Little Alpaca – Chapter 43

Volume 1: Little Alpaca

Quiet, Cultivate Sentiment.¹

The days on the mountain passed, one by one; it was hard to say if they were fast or slow.

Recently, Yi Qiu had been watched very strictly by You Yan, with little time to act alone, so naturally, she had no time to think about the male and female leads’ affairs.

But then again, if there was no need, she wouldn’t dare go looking for the male lead, female lead, or the deeply affectionate female number two.

After all, this unpredictable² bird woman, You Yan, was truly domineering. Whatever the little alpaca did was wrong, and it was even more wrong for her eyes to look at another person’s face for a few extra glances.

Previously, she had merely glanced at the female lead one more time, and this bird woman asked passive-aggressively³ from the side: “Is she good-looking? Your eyes were looking straight.”

Later, she showed a little more concern for the male lead, and this bird woman said again: “I see you’re very interested in that boy.”

Not to mention the time the female number two helped her carry her lunchbox, this bird woman came right out with: “What is that woman’s identity? She doesn’t look like a good person, stay away from her.”

You Yan was simply like a mother with an extremely strong desire for control, observing every day whether her little alpaca was making friends recklessly outside.

This one, mother doesn’t approve of; that one, mother doesn’t like. In short, it was all one sentence: “Nu’er⁴, it’s okay if there are no good ones, mother will raise you for a lifetime.”

In the end, the little alpaca simply had no freedom to make friends.

Fortunately, she didn’t care. Coming to this world, she didn’t need to make any friends in the first place. It was just a mission; once it was done, she would pat her butt and leave.

Now that the plot had collapsed to this extent, the once heaven-chosen grass mud horse had already lost her greatest advantage of being able to “predict the future.” She could only take it one step at a time, feeling very lost every day.

“Let nature take its course,” the little alpaca said to herself in her heart.

At this point, everything had gone against the novel’s content. The villain, one, didn’t brainwash the male lead, and two, didn’t try to win the female lead’s favor. The female number two, who was supposed to deliver meals every day, had only come once.

With the earlier plot having collapsed like this, how the later plot would develop was not something a small grass mud horse like her could control, was it?

Right now, she just wanted to wait for that Trial Assembly to begin, see that little pig trotter get a spot to descend the mountain for training, quickly get past that key node⁵, and then think about how to proceed.

As for other things, she really couldn’t worry about them that much.

However, it had to be said that during these days as a guest at Xianlu Sect, Yi Qiu felt that she was gradually getting used to this do-nothing, retirement-like⁶ state.

No need to work, no need to travel, no need to think about how to advance the main plot. Every day was just eating, drinking, and sunbathing.

Occasionally, when You Yan was in a good mood, she would even take her to a deserted place to walk around and get some fresh air. The scenery on the mountain was excellent, like a painting everywhere. Living here recently, her days could be described as very pleasant.

If she really had to say something that made her particularly unhappy, it would probably be that this bird woman, You Yan, had recently been playing with double standards with her, all righteous and self-assured.

In this world, there are just such villains who, day after day, don’t allow their own little alpaca to run around alone, but as soon as night falls, they run off without a trace themselves.

This situation had already continued for the fifth day.

For these five days, You Yan would leave alone shortly after dinner every day. Before leaving, she would always leave behind a sentence: “Don’t run around.”

Yi Qiu didn’t know where she went, much less when she would return. To avoid being discovered sneaking out and having to undergo another round of interrogation, she naturally didn’t dare to run around randomly.

Although You Yan wouldn’t spend every moment chatting with her on normal days, it was so nice to have two people in one room. The breathing of two people, or the movements of two people, it felt different from being alone.

This bird woman, however, kept a tight rein on her during the day, but as soon as night came, she would slip out by herself, leaving a lone little alpaca here to guard an empty room⁷.

Unreasonable, truly too unreasonable!

Seeing that the preliminary stage of the Xianlu Sect’s Trial Assembly was about to begin in two days, You Yan was acting strangely, sneaking around every day doing who knows what, not returning until the dead of night.

Could it be that her acting bug had suddenly flared up, and she finally planned to go find Luo Mingyuan to belatedly issue a brainwashing pack?

But this didn’t seem like something You Yan would do.

During this dark and windy time, for a woman to go find a man for a private meeting, no matter how you think about it, it doesn’t seem appropriate, right?

Leaving aside whether that little pig trotter had the guts, no matter how off You Yan was, she wouldn’t have collapsed the pure and straightforward little white flower⁸ persona of “Bai Jianyou” so early, would she?

Besides, You Yan had been completely too lazy to act with people recently. Everywhere she went, she had “Don’t touch This Father”⁹ written on her face. How could she be in the mood to chat with a little pig trotter who wasn’t even worthy of her notice?

But if You Yan wasn’t going to find the male lead, then where did she go alone every night these past few days?

It was truly puzzling, and also…

Also infuriating, unhappy, yet she didn’t dare to ask anything!

Yi Qiu lay on the bedding in a huff, her fluffy face covered with the four big characters for “utterly bored.”¹⁰

She thought, she should probably sleep.

Anyway, You Yan had been coming back very late recently. Waiting for her was pointless. It would be better to just close her eyes, and when she opened them the next morning, she would be able to see that bird woman.

Thinking this, Yi Qiu sighed softly and closed her eyes.

But just then, the tightly shut door was suddenly blown open by a gust of night wind. The moment the chill rushed into the room, Yi Qiu woke with a start.

With a dazed look, she stretched her neck, and just as she was about to look past the screen to see what was happening outside, a white shadow flashed before her eyes and then stood still behind her. The whole process was so fast it was hard to capture, instantly scaring half the soul out of her.

