Chapter 111: Misunderstanding

Zhuang Qing stared at Fu Li. A long while later, he suddenly laughed. Walking to Fu Li, he leaned forward slightly. The distance between him and Fu Li was so minuscule that the other’s breathing could be felt. “I feel silly, how can I hope for a blockhead like you to understand so much?”

“Zhuang little dragon, you seem to be making personal attacks on me?” Fu Li was already used to Zhuang Qing being in close proximity, so he didn’t dodge or evade Zhuang Qing even when he closed in abruptly. Instead, he reached out intimately and poked Zhuang Qing’s forehead. “Impudent, who’s a blockhead?”

Zhuang Qing laughed lightly. Walking over to Fu Li’s side, they advanced shoulder-to-shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?” Fu Li felt the hand Zhuang Qing placed on his shoulder and patted the other party’s hand.

“More food must be prepared when eating with elders,” Zhuang Qing led Fu Li out. “They haven’t been in the human world for so many years and must be interested in human delicacies, let’s go to the supermarket and prepare a bit more.”

“We’re not working anymore?” Fu Li glanced at the time. There was still more than forty minutes before they could get off work.

Zhuang Qing raised a brow. “As the leader, I also occasionally want to arrive late and leave early.” Saying this, he dragged Fu Li out of the underground Spirit Lock Formation.

“It’s good to be young,” The Kunpeng watched the two juniors walk out of the main door shoulder-to-shoulder as he leaned over the railing. He spoke to Gong Fu, “Even natural enemies can be together, is this the legendary miracle borne from love?”

After passing the Nine Hearts’ Tribulation, Fu Li completed his evolution into the great yao beast Hou. The Hou’s diet was varied, but dragon meat ought to be a major source of nourishment for a Hou. Fu Li was with Zhuang Qing every day, yet he could actually endure the temptation of delicious food. His self-control really couldn’t be compared to the average yao.

Gong Fu smiled. “This is a miracle of life.”

Changes in predetermined fates never failed to put him in an especially good mood. Glancing around at the employees avoiding them, he told the Kunpeng, “Let’s go back to sleep.”

If they continued to stand around, these juniors would be scared out of their wits.

The Kunpeng glanced with distaste at these cowardly bureau cultivators. He shook his head with a sigh. Truly the misfortune of the cultivation world.

Despite the fact that there were a lot less people in the capital than usual, festive songs were playing in many shops along the streets and alleys while red lanterns swayed back and forth in the wind. There was some semblance of the Lunar New Year’s festive atmosphere.

The supermarket was playing classic new year songs. The moment Fu Li stepped into the supermarket, he received a leaflet stating that a small red dragon figure would be given if more than five hundred yuan was spent, and that a dragon and rabbit figure would be given if more than eight hundred yuan was spent.

Only then did the two people remember that it was the Year of the Rabbit this year, and after tomorrow night, it would be the Year of the Dragon.

Glancing at the photo on the leaflet, Fu Li said to Zhuang Qing. “These two figures are quite cute.”

“En.” Zhuang Qing whispered into his ear, “It’s a pity you don’t look like a rabbit now and more like a Samoyed.”

“I can look back on my childhood,” Fu Li shoved Zhuang Qing the shopping cart. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. We can buy a few more things and get the complimentary dragon and rabbit figures if we make up eight hundred yuan.”

Zhuang Qing: …

Was it a bargain just because there were complimentary gifts?

Fu Li piled the cart high with all sorts of meat. When they arrived at the cereals and oils section, Fu Li was dazzled by the various brands of cooking oil. He squatted in front of the shelves and looked up at Zhuang Qing. “Which oil is good?”

“You don’t like being in the kitchen, so don’t use this kind of question to make things hard for yourself,” Zhuang Qing picked out a bottle of oil and placed it into the shopping cart. “We don’t have to buy vegetables. I got the Fields Sect to prepare them, we’ll go to their sect to retrieve them at night.”

“Okay,” Fu Li nodded as he looked at the nearly-full cart piled with all sorts of things. “But what did you buy those gift bags for? It’s not like they’re of much use.”

Zhuang Qing replied with a serene expression, “Didn’t you see on the leaflet that they’ll give a four-piece natural silk bed set on top of the dragon and rabbit figures if more than five thousand is spent?”

“Oh,” Understanding dawned on Fu Li. “You want to make up the amount?”

