Chapter 59: Things Worth Cherishing

Yue and the others hurried off to the next paranormal scene that needed to be dealt with.

Li Meng and Qiu Qiqian continued wandering under the neon lights of the mall, while Yao Xueyue, after finishing her conversation with Xia Xinglian, dispersed with the group like startled birds.

As the night deepened, the noise faded away.

The evening breeze carried the unique coolness of the night, blowing away the daytime heat.

Li Meng still hugged the opaque gift bag tightly, her steps light and cheerful, humming a tuneless little song she’d picked up from somewhere.

She held the bag securely, even refusing to let go during the day’s emergency with the paranormal, as if what was inside wasn’t a gift, but Qiu Qiqian herself.

“Hey…”

Qiu Qiqian turned her head, looking at the bag being guarded so fiercely, and sighed helplessly.

“Do you really need to hold that gift so tight?”

“What if I don’t? What if some paranormal thing damages it on the way?”

“Then just put it in my Inner World, okay? That’s the safest place.”

“No way! What if you get curious and want to open it to take a look while it’s in there?”

“I already promised I wouldn’t…”

Qiu Qiqian gave a resigned smile.

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

She shook her head and glanced at Li Meng, only to see the girl suddenly puff out her cheeks, her gray eyes staring straight at her.

The expression was too serious, making Qiu Qiqian freeze for a moment, until she heard Li Meng burst out laughing.

“Haha, did I scare you, Xiao Qian? Actually, I was thinking, after we finish everything today and get home, I want to give this gift to you with my own hands. It feels more sincere that way, don’t you think?”

“Just buying me a gift like this is already sincere enough…”

Qiu Qiqian’s voice softened, carrying a trace of tenderness barely noticeable.

“(whispering) I’m not that nitpicky kind of person…”

“Hmm? What did you just say, Xiao Qian?”

Li Meng’s ears were sharp; she immediately caught the murmur.

“I… I didn’t say anything.”

Qiu Qiqian reacted quickly, averting her gaze and pointing at the sky.

“I was just marveling at how big the sun is tonight. Let’s hurry home, or else the air at the house will all dissipate.”

“The sun… tonight?”

Li Meng looked up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, blinking in confusion.

“No, there shouldn’t be a sun at night at all!”

When she came back to her senses, she saw Qiu Qiqian had already taken a few steps ahead and was waiting for her, so she quickly trotted to catch up.

When they got home, Li Meng didn’t complain about being hungry and urge Qiu Qiqian to cook, which was rare.

She made Qiu Qiqian go sit on the sofa in the living room, then gave her a very solemn instruction:

“Close your eyes, no peeking.”

Unable to resist, Qiu Qiqian complied, sitting down and closing her eyes.

A few seconds later, she heard the soft rustling of the gift bag being handled.

Li Meng seemed to take out a jewelry box, then with a soft pop, she opened it.

Then Qiu Qiqian heard footsteps approaching.

Next, something cold and metallic, chain-like, gently touched the skin on the back of her neck.

The sensation was cool, but compared to her own body temperature, it felt quite mild.

At the same time, she could clearly feel Li Meng’s warm hands resting at the back of her neck.

Her delicate fingertips gently stroked her skin, helping to fasten the necklace clasp.

That warmth seeped through her skin…

Until Qiu Qiqian barely heard a faint click, and then those hands reluctantly left.

Just as Qiu Qiqian thought it was over and she’d be told to open her eyes any second, she suddenly sensed Li Meng leaning in again.

That gray head gently, tentatively, moved close to her ear…

She could feel the other’s cheek skin and body heat inches away, so close she could clearly smell Li Meng’s faint, pleasant fragrance; so close that Li Meng’s hair brushed against her cheek like feathers; so close she could feel the warm breath from Li Meng’s mouth on her ear.

What… what is this girl doing?

Could she really be making her move after all?

With her vision blocked, her other senses seemed magnified.

That breath so close, that faint scent, acted as catalysts, making Qiu Qiqian’s heart race uncontrollably.

Her mind began to wander wildly, imagining whether in the next second her mouth would be covered, whether a hand would reach into her panties, and then…

“Hey, Xiao Qian, you can open your eyes now~”

The warm breath, accompanied by Li Meng’s usual gentle and calm voice, sounded right by her ear.

Qiu Qiqian’s tense nerves instantly relaxed, and the breath she’d been holding came out in a long, drawn-out sigh.

She felt… a strange sense of disappointment?

She slowly opened her eyes, her vision still blurry.

Li Meng, wanting her to see clearly, held up a delicate makeup mirror in front of her.

In the mirror, Qiu Qiqian’s reflection appeared, along with a finely crafted silver necklace resting quietly around her neck.

The chain was thin, glowing with a soft luster.

The most striking part was the pendant—a perfectly cut, sparkling diamond in the center, reflecting dazzling light under the lamp.

Around the diamond, gold was wrapped, intricately outlining several flower-like patterns.

“This is…”

“This is the necklace I bought for you, Xiao Qian! So? Do you like it?”

A smile brighter than the diamond bloomed on Li Meng’s face.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Qiu Qiqian, full of expectation.

Qiu Qiqian reached out, gently picked up the pendant, feeling the cool metallic texture against her fingertips.

She rubbed the delicate patterns, and in her peripheral vision, she saw Li Meng’s gray eyes filled with hope.

For some reason, the corner of her mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.

“It’s… not bad…”

She blushed slightly, her voice much softer than usual.

“I quite like it.”

Hearing the positive answer, Li Meng lit up completely.

“Hehe, I’m glad you like it, Xiao Qian~”

She said happily:

“Oh, and the salesperson also said this necklace has the power to ward off evil spirits! Maybe it’ll bring you good luck in the future.”

Ward off evil spirits?

Qiu Qiqian’s hand holding the pendant paused slightly.

For a guiyi, that term didn’t sound like a good thing at all…

Ah well, it was probably just a marketing spiel the salesperson made up to make a sale.

“So,” Qiu Qiqian put the pendant back in her palm and asked the most critical question,

“how much did this thing cost?”

She was never very price-sensitive when it came to jewelry.

In her opinion, something so flashy and impractical couldn’t be worth more than nine thousand, tops.

“Ah, it cost thirty thousand.”

“How much?!”

Qiu Qiqian’s voice shot up an octave.

She picked up the pendant again—smaller than her fingernail—and examined it from every angle, completely puzzled.

“This little thing… is worth thirty thousand?”

“Hmm… not bad? I saw even more expensive ones in that jewelry store… But don’t worry! I don’t usually spend much, so I have a lot of savings.”

“You… well…”

Qiu Qiqian looked at her innocent little face, then at the expensive necklace in her hand.

A mix of emotions churned inside her, but she couldn’t bring herself to scold her.

Finally, she let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples.

“From now on, don’t buy such expensive gifts.”

“Mm… okay~”

Li Meng’s smile didn’t fade; it remained as bright as ever.

“As long as Xiao Qian likes it~”

Seeing that charming smile, Qiu Qiqian’s heart skipped a beat again.

She quickly cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment, then urged:

“Alright, go take a shower quickly. We have to go with Yao Xueyue to Fallen Dragon Village tomorrow morning.”

As for this necklace…

By the time Li Meng came out of the shower, Qiu Qiqian had already returned to her own room.

She stood in front of the mirror, looking at the sparkling accessory around her neck.

In the end, she reached out, carefully unclasped the necklace, and gently placed it into her Inner World for safekeeping.

After all, if some accident damaged it, that would be terrible.

Because it was the first gift that girl had ever given her.