Chapter 41 (1/2): Date

The night on the island was exceptionally clear.

Stars sparkled on the distant black sky, scattering around the crescent moon.

The silver-white moon hung slantwise on the horizon, casting a faint shadow on the calm sea.

Qu Yanning was slowly strolling along with Xie Qi in his arms, casually wandering until they had unwittingly walked beyond the Qu Family Residence, reaching the seaside.

Xie Qi climbed back onto his shoulder, sitting with perfect posture.

The golden cat’s eyes were relaxed and half-closed, its tail naturally hanging down.

Both man and cat enjoyed the tranquil silence by the sea.

Qu Yanning found a random stone to sit on, gently put Xie Qi down and kissed him, then propped his chin up to gaze into the distance.

Xie Qi sat quietly in his arms, staring at the sea.

After a moment of silence, curiosity got the better of him.

He pawed at Qu Yanning’s arm and stood up just enough to reach his chin.

With a soft meow, Xie Qi tapped his face with his paw, eyes wide and round, then nudged his chin with his head.

Qu Yanning withdrew his gaze, poked Xie Qi’s wet nose with a finger, and smiled, “Being naughty again.”

Xie Qi patted him back in dissatisfaction, his ears flicking in displeasure.

Qu Yanning chuckled softly, stroked his head, and leaned back slightly, a bit wistful.

“I really want to go home.”

Xie Qi tilted his head, thinking he was bored here.

After a moment’s thought, he transformed into a big cat and squeezed close to Qu Yanning’s legs, his tail gently curling around his waist, signaling him to sit up.

The big cat’s black and white fur shimmered silver in the moonlight.

Qu Yanning ran his hand over the dense, soft fur from head to tail.

Xie Qi bumped his head gently, urging him to climb on.

“All right.”

Qu Yanning pinched the big cat’s ear, wrapped his arms around its neck, and sat down, half-lying on its back, warm breath fanning his neck.

Xie Qi twitched his ears, lifted his head, and let out a low meow.

Then, with all four paws moving swiftly, he dashed toward the center of the sea carrying Qu Yanning on his back.

The ecological environment of this island was far better than that of typical tourist spots.

Leaning on Xie Qi’s back, Qu Yanning looked down and could even see the clear, translucent water illuminated by moonlight.

The sea water was so clear that the bright stars reflected on the surface appeared like another sky beneath them.

“Where are you taking me?” Qu Yanning held the big cat’s neck tightly and asked.

Xie Qi purred low in response and continued running forward.

In the distance along the shoreline, tiny points of light flickered.

Qu Yanning straightened up slightly, surprised to see a patch of sea glowing softly.

The blue starlight grew closer and closer.

In the boundless, silent sea, a small reef group emerged from the water’s surface.

Xie Qi found a slightly larger rock and landed carefully, positioning himself protectively behind Qu Yanning.

Before them was the sea shimmering with blue star-like light.

Qu Yanning widened his eyes in amazement, watching the twinkling lights in the water.

A beautiful song drifted on the night wind.

A silver fish tail flashed past, splashing droplets sparkling in the starry sea.

“So beautiful,” Qu Yanning sighed softly.

Xie Qi purred excitedly, tugging on the hem of Qu Yanning’s clothes.

He then lay down on the reef.

Qu Yanning understood and sat cross-legged right there, his back against the fluffy body, watching the dreamlike scene together.

The blue starry lights in the sea slowly moved.

If one looked closely, they could see countless small fish emitting a faint blue glow swimming about.

These blue starfish gathered in a dense school large enough to cover this area of the sea, tinting the water a soft blue.

The chanting continued, the ethereal song drifting above the sea of stars.

The silver fish tail flashed across the water once again.

Qu Yanning focused intently and saw a slender mermaid weaving and flipping through the school of fish.

Her song grew stronger and more passionate as she swam faster.

The blue starfish followed her closely, creating the most beautiful starlight pattern around her.

Qu Yanning instinctively held his breath.

This miraculous sight was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Even the shock of hearing the legendary mermaid story paled in comparison to this breathtaking beauty.

Gradually, the song softened.

The silver-tailed mermaid stopped swimming fast and surfaced, resting on a rock.

Then, the ethereal song split into two voices.

One was slightly deeper and richer, the other more playful.

Their intertwined voices sang the same melody.

Opposite the silver-tailed mermaid, another mermaid emerged from beneath the water’s surface.

Her golden tail swayed beneath the water, splashing bright blue droplets.

