The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 17

You are always alone. Whether you are being born or dying, you are alone. It must be very hard, right?
Little Black, I want to stay with you.
Qu Linyan had once always thought this silly peacock could not be raised into anything close to loyal. Only now did she realize that a silly child was still a silly child. A few pieces of candy were enough to coax out a true heart.
She was so easy to coax, and she was fated to pass through a love tribulation. Sooner or later, she would be hurt.
If that was the case, what did it matter who she passed it with?
Fu Xiaoba, I gave you a chance. You are the one clinging to me and refusing to leave. If I am cruel one day, you cannot blame me for it.
…
There were countless delicious foods in the human world. For a peacock who had never even seen a steamed bun a few days ago, saying she wanted to eat things she had never eaten before was not a difficult wish to grant.
That day, Qu Linyan took Fu Xiaoba from the north of the city to the south. Every kind of food they passed, she bought one portion for her. Fu Xiaoba was also a demon whose stomach seemed wider than the sea. She played while eating the whole way, and her mouth never stopped.
Perhaps because her flattery had landed perfectly, Fu Xiaoba could clearly feel that today’s Qu Linyan was better to her than on any day before.
Along the way, Qu Linyan did not only buy her food. She also took her into many shops she had usually watched from far away countless times: makeup shops, jewelry shops, clothing shops.
Demons could change nearby things into matching objects, but they were still limited by their own spiritual power, imagination, and the materials at hand.
Those demons who could shake themselves and instantly change into a full new outfit had surely not made it all on the spot. Their spiritual pouches must already hold who knew how many pretty pieces of jewelry and clothing.
Fu Xiaoba always felt that her spiritual power was low, so the jewelry and clothes she made did not look good. Human things were delicate and varied. She had wanted them for a long time, but she had no money, and she was too embarrassed to make fake money to trick people. Whenever she saw something she wanted, she could only stare at it eagerly.
Now that Qu Linyan had taken the initiative to bring her shopping, Fu Xiaoba was not polite at all. She bought with both hands.
Along the way, anything that looked pleasing, she took directly. She did not even try it on. If the size did not fit, she could alter it herself anyway.
After all that fuss, when the two returned to the inn, night had already fallen for a long time.
Fu Xiaoba closed the room’s doors and windows tightly. Under Qu Linyan’s gaze, she happily tried on each new outfit one after another.
“How is this one, Little Black?”
“Not bad.”
“What about this one?”
“It is fine.”
“You are so cold.”
“…”
Qu Linyan rubbed her temple. “Why did you buy so many red and black clothes?”
Fu Xiaoba lowered her head and tugged at the red gauze of her skirt. When she raised her eyes, they were full of confusion. “Does it not look good?”
“It is not that…”
“But all of you look very good wearing them,” Fu Xiaoba said.
As soon as Qu Linyan heard “all of you,” she understood. Her mood instantly grew less pleasant, and the first thing she said was, “Do not learn from that fire turkey. He can pull off that flashy look because he is flashy. It does not suit you.”
“Ah? Flashy does not sound like a compli…” Before Fu Xiaoba could finish, Qu Linyan stood and walked to her side. She set up a water mirror in front of her, and it reflected both her and Qu Linyan.
Fu Xiaoba’s makeup was plain. The red clothes were not ugly on her, but they did look a little too bright and showy. Especially when she stood beside Qu Linyan, they did not match at all.
“How did it become like this?” Fu Xiaoba bit her finger. “Should I put on heavier makeup?”
When Qu Linyan saw Fu Xiaoba turn to rummage through the powder and rouge on the table, she quickly pulled her back in front of the mirror. “Red is bright and hard to wear. Black is cold and does not suit your nature either. My suggestion is…” Qu Linyan thought for a moment, then nodded. “Pink.”
Fu Xiaoba subconsciously licked her lips and changed into a pink dress with one shake of her body. She blinked her lively phoenix-shaped eyes and waited with full hope for Qu Linyan’s comment.
