Chapter 136: Do I Look Like a Good-for-nothing to You?

Little Jianjian could no longer bear the loneliness.

Ever since he knew not when, Little Jianjian had defected in a major way, transforming from Chu Ge’s contract beast into a spineless fence-sitter for Chong Li. Whenever they left the storage space, he no longer perched on Chu Ge’s shoulder; if one couldn't find him, he was almost certainly curled up in Chong Li’s arms. Strangely, Chong Li was exceptionally indulgent toward Little Jianjian, much like one would be toward their own child. When this thought occurred to Chu Ge, she was shocked by her own realization.

As a spirit manifested by the System, Little Jianjian had been tinkered with by the Main God until he became an independent entity with his own thoughts. Regardless of their nature, all spirits are inclined to submit to the powerful. Chong Li was immensely strong, capable of traversing the myriad worlds, and likely acting under the Main God’s mandate, so perhaps Little Jianjian was simply awed by Chong Li’s might.

[Master? Master?!]

"Huh? What is it?" Lost in thought, Chu Ge sat frozen in her chair.

[What good thing is Master thinking about? Tell Jianjian, let me hear it?]

Little Jianjian wore a malicious grin. Even with just a face covered in white fur, Chu Ge could tell he was sporting an expression of extreme lewdness. Ever since he had been soundly beaten for eavesdropping on her inner thoughts, Little Jianjian had never dared to peek again. To protect her final bit of privacy, Chu Ge had shielded her inner world entirely, preventing the big white rodent from snooping. Little Jianjian had been terribly aggrieved at the time, but after receiving two solid "flicks" to his noggin with a walnut, he had immediately ceased his complaining.

Chu Ge looked at Little Jianjian’s wretched expression, curled her index and middle fingers, and blew on her knuckles.

Little Jianjian vanished back into the space in a flash. He knew that if he didn't retreat, his most "beloved" walnut-flick would land on his head the very next second. The stinging pain from the last time was still fresh in his mind, and he had no desire to experience that exquisite agony again.

"Tomorrow is the day for the return visit to my maiden home. Although the Marquis of Chu’s manor doesn't value a daughter like Chu Ge, the formalities must be observed. Are you going tomorrow? I can manage on my own, actually."

Qi Xiu was a deposed prince; it was inevitable that people would gossip if he went. Chu Ge knew this well, which was why she asked; otherwise, she would have simply clung to Chong Li’s arm and dragged him to the manor and back.

Compared to the visit, Chong Li had more important matters to attend to. Last night, he had tried his luck and cast a divination, gaining a slight lead on the whereabouts of his true form. He intended to investigate it tomorrow.

"I’m afraid you will have to go alone tomorrow, but I will definitely catch up to bring you back."

Chong Li did not miss the flicker of loneliness in Chu Ge’s eyes. He felt a twinge of remorse, but a voice deep within urged him to retrieve the true form for Lianbao. Suddenly, he felt as if he were not a very good husband. A heavy, stifling atmosphere spread between them.

Chu Ge broke the silence, trying her best to make her smile look genuinely untroubled. "Then, when you come to fetch me tomorrow, you must bring some pear blossom pastries—the ones from that shop at the corner of the city!"

Recently, Lianbao had become obsessed with the pear blossom pastries from that shop, having a city errand runner deliver a box every day. Chong Li knew that Lianbao was just holding back; she was actually upset, but she was so sensible that she never made excessive demands of him.

"You must reshape your physical body quickly so that I can embrace the warmth of your true self." Chong Li’s sudden romantic remark made all the gentleness in the world pale in comparison.

Chu Ge looked quietly into Chong Li’s eyes and burst into a radiant smile, one more brilliant than the spring flowers of March and more dazzling than the maple leaves of October. "Alright! Let’s work hard together!"

A smile finally tugged at the corners of Chong Li’s mouth, as if to make the very heavens lose their luster. Chu Ge could not help but chuckle again. "If you were a woman, you would certainly be an ice-cold beauty!"

"If you were a man, I fear I would have turned into a 'cut-sleeve'." Chong Li countered effortlessly.

...What?

Oh, for heaven's sake?

Chong Li, what did you just say?!

Are my ears playing tricks on me?!

Who! Which bastard taught my pure little white flower such things?! How does he even know the meaning of "cut-sleeve"?!

Drag them out and give them a good thrashing!

[Master, Little Jianjian would like to interject—that, uh, didn't you leave a book about those kinds of stories by your pillow a few days ago? Master Chong Li accidentally saw it while tidying the bed, and well... it’s exactly what you see now...]

Little Jianjian’s words were like a thunderclap,轟ing Chu Ge into ashes on the spot.

What?

The culprit was me all along!?

Should I thrash myself?!

Thinking of the unsuitable descriptions in that book, and those blush-inducing, heart-pounding scenes, Chu Ge couldn't help but feel ashamed! A perfectly fine little white flower had suddenly been stained—what was to be done?!

But compared to that, Chu Ge was now terrified of something even worse!

From now on, she not only had to guard against other pretty little vixens seducing her husband, but she also had to guard against those male peacocks!!?

That is absurd!

Just the thought that there might be a one-percent chance her husband could run off with some other young lord made her twitch.

No. This absolutely cannot happen!

She! Chu Ge! Must put a stop to this!

Chu Ge’s eyes darted around in their sockets, and she cast a sharp, penetrating look at Chong Li, making a chill run down his back.

"Hehehehe, Husband~"

The sudden laugh caught Chong Li completely off guard. "W-Wife?"

Chu Ge stood up abruptly, walked over to Chong Li, and placed her hands on her hips. Then, feeling that wasn't quite right, she shaped her hands into a lotus gesture near her temples. "Husband, am I beautiful? Hmm~?"

Chong Li was startled by this sudden change, but he looked up quite earnestly to admire Chu Ge’s figure. "Beautiful. I mean, my Lianbao is beautiful!"

"Hmm~? Really~ I don't believe you~ Mmhmm~" Every syllable Chu Ge uttered was laced with ambiguous, teasing inflections.

Chong Li was slightly overwhelmed. He reached out to touch her forehead and muttered, "You're not burning up. Have you been drinking?"

[Pfft! Hahahaha...]

"Pfft! Goddess, hahahaha..."

"Hahahahaha..."

The space had gone mad with laughter. Led by Little Jianjian, several fur-balls were rolling on the ground clutching their stomachs, screaming that they couldn't take it anymore, their bellies aching from the laughter. Chu Ge had never suffered such indignity. The connection between the space and the outside world was instantly severed. After shielding them, she didn't forget to send a message: "Two walnut-flicks each, and make sure they're solid!"

Little Jianjian, the first to recover, cried while laughing. [Master! Master, wuwuwu, Jianjian was wrong, wuwuwu...]

Eight-Tail, however, was disdainful. "What is there to fear from a mere two flicks? I have even endured the heavenly thunder."

Little Jianjian retorted through his sobs: [Are those just flicks?! They are a crime! When she flicks your head while telling a story, that’s a story; when she flicks your head while lecturing you, that’s a tragedy!!!]

Eight-Tail’s fox face was filled with speechlessness, but seeing Little Jianjian crying so miserably, he stopped mocking him and went back to flirting with the kingfisher.

Having dealt with the group in the space, she turned back to Chong Li. Chu Ge wore a smile—a smile mixed with thirty percent speechlessness, forty percent annoyance, and thirty percent misery. "I am not running a fever!!"