Little Alpaca – Chapter 24

Volume 1: Little Alpaca

The First Gift.

You Yan had only gone downstairs to ask the attendant to order a few small dishes. By the time she returned, the little alpaca had already shrunk into a ball in the corner. Its listless little expression looked as if it were depressed; even the setting sun sinking in the west wasn’t as gloomy as she was.

She walked into the room, closing the door behind her with a backhand motion. Her gaze lingered on Yi Qiu for two seconds before she walked straight to the table, sat down, and picked up the embroidery hoop and needlework again.

The little alpaca in the corner didn’t make a sound, looking just like a soulless plush doll.

But in this mortal world, things always go against one’s wishes. The more Yi Qiu tried to diminish her presence, the more easily You Yan noticed her.

“What’s wrong?” You Yan swept a few faint glances at Yi Qiu before finally speaking out of concern. “Weren’t you fine just a moment ago?”

“I’m sleepy,” Yi Qiu mumbled in a small voice.

“You slept from Weishi¹ to Youshi², and you still haven’t had enough sleep?” You Yan lowered her gaze to her needle, teasing softly, “Pigs, you know, are liable to be placed on a dinner plate.”

“Maybe I slept too much, that’s why I feel tired…” Yi Qiu explained hurriedly. “I’m just a little weak right now. I’ll be fine after I eat something, definitely!”

Hearing this, although You Yan’s face still wore an expression of 「I don’t believe you」, she didn’t press the matter further. She only raised the corners of her lips slightly and continued with the embroidery in her hands.

Before long, the attendant brought up the meal.

Yi Qiu, smelling the aroma, obediently walked to You Yan’s side.

As a corporate livestock with decent self-regulation skills, after a brief period of calming herself down, Yi Qiu had more or less emerged from the shadow of potentially being stung to death by a poisonous needle at any moment.

She gazed at the food on the table, waiting for You Yan to feed her.

This dinner was no different from usual; it seemed You Yan was no longer angry.

But if she wasn’t angry, why was she still embroidering something so intimidating?

After the meal, the attendant came to clear the table, and You Yan once again took up her 「man-eating flower」 embroidery.

The sky gradually darkened, and the candles in the room were lit.

The flickering candlelight seemed to pull time along with it, and the night grew deeper and deeper.

Beneath the couch was a pallet of several layers of soft bedding and a pillow. Yi Qiu lay there, trying to cultivate some sleepiness, but because she had slept so much during the day, she wasn’t the least bit tired now.

Out of sheer boredom, her gaze unconsciously stuck to You Yan.

She had no idea what was wrong with this great villain. Since the afternoon, she had been sitting at the table embroidering that shockingly ugly, intimidating picture, and had barely spoken to her all day, leaving her terribly bored.

From outside, the voice of the night watchman³ was heard once again, approaching from afar and then gradually receding in another direction.

“Dong——Dong! Dong!”

One slow beat followed by three quick ones—it was the fourth watch⁴, around one in the morning.

The soft candlelight illuminated You Yan’s jade-like face. Her expression was incredibly focused, every stitch made with great care. Her long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly with the light, making her features seem much gentler.

Looking at this version of You Yan, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but think, if You Yan wasn’t going to kill her in the future, if she really had a choice…

Perhaps, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to be a bit more obedient, to shed those cunning schemes, and peacefully be a little spiritual pet that just ate and waited for death.

However, this thought existed in Yi Qiu’s mind for less than three seconds before she immediately vetoed it.

Yi Qiu, are you crazy!

Isn’t it good being a human? Why would you want to be a pet living precariously by a villain’s side!

At this thought, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

She just never expected that You Yan would suddenly complete her 「masterpiece」 and, in high spirits, turn to look at her—precisely at the moment she was furiously rolling her eyes.

In that instant, the smile in You Yan’s eyes cooled slightly.

【You Yan’s favorability -10】

Yi Qiu: “……”

No way, what a coincidence.

Yi Qiu quickly let out a big yawn, forcing out a few teardrops. She then theatrically stretched her four limbs before looking up at You Yan with a bewildered expression, “Master, are you going to rest?”

You Yan asked with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “Are your eyes uncomfortable?”

“Yes, a little…” Yi Qiu thought for a moment. The doors and windows here were tightly shut, so it wouldn’t be convincing to say sand got in her eyes.

So she changed her excuse, “I, I had nothing to do just now, and I couldn’t sleep, so… so I stared at the candle for a while.”

“Want me to rub them for you?” As You Yan spoke, she put down the embroidery hoop. She gently stroked the index finger of her right hand with three fingers of her left, and the nail suddenly grew several millimeters, turning sharp and black.

“No, no need, it’s already better…” Yi Qiu couldn’t help but tremble.

How is that rubbing them? That clearly means 「I’ll poke your damn eyes out」, right?

The little alpaca tried to shrink back, wishing she could write the word “obedient” on her face, just to beg for mercy.

But You Yan simply crooked her finger lightly and said faintly, “Come here…”

Yi Qiu didn’t dare to delay in the slightest. She quickly stood up and trotted to You Yan’s side with tiny steps, her little neck shrunk, her little head lowered, and even her little legs couldn’t stop trembling.

The next second, Yi Qiu clearly felt You Yan place her fingertip on the back of her head, tapping it a few times with a force that was barely there.

The little alpaca began to tremble even more violently.

“Such a coward,” You Yan said, ruffling the fur on Yi Qiu’s head. She turned back to pick up the embroidered satin. “Lift your head, come and see.”

“Huh?” Yi Qiu dazedly raised her head, only to see You Yan holding that 「intimidation picture」 in front of her.

“What do you think?” You Yan asked.

