Chapter 91: Past And Present
The two quickly returned to their daily life of cooking and writing, as if the previously notorious fugitive on the run was nothing more than a trivial episode.
The resulting uproar seemed completely unrelated to them.
Instead, the book club chat group, which had no connection to it whatsoever, had news circulating: “Escaped serial killer captured by vigilant citizens.”
The news sparked discussions among the group members, not about the capture of the serial killer, but about the street photos of vigilant citizens who had captured the criminal. In those heartwarming images, one person with a mischievous smile stood out.
“Even with a mask, the physique is impressive.” This was Chu Ge, the group leader’s objective comment. “This vigilant citizen must be very handsome.”
“??? Brother Chu, is your focus a bit off?”
“The alpha male has been confirmed...”
“Chu Chu, my Chu Chu~”
Chu Ge: “?”
“‘Chu Chu, my Chu Chu~’ was designated as an essential message by the administrator, Qiu Wuji.”
Chu Ge: “...”
You have no idea what this meme means, and you randomly designate it as an essential message? Do you think the name is amusing enough?
“Rong Fu has gone mentally unstable, acting all foolish and only talking about cultivation.” Lin Wuyang called to report the situation. “This time, don’t even bother keeping it a secret. Even I don’t know anymore.”
“Uh...”
“I told you not to hit him so hard, smashing his head relentlessly. Isn’t it normal for someone to go crazy after that? It’s good enough that you didn’t kill him. Thank goodness it was a serial killer who deserved to be shot on the spot. If it were someone else, you would’ve been in trouble.”
“Yes, yes, noted. I won’t act so impulsively in the future.”
“Even in the current situation, there’s still a bit of trouble. Well, there won’t be any commendations for being a vigilante, and the reward money might be meager, if any. But the reward for assisting in the capture of a wanted criminal is substantial. It’s been issued from higher up, and you’ll get a fair share of it. It’s a hundred thousand. When should we go out for a meal?”
“Only a hundred thousand? Just reporting an internet user from the northern part of the continent can get you five hundred thousand.”
“Just be content,” Lin Wuyang said. “Think about how many words you have to write to earn a hundred thousand.”
“Hiss... When you put it that way, it’s true. Should I consider making money in this direction in the future?”
“There are already people like that. They’re like bounty hunters of the new era. They think they have some special abilities, but they don’t realize that it’s a risky business,” Lin Wuyang sighed. “Speaking of which, I want to remind you guys in the Black Room. Now that Rong Fu is in this state, revenge should end here. If you shift your focus onto the Wang family, I’m afraid you’ll end up being the criminals.”
Chu Ge hummed softly without an immediate response.
Lin Wuyang knew what he was thinking. The mastermind is fine, but losing a knife just doesn’t feel right, and what about the future? It’s understandable to have such thoughts, but it goes against the legal system.
Speaking of which, Chu Ge praised her for her beginning, and it seemed like it was quite good. Qiu Wuji felt energized and continued to write with fervor. It was strange, though. When she created stories herself, she didn’t know the details, and it became dull and tasteless when she went into unnecessary specifics. But when it came to recalling the past, she knew exactly which events were worth elaborating on and which ones could be brushed over.
Learning from the stories that had been dismissed with a smile, she knew not to write about boring things like sunbathing or catching lice. Instead, she wrote about how her family was bullied by the village landlord, her mother’s illnesses, her father’s hardships, how she took charge at a young age, how she would cut her feet in the fields at a tender age, and how she would sit on the field’s edge, feeling satisfied as she gazed at the ripe rice ears and fantasized about buying a piece of candy from a peddler during the New Year, how sweet it would be.
She described the subsequent crying and unwillingness after the tyrant seized their land, the pain of losing her parents one after another, and her fear of being forcibly taken by the tyrant, causing her to flee alone into the mountains... The emotions seemed to burst out from the pages for Qiu Wuji herself.
She realized that she had once had a family.
Back then, she wanted to practice martial arts, to eliminate all the injustice in the world...
She considered herself lucky. Wandering in the mountains, seeking immortality, an immortal touched her head and asked, “Little girl, do you want to learn swordsmanship from me?”
Qiu Wuji withdrew her thoughts from the manuscript and realized that it was already dusk outside the window.
She let out a gentle sigh.
This was a background sketched by Chu Ge in passing, but it was the vicissitudes of life she had been looking back on for thousands of years.
This was her life, the impressions etched deep within her heart... What did it matter who created the world?
Qiu Wuji suddenly felt that this wasn’t just practicing writing, but rather cultivating herself.
Someday, I will be myself.
Suddenly, the aroma of food came from outside. Qiu Wuji was startled for a moment, sniffed the air, and confirmed that it was coming from the kitchen, not a takeout. Upon listening carefully, she also heard the sound of stir-frying. She was extremely surprised and quietly went out to peek.
Chu Ge was clumsily frying eggs, and the rice cooker beside him was emitting hot steam—the rice was cooked.
Qiu Wuji stared at his figure, unconsciously biting her lip.
As if sensing someone’s gaze, Chu Ge turned his head and glanced at Qiu Wuji, who was peeking through the door frame. . Her small expression was like the “secretly observing” QQ emoticon, very cute.
Chu Ge grinned and said, “You were so engrossed. I didn’t want to disturb you, and ordering takeout doesn’t seem interesting... Hmm... I can’t promise anything else, but the fried eggs should be decent. Want to give it a try?”
Qiu Wuji instinctively blurted out, “They must taste terrible.”
“Go away, let me do it.” She walked up and gently pushed Chu Ge aside, taking over. However, she realized there was nothing left to do; the eggs were already cooked.
Silently, Qiu Wuji plated the fried eggs. She didn’t know what it tasted like, but perhaps in this moment, she could experience some of the feelings Chu Ge had when he watched her cook. It felt incredibly tender.
Even if it tasted bad, she felt like she could eat it all up.
Crossing thousands of years, traversing two realms, did she now have a home of her own?
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