Chapter 68: Dream
In the snowy field, the two rhino-sized triceratops, at Kakaba’s call, slowed their pace and waddled to Chu Jiu’s side.
The triceratops lowered their heads, each adorned with three large horns, “mooing” as they nudged Chu Jiu’s head or gently tugged at his collar with their teeth.
Just like when they were palm-sized babies, they rubbed their heads against Chu Jiu’s hand and nibbled at his sleeves.
But they were deliberately keeping their distance from Lu Qingyan, not daring to glance his way.
Just like they hadn’t dared to get too close to Little Can before.
Chu Jiu was nudged and pulled by the triceratops babies for a while before he finally regained his senses.
But he didn’t look at Lu Qingyan.
He looked at Kakaba, his voice a little strained: “Kakaba, you just said… Little Can… also got bigger?”
Had he misheard, or was he misinterpreting?
The capybara nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, Little Can suddenly got big!”
Chu Jiu: “…So that means… the person next to me… is Little Can?”
Just then, Rawr Rawr Rabbit and Glup-Glup heard the commotion outside and hopped out.
“Roar roar roar, it’s snowing—eh, Little Can, you got bigger again!”
“Glup-Glup! It’s a human-sized Big Can!”
Chu Jiu: ……
Alright. Confirmed.
At this point, he had no choice but to turn and face Lu Qingyan directly.
He bit his lip, his face alternately flushing and paling, and looked at the black-clad man who had just held him protectively in his arms: “You… uh…”
What should he ask?
“What’s your relationship with Little Can?” or “Do you want grilled fish for breakfast?”
“Let’s go inside first,” Lu Qingyan said first. “It’s going to snow for a while. I’ll go add some firewood to the fireplace.”
Chu Jiu: “……Oh…”
Lu Qingyan: “How about grilled flatbread for breakfast, with fried eggs and bacon, and a glass of milk?”
Chu Jiu: “……Okay…”
*
Lu Qingyan added firewood and cooked downstairs.
Chu Jiu brought the three little ones upstairs and began the “interrogation.”
The three little spirit beasts lined up in a row, looking up at the same angle, their small paws or tentacles tucked in front of their chests, each one obedient and adorable.
Chu Jiu’s face was serious, and various details from the past month flashed through his mind in a jumble—
He asked, grasping at straws, “That’s not right!”
“Last time I fainted, I clearly asked you if Big Can handed me over to Lu Qingyan, and you all said yes!”
You spirit beast babies shouldn’t lie!
The three little spirit beasts replied in unison, “That’s right.”
“Little Can turned into Big Can, and Big Can then turned into Lu Qingyan—”
“You went from Big Can’s back to Lu Qingyan’s arms, that’s right.”
Chu Jiu: ……!
You…!
Chu Jiu rubbed his forehead again, on the verge of tears again.
He sighed: “You… about the relationship between Little Can and Lu Qingyan, what else do you know?”
The three spirit beasts looked at each other, seemingly not knowing how to answer Chu Jiu’s question.
Finally, Glup-Glup waved its small tentacles and said, “Glup-Glup…”
“Before, Little Can was just Little Can. Later, because Little Can was anxious to save Chu Jiu, it suddenly turned into Big Can, and then into Lu Qingyan!”
Rawr Rawr Rabbit wiggled its ears: “Roar roar roar, yes! When we came out of the Earth’s Core, Little Can also turned into Big Can as soon as it saw Chu Jiu fall on the stairs.”
Kakaba nodded its head: “Dang dang dang! Just now, Little Can must have heard Chu Jiu yell and thought Chu Jiu was in danger, so it suddenly turned ‘big’ and then into human form!”
Hearing this, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but lower his eyes, the feeling in his heart even stranger.
Yes, every time, that guy—Big Can or Lu Qingyan—suddenly appeared when he was in danger.
He had always thought that Little Can was his best companion. Lu Qingyan was… might be a very good friend in the future.
But why didn’t they tell him that they were actually the same person, no, the same cat?
Chu Jiu bit his lip again, unable to describe the feeling in his heart.
