Something urgent happened, I won’t listen.
The roosters of Lingchang Village had always crowed on time. Cheng Huan rose and dressed, preparing to go tell the Village Chief and the others about their departure.
Mu Ge watched Cheng Huan dress and noticed the grass rabbit she’d given her last night was gone. It wasn’t in the room either.
She bit her lower lip, her tone tactful. “Cheng Huan, where did you put the grass rabbit? I have a pouch here, I can store it for you.”
Cheng Huan paused in her dressing, saying offhandedly, “Maybe… it got lost during the fight last night? It was too dark to notice.”
A flicker crossed Mu Ge’s eyes. “Is that so? Then I’ll weave you another one?”
“No need.” Cheng Huan smiled, finished dressing, opened the door, and walked out.
Lingchang Village was nestled among mountains and rivers. The early morning breeze was naturally cool. In the past, Mu Ge could endure this chill, but at this moment, she felt a bone-deep cold.
Mu Ge pressed her lips tightly together, them turning pale, her face full of dejection.
Her lips moved, her voice heavy. “Is it… because you don’t like it?”
That’s why you didn’t care and casually threw it away?
Were all the affection and closeness from last night just a lie?
Mu Ge took a deep breath, yet she still couldn’t resist the sorrow and bitterness surging from the depths of her heart.
Outside the door, Cheng Huan heard Mu Ge’s low murmur, the grievance and dejection in her voice clear as day.
Mu Ge thought Cheng Huan had left, but with Cheng Huan’s martial arts skill and Internal Energy, hiding her presence was effortless.
Cheng Huan had wanted to explain the situation about the grass rabbit to Mu Ge, but the real reason was something she couldn’t speak of.
Little Hedgehog: [Then could the Host find another reason to put the Female Lead at ease? Or accept the Female Lead weaving a new grass rabbit?]
Cheng Huan’s earlier attitude had been too cold, as if the grass rabbit Mu Ge gave could be discarded like trash.
That indifferent expression, the cold and casual tone, and her firm refusal—all of it would deeply upset Mu Ge.
Cheng Huan slowly walked towards the Village Chief’s house. “Find a reason to put her at ease? Accept another woven grass rabbit from her?”
“Do you know what that would mean?”
[I don’t know,] Little Hedgehog shook its head. [But that way, the Female Lead wouldn’t be sad, right?]
Cheng Huan understood Little Hedgehog’s meaning and approach. The Female Lead, as the Child of Destiny, was the core around which this world operated.
Naturally, Taskers and Assistant Systems centered their actions on the Child of Destiny’s development to ensure their respective missions could be perfectly completed.
But this was different. This wasn’t a Mission World, and Little Hedgehog wasn’t here to assist her in completing a final mission.
They were only here to let her choose her Retirement World. Little Hedgehog’s role was merely to accompany her.
And everyone in this world, including the Child of Destiny’s development and how the main storyline played out, had absolutely nothing to do with her.
Cheng Huan could freely insert herself into the world’s main storyline or detach from it. She had no connection whatsoever with anyone here—she was a true “outsider.”
Currently, because she had saved the Female Lead, Cheng Huan had intruded into the main storyline, having some minor, peripheral impact on the Female Lead’s future development.
This Retirement World Cheng Huan was in wasn’t like the last world. She had only arrived in this Retirement World a few days ago. She hadn’t yet taken a good look at this world or enjoyed it. There was absolutely no need for her to participate in the Child of Destiny’s development process. She could simply wait until either the Male or Female Lead completed their final objective and then exit this world.
Thus, there was no need for Cheng Huan to care about anyone’s emotions or feelings.
Besides—
Cheng Huan sighed softly. “If I accept another grass rabbit woven by Mu Ge, it would be no different from giving her an opportunity.”
Little Hedgehog was puzzled: [What kind of opportunity?]
“An opportunity to get close to me. To like me.”
Cheng Huan knocked on the Village Chief’s door, her gaze ambiguous, her brows carrying the chill of the mountain breeze. “It’s truly unnecessary.”
The Village Chief opened the door. Seeing his visitor, he smiled widely. “Aiyo, Miss Cheng. Have you eaten? Come in and have some breakfast.”
Cheng Huan smiled. “I came to say goodbye…”
Cheng Huan told the Village Chief and Shitou about their departure. Shitou and Lianti clung to Cheng Huan, crying for a long time. Cheng Huan was also a bit reluctant to leave. But the Female Lead’s matter was of utmost importance now. At worst, she could come back after handling the Female Lead’s affairs.
Cheng Huan left the two children a pair of sharp daggers. If they encountered bad people, they could use the Self-Defense Techniques she’d taught them to protect themselves.
Having said her goodbyes, Cheng Huan and Mu Ge packed up, ate lunch, and left Lingchang Village.
