CH 172

The heavy rain from a few days ago had already stopped, leaving behind a refreshing and crisp air. The temperature had also slightly dropped, and people on the streets had started wearing long-sleeved shirts.

Of course, there were still plenty of people with good constitutions wearing short sleeves. Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji pretended to be among them, casually strolling around in their summer short sleeves.

One of the purposes of their outing was to buy some clothes for the changing season.

However, upon hearing Chu Ge’s words, Qiu Wuji, who was impervious to cold and heat, inexplicably felt a chill. It was as if she had been drenched with a bucket of cold water, leaving her damp. She hugged her arms and lowered her head, whispering, “I see… It seems a bit… ”

She wasn’t particularly interested in most things in this world.

In the past, she sought knowledge only for the sake of “understanding the world,” not out of genuine interest. Watching movies and reading books were for learning, not for entertainment value.

What truly interested her were computers and smartphones, mainly because of their convenience and access to information. They could even surpass the efficiency of the cultivation world.

Her heart was originally a quiet, tranquil ancient well.

“Now I’m better. I’ve come to like the little piglet…” After thinking for a while, Qiu Wuji muttered in a gloomy tone, “Many things in this world aren’t that enjoyable… Well, I admit that I feel somewhat out of place, like an observer from another world watching this one.”

Chu Ge snapped his fingers. “Exactly, the fundamental reason isn’t whether or not you have hobbies or interests. Maybe you have some that others don’t, but it’s more of a manifestation. The real main difference seems to be that you are an observer and don’t see yourself as a part of this world.”

“Mid-Autumn, Qiu Wuji, merging with this world….” Qiu Wuji clenched her fist with energy. “I will solve this problem!”

Chu Ge smiled and took her hand, swaying it back and forth as they walked. “I suddenly think you getting to know Zhu Mengmeng is great…”

“Why do you say that?”

“It allows your world to have more than just me… You have social interactions, your own life trajectory,” Chu Ge said. “Every person’s existence in the world is built upon various elements from childhood to adulthood. But you appeared out of nowhere, and your trajectory has only been a few months, so you’ve missed out on many, many aspects… Zhu Mengmeng is the first step to filling that gap, and gradually, you’ll have others.”

Qiu Wuji asked, “So, I should make more friends?”

“It doesn’t necessarily mean just friends… Your life currently revolves around me, and apart from going to Zhu Mengmeng’s place for tea, which is something you do on your own, everything else is related to me. You can think about what else you can do that is unrelated to me. Hobbies and interests are just one aspect of it.”

Qiu Wuji tilted her head and pondered for a while but couldn’t come up with anything.

Because without you, there’s nothing in this world worth clinging to. I don’t need to stay here, and I don’t need to assimilate into this world. So why should I seek activities that have nothing to do with you?

In the end, she didn’t say those words because she was afraid that if she did, Chu Ge would become smug to the point where his tail would reach the sky.

Finally, Qiu Wuji said, “Actually, even listening to music can’t be unrelated to you. When I’m at home reading or cooking and I listen to music, does that count? Can I even leave you behind and go to a concert?”

“Do you dare!”

“Hmph.”

“Listening to music was just a random example, not quite applicable… Of course, if you open an app and browse through songs one by one to find the ones you like, purely for your own enjoyment, that is indeed unrelated to me.”

“Hmm…” Qiu Wuji thought for a moment and realized it made sense. “I can give it a try… But when it comes to songs, I’m not very accustomed to the music of this world. Although they’re good, they just don’t feel right. Maybe I can search for guzheng or guqin music?”

Chu Ge nodded and smiled. “That’s right. You should always have things you love.”

Qiu Wuji looked at him sideways for a while, then suddenly smiled. “Thank you.”

Chu Ge: “?”

“You… have always been helping me assimilate into this world, even at the cost of separating me from your influence… You’ve been doing that all along.”

“Uh…”

“In the past few days, it seems like we had forgotten about this, as if I was surfing the internet on my own, getting used to the online language of this world, becoming a modern person… And now, suddenly, I have a feeling like when I first arrived.” Qiu Wuji held his hand and shook it. “The time when Chu Ge made efforts to keep Qiu Wuji, the time spent coaxing me.”

Chu Ge also started to feel nostalgic about that time. Qiu Wuji was naive back then, unable to speak when going out to buy things, obediently keeping quiet and listening to his negotiations with people. She couldn’t catch a taxi on her own. It was so much fun back then.

