Night deepened.
The two, who planned to go out to sea later, didn't feel much awkwardness being alone in the same room.
Qiu Wuji simply watched TV, completely ignoring Chu Ge. Chu Ge, too, leaned against the headboard, playing on his phone, browsing his group chat and chatting.
It was all just to kill time.
Today was probably the first time Chu Ge had used an excuse to feign illness and take a day off. Well, he didn't actually ask for it himself; it was his assistant… Anyway, if she did it, he'd consider it his own doing.
He felt a little guilty towards his readers, but he had to feel guilty this once…
If he didn't come out, how would he see such an adorable Qiu Wuji?
Her hair was still a mess, and she looked sullen, watching TV with a pout. It was unclear whether she even considered what was on screen…
Meanwhile, her group chat friends were discussing relationship issues:
"Waaah, I was such a straight man again today."
"What's wrong? What's bothering you? Tell us so we can all have a laugh."
"My junior asked me to teach her how to build a computer, so I gave her a list. Today she said she'd treat me to dinner to thank me, and I said, 'If you have money to treat me to dinner, why not add 200 and get a 1060ti? With the previous setup, I was just worried about the graphics card being a bit weak…'"
Blue Pill: "I think an i7 would be better."
"??? Was I discussing graphics card configurations with you guys?"
"Isn't that right?" Chu Ge laughed so hard he almost fell over.
Come to think of it, he used to be this straight too. He really didn't know how he wrote harem novels.
At least now he knew that his junior's dinner invitation wasn't a genuine thank you gesture, so he was better than these idiots, right?
Stealing a glance at Qiu Wuji… emmmm, seems to have made no progress; still no idea what she's thinking. At least, even sharing a room, he wouldn't dare sidle up to her… he'd be beaten to death.
Handsome enough to write on his face: "You two straight men, stop arguing. I think you should consult Chu Da more often; he writes about so many girls, he must be a seasoned player, right?"
Chu Ge: t_t A group member, heartbroken at losing their junior, is crying: "5555 When will I finally get a pretty girl to cuddle with…"
Handsome enough to write on his face: "I don't care if she's pretty or not, as long as she's a girl."
Blue Pill: "I don't care if she's a girl or not, as long as she's pretty."
Handsome enough to write on his face: "???" Wan Zijun shrinks back in the ward in horror, moving away from Panda's bed.
Panda scoffed, "Just don't wear 'pretty' on your sleeve. Do you think anyone's interested in you?"
Wan Zijun: "..."
Over there, Chu Ge was practically laughing himself silly at his phone. Watching his silly friends chat was his greatest pleasure outside of writing... except for QQ chat.
"Beep beep beep," a private chat suddenly rang.
Chu Ge saw a familiar profile picture and quickly replied, "Hello, editor, what are your instructions?"
Editor: "Your book is a positive example of someone striving for success. The author's assistant wants to do an interview with you. When are you available?"
Chu Ge quickly replied, "Now is fine."
"No rush. Send me a casual photo first, and I'll also send you the interview questions for you to review. We'll prepare an interview transcript later."
"Received!" Chu Ge found a photo he was happy with in his phone's album and sent it over, his mood improving even more.
This was clearly a path to success.
Qiu Wuji glanced at him sideways: "Are you done grinning? We should get going." Chu Ge jumped up: "Yes, sir!" He wondered if spending an hour or two glued to his phone, laughing in the same room as Qiu Wuji in this "hotel room" setting, was really being a beast. Qiu Wuji didn't seem angry; in fact, his earlier sullenness had subsided somewhat, so his behavior over the past hour was probably correct.
Too much of a good thing, right? If he really persisted, he might have just annoyed them.
It's good as it is now.
Under the cover of darkness, the two slipped out of the hotel in casual clothes and headed straight for the beach.
The coastline was long, and it was too easy to avoid the direction with shops. Chu Ge regretted not knowing this beforehand; he could have just climbed over the wall with his swimsuit and avoided buying a ticket. Who knew where Qiu Wuji came from…? Hiding behind a rock to avoid the night patrol, Qiu Wuji peeked back at the beach they had just been on.
"The castle's still there!" Chu Ge chuckled, exasperated. "What do we do now?" Qiu Wuji turned to look at him. "Can you dive?"
"...I can dive for a minute."
"Then just sit on top and be a good cheerleader, why ask?"
"I was thinking about this cultivation method. Can I use some water-repelling techniques or something?"
Qiu Wuji looked him up and down, reluctant to admit it, but he could indeed use water-repelling techniques. In his own cultivation system, it wasn't anything special; it wouldn't fool him.
