Chapter 37: Benefits Season
Ji Yueling began experimenting with her new abilities in the room.
Gu Qing’s guess wasn’t wrong—she really could climb walls now. Ji Yueling tried it out with curiosity, effortlessly crawling up to the ceiling, her hands and feet adhering to the wall as Gu Qing watched from the bed, seeing her skirt fall away.
Like an upside-down giant spider.
In that instant, Ji Yueling realized her posture was improper and fell back down onto the bed. She raised her hand, and white spider silk really did seep out from between her fingertips. She tried using the silk to grab the remote control and vase, quickly mastering it as if it were an innate talent.
She could feel that her strength and speed seemed enhanced too, but there wasn’t time to test it now—she’d need to go to the Alliance to test it with professional assessment equipment. She raised her hand again, and a green glow emanated from her palm. This green light was the Snow Silkworm Spider Empress’s poison ability, which she could control to either paralyze prey or kill.
Originally, she could only rely on the Snow Silkworm Spider’s healing power to enhance herself, making her strength and speed faster while fighting with her alchemical sword. Now she had so many more methods. When she looked back at Gu Qing, her eyes were filled with complexity.
Among those complex emotions, the most prominent should be suspicion and fear.
“Who exactly are you?”
“Gu Qing is Gu Qing.” Gu Qing sighed. “As you can see, an E-rank demon-type awakened transcendent, nothing more.”
“What E-rank would be like you?”
“Precisely because my ability has such great potential, it’s extremely difficult to improve.” Gu Qing spread her small hands. “You’re all too obsessed with rankings. If operated properly, an E-rank can kill an A-rank. Rank doesn’t represent everything—humans have always been fragile.”
The so-called transcendent ranking system was just based on the different energy reserves within transcendents’ bodies.
“You’re not human?”
“Wasn’t I aroused enough by your teasing last night?” Gu Qing pouted.
“You’re an SS-rank demon?” Ji Yueling looked at him with growing suspicion.
“Since you don’t believe what I’m saying, why bother asking?” Gu Qing found this increasingly troublesome. Ji Yueling was really annoying, always having a hundred thousand whys in her heart. He stood up. “I’m leaving.”
This time Ji Yueling’s attempt to make him stay was meaningless. In an instant, she suddenly realized her mistake, and her voice became gentler. “I’m sorry…”
“Not listening.”
“Let you punish me.”
“Spread them.” Gu Qing turned his head.
Ji Yueling had just changed into a brand new black lace nightgown. Now that Gu Qing turned back around, she bit her lip and raised her legs again, hugging them tightly at the roots. Gu Qing took out his phone and clicked.
Probably keeping this shameful moment as a memento was the greatest humiliation for her.
“Anything else you want to ask?” Gu Qing looked into her eyes.
She was full of shame now, her cheeks flushed, sweat beading on her forehead. But surprisingly, she no longer seemed as angry and murderous from shame as before. Instead, she inexplicably showed a trace of reluctant submission.
Ji Yueling was about to let go of her hands when she heard Gu Qing continue, “Keep holding them. Go ahead and ask.”
Ji Yueling bit her teeth slightly, her cheeks flushed. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out, “Which side are you… really on? Humans or demons?”
“I don’t want to get involved in the conflict between humans and demons, and I’ve never wanted to change the world. Those are things you idealists do. I just want to survive as a petty scoundrel.” Gu Qing shook her head.
“What’s your real strength?”
“E-rank.”
“When will you… give me information about Old Tao?”
“Wait until you reach S-rank. The Snow Silkworm Spider Empress has great potential, though improvement will become difficult too. Also, since you already have the Snow Silkworm Spider Empress’s power, stop foolishly harming your own body.”
Clearly her tone was full of impatience, yet Ji Yueling detected a trace of indescribable tenderness.
Perhaps this trace of tenderness was just her illusion, her hazy and ethereal fantasy, but she trembled in such illusions, becoming slightly moist.
“I have nothing else to ask.” Ji Yueling shook her head gently.
“Then I’m leaving.” Gu Qing finally breathed a long sigh of relief, but an instant later thought of something else and said, “Get used to your new abilities slowly. Don’t bother me for a long time, okay?”
“Okay.” Ji Yueling’s eyelashes slowly drooped down, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sourness in her nose, as if her throat was also becoming blocked.
Unfortunately, Gu Qing didn’t pay attention to this. He didn’t even look again, but turned and walked out, returning to the living room to put on his clothes, opened the door, and left without hesitation.
…
Back at the front door of home, Gu Qing suddenly felt hesitant.
How strange—why did he feel somewhat guilty now? Clearly he was just staying temporarily at Lu Qianqian’s place, and he and Lu Qianqian were just landlord and tenant. But when taking out the key to open the door, he vaguely felt his legs shaking.
After all, last night it was Ji Yueling who sent Lu Qianqian the voice message, saying he was staying overnight at Ji Yueling’s place.
Gu Qing opened the door.
He indeed still preferred Lu Qianqian’s home—clean and tidy. Though not spacious, the color scheme was warm. At this moment, Lu Qianqian was wearing a white sweater and sports shorts, seriously working on exercises at the table.
Gu Qing walked through the door, seemingly normal in expression.
