Pregnant with the Immortal Venerable's Child After Divorce - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Are You Jealous?

Qi Ranyin heard Yan Zhu was going to get the flying boat and knew it would be a small one, but when he saw the boat that was clearly dressed up but still looked simple, he was slightly speechless.

He said to Yan Zhu, who walked out, “This is too shabby.”

It looked like a box was placed on a small boat and then covered with a hat. In order not to appear too frugal, a few somewhat old cloths and a few mismatched tassels were hung on it, making it so ugly that Qi Ranyin wanted to close his eyes.

They weren’t going on a refugee escape this time, so why choose such an ugly boat?

“Senior Brother said not to flaunt wealth.” Yan Zhu explained, “When he gave me this flying boat, he told me to decorate it plainly myself, saying it wouldn’t attract attention that way. After all, my cultivation is not high, and I need to be careful outside.”

Hearing that it was given by Wen Sucheng, Qi Ranyin was momentarily suspicious. How could that man be so generous to Yan Zhu and yet give him such an awful boat? But then, thinking of Wen Sucheng’s suffocating, funereal aesthetic, he felt it was reasonable.

However, Qi Ranyin still didn’t want to get on.

He said, “A beauty should be matched with a flower boat, and both of us are super beauties. Even if we have to be low-key, we can’t be so tacky. If not, let’s use mine.”

Yan Zhu ignored him and pulled his hand, getting onto the flying boat.

Qi Ranyin resisted with all his might, but A’Fu helped push from behind. He couldn’t win against this master and disciple duo and could only shout “No” in protest, like a young lady being forced onto a sedan chair.

But once inside the cabin, Qi Ranyin’s voice quieted down.

No other reason than the fact that this ugly boat’s interior was actually surprisingly spacious. Although not particularly large, it was more than enough to accommodate dozens of people for a banquet. The decoration was exquisite and luxurious, built with the best spirit wood, and then carved with patterns and integrated with formations, making it both beautiful and practical. The floor was covered with a rug, the ceiling had a giant glazed lamp, and the four sides were not solid panels but flexible, openable carved windows. They were open now, and the incoming wind stirred the cicada-wing-thin Jiao gauze hanging down, adding a touch of hazy elegance to the plain exterior scenery.

Qi Ranyin fell in love with the boat at first sight: “This is the flying boat we should be riding.”

Yan Zhu explained, “Senior Brother had someone design it. He said that if I wanted to go out with friends, this flying boat could serve as both transportation and a place to entertain guests. There are also spirit-attaching puppets in the bottom cabin, so no need to worry about chores.”

Qi Ranyin choked on his words when he heard this. He stared at Yan Zhu for a long time before saying, “Although you’re divorced, your life has completely become his.”

Yan Zhu didn’t think much of it and said, “After all, we lived together for many years. It’s not so easy to cut ties completely. The resting area is on the third floor; go up yourself.” He looked at A’Fu next to him, “I’ll pilot the boat. You go down to the bottom cabin and activate the spirit-attaching puppets.”

A’Fu responded with a sound.

Not long after, a flying boat flew south from Fenxue Peak.

Although the boat was small, Fenxue Peak was Wen Sucheng’s residence, so it always received more attention. Therefore, the flying boat was noticed as soon as it left.

A disciple immediately ran to Wen Sucheng, saying that Martial Uncle Yan had left, his tone anxious, as if Yan Zhu hadn’t traveled by flying boat but had stolen it and fled.

Wen Sucheng was staring at the scroll in his hand. He usually handled things quickly, but this time he looked at it for a while without moving, making the disciple who came to report sweat a little. He thought, Didn’t I just take a little spiritual stone? Did Martial Uncle notice that too?

He was hesitating whether to confess when he heard the words of the disciple who ran in, and his vision instantly darkened. He glared at him and cursed softly, “Why are you causing trouble?”

