Chapter 24

“Dear Brother, you speak of emptiness, yet why do you tightly close your eyes and dare not look at me?”

Lu Nong playfully tugged at her clothes, her brows curling in a seductive manner, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters. Her skin resembled jade, and her waist was slender enough to be grasped with one hand. She had transformed from a mischievous monkey into the enchanting queen of a land filled with beauty.

Pei Ji’an pressed down her hands, which were still attempting to remove her clothing, and draped his outer garment over her exposed shoulder. However, Lu Nong shifted her tone and playfully scolded, “Naughty monkey, do you dislike me for being a monster? Speak up, why are you silent?”

Pei Ji’an rubbed his forehead, still caught off guard by her playful accusation of being a “monster.” He hadn’t expected her to switch roles so suddenly, and he asked, “Who are you?”

Lu Nong huffed angrily, “I’m the White Bone Spirit! Aha, I knew you had your eyes on that little witch, Zixia.”

Pei Ji’an: “…”

Who was Zixia? The stories in Journey to the West were all over the place. How could he not know that the monk was involved with the king of the Daughter Kingdom, while Sun Wukong was in a love affair with the White Bone Spirit?

Seeing that Pei Ji’an wasn’t responding, Lu Nong pouted, climbed onto the bed, and draped herself over his thigh. Leaning closer, she whispered in his ear, “Monk, am I beautiful?”

With her innocent and charming demeanor, she stirred his heartstrings without even realizing it. Pei Ji’an had never seen the enchanting female spirits from Journey to the West, but he thought Lu Nong resembled them quite well.

As she blew softly in his ear again, Pei Ji’an gripped her slim waist, gently pulling her away from him.

Lu Nong did not struggle and fell back on the bed, her long hair cascading around her. With Pei Ji’an no longer holding her back, she quickly shed her outer garment, leaving only a white, belly-baring camisole. After changing, she stood proudly with her hands on her hips and flashed him a triumphant smile.

In the next moment, she placed her hands on her navel and mimicked a spider spirit spinning silk, dramatically saying, “Zhu Bajie, you ugly pig! Once I catch you, we’ll go back to the Pansidong and enjoy some cold pig ears!”

Pei Ji’an took a deep breath, feeling a headache coming on. He pulled the neatly folded quilt from the head of the bed and covered Lu Nong completely before turning to head downstairs to call Aunt Wu to keep an eye on her.

As he reached the door, he suddenly felt something was off. Why was it so quiet in the room?

Turning around, he saw that the figure on the bed, along with the quilt, had completely disappeared. His heart raced as he feared something had happened to Lu Nong. He hurried back, only to find her squatting under the bed, wrapped in the quilt and completely still, staring ahead.

“…What are you doing?” Pei Ji’an couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Nong glanced at him with a puzzled look, still silent as she continued to stare ahead. After a while, she finally spoke, “I’m a mushroom. How can a mushroom talk? You’re so silly.”

“Then how can you talk now?” Pei Ji’an had developed some patience, calmly questioning her.

“Because I’ve become a spirit!” Lu Nong exclaimed, tossing the quilt off and spinning in circles. As she twirled, her feet became unsteady, and she stumbled, almost falling. Luckily, Pei Ji’an was quick enough to catch her.

“Thank you! The mushroom spirit will repay you,” Lu Nong said, holding onto Pei Ji’an’s hand with a serious expression. “Let me check your pulse to see what’s wrong with you.”

“Well, your kidneys seem a bit weak,” she nodded earnestly. “Oh, just like my husband. Sigh!”

She looked at Pei Ji’an with sympathy.

“Lu Nong,” Pei Ji’an said, suddenly pinning her down on the bed, his gaze dangerous as he asked, “Are you that eager to find out if your husband is capable?”

Instead of being intimidated, Lu Nong thought for a moment before beckoning Pei Ji’an closer as if sharing a secret. She whispered in his ear, “Just between us, Pei Zheng said his dad was single for over ten years after the divorce, so maybe he really isn’t capable. He also said…”

What else she had to say, Pei Ji’an didn’t know because he leaned in and blocked her chattering mouth with his.

Lu Nong’s breath was heavy with the scent of strong liquor. Normally, Pei Ji’an disliked the smell, but at that moment, he found it surprisingly pleasant, even starting to like it.

This was the second kiss he shared with the same woman, and like the first, it brought him unimaginable waves of emotion.

As they kissed, he mirrored Lu Nong’s movements, dancing with her tongue, exploring each other.

When the kiss finally broke, Lu Nong seemed to relax, wrapping her arms around Pei Ji’an’s neck like a kitten, gently licking the corners of his lips.

It was like dropping the final stone into a volcano that seemed calm on the surface but was bubbling with anticipation inside. Suddenly, it erupted. Pei Ji’an held Lu Nong’s delicate wrist over her head, using his other hand to caress her face, gently tracing her forehead, nose, and mouth…

The unfortunate little camisole had already been pushed down to her collarbone. Lu Nong felt a strange mix of pain and numbness at her lips, letting out a soft sound. She turned her head and tried to push him away, but a large hand captured hers, intertwining their fingers.

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door.

The tall figure on the bed froze, his pupils contracting. Pei Ji’an took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He quickly adjusted Lu Nong’s clothes, covered her with the thin blanket, and placed her gently on the pillow before getting up to open the door.