“En,” Zhuang Qing pushed the shopping cart to the red wine section and picked out a bottle of the best red wine. He didn’t have the habit of hoarding red wine, nor did he have any 80s Lafite, 70s Bordeaux, and so on. He could only randomly buy two bottles at the supermarket to join in the liveliness.

“Zhuang little dragon, you have really attained the way of housekeeping.” Fu Li watched Zhuang Qing buy the red wine and said softly, “I don’t like drinking red wine.”

“It’s okay,” Zhuang Qing said into his ear. “I don’t like drinking it either, it’s just to fit in with the current situation.”

After passing through the red wine section, they entered the section where various major local wine brands were sold. A young boy and girl were choosing items k2013; the boy pushing a large cart of items wanted to buy the most expensive wine, but the girl didn’t seem very willing.

“You’ve already bought so many things, why buy wine too? Don’t waste money, my dad isn’t very fond of wine.”

“It’s my first time going to your house to pay respects to the elders, there cannot be the slightest negligence,” The boy gently kissed the crown of the girl’s head. “What if they’re not willing to let you marry me when the time comes? Didn’t you say last time that you wanted to buy the natural silk quilt? If we make up five thousand, the supermarket will give us a set, what value for money.”

“You really are…” The bashful yet angry girl gave the boy a light pat. When she raised her head and caught sight of Zhuang Qing and Fu Li, her face reddened even further.

Fu Li: …

He looked at his shopping cart, and then looked at the things in the couple’s shopping cart. He inexplicably thought of the rumors surrounding him and Zhuang Qing.

They really did seem… to resemble the humans’ attitudes when meeting their partner’s parents.

“You want to buy this wine?” Zhuang Qing asked in a low voice.

Fu Li shook his head. “There’s a lot of wine that has been fermenting for thousands of years at home, this wine isn’t good.”

“Okay,” Zhuang Qing brought Fu Li to the snacks section, as if not noticing something off about Fu Li. “See if there’s anything you want to eat.”

Fu Li buried his head and started looking through. After taking a few boxes of chocolate placed at the top, he discovered a few human girls holding up their phones behind the shelf.

The girls’ gazes met Fu Li’s, and they hid their phones behind their back with awkward expressions.

Fu Li didn’t pay any heed to their actions. He smiled at them, stuffed the chocolate boxes into the shopping cart, and then said with a face of worry, “It’s full.”

“Wait here first,” Zhuang Qing stuffed the shopping cart filled to the brim in Fu Li’s hands, strode off with his long legs, and then pushed another empty cart over, sweeping all the snacks that Fu Li might have interest in off the shelves and into the cart. “Let’s look around and see if there’s anything else to buy?”

“En,” Fu Li nodded and followed behind Zhuang Qing, heading towards the cooked food section.

Only when the two people were a distance away did the girls cover their faces and say softly, “Chairman Zhuang unexpectedly came with his family’s Little Assistant to the supermarket to shop, how sweet and down-to-earth. Chairman Zhuang was so handsome when sweeping the snacks off the shelves and into the cart.”

“Little Assistant looks so gentle when he smiles, he didn’t even blame us when he saw us secretly taking photos,” The girls looked at the videos and photos on their phones. On one hand, they were concerned that sharing the videos would bring trouble to Zhuang Qing and Fu Li, but on the other hand, they wanted to share with everyone the dog food they had eaten. There was a tug of war practically going on in their hearts.

Not being able to voice a secret was a torture.

The two of them bought too many things. The cashier spent an eternity scanning the barcodes before reporting the cost. “A total of 4956 yuan, thank you for your patronage.”

“Still short of 44 yuan?” Zhuang Qing paused while fishing out his phone. His gaze swept across the little shelves at the side. Finding a box of strawberry-flavored chewing gum marked with the price of 68 yuan, he smoothly took a box. “Add this.”

“Sure,” The cashier revealed a smile as they scanned the barcode on the chewing gum. “After footing the bill, please bring your receipt to the gift section on the right to retrieve your gifts.”

“Many thanks,” Zhuang Qing used his phone to pay, picked up the shopping bags of all sizes, and walked out of the payment section with Fu Li.

After receiving the various gifts, they were completely laden down with shopping bags. When they walked out of the supermarket, Fu Li heard a song playing at a nearby shop. A woman was cheerfully singing ‘a chicken in the left hand, a duck in the right hand, and a fat doll on the back’. He told Zhuang Qing, “Isn’t the way we look now similar to what’s being sung?”

“Which family’s daughter-in-law is she? Ah, she walks very busily.”

“Turns out she’s returning to her parents' home.”

Zhuang Qing turned to look at him, “Similar?”