Now, as she becomes more and more familiar with this world, she can even bargain while shopping. That feeling has been gone for a long time. Unexpectedly, with just a few words today, he realized that she’s actually not that familiar with it. It’s just that her life trajectory is too narrow, leaving little room to expose her ‘ignorance.’

They still have a long, long way to go… together.

“Speaking of that, I feel like playing some games now,” Qiu Wuji suddenly said. “When I chat with people online, the most troublesome thing is the gaming jargon they use. Everyone else understands, but I have to secretly ask Baidu for help. Although I understand the meaning after asking, it’s just forced memorization, without any feeling…”

“Games, huh…” Chu Ge chuckled. “I thought the Sect Master Qiu would be addicted to games and not want to return to the Sect. But turns out it’s not like that…”

“I am resolute and can’t be addicted to anything. The only thing that can make me addicted is the pursuit of Heavenly Dao… Uh, not referring to you!”

“It’s me!”

“Ugh, I am pursuing the mysteries of the universe, surpassing you!”

“Alright, I’m just a supermarket to you.”

“…” The two stared at each other for a while, and Qiu Wuji muttered, “It’s this kind of jargon, so annoying.”

Chu Ge laughed, “That’s not game jargon, it’s just nonsense jargon.”

“It’s the same thing,” Qiu Wuji said. “So do you have any suggestions for games I can play? How about something like mining that Panda does?”

“That game is called World of Warcraft, an old game from over a decade ago. I was addicted to it back then, it really is a great game… But if you want to follow the trend, it’s not the right choice.”

“What are some new games then?”

Chu Ge: “It doesn’t have to be too new. The ones they often talk about in the group are generally MOBA games. They can chat about Dota 2, League of Legends, Honor of Kings, and understand each other’s jargon like ‘Mammoth Flip Spoon’ and ‘Level 2 Gank’… You can pick any game you like. I think competitive games suit you well, since it’s all about slaying opponents.”

Qiu Wuji: “I’ll go back and do some research…”

Chu Ge smiled: “When you’re slaying opponents in a team, it won’t be all about Chu Ge anymore.”

Qiu Wuji widened her eyes: “Are you trying to say your daughter is growing up?”

“Let’s talk about it when you really get into the game… Maybe then it’ll be appropriate for Daddy to punish his gaming-addicted daughter. I don’t even know if letting you play games is right or wrong…” Chu Ge said with a touch of sadness, “We started the topic on the wrong foot. We should have discussed more positive and progressive topics.”

Qiu Wuji curiously asked: “What topics?”

Chu Ge: “You don’t really understand the thoughts of the people in this world, their behavior, why there’s a nine to five work culture, why some people choose to be lazy and lie flat, why housing prices are so high, why people are reluctant to have children…”

Qiu Wuji interrupted: “Wait, people are reluctant to have children?”

Chu Ge glanced at her discreetly.

Qiu Wuji nonchalantly said: “Oh, I don’t want to have children either. What’s the big deal… So, why are they reluctant?”

Chu Ge chuckled.

Qiu Wuji remained expressionless: “If you laugh again, I’ll smack you.”

Chu Ge: “So, you’re not really a modern person… It’s hard to explain these things in a few words. So, I realized I was heading in the wrong direction earlier… Instead of recommending games, I should have suggested that you start with the study of Marxist criminology, indicating that my own ideological awareness is not high enough.”

“Why should I study criminal behavior?” Qiu Wuji asked. “Yeah, I’ve seen them post that image in the group, and the atmosphere was strange. I don’t know why.”

“Hahaha…” Chu Ge chuckled dryly, holding Qiu Wuji’s hand and diving into the crowd in the shopping mall.

Qiu Wuji swallowed her doubts and realized that discussing criminal behavior openly might not be appropriate. It seemed that she still didn’t understand this world well enough, there were so many things she didn’t know.

But why don’t people in this world like to have children? It’s so strange. Is it because they’re afraid of pain?

It does seem painful… But isn’t it better to have more children for more blessings? It seems like I’m not afraid of pain, so why not have a few?

Wait, why am I even thinking about this? Chu Ge must have done it on purpose!

“Ouch!” Chu Ge’s hand was squeezed as if caught by a pair of pliers. He looked at his suddenly aggressive girlfriend with a puzzled and pitiful expression on his face.

Qiu Wuji turned her head and looked at the festive balloons hanging around without saying a word. In the bustling shopping mall during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, Qiu Wuji’s face turned red, like a red balloon.

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