Chapter 56 - Good Miss
The rabbit hadn't provoked anyone, yet Pei Xuan found her little Miss too adorable.
"Still mad?"
Cui Ti glanced at her and intentionally huffed to show she was still upset.
Pei Xuan pondered for a moment, brewed a cup of tea, and held it to her lips, "How about a sip of tea to calm your anger?"
Her tone was gentle, her gaze as soft as spring water. Cui Ti's skin was thin and pale, so even a slight blush was particularly noticeable. Before sipping the tea, she deliberately changed the subject, asking, "Where's today's draft?"
"..."
Before them stood the talented Scholar Pei, wearing an innocent expression, her eyes round like clear lakes, wet and endearing.
Suppressing her own emotions, Cui Ti looked at her deeply, "Xing Guang, you didn't forget, did you?"
"Ah..."
A faint blush appeared on Pei Xuan's fair cheeks, "Well, I..."
Initially, before regaining her memories, she could write about the love story between the celestial lord and the rabbit spirit from a detached perspective. But now that she knows the celestial lord was herself, and the rabbit spirit was her wife, her embarrassment surged.
She couldn't help but sigh at how quickly karma comes around.
Just a moment ago, she was taking advantage of her restored memories to tease the unsuspecting Miss. Now the tables were turned, and she was at a complete disadvantage.
"Xing Guang?"
"Hmm?"
With an appearance of trying to play dumb, Cui Ti found her both amusing and frustrating. This person, how did she become so crafty once she recovered?
To call her crafty, yet at times, she seemed a tad clueless.
Her face fell, "You lied to me."
Pei Xuan hastily waved her hands, "My wife, I didn't, I'll write it right now, immediately, very soon."
"When exactly?"
Cui Ti teased intentionally.
"This..." the reincarnated Wenqu rubbed her face and confidently said, "In three quarter-hours."
"Three quarter-hours? That sounds quite long..."
"How about two quarter-hours?"
Not wanting to tease any longer, Cui Ti wrapped her arms around Pei Xuan's neck, "Two quarter-hours, won't that tire you out?"
"Not at all!"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely sure!"
"Alright, I'll wait two quarter-hours then." She released Pei Xuan and smilingly instructed Bai Tang to start timing.
Pei Xuan wanted to share a tender moment, but seeing the situation, she didn't dare delay and hurriedly left.
After she left, Bai Tang commented, "Two quarter-hours to write an article might be too rushed. What if M'lord can't finish in time?"
Experiencing the feeling of being pampered by her beloved, Cui Ti beamed with joy, "Xing Guang won't lie to me. If she says two quarter-hours, then it will surely be two quarter-hours."
With a blissful look, as if intoxicated by love, Bai Tang, though not quite understanding, couldn't help but feel the anticipation.
Outside, a tired bird rested on an apricot tree branch.
Right on cue, two quarter-hours passed, and Pei Xuan, with a blushing face, entered, "Ti Ti, I've finished."
Bai Tang excused herself, covering her mouth and chuckling as she went.
Pei Xuan could guess why she was laughing. No doubt, it was at her flustered appearance, her red face, the sweat on her forehead, rushing anxiously to make sure she wasn't late, lacking her usual composed demeanor.
She initially felt a bit embarrassed. Yet, remembering her ten thousand years as Wenqu in heaven, she felt she had been composed and restrained enough. Now that she was reborn as a mortal, she might as well live vivaciously.
With a blink, she regained her composure and handed the manuscript to Cui Ti.
Eager to know the continuation of the story between the celestial lord and the rabbit spirit, Cui Ti tugged on Pei Xuan's sleeve, urging her to read it out loud.
"..."
Not only did she have to write within a time limit, but she also had to read it aloud. Pei Xuan, trying to win favor, held the manuscript with slightly trembling hands.
She had overestimated herself.
In her previous celestial form, everything was effortless. She had forgotten she was no longer the renowned celestial lord of the heavens but a mere mortal.
Being a mortal, especially with the physique of a scholar, writing nearly three thousand words in two quarter-hours was no easy feat.
"You must be tired."
Cui Ti took her hand, skillfully and gently massaging it, alleviating the soreness in her fingers and wrist.
With such attentiveness, Pei Xuan felt both pain and joy. Without any hint of embarrassment, she started reading the story with clear and melodic tones.
In the story, the reincarnated celestial lord and the rabbit spirit had their wedding night, becoming the most intimate lovers in the world...
Her voice was gentle and melodic. Slowly, Cui Ti became entranced by the story, her massaging hands slowing down. She felt an indescribable emotion, her eyes reddening, "Does the celestial lord truly love this rabbit spirit?"
"Of course."
Pei Xuan looked up and noticed Cui Ti's silent tears, "Why are you crying?"
She took a handkerchief to wipe Cui Ti's tears.
