It was too noisy.
Wangshu ignored the broken simulator, slowly lifting her head, her dark, deep eyes meeting Chu Daixi's across the candlelight.
Seeing that she finally reacted, Chu Daixi let out a sighing laugh: "My little ancestor, finally willing to talk to me, are you? That little temper of yours is really hard to coax."
Before Wangshu could say anything, she curled the corner of her mouth again, looking pleased with herself: "Just like me."
Both of them were so full of personality.
Wangshu's lips moved, and after a long pause, she said, "…Your legs, do they hurt?"
Chu Daixi blinked, exchanging a look with Wangshu, then suddenly cried out: "Oh, you hadn't mentioned it, but now that you have—ooh, they really are sore."
Wangshu jumped off the stool, standing only about as tall as two stools stacked together. Without a word, she pushed the stool forward.
Chu Daixi didn't stand on ceremony. She sat down and casually pulled Wangshu into her arms: "My daughter is so filial."
Wangshu pressed her lips together but didn't pull away.
Chu Daixi noticed the open jewelry box on the table, with its sparkling grass-and-insect ornaments lined up neatly and adorably. She slapped her forehead, as if remembering something.
"I haven't forgotten this one," she said. From her storage bangle, she pulled out an exquisite long box of purple sandalwood.
"Here," she said, her starry eyes fixed on Wangshu, smiling. "A birthday gift from Mother to her daughter."
Wangshu hesitated for a moment, then took it, gently opening the box. After seeing what was inside, she was slightly taken aback.
It was a longevity lock pendant necklace.
The most important part—the lock itself—was carved from an extremely translucent piece of jade. Its color was just right: one shade deeper would have seemed old-fashioned, unsuitable for a child like Wangshu; one shade lighter would have lacked the striking quality needed to show off such sharp, lively spirit. Its clarity was perfectly balanced—like the clear waters of a spring day, or a pure lake in the snow.
Such a piece of jade would have been eye-catching even strung on plain red cord, so there was no need for excessive adornment. The necklace part was simply strung with smooth, creamy white jade beads—understated and gentle, not stealing the limelight.
Chu Daixi took out the longevity lock and carefully fastened it around Wangshu's neck, saying as she did: "This is called a blessing jade—one of the essences of spirit jade. It naturally holds spiritual energy, and most importantly, it brings blessings, good fortune, and protection from harm."
Once it was on, she looked at Wangshu with a serious tone: "May my child be surrounded by fortune, and all things go smoothly."
Wangshu was momentarily stunned. She instinctively reached up and touched the longevity lock around her neck—its cool, smooth texture—as if there really was a place in her life sealed by a blessing, as if one end of her wandering journey was now firmly held by another person's hand.
While Wangshu was looking down at the longevity lock, Chu Daixi quickly and discreetly fanned her own cheeks with her palm.
Ah, some things were far harder to handle than clan affairs.
After a moment's thought, she took out a wine set and some liquor from her storage bangle and poured herself a cup.
She had just returned from the entrance to the cave realm, her legs not even rested yet. She had only casually asked about the child, and Mingyan had answered matter-of-factly: "That child? Children's memories are very shallow. It's been over a year now—she probably doesn't remember you. And today is her birthday..."
Chu Daixi had been taken aback. Birthday? She'd hurried to the treasury and picked out this longevity lock.
There was no way the child didn't recognize her. A person as dashing and charismatic as Chu Daixi was bound to leave a lasting impression—otherwise, the girl wouldn't have taken one look at her and called her "Mother."
She still remembered that feeling when Wangshu had called her "Mother"—like a small hand gently knocking on her heart.
She had seen the ambition in this child's eyes, the fierce drive to forge ahead, and even, in certain moments, that stubbornness and prickliness.
How alike they were.
Having traveled to the Spirit Realm Cave for a year, Chu Daixi had spent the whole time thinking, and then she had seriously made this decision.
Chu Daixi snapped back to the present and saw Wangshu staring wide-eyed at the wine cup in her hand. She instinctively shifted slightly and said, "Oh no, this one's no good—children can't drink."
After all, Wangshu's eyes were two parts like hers, but five parts like her mother's.
Wangshu hadn't actually wanted to drink, but now that you mentioned it... She climbed onto another stool, her gaze fixed on Chu Daixi, her meaning clear: "I want a drink!"
Chu Daixi's smile froze. Their warm and lovely mother-daughter relationship was cracking at the seams before it even really began—what to do?
She scanned the table and spotted the bamboo cup Wangshu usually used for spirit milk. She gave it a shake—there was still a little less than half left.
As a newly appointed mother, the best course was probably to satisfy the child's request. Very carefully, she dripped... one drop of wine into Wangshu's bamboo cup.
Letting out a big sigh of relief, she pressed the bamboo cup into Wangshu's hands.
"Alright," Chu Daixi said, a grin lifting the corner of her mouth, light and cheerful. "On your birthday, it's right that we mother and daughter have a proper drink together."
She paused, then added:
"A toast to never being alone in this world again, from this day forward."
