The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 63

The next morning, the winter sunlight, carrying little warmth, spilled into the room.
Qu Linyan opened her tired eyes.
Pity her three-thousand-year-old bones. She had forced herself through a reckless night while still badly injured inside and out. Now she felt as if she might fall apart. The slightest movement made her whole body hurt.
Three hundred years ago, when she had taught Fu Xiaoba by word and example, she truly had never imagined that the obedient little peacock would one day turn the tables on her.
But that was the love of her life. It had been too long since she had been so close to her.
Anything was fine, as long as it was with the right person.
Thinking this, Qu Linyan looked over her injuries.
Apart from the flesh wounds she already had, there were now more bruises and finger marks. Her arms, legs, neck, and collarbone all bore traces Yun Su had left last night. Every place had been personally treated with medicine by Yun Su.
The Yun Su from last night had been very different from the Fu Xiaoba in her memories. Yet those familiar brows and eyes, and that expression struggling back and forth between roughness and tenderness, made Qu Linyan feel a deep, clear familiarity.
That was Fu Xiaoba. Perhaps she had once left, but now she had truly returned.
Xiaoba was only angry. She blamed Qu Linyan for being one step late back then. But she had never lost all hope in her. Otherwise, she would not have chosen to stay even while forcing down resentment in her heart.
That was enough. At least Qu Linyan had a great deal of time to coax Yun Su, coax away her anger, and coax her into forgiving her.
Thinking this, warmth rose in Qu Linyan’s eyes.
She sat up, draped the clothes beside the pillow over herself, and leaned weakly against the headboard, skillfully pretending to be an injured person who could not move without someone serving her.
Before long, the guest room door was pushed open.
Yun Su carried a bowl of porridge in her left hand and a basket of buns in her right. After entering, she turned and closed the door with her elbow, then set the breakfast on the table.
She looked toward the bed and happened to meet Qu Linyan’s deathly pale gaze.
Perhaps because Qu Linyan did not want her clothes to rub her wounds, her robe hung loosely over her body. Half a bruise on her collarbone hid beneath the collar, appearing and vanishing with her breathing.
It made Yun Su remember last night, when she had lost control…
Yun Su suddenly felt her ears burn. She looked away. “Last night, did I… hurt you?”
“It is fine. I feel very good.” Qu Linyan curved her brows and eyes, then reached out to rub her leg.
“Eat something first… I did not make it. I ordered it from the inn. It is not bad.” Yun Su pointed at the bowl of hot porridge on the table, her gaze dodging. “Red date millet porridge. It replenishes energy and blood. That, that is what the innkeeper said.”
“All right.” Qu Linyan could not help laughing.
She supported her waist and got out of bed, walked a few steps to sit by the table, then under Yun Su’s intentional and unintentional gaze, picked up the bowl and spoon and slowly blew on the porridge.
Yun Su struggled beside her for a while. In the end, she sat down next to Qu Linyan. “Last night was my fault. You were injured. I should not have…”
Qu Linyan lowered her lashes and said nothing.
The usually mighty black flood dragon now looked weak, with faint tears hidden in her eyes. She made a person feel pity just by looking at her.
“I…” Yun Su did not know how to apologize.
“It is enough that you are still here.” Qu Linyan smiled lightly and spoke softly.
The love in her words was gentle as water, leaving Yun Su unable to say another harsh word.
Yun Su sat beside Qu Linyan and watched her finish that small bowl of porridge. Then Qu Linyan ate only half a bun before weakly climbing back into bed to rest. Yun Su could not help feeling heartache.
She truly had tormented Qu Linyan too much last night.
For a while, Yun Su felt unable to sit still.
She thought for a long time, then finally rose and walked to the door. Looking back at Qu Linyan, who was watching her curiously, she said, “We used up the medicine last night. Rest a while. I will go buy more, for outer wounds and inner use.”
Qu Linyan said weakly, “There is no need. The flood dragon clan heals well. You can see I am recovering fairly well. No need for the trouble… Besides, you already used spiritual power to heal me. That works better than human herbs.”
“Having some is better than having none. Stay here. I will be back soon.” After speaking, Yun Su turned and left the room.
Qu Linyan lay on the bed as if barely alive. Her eyes were closed, but her ears stood alert, carefully listening to the sounds outside.
She heard Yun Su’s footsteps fade farther and farther away until they disappeared. Only then did she flip over and sit up, walking barefoot to the table.
These days, Qu Linyan had been under Yun Su’s care. Unfortunately, Yun Su’s cooking was truly bad. Other than the chicken she had stolen from the table yesterday afternoon, she had not eaten normal-tasting food in a long time.
But if a person had angered her wife, moving even one step became hard.
Just now, she had clearly been starving, yet in front of Yun Su, she had to pretend she had little appetite. Only by doing that could she win some pity and earn a little tenderness.
Now that Yun Su was gone, Qu Linyan no longer held back. In a few bites, she ate all the remaining buns and called the waiter to take away the dishes.
Satisfied, she lay back on the bed, playing with two teacups she had picked up from the table. She even hummed some unknown tune, in a very good mood.
Yun Su had gone somewhere unknown and was away for a long time.
Qu Linyan lay bored on the bed. She was also afraid that if she got up and bounced around, Yun Su might catch her. For a while, she felt restless.
Just when she felt she could hardly hold back, Yun Su’s voice sounded downstairs, asking the waiter to help brew medicine.
