Now back in her human form, she ignored the pain and hastily stammered, “I… I didn’t mean to…”
He smiled as he pulled her closer and asked, “Did the fall hurt?”
How shameful—to have just moved in and already embarrassed herself! She tried hard to correct the impression he might have of her. “I’m not lazy or sleepy by nature. It’s just that I was so happy last night—this was the first time I’ve gone out to play in five hundred years.”
He nodded approvingly. “Being able to persist is good.”
She sighed regretfully, “But it’s such a pity… there’s so much fun in the mortal world. Has Lord Divine ever been there?”
[“Lord Divine” here is a respectful title for him.]
Such strong attachment to the mortal realm—could that be why her fate remains unsettled? His smile faded, and he frowned slightly as he warned, “In the human world, there is birth, old age, illness, and death. Flowers and trees follow a cycle of growth and decay. Only through focused cultivation can one escape the cycle of reincarnation and achieve the eternal path of the immortals.”
She looked puzzled. “But when people die, they’re reborn. When they’re born, they’ll die. Isn’t the human cycle of reincarnation and our floral transformation both eternal in their own way?”
As he had suspected, this little spirit was quite perceptive. He silently admired her, though outwardly he shook his head. “How could they be the same? Take you, for example—if you went through the cycle of life and death, you’d forget me. How could that be called eternal?”
“I won’t forget you.” She cast off her earlier shyness and beamed brightly. “I’ll definitely devote myself to cultivation.”
Of course, he didn’t take her words to heart. But she took his words seriously. She began training diligently every morning and evening. During the day, she would run about the Flower Dawn Palace, quickly befriending all the immortals and fairy attendants in less than a year. Eventually, she took over all the duties of his personal maid. The others only treated her talk about “becoming the Divine Consort” as a joke. But since she was so cheerful and endearing, they teased her but didn’t resent her. With her handling the chores, they enjoyed the free time.
“Why do you keep staring at me?” he asked with a smile, setting down his brush.
“Because Lord Divine is handsome,” she answered, her face full of infatuation.
So it was all about looks—such a blunt answer… He shook his head and picked up the brush again, but inwardly he relaxed. It was clear she was only infatuated, a pure sort of admiration. Having a little spirit like her by his side did bring unexpected joy. Ever since she had come to stay at the Flower Dawn Palace, he had enjoyed eight thousand years of tranquility. Her every word and action reminded him of his own youthful, reckless days.
She began grinding the ink again, mumbling, “I kind of wish Lord Divine weren’t so good-looking.”
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Why?”
Turning her face away, she muttered, “Because they all like you.”
So this little spirit had a strong possessive streak—expressed in the most direct, jealous way. He dipped his brush into the ink and casually teased her, “If you like me, they can like me too.”
“I’m not like them,” she huffed, tossing the ink stick aside. With a confident lift of her brow, she declared, “You promised me, so you can’t like them anymore. One day, I’ll become your Divine Consort. We’ll cultivate together and I’ll even bear you—”
She frowned. “Why can’t I? I truly like you, Lord Divine.”
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