Lu Qianqian looked up at him, then smiled gently, “You’re back?”
“Mm-hmm.” Gu Qing nodded like a pecking chicken, coming to sit beside her. Lu Qianqian’s voice was still so gentle and soft, “Did drinking so much make your head hurt?”
“It’s fine, doesn’t hurt much.”
“That’s good.” Lu Qianqian leaned slightly toward him, pointing to the exercises on the table. Gu Qing began patiently teaching her.
…
Lu Qianqian didn’t ask about anything else.
This made Gu Qing breathe a long sigh of relief. Perhaps this was why he preferred being with Lu Qianqian—she was never troublesome. When he didn’t actively talk to Lu Qianqian, she never disturbed him. And Lu Qianqian could clearly sense that he had things different from ordinary people, but she never asked.
After finishing those exercises, it was time for today’s massage session.
On the sofa, Gu Qing obediently lay on Lu Qianqian’s white, tender thighs under her sports shorts. Lu Qianqian gently massaged his head, her eyes tender and serious, seemingly with a few traces of indulgence, her pink lips slightly curved, her eyes clear and beautiful.
Until Gu Qing’s phone vibrated. He casually took it out to glance at the message—it was a photo from Ji Yueling, a mirror selfie. The lighting and angle were quite good, but looking at the preview, she seemed to be sitting in a chair, her white tender little feet on the chair but not closed together, her skirt falling away, and her fingertips pressed against her inner thigh, spread apart even more than before.
“If this counts as bothering you, you can choose not to look, and not to reply.” Ji Yueling’s message followed immediately.
Gu Qing thought she was truly evil. Was it because she knew that after he took that photo, he held her weakness in his hands, so now she was directly giving him more leverage, making his previous photo completely lose its threatening power?
Too much!
Gu Qing hurriedly put his phone aside, but when he looked up at Lu Qianqian again, she still had a smile at the corner of her mouth, though her eyes seemed to have deepened.
Her palm gently caressed Gu Qing’s face, her voice also gentle, “Last night… did something happen with Sister Ji?”
“No.” Gu Qing shook his head. “Pure and innocent, clean and proper!”
“Oh…” Lu Qianqian gently pinched his face. “I thought you slept together.”
“We did sleep together, but didn’t do anything bad…” Gu Qing answered honestly. Lu Qianqian nodded obediently and didn’t ask more. After a long while, she said softly, “The sun came out today.”
“Mm, shall we go out and play tomorrow? I’m a bit tired today.”
“Okay.” Lu Qianqian said softly, pinching his earlobe. “If you’re sleepy, sleep for a while like this?”
She brought over a blanket, carefully covering Gu Qing, letting him use her thighs as a pillow and sleep peacefully. After Gu Qing really fell asleep, she carefully picked up his phone that was set aside.
Gu Qing’s phone had no passcode—it unlocked immediately. She found the chat with Ji Yueling and saw that photo.
The girl’s eyes gradually deepened, perhaps with some sour jealousy, or perhaps some indescribable resentment, but it all gradually disappeared. She carefully put the phone back, sitting quietly there, letting Gu Qing rest his head there. For a long time she didn’t move, afraid of waking him.
The only movement she made was raising her hand and biting her index finger hard, using pain to gradually calm the chaotic thoughts in her mind.
…
It was early spring, a perfect time.
The next morning, Gu Qing looked at the bright sunshine outside the window, stared directly at the sun for a moment, then was immediately stung and couldn’t open his eyes. The dazzling light dispelled the chill brought by the rain from previous days. Gu Qing went to wash his face and brush his teeth, while Lu Qianqian had already cooked dumplings and was looking at him with anticipation.
Today the girl wore a white shirt with a black jumper dress over it. This style of dress seemed to be called a sweetheart dress. The deep V neckline modified the bulky feeling from her full chest, with a waist design that perfectly showed her figure. The skirt wasn’t long, a bit above the knee, revealing most of her long, straight legs. Under the skirt, her snow-white slender ankles were wrapped in white lace-trimmed ankle socks, and below her ankles were especially cute black Mary Jane shoes.
Her hair was shoulder-length, jet black and smooth.
“Very cute.” Gu Qing commented.
Lu Qianqian laughed softly. After breakfast, she came beside him and walked downstairs together. They had made plans several days ago during the rainy weather to go to Qiming City’s largest amusement park today, and since it was a weekday, the amusement park wouldn’t be crowded.
But the amusement park was on the outskirts, somewhat far, so they could only take a taxi. In the back seat of the taxi, Lu Qianqian opened the window a little. The wind blew her hair as she looked out the window with joy, watching the street scenery slowly recede. Gu Qing was looking at his phone boredly and discovered Ji Yueling had sent him another photo. This time it wasn’t so excessive—just a photo of her well-proportioned, long legs wearing sheer black stockings.
Gu Qing still didn’t reply, but moved closer to Lu Qianqian’s shoulder to look out the window.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, just feeling a bit carsick.” Lu Qianqian answered gently.
She turned her head, and Gu Qing shifted his position to let her lie down, her head resting on his legs. Gu Qing reached out to block the light falling into her eyes, saying softly, “Then rest for a while? I’ll wake you when we arrive.”