Phi-Fic Chapter 119: The First Quarrel
Chapter 119: The First Quarrel
After saying goodbye to Long Yueze, Chu Qiuchi and Ji Moyu led Ji Mohan toward the team, preparing to reunite with their teammates.
The surrounding night was as thick as ink, utterly silent, broken only occasionally by the distant chirping of insects. The surrounding woods seemed shrouded in a heavy black curtain, their shadows intertwined, and their branches rustled softly in the breeze.
Throughout the journey, Chu Qiuchi kept glancing at Ji Moyu, her eyes flickering, secretly thinking: I didn't intend to hide this from him when I brought him here. Why hasn't he asked yet? Isn't he even a little curious about my friendship with Long Yueze? Although it's peacetime now, there probably aren't many people who would befriend a beastman.
Finally, after feeling her gaze countless times, Ji Moyu couldn't help but stop. She steadied Ji Mohan on her back, turned around, and calmly looked at her: "Is there something you want to say?"
Chu Qiuchi paused for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and replied casually, "No, don't you have anything to ask me?" She secretly added in her mind: If you do ask, then... I'll reluctantly tell you!
Ji Moyu glanced at her, seemingly hesitating for a moment. A few seconds later, she shook her head slightly, "No." After saying that, she turned and continued walking forward, carrying Ji Mohan on her back.
Chu Qiuchi stood there, watching his retreating figure, feeling somewhat depressed. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "They really aren't going to ask? I was planning to confess and get leniency, but they won't even give me a chance to start over."
Sensing that no one was following beside him, Ji Moyu said calmly, "Aren't you leaving?"
"Oh, here it comes!"
Chu Qiuchi quickly snapped out of her daze, stamped her foot, and hurriedly followed. Seeing that Ji Moyu didn't say anything, she walked along, idly kicking clods of dirt on the road.
Sudden--
A cold voice rang out, like a thunderclap piercing the silent night sky, landing coldly in her ear: "When did you meet him?"
Chu Qiuchi was taken aback, paused in his steps, and looked up at Ji Moyu. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, "Hahaha, Little Fish, I knew you were curious too, right? I thought you would really keep it to yourself and not ask anything!"
Ji Moyu paused slightly, his face still expressionless, but a barely perceptible flicker crossed his eyes. He didn't speak, but simply watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
After laughing enough, Chu Qiuchi finally composed himself and said seriously, "I knew him a little earlier than you did. I met him on the road the day I arrived in Fran City. He was injured and asleep at the time, and I saved him."
Ji Moyu immediately seemed to realize something, his expression instantly turning gloomy, his gaze turning cold, and his voice as icy as ice, carrying a chilling coldness, "So all these years he's been missing, he's been living in the same room as you? So every time you packed so much food from the academy, it wasn't because you ate a lot, but because of him? So that's why he's eaten the food you cooked?"
The three "so"s exploded in Chu Qiuchi's ears, and her heart skipped a beat. She secretly groaned: Oh no, oh no! I thought I was subtle enough to fool him, but I didn't expect him to be so sharp! What a blunder! I forgot that the Long Yueze incident was a big deal back then, and he could guess the gist of it with just a little connection.
Chu Qiuchi scratched his head awkwardly, "This..."
Ji Moyu's gaze grew colder, a suppressed rage lurking beneath his eyes. He stared intently at her, growling in a low voice, "Answer!"
Chu Qiuchi was stunned. She could clearly feel the anger in Ji Moyu's tone. Looking at his face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, the three words "What the hell?" quickly flashed through her mind.
After a moment, she said firmly, "Why are you yelling at me? So what? I saved him, and I have nowhere else to put him. Besides, I've already saved him, I can't let him starve to death!"
Ji Moyu took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to explode. Looking at the person before him, completely unaware of the problem with his behavior, a surge of frustration and anger welled up within him. Without a word, he turned and left.
Seeing this, Chu Qiuchi quickly gave chase. But Ji Moyu's pace quickened, leaving her firmly behind. Chu Qiuchi couldn't help but feel annoyed and shouted at his retreating figure, "What do you mean? If I hadn't saved him, General Ji Moyu would be lying somewhere right now!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Moyu did not stop walking, but only slowed down slightly.
Chu Qiuchi took a deep breath, caught up with him, and grabbed Ji Moyu's sleeve. "Hey! Little Fish, why are you suddenly angry? If there's something you're unhappy about, just say it!"
Ji Moyu paused slightly, then finally turned around, his face expressionless, his eyes still cold. "I'm angry? What right do I have to be angry?" His voice was low and icy. "You're right. If you hadn't saved him, I don't know what would have happened to my father. So, I should be grateful to you."
Chu Qiuchi was speechless for a moment, staring blankly at Ji Moyu's as cold face as ever, feeling a sense of bewilderment.
Moonlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled patterns on the ground beside them. The air seemed to freeze in that instant, and the rustling of leaves around them became exceptionally clear.
After a brief pause, she took a deep breath to calm herself down and said again, "I don't want you to thank me. I just want to know why you suddenly got angry."
Ji Moyu looked at her, his gaze deepening, his tight lips betraying his inner turmoil. After a few seconds of silence, he said softly, "It's nothing."
"Nothing?" Chu Qiuchi laughed in exasperation. "You call this nothing? If there's anything, just say it. Why are you always hiding it?"
Ji Moyu did not respond to her words. His gaze was deep and unfathomable as he stared into the darkness in the distance, a complex and unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes. His expression remained cold and unmoved, as if all his emotions were buried deep within his heart, unknown to anyone else.
Seeing his pathetic state, Chu Qiuchi was instantly enraged. "You're alright? I'm in trouble! I'm about to explode with anger because of you!"
After saying that, she turned and left, her steps hurried, as if trying to shake off the displeasure behind her. Ji Moyu watched her angry back, paused for a few seconds, sighed softly, and then silently followed.
The two walked in silence, the moonlight bathing them like water, the shadows of the trees swaying, and the air around them carrying a slightly chilly dampness. A night breeze occasionally swept by, carrying away some of the moisture, but it could not dispel the suffocating silence.