At this moment, Rawr Rawr Rabbit hopped onto Chu Jiu’s lap, its small paws resting on Chu Jiu’s legs.
Glup-Glup also flew above Chu Jiu’s head, its small tentacles touching Chu Jiu’s forehead.
Kakaba rubbed its furry head against the back of Chu Jiu’s hand.
The three little spirit beasts looked at him worriedly: “Chu Jiu, why do you look a little sad?”
Chu Jiu twitched the corner of his mouth: “Ah, I thought Little Can wouldn’t hide anything from me. I didn’t expect such an important thing… it never told me.”
The three little spirit beasts looked at each other again and said in unison, “Don’t be sad! Little Can didn’t tell us either!”
“Not only didn’t it tell us, but sometimes when we mentioned the things the human-shaped Little Can did, it didn’t like to listen!”
…Hmm?
Speaking of which…
Little Can was a little cat that couldn’t hide anything and always showed everything on its cat face.
Rather than saying it deliberately didn’t tell him, it was more like—
Little Can itself didn’t know it could turn into Lu Qingyan?
Chu Jiu shook his head, deciding it was better to let the human-shaped Little Can, or rather Lu Qingyan, explain directly.
*
“Yes, it doesn’t know,” Lu Qingyan replied simply and definitively, adding another sizzling fried egg to Chu Jiu’s plate.
“It knows its body undergoes some changes in crisis situations, but it doesn’t know it transforms into me.”
Although he had somewhat guessed this answer, Chu Jiu still breathed a sigh of relief.
He was just wondering how to ask the next question when Lu Qingyan had already started explaining.
“Chu Jiu, do you remember that your ability allows you to temporarily turn into a little hamster in special circumstances?” Lu Qingyan asked.
Chu Jiu put the fried egg in his mouth and nodded repeatedly.
“My relationship with Little Can is basically the same as your relationship with the little hamster,” Lu Qingyan said, holding his water glass and looking at Chu Jiu with a calm expression.
“In special circumstances, we can summon each other and achieve a certain form of ‘interchange’.”
“But just like you didn’t know you would turn into a little hamster before, Little Can doesn’t know it turns into me.”
“As for why Little Can came and stayed by your side… I really can’t tell you right now.”
This was the most truthful explanation Lu Qingyan could give at the moment without attracting the attention of the “Insectoid Monitoring Field.”
Using or mentioning concepts that didn’t belong to this world, or revealing the truth too early, would leave traces in the omnipresent monitoring field.
Even if the Insectoids’ recent monitoring intensity had slightly decreased, it didn’t mean they would overlook areas with frequent problems.
Lu Qingyan couldn’t take the risk. He couldn’t expose his hidden comrades, the innocent civilians of this world, or the young man in front of him to danger.
“Oh oh, so it’s ‘summoning’ and ‘interchange’…” Chu Jiu muttered softly.
He didn’t realize that his brows had already relaxed.
Lu Qingyan paused for a second and then said, “About my side… I’m sorry, I should have told you the truth sooner.”
Chu Jiu waved his hand: “Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay.”
Lu Qingyan was taken aback for a moment and blurted out, “Aren’t you angry?”
Chu Jiu: “Hmm?”
Lu Qingyan fell silent.
How could this decorated marshal, a man who had dominated battlefields, not have expected that he would ask such a question without a second thought?
How childish, how petty.
He put down his water glass and said, “I didn’t tell you the truth at the beginning, so I was worried I had made you angry.”
Chu Jiu blinked and laughed, “Ah? No, no, no!”
“We weren’t very familiar at first!”
“I mean, I’m very familiar with Little Can, but I haven’t even met you a few times.”
“To be honest, if Little Can had deliberately hidden it from me, I would have been quite sad.”
“But on your side… it’s not like a stranger would come up and say, ‘You know, the cat next to you is a product of my ability and can summon me’.”
“If that were the case, I would have been really scared, hahaha.”
What’s more, Douglas had said, “Mr. Lu has his reasons!” and “Mr. Lu’s work is both mysterious and urgent!”
