However, if it isn’t Fang Yikuai’s cooking, then whose cooking is it? Xue Qilin just voiced her doubt: “Who made this?”


  “Who else could it be……” Qi Qiqi said unhappily, “Of course it was me . ”


  “Excuse me [1]?”


  Xue Qilin has an expression of “I don’t quite understand” . Qi Qiqi adopted the same expression .

  “What …… mi [2] …… what did you say?”


  “You just said……” Xue Qilin raised her eyebrows, picked up the chopsticks, pointed at the food on the table, and asked probingly: “You made this……?”


  “Yes . ” Blinking her eyes, Qi Qiqi nodded .

  Thud! Xue Qilin loosened her grip, and the chopsticks fell down .

  Xue Qilin looks like she just saw a ghost .

  “Xue Qilin, what is the meaning of this! Is it that surprising that I can cook?” Qi Qiqi asked angrily .

  Xue Qilin stared blankly at her without answering .

  In the lass’s understanding, girls like Qi Qiqi generally aren’t on good terms with the kitchen, and can only produce some unpalatable stuff .

  However, this understanding was subverted at this moment .

  Little Seven can actually cook? Her mind a mess, Xue Qilin can’t believe this “that even she doesn’t know why she can’t believe” fact .

  As a consequence, she doesn’t notice that anger is about to overflow from Qi Qiqi’s eyes ……

  There was suddenly the sound of something whistling through the air .

  “Ahh!”


  Clasping her aching forehead, Xue Qilin looked for the thing that attacked her . Soon, she found a copper coin on the table .

  This must be the weapon .

  But who is the assailant? Xue Qilin knows who it is without thinking .

  She looked up in a panic and saw Qi Qiqi take out a new copper coin from an embroidered pouch she has fished out at some point .

  Then, Qi Qiqi threw the coin at Xue Qilin like a dart .

  “Wait……”


  Xue Qilin tilted his head and evaded .

  “What are you doing!”


  “You made me angry!”


  Another copper coin shot out and brushed the lass’s ear .

  “Waah! You’re being unreasonable!”


  “Who’s unreasonable!”


  Clearly ticked off, Qi Qiqi threw five copper coins at a stretch .

  “Stop throwing coins, and hear me out first……”


  Next came a quarter of an hour of endless appeasement .

  After Xue Qilin finally coaxed Qi Qiqi to calm down, the food was already half cold .

  However, the two didn’t complain, and just ate naturally .

  Not adhering to the principle “don’t talk while eating”, they chatted about trivial topics .

  The topic gradually moved from the chores in Merak Temple to what Xue Qilin saw and heard at the enrollment assembly .

  “.…… Anyhow, what are you going to do with Shui Yuner?”


  The topic inevitably shifted to Shui Yuner .

  “Hey, why are you talking about Little Yun again! Didn’t I tell you all the ins and outs at noon?”


  When Qi Qiqi asked about Shui Yuner, Xue Qilin felt inexplicably uncomfortable .

  However, Qi Qiqi’s response is different from Xue Qilin’s expectations……

  “I’m not asking about before, but about afterwards . ”


  Qi Qiqi looked at Xue Qilin with serious eyes . The red in the abstruse eyes seems to be ready to rush out in the next moment .

  Afterwards? Xue Qilin spaced out .

  “Are you going to accept her as a disciple?”


  “This……” Xue Qilin put down the chopsticks, “I’m indeed planning to do that……”


  “But……” Xue Qilin didn’t finish her sentence .

  However, if it wasn’t Qi Qiqi who’s sitting opposite her, the lass wouldn’t even say the word “but” .

  “But, you’re hesitating again . ”


  Are those beautiful eyes really able to see through everything in the world? Xue Qilin doesn’t know . She only knows that the dazzling red eyes saw through her .

  “Yes, I’m hesitating . ”


  “Why?” An expected question sounded .

  “.……”


  Seeing Xue Qilin stay silent, Qi Qiqi’s face darkened, and she sighed, “Is it something you can’t tell me?”


  It isn’t – Xue Qilin shook her head .

  Then, the lass’s gaze drifted away, drifted far away, far beyond the horizon . Only she knows where her gaze fell .

  “I used to……”


  Xue Qilin talked about her niece . Some things related to the other world, she made them vague, or adapted them slightly . As for the rest – Xue Qilin explained detailedly how her niece pestered her to teach her magic . She mentioned magic, and even talked a little about some funny things that happened to her .

  Silent, Qi Qiqi listened attentively .

  She couldn’t help smiling when she heard the funny things; she rolled her eyes helplessly when she heard the embarrassing things; she lowered her gaze when she heard Xue Qilin say that her niece fell into a coma because of an accident, melancholic .

  When the narration was over, Qi Qiqi got up and embraced Xue Qilin gently from behind .

  “Are you afraid?” Her voice is both soft and warm .

  Absorbing the warmth coming from behind, Xue Qilin leaned back unconsciously and fell into Qi Qiqi’s embrace .

  At this moment, Xue Qilin feels the purest warmth .

  That is a warmth that only children who are in their mother’s embrace can feel .

  “Afraid of repeating the same mistakes, afraid of such things, such tragedies, such accidents happening again in front of you, and you being powerless again?” Her tone is as gentle as that of a mother caring for her child .

  Xue Qilin can’t resist nodding like a child, “I’m scared . ”


  “But, you already brought her back . ”


  “At that time, I saw a shadow, my own shadow, Little Qing’s [3] shadow on her…… So, I agreed and took her back . However……”


  People will cower .

  Xue Qilin doesn’t regret bringing Shui Yuner back . At that time, she did make up her mind to take Shui Yuner as a disciple . But as time went by, her determination wavered .

  She knows that as long as she can’t forget about that incident with her niece, she won’t be able to really make up her mind and take on the life of another .

  She doesn’t want to harm Shui Yuner .

  She isn’t confident, because the past still haunts her .

  However, Qi Qiqi said……

  “Little Xue……” She used this nickname again to call Xue Qilin, “Since you already lifted your foot, what else can you do besides taking a step?”


  Xue Qilin hesitated .

  Qi Qiqi put her chin on Xue Qilin’s head, “Did you know? The saddest thing is being ‘too late’ . ”


  Qi Qiqi let go of Xue Qilin and walked around her .

  “I will be next to you watching, watching you, and watching her……”


  Before the lass’s eyes, the girl crouched down .

  There are soft ripples in the red eyes .

  “Therefore, don’t be scared . ”


  Words may not be able to break all the shackles around a person’s heart, but they do have power, a soothing power .

  [1] – Xue Qilin said “Excuse me” in English

  [2] – Qi Qiqi doesn’t understand English

  [3] – Little Qing is Xue Qilin’s niece in the other world