Qu Linyan flicked her wrist and sent the teacups through the air, placing them steadily back on the table. Then she fell backward, covered herself tightly with the quilt, and closed her eyes to prepare a sleepy expression. Yet the corner of her mouth lifted without her noticing.
When Yun Su pushed open the door, she saw Qu Linyan lift her head slightly from the quilt and look at her with half-closed eyes. She quickly lowered her footsteps, gently closed the door, and asked softly, “Did I wake you?”
“No.” Qu Linyan supported herself with one hand and sat up. Looking at Yun Su with curved brows, she slowly shook her head with closed eyes. “You were gone for a long time. When I woke and did not see you back, I felt anxious. I almost went out to find you…”
Hearing this, Yun Su felt warm inside. She bit her lip to keep the corner of her mouth from lifting and walked several steps to the bed, her steps unusually light.
She sat beside Qu Linyan and raised her hand. Spiritual light flashed, and a candied hawthorn skewer appeared between her fingers.
Surprise flashed in Qu Linyan’s eyes.
Yun Su said, “I bought it for you…”
“Before… the food I made was not very good, so what you loved most on ordinary days were these sweet human things. Candy figures, candied hawthorn, preserved fruit, sweet cakes. As long as I bought them for you, you were very happy…” Qu Linyan looked up at the candied hawthorn in Yun Su’s hand, wanting to take it but not daring. She only asked carefully, “Did you remember?”
“I… I only remember that you seemed to say that when it hurts, eating something sweet makes it a little better…” Yun Su lowered her head as she spoke and pushed the candied hawthorn forward, nearly pressing it against Qu Linyan’s face.
Qu Linyan smiled. “Are you coaxing me?”
Yun Su frowned. “If you do not eat it, I will!”
As she spoke, she pretended to take it back.
Almost instantly, Qu Linyan tightly grasped the wrist Yun Su held the candied hawthorn with. Under Yun Su’s startled gaze, she leaned forward and bit off half a hawthorn.
Sugar flakes fell onto those bloodless lips. Yun Su instinctively reached out and wiped them away for her.
The moment her fingertip brushed Qu Linyan’s lip, her heart seemed to skip.
Yun Su quickly stuffed the candied hawthorn into Qu Linyan’s mouth, stood, took out a handkerchief, wiped her hand, and casually threw the cloth onto the back of Qu Linyan’s hand. Frowning, she said, “You, you. Do not get it all over the bed.”
Qu Linyan secretly licked her lips and said nothing, but her heart was soaring.
After that night, Yun Su kept seven parts tenderness for Qu Linyan.
By day, she cared for her food and drink. At night, she patiently applied medicine for her. Like this, the two of them stayed in Qianyang for several days.
Qu Linyan enjoyed this careful care very much. On ordinary days, she pretended to be so weak a breeze could knock her over. How could she still have even a little of her former air of daring to fight even with only one breath left?
Now, apart from healing, Qu Linyan only wanted to go with Yun Su to more of the places they had once visited together.
She wanted to awaken Yun Su’s memories of Fu Xiaoba, even if only a little more.
So she made a short-term plan.
“Now that I have recovered twenty percent of my spiritual power, I can circulate my power and heal myself. But under human eyes, it is not convenient to gather spiritual energy and heal. It is time to find a suitable place.” Qu Linyan pointed at a map she had bought. “We go upriver to Fenglu, then to Wuzhou, and from there we can return to Wuyou Valley.”
“Why Wuyou Valley?” Yun Su clearly was not very willing to cooperate.
“That is your home,” Qu Linyan said.
“My home is in the heavenly realm.” Yun Su pointed upward.
“Then, even if it is not your home…” Qu Linyan said, “There is a great demon there. Little demons do not dare cause trouble, and the heavenly realm does not like watching it closely. It is the best place to heal.”
Yun Su thought for a moment. “We can just find some deep mountain forest to hide in. I will guard you. Little demons will not dare cause trouble. There is no need to go through that trouble.”
Qu Linyan was left speechless. After freezing for a good while, she carefully asked, “I remember you mentioned Fu Zhuochen before… About him, did you remember anything?”
Yun Su looked awkwardly out the window. “Some things.”
Qu Linyan asked, “He was your elder brother during your human-world tribulation. Why do you seem not to want to see him?”
Yun Su was silent for a long time, then said impatiently, “I do not want to see him because I do not want to see him. Does there need to be a reason?”
Qu Linyan fell silent.
Yun Su sulked at the side for a while. Finally, she felt that everything truly did need a reason, so she turned and glared at Qu Linyan. “No one in this world can be relied on. Whether you or anyone else, you are all the same! Now I only trust myself. I do not want to, and will not, seek help from others anymore!”
Qu Linyan pressed her lips together. “Then… then we will not go.”
After speaking, she suddenly remembered something and raised one finger with a smile. “In ten days, it will be the human world’s New Year’s Eve. Long ago, in Fenglu, we once…”
Yun Su cut her off. “Since you can already heal yourself, find somewhere and focus on recovering. Fenglu is too far, and it is not convenient for you to travel. We can just find a nearby place.”
“I mean, gods should be like demons and never celebrate New Year, right? I can take you back to an old place…”
“No need. I have some impression of Fenglu City. It is not an interesting place.”
After Yun Su spoke, she lifted her eyes and saw Qu Linyan’s gaze full of disappointment. Even her pale lips seemed to turn a shade whiter in that moment. Yun Su could not stop her heart from softening a little.
“It is… not impossible. It is only your injuries…”
“They are fine!” Qu Linyan was overjoyed.