Little Alpaca – Chapter 163

Volume 4: Immeasurable

What is this situation?

You Yan must be the most hypocritical bird in the world, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but think.

When she was an alpaca, the bird woman loved to ruffle her fur. When she was a person, the bird woman loved to pat her head and pinch her cheeks.

But the moment the tables were turned, the bird woman wasn’t happy about it at all.

The night they left Snake Mountain, all Yi Qiu had done was ruffle some of her bird feathers, and the bird woman had immediately started dodging her.

Just like today…

“Petty,” Yi Qiu couldn’t stop herself from muttering, her finger tracing circles on the water’s surface.

You Yan’s gaze flickered sideways, as if stealing a glance at Yi Qiu, before she turned away again as if nothing had happened.

The air was silent. But after a brief pause, she quietly shifted a little closer to Yi Qiu and gently took the wrist of the hand that was splashing about in the water.

“…” Yi Qiu pouted. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

“I was wrong,” You Yan said. “That feeling just now… I can’t describe it.”

“Then don’t,” Yi Qiu said, letting out a soft sigh. “It’s not like I’m the type to hold a grudge. What are you even explaining?”

“Growing up, no one ever touched me like that. It’s different from when I’m the one initiating it…” You Yan continued to explain. “I’m just not used to it.”

Fearing Yi Qiu would call her petty again, she quickly added, “I can change. I just need some time to get used to it.”

Yi Qiu couldn’t help but look You Yan up and down.

You Yan’s gaze was incredibly earnest. And maybe it was a trick of the light, but when the bird woman was this serious, her eyes seemed to hold a trace of childlike innocence, just like the innocent young girl from the dream, the one who hadn’t yet grown up.

People who grow up in solitude are often, to some degree, averse to being touched.

Yi Qiu could understand that.

In truth, You Yan had already changed so much on their journey. She was no longer the big bad bird with a venomous tongue who was impossible to get along with.

When she really thought about it, there was nothing to be angry about.

“You used to say all sorts of nasty things and never bothered to explain yourself. Haven’t I always been here?” Yi Qiu mumbled, pouting. “There’s nothing to be afraid of now. Even if I get mad and ignore you, it’ll only be temporary.”

“True. A single meal is enough to appease you,” You Yan said with a smile.

Yi Qiu couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.

She really didn’t want to admit she was that easy to placate, but it was the truth. If a few words didn’t work, a good meal always would.

“Did you used to bully me all the time just because you knew I was easy to handle?” As the words left her mouth, Yi Qiu frowned.

Hearing this, You Yan gave a wry smile. “If I had known then what would happen today, how would I have dared let you rack up so many old accounts¹ against me?”

Yi Qiu pouted and fell silent. After all, the bird woman was once again accusing her of bringing up old accounts.

But she felt she was absolutely right. In the beginning, You Yan had always bullied her, teased her, and mocked her. Then, when she got angry, You Yan would win her over with food.

A good person is bullied by others.² It was a timeless truth.

It wasn’t that she had such a good temper. Back when she was online, she’d gotten into plenty of arguments when one word didn’t fit.³ It was only with You Yan that she never dared to truly lose her temper.

After all, what good could come from picking a fight with the Main Antagonist?

Ultimately, she had been afraid of You Yan at first. So as long as You Yan was willing to give her a step to climb down,⁴ she would scurry down it. Later, she wasn’t so afraid anymore, but her own mindset had changed. She couldn’t explain why, but as long as You Yan made a casual effort to soothe her, she found it easy to forgive.

Right. This must be what it’s like when your heart flutters⁵ for the first time.

When you start to like someone, no matter what they do, you always leave a little space for them in your heart. As long as they’re willing to step into that space, there’s nothing you can’t forgive.

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The night before, Yi Qiu and You Yan had slept out in the mountains. When Jian Li found out, she hastily constructed an empty room. After furnishing it with a table, chairs, and a bed, she invited the two of them inside.

“I didn’t see you return last night, so I assumed you had already left the mountain. It was only today that I learned you had slept outdoors. I see now that I have been far too negligent.”

As she spoke, Jian Li set down the candlestick she had brought for them and bowed apologetically before slowly backing out of the guest room, pulling the door closed behind her.

After the door was shut, Yi Qiu looked around and remarked, “You Yan, this room, these tables, chairs, this bed… it’s all brand new.”

“Ao’an Mountain doesn’t usually have guests,” You Yan said faintly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

You Yan was right. Ao’an Mountain never had guests. Forget this room; even the one Luo Mingyuan was resting in was one they hadn’t seen on their last visit.

It had to be said—it was ridiculously easy for these people with high-level magic to build a house. As long as they were willing to expend some spiritual power,⁶ raising a building from flat ground was just an afternoon’s work. It was something ordinary humans could only dream of.

Yi Qiu plopped down on the bed. With a kick of her legs, she sent her shoes flying and swung her feet up onto the mattress.

She habitually gave You Yan a little push toward the inside of the bed. Once she had cleared enough space for one person to lie down, she immediately shed her outer robe, flopped onto the pillow, and looked up at You Yan, who was still sitting beside her.

In that instant, a thought surfaced in her mind.

A husband and wife should have the substance of a married couple.⁷

Would it be like that for her and You Yan?

