Ting Feng Cliff1
At 3:27 PM, Fu Lianxue’s flight arrived smoothly in Zhoucheng.
By 3:50 PM, she was already at the Chu family home.
Chu Zhaoqiu sat in her room, watching with a smile as the creamy-white kitty held its tail high, weaving around Fu Lianxue’s feet. One moment it rubbed its head against her, the next it stood up to paw at her trousers, occasionally throwing in a couple of meows for good measure.
Clearly, Baobao missed his mama too.
His reward, naturally, was an overwhelming deluge of loving hugs and kisses from his mama.
“My little kitty missed Mama, didn’t he? Oh~ Mama missed Baobao so much too. Without Baobao, Mama didn’t even have her little alarm clock while she was away.”
Fu Lianxue sat on the carpet, holding her beloved little cat, talking and kissing him.
When she buried her face in Baobao’s fluffy belly, the fatigue from her journey vanished without a trace.
Of course, some credit for this also went to her human-shaped spiritual energy supplement sitting by the desk.
A fluffy little cat and the scent full of love – what Charm Demon could resist?
Fu Lianxue put the new little bib she bought on Baobao, raised her phone and snapped picture after picture, then checked the photos. Highly satisfied, she showed them to Chu Zhaoqiu, and then to Baobao: “Mama will help you post these pictures online later. Won’t this just completely charm all those online sisters and aunties?”
Baobao looked at himself on the screen and gave a little scratch with his paw: “Meow~”
Fu Lianxue smiled and stroked his little head.
After putting the gift on Baobao, next was the gift for the Young Head of the Chu Family.
Fu Lianxue took out the red hand-woven cord she had chosen and got up, sitting on the edge of the desk. “Give me your hand.”
Chu Zhaoqiu seemed to understand something and obediently gave her hand. “I get a gift too?”
Fu Lianxue lowered her head, focusing on tying the cord for her. “Everyone gets one, everyone.”
Hearing this, Chu Zhaoqiu’s eyes slowly curved into crescents. She raised her other hand and gently tucked a strand of Fu Lianxue’s long hair, which had slipped loose, behind her ear.
When she was working away from home, her heart held not only Baobao, but also her.
She was very happy.
“Next time you have to go far away, just leave Baobao with me again.”
Fu Lianxue’s hands paused for a moment, and she looked up at her.
She saw Chu Zhaoqiu’s delicate face suddenly magnify before her own, a soft warmth landing on her lips.
“This way, when our great star returns to Zhoucheng, she’ll come straight to my place first.”
Fu Lianxue looked at her smiling eyes, almost hearing the clicking of an abacus in the background.
“Wow, Young Head Chu, you’re really playing your cards well2, actually using my Baobao to lure me over.”
Chu Zhaoqiu smiled, leaning closer, her tone innocent yet strangely pitiful. “I just want to see the person I like sooner, and help her take care of her little cat while I’m at it, so she has nothing to worry about.”
Fu Lianxue stared, slightly mesmerized.
A beauty’s innocence holds myriad charms.
If that charm is subtly tinged with a hint of pitiableness, it’s like gilding the lily3, making one want to cherish and protect her.
The Chu Zhaoqiu of the past was young, her heart unburdened, not easily showing weakness to others. Now, she had learned how. She even knew how to use harmless little tricks in love. How could anyone possibly resist this?
Fu Lianxue couldn’t help but raise her hand, her fingertips caressing Chu Zhaoqiu’s chin. “Our Young Head really is something else…”
Chu Zhaoqiu’s gaze swept over her lips, then returned to meet her eyes.
The distance between them kept shrinking.
“Where am I something else?”
“This mouth. It’s really something else.”
“Is that so? Then do you want to kiss it and see?”
The reply was replaced by an eager kiss.
The longing from days of separation surged forth like ocean waves, churning between tongues and affection, endlessly.
One kiss ignited everything.
Amidst ragged breaths, they finally understood how much the other had missed them, how much they themselves yearned for the other.
Fu Lianxue still clutched the untied red cord in her hand, while their silent longing had already written the most perfect continuation, becoming their eternity4.
One second wasn’t enough, one minute wasn’t enough; they wanted a longer, greater, more distant future.
But only after they resolved the grievances and debts5 of their past lives.
Fu Lianxue slowly opened eyes hazy with deep affection6.
She was sitting on Chu Zhaoqiu’s lap, her arms wrapped around Chu Zhaoqiu’s neck.