So it was quite normal that Lu Qingyan hadn’t brought up this matter, wasn’t it?
Looking at Chu Jiu’s happy eyes and brows, Lu Qingyan’s fingers turned the ceramic cup around a couple of times.
Not familiar.
Haven’t met a few times.
Stranger.
If it were Little Can, I would be quite sad.
…
You are truly angry because of the cat.
…Wait, what am I thinking?
Marshal Lu raised his hand and pinched his brow, once again surprised by the strange thoughts that suddenly popped into his head.
He looked at the young man in front of him, who seemed to have no more reservations and was drinking milk from his cup, and asked another question that surprised him:
“Is there anything else you want to know?”
Chu Jiu put down his cup, remembering the decision he had made before: never to pry.
Hmm, don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask. Don’t listen to what you shouldn’t listen to.
But Chu Jiu was indeed a little concerned about one detail.
He wiped the white milk mustache from the corner of his lips and said seriously, “It’s just…”
“After Little Can summons you, it doesn’t know what you’ve done, right?”
That’s why the little guy had amnesia several times.
Lu Qingyan: “That’s right.”
Chu Jiu: “Then… do you… know… what Little Can usually does?”
Like being held down for a bath by me, like lying on my pillow, like rolling around on my chest…
And also… like being kissed on the forehead, having its paws touched, and its belly sucked…
Chu Jiu’s face suddenly started to burn.
Fortunately, Lu Qingyan answered.
Lu Qingyan’s voice sounded very steady.
He said, “I can receive some information.”
“This information helps me make judgments faster.”
“Such as the enemies you face, and your location.”
Chu Jiu: …H-how rigorous!
Speaking of which, it doesn’t seem like anything special, does it?
Just simple information transfer.
Chu Jiu felt relieved.
He stood up to clear the plates, asking at the same time, “What kind of juice do you want to drink? I brought back a lot of grapes this time, but grape juice doesn’t taste good hot.”
They had agreed before that “when it snows, they would drink juice together, eat fries, eat roasted chestnuts, and play checkers.”
Now, of course, they had to do them one by one!
Lu Qingyan took the plates from Chu Jiu’s hands: “Grape juice is fine.”
“Before we drink juice and eat fries, how about taking a walk around the village?”
*
“Mr. Lu! You’re here!” Douglas, who had glimpsed Lu Qingyan’s figure from the window, was excited and ran out of the small courtyard through the snow. “Come, come, I’ll show you what facilities have been added to the village…”
“Coincidentally, I have something else I need to tell you…”
Irene kicked him, interrupting, “What, Doug is helping me stoke the stove… Little Jiu, why don’t you show Mr. Lu around? After you’re done, come back for some hot tea!”
“I’ve stored some excellent lavender and chamomile. The herbal tea I make is top-notch fragrant!”
So, Chu Jiu, who had originally planned to “call Douglas along,” ended up accompanying Lu Qingyan alone for a walk around the village, telling him, “Those empty houses should be occupied soon,” and “That piece of land has also been divided up…”
Behind them, Irene pinched her husband’s arm and whispered angrily:
“Are you stupid? Didn’t you see Mr. Lu’s body language? He clearly doesn’t welcome anyone else!”
“How long has it been since he and Little Jiu last met! It’s rare to see each other, and you’re still following along. Following along for what?”
Douglas also realized it at this moment and said repeatedly, “Right, right, I was so excited that I actually forgot that.”
He poked his head out, looking at their backs, watching Chu Jiu constantly talking and gesturing, and Lu Qingyan listening gently, and said curiously, “Why do I feel that when the two of them are together, whether it’s Little Jiu or Mr. Lu, the feeling they give people is a bit different?”
“For example, Little Jiu… he’s usually a very reliable and good kid, doing everything silently by himself, and doesn’t talk much…”
“But by Mr. Lu’s side, he suddenly talks a lot more?”
Irene rolled her eyes helplessly, sighing in her heart how her husband had managed to win her over all those years ago.