She was a little demon who had just become an adult at five hundred years old. Her features had grown out, but there was still some childish softness in her small face.
Pink was sweet and lively. It truly suited her.
Qu Linyan looked Fu Xiaoba up and down, then curved her eyes in a smile. “Pretty.”
After trying on clothes for so long, Fu Xiaoba finally received one word of praise. Her cheeks could not help flushing slightly. She happily held the edges of her skirt and spun several times.
She really was like a peacock spreading her tail, showy with a bit of foolish cuteness.
At last, she carefully asked, “Then, if you do not like those clothes, should I return them tomorrow?” There was clear reluctance in her voice.
Qu Linyan could not help laughing. She reached out and smoothed the loose hair by Fu Xiaoba’s temple. “Since they are bought, keep them.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Little Black, you are so good!” Fu Xiaoba opened her arms and threw herself onto Qu Linyan, giving her a huge hug.
Qu Linyan was suddenly pounced on like this, and her heart trembled.
After two seconds of hesitation, her hands, which had nowhere to rest, finally slowly lifted. She wanted to circle them around the person in her arms.
But just then, Fu Xiaoba turned and slipped out of her embrace. Qu Linyan could only awkwardly lower those hands that had been neither up nor down. She turned her back to Fu Xiaoba and took a deep breath.
Fu Xiaoba sat at the table and began trying on bracelets and earrings. She did not forget to flatter the very good person who had paid for her. “Little Black, you truly are the very, very, very best person to me.”
Qu Linyan leaned against the wall and turned slightly to look at Fu Xiaoba. The look that accidentally appeared in her eyes was full of tenderness.
Only when she returned to herself did she deliberately look away and silently grumble in her heart.
Silly bird.
*
The play at the theater ended in tragedy after all.
“In the end, Xiaoxiao sacrificed herself to fulfill Jiang Lang’s ambition. Because she had already lost everything, she could only use her own life as a bet. She bet that Jiang Lang would suffer for her all his life, and used that as revenge.”
“She succeeded. The person she took revenge on gained everything but lost her. From then on, he grew old alone, feeling guilt and regret every day, and finally died of a sickness born from sorrow.” Fu Xiaoba sat on the table, eating candied fruit while sighing by Qu Linyan’s ear. “These stories that begin in the human world never seem to have perfect endings. The ones Brother told are like that, the ones you told are like that, and the ones acted in the theater are also like that.”
“Maybe imperfect stories leave a deeper impression. Only when people remember them will they spread everywhere.” As Qu Linyan spoke, she looked up at Fu Xiaoba and frowned. “Look at the human world…”
“What proper woman acts as boldly as you do!” Fu Xiaoba snatched Qu Linyan’s words without hesitation.
Qu Linyan was speechless. When she came back to herself and was about to flare up, she saw that Fu Xiaoba had already jumped obediently down from the table and copied her posture, sitting properly on the stool.
“You…”
“Love between men and women in the human world is truly hard to understand. There are so many twists.” Fu Xiaoba pouted, then turned the topic back. “I do not understand anyway. If someone likes another person, why would they have the heart to use them? If they meant to use them from the beginning, why would they fall for them later? Are they not just foolish?”
Qu Linyan unconsciously lowered her eyes and blinked. She cleared her throat and said, “Feelings are not something people can easily control.”
“Are they not?” Fu Xiaoba propped her hands on the table and held up her chin. “If a person treats me well, I like them. When they stop treating me well, I stop liking them. If they do more than treat me badly and actually hurt me, then I hate them. Is that not a very simple thing?”
“Is it that simple?” Qu Linyan did not look convinced.
Fu Xiaoba nodded seriously and said with certainty, “It is that simple. Is that not my own choice? Like or dislike, hate or not hate, love or hatred, those are complete opposites. How could love and hate tangle together in such a complicated way?”
Qu Linyan looked at Fu Xiaoba and thought for a moment. Then she raised her hand and smacked Fu Xiaoba’s forehead.