She touched Chu Ge's brow. "I'll teach you the water-repelling technique, but your current cultivation power can't support it. Don't dive too deep; come out when you've reached a certain depth."
"Understood." The two bypassed the rocks and headed towards the sea, gradually sinking and disappearing from sight.
Chu Ge's experience was quite novel and exciting. This feeling—ostensibly diving, but actually separating the water, having air...—was something he'd only ever imagined in magical realms, yet he'd truly experienced it.
Second only to the feeling of the female protagonist jumping out of a book and getting intimate.
Previously, those Golden Bell Shield techniques never gave me this kind of mystical feeling.
The drawbacks were also obvious. One was that my mana was consumed too quickly; it seemed my Qi Refining stage cultivation wouldn't last long. The other, more critically, was that I couldn't withstand the force of the sea; a sudden surge nearly carried me dozens of meters away.
Qiu Wuji grabbed his arm, disdainfully saying, "A burden."
Chu Ge said helplessly, "You're my master! Shouldn't you be guiding and encouraging me? This 'auntie' tone..."
"Hmph, what business is it of your master's tone? Haven't you ever seen a master who abuses their disciple?"
Chu Ge shut up.
As if I'm not your master, hmph... wait till I get home and teach you a lesson.
Qiu Wuji didn't say much more, taking Chu Ge's arm and rapidly diving towards the seabed.
She could sense where the spiritual energy was most concentrated. It wasn't far from there, which was why even the few shells swept ashore by the tide were imbued with its energy.
She could even discern that the object hadn't always been there; it must have originated in the far reaches of the ocean, slowly drifting towards the shore over the years. In time, it might be swept ashore and obtained by a destined person.
That was a common story in the world of immortals and heroes… Qiu Wuji could imagine that in this nascent era of supernatural abilities, whether in the mountains, at sea, or even on her own land, there must be a group of lucky individuals who had taken the lead in developing supernatural powers.
She felt it wasn't too late now. Since she was here, she had to help Chu Ge seize this opportunity. It was a win-win situation, and it would also benefit her cultivation.
Qiu Wuji narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing the exact location, and pulled Chu Ge away at lightning speed, cutting through the waves like a swordfish in the sea.
"It should be down here." Upon arriving at the location, a rather large reef stood on the seabed. Qiu Wuji gently pushed it, confirming it was movable. "Something must have been pinned down by the waves, otherwise it would have surfaced long ago."
Chu Ge said, "So we can find it by pushing it aside?"
Qiu Wuji examined the reef. "It'll take some effort."
Chu Ge bravely said, "I'll try." He stepped forward and pushed, but found he couldn't get any leverage.
Being on the seabed, he had nowhere to put his weight on. The sea mud below was too soft to support him; how could he possibly move such a large reef in the air?
Qiu Wuji chuckled. "Even if you had something to lean on, you wouldn't have enough strength… You're the third brother, not the eldest."
Chu Ge: "…"
"I'll do it. I told you you'd just be a cheerleader." Qiu Wuji released Chu Ge's hand, placed her slender hand on the reef, and closed her eyes.
As she said, it would take some effort.
This body's strength lies primarily in its unique spiritual abilities and experiential understanding; raw power alone is insufficient. Moving such a large reef requires utilizing various understandings of the Five Elements techniques, such as using water power to push it aside.
Qiu Wuji focused her mind, and the surrounding seawater gradually surged, creating a long, continuous pushing force that slowly moved the reef aside.
Sweat appeared on Qiu Wuji's forehead.
The reef was moved slightly, and the spiritual energy beneath became increasingly abundant, faintly revealing the shimmering light of something, like a bead.
Qiu Wuji said with some difficulty, "Go pick it up..."
Before she finished speaking, a warning suddenly arose in her mind: "Someone!" A sharp water arrow struck her back at that moment, and simultaneously, a wave swept in, directly sweeping away the light beneath the reef.
Water manipulation ability?
Qiu Wuji's first reaction was to transfer the force she used to move the reef to protect her back.
But at the same time, she found herself inside a warm chest. Chu Ge wrapped her completely in his arms, using his back to firmly shield her from the water arrows.
Qiu Wuji, with his vast experience, had no time to think. His magic had already shifted, and with a "bang," the figure hiding behind a distant reef was thrown up by the powerful force of the seawater, revealing a diving suit.
The next moment, a crackling electric net appeared on his body, and the person screamed and fled rapidly into the distance.
A shimmering pearl floated in the seawater. Qiu Wuji reached out and grabbed it.
A brilliant counterattack to seize the treasure.
Qiu Wuji, however, had no interest in examining the treasure in his hand. He simply lowered his head and whispered, "That's enough... how much longer are you going to keep me wrapped up like this..."