Chapter 50: What Is Our Relationship?
Chapter 50: What Is Our Relationship?
Late at night, when all was quiet, Li Zian lay on the sofa in the corner, looking at the flyer the aunt had given him.
This was already the third time he had looked at it.
Once when he threw the flyer away, once while preparing soup for the Old Matriarch, and now this was the third time.
Every time he looked at it, he felt an eerie sensation and was confused.
The flyer was for an art exhibition at the National Academy, with tickets costing one hundred yuan. Presenting the flyer gave a twenty-yuan discount, so it would only be eighty yuan. But that wasn’t the main point. The key point was a painting on the flyer that depicted a symbol, exactly the same as the one on the Great Sluggish Cauldron.
How could the painter know the symbol on the Great Sluggish Cauldron?
Since the painter could draw it, did they know the meaning of the symbol in the painting?
A flyer distributed by an aunt sparked endless thoughts.
Coocoocoo.
The mobile phone emitted a WeChat message notification sound.
At this hour, even without needing to calculate, Li Zian could guess who sent the message.
Li Zian couldn’t even be bothered to take out his mobile phone. He got up, picked up the bag of gifts, and went out.
The door to Mu Chuntao’s house was ajar. He pushed it gently and it opened.
Mu Chuntao was lying on the sofa in the living room, sending messages.
She wore a white spaghetti strap dress, a low-cut one. Her pair of long legs were completely exposed to the air, forming the most eye-catching scenery together with that deep “V.”
Coocoocoo.
Li Zian’s mobile phone made the WeChat message sound again.
Mu Chuntao was startled by the sudden sound, quickly turned her gaze over, and spotted Li Zian standing in the living room.
“Oh dear, why didn’t you say anything? You scared me to death, baby.” Mu Chuntao patted her chest with her hand, causing quite a shaking scene.
The scenery was indeed a bit much.
Li Zian really had it hard. The Housekeeper didn’t collect homework, but Mu Chuntao often tempted him with a test paper made of high-quality rice paper.
Don’t you want to write some homework?
Come and write, you can even use this test paper to do ink wash landscape painting.
Isn’t that difficult?
“What are you looking at?” Mu Chuntao noticed something, a blush spreading across her face, but she didn’t cover anything up.
Li Zian smiled. “Just now in my room, I calculated and knew it was you sending me messages, and that you left the door open, so I came straight over.”
Mu Chuntao burst out laughing. “You’re really that bored? Just checking WeChat, and you calculated it? Then tell me, when will I get a boyfriend?”
“You’re so pretty, if you want a boyfriend, you’ll have one,” Li Zian said.
“I like hearing that. Then I want a boyfriend right now. Where is my boyfriend?”
Li Zian felt a bit awkward. “I’m not a Divine Immortal; you can’t just make a wish and have me conjure a boyfriend for you.”
“It doesn’t have to be you making one appear.” Mu Chuntao’s voice grew much quieter.
Li Zian didn’t think much of it. “This is a gift I brought back for you from Yun Di.”
He placed the gift on the coffee table.
“Why are you being so polite with me?” Mu Chuntao climbed off the sofa and leaned over to unwrap the gift.
The neckline of her spaghetti strap dress drooped down.
The big V gained a fan.
Li Zian suddenly felt his throat go dry, and his eyes seemed to disobey him. He knew he shouldn’t stare, but he couldn’t help looking where he shouldn’t.
“That, tomorrow I’ll borrow your kitchen to make some soup to help Wen Sheng regulate his health. His medicinal plaster is probably almost used up, so it’s time to nourish his body.” Li Zian tried to divert his attention.
“Okay, I’ll call Mr. Wen first thing tomorrow morning.” Mu Chuntao opened the gift box.
Inside the gift box weren’t a few packs of ten-yuan snacks, nor Pu’er tea specialty from Yun Di, but some cosmetics – lotion, day cream, night cream, lipstick, and such.
Mu Chuntao picked up a bottle, glanced at it, and immediately her face lit up with delight. “Wow! Lelicous Royal Jelly Lotion! I’ve wanted this for so long. How did you know what I wanted… Did you calculate it?”
Mu Chuntao stared straight at Li Zian, her gaze so warm it could melt chocolate.
Li Zian had no idea what she liked. He had just picked the most expensive items at the airport. That bottle of Lelicous Royal Jelly Lotion alone cost him over twenty thousand yuan. Adding the day cream, night cream, lipstick, etc., it totaled over sixty thousand yuan.
“Do you know what it means when a guy gives a girl cosmetics?” Mu Chuntao stood up, smiling as she looked at Li Zian, the warmth in her eyes growing more intense.
This wasn’t just warmth to melt chocolate; it could ignite a bird’s nest.
Li Zian felt uncomfortable under her stare and instinctively asked, “What does it mean?”
Mu Chuntao giggled. “You… you’re like someone who’s never dated…”
She wanted to say “virgin,” but she forcibly cut the word off.
His Little Cotton-padded Jacket was already three years old; could he be a virgin?
If she said that, it would be like insulting him.
“Like what?” Li Zian genuinely didn’t understand.
“You’re like a fool who’s never dated.” Mu Chuntao completed her sentence smoothly.
Li Zian smiled awkwardly, but he had to admit, although he and Yu Meilin had a three-year-old child, he really had never dated before.
“Isn’t that so? When a boy gives cosmetics to a girl, it means the boy likes the girl and wants to pursue her. When a husband gives cosmetics to his wife, it means the husband cherishes his wife. You gave me cosmetics. Tell me, are we the former relationship or the latter?”
Li Zian was stumped by the question.