The disciple didn’t think he was causing trouble and righteously said, “Junior Martial Uncle used the sect’s flying boat without permission. This is a big or small matter. How is it causing trouble?”

Just as he finished speaking, Wen Sucheng coldly swept a glance at him, carrying a hint of pressure that instantly made the disciple kneel.

Wen Sucheng rarely showed emotion, and the rare sign of displeasure immediately scared everyone present, making them tremble uncontrollably.

“That is his.” Wen Sucheng put down the scroll in his hand. “Anything else?”

The disciple kowtowed and didn’t dare to speak again.

Only then did Wen Sucheng pick up his pen and draw two circles on the scroll. After writing his comments, he returned it to the disciple, picked up the next scroll to look at, and the speed was as slow as before.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t multitask, but those spirit-attaching puppets hadn’t been used for too long, and it was hard to tell if any of them had problems. He had to check them carefully.

The spirit-attaching puppet made a “clack” sound, and its head suddenly fell off, hitting the ground with a “thud,” rolling into the corner and hitting it with another “thud.”

A’Fu glanced at it, saw that a part was loose, and went to pick up the puppet’s head. He took out a replacement from his Qiankun ring, fixed the puppet, and after confirming there was no problem, he restarted it and went to check the next one.

One after another, exquisitely crafted wooden puppets walked out from the bottom cabin. They all had the same smiling face, but their clothes were different. The female puppets had different hairstyles, like princesses, maids, chefs, and farm women. The male puppets wore different clothes, like scholars, generals, merchants, and gardeners. All kinds of people were represented, as if the inhabitants of a small city had been moved here.

Qi Ranyin stood on the third floor, watching the puppets move around the boat like real people. He was amazed and couldn’t help but say to Yan Zhu behind him, “Are you really not going to…”

“You’re so annoying.” Yan Zhu frowned and glanced at him. “I don’t want to see that block of wood again. I just want to find some young and fun people, a hundred of them!”

This sentence was overheard by A’Fu, who came upstairs. He walked to Yan Zhu’s side and sat down, picked up a spiritual fruit from the table, peeled it, and handed the flesh to Yan Zhu’s lips.

Yan Zhu opened his mouth and ate it. The sweet and sour juice burst in his mouth.

Just as he was about to tell A’Fu to eat some himself, he heard A’Fu ask him softly, “Is Master going to find me a new Shiniang?”

Yan Zhu was immediately choked by the unswallowed fruit and coughed heavily a few times.

A’Fu quickly got up and patted his back, his movements very gentle.

Yan Zhu covered his mouth, looking at A’Fu’s face, his ears a little red.

Although A’Fu was actually an adult cat, looking at this twelve or thirteen-year-old face, Yan Zhu felt a sense of guilt for corrupting a child, especially since he had a face similar to Wen Sucheng’s.

“No, not yet.” Yan Zhu cleared his throat and said seriously, “Children shouldn’t ask such strange questions.”

A’Fu said “Oh,” and sat back down next to Yan Zhu, reaching out and pinching the corner of his clothing, asking, “Will the new Shiniang like me?”

Yan Zhu thought of the light and somewhat cautious movement on his back just now, and then looked at his disciple’s somewhat nervous and wronged expression. Only then did Yan Zhu realize that he was worried that the hypothetical “Shiniang” wouldn’t like him.

It was commonly said that having a stepmother meant having a stepfather, so it was normal for A’Fu to worry.

Yan Zhu immediately reached out and put his arm around his shoulder, comforting him: “No, no matter who I’m with, you’ll always be my disciple.”

A’Fu glanced at the hand on his shoulder, his voice quieter: “Will Master only have one disciple, me?”

Yan Zhu was stunned, then smiled, reaching out and pinching his ear, asking, “Are you jealous?”

A’Fu pursed his lips and muttered softly, “Is it not allowed?”

Seeing A’Fu use this face to say such a spoiled thing, Yan Zhu couldn’t resist with all his might. He raised his hand to cover A’Fu’s face, feeling a little embarrassed: “Don’t say things like that with this face.”