Wangshu was stunned. She tightened her grip on the cup.
"Come on," Chu Daixi said, giving her wrist a little flick.
After a moment's hesitation, Wangshu slowly raised her bamboo cup.
A big hand and a small hand, a bamboo cup and a wine cup, gently clinking together.
Cheers.
~
[After going through several rounds of dramatics worthy of an eight-o'clock soap opera, you—who have been pushing your way down the path of genius—have finally claimed your identity as the clan leader's daughter. This means you now have a solid, convincing foundation, so even if you start radiating true genius aura in the future, it won't feel abrupt.]
[However, identity also means pressure. As the clan leader's daughter, you'll inevitably be subjected to more scrutiny. Also, you haven't been formally entered into the clan register yet, nor have you received official recognition from the Chu clan's council of elders.]
[Having taken the entry-level cultivation course, you know very well that in this world, the core standard for testing genius is the spirit seed.]
[It's time to open your simulator! Now, will you use all your genius points to exchange for a qualitative "special"?]
Open my simulator? Had my simulator ever been closed?
In a good mood, Wangshu's lips curved slightly upward, and she said lazily, "Exchange."
~
After Chu Daixi returned from her business trip, she seemed to enter a short period of leave.
She poured all her time and passion into Wangshu. First, she moved Wangshu to new quarters—she felt Wangshu was no longer suited to living alone and "desolately" in that little courtyard.
She had Wangshu move into her own Zhaoxi Pavilion, so she could take care of her up close, and then sent over tailored clothes and jewelry.
Then she discussed Wangshu's name with her. She thrust a copy of On Words into Wangshu's hands and said, "Come now, my dear, flip through it. Pick whichever characters you like."
Wangshu seriously flipped through a few pages, then puffed out her cheeks: "I... don't recognize them."
The characters in this world were even more complex than traditional Chinese characters. She had been studying with Chu Xiu for a while now, and she'd made good progress—but only with simple, commonly used ones.
But every character in this book came with classical allusions. Wangshu struggled just to recognize the characters, let alone understand the allusions.
Chu Daixi sheepishly tucked the book away and even comforted Wangshu: "It's fine, Mother pretty much already has some ideas. I'll find you a couple of tutors later and you'll be able to read them."
What do you mean by that—calling me illiterate? Wangshu glared, widening her eyes.
She also played games with Wangshu—like carrying Wangshu flying through the sky and such.
She asked Wangshu if she was afraid of heights. Wangshu, a three-year-old child, had barely been walking for a few years—how would she know whether she was afraid of heights or not?
Wangshu shook her head. Didn't know.
Chu Daixi was very satisfied: "Just as I expected of my precious girl. Not afraid of heights, that's good."
Wangshu: ? It seemed some misunderstanding had occurred.
Chu Daixi grabbed Wangshu by the back of her collar and took to the sky. The wind howled, and Wangshu squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Seeing this, Chu Daixi thoughtfully conjured a wind-protection barrier around her and said, "My good little one, open your eyes now. There's no wind."
As if that was the problem.
Wangshu opened her eyes and looked down. Moist, cool clouds flew past her fingertips. They soared over the bustling, lively Yingzhou City, entered a peach grove shrouded in spiritual energy, and further into the center of the grove lay a sapphire-blue lake. At the heart of the lake, peach blossoms swirled in the breeze, and ancient, elegant buildings lay nestled in layers upon layers.
Jade towers and jade halls—a paradise on earth.
Chu Daixi's voice sounded above Wangshu's head: "My good little one, how is it? This is our Chu family."
Our Chu family.
Wangshu began to understand why her mother had brought her to this height.
Those who have truly looked down upon the earth from above don't have a perspective confined to a single point.
Wangshu closed her eyes and slowly stretched out her arms.
When her eyes shut, the world began to expand. She felt the gentle currents of wind brush lightly over her bare skin. There was a subtle fragrance of peach blossoms, the sounds of voices and carriage wheels. There was a familiar energy flowing through her body.
Wangshu recalled Chu Xiu's lessons and tried to control this energy.
Wangshu thought, Spiritual energy, is it? Once you've entered my body, you listen to me.
Chu Daixi flew around Yingzhou Island holding Wangshu, when suddenly she felt her hand grow lighter. She was startled, thinking Wangshu had fallen, but on closer look, the girl was still firmly in her grip, very much alive.
Pensively, she held Wangshu up to examine her for a moment, then tucked her under her arm and flew back to Zhaoxi Pavilion.
"What's wrong?" Wangshu was still somewhat enchanted by that feeling.
She really wasn't afraid of heights, after all.
Chu Daixi crouched down and looked her over: "My good little one, what exactly did you just do?"
Wangshu said, "I was learning to fly."
The mother and daughter stared at each other, eyes wide.
After a moment, Chu Daixi called for Chu Mingyan and told her to bring the family's Rhythmic Dao Tablet.
Chu Mingyan arrived with the item, and her usually expressionless face showed a hint of genuine bewilderment.
"You're saying she's only three years old, and she's already awakened her spiritual seed?"
