Qiu Wuji went to cook, and Chu Ge returned to his room to continue writing.
However, both of them were distracted while working.
Shouldn't they be thinking too much? How could they not be?
Why was Qiu Wuji, this time, unusually willing to be hugged by him? Had he done anything to move Qiu Xin back then?
No.
It was only because when he encountered the enemy, Qiu Wuji experienced for the first time what it felt like to "want to come out but not be able to."
Anxiety, fear, and the inability to see him.
He endured a whole day of helpless torment until the moment he saw him unharmed, and his heartstrings snapped.
The two rarely discussed what it would be like if they were separated by the two worlds and could never see each other again… but this worry had never disappeared from their hearts.
Zhang Qiren was merely going abroad, separated by a river, yet their enmity had already weighed heavily on their hearts.
What if they were separated by the two worlds, never to see each other again?
Until this matter could be settled, any promises or expectations about the "future" were meaningless. Focus on the present.
Chu Ge really couldn't type anymore. Even seeing others discussing the mouth-wiping picture in the group chat felt jarring now.
She sat blankly at the document for a moment, then finally pushed the desk aside and got up.
Qiu Wuji was washing vegetables, her movements seemingly clumsy, also lost in thought.
Even lost in thought, she sensed Chu Ge's arrival. Qiu Wuji casually asked, "What? No tea? Go get some yourself..."
The words caught in her throat.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, tightly embracing her from behind.
Qiu Wuji tensed, instinctively elbowing him backward.
Chu Ge groaned, but didn't let go.
Qiu Wuji's prepared series of moves—foot stomp, wrist twist, bone dislocation, and shoulder throw—stopped at the first step.
Her slipper landed on Chu Ge's shoe, but without applying any further pressure.
"What are you doing?" Qiu Wuji took a deep breath, her voice cold and sharp. "That elbow strike is enough to cause you internal injuries. Do you really want to die?"
Chu Ge endured the pain and whispered, "Even if you beat me to death, I'll accept it."
"Are you really confident I won't fight you to the death? What does the destruction of the world have to do with me!"
"Even if the world is destroyed, I'll still hold you in my arms."
Unseen by him, Qiu Wuji's expression unconsciously shifted from anger to a disdainful look. After a long pause, she said, "Alright, aren't you cultivating? We're all exploring the two realms, seeking the truth, isn't it all for... for the freedom to enter and exit, to break the limits of the realms? You should know that haste makes waste. Your current mindset isn't good."
She really knew why Chu Ge had suddenly become so audacious. She had always understood what everyone was thinking.
"I just care about you too much."
His words still echoed in her ears.
Chu Ge didn't answer, nor did he need to.
He silently regulated his breathing, tending to the internal injuries inflicted by the mother tyrant's elbow, still quietly holding her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.
The position he had longed for for so long was finally achieved, despite his injuries and coughing up blood.
But just holding her like this brought him peace.
That ethereal dream, the beauty from the book, was truly in his arms.
He didn't answer, and Qiu Wuji didn't push him away again.
The two stood silently by the sink for a full ten minutes without moving.
Chu Ge's anxious heart finally began to calm down, and he began to feel her softness and the fragrance of her hair, things he had previously overlooked.
"Alright, go heal your injuries." Qiu Wuji, who had been listening to Chu Ge's heartbeat and felt it had stabilized, finally spoke softly, "Remember to bring the pearl; it can aid recovery… You're always making trouble for yourself; today's 10,000-word update is in jeopardy again."
She gently struggled.
The embrace that hadn't loosened even with an angry elbow strike before was easily broken this time. Chu Ge obediently retreated, forcing a smile, "No problem with the update! As long as my hand isn't broken, what's a few mouthfuls of blood? I'll get used to it after a while..." Qiu Wuji didn't turn to look at him the entire time.
He was afraid that seeing Chu Ge's deathly appearance would make him want to punch him, and also afraid that Chu Ge would see his flushed face.
Will this guy push his luck again?
Should I hit him then?
But his feelings at that moment were so intense they were almost overflowing; one could deeply feel his anxiety and urgency.
Why... could it make one feel a little happy?
... During the meal, the two seemed to be having a tiff and giving each other the silent treatment, each eating in silence, actually unsure how to start a conversation.
Qiu Wuji outwardly appeared to be sulking at the lecherous man, and Chu Ge, afraid of angering Qiu Wuji and getting scolded if he spoke, simply kept quiet for now.
"We've already hugged, what's a little injury? Once I get used to it, I can hug again!"
Chu Ge glanced at Qiu Wuji's stern face, swallowing her thoughts, thinking she should let things cool down a bit, until her face wasn't so sour tonight…
"Ahem… I'm done eating, going back to writing…"
"Get back to writing! No 10,000 words today, no dinner tonight!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Chu Ge dashed back to her room.
The writing that followed was indeed incredibly efficient, like she'd taken a super-potent drug.