A’Fu let out a soft “hmph” through his nose: “Senior Martial Uncle would never say such a thing.”

“It’s precisely because he wouldn’t that I’m embarrassed,” Yan Zhu said. “This kind of contrast is unbearable.”

A’Fu said, “Then does Master like Senior Martial Uncle?”

Yan Zhu reached out to pinch his cheek and laughed: “Why are you asking these things, you little kitten? You don’t understand, you just know how to play all day. You’ll understand when you find a female cat you like in the future.”

A’Fu stiffened his face: “I won’t look for a female cat.”

His serious look made him even more like Wen Sucheng.

Yan Zhu could only take out a fan from his Qiankun ring to block his face and said, “If you don’t look for a female cat, what do you plan to look for? Speaking of which, I haven’t seen your estrus period. Did you already find a little female cat outside?”

A’Fu didn’t answer. He lowered his body, transformed back into a cat, jumped onto Yan Zhu’s lap, grabbed his clothes, climbed up, and nudged his chin with his furry head.

Yan Zhu was immediately amused. He raised his hand and stroked his furry head, saying, “Why do you always do this when you’re shy? Should I not have left you with Senior Brother to look after? Not only did you learn sword skills from him, but you also picked up this habit of not speaking.”

A’Fu’s body stiffened upon hearing this.

Yan Zhu lifted the little cat by his armpits, and the furry body immediately flowed downwards like water.

He shook the cat toy in his hand and laughed, “But you are still cuter than Senior Brother. If only Senior Brother had one-tenth of your…”

Before he could finish, Yan Zhu’s voice trailed off, and he didn’t continue the rest of the sentence.

A’Fu asked, “If Senior Martial Uncle was like me, would Master still divorce him?”

Yan Zhu thought for a moment and shook his head very lightly: “I don’t know, but Senior Brother probably won’t have that day. He is the Descending Snow Immortal Venerable, after all.”

A’Fu struggled a bit upon hearing this, leaned against him, and rubbed him with his furry head, remaining silent.

Yan Zhu stroked his smooth, shiny fur, then patted his little backside, saying, “Go play by yourself.”

A’Fu refused, still clinging to his lap.

Seeing this, Yan Zhu didn’t chase him away. Instead, he picked him up and said, “Then let’s go take a nap.” He looked at Qi Ranyin, who was still looking at the puppets, “What about you?”

Qi Ranyin waved his hand and gave him a somewhat ambiguous smile: “I wasn’t tired last night, so I don’t need a rest.”

Yan Zhu’s ears felt warm, and he glared at him: “Don’t corrupt my disciple.”

He then carried A’Fu back to the room, took a blanket, piled it into a nest at the head of the bed, placed A’Fu on it, and lay down himself.

Cultivators’ bodies were not that weak, and besides, his intimacy with Wen Sucheng wasn’t that intense, so his body wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

But he also had nothing to do, so he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

When he was sure that Yan Zhu’s breathing had become long and steady, the white cat curled up at the head of the bed slowly opened his eyes, leaped onto the bed, and stared at the person on the bed with his golden eyes.

Yan Zhu looked very well-behaved when he slept. His long, curled eyelashes trembled with his breathing, the flesh on his cheeks was flattened into a pancake shape from lying on his side, and his rosy lips were slightly pursed, looking like a juicy cherry.

The white cat leaned in, his somewhat cold mouth touching those two lips. The next second, Wen Sucheng’s figure appeared by the bed.

A finger with a thin callus gently brushed against Yan Zhu’s face. He asked in a very low voice, “If I had one-tenth of A’Fu’s…”

His sentence was also left unfinished, as if he was merely repeating Yan Zhu’s words, or perhaps unwilling to dwell on the following implications.

Wen Sucheng bent down again, about to kiss Yan Zhu again, but he felt the ground shake very lightly, followed by a loud bang, as if the boat had hit something.