Chapter 297 - 0190 Love and Affection (2-in-1)_2

But for women like Liu Qingluo, Flower Moon Building is truly warmer than home. After all, most of the girls here ended up like this because they could no longer live at home.

Everyone wants to be a carefree lady, but that’s not realistic.

Not stealing or robbing, without demon disasters, in a chaotic world, they are already satisfied with such a peaceful haven.

Moreover, Zhu Pingniang, as a senior member of the Immortal Sect, regularly performs dances and plays the zither on stage... Since she is like this, what dissatisfaction could the girls possibly have?

"But..." Xu Chang’an covered his forehead with one hand and sighed, "I’ve only heard of those striving for cultivation from lowly positions trying to rise, but like Senior Zhu, cultivating from a senior Immortal Sect position to a worldly madam... It’s my first time seeing this."

Especially since he had just seen the cold, aloof fairy-like presence of "Zhu Tongjun" in Li Zhibai’s painting, like a lone pine in snow, it was even harder to accept.

"No matter what, Senior Zhu is a good person," Xu Chang’an said.

Yun Qian: "..."

After listening to some of Xu Chang’an’s words, she understood more clearly how her husband viewed Miss Zhu.

It looked like... He liked her quite a lot.

But not in the way he liked Li Zhibai.

Nor as much as he liked Xiaohua.

Very strange.

How could Zhu Pingniang not compare to a cat?

Yun Qian began to ponder this strange issue.

This issue was important to her because she wanted to be the intimate cat with Xu Chang’an, not the respected yet distant fairy.

"..."

Xu Chang’an watched as Yun Qian’s attention shifted away from the brothel’s Zhu Pingniang, maintaining composure outwardly, but feeling greatly relieved inside.

He explained so thoroughly, fearing that... the girl might really take an interest in the brothel, and if she did...

The thought was too bizarre for Xu Chang’an to bear.

Better to talk more about the cat.

"Miss, I care for Xiaohua because during those slightly tedious days just starting cultivation, this little guy was my companion," Xu Chang’an said gently, looking at the little creature in his arms.

Companion?

Accompaniment?

Yun Qian’s little finger trembled, she raised her head and realized something.

"Yes, at that time in Beisang City, I couldn’t be with you," Yun Qian pinched her skirt.

Xu Chang’an was taken aback and shook his head: "It was me who left Miss for cultivation."

"I don’t like you saying that," Yun Qian’s nails bit into her palm.

She disliked the word ’left behind’.

"Anyway, it’s not Miss’s fault. I’m not a child, needing someone all the time," Xu Chang’an said helplessly.

"But, I am a child," Yun Qian said earnestly.

"?" Xu Chang’an was stunned, looking at this exquisite beauty before him, he was baffled.

However, he soon recovered, sighing: "Because children need company?"

"Yes," Yun Qian replied.

Children can have company, like a cat nestled in his robes, not hearing him talk about "restraint" and "composure".

Yun Qian didn’t envy what the cat received, she just learned from experience.

Next time...

Next time she meets him, she might try to be a child.

Of course, that would be in the future, and... who knows if he’ll still like children then.

Xu Chang’an had no idea what strange thoughts were swirling in Miss Yun’s mind, he listened to Yun Qian’s words and felt a pinch of heartache.

Yet he saw Yun Qian suddenly let go of his hand.

"I remembered something," Yun Qian said, "Even if Miss Zhu is special to you, she ultimately can’t compare to Xu Xiaohua... I suppose she loses out in affection."

"????" Xu Chang’an’s eyes widened a little.

"You said it," Yun Qian stated word by word: "In your hometown, since ancient times, no one talks much about love. When love deepens, it turns into affection, you give me a portion, I return you a portion, back-and-forth makes a lifetime of affection."

Companionship is important.

To be together, creates affection.

Zhu Pingniang, no matter how special; Li Zhibai, no matter how powerful. But because accompanying Xu Chang’an is Xu Xiaohua, personally, it’s the pet-treated Xiaohua, not someone else.

Yun Qian thought, not just Zhu Pingniang, she herself was no different.

Because she wasn’t by Xu Chang’an’s side, the cat was allowed its opportunity.