Cui Ti sniffled, "I don't know. Listening to this story, I feel a sense of hardship turning into joy."
From bitterness to sweetness.
It was an apt description.
Pei Xuan hugged her close, "Don't cry anymore, don't."
"Tsks..."
In the heavenly realm, inside the Deepwater Cave, the punished immortal Ning Hehuan looked scornfully at the mournful Qinyao Immortal, "What grave sin have you committed?"
She was devastated.
After eight reincarnations, the red thread of fate binding the celestial lord and the rabbit spirit's ankles had become numerous and unbreakably strong.
"The two of them were destined to love each other. Why did you interfere?"
Qinyao Immortal's face was as pale as paper, her body swaying.
The wild winds and cold waters of the Deepwater Cave were unbearable. Being a low-powered celestial herb, she quickly fainted.
Ning Hehuan was waiting to debate with her, but it was evident that this herb, too fragile for even a simple discussion, had been pampered by Wenqu in the celestial palace.
She muttered, "If she hadn't meddled, perhaps the seventh reincarnation would have ended this cycle of suffering."
It was because the higher realms saw the possibility of Wenqu successfully overcoming her tribulation that the seventh reincarnation was allowed to happen.
And because Ning Hehuan was a stubborn yet kind-hearted individual, whenever Cui Ti pleaded and cried, she would hastily enter her dreams to activate her spiritual vision. Not just that, for the rabbit spirit to achieve immortality through Wenqu, she even fabricated some 'curse-breaking methods'.
Even as a mortal, the then Pei Xuan had the powerful spirit of a celestial lord. Their intimate moments, the combination of soul and flesh, were almost comparable to dual cultivation.
When one achieves enlightenment, even their pets ascend to heaven, let alone assisting a rabbit already predestined with celestial connections.
She sighed, admiring the rabbit spirit's good fortune. In the end, she looked proudly at the silent Qinzhen Immortal, "Qin Qing, how well do you think I handled this situation?"
Qin Qing gave her a generous roll of her eyes, too lazy to speak.
Ning Hehuan wasn't bothered. Judging by her behavior, she seemed to be finding amusement amidst the bitterness.
"We'll have to stay in this wretched cave for many years to come. It's one thing for you and me, but I wonder if this Fairy Qingyao can endure it..."
"Feeling sympathetic?"
Qin Qing finally deigned to respond.
Ning Hehuan's eyes curved with amusement, "How could I? I've never been fond of all these flowers and plants. Only Wenqu has such refined taste. But this plant isn't exactly trouble-free. I worry, watching it being confined with mortals for a century, might it become a mad plant?"
"You're overthinking," Qin Qing looked compassionately at the fainted woman, "The heavens are merciful. A century of imprisonment in the deepwater cave is torment, but witnessing one's beloved getting close with another is also painful. If her will remains strong, a moment of realization could be a glimmer of hope."
"A strong will?"
She chuckled, "I find that hard to believe."
Qin Qing no longer wished to argue with her.
The heavens provide a slim chance; whether one can seize it...
She too didn't think this plant could withstand it.
However, misfortune and fortune are intertwined. Who can truly say what will happen?
After an autumn rain comes the cold.
Cold rain streamed down the eaves, resembling a curtain of large beads. Cui Ti was once again 'patrolling' her rabbit hut.
Previously, among the rabbits she raised, there were males and females. They matured and, without much ado, produced several litters of baby rabbits. Perhaps because the man beside her had a penchant for spicy rabbit head and had consumed many small animals, Cui Ti had a particular fondness for these lucky rabbits.
Having survived, how could they not be treated well?
The rabbit hut was clean. Hao Zhong and Rao Liang supported the young mistress on either side. Cui Ti, being blind, relied on hearing and smell. She listened to the rabbits munching and smelled the relatively clean scent. She praised the female manager responsible for the hut.
The manager, a woman with a limp, had worked in many households. Only in Pei's household was she trusted with duties by the young mistress.
She looked after this rabbit hut daily, managing the cleaning of rabbit droppings and feeding. She also bathed the rabbits periodically. Under her attentive care, each rabbit grew plump and vibrant.
Seeking to flaunt her achievements in front of Cui Ti, the manager suggested, "Miss, would you like to feel this rabbit? Its fur is so fine. And it has put on more weight."
Her words intrigued Cui Ti.
On a rainy autumn day, Pei Xuan, escorted by palace maids, returned home. Not finding Cui Ti, he learned she was at the rabbit hut again.
He secretly marveled at his wife's affection for the rabbits.
Arriving at the hut's entrance, unsurprisingly, he spotted that delicate figure. His heart leapt at the sight, only to find his dear wife, the Miss he had pursued for eons, enthusiastically petting a rabbit.
"..."
Wenqu felt a sour pang of jealousy, feeling uncomfortable deep down, and he coughed loudly.