Chapter 42: The Promise of a Free Tour Across the Sea of Stars
Sleep is the best medicine for everything.
After drinking too much, you woke up the next day feeling completely refreshed…
However, seeing that you had taken up most of the small bed while Fu Xuan could only curl up in a corner, you felt a little embarrassed.
You carefully got up, planning to make breakfast as atonement.
Your supposedly subtle movements immediately woke Fu Xuan.
"Big Brother~ Don't run away…"
Still half-asleep, she clung to you like a koala, ruining your plan…
The Grand Diviner is really clingy…
Is this really the predecessor of that small, sharp-tongued Xianzhou Diviner?
Considering the age difference between you—nearly fifty for you, barely twenty for her…
Sleeping in the same bed felt absurd.
But…
Long-lived species have no concept of the passage of time.
If fifty and twenty feel absurd and unspeakable…
Then what about one hundred and fifty and one hundred and twenty?
What about one thousand and fifty and one thousand and twenty?
As time passes, the age gap only gradually diminishes.
After pretending to be a long-lived species, you realized you had freed yourself from a certain moral torment.
To be honest, you are not a saint of lofty moral character, but rather an utterly vulgar scoundrel…
Looking at the girl's beautiful sleeping face, that sweet sleeping posture with her lips slightly curved—only you could see it.
You felt relieved, silently gazing at her cheek as your resolve grew stronger.
You would never allow her to bear that crime and regret it for the rest of her life…
You guessed that she had painstakingly carried you back last night.
That was why she was so exhausted and slept for so long.
You watched quietly for a long time—until a line of crystal-clear drool slid onto your fist…
You did not move, like a stone.
"Big Brother~ Don't run away…"
Even in her sleep, Fu Xuan still murmured those words, making you feel very… warm.
Much later, when the girl slowly woke up, it was already noon.
She realized the trouble her less-than-elegant sleeping posture had caused.
Blushing, she massaged your numb arm and smoothed your wrinkled clothes…
When she saw the small damp stain on your fist, her cheeks flushed even more, as if they were about to drip blood.
She kept whispering, "Big Brother, I'm sorry, I dirtied your clothes…"
After saying it several times, she took out an elegant, exquisitely tailored robe from her wardrobe.
You were very surprised, wondering where that clothing came from.
"I made them for Big Brother. I've been doing this for several years…"
Her eyes were lowered, her voice as soft as a mosquito's.
Grand Diviner, oh Grand Diviner—how could you fall so low, not practicing divination, but instead sewing clothes for someone else?
How depraved…!
But you liked it very much…
You happily accepted your little sister's gift.
"The old ones—don't wear them anymore, Big Brother~"
She held the clothes you had changed out of, seemingly intending to throw them away.
Naturally, you agreed.
With new clothes made by your little sister, why wear old ones?
Still, you were deeply moved by the girl's meticulousness—the clothes she made fit you perfectly…
Thinking that Miss Fu, from a prominent family, could sew with such exquisite craftsmanship…
Your heart was stirred even more.
She must have suffered quite a bit during the process, right? What a good little sister!
You looked at her slender, delicate fingers, trying to find something like a "needle prick" on them…
But you failed…
"What are you looking at, Big Brother?"
"I'm checking whether your hands have a lot of sewing scars…"
"How could I have any?"
The girl pouted, but warmth spread through her heart. Fool—how could a long-lived species leave scars? They heal instantly, silly Big Brother…
"Tsk! Delicate hands, white as jade, like those of the heroines in stories…"
"Hmph, hmph, I'm changing clothes—hurry up and leave, bad Big Brother…"
The girl's soft hands burst out with surprising strength, pushing you out of her bedroom.
It was only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before she opened the door and reappeared before you.
Dressed and made up, youthful and vibrant…
She possessed the stunning beauty of the future Grand Diviner, yet none of the Grand Diviner's authority.
Playful, adorable…
Your heart fluttered.
The girl carefully observed your reaction, and when she saw a hint of admiration in your eyes, the corners of her lips curved slightly, revealing a somewhat proud smile.
A scholar dies for one who understands him…
A woman adorns herself for the one she loves…
This was exactly that.
You prepared some food, and the vague unease in your heart dissipated like smoke.
Life is like this—how can one live without regrets? One must seize the present to the fullest.
Enjoy every moment of the present, every moment of love…
Everything must be carefully experienced and felt with the heart.
After eating, she took you on a tour of Luofu…
From Chang'an Street to Jinren Alley, from the Seat of Divine Foresight to the Sea of the Stellar Abyss…
You had a wonderful time.
It was a festival day in Xianzhou, with people coming and going, many couples walking hand in hand—and you seemed to be one of them too.
Immersed in a world that belonged only to the two of you.
Feeling those two words unique to humanity:
[Happiness]
But good times are always fleeting. Unconsciously, the light within the celestial ship gradually dimmed.
Night was about to fall…
And your short journey was nearing its end.
"Is Big Brother leaving?"
Fu Xuan asked softly.
You nodded; you had to return…
You had originally thought of opening your academy in Luofu, but after careful consideration, you realized that doing so might affect your plans…
So you did not mention it.
"Big Brother, then let's release sky lanterns…"
Fu Xuan pointed to a small lantern stall on the street.
You immediately agreed.
You went to the crowded stall and bought a very large lantern.
After lighting it, the firelight passed through the special paper, illuminating your crimson-tinted cheeks.
"Big Brother, after the war ends, let's rent a star skiff and travel across the Sea of the Stellar Abyss…"
Fu Xuan said softly, her golden eyes reflecting the firelight that the paper could not contain.
"Fu Xuan doesn't want to be the Grand Diviner—she just wants to be Big Brother's little sister…"
"For all eternity, your little sister…"
"Mmm."
The girl's words persuaded you. You looked at her profile, thinking that if that day ever came…
It would surely be wonderful.
You shook your head, suppressing the distracting thoughts in your heart.
"Little sister, it's time to let go…"
"Alright, Big Brother—together!"
Hot air filled the large paper lantern, and the two of you released your hands at the same time.
The lantern slowly ascended, carrying your wishes…
Blending into the night sky, just like the countless lanterns released that night. Though the wishes of each owner were different, they all still hoped for them to come true.