to do things that are outrageous and against all reason; to commit atrocities that offend both Heaven and universal principles.
- 炸了毛 | zhà le máo | A colloquial expression literally meaning “(an animal’s) fur stood on end.” It is used to describe someone becoming suddenly angry, agitated, or offended, much like a cat puffing up its fur.
- 伏笔 | fú bǐ | Literally “hidden pen.” A literary device equivalent to foreshadowing, where clues or hints are planted earlier in the story to suggest future events.
- 钦原 | qīn yuán | A mythical creature from the Chinese classic “Shan Hai Jing” (Classic of Mountains and Seas). It is described as a bee-like creature the size of a mandarin duck that can kill animals and wither trees with its sting.
- 金乌 | jīn wū | The Golden Crow. In Chinese mythology, a three-legged crow that represents the sun. Originally there were ten, and their appearance together scorched the earth.
- 小鸟咕咕飞 | xiǎo niǎo gū gū fēi | The author’s screen name, literally “Little Bird Coo Coo Fly.” “Gugu” (咕咕) is onomatopoeia for a bird’s coo, but is also internet slang for an author who is late with updates or goes on hiatus. This is because the word for pigeon (鸽子 gēzi) is a near-homophone for “letting someone down” (放鸽子 fàng gēzi), so a “gugu” author is a “pigeon” author.
- 坑 | kēng | Literally “pit” or “hole.” In the context of fiction and online communities, it refers to a plot hole, an unresolved storyline, or an abandoned story that an author is expected to “fill” (填坑 tián kēng).
- 烂尾 | làn wěi | Literally “rotten tail.” A term used by readers and viewers to describe a story, series, or novel that has a rushed, unsatisfying, or poorly written ending.
- 鸟姐 | niǎo jiě | “Sister Bird,” an informal and familiar way fans might refer to the author “Little Bird Coo Coo Fly.”
- 转黑 | zhuǎn hēi | Literally “turn black.” Internet slang for a fan turning into an “anti-fan” or a hater due to disappointment with an idol, author, or work.
- 窝火 | wō huǒ | Literally “nest of fire.” A colloquial term meaning to feel stifled, frustrated, and resentful but unable to express it.
- 异父异母的异姓姐妹 | yì fù yì mǔ de yì xìng jiěmèi | Literally “sisters with different fathers, different mothers, and different surnames.” This is a popular internet slang phrase used to express a strong sense of camaraderie and solidarity with someone who shares the same opinion or grievance, akin to saying “we’re soul siblings.”
- 枯枝女娲 | kū zhī nǚwā | A term coined by fans of the novel 《枯枝瘦》 (Thin, Withered Branch). It combines the novel’s title with the name of the Chinese creation goddess Nüwa (女娲), who is famous for mending a hole in the sky. This term refers to dedicated fans who write detailed analyses and fan theories to “mend” the plot holes left by the author.
- 补天 | bǔ tiān | Literally “to mend the sky.” This term alludes to the myth of the goddess Nüwa. In fan culture, it means to fix plot holes, resolve unfinished storylines, or create fan content that provides a more satisfying conclusion than the original work.
- 带感 | dài gǎn | Literally “brings a feeling.” A popular slang term meaning something is cool, exciting, stylish, or emotionally resonant.
- TM | An abbreviation for the Chinese profanity 他妈的 (tā mā de), which is equivalent to “fucking” or “damn.” It is used for emphasis.
- 店无书砸，懂？ | diàn wú shū zá, dǒng? | Literally “The store has no book to smash, understand?” This is internet slang expressing extreme frustration with a story. The speaker is so angry they want to buy a physical copy just to destroy it, but can’t, which adds to the frustration.
- 三足金乌 | sān zú jīn wū | The Three-legged Golden Crow. A creature from Chinese mythology, believed to inhabit and represent the sun. There were originally ten, and their simultaneous appearance scorched the earth until the archer Hou Yi shot down nine of them.
- 帝俊 | dì jùn | A major deity in Chinese mythology, particularly prominent in the “Shan Hai Jing” (Classic of Mountains and Seas). He is considered an ancestor of many peoples and a ruler of the heavens.
- 羲和 | xī hé | A sun goddess in Chinese mythology who was the mother of the ten suns. She would drive her chariot, carrying a sun, across the sky each day.
- 吃饱了撑的 | chī bǎo le chēng de | A colloquial and sarcastic idiom literally meaning “to be so full from eating that one needs to prop oneself up.” It is used to describe someone doing something pointless, meddlesome, or foolish because they have nothing better to do.
- 渡劫九世 | dù jié jiǔ shì | “To undergo tribulations for nine lifetimes.” 渡劫 (dù jié) is a key concept in Taoism and Xianxia, where a cultivator or being must face heavenly trials to ascend to a higher level of existence. 九世 (jiǔ shì) means nine incarnations or lifetimes.
- 心路历程 | xīn lù lì chéng | A phrase meaning the course of one’s mental or emotional journey; the development of one’s thoughts and feelings over time.
- 对线 | duì xiàn | Literally “to face the line.” A term originating from MOBA video games (like League of Legends) meaning to face off against an opponent in a specific lane. It has become popular internet slang for confronting someone, arguing, or engaging in a direct conflict.
- 葫芦里卖的什么药 | hú lu li mài de shén me yào | “What medicine are you selling in your gourd?” A common Chinese idiom used to ask what someone’s true intentions are, or what they are plotting. It originates from the image of traditional doctors who carried medicine in gourds.
- 跳梁小丑 | tiào liáng xiǎo chǒu | A four-character idiom literally meaning “beam-jumping clown.” It refers to a contemptible person who makes a spectacle of themselves but has little real power or influence; a buffoon.
- 草泥马 | cǎo ní mǎ | The “Grass Mud Horse,” a fictional creature that is a famous Chinese internet meme. Its name in Mandarin is a near-homophone for a severe profanity (肏你妈 cào nǐ mā, “fuck your mother”). It is used online as a way to express frustration or curse while bypassing censorship.
- 望夫石 | wàng fū shí | “Gazing-for-husband stone.” A rock formation that resembles a woman looking out into the distance. It is a common motif in Chinese folklore, associated with stories of a loyal wife who waited so long for her husband’s return that she turned to stone.
- 灵石 | líng shí | Spirit Stone. A common item in Chinese fantasy and cultivation novels. They are stones or crystals containing spiritual energy (Qi/灵气) and are used as currency, for cultivation, powering magical formations, and crafting.
- 烧饼 | shāo bǐng | A type of baked, unleavened, layered flatbread in Chinese cuisine. It can be made with or without stuffing and is a common staple food.
0 Comments