Now that they had confirmed their relationship, if they continued to share a bed and pillow⁸ like this, it would probably happen for real, wouldn’t it?

But they weren’t married yet. Pre-marital relations were common in modern times, but in ancient times, it would be improper, right?

This was the first time they would share a bed and pillow since confirming their relationship…

Will You Yan touch me?

As she thought this, she couldn’t help but blink up at You Yan, but You Yan gave her no response.

Guess not…

Yi Qiu pouted, an indescribable feeling in her heart.

She hadn’t slept well the night before. Now, with the sky outside already dark, the moment she lay down, a wave of sleepiness washed over her.

“Tired this early?” You Yan asked, sitting beside her and looking down at Yi Qiu, who hadn’t even pulled up the covers.

“Mmm…” Yi Qiu hummed softly.

Just as she was about to reach for the blanket, she saw You Yan pull it up for her first.

The next second, the flickering candlelight on the table went out, plunging the room into darkness.

Yi Qiu’s hands unconsciously gripped the edge of the blanket. She closed her eyes and, just before drifting off, mumbled a complaint, “The deer, the dog… they’re both better at building nests than you, bird.”

“…” You Yan’s brow furrowed slightly.

“But it’s strange. No matter whose house it is, it never feels as safe as your little broken-down wooden cabin.”

Hearing this, the crease in You Yan’s brow smoothed out. She tucked Yi Qiu’s small hand, which was sticking out of the blanket, back inside and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Only then did she lie down herself, staring blankly into the darkness above.

Yi Qiu had always been a still sleeper. As an alpaca, she could lie quietly for a whole night. After becoming human, she could lie just as peacefully.

An unknown amount of time passed. You Yan turned her head slightly, her gaze falling upon the already dreaming Yi Qiu.

The young woman’s breathing was slow and even. In the darkness, her eyes, now adjusted to the gloom, could just make out the faint flutter of long lashes.

You Yan hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t resist reaching out a finger to gently brush against those lashes.

Her fingertip felt a slight tickle. The young woman sniffled and let out a soft “hng,” subconsciously taking a deep breath. She smacked her lips softly and turned her head away.

You Yan let out a soft chuckle and couldn’t help but lean a little closer to Yi Qiu.

This time, Yi Qiu didn’t pull away. Instead, she reflexively wrapped her arm around the one You Yan had leaned on.

In that instant, her heart suddenly sped up—it was that same strange feeling from the daytime.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but she still didn’t know how to describe it or how to deal with it.

You Yan subconsciously tried to pull her arm back, but Yi Qiu was holding on surprisingly tight. If she used too much force, she would surely wake her.

After a brief hesitation, You Yan took a deep breath and leaned even closer to Yi Qiu. The arm that had been pressed against the wall finally left the cold surface.

So, a sleeping person by her side could also make her feel this incredibly safe.

After a long silence, You Yan’s heartbeat calmed, and she gently closed her eyes.

For once, it was a night without dreams.

---

Jiang Yuyao spent three full days and nights entering the dream to save him.

On the dawn of the fourth day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, a startled cry from Yue Zhuo jolted Yi Qiu from a deep sleep.

Her entire alpaca life was tied to those two protagonists. Now that there was movement on their end, she shot up in bed in an instant.

The moment she woke up, Yi Qiu had intended to use magical arts⁹ to put on her outer robe, but her mind was too groggy. She fumbled with her fingers for a long time but couldn’t manage to form even the simplest spell seal.¹⁰

So, she started dressing while shaking her head, trying to force herself awake.

But when a person is suddenly roused from a dream, their brain is still foggy with sleep. For a moment, her hands were busy and her feet were confused,¹¹ and she couldn’t even get her clothes on properly.

Ancient clothing was such a hassle to wear. The modern era was so much better; you could just throw something on and be done with it.

As she was thinking this, a pair of slender, jade-like hands reached out from beside her, wrapped around her waist from behind, and tied the sash she had been struggling with.

Yi Qiu instinctively sucked in her stomach, her mind instantly clearing.

“…I can dress myself,” Yi Qiu said, biting her lower lip.

“Mm,” You Yan replied. She smoothed down Yi Qiu’s braid, then gave her a gentle push on the back. “Go on, go see what’s happening.”

Yi Qiu nodded, quickly put on her shoes and socks, and scurried out of the room.

Without a second thought, she ran toward the room that had been sealed shut for three whole days.

Inside, the formation¹² had already dissipated. Xun Chi was channeling spiritual power into Luo Mingyuan, who had yet to wake.

Chao Yun had collapsed and was being held up by Jiang Yuyao, whose face was deathly pale and whose eyes were bloodshot. He seemed to have suffered a severe internal injury,¹³ and his expression was fraught with worry.

Yue Zhuo and Jian Li stood guard by the door, at a loss for what to do.

“What happened?” Yi Qiu asked as she stepped uncertainly into the room, her eyes filled with concern and her voice laced with a hesitation that suggested she was afraid of the answer. “What is this situation?”

Did they succeed, or did they fail?

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The author has something to say:

I’ll give out red envelopes for comments before the next chapter update, and for the first hundred comments on chapter 161. _(:3」∠)_ You guys don’t love me, so I’ll just love myself. Crying on the floor.

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