*
As they walked around the village, they happened to meet the three little squirrel brothers going out to play in the snow.
As soon as the three brothers saw Lu Qingyan, they immediately wagged their tails and their eyes lit up as they surrounded him: “Beautiful and powerful human male!”
Lu Qingyan: “……”
Chu Jiu: “Pfft!”
Lu Qingyan helplessly glanced at Chu Jiu, who was secretly laughing, and said gently, “Is it that funny? ‘Kind and righteous friend of spirits’?”
Chu Jiu immediately stopped laughing.
At the same time, he also realized something:
Before, when the little squirrels saw Little Can, they first called it “beautiful and powerful human male,” and later called it “beautiful and powerful partner”…
And also “met Little Can,” “he and the kitty are together”…
Thinking about it carefully now, hadn’t the little squirrels already noticed the special connection between Little Can and Lu Qingyan?
…So, whether it was the spirit beasts or the dwarf beastmen, everyone had noticed something.
The blind one was actually me.
Chu Jiu sighed inwardly and shook his head.
Lu Qingyan immediately noticed the small movement of the person beside him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Chu Jiu quickly said, “Nothing, nothing. Ah, didn’t Douglas say he had something to talk to you about? We’ve walked around the village now, let’s go to his house.”
*
Douglas welcomed Lu Qingyan into a separate small room.
Chu Jiu guessed that Douglas had some confidential matters to discuss with Lu Qingyan—after all, Lu Qingyan seemed to be Douglas’s former superior and was still engaged in some secret work.
Since that was the case, Chu Jiu naturally wouldn’t go in to disturb them.
He then proactively rolled up his sleeves to help Eileen clear the snow from the courtyard and the front door.
He was sweeping when a tall figure walked over and said in a muffled voice, “I’ll help.”
Turning his head, it was Reg.
Irene handed him a broom and said, “Didn’t you go to help Cheng Yue tidy up the firewood and sweep the snow? Why are you back so soon?”
Reg: “Yeah, finished.”
Irene: “Didn’t you stay longer? Chat with her more?”
Reg: “Didn’t know what to talk about.”
Irene: “After you finished, didn’t you say ‘it’s done’ to her?”
Reg: “I saw she was busy weaving, so I just put the broom away, hung up the axe, and came out.”
Irene: “…”
Chu Jiu scratched his head beside them, thinking that he seemed to remember Reg liking Cheng Yue?
If he liked her… he should try to talk to her more, even if he had nothing to say, he should think of something to say, right?
Just then, a girl wearing a dark blue padded robe, her hair gathered to one side in a braid, walked over through the snow.
It was Cheng Yue.
When Reg saw her, the hand holding the broom stiffened, and he stood there woodenly, not knowing whether to greet her or pretend not to see her.
But Cheng Yue walked directly towards him.
“Reg!” the girl called out to him first.
“H-hello…” Reg replied stiffly.
“Why did you run off as soon as you finished? I was still expecting you to look for me,” Cheng Yue said.
“I-I saw you were weaving…” Reg’s face started to turn red.
Cheng Yue smiled and said, “Yes, I was weaving.”
“I asked your patrol team members to bring me some thread earlier. It was quite complicated, and I just finished weaving it.”
With that, Cheng Yue shook a whole piece of dark blue cloth with bright colored thread outlining large flower patterns from her apron pocket:
“I heard you say before that you wanted to make a new cloak…”
“How about this piece of cloth?”
Hearing this, Irene beside them had already widened her eyes, and Chu Jiu was also leaning on his broom, looking curious.
However, Reg just nodded blankly: “Good.”
Anything Cheng Yue wove was always good.
Cheng Yue: “…Make a cloak for you?”
Reg: “Oh, that, um, is it very expensive? How much…”
Irene rushed out in one step, almost covering Reg’s mouth directly: “That’s wonderful, wonderful!”
“If Reg has such a cloak, he’ll probably laugh himself awake in his dreams at night! You think so, right Reg?”