Chu Zhaoqiu held her waist, gazing at her tenderly, her eyes fixed.
“You were focused this time,” Chu Zhaoqiu said with a smile.
Fu Lianxue made a playful face. “Hand out, I haven’t even tied your gift on yet!”
The red cord was finally tied onto that snowy white wrist.
Very beautiful, a perfect fit.
The gift-giver had excellent taste, and the gift-receiver was in an excellent mood.
“Thank you,” Chu Zhaoqiu said, treasuring it. “I like it very much.”
Fu Lianxue looked smug. “Then you’d better take good care of it. This is something Fu Lianxue gave you; other people can’t get one even if they want it.”
Chu Zhaoqiu smiled and agreed, “Yes, okay, I’ll definitely wear it every day, guaranteed not to lose it.”
Fu Lianxue nodded in satisfaction. “That’s more like it.”
Chu Zhaoqiu kissed her cheek again, her features relaxed, clearly very happy.
She was happy that Fu Lianxue could come see her; she was also happy that Fu Lianxue gave her a gift.
Having one’s affection reciprocated was just such a blissful thing.
Seeing her like this, Fu Lianxue’s expression softened with emotion, then she shook her head slightly. Gently, she cupped Chu Zhaoqiu’s face, looking at her without blinking. “This head of yours… it really should start remembering some things…”
Although they were very happy now, she couldn’t just ignore the past.
It was precisely because she liked her that she wanted to understand everything even more.
Chu Zhaoqiu blinked slowly within her palms, seemingly lost in thought.
“Lianxue, do you want me to remember?”
“Of course, I do!”
After blurting it out, Fu Lianxue thought for a moment. “Well, there’s a small part of me that doesn’t want you to, I guess.”
Chu Zhaoqiu asked why.
Fu Lianxue looked at her, suddenly remembering the naive Xuanmen girl from a thousand years ago.
They had the exact same face, the exact same aspirations, but their hearts were different—Eldest Miss Chu loved her, the Xuanmen girl did not.
Her “doesn’t want you to” stemmed from this. In moments of sweet affection, who would want the other person’s love for them to suddenly diminish?
But she still wanted to know what happened back then.
She wanted to know why Chu Zhaoqiu had suddenly stabbed her with that sword, wanted to know why Chu Zhaoqiu had died.
And precisely because she liked her, she couldn’t just vaguely turn the page on this matter.
There shouldn’t be a thorn hidden within their love.
“I’m afraid you won’t like me anymore after you remember. You didn’t like me back then…” Fu Lianxue was very honest. “But I still hope you can remember. I can’t just let the past go like this.”
She undid the top button of her blouse, pulling the collar open to reveal the rose tattoo on her chest. “Because it’s always been here, reminding me every day.”
Beneath the blooming rose lay a gruesome scar that carried their past.
She saw it every day, constantly reminded of that night, reminded of the person she once relied on holding a long sword, telling her to leave.
This was truly unpleasant.
Not being able to resolve it, leaving it unclear, was even more unpleasant.
This was the first time Chu Zhaoqiu had directly faced this tattoo, and her heart jolted.
She raised her fingertips, touching the rose tattoo very, very lightly, as if afraid of hurting Fu Lianxue.
As she lifted her gaze, guilt surfaced in her eyes.
“Did it hurt?”
“It hurt, of course it hurt,” Fu Lianxue said. “Do you know how many days back then I was in too much pain to sleep?”
Chu Zhaoqiu couldn’t help but hug her, burying her face in the crook of Fu Lianxue’s neck, slowly tightening her embrace.
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I made you suffer so much.”
Her words were filled with guilt and apology.
From their reunion until now, every apology she made had been this sincere.
Fu Lianxue didn’t accept this apology, patting her back lightly twice. “Saying sorry to me now doesn’t count. If you want to apologize, wait until you remember.”
Chu Zhaoqiu suddenly asked, “Then if I do remember, will you still talk to me?”
Fu Lianxue: “Hm?”
Chu Zhaoqiu looked up into her eyes. “You said before, once I remember, we wouldn’t be able to talk so calmly and peacefully7.”
The Fu Lianxue back then was probably only thinking about fighting her to the death, or how to get revenge on her.
Fu Lianxue remembered.
At that time, she hadn’t yet realized her feelings for Chu Zhaoqiu, her mind filled with resentment; acting fierce was only normal.
But now…
“Specific circumstances require specific analysis.”