Fu Li: …

If this misunderstanding were to carry on, he might really have to take responsibility for Zhuang little dragon. He didn’t know if these rumors getting out would affect Zhuang little dragon in his search for a wife either. Fu Li thought about it carefully and felt that there might not be any female yao in the cultivation world who was worthy of Zhuang Qing. He felt a sense of relief. For a yao who had just reached adulthood, what was most important was their career. There was no need to be in a hurry to marry.

After stuffing everything into the boot, Fu Li squeezed himself into the front passenger seat and asked Zhuang Qing, “Why do humans want to create so many holidays, don’t they find it bothersome?”

“This is probably a kind of emotional need humans have,” Zhuang Qing started up the car. “Human emotions are very complex. To them, holidays are emotions and happiness, and holidays make their lives a bit more interesting.”

“Is it also because of this that the cultivation world adopts human holidays?” Fu Li peeled off his coat and closed the car windows.

“Maybe. Boredom happens after living for a long time and we then search for things to do. No race is better than the humans when it comes to playing,” Zhuang Qing glanced at Fu Li. “Buckle your seatbelt.”

“Oh,” Fu Li buckled his seatbelt. “You’re right. When it comes to playing, there really isn’t any creature that’s superior to humans.”

Upon returning to the villa, Zhuang Qng went to arrange the things in the kitchen and icebox while Fu Li tidied up the things they had bought from the supermarket and determined the ones they would need to bring to the flying palace. The complimentary gifts were all left behind, along with a portion of the snacks. All the raw meat and cooked food would be brought along.

“This box of chewing gum is so big,” Fu Li spotted a box of chewing gum inside. Feeling a bit bored with the house chores, he got ready to tear it open and eat a piece. The box contained tiny square-shaped plastic bags, inside which was not chewing gum but a certain tool that prevented reproduction.

Fu Li clutched the tiny, thin bags with a complex expression. Why had Zhuang Qing bought these?

“Zhuang little dragon, what did you buy this for?” As a yao cultivator, Fu Li felt that healthy mating was not too embarrassing to mention. He just couldn’t understand why he didn’t know who Zhuang Qing had developed an impulse to mate with despite being with him nearly every day.

Zhuang Qing placed the pickled pepper chicken feet he had made into his Qiankun pouch. Seeing Fu Li holding up the box of chewing gum he had bought, he said smoothly, “Bought it for you, strawberry-flavored things aren’t bad.”

Fu Li’s hand shook slightly. He stuffed the box and tiny plastic bags into his Qiankun pouch.

Was he the person Zhuang little dragon wanted to mate with?

“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Qing placed a plate of pecans in front of Fu Li. “Eat some pecans first, I’ll be done packing everything up soon. I picked that up on the spur of the moment just now, get another flavor next time if you don’t like the strawberry flavor.”

“This…” Fu Li was somewhat at a loss. “The flavor isn’t the issue, right?”

“Then what’s the issue?” Zhuang Qin was busy packing the things and didn’t have the energy to discuss which flavor of chewing gum was better. “Eat a few more pecans, nourish your brain.”

Fu Li stared at Zhuang Qing’s busy silhouette. Placing the bowl on his knees, he fished out his phone while munching on pecans and found a certain forum that was said to be capable of resolving any complex problem.

Fu Li had heard of this forum from his colleague Zhang Shan when he was working at Affinity Moon Hotel as a security guard. He just disliked this sort of faceless method of communication, so he had never expressed his views on the forum.

He swiftly registered an account and found the communication area for emotions.

Mighty and Majestic Rabbit: Went with a good brother to the supermarket. He secretly bought a box of condoms and even said that it’s for me. How should I handle this?

Brother Lemon: Is OP male or female?

Seeing that someone had replied to him so quickly, Fu Li hurriedly stated his gender.

“Does Uncle Feng and Uncle Kang like eating fruit jam?” Zhuang Qing had found a jar of fruit jam given by the Fields Sect in the kitchen and was standing at the kitchen door, looking at Fu Li. “If they won’t find these fruit jams ordinary, I’ll bring them along.”

Fu Li nodded absent-mindedly. “Okay.”

Seeing that Fu Li was busy playing with his phone, Zhuang Qing thought that he was playing Sokoban or Jewel of Atlantis. Therefore, he no longer disturbed him and decided what to bring on his own.

Fu Li refreshed the page. There were already a few tens of replies beneath the post. He was a little moved, human netizens were really enthusiastic.

