Ha, Karma! – Chapter 55

Now, leave my house.

“What are you laughing at?” Fu Lianxue frowned, looking at the person before her.

Chu Zhaoqiu’s eyebrows curved, a gentle smile hanging on her brow, carrying a hint of the unexpected.

She hadn’t expected Fu Lianxue to offer that reason.

It was surprising, yet it also made her faintly feel that this wasn’t the real reason.

“Is that really the reason?” Chu Zhaoqiu asked softly.

Seeing her doubt, Fu Lianxue recalled how she had allowed Ye Linlin to touch her exclusive snacks. That nameless anger flared up again with a “whoosh.”

“That’s the reason, so what!

“Those were bought for me by you, they’re my things, she just can’t eat them, and you can’t agree to let her eat them!”

She was angry, and the venting words from her mouth were also childish.

After saying all that, she clearly realized she was being unreasonable, huffed, and turned her head away again.

Faced with this sudden outburst of anger, Chu Zhaoqiu blinked gently, and then, as if realizing something, the light in her eyes flickered slightly, bright and moving.

After a pause, she shifted her position, moving a little closer to her.

She once again took her hand, looking at her with eager anticipation.

“Lianxue, besides that?”

Was it just because of a bottle of drink?

No, she believed there were other reasons.

Because their Lianxue was not such a petty and selfish yaoguai.

“Is there anything else I’ve done poorly that has made you unhappy?” Chu Zhaoqiu coaxed patiently.

At the mention of this, Fu Lianxue immediately perked up; she had plenty to say on this topic.

“Yes, there’s a lot!”

“Surname Chu, I ask you, last night when she hugged you, why didn’t you push her away?

“And just now when you were reading, she deliberately got close to you, leaning against you, why did you indulge her!

“You also let her drink my drink, do you like her, you—”

Fu Lianxue’s words suddenly stopped, and she froze.

The question that had troubled her all day suddenly had an incredibly clear answer at this moment.

She had thought that Chu Zhaoqiu’s tolerance of Ye Linlin was all because of liking, but her own concern, her caring, was precisely because of liking—she had fallen in love with Chu Zhaoqiu.

Realizing this, Fu Lianxue’s face changed drastically.

How could this be, how could she possibly like Chu Zhaoqiu?!

This, this was Chu Zhaoqiu, the Chu Zhaoqiu who had actually stabbed her with a sword and driven her away back then!!

She finally realized the problem, and so did Chu Zhaoqiu.

Clever as she was, how could she not see what Fu Lianxue’s anger was really about?

This was also a development she hadn’t anticipated.

She liked Fu Lianxue, but Fu Lianxue still harbored resentment towards her. How could she dare to hope that the one she loved would also like her?

That she didn’t drive her away, didn’t shut her out, was already enough for her to be grateful for.

But she never expected that the heavens would be so exceptionally kind to her.

Her love had actually managed to knock on the heart of the one she loved.

The light of surprise lit up in her eyes, and she held Fu Lianxue’s hand tightly, no longer willing to let go.

“Lianxue,” she looked at her intently, her heart and eyes filled only with her, as if she was the only person left in her world, and there was no room for a third, “Lianxue, we—”

“Don’t speak!” Fu Lianxue preemptively interrupted, hastily pulling her hand back and getting up in a panic, “We have nothing! Nothing happened, especially that thing you’re thinking of, it absolutely did not happen!

“How could I, Fu Lianxue, possibly like you!

“There’s no possibility between us, not even a little!”

She hastily denied it, her face full of panic, as if warning Chu Zhaoqiu, and as if warning her own heart.

The person in front of her should not enter her heart.

Chu Zhaoqiu sat there, her palm empty, as if mirroring her heart at this moment.

She hadn’t expected Fu Lianxue’s first reaction would be to deny her liking for her.

She could understand, after all, Fu Lianxue still remembered their feud.

But she still couldn’t control her low spirits. Who would be willing to be denied any possibility by the person they liked?

She raised her eyes to look at the flustered yaoguai, her brow furrowed slightly, looking unspeakably pitiful: “Lianxue, is there really not even a little possibility between us?”

“No!” Fu Lianxue’s tone involuntarily rose.

“But you kissed me,” Chu Zhaoqiu suddenly said.

“We’ve kissed, more than once.”

“That’s because I’m a—”

“Because you’re a meiyao¹,” Chu Zhaoqiu finished the sentence for her, her eyes sparkling as she stared at her, “But is it really just that?”

The distance they couldn’t maintain between them, the natural intimacy, and the days and nights they spent together in the sect back then, were they really all just because she was a meiyao and different from others?

But she had clearly also said that she was only like this with her, and that she should feel honored.

She had even once searched for her, going to every corner of the world, not even missing the mass graves…

Under her burning gaze, the usually eloquent yaojing² suddenly became mute, unable to utter a single word.

Her heart was too chaotic.

She couldn’t figure out what she should say right now.

Chu Zhaoqiu could see that she was flustered and confused, and didn’t push her to face this feeling directly.

She stood up, wanting to hold her hand, but it was dodged, even her gaze avoiding contact.

So she could only say softly, “If you don’t want to think about it, then don’t think about it for now, let’s talk about something else.

“For example, my relationship with Linlin?”

She took the initiative to bring up this topic, and Fu Lianxue’s attention was indeed diverted, and she also looked up, willing to look at her.