Traveling from Lingchang Village to Bochuan, even by horseback, would take a day and a night. The two first hitched a ride on an ox cart driven by a Lingchang Village villager heading into Heluo Town to haul goods. They planned to buy two horses in Heluo Town to rush to Bochuan.
The mountain road was riddled with potholes and bumps. The old ox ambled along slowly. The old man flicked his whip, not to hit the ox, but to swat flies away from his “old partner.”
Cheng Huan sat on the straw, watching the clouds drift, one leg swinging over the other, thoroughly relaxed and carefree.
The cart-driving old man was a taciturn fellow. Along the journey, apart from the old ox’s bellows, only the “creak” of the cart wheels grinding against stones could be heard.
From the corner of her eye, Cheng Huan watched Mu Ge sitting at the back of the cart. From the moment they left Lingchang Village until now, she hadn’t said a word, her head lowered, lost in thought.
And Cheng Huan hadn’t taken the initiative to ask what was wrong either.
The two were like an arguing couple, locked in this unnatural stalemate.
The recent days of continuous heavy rain had made the mountain road muddy and full of ruts. Now, eroded by the downpour, it was terribly uneven.
The cart wheel rolled into a puddle, and the cart suddenly jerked backward, even pulling the old ox back a step.
The old man quickly grabbed the ropes to steady the cart and prevent it from tipping over.
He turned his head and asked the two who had fallen onto the straw, “Y’all alright?”
Cheng Huan waved a hand. “We’re fine. Uncle, keep going.”
The old man turned back and urged the old ox to pull hard. The cart wheel finally emerged from the puddle. During the extraction, the backboard shook wildly as if about to fall apart.
Feeling the wooden cart steadier, Cheng Huan released her grip, shifted slightly, and moved towards the side. “Sit more to the inside. The mountain road is rough and bumpy. Don’t fall off and get covered in mud.”
Seeing Cheng Huan’s slightly distant gesture, a trace of dejection flashed in Mu Ge’s eyes. “Okay.”
Cheng Huan turned her head, looking at the rosy clouds, the lingering sunset glow, the dense forest, the muddy earth.
But never at the look in Mu Ge’s eyes when Mu Ge looked at her.
Those eyes were too clear, hiding emotions she could easily detect.
Mu Ge revealed them deliberately.
Cheng Huan evaded them purposefully.
———
Heluo Town wasn’t big. The only place selling horses was the horse shop in the north of the city. But when Cheng Huan and Mu Ge went to buy horses, they were told only one horse remained.
Cheng Huan frowned slightly but said nothing.
Seeing Cheng Huan’s expression, Mu Ge turned and walked away.
Seeing this, Cheng Huan grabbed her. “What are you doing?”
Mu Ge said coolly, “I can walk to Bochuan. Although my Qinggong isn’t as good as yours, I can still travel a few stretches by it.”
“…” Cheng Huan sighed, pulled money from her bosom, and handed it to the shopkeeper. “I’ll buy this horse. Help me fit it with a saddle and stirrups.”
The shopkeeper took the silver. “Right away. Just a moment.”
Cheng Huan let go of Mu Ge’s arm. “One horse. You ride it.”
Mu Ge turned around. “And what about you?”
“My Qinggong is good.”
Mu Ge smiled faintly. “Cheng Huan, what are you afraid of?”
Cheng Huan denied it. “Nothing.”
“You saw for yourself there’s only one horse.” She pointed at the horse the shopkeeper was leading over.
“Do you think I’m fat?” Mu Ge didn’t look at it.
Cheng Huan paused. “No.”
The Female Lead was so thin she was practically a pole. Her waist was so slender Cheng Huan could wrap both hands around it and have them meet.
Mu Ge laughed, a hint of sarcasm lacing it. “This horse is so big, it could fit even two men. So why does Cheng Huan think two women can’t squeeze onto it?”
“What are you afraid of?” she repeated.
Her tone was heavier, as if demanding Cheng Huan’s true thoughts.
“Nothing. You’re overthinking. Let’s go.” Cheng Huan took the reins and walked forward.
Mu Ge’s lips moved. Watching Cheng Huan’s retreating back, that questioning cry remained unspoken.
She looked at the fingernail marks in her palm—a result of her extreme effort to control and suppress herself.
The town was crowded, making it inconvenient to ride.
Cheng Huan led the horse, preparing to leave town. Knowing the journey to Bochuan would take a day and a night, she planned to get some food for the road.
The two found a noodle shop. They saw two steaming baskets the shopkeeper had just finished—one of buns, one of mantou.
Cheng Huan first bought four mantou. Then, seeing the shopkeeper open the lid of the bun basket, the fragrant meat aroma made her stomach growl.
“Give me ten meat buns too.”
Shopkeeper: “Coming right up.”