After saying this, she slid off Chu Zhaoqiu’s lap, hurrying to stop Fu Baobao, who was attempting to wreak havoc on the bookshelf.
Chu Zhaoqiu turned to watch her back as she stood before the bookshelf scolding the cat, then lowered her gaze to the red cord on her wrist.
Silent, lost in thought.
The person she liked hoped she would regain her memories…
That evening, Fu Lianxue put a leash on Baobao and took him outside.
Since moving to Zhoucheng at the beginning of the year, she hadn’t taken her little cat out for a walk in a long time. Taking advantage of having free time today, she decided to go out for a stroll.
While walking the cat, she unconsciously thought of the past again. Perhaps it was because Cheng Hanxi had stirred up memories before her return journey, causing her to think about these things so often today.
Since that was the case, she might as well visit the old place again.
She bent down and picked up Baobao. “Mama’s taking you to see a place Mama used to love going to.”
Baobao, not understanding, let out a couple of obedient, sweet meows in her arms.
Before long, the woman and cat arrived at a viewing platform on the south side of Zhoucheng.
Fortunately, there was no one else around at this time, just them.
Fu Lianxue took some protective measures for Baobao before putting him down, holding his leash as they slowly wandered around the viewing platform, the night breeze blowing gently.
The cool night wind couldn’t help but make her reminisce.
This viewing platform didn’t have a name, but it did in her heart: “Ting Feng Cliff,” named by the Chu Zhaoqiu from thousands of years ago.
Back then, Ting Feng Cliff didn’t overlook bustling rows of tall buildings, only the moon in the sky and the wind on the earth.
Nobody knew about this place, only Chu Zhaoqiu did.
Chu Zhaoqiu loved coming here to cultivate; she had always favored the clear wind and bright moon.
Fu Lianxue always came with Chu Zhaoqiu.
They would sit together on the cliff edge, bathed in the bright moonlight, feeling the cool mountain breeze, carefree. Life was so peaceful and beautiful, it felt as if they would spend their entire lives this way.
Sometimes when Fu Lianxue ran off to play, Chu Zhaoqiu would wait for her here, and then they would return to the sect together.
So, Ting Feng Cliff could really be called their secret base.
After Chu Zhaoqiu severely injured her, she had waited for Chu Zhaoqiu right here.
She hoped she would come, hoped she would give her an explanation.
But Chu Zhaoqiu never came.
In the blink of an eye, seas change into mulberry fields8. Now, Ting Feng Cliff was no longer an unknown secret.
Her thoughts returned to the present. Watching the little cat curiously walking around, sniffing here and there, she smiled, pulled back to reality. She took out her phone, crouched down, took a picture of Baobao, and posted it to her Moments9 with the caption: Kitty Cat Squad exploring the world!
Soon, she received many likes and comments.
She also received a private message from Chu Zhaoqiu.
[Chu Zhaoqiu]: Out? I was just thinking of looking for you
[Fu Lianxue]: Yeah, I’m taking Baobao out for a walk
[Fu Lianxue]: Want to come? Walk together?
Chu Zhaoqiu’s reply was direct: [Where?]
Without thinking, Fu Lianxue subconsciously typed three characters and sent them: [Ting Feng Cliff]
The moment she sent it, she realized—Chu Zhaoqiu hadn’t recovered her memories, how the hell would she know Ting Feng Cliff!
She had no choice but to tap the input field again to re-edit.
But just as she typed the first character, she received Chu Zhaoqiu’s reply:
[Wait for me, I’m heading over now]
Fu Lianxue stared at the unfinished characters in her input field, stunned.
A little over ten minutes later, a second person arrived at the viewing platform.
Fu Lianxue looked at the person appearing before her, astonishment in her eyes.
She really came…
She actually knew Ting Feng Cliff, how could she, could it be—
“You… remembered?”
Chu Zhaoqiu stood before Fu Lianxue, the red cord she had given her today still tied around her wrist.
She met Fu Lianxue’s shocked eyes without dodging, without fleeing.
She took a step closer voluntarily.
“Yes, I remembered.”
Fu Lianxue stood rooted to the spot, forgetting to move.
This was so sudden it caught her completely unprepared.
The person she couldn’t wait for back then at Ting Feng Cliff was standing right in front of her at this very moment, as if fulfilling their unrealized meeting from a thousand years ago.
⚠️: WILL RESUME ON MAY 05/06
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