Fu Xiaoba cried “ow” in pain and held her forehead, staring at Qu Linyan with a confused face.
The next second, Qu Linyan snatched the packet of candied fruit from her hand. While Fu Xiaoba stared in shock, Qu Linyan put several pieces into her own mouth one after another. Then she closed her mouth and slowly chewed while looking at Fu Xiaoba as if nothing had happened.
Fu Xiaoba opened her mouth. Her little head was packed full of confusion, but for a long time, she could not say a word.
Qu Linyan swallowed the candied fruit in her mouth and raised the corner of her lips at Fu Xiaoba. “I hit you and stole your food. Do you hate me?”
“This… this is different.”
“How is it different?”
“This…” Fu Xiaoba could not help scratching her head. Troubled, she said, “I cannot explain how it is different, but this is definitely not the same kind of thing as what I said. This matter…”
Qu Linyan smiled. “Then let us speak of something closer. If your brother dies by my hand, or I die by his, where will your simple love and hatred go?”
After she said this, she watched Fu Xiaoba’s expression with great interest.
In that instant, she saw everything clearly: the blankness in Fu Xiaoba’s eyes and that deep struggle.
“Little fool, love and hatred are just like right and wrong, good and evil. They cannot be weighed so easily.” Qu Linyan reached out and patted Fu Xiaoba’s head, then handed the candied fruit back to her.
Fu Xiaoba lowered her head to look at the candied fruit in her hand. Her small mouth opened and closed for several seconds. At last, she turned her head aside and muttered softly, “I cannot outtalk you. Are you not just bullying me because I cannot read a single big character?”
“Some things cannot be seen clearly no matter how many characters you know. That is why the clever people in stories always hurt others and themselves.” As Qu Linyan spoke, she rose and walked to the window. She pushed it open by a thin crack, leaned sideways against the sill, and looked out. “Xiaoba, not everyone is so lucky that everyone they meet is willing to hold them in the palm of their hand and protect them. In this world, there are more people like me, people who must rely on themselves for everything.”
Fu Xiaoba raised her eyes to look at Qu Linyan’s back. A strange thought suddenly appeared in her heart.
She said, “Then I will protect you.”
When Qu Linyan heard this, she could not help shaking her head and laughing. “How will you protect me? If you follow behind me, I would have to worry about your safety even when I charge into a dragon’s pool or a tiger’s den.”
“I do not have the ability now. When I have the ability later, I will protect you.” Fu Xiaoba rested her chin on the table and yawned. “Once I finish my tribulation, I will be an upper god. Then I will back you up!”
Qu Linyan laughed helplessly. When she turned back and saw Fu Xiaoba looking lazy, her heart moved, and the words slipped out of her mouth. “It is better if I protect you.”
Fu Xiaoba raised her eyes and asked, “What would you protect me from? I am not going to charge into any dragon’s pool or tiger’s den. I do not go around causing trouble for myself.”
Qu Linyan asked, “Are you not going to pass through a love tribulation?”
“Yes.” Fu Xiaoba nodded.
Qu Linyan said, “A love tribulation… is like the stories. It will hurt.”
Fu Xiaoba frowned. “Ah? So it is not as simple as finding someone and staying with him until he grows old, gets sick, and dies?”
“Xiaoba, do not pass through the tribulation. There is nothing good about being an immortal.” Qu Linyan paused. “Come back with me. Whatever you want, I will give you.”
As Qu Linyan spoke, she raised her eyes to Fu Xiaoba. “If you are willing, then for the days to come, I will protect you.”
They were clearly words used to coax an ignorant little demon, but her tone was so serious that even she almost believed them.
It was as if, for one instant, she truly wanted to protect this little girl for a whole lifetime.
And that little fool, who clearly shouted every day that she wanted to pass her tribulation and ascend, nodded without thinking at this moment.
One “All right” handed everything she had to Qu Linyan.