"I'm back." Qiu Wuji entered, carrying groceries she had just bought in one hand and a roll of Xuan paper in the other. A plastic bag containing calligraphy brushes and ink was also hooked on her finger.
Chu Ge hurriedly came to take the things: "Carrying so much stuff, you didn't need to buy groceries. Just order takeout."
"I don't like takeout." Qiu Wuji rummaged through the bag and pulled out a foxtail grass.
Chu Ge watched as she magically produced a small bag of soil, took a disposable plastic cup from the coffee table, poured the soil in, stuck the foxtail grass in it, and placed it on the windowsill.
Chu Ge: "…Too ethereal." Qiu Wuji rolled his eyes at him: "You're just a weed, you're only good for this."
"Didn't you say you wanted to live comfortably? How did it become a compliment for me?"
"Yeah, I see a weed every day anyway, what's one more? This one, back to its natural state, is even more beautiful."
Chu Ge was both amused and exasperated: "You're hurting yourself 800 while hurting the enemy a thousand…"
"Isn't this a profit of 200?"
Chu Ge hesitated. If you really become a compliment to me in the future, then it'll be a self-inflicted loss of 10,000, Weed Sect Master.
Qiu Wuji didn't seem to understand, but he was too lazy to pay attention to him. He set up the dining table and laid out Xuan paper.
Chu Ge stood to the side, watching curiously.
He hadn't written that Qiu Wuji had cultivated special arts like calligraphy or painting; being too omnipotent would be too overpowered. Qiu Wuji probably hadn't studied them outside of the main storyline. Regardless of cultivation, just considering calligraphy alone, this old woman, who had lived for ten thousand years in the ancient world, would undoubtedly possess first-rate calligraphy skills, far superior to my own scrawled handwriting—a true pleasure to behold.
She wasn't writing the poem from which her name originated, but rather the famous Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream: "Once upon a time, Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, fluttering about happily, feeling utterly content! He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he awoke, and there he was, Zhuangzi again. He didn't know whether he was Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. There must be a distinction between Zhuangzi and the butterfly."
Chu Ge looked at her in surprise: "You've read so many books without me even realizing it? You've even read Zhuangzi…"
"Yes, didn't I say last time I printed out a lot of books to read later?" Qiu Wuji said as she wrote, "I told you before that I wanted to read the Daoist scriptures of this world. I searched for some online. Leaving aside the Daoist scriptures, Laozi and Zhuangzi are truly sages."
Chu Ge felt ashamed; everyone else was searching for Laozi and Zhuangzi online, while he was searching for license plates.
It's quite normal that she'd be particularly moved by the Zhuangzi's butterfly dream story; for her, isn't her current experience somewhat reminiscent of it?
"You think my experience is like Zhuangzi's butterfly dream?" Qiu Wuji said calmly. "Actually, there's more."
Chu Ge asked curiously, "What?"
"When I read this story, I even wondered, did you create me, or did I, in my pursuit of the Dao, conjure up a creator god of my own making?"
Chu Ge's eyes widened in astonishment.
What was he thinking about when he wrote that chapter?
After finishing the last stroke, Qiu Wuji examined the scroll and chuckled, "Not bad. The words of the sages possess their own spirit. Even if I don't practice calligraphy, hanging this scroll in the hall will have its own protective power."
"No, what you were saying earlier..."
"Oh, that was just a joke," Qiu Wuji said casually. "From what I've seen and observed these past few days, I know that you can indeed construct our world through various kinds of knowledge, but my knowledge is far from sufficient to construct your world, so of course it couldn't be something I conceived. It's just that this idea is quite interesting, isn't it?" Chu Ge sighed, "Indeed... but I didn't expect you to think of the same thing as me. But let me preface this: we ordinary people think about these things just for fun, but you cultivators are a different story. It's easy to get too caught up in these things, and getting too deep can lead to a split personality. Don't think about it too much in the future." Qiu Wuji chuckled, "Since I've already confirmed it, why should I think about it anymore? We cultivators are actually purer than you. Even if you and I thought of the same thing, I'm doing it to explore the truth, what are you doing it for?"