Reg: “Very good, but I haven’t…”
I haven’t paid yet…
Irene stomped hard on his foot while stopping his next words with her eyes, and said directly, “Perhaps Reg could go to Sea Moon City and pick a beautiful comb, or some good flowers?”
“Cheng Yue’s hair is so beautiful, she definitely needs a beautiful comb!”
Reg finally seemed to understand something.
Even his ears started to turn red, and he clenched the broom tightly: “Y-yes, th-thank you for the cloak.”
“I… I’ll find a… the most suitable gift for you, c-can I?”
Cheng Yue’s face also flushed.
She nodded, said “goodbye” to them, and slowly walked back the way she came.
Leaving Reg holding the cloth and giggling foolishly.
“Cheng Yue, Cheng Yue is going to exchange gifts with me… hee hee… hee hee…”
“So… so she doesn’t dislike me… hee hee…” Reg started spinning around in the snow, his eyes sparkling. Irene pressed her chest and let out a long breath: “It’s really worrying…”
Chu Jiu was a little puzzled and lowered his voice: “They’re going to exchange gifts, why is Reg so happy?”
Such a tall, strong adult, laughing like a 200-pound idiot.
Irene pressed her chest again, with an expression that said, “Oh, Little Jiu, how come you don’t know anything?”:
“Little Jiu, in our Carrot Continent, doesn’t ‘exchanging gifts’ mean ‘you’re not bad, let’s try dating’?”
“Didn’t anyone in the place you used to live tell you this?”
Chu Jiu: “…Uh, we… we…”
We don’t seem to have such a classical and implicit way. Everyone is quite direct.
Irene looked at Chu Jiu’s hesitant expression and, confirming again that “Chu Jiu doesn’t understand anything,” patted his head earnestly: “Little Jiu, you’re quite smart in other things…”
“You have to hurry up and get smart about this important life event too!”
Otherwise, Mr. Lu will have to wait foolishly for who knows how long!
Chu Jiu blinked: “Don’t worry, I’m not that slow.”
At least not as slow as Reg, right? Not even able to tell if the person he likes likes him back?
However, the person I like…
It’s impossible for him to appear here anyway.
*
By the time Lu Qingyan and Chu Jiu returned to the Pioneer’s Cabin, it was already dusk.
Chu Jiu began to enthusiastically make dinner.
Lu Qingyan also went into the kitchen to help.
Starting the fire, boiling water, picking vegetables…
Lu Qingyan did these small, trivial things with incredible naturalness.
As Chu Jiu smeared seasoning on the chicken legs, he couldn’t help but glance a few more times at Lu Qingyan, who was stirring the egg mixture beside him:
The not-so-bright daylight and the slightly dim candlelight outlined the man’s sharp features. His slightly long eyelashes drooped halfway, casting a faint shadow on his face. His lips were a straight and slightly stern line…
In short, a face that was surprisingly handsome and surprisingly… reassuring.
The movements of Chu Jiu’s hands unconsciously slowed down.
Until Lu Qingyan raised his eyes to look at him, gesturing with his eyes: What’s wrong?
For some reason, Chu Jiu’s ears felt a little hot.
Looking into Lu Qingyan’s pair of eyes, as cold as ice and snow yet as clear as the sky, Chu Jiu blurted out without thinking, “Your eyes—they’re the same color as Little Can’s!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but regret it a little: wasn’t that obvious?
The corners of Lu Qingyan’s eyes curved slightly, a gentle and clear smile that reminded Chu Jiu of the snow this morning.
Chu Jiu’s heart beat a little faster, and he lowered his head, focusing on the chicken leg in his hand: “Uh, actually, I used to think it would be nice to see you and Little Can sitting side by side, with the same blue eyes and the same black clothes.”
“Now it seems you can’t exist in the same place at the same time.”
It’s so strange, why can I and the little hamster exist at the same time, but Lu Qingyan and Little Can can’t…?
But the little hamster comes from the system, and Little Can comes from Lu Qingyan’s ability, so they’re not the same thing in the first place, right?
Lu Qingyan said softly, “Perhaps, there will be such a day.”
Chu Jiu immediately raised his face: “Really?”