Qiu Wuji listened to Chu Ge's rapid-fire typing all afternoon, like a mindless typing machine.
As a writing novice, Qiu Wuji couldn't understand how someone could write for hours on end without thinking; it seemed illogical… However, it turned out that when people are on a roll, they really can.
The plot was already in her mind, her thoughts were clear and smooth, the transitions flowed effortlessly, and occasionally, brilliant lines of inspiration would pop into her head.
The only requirement was mental concentration, the ability to fully immerse herself in the story. When Chu Ge started to multitask, practicing his martial arts and writing, he would often enter this state. At that moment, writing didn't feel like writing; it felt like recreating the original state of a world within a document.
Qiu Wuji couldn't understand it, but she greatly envied this state, so she also went to write her autobiography.
She, on the other hand, wasn't as calm as Chu Ge. Her mind was chaotic and cluttered; she hadn't even written a thousand words all afternoon, yet she watched helplessly as her phone notified her twice, "The novel 'Chu Tian Wu Ji' you're following has been updated," meaning Chu Ge had produced two more chapters that afternoon.
Qiu Wuji looked at her sparsely written document, pouted, and sighed. It was infuriating.
She still had some questions she wanted to ask him.
But how could she ask him today… Would he tease her? Would he rub her shoulders, or even hug her?
No, she was still sulking and giving him the cold shoulder; how could she ask him?
Just as she was struggling with this, Chu Ge's head peeked out from outside the door, as if watching what she was doing. Qiu Wuji said irritably, "If you have something to say, just say it. What are you cowering about for? Trying to ambush me again?"
"No, no," Chu Ge said with a forced smile as she walked in. "I finished my task for today and wanted to ask Master about some cultivation questions."
Qiu Wuji paused for a moment, then immediately found a solution: "Let's switch. I'll ask you a question too. What's your problem? Go ahead."
Chu Ge didn't actually have any problems. He was multitasking and cultivating with ease. He was clearly just trying to strike up a conversation, or perhaps giving her a way to calm down.
Given time to think, Chu Ge, as a harem novel writer, knew what to do.
Asked this question, he casually made up an excuse: "Oh, I was thinking, since that sea sand can help me train my mental techniques, and this pearl has healing effects, could it help me learn a healing technique? That way I can heal myself with magic instead of waiting for self-healing."
Qiu Wuji shook her head: "That's not feasible. Your Golden Bell Shield's fundamental cultivation is a powerful, forceful method, which differs from the nature of the magic power needed for healing. Mixing them could easily lead to problems. Besides, the Golden Bell Shield itself is extremely effective at self-recovery and reconstruction, and self-healing techniques would be somewhat redundant. It's better to have someone else heal you or use other pills than to heal yourself...wait, that's all in your mind. Don't you know that? Why are you asking me?"
"Ahem, I only know the theory, not the practice. I still need to ask Master."
Qiu Wuji accepted this explanation and stood up reservedly: "Come sit here, let me check your injuries."
Chu Ge then sat down in her seat with his hands in his pockets.
Qiu Wuji reached out and pressed on Chu Ge's ribs; there was some bruising, even the Golden Bell Shield couldn't withstand it. The internal injuries were actually manageable; she had restrained her strength, preventing her magic from running rampant inside. "It's alright, I'll just massage it for you..." Gentle magic seeped into her skin, soothing the injuries. Chu Ge felt quite refreshed and asked, "And you? Do you have any questions? Was last night's turn still not enough?"
"No..." Qiu Wuji massaged and combed, somewhat lost in thought, "As I said before, I lived in the town for a while. Actually, in the early stages of my swordsmanship training, those experiences did benefit me. The everyday life of the city, neighborhood disputes, parents' intentions, the petty schemes of others... I couldn't have experienced that in my childhood in the mountains. But from the perspective of traveling the world with my sword, seeing everyone was like reading a book, and I gained quite a lot."
Chu Ge listened, somewhat lost in thought. "That's interesting... And then?"
"But now, when I recall it, or try to put it into words, it just feels boring, all trivial matters. Would anyone even read it?"
This was the first time Chu Ge had fallen into deep thought when she asked about writing.
Originally, in this specific case, it could have been glossed over without being written down. But the bigger question of how to write about trivial matters in an engaging way cannot be explained in a few words. Especially when viewing trivial matters from a detached, God-like, detached perspective, there's no sense of immersion, making it even more difficult and tedious.
Even Chu Ge himself lacks the skill for this; anyone who can find true interest in the ordinary is a master.
Zhen frowned in thought, suddenly feeling the slender hand massaging his ribs move, hesitantly kneading his temples.
Chu Ge paused, then heard Qiu Wuji's voice: "Never mind, you've been writing all afternoon, your mind is already tired. Rest for a bit, we'll have dinner first?" The slender fingers gently massaged his temples, a delicate fragrance wafting into his nostrils.
Chu Ge forgot about mental fatigue; at this moment, he had no thoughts at all… He felt like he was in heaven.