Yun Qian, named Yun Qian, and Zhu Pingniang, Li Zhibai were no different, all had their homes stolen by the cat.

Yun Qian was indeed an ordinary woman, she should be an ordinary woman.

"Xiaohua stays with you, so, what’s between you is not love, but affection?" Yun Qian frowned, still feeling something wasn’t right.

"...Miss, I give up," Xu Chang’an listened to her increasingly odd thoughts and somehow aligned with her thinking.

Regularly dwelling on the clouds, Xu Chang’an surprisingly could guess Yun Qian’s thoughts, apart from feeling amused, he had no other recourse.

"Miss, I’ll admit, I said Xiaohua wasn’t a pet... was me being stubborn," Xu Chang’an, walking over, re-took Yun Qian’s hand, admitting, "In truth, in my heart it’s my own raised cat, my cherished pet, you don’t need to envision other strange relations."

Affection?

The girl thought it up too.

Who could be affectionate with a cat?

"Cherished pet?" Yun Qian blinked: "You mentioned before, with me, you didn’t need to keep cherished pets anymore."

Could it be, she had lost a position to Xu Xiaohua?

Xu Chang’an: "..."

Xu Chang’an now knew what it meant to lift a stone and drop it on one’s own foot, he was just joking at the time.

But, Xu Chang’an ultimately took it seriously, he held Yun Qian’s waist, pulling her close, now speaking sincerely: "You are my wife, how could you be a cherished pet?"

A gentle wind rose between heaven and earth, without rain, yet it stirred the heart.

"I see," Yun Qian lightly bit her cherry lips, a touch of red appeared on her ears but quickly faded, she said softly: "I also felt your conclusion about affection with Xiaohua wasn’t right."

If Xu Chang’an had told her truth earlier, she wouldn’t have thought so much.

Better late than never.

Xu Chang’an said helplessly: "I feel it’s quite impressive that I can follow Miss’s flow of thoughts."

"If not affection, your fondness for Xiaohua, could it be because of Wen Li, Senior Wen?" Yun Qian asked.

Is it because you like Pear Blossoms, thus like Li Hua?

"What does it have to do with Senior Wen," Xu Chang’an cast an odd glance at Yun Qian: "Miss, Xiaohua stays at Senior Wen’s only when I’m not around; ordinarily it’s safer there because it gets into trouble."

The hierarchy still matters.

Senior Wen and Xiaohua don’t have this close relationship, not to mention Wen Li isn’t gentle with Xiaohua, evident when she confines it by the lake.

"But..." Yun Qian still wished to say something.

"Alright." Xu Chang’an’s fingers poked Yun Qian’s back, hearing her voice suddenly slip, exclaiming "Ah."

"No more wild thoughts," Xu Chang’an took out the cat from his arms, carefully covered it with silk, and put it on the table.

If Yun Qian were jealous it might be better, but this wasn’t jealousy.

Sneakily wild thoughts, Yun Qian’s strategy was succeeding because of its lack of form.

How does one guard against it?

No way to guard.

So Xu Chang’an didn’t know how to handle it, he couldn’t always keep up with Yun Qian’s thinking.

If he hadn’t detected it earlier, then in Yun Qian’s mind, he’d become a weird person in love with a cat.

Better to cut off the girl’s ideas.

Besides... there’s also something very important.

"Miss, we now cultivate together, I won’t be leaving like in Beisang City, being away for three months or half a year," Xu Chang’an said firmly, "It’s said that cultivation disregards years, in the future even if closed-door cultivation, I will be in the same room with you."

He would accompany Yun Qian, so she wouldn’t feel uneasy.

Having said that, he peeked at Yun Qian, finding her expression calm, finally felt relieved.

But the relief was only half breathed before it caught in his throat.

"That sentence," Yun Qian, hands crossed over her belly, her bright eyes flashed: "Is it saying... you want to be affectionate with me?"

"Miss Yun, restraint."

"This is your home, I will live here from now on, and... if not calling me Miss, I prefer you calling me Miss Xu."

Or Madam Xu, just like Xu Xiaohua.

Xu Chang’an thought he always loses to the girl, yet he didn’t say he wanted to be affectionate with Yun Qian.

Perhaps because, once spoken... Affection loses its meaning, turning into love.