Lu Qingyan’s voice was gentle and steady: “Really.”
Chu Jiu couldn’t help but smile: “That’s great, that’s great…”
Looking at the clear smile on the young man’s face in front of him, Lu Qingyan was lost in thought for a second or two.
But he quickly shifted his gaze, changing the subject casually, “Aren’t you going to fry the fries?”
Chu Jiu said, “Fries? Ah, that’ll be a midnight snack!”
“Tonight I’m making roasted chicken legs, braised small fish, pan-fried pork chops… a whole table of hearty dishes!”
“And when night falls, we can roast chestnuts and fry fries together, and we can chat while playing checkers, how about that?”
Lu Qingyan said slowly, “Very good.”
Chu Jiu then continued to prepare the chicken legs with a smile in his eyes.
*
“This small fish—it’s a piranha, caught by Little Can.”
“Before, we usually fried it, but this time I used Sichuan peppercorns and mushrooms to make a soup base and braised the piranha. Let’s see how it tastes?”
Chu Jiu introduced excitedly.
“And this one, this long-tailed short lizard, Little Can helped catch it too… I brushed it with sauce and made grilled ribs.”
“And this, stewed pig trotters with beans! These pig trotters were also hunted by Little Can! Such a big wild boar, Little Can took care of it in no time!”
Lu Qingyan listened with interest.
Rawr Rawr Rabbit, munching on the grilled ribs, mumbled indistinctly, “Roar roar roar, Little Can is the best!”
Kakaba happily held up the corn: “Dang dang! Little Can is the best!”
Glup-Glup sucked on the grape juice contentedly: “Glup-Glup! Little Can is the best!”
Chu Jiu raised his cup: “Little Can is the best!”
“I hope one day, Little Can can be with us too!”
Lu Qingyan raised his cup and said, “It will.”
The three little spirit beasts were a little confused, but they also cheerfully raised their grilled ribs, corn, and grape juice: “Together!”
*
The moon came out.
Moonlight shone on the new snow, exceptionally bright.
Chu Jiu took out the checkers he had made himself with small stones and fruit pits and placed them in front of Lu Qingyan: “Have you played checkers before? Should I explain the rules to you first?”
Lu Qingyan: “Chu Jiu?”
Chu Jiu: “Hmm?”
Lu Qingyan: “There’s something I have to tell you.”
Chu Jiu: “…Hmm?”
Lu Qingyan: “The time I can replace Little Can… isn’t very long.”
Chu Jiu’s voice changed immediately: “Wait, does that mean when you appear, Little Can and the current me are in danger, like before?”
Spiritual power constantly draining, and if he didn’t switch back in time, he would directly die?
Lu Qingyan said with extreme certainty, “No, it’s very safe.”
Chu Jiu then breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Lu Qingyan: “There are other restrictions that prevent me from staying too long.”
Chu Jiu: “…Ah.”
Lu Qingyan: “……Hmm.”
Chu Jiu twitched the corner of his mouth, stood up, and his speech became fast and urgent:
“Ah, you should have said so earlier.”
“The chestnuts are just roasted, I’ll go get them.”
“And the fries, is it still too late to fry them now…?”
Lu Qingyan held Chu Jiu’s arm: “It’s okay.”
Chu Jiu: “…Eh?”
Lu Qingyan: “There’s no need to rush to do everything at once.”
“We…”
“Will meet again…”
“Definitely…”
“I…”
Lu Qingyan’s voice lowered.
His hand, covered by a black glove, became scorching hot.
Until a flash of white light.
A small black cat stood blankly in the palm of Chu Jiu’s hand.
The little black cat scratched its small paw in confusion, tilting its small head: “Meow, meow?” — “Did I just! Did I fall asleep and have a long dream?”
I remember Chu Jiu seemed to be in danger, and then I rushed out…
What happened next? How did it suddenly become night?
Chu Jiu stood there in a daze for a long while before finally bringing Little Can up to his eyes and kissing its small forehead.
He held Little Can and whispered, “Perhaps… I also had a dream.”