She had guessed correctly. To the right of the crooked, frizzy-furred alpaca, what was embroidered was indeed a Qinyuan bird.

It wasn’t hard to see that You Yan had definitely not had much experience with needlework before, because this picture was hideously ugly. Not just the alpaca was ugly, the Qinyuan was ugly too.

And for this, she was asking her what she thought?

This thing, anyone with eyes probably couldn’t bring themselves to praise it, right?

What on earth is You Yan up to? Is this a loyalty test combined with intimidation?

If so, I should tell the truth. After all, honest advice is hard to hear but beneficial. An honest person is better than a sycophant.

But what if You Yan genuinely thinks her embroidery is beautiful and just wants to hear a compliment?

This villain is so capricious, like a neurotic. It’s not impossible for her to have a warped perception of herself.

So, does You Yan want to be praised, or does she want to hear the truth?

What is the correct answer?

Considering You Yan’s capriciousness, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but become nervous, having backed herself into a dead end with no way out.

But You Yan just watched Yi Qiu quietly, her eyes showing no ripples of emotion. Her gaze was as calm as if she were simply asking what to eat for her daily meals, and after asking, she began to wait for the simplest of answers.

After waiting for a long time without getting one, she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Seeing this, Yi Qiu panicked. Not daring to overthink it any longer, she quickly responded.

“Master, you, you’ve been embroidering this all day?”

“How is it?” You Yan asked again.

“This, this…” Yi Qiu’s little nose touched the ugly, frizzy alpaca. She said tactfully, “This is me, right? It’s, it’s quite, quite lifelike… Master is amazing, truly amazing, you’ve captured the spirit!”

You Yan’s fine brows arched, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up, only to return to a cold expression the next second.

She was silent for a long time before saying, “It’s so ugly, only you could bring yourself to praise it.”

“You knew, huh,” Yi Qiu said, relieved. Seeing You Yan glare at her, she abruptly raised a hoof to cover her mouth.

Because both her front hooves were off the ground, her hind legs couldn’t support her weight. Two seconds later, the little alpaca fell forward with a 「splat」, as if making a New Year’s greeting, her hind legs kneeling perfectly.

【You Yan’s favorability +50】

Yi Qiu: “……”

You Yan was silent for a moment, then said, “I had no mind for cultivation today, and with nothing to do, I used a mortal method to pass the time. But this embroidery is much harder than killing people, it’s too trying on one’s patience. I won’t bother with it again in the future.”

Yi Qiu’s eye couldn’t help but twitch.

So, it turns out You Yan was embroidering for so long just because she was bored and wanted to kill time?

Yi Qiu, oh Yi Qiu, you’re really seeing enemies in every bush and tree, practically scaring yourself to death!

You Yan: “However, since you can appreciate it, I’ll make it into a scented sachet⁵ and give it to you later.”

Yi Qiu: “……”

That’s really not necessary.

“This is the fir… first gift I’ve given you.” You Yan’s index finger moved forward, gently lifting the little alpaca’s chin. She smiled, her brows curving, “You must carry it with you at all times.”

“Really?” Yi Qiu pretended to smile happily. “Thank you, Master!”

“As long as you like it.” As You Yan spoke, her finger returned to normal. With a gentle swipe backward, she extinguished the candle.

Then, she smiled and patted Yi Qiu’s neck, stood up, walked to the low stand with the water basin for a simple wash, and then sat on the edge of the bed.

Yi Qiu followed, carefully climbing onto her own soft little world.

You Yan lay flat on her pillow for a while, then couldn’t help but turn on her side. She reached her hand off the bed and gently fiddled with Yi Qiu’s little ears.

“Little silly horse, can you sleep?”

“It’s an alpaca…” Yi Qiu corrected in a small voice.

“It’s all the same…” You Yan said, meeting Yi Qiu’s upturned gaze.

Yi Qiu tilted her head, patiently waiting for You Yan’s instructions, but unexpectedly, she just looked at her quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

This eye contact lasted for more than ten seconds, and the confusion in Yi Qiu’s eyes grew deeper.

“Master?” she probed in a small voice.

You Yan came back to her senses. She thoughtfully rubbed Yi Qiu’s head and asked softly, “You little thing, where exactly did you come from?”

Yi Qiu was momentarily stunned. She tried hard to find a trace of a different, more dangerous emotion in You Yan’s eyes, but apart from a hint of gentleness, there was nothing else.

“Is she asking… where my home in the mortal world is? Is there any assistance for this question?”

Yi Qiu asked the system for help in her heart, but received no reply.

What she didn’t expect was that, while she was utterly bewildered, You Yan answered her own question first.

You Yan: “Never mind. How would you remember things from before your spiritual intelligence was awakened?”

Yi Qiu lowered her gaze and hesitated for a moment, feeling that if she said she didn’t remember at all, it would seem a bit fake.

So she thought for a moment and looked up, “I remember a little, it’s just a bit blurry.”

You Yan: “Tell me about it?”

Yi Qiu: “My hometown is quite lively… I can’t describe it in detail, but in short, I didn’t have a good life there…”

You Yan: “You didn’t have a good life?”

Yi Qiu: “Mmm…”

My days were poor and tiring, and to top it off, I had no ambition. I probably would have been stuck in that mediocre state for my whole life. It was indeed quite hopeless.

Thinking this, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

After that soft sigh, the person on the bed and the pet below it suddenly fell into silence.

It was unknown how long this silence lasted. Yi Qiu suddenly let out a silent yawn, and with a growing sleepiness, she slowly closed her eyes.

Seeing the little alpaca’s breathing become increasingly steady, You Yan finally stroked her head.

She softly said, “From now on, you’ll follow me.”

You will definitely have a good life.

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