When it happened, Yi Qiu’s first reaction was—Wucao!¹¹ What is that thing!

The second reaction was—Oh god! A ghost!

However, the next second, she suddenly realized she was an alpaca spirit; a demon has no reason to be afraid of ghosts.

Thus, the little alpaca, trembling with a terrified expression, forcibly propped herself up from the ground. She didn’t dare to turn around, only trying hard to pretend she wasn’t afraid, and roared at the air in a milky but unusually fierce voice: “Weird thing! Stay away from me!”

As soon as her voice fell, she was tapped hard on the back of her head.

“Weird thing?” The person behind her had a hint of displeasure in their tone.

“Ooh…” It hurt, but… it was a familiar feeling.

Yi Qiu instantly twisted around and clearly saw the person standing behind her.

“Bird… You, you’re back so early today!” The smile on Yi Qiu’s face suddenly became incredibly awkward.

The next second, You Yan reached out and grabbed the base of the little alpaca’s two front legs, and in a flash, carried her away from that quiet guest house.

The Feather Clan was skilled at flying, their speed extremely fast, and the Qinyuan bird¹² clan was even more so.

With You Yan’s cultivation level, if she didn’t care about the consumption of spiritual power, let alone traveling freely within Xianlu Sect, even going up and down the mountain wouldn’t take much time.

At this moment, in just the blink of an eye, they had already arrived at another place.

Yi Qiu came back to her senses and looked around blankly.

This was the North Cliff¹³ of the mountain peak, with a bottomless abyss right beside it.

And beneath her feet was the largest camphor tree by the North Cliff. You Yan, afraid she couldn’t stand steadily, was currently holding one of her front legs.

“You…” The little alpaca couldn’t stop shivering.

“Afraid of heights?” You Yan asked.

“N-not really…” Yi Qiu shifted her body slightly, stood firm on the thick tree trunk, and her two front legs unconsciously wrapped around You Yan’s right wrist, which was casually propped on the trunk.

This height, she wasn’t that afraid of it.

This spot was less than two meters from the ground. For an alpaca spirit, even if she really fell, it wouldn’t be enough to break any bones.

But, why did You Yan suddenly bring her here?

Was there something special about this place? Or, was something incredible going to happen here tonight?

Although the novel never mentioned any content related to this part, it wasn’t impossible for the plot to have changed drastically.

After all, You Yan had been acting particularly strange these past few days. Maybe she really was secretly planning something incredible.

Thinking of this, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but become nervous.

You Yan suddenly causing trouble at a time like this, she wouldn’t get the Xianlu Sect’s Trial Assembly canceled, would she?

If that were the case, how would the main plot proceed?

No, no, she had to know what You Yan was planning to do. If it was something truly incredible, she had to stop it first. Even if it was some crazy act like “sect annihilation,” it wouldn’t be too late to do it after the Trial Assembly ended!

“You Yan, you, you…” Yi Qiu couldn’t help but hug You Yan’s wrist tighter, her eyes full of panic.

“Quiet…” You Yan raised her left hand in front of Yi Qiu, the pad of her index finger gently sealing the little alpaca’s stuttering little mouth.

Yi Qiu: “…”

You Yan raised her eyes to look into the distance and said faintly: “Cultivate sentiment.”

Eh?

Cul-cultivate sentiment?

The little alpaca couldn’t help but follow You Yan’s gaze.

On the cliff late at night, a boundless sea of clouds churned. The moonlight in the sky was hazy, half-hidden in thin clouds, and specks of starlight twinkled sporadically.

You Yan brought her here to see the scenery?

Yi Qiu couldn’t help but feel dazed, staring blankly for a moment at You Yan, who was sitting beside her.

Her white robes and black hair were gently stirred by the night wind. Those deep and slender eyes just quietly gazed into the distance, her expression calm, without sorrow or joy. No waves could be seen in the depths of her eyes, yet they carried a few faint, almost imperceptible ripples.

When You Yan was quiet, she was always exceptionally quiet, as quiet as a painted scroll, so beautiful it made one unable to look away.

The moment the fear in her heart dissipated bit by bit, Yi Qiu heard the leisurely sound of a qin coming from behind her.

Yi Qiu subconsciously looked behind her. In the distance was none other than the place she had seen several days ago but couldn’t enter, the long-term residence of the Zither Immortal at Liuxian Pavilion.

That leisurely qin music hadn’t just started; it was a piece already reaching its end.

After the piece finished, and a moment of silence, the strings sounded again. Just a few short notes from the strings added a touch of poetic and picturesque sentiment to this windy mountain cliff.

“You… these past few days…”

“This Zither Immortal doesn’t seem to like playing the qin very much.” After You Yan spoke, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I really wish I could grab him by the neck and ask him if that qin of his is just for decoration.”

“…” These past few days, You Yan had been waiting here… waiting for the Zither Immortal to play the qin?

“If it is, I can help him smash it.”

“…” What kind of joke was this? This was too incredible.

You Yan slowly opened her eyes, lowered her gaze to Yi Qiu, and asked faintly: “Is there the song you want to hear?”

“Huh?” Yi Qiu was stunned for a moment, then said, “I, I don’t know, I’ve never heard it before.”

“It seems that before we leave, I’ll still have to go grab his neck and make him play it for you once.”

“No need!” Yi Qiu quickly shook her head, leaned lightly against You Yan, and said happily, “This is already very good!”

This night, this scenery, this music, and this unromantic bird woman beside her.

Everything was good, everywhere. What was there to be dissatisfied about?

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