"Uh..." Chu Ge stammered awkwardly. Changing the subject: "You said this calligraphy has a protective effect?" Qiu Wuji, too lazy to argue, went along with it: "Although I don't practice calligraphy, all things in the world ultimately converge, and magical power is inherent; it must have some effect. Hanging this calligraphy in the living room can roughly have a hallucinogenic effect on intruders, so it can be considered a form of protection." Chu Ge asked: "You never considered building a defense system before, why did you suddenly think about it?"
"I'm just decorating the house; protection is just a side effect. Besides..." Qiu Wuji slightly furrowed his handsome brows: "I discovered this today..." "The superpowers in this world are really interesting. They actually work on me! I wonder how they work... Anyway, I can't underestimate them. It's better to take some precautions." Chu Ge was startled: "You just went out to pick a blade of grass and got attacked by a superpower?"
"It wasn't an attack... I just saw it. Maybe this is what you call protagonist luck?" Qiu Wuji laughed: "I'm the female lead, aren't I?"
Chu Ge: "..."
I saw it today too, but I got beaten up in a short time. Is this retribution or protagonist luck?
We actually saw other people's superpowers on the same day. This must be fate, right? Chu Ge became happy and laughed: "It's good it wasn't an attack... What kind of superpower actually worked on you?" Qiu Wuji's beautiful eyes swept over his face, scrutinizing it for a moment, but ultimately said nothing, leisurely going into the kitchen: "I'm cooking. You can go do whatever you need to do."
This face is still more pleasing to the eye; he's quite handsome even without writing anything.
Chu Ge, however, didn't go to write. Instead, he happily followed me in. "I updated twice this morning, even though I got called a 'missed chapter dog'... I still need to rest and balance work and rest, right?"
"Alright, I know you're a masochist. I told you to rest, but you insisted on working. Wash this rice."
Chu Ge: "..." You've already learned to use the word "masochist"?
Qiu Wuji started washing the vegetables, casually remarking, "Good, at least I won't be hiding inside watching something."
Chu Ge chuckled, "What if I said I haven't watched anything in ages, would you believe me…?"
"What does that have to do with me? Didn't you already give up on washing them? What's there to explain?"
"I'll still explain when I get the chance." Chu Ge rinsed the rice, then suddenly smiled, "There's some good news, you'll definitely be happy to hear it."
Qiu Wuji asked curiously, "What?"
"They think you're a reader imitating Qiu Wuji from the book."
"Isn't that a normal assumption? Who would really think that's the real Qiu Wuji…?"
"The key is, they don't think you look like him." Chu Ge chuckled as he poured the rice into the rice cooker, "Isn't that good news?"
Qiu Wuji stopped washing the vegetables, somewhat lost in thought.
Of course it's good news, it means he's increasingly breaking free from a pre-set label? A smile unconsciously curved her lips, but she said, "What's there to be happy about? Isn't this just what I should do?"
Chu Ge: "..." Damn, such a tsundere.
Qiu Wuji started chopping vegetables.
Chu Ge was taken aback: "Not using magic anymore?"
Qiu Wuji said, "I might as well experience it more meticulously. Too hasty, and it loses its charm."
You also think it's more interesting this way? I think so too.
Chu Ge watched Qiu Wuji wearing an apron and chopping vegetables, really wanting to hug her from behind, but he didn't dare.
He could only reluctantly turn his head: "How much water should I put in this rice?"
"Just a little bit over it, yes..." In the small kitchen, one was chopping rice, the other was chopping vegetables; for a moment, no one spoke, only the sound of running water and the chopping of the knife, weaving together the notes of home.
The foxtail grass on the windowsill swayed in the wind, just like Chu Ge's mood at that moment.
"I'll finish writing the chapter this afternoon… Shall we go out tonight?" he suddenly said.
Qiu Wuji asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly thinking of this? What's fun about it?"
"I've realized that it's been so long since I've really taken you out to have some fun… things that modern girls should experience."