Chapter 46: The Enchanting One
“Hey, that kid, you say they are neither familiar nor strangers, it’s really strange,” said someone, sipping milk tea and whispering to Gudu while watching the awkward duo. “This is what they call, ‘the flower has no intention, but the water flows with affection.'”
“Ah, poor Xia Yuye,” sighed another, looking pityingly at the enchanting man before them.
Gudu, annoyed, turned her face towards himself. “You’re infatuated with flowers!”
“I’m infatuated with flowers, what are you infatuated with, a pig?” she retorted, her face turning a cute shade of red. They leaned close, whispering, their intimacy evident to others. Eating bird’s nest cake, drinking milk tea under the clear skies, her mood lifted; she treated everything that happened that day as a dream, unwilling to remember or accept it.
“Goddess, you can now return to your position; Murong Youxue is dead, and the Wanyue Dynasty cannot go a day without a ruler.” Outside, unrest was beginning, with accumulated memorials and various affairs that needed addressing to prevent major errors. Moreover, the ministers of state had not returned home for several days since the wedding of Princess Ying, rumors and speculations were rampant.
“Return to my position? Elder, Xiaotu is not fit to be an empress, and my powers have not fully recovered; I feel I am even less qualified now, unable to protect everyone’s safety or make the cherry blossoms bloom across the Wanyue Dynasty again.” She gave a bitter smile, realizing her own shortcomings. Recently, her health had not been good, often feeling dizzy and headaches, but she didn’t want to worry everyone.
“Empress, everything can be taken slowly, but for now, someone must manage the dynasty.”
“Honestly, Elder, Xiaotu feels she really lacks the talent. The vast Wanyue Dynasty, I can’t control it. Give me a deadline, three years. In three years, I will return as a qualified empress.” Xiaotu felt she knew too little, lacking in worldly wisdom; she needed to temper herself, to return and show everyone a different Ai Xiaotu.
The four elders paused, understanding the goddess’s thoughts, sharing her concerns, especially considering how different she was from her previous life. Here’s the of the provided Chinese text into English:
Duo, completely different in personality from anyone else, with significant differences in every aspect. “But, Goddess, if you leave, who will rule Wan Yue?” “Mu Yao, give her a chance,” she said, handing a letter to Elder Yin. “Elders, Xiao Tu is about to leave; I’ll entrust everything here to you. Please allow Xiao Tu to be a deserter once more.” Her exquisite face broke into a smile, the silver poppy on her forehead enhancing her allure. “Goddess, let the Fire Fox follow you,” said a figure in fiery red attire, their face full of pleading. “Alright, thank you, Elder, for accompanying me, this deserter.”
In her heart, she was indeed a deserter, always escaping when faced with issues, thinking she had grown up, but upon looking back, she realized she would never grow up. Elder Yu took out a piece of canvas depicting a phoenix resting on a tree, its magnificent feathers vividly lifelike, as if waiting for the moment to spread its wings and soar. “Godess, this is the Ming Huang Jin Pa. If you encounter difficulties in the future, just throw it into the sky, and there will surely be someone to help,” Elder Yu said, handing the silk scarf to Xiao Tu. “Thank you, Elder.” Thousands of words could only be expressed with “thank you” at this moment. It was always them who saved her from the jaws of death, helping her along the way. The four elders left the courtyard to deal with the mountain of affairs, handling one tricky issue after another, the three-year promise…
“Xiao Tu, are you really determined to leave like this?” “Yes, I’ll be back. Lian Lian, you’ll miss me, right?” She pinched Qian Yu Lian’s soft cheeks, looking at the mischievous and adorable girl before her, Xiao Tu’s heart warmed. The Lotus Yao Pond, those days would be her happiest memories, the happiest memories since she came to this other world…
“Pfft, are you going to be cheesy or not? If you’re leaving, let’s go together. You silly girl, can’t you think straight? Xiao Tu is leaving, what are we staying here for?” Gudu’s grumbling voice sounded, but at that moment, that “punchable” voice was so melodious. Indeed, if Xiao Tu has left, what am I staying here for? We promised never to leave Xiao Tu again, so as good friends, we should go together…
“Right, Xiao Tu, I’ll pack up and go with you, wait for me!” With that, she hurriedly ran off, her destination undoubtedly the kitchen, worried about the pastries she loved more than Xiao Tu, to the point of obsession. “Fairy Sister, I want to go too, wherever you go, I’ll go, you said you’d take me to find my father and mother.” A sweet voice rang out, and Xiao Tu looked down to see big teary eyes staring at her, small hands wrapped around her waist, looking pitiful. Her heartstrings were tugged, looking into those clear eyes. “Of course, how could I leave Li’er behind?” She said softly, stroking her soft hair.
“Wow, sister, wait for me, I’ll go pack with Sister Lian Lian.” They headed towards the kitchen together. With them, her journey wouldn’t be lonely, right? Lian Lian, thank you for always being with me…
“Xiao Tu, Wang Xie has returned to the demon realm.” Suddenly, Gudu, sitting aside, spoke. His furrowed brows, for some reason, exuded an invisible aura of dominance. This sudden news startled her, recalling the strange conversation from last night. In the dead of night, the courtyard was still brightly lit, with exquisite lanterns hanging along the corridors, lighting it up like daytime. Unable to sleep, she went for a walk in the moonlight, holding a plate of pastries in one hand and a cup of sour plum soup in the other, sitting on a stone chair, savoring the iced sour plum soup, enjoying the moment. A cool hand slipped around her waist, a firm chest pressed against her back, a familiar feeling. It was him, the only one who could give her a sense of overwhelming possessiveness…
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” His deep voice echoed above, his firm jaw resting on her head, enveloping her in his embrace. “Aren’t you awake too?” She replied with a playful smile, snuggling into his arms, looking at the full moon. “Xiao Tu, you are like that moon, when I can’t see you, I just need to look at this moon to see you.” Should have been romantic words, but why did they taste bitter in her ears? “The moon? Haha, Wang Xie, you’ve got it wrong. I’m just a small star.” Compared to the moon, she’d rather be an inconspicuous star, free and easy. “Xiao Tu, you are the moon, and I am the star. Without your light, I’d lose my shine. They are all stars, and you are our moon, the moon in our hearts.” As if he hadn’t heard her, Wang Xie continued. “No, I want to be a star, let you light me up, how easy.” If she could, she’d even want to be the smallest star, completely unremarkable.
“Do you love me?” Suddenly, Wang Xie asked. “…” Love? Did she love him? Not hearing an answer, his golden eyes darkened, but the moonlight was too bright for her to notice… “Do you like me?” “…” Like? No, the feeling in her heart wasn’t just liking, it was something deeper, but what exactly was it? Lost in thought, Xiao Tu didn’t notice his trembling hands. “Wang…” Her words were drowned in a passionate kiss, mixed with dominance, desire, a hint of pain, and… Xiao Tu, I want to be the star closest to you, to receive the most light from you. Am I too greedy? I am not worthy…
No one noticed, not even himself, a crystal tear slipped from his eye. She wanted to say, that feeling, it must be love…