He really hadn’t thought it was that complicated. He just felt that Wen Sheng had given two million, which he took, while Mu Chuntao didn’t take a single cent. He felt he should show some appreciation, so he bought the most expensive cosmetics at the airport. How was he to know that a man giving cosmetics to a woman had such implications?
While he was still dazed, Mu Chuntao suddenly walked around the coffee table towards him. It was only a couple of steps, but she showed no intention of stopping.
Any closer and they would bump into each other.
Moreover, her eyes gave off a strong sense of hunger, as if she would devour whatever she caught.
Just as she was about to fall into his embrace, the Housekeeper’s face suddenly and unexpectedly emerged in his mind, staring at him expressionlessly. Li Zian hastily took a step back.
Mu Chuntao stopped walking, her eyes filled with disappointment.
“That, I’ll come over tomorrow morning to make the soup. It’s getting late, you should rest. I should head back too.” Li Zian turned and left immediately.
If he stayed any longer in this place, it was very likely something fatal would happen.
Watching Li Zian’s retreating back, Mu Chuntao murmured a phrase under her breath: “Coward.”
Her voice was so soft only she could hear it.
Li Zian returned to his room, but his mind was still filled with images of Mu Chuntao – those pale, bare legs, that slender, well-proportioned figure, that magnificent…
Standing out alone again.
He practiced boxing, took a cold shower, burned sandalwood incense, and went to sleep.
Great Slumber Qi Refining Art – sleeping itself was cultivation.
…
The next morning.
Without any surprise, he woke up hard.
Li Zian got out of bed, his whole body drenched in sweat, reeking of sourness.
On the floor, a stick of sandalwood incense inserted in a radish had burned out, leaving only a small wooden stick.
The cultivation effect of sleeping while burning incense was several times better than sleeping without incense. But the state of standing out alone was truly hard to bear.
Li Zian went to the bathroom to take a cold shower, then headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Before he finished preparing breakfast, Tang Qing came to the kitchen. She was still wearing her nightgown, and her hair wasn’t properly combed, looking a bit messy. But even so, she was pleasing to the eye, with many points of interest all over.
“Brother Zian, you’re up so early?” Tang Qing greeted him.
Li Zian said, “I’ve developed the habit of waking up at five. Go back and sleep a bit more; I’ll make breakfast.”
“Alright then, I’ll go back to freshen up.” Tang Qing turned and left.
Women all fear others seeing them right after waking up without makeup, and she was no exception.
Li Zian glanced at Tang Qing’s retreating back. Under the light, the nightgown was a bit translucent, and he saw a plump silhouette.
Then, he slapped himself, scolding inwardly: “You even look at Xiaomei’s teacher? Are you Miao Renfeng? There’s no saving you.”
This was all due to being deprived.
If one ate meat every day, who would still crave it?
But for someone who hadn’t eaten meat for over twenty years, showing him meat every day, letting him smell it, but not giving him any – have you ever considered how he feels?
After breakfast, Li Zian proactively performed a magic trick for his Little Cotton-padded Jacket.
Tang Qing once gave him a mischievous idea – to put vitamin C tablets in the chocolate to make it bitter. At the time, he thought it was a good idea. But seeing his Little Cotton-padded Jacket’s eager expression, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Dad, next time you go to Mars to dig for coal, take me along. I want to dig coal too.” Li Xiaomei sat on the sofa eating chocolate, her little legs swinging back and forth, looking extremely content.
But the words weren’t right.
Other children’s dreams were either to be scientists, or gardeners, angels in white, etc. You good-for-nothing, you actually want to dig coal!
“Why do you suddenly want to dig coal?” Li Zian felt it necessary to correct his Little Cotton-padded Jacket’s values.
Li Xiaomei took a small bite of chocolate, pursed her lips, and said, “Dad, you’re a coal miner, so of course I want to dig coal too.”
Li Zian felt a headache coming on. “Didn’t I tell you I didn’t go to Mars to dig coal? Dad was learning magic from the Old Immortal.”
“Oh!” Li Xiaomei slapped her forehead. “I forgot. Then I want to learn magic from the Old Immortal too.”
“No, you could consider becoming a scientist, teacher, doctor, or something like that, contributing to building a modern homeland. That’s called having ideals.” Li Zian earnestly instructed.
“Why don’t you become a scientist, a teacher, or a doctor then?”
Li Zian: “…”
Finally, after sending the little ancestor upstairs for class, Li Zian returned to his room, gathered some herbs and ingredients, and went out. It was just a few steps to Mu Chuntao’s doorstep.
The door was still ajar; a gentle push opened it.
Li Zian entered and saw Mu Chuntao doing yoga on a yoga mat in the living room. Her flexible body was curled into a “0” shape. The clothes she wore were almost like a second skin, hugging every curve, showing all the right lines and shapes clearly and prominently.
This body, this flexibility, this posture.
Li Zian couldn’t help but feel a surge of respect.
Early in the morning, do you have to be so stimulating?
“Good morning.” Mu Chuntao greeted him, then changed into another pose. She supported herself on her elbows, placed her forehead on the yoga mat, lifted her body straight up into a handstand, then spread her legs apart in the air. Her whole body looked like a “T” shaped nail hammered into the ground.
Thus unlocking a new pose.
“I… I’ll go to the kitchen.” Li Zian fled as if running away.
If this continued, he felt he would go crazy from the frustration.
Mu Chuntao’s lips curled into a faint smile. “I’ll come help you after I finish practicing.”
“No need, no need. I can manage on my own.” Li Zian replied, then pulled the kitchen door shut as well.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
Amitabha.