Crabs Taste Bad: What is there to settle? Of course you should happily go to bed with him.

Flower: OP, don’t listen to the person upstairs’ nonsense. You and your friend are the same gender – he bought the condoms to hint to you that he thinks of you in that way. But do you like him? Can you bear the gazes of others?

Fu Li saw this reply and felt that the gazes of other people was not the issue. The issue was that he regarded Zhuang Qing as a brother and hadn’t expected this brother to want to sleep with him.

I am an Unrivaled Handsome Guy: Just thinking about two men together gives me the creeps.

The replies beneath were all cursing at the netizen called ‘I am an Unrivaled Handsome Guy’. Fu Li silently expressed his approval of their curses. Feelings didn’t distinguish between genders. Even humans and yao could fall in love, so what was so strange about men being with men and women being with women?

In this respect, humans were a little narrow-minded. They still lacked the open-mindedness of the plants and animals in the natural world.

Panda’s Tail: OP, as an experienced individual, I feel that you should clarify your friend’s true intentions. If you don’t like him, please make it clear to him without hurting him. After all, silently liking someone of the same gender requires a lot of courage. If you like him too, then be together with him. Don’t fear rumors, don’t fear others’ gazes. Human lives are pitifully short, it isn’t easy to find a lover with whom you share a mutual affinity with.

Fu Li turned to look at Zhuang Qing. This was indeed a serious issue.

Crabs Taste Bad: Follow what I say. Sleep with him directly, and you’ll know whether or not it’s love.

Fu Li: …

So, some humans were this simple and crude.

He refreshed another time, and many more replies appeared, most of which were either mocking or curious about what happened between him and Zhuang Qing. Only a small number were sincerely raising suggestions. Sure enough, watching the excitement was mainstream among humans?

“Done eating?” Zhuang Qing walked over. Seeing that Fu Li had already finished eating the pecans, he smoothly placed the plate on the side table. “Let’s go, we’ll go to the Fields Sect to pick up the vegetables.

“Oh,” Fu Li stuffed his phone into his pocket. He reached out a hand and pinched Zhuang Qing’s wrist.

En, he could confirm that he wasn’t averse to physical contact with Zhuang Qing.

Zhuang Qing looked down at his sleeves. There was now a small crease on the new top he had specially changed into.

“Fu Li, hands must be washed after eating,” Zhuang Qing clenched his teeth.

Fu Li: …

Maybe he had thought too much. Zhuang Qing didn’t seem to have any special reaction to physical contact with him.

The Fields Sect’s style was very similar to their name – planting was what they loved most. They planted all sorts of vegetables, trees, and medicinal plants. In the entire cultivation world, there was no sect better than them at planting. Every time it was the new year, many people would place an order at the Fields Sect for spiritual rice, spiritual vegetables, and spiritual fruits so that they could spend the new year in a sumptuous manner.

Things were slightly different this year compared to the past years. Although the whole of the Fields Sect was incredibly busy, the sect’s elder still personally prepared an order, because the owner of this order was Zhuang Qing. In all these years, Zhuang Qing had never specially placed an order at the Fields Sect during the new year. He had finally made an exception this time, so nobody in the Fields Sect dared to be sloppy about it.

After a young sect disciple spread this matter, half the cultivation world knew that Chief Zhuang, who never celebrated the new year, had bought goods this year in preparation for the eve of the Lunar New Year. Certain well-informed busybodies actually stayed at the Fields Sect after learning that Zhuang Qing would be collecting the goods on the evening of the 29th.

“He’s here, he’s here,” A disciple of the Fields Sect rushed into the main hall. “Chief Zhuang came with Fu daojun.”

The rest who were watching the show instantly understood. No wonder Chief Zhuang’s style of doing things was different this year; a dragon with a companion was different.

Zhuang Qing and Fu Li met the elder of the Fields Sect. The elder handed Zhuang Qing the vegetables and fruits he had ordered and gave them an extra jar of fruit jam. “This lowly sect has received plenty of care from Chief Zhuang, this jar of fruit jam is for you and Fu daojun to eat.”

“Thank you, elder,” Fu Li thanked him, his arms wrapped around the fruit jam.

“You’re too polite,” The elder smiled extremely kindly. “This old fogey wishes you two a happy Lunar New Year. May your feelings only deepen.”

Fu Li: …

He just knew that this rumor had spread through the entire cultivation world.

“Thank you.”

While in a daze, he heard Zhuang Qing say these words.

Ilyz: this misunderstanding… I don’t dislike it (´∀`)