I was afraid of the moment I’d meet Cluru’s parents… because… I’d long forgotten how to interact with elders.
I was also afraid they’d dislike me, afraid they’d oppose my relationship with Cluru with their old-fashioned thinking.
But there was nothing like that at all~~!
“We often ask the Security Ghost Officers who travel between the realms how you’re doing… so, of course, I know you’re no longer called Mu Qingyou, and I know you’ve met your destined one.”
Cluru’s mother, Meng Yue Auntie, pulled Cluru and me into her embrace.
She looked so content.
She wasn’t one of those narrow-minded mothers, and Mu Qingzhou wasn’t that kind of father either.
Having seen through life and death and Reincarnation, they understood that the Soul itself has no gender—when it comes to Reincarnation, it’s just randomly assigned, all for the sake of maintaining order in the living world.
What matters isn’t gender.
It’s the Soul.
“Wuwuwu!” Suddenly, Cluru pounced into Meng Yue’s arms like a child and just burst into tears, unable to say a word.
Meng Yue smiled apologetically and looked at me. “Xiao Luo Xian, thank you. Meeting you has been this child’s great fortune.”
“No, I’m the fortunate one.”
I’ve never been a father or mother figure to Cluru—between us, it was never about one person constantly giving while the other only received.
Since meeting Cluru, I too have gained so much.
So yes, it’s my good fortune as well.
.
You don’t need to eat in the Yin Realm, but the couple still prepared a hearty breakfast to welcome Cluru and me.
I was a bit curious and asked, “Do you usually eat, too? Souls don’t really need to, do they?”
Mu Qingzhou spread his hands. “This is about all the fun left in life, so why deny ourselves even this little bit of pleasure?”
Oh!
This father-in-law really gets me!
“Do you have any other hobbies, sir?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Fishing at Wangchuan. Speaking of which, how did you know I caught a Kun Soul last time?”
“Amazing! When can we go together?” I slapped my knee in excitement.
“Sure! The Zhongyuan Festival is in a few days—Bank will give us a half-day off then. I’ll take you to a great fishing spot on a Yin Jian Tributary of Wangchuan… I’ve baited that place hundreds of times already!”
“Deal!”
I was so lucky—Cluru’s parents were both such cheerful people.
And once we found a shared interest, the conversation never got even the slightest bit awkward.
“When are you two getting married?”
“…”
Cluru and I froze in unison.
The topic was so real, and neither of us expected to be pushed about marriage so soon—we’d never even considered it.
Meng Yue shot Mu Qingzhou a glare, scolding him for bringing up such a thing out of the blue.
Mu Qingzhou hurriedly tried to smooth things over, embarrassed. “It’s fine if you don’t! Your generation is into not marrying or being DINKs and all that, right? I get it, I get it. Come on, eat, let’s eat.”
With the topic shifted, everyone continued chatting away.
But I started seriously pondering that question.
After all we’d been through together, Cluru and I… really couldn’t do without each other anymore.
Since that’s the case, some things just need to be settled, sooner rather than later.
There’s no point in putting it off.
That’s not the style of Yun Xianzun.
After the meal, I held Cluru close.
I bid farewell to the kind parents before me.
“It’s time. We should get going… I’ll take good care of Cluru.”
But the couple didn’t quite see it that way.
They put on serious faces and sternly told Cluru, “From now on, Xiao Luo Xian is family. You’re not allowed to bully her! You have to take good care of her, understand? Xiao Luo Xian, if Cluru bullies you, you come to us and complain! We’ll make things right for you!”
Cluru smiled blissfully, nodding her little head several times.
“Well then, time’s up. We’ll be on our way.”
“You two behave yourselves down there.”
“Goodbye!”
Passing through the portal, Cluru and I returned to the original Reception Hall for Netherworld Bigwigs.
“How was your journey this time, both of you? If you don’t mind, could you please give us a rating for our service?”
Cluru and I both gave it a five-star rating.
Seriously, there was nothing to complain about with this service.
“Thank you for your feedback. Please visit us again. Farewell~”
A burst of light led Cluru’s and my consciousness upward, slowly lifting us toward the sky.
.
“Inject 0.5ml of Adrenaline intravenously, get the Defibrillator ready…”
“Bzzt—thump!”
In a haze, we seemed to hear strange sounds all around us.
“There’s a response! Heart rate is returning! Another round of defibrillation!”
“Bzzt—thump!”
It felt like my Heart, sleeping soundly, was suddenly intruded upon by someone who barged in and slapped it awake, shouting angrily: ‘What the heck are you sleeping for? How can you sleep at a time like this?!’
I shuddered and snapped my eyes open.
“She’s awake, she’s awake!”
Inside the Ambulance, the doctors around us let out a sigh of relief, flashing that “our medical skills are amazing” smile.
I gasped for breath, rubbing my chest, still shaken.
“This is…”
“The Ambulance. You and another girl both passed out at home, but luckily, this young lady here called 120 just in time.”
I wanted to see which busybody… eh? Sister Xinyue?
“Xiao Luo Xian!! Wuwuwuwu, Xiao Luo Xian, you scared me to death! Thank goodness you woke up!”
At that moment, Cluru also woke up.
Xinyue hugged the both of us and sobbed her heart out.
Cluru and I exchanged an embarrassed smile.
But hearing Xinyue’s breathless, sobbing cries, we felt both guilty and deeply touched.
That’s right, what’s the point in holding onto grudges?
In the living world, there are people who care for us, too.
“Are you two okay?!”
As soon as the Ambulance stopped at the door, several figures instantly gathered around us.
Teacher Xiao Yuan, Stonefield-sensei, Xiaoyue Hermit, and even Miss Shopkeeper.
“We’re fine, really, just took a nap.”
“We thought you two had been poisoned!” Xiaoyue Hermit’s voice was cracking with worry, “Seriously, both your heartbeats and breathing stopped just now—you scared us all half to death!”
We took the medicine at home exactly to avoid this kind of situation.
But Xinyue still found out…
A Giant Dragon soared down from the sky as well.
“Xiao Luo Xian! Xiao Luo Xian, you’re alive?! Whew—I thought you’d been Tentacle Monster Supermarket-ed!”
“?”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but seeing this guy still holding the Emergency Cabin Door from a plane, I didn’t have the heart to scold him.
Please, passengers seated near the emergency exit, don’t get curious and open the door during flight.
Unless you’re not seated there?
“Honestly… such a big fuss.”
Cluru and I both felt a bit embarrassed.
“It’s good you’re awake. Go get checked again, just to be safe.”
“Mm~”
To set everyone’s minds at ease, Cluru and I obediently went for a full-body checkup.
Not long after it was done, I suddenly felt an itch rising up from my hips and lower back.
“Pop~”
“???!”
What was that? This… this…
This, this is…
A tail!
It’s a tail!
White, soft, fluffy, warm… a Second Tail!
I’ve grown a tail!