The two mermaids lay on the rock, gazing at each other.

Their entwined songs grew tender and intimate.

The golden-tailed mermaid swished her tail and gracefully swam toward the silver-tailed mermaid.

The blue starfish swirled around the two, dancing into a splendid starry sky.

The mermaids drew closer.

The golden-tailed mermaid took the silver-tailed mermaid’s hand, and together they slowly swam into the depths of the sea.

The blue starfish followed closely, trailing behind them like a curtain woven from starlight.

The starlight faded away, and the sea surface gradually dimmed.

Qu Yanning remained immersed in the magnificent scene for a long while before returning to reality.

He looked back at Xie Qi, his eyes still reflecting the stars.

“So this is what you wanted to show me?”

Xie Qi purred twice in response.

“Thank you.”

Qu Yanning hugged him tightly, burying his face in the fur and nuzzling.

The low purr carried contentment.

Xie Qi reached out a paw and gently patted Qu Yanning’s back, half cradling him.

After enough affection, Xie Qi glanced into the distance and stood up, motioning for Qu Yanning to climb back on.

Then, he led him to run further into the sea’s depths.

The deeper they went, the more wondrous the sea became— whales appeared, bioluminescent jellyfish colonies glowed with various colors, and the crescent moon seemed within reach.

Everything about the sea was as enchanting as a fairy tale, a strange world Qu Yanning had never experienced before.

Xie Qi took him almost everywhere to see the sea’s beauty.

By the time they returned, the horizon was already tinged with dawn’s pale light.

After a simple wash, Qu Yanning fell asleep holding the warm cat.

He slept soundly through the night.

******

Half the night spent cultivating, half the morning catching up on sleep, Qu Yanning didn’t wake until the sun was high in the sky.

The nap was unusually comfortable.

He didn’t notice when Xie Qi had turned back into a cat, curled up into a small ball beside his neck, snuggling close and softly purring.

Qu Yanning moved quietly, stretched fully, then got out of bed.

By the time he was ready to go out, Zhao Dong-wei was already in the courtyard playing with the Little Rabbit.

“Did you go stealing cows last night? It’s so late now,” Zhao Dong-wei called from a distance, crouched with outstretched arms feeding the Little Rabbit some carrot tops.

The Little Rabbit, still chewing, perked up its ears, turned sharply, and stared blankly at Qu Yanning with its black eyes.

Qu Yanning cleared his throat, didn’t pick it up, and asked Zhao Dong-wei, “Why are you so far away? The rabbit doesn’t bite.”

“Heh,” Zhao Dong-wei smirked, “It doesn’t bite, but it kicks!”

Zhao Dong-wei lamented bitterly, “It’s so small, but I don’t know what it’s been eating—those kicks hurt like hell!”

Qu Yanning gave a dry laugh, “It’s never kicked me.”

Zhao Dong-wei shot him a look that clearly said, How dare you say it hasn’t kicked me? Don’t you know why it kicks me, you heartless man?

Qu Yanning felt guilty for flirting with the Little Rabbit and then running off.

But since his precious pet was so possessive, he was sure it wouldn’t allow him to keep a rabbit as well.

He scratched his cheek awkwardly and changed the subject.

“Today the weather is really nice.”

Zhao Dong-wei grunted and continued feeding the Little Rabbit carrot tops.

But the Little Rabbit had its own desires.

It ignored the carrot tops and hopped toward Qu Yanning instead.

Then it stood on its hind legs and stared blankly at him again.

Qu Yanning: “…”

He stepped back two paces and called to Zhao Dong-wei to quickly take the rabbit away.

Zhao Dong-wei tossed the carrot tops aside and said, “Not my problem anymore. Whoever’s in trouble, they deal with it.”

After waking from a nap, Xie Qi’s spot beside Qu Yanning was already cool.

He stretched his body long, yawned lazily, and went outside looking for someone.

At the gate, he encountered that annoying rabbit again.

The rabbit twitched its nostrils and, after a brief glance at Xie Qi, turned back to stare at Qu Yanning.

Xie Qi lowered his body unhappily and let out a rumbling purr, a faint Vital Qi radiating from him.

The rabbit’s ears flicked, and with a few hops, it disappeared into the bushes in the courtyard.

The nuisance was gone.

Xie Qi shook his tail and rubbed affectionately against Qu Yanning’s legs.

Qu Yanning bent down to pick him up and scratched under his chin.

“Just woke up?”