“My relationship with Linlin is pure, there’s nothing,” Chu Zhaoqiu’s gaze was gentle, her tone sincere and earnest, “When I was in university, her family took good care of me, so I’ve always regarded Linlin as a younger sister, treating her the same as I treat Sining and the others, with no other thoughts.

“That child Sining often hugs us, clings to us, so I didn’t pay attention when Linlin did the same.

“Lianxue, the person I like has always been only you.”

She gazed into her eyes, her gaze bright, determined and serious: “Heaven is my witness.”

No matter what, Fu Lianxue minded this matter, so she should explain it properly.

Liking someone means learning to clear up misunderstandings in a timely manner and giving the other person a sense of security.

This sincere and heartfelt confession actually calmed Fu Lianxue down, and there was even a little bit of shameful happiness in her heart, because Chu Zhaoqiu said she only liked her.

But she still didn’t know what to say, so she simply closed her mouth and continued to remain silent.

Chu Zhaoqiu was relieved to see her expression soften, and tried again to hold her hand.

She gently, carefully hooked her finger.

“Lianxue, let’s not be angry anymore, okay?”

Fu Lianxue opened her mouth, glanced at her, then lowered her head and muttered awkwardly a couple of times: “Who’s angry…”

Chu Zhaoqiu heard clearly and said with a smile, “Good, no one is angry.”

Then she changed the subject: “Then do you agree to let Linlin eat your snacks?”

Fu Lianxue was stunned for a moment, subconsciously furrowing her brows and looking up at her.

Chu Zhaoqiu actively sought her opinion: “Or do you want me to prepare a separate portion for her?”

Fu Lianxue: “…”

Fu Lianxue became mute again.

Although she didn’t want to admit that she liked Chu Zhaoqiu, she also didn’t want Chu Zhaoqiu to treat others as well as she treated her.

Her heart was resisting getting close, yet she couldn’t control her desire to monopolize this kindness.

Extremely contradictory, extremely selfish.

Moreover, Chu Zhaoqiu preparing things separately for Ye Linlin, that sounded very strange.

The most important thing was that Ye Linlin liked Chu Zhaoqiu. If Chu Zhaoqiu prepared a separate portion of food for her, she would be overjoyed and feel even more that she and Chu Zhaoqiu had a chance.

“Forget it, there’s no need to prepare a separate portion. If she wants to eat, let her eat. Anyway, it’s you who paid for these things.”

She accepted it, compromised.

Chu Zhaoqiu said she didn’t like Ye Linlin, and she still had that bit of trust.

Ye Linlin would never have a chance!

Then she gave Chu Zhaoqiu the order to leave: “Now, leave my house.”

Chu Zhaoqiu: “?”

Fu Lianxue: “I don’t want to see you right now.”

Chu Zhaoqiu: “Why?”

Fu Lianxue: “There’s no why. This is my house, I make the rules. Hurry up and leave, or I’ll call the police and report you for trespassing—you can’t trespass on a yaozhai³ either!”

Fu Lianxue wholeheartedly pushed Chu Zhaoqiu out.

Chu Zhaoqiu suddenly understood why she didn’t want to see her—she needed to calm down.

“Okay, okay, okay, I’ll leave,” Chu Zhaoqiu said, “If anything happens, call me, you must call.”

She didn’t want to let her sulk anymore.

If she hadn’t failed to hide her yaogi today and been discovered, she might still not know that she was punching pillows at home.

Fu Lianxue vaguely responded a couple of times, watching her leave.

After seeing Chu Zhaoqiu off, she first comforted the frightened little cat, then lay on the sofa with it, completely baffled.

How did things develop like this, how could she like Chu Zhaoqiu?

She had even become petty and selfish because of this liking, unable to tolerate someone else drinking a cup of the drink Chu Zhaoqiu had prepared for her.

A mere cup of drink, how much could it be worth, was it worth her getting so angry?

She hugged Baobao tighter, burying her face in its fluffy fur, trying to escape.

So her heart didn’t like others getting close to Chu Zhaoqiu, and even less was she willing to see Chu Zhaoqiu acquiesce to others’ closeness… She wasn’t as generous and unconcerned as she had imagined.

But how could she like Chu Zhaoqiu, how could it be Chu Zhaoqiu of all people!

She still couldn’t understand it, and she couldn’t figure out when this liking had started.

It shouldn’t be, she hated her and resented her, how could she like her?

She had just felt a little happy because of Chu Zhaoqiu’s confession, her heart feeling a sense of security and satisfaction—this was too outrageous!

It’s too scary, she thought, how can I like Chu Zhaoqiu!

She roughly stroked Baobao.

Baobao didn’t meow once, calmly enduring her restless petting.

Unfortunately, no matter how much she petted the little cat, it was to no avail. This magical development still shocked her brain, making it difficult for her to calm down.

After a while, she decided not to think about it for now.

Working all day was exhausting for a yao, she needed to sleep first, and anything else could wait until tomorrow!

At three o’clock in the middle of the night, it was quiet.

Chu Zhaoqiu slept soundly in her room.

Knowing that Fu Lianxue also liked her, she slept even better tonight.

And in another part of Zhou City, Fu Lianxue, lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes, sat up straight, her expression clear, looking completely bewildered, as if she hadn’t been asleep at all.

“No, how could I have fallen for her?!”

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LP: Sorry for the inconsistencies. For accuracy, I maintained some words to their pinyin forms. I’ll revise previous chapters in the future.

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