Cheng Huan placed her silver in the porcelain bowl at the side. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted people in the crowd following them.
Mu Ge noticed the shopkeeper had shaped some mantou in the steamer into animal forms, including rabbit-shaped ones.
She pointed at the Rabbit-Shaped Mantou. “I want these two.”
The shopkeeper heard and was about to pack them.
Cheng Huan withdrew her gaze, pulled the reins, and steered Mu Ge towards the city gate. “Shopkeeper, we don’t need them anymore.”
A flash of loss crossed Mu Ge’s eyes. She looked back and saw the shopkeeper give the Rabbit-Shaped Mantou to a woman who came with her child to buy.
“Do you just… dislike me that much?”
Cheng Huan turned her head, not having heard clearly. “What?”
Mu Ge raised her eyes, them glistening, the corners reddening.
She stopped walking. “Do you just dislike me that much?”
Cheng Huan saw the people in the crowd flash their blades and frowned slightly. “Don’t overthink. Let’s hurry.”
Heluo Town was bustling. Daytime crowds were thick. If a fight broke out here, innocents would inevitably be hurt.
Cheng Huan quickened her pace, pulling Mu Ge towards the outside of town.
Mu Ge, thinking Cheng Huan was evading her, stood still. “Say it!”
“As long as you say you dislike me, I absolutely won’t appear before you and annoy you again!”
“…” My dear girl!
Don’t throw a tantrum at a time like this!
“I truly didn’t mean that. Let’s get out of town first, then talk.”
Mu Ge blinked, and tears instantly streamed down. Her voice was soft and whimpering. “You did.”
“You don’t want the rabbit I weave.”
“You won’t share a horse with me.”
“You won’t even let me buy Rabbit-Shaped Mantou.” She pointed at the child eating a mantou behind them, her voice trembling. “See, someone else already bought it.”
“…” Cheng Huan took a deep breath, veins bulging on her forehead.
Seeing those people getting closer, she suddenly grabbed Mu Ge’s wrist and forcibly pulled her towards the city gate, threatening her. “Stop crying. Cry again and I’ll… I’ll hit you.”
Mu Ge’s eyes widened in disbelief. Seeming stunned stiff by Cheng Huan, she was forcibly dragged out of town.
The assassins hiding in the crowd exchanged glances, then quickly followed, their blades glinting with bloodthirsty light in the sunset’s glow.
Mu Ge was dragged out of town by Cheng Huan. Snapping back to her senses, she immediately stopped, furious. “You want to hit me?!”
Cheng Huan gauged the distance. They were now outside the city, making it safer even if a fight broke out here.
Hearing Mu Ge, she sighed. “I was just trying to scare you. I didn’t mean it. I don’t hit women.”
Mu Ge pouted, her voice agitated. “You said you wanted to hit me?!”
Cheng Huan: “That’s not what I meant. The situation was urgent just now. You wouldn’t leave, so I could only try to scare you. I didn’t intend to actually hit you.”
Mu Ge ignored her, choking with sobs. “You want… want to hit me?!”
“…” Enough! Let the world end already!
Cheng Huan was about to explain once more when her gaze sharpened. Her right hand moved to her waist, ready to draw the Azure Frost Sword and annihilate these death-defying assassins.
The assassins also sensed Cheng Huan’s killing intent. Exchanging glances, they immediately drew their blades and charged.
“Kill—”
Just as Cheng Huan was about to draw her sword and tell Mu Ge to step back, Mu Ge moved first, pulling Cheng Huan behind her. She took something from her bosom and flung it forward.
A large cloud of powder, white as flour, drifted with the wind towards the charging assassins.
The assassins thought it was poison and immediately covered their mouths and noses, but they found that wherever the powder touched skin, it was like a red-hot brand. The skin surface instantly turned red then purple. The wounds grew larger and larger, the rate of corrosion almost in the span of a breath. The assassins rolled on the ground in agony. In some places, stark white bone had already been corroded into view. Every sight was horrifying and ghastly.
After wailing in agony for a few moments, one by one, the assassins fell silent.
Seeing this scene, Cheng Huan swallowed hard.
She knew the Fanli Clan was peerless in medicine and poison. As the Clan Leader of the Fanli Clan, Mu Ge was naturally a master of using drugs and poisons. But recently, Mu Ge had always been protected by her, making Cheng Huan momentarily forget, assuming Mu Ge was just a frail, delicate young girl.
Now, seeing Mu Ge effortlessly kill over a dozen assassins left Cheng Huan utterly dumbfounded.
And this poison was quite similar to the “body disposal” poison she herself used.
Cheng Huan was about to ask about the origin of this poison when she heard Mu Ge, looking utterly aggrieved, questioning her: “You want to hit me, don’t you?”
Cheng Huan: “…”
Is this issue never going to end?
With that combat power, who knows which of us would hit the other?!