When he opened it, Aunt Wu stood there holding a bowl of hangover soup. “Son-in-law, the hangover soup is ready. Quickly give it to the young lady before she wakes up with a headache…”

Before she could finish, Aunt Wu eyed Pei Ji’an suspiciously. Seeing his restrained and composed demeanor, dressed only in a white shirt with the collar unbuttoned, she suddenly understood. A smile of delight crossed her face.

“Son-in-law, the young lady doesn’t sleep soundly, so please take extra care of her. I need to go look after Xiao Zheng and Huaihuai.” As she spoke, she pressed the hangover soup into Pei Ji’an’s hands and hurried downstairs as if someone were chasing her.

As dusk fell, the room darkened. Pei Ji’an switched on the light, placing the hangover soup on the bedside table, and gazed at the sleeping Lu Nong.

After all the commotion, she was now peacefully asleep, her expression innocent and naive, completely at odds with her earlier flirty demeanor.

As he watched her, he found himself lost in thought, wondering which version of her was the true Lu Nong.

In fact, Pei Ji’an had seen Lu Nong a long time ago, perhaps even before Gu Weiguo.

Six years ago, he was injured on the battlefield and urgently transferred back to the military hospital. One day, while recovering, he felt suffocated in the ward and decided to take a walk downstairs. He had just settled on a bench next to a gazebo when he heard a few nurses anxiously calling up to a tree, “Lu Nong, come down! It’s too dangerous.”

“Yes, yes, be careful! It’s such a high tree, it’s not a joke if you fall!”

Pei Ji’an looked up and saw a girl about sixteen or seventeen years old precariously perched on a tall, lush phoenix tree. She was holding something in her left hand, trying hard to pass it into a bird’s nest, completely ignoring the voices below her.

After finally placing the little bird into the nest, the girl beamed a proud smile down at those below. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her smiling face. Perhaps overwhelmed with joy, she even let go of the tree for a moment, placed her hands on her hips, and boasted,

“Don’t worry, this tree isn’t too high for me. You can say I’m not as smart as others, but when it comes to climbing trees, no one can beat me. My cousin and sister have both lost to me. I’ve even climbed the osmanthus tree to pick flowers and eat them. When they bloom again, I’ll come and gather some for you all.”

Those below couldn’t help but feel anxious for her. This glutton was lamenting how the osmanthus tree hadn’t bloomed yet.

She was pointing toward an osmanthus tree not far from the phoenix tree when she unexpectedly caught sight of Pei Ji’an below. They exchanged a silent glance. Realizing that he had overheard her bragging, she sheepishly smiled at him and slowly climbed down from the tree.

“Be careful. I know you’re impressive, but don’t fall,” Pei Ji’an called out.

Just as he finished speaking, a young nurse gasped in surprise. The glutton had lost her footing while climbing down and fell when she was two-thirds of the way down. Pei Ji’an quickly stood up.

Before he could reach her, the girl scrambled to her feet, looking frustrated. Nonchalantly, she said, “That doesn’t count. Just a small accident. My tree-climbing skills are always better than my skills in other areas. I won’t have any more mishaps next time.”

Pei Ji’an found her amusing and quietly sat back down on the bench.

One of the nurses couldn’t hold back her laughter and said, “You’d better not let Lu Fang from the logistics department hear that. Otherwise, she might really hit you. If you aren’t smarter than the rest, then there won’t be any smart people in the entire hospital.”

“Hey, don’t tell her,” the glutton replied with a grin.

She glanced at Pei Ji’an once more, and when she saw that he wasn’t looking back, she waved goodbye to a few nurses and left.

Pei Ji’an’s hospital room faced the osmanthus tree. Ever since then, he often caught sight of the glutton wandering under the tree, sighing at it.

A month later, autumn arrived, and the osmanthus tree finally bloomed, filling the air with a rich fragrance. Sure enough, the glutton appeared, accompanied by a group of young nurses, excitedly pointing at the tree.

That day was also Pei Ji’an’s discharge day. The guard packed up and waited for his orders to leave. However, Pei Ji’an stood by the window, gazing at the osmanthus tree, until Pei Zheng, shy and fidgety, appeared in the room. Pei Ji’an had not told his family about his injury and hospitalization, and Pei Zheng also didn’t know how he had learned about it.

Pei Ji’an pulled his gaze away from the osmanthus tree. Pei Zheng arrived just in time, and without any hesitation, he walked out of the room.

Four years later, he attended the wedding of his best friend, Gu Weiguo, and saw the glutton, who had now completely grown up. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

The world is vast, so vast that in those four years, two strangers did not cross paths again. Yet, the world is also small.

Pei Ji’an raised his glass to toast, but perhaps due to his cold demeanor, the bride nestled timidly in Gu Weiguo’s embrace, appearing fragile and sensitive. It seemed as though all the lively energy from the past was merely Pei Ji’an’s imagination. He could even see that she genuinely depended on and trusted Gu Weiguo, without any pretense.

Not long after the wedding, a regional war broke out. Pei Ji’an and Gu Weiguo both went to the battlefield. The war ended in victory, and on the last day of combat, Gu Weiguo shared his story about Lu Nong.

The Lu Nong in the story was not the same glutton he had met.

They had grown up together, like brothers, just as Pei Ji’an understood Gu Weiguo. Gu Weiguo had also seen something during their brief interaction at the wedding.

Pei Ji’an listened quietly, neither confirming nor denying, for even he did not know whether the person he had met was just a figment of his imagination beneath the osmanthus tree.