Chapter 3 — Thuong Nguyet Thanh Ca

Tien Quan seemed too lazy to take care of this matter and didn't even glance at me one more time. His eyes glanced over the two of us, then turned back to the inner sanctum and slammed the door. Thanh Loan breathed a sigh of relief, lifted me up a bit, her soft lips pressed close to my ear: "A Doanh... Tien Quan won't make things difficult for you, will he?" "This morning I went to pick fruit for you, but when I came back I couldn't find it. I thought you... didn't need me anymore." After speaking, his eyes were slightly suspicious: "Is it the Immortal Monarch who came to capture her?" The Immortal Knight is famous for his cleanliness. He has never stepped into someone else's territory, not even the cave of his own spirit beast. I shook my head. "I woke up and didn't see her, so I wanted to go look for her. But I ran the wrong way... and was caught by Tien Quan." Fortunately, I'm still in fox form, so even if I lie, no one will see me blush. Thanh Loan believed my words and hugged me even tighter, as if hugging a lost treasure and finding it again. "I'm just afraid she's tired from last night and can't bear to wake her up. Next time I'll definitely take her with me." The teenager's face suddenly turned unusually red, and his whole body temperature also increased significantly. As if thinking of something... but suddenly feeling shy. He lowered his voice, leaned close to my ear and whispered: "A Doanh... sign a contract with me, okay? I will take care of you for the rest of my life... is that okay?" I looked straight into his eyes - in those eyes, my image was clearly reflected. And I found myself nodding. I heard myself answer: “Okay.” At that moment, the sound of spiritual energy breaking was heard in the hall, as if some magic weapon was thrown hard to the ground. On the tree branch outside the temple, small birds were startled and flew away. Thanh Loan was momentarily stunned, but then just smiled, a smile like sunshine: "It seems that Tien Quan is not in a good mood... Shall we go?" "YES!" (6) My mother often said: In the fox clan, the stupidest fox is me. He said: My mind is like being stuffed with diluted glue. When I shake it, I can still hear the sound of running water. So stupid that even natural enemies criticize him and don't bother to eat. I don't believe it! Because that year, I was the first fox in my class to learn to transform, everyone called me "Great Intelligence". Unfortunately... until today, other than transformation and luck, I haven't learned anything else. My classmates at the same age had already mastered the art of teleportation, but I still relied on my agile limbs to run with my own strength. They often tease me, calling me: "Waste of breakfast", born only to warm the hands and bed of a future partner, without any other usefulness. I still don't believe it! Because from the moment I opened my eyes, my heart has always told me: "I am the most special fox in this clan." Surely one day, Heaven will give us a great responsibility - it's just that... we still don't know what that "responsibility" is. My mother once held me in her arms and gently comforted me: "It's okay to be a little stupid. As long as you know how to do good things, sooner or later you will be favored by God. Who knows, maybe one morning when we wake up, our A Doanh will truly become... a smart fox." I raised my small face and asked my mother: "What is called doing a good deed? They say helping people is a good deed. But if unfortunately I help the wrong person... is that still a good deed?" Perhaps my question that year... was too profound. Because my mother... stood still for half a day, unable to answer. A long while later, my mother gently stroked my back, her voice full of intimacy: "The fairy king Phi Tu of Thanh Kiem Mountain was once kind to our fox clan. Your spirit beast is a Thanh Luan divine bird, now it's in heat, and needs a mate to overcome it." I glared at my mother, unable to say a word. I see a dim watery light in her eyes, as if she is trying to hold back her sadness: "Thanh Loan is a divine bird, and the spirit beast of Phi Tu Tien Quan. You go to repay your kindness, and consider it a blessing for our fox clan to climb high." Everyone said it was "climbing high", but in their hearts it was clear like a mirror - what Thanh Loan needed was not a partner, but a tool to help overcome the period of love. Once the heat wave passes, no one will care whether that tool is thrown away or not. After all — a Qing Luan divine bird, even if it only loses a hair, our entire fox clan combined cannot compare to it. I asked with a trembling voice: "So... the one who was thrown away... was you, right?" Almost immediately, I understood — a little fox like me who only knew how to transform was the pawn being sacrificed. My mother told me to do "good deeds", but it turned out to be just a nice word. Except for a few elders, all the foxes in the clan said I was stupid. But actually... I'm the smartest one. (7) A smart person like me, actually... also knows the fear of being thrown away. Therefore, in my previous life, I did not dare to get close to Thanh Loan, for fear that I would truly become something that would be used and thrown away. I only dare to be clumsy and careful, following the stone-cold Immortal Monarch to please him. Just want to prove - I also have value. But unfortunately... The achievements of my previous life can be summed up in just a few words: My demon pill saved Tien Quan's life once. Additionally, there isn't any value. There is no contract. There is no recognition. There was no name beside him, not even a glance. … I'm really scared. Fear of not being worthy to exist. Fear for life is just a tool. But now — I am alive again. I won't let anyone... take away my trust again. In this life, Thanh Loan placed me on the stone bed with soft, warm cushions, scratched my head shyly, her beautiful phoenix eyes glittering with water: "Ah... Ah Doanh, can... can you transform back into human form?" Faced with such beauty, I nodded. Right after that, I returned to human form. But… it's a bit embarrassing. His clothes were torn and ruined after last night's melee. Before he could raise his head, his whole body was wrapped tightly in a brocade blanket. His face was so red that it couldn't be redder, his trembling hands hugged me and the blanket, wrapping it tightly while muttering as if blaming himself: "I'm dead... I forgot to buy a dress..." I quickly pulled both legs under the blanket, looking at the bed covered with a brand new brocade mattress, a light flashed in my head: "You got up so early... to go buy a mattress?" I still remember clearly, yesterday on this stone bed there were only tiger skins and jade pillows. Now there is not only a cotton mattress, but also a pillow that just makes you want to fall asleep. Thanh Loan heard that and tilted her head to avoid it, clearly not daring to look at me: "Yesterday... you said... rubbing your back hurts..." My face also immediately turned red. Half of his face was buried in the blanket, trying to hide his unbearable shame. The gentle scent of flowers spread from him all over moving, I was hugged by him, so close that I could clearly hear his heartbeat - fast, strong, and clear. My forehead felt hot, he left a light kiss on it. Not a word was said, but that kiss was as serious as an unspoken vow. He whispered in his ear: "A Doanh, after signing the contract... you can't abandon me anymore. Have you really... thought about it carefully?" In the gentle breeze of incense, I seemed to see my past life in order to save Tien Quan and die, at that time... Thanh Loan himself hugged me tightly, his tears fell on my cold face, as hot as the arms that were holding me right now. My eyes suddenly became blurry, my eyelashes trembled slightly, a tear silently fell - clumsily wiped away by the person in front of me. He seemed panicked, his hands and feet fumbling: "Don't cry... If A Doanh doesn't like me, don't sign a contract... that's fine... I know... I can't compare to Tien Quan..." Under my palm, I felt his heart pounding, from his chest to my hand, the heat spreading like a warm halo. My heart also beats really fast. This feeling... Is called... emotional, right?