AGN -Chapter 285 The Little Bird Is Just Too Troublesome

Did Little Master Qin still remember Luo Jun’s tea gathering?

Of course he did.

Qin Huai not only remembered the 4 p.m. tea gathering, but also recalled the types of fruit at Luo Jun’s house. He planned to buy two bottles of yogurt from a convenience store and “borrow” some ice cubes from Ou Yang’s shop to bring over and make fruit yogurt bowls for everyone.

As for the customers at Xiao Ou Yang’s hand-made lemon tea shop…

No worries. Ou Yang could handle it.

The recipe Cao Guixiang gave looked unreliable at first glance, but it was actually very easy to execute—and the result tasted genuinely good.

Especially the coconut drink blended from several beverages. The taste was simply amazing. One sip and you could immediately tell it was based on a well-known coconut milk brand, but with subtle differences that made it fresher and more layered.

It made people want another sip, almost impossible to stop.

Even Ou Yang himself drank three cups in a row, only stopping when he was completely full before doing anything else.

If nothing unexpected happened, Xiao Ou Yang’s hand-made lemon tea shop probably wouldn’t lose money.

But considering the owner was Ou Yang, there was still a 0.1% chance something unexpected would happen.

At 4 p.m., Qin Huai arrived exactly on time at Luo Jun’s doorstep carrying a bucket of ice (a milk tea bucket), six bags of plain yogurt bought from a convenience store, and four large containers of fruit tea.

He rang the doorbell.

Zhang Shumei opened the door.

Seeing Qin Huai, she was very enthusiastic. She picked up a canvas bag from the entryway and loudly said to Luo Jun, who was still sitting on the sofa watching TV: “Mr. Luo, Little Master Qin is here. I’m going to the fruit shop to buy fruit.”

Luo Jun nodded slightly.

Zhang Shumei happily left, carrying her bag to go shopping.

After the door closed, Luo Jun slowly turned around and shot Qin Huai a look—three parts contempt, five parts picky, and two parts sharpness. He looked more like a villain than an actual villain.

“Oh? So the busy Little Master Qin finally has time to grace my humble home? I thought you treated this place like a fruit wholesale market—just came, took goods, and left without paying.”

Qin Huai instantly understood the point: “having time” was the key. Luo Jun was clearly resentful that he had been away so many days, leaving him without preserved citrus tea or snacks.

Qin Huai quickly handed over four cups of fruit tea, placed the ice bucket and yogurt on the table, and smiled.

“How could that be? I specially made these fruit teas for you.”

Luo Jun directly forwarded messages from the group chat to Qin Huai.

Qin Huai remained calm and continued improvising:

“I made them specifically at Ou Yang’s shop for you. You don’t know this, but Ou Yang made hand-shaken lemon tea on New Year’s Eve and sent his entire family to the hospital.”

“Even though your body is that of a divine being and stronger than ordinary people, you’re no longer in your peak state after your tribulation failure. Biologically speaking… at least according to hospital records, you’re now a 92-year-old man. If I send you a cup of fruit tea and you end up in the hospital, in a worse scenario I might accidentally send you straight into your next life. That would be a huge sin on my part.”

As soon as Qin Huai finished speaking, the door opened again.

Chen Huihong and Qu Jing entered one after another. It was obvious that Chen Huihong and Luo Jun’s relationship had improved rapidly recently—so much so that the wood spirit and the phoenix-like being had formed a deep friendship. She even had Luo Jun’s house key now.

“What sin? I just heard something about the next life. Xiao Qin, did you run into some new spirit again? I knew it—you only came back so late because of that. Jingjing’s exchange program is already over and you still didn’t come back,” Chen Huihong said loudly and energetically.

Qu Jing followed behind her, holding a small pot of cooked food. She quickly explained: “Actually, according to the hospital schedule, I was supposed to come back at the end of March. Earlier this year, two doctors in our department resigned and we couldn’t recruit replacements quickly. I applied to end my exchange early, so I came back sooner.”

“Chen Huihong, can you lower your voice? If you shout a few more times, the whole building will know there’s something non-human in this house,” Luo Jun said with a disgusted expression. He pointed toward the kitchen. “Fruit is inside.”

Qin Huai quickly went to get it.

He also helped himself to cut some fruit and mix it into a yogurt fruit bowl.

Qu Jing followed him into the kitchen. She was holding a small pot containing freshly cooked rice cake soup. It wasn’t fully done yet—it needed to be served quickly, or the rice cakes would melt into mush if left too long.

Qin Huai glanced at Qu Jing’s face.

She looked slightly tanned.

Previously, because she had to disguise herself as someone with severe ultraviolet allergy, she rarely saw sunlight and always wrapped herself tightly. Her skin had been frighteningly pale.

Combined with her past self-harming, her complexion had often been bloodless—from lips to face, sometimes white like paper. One look and people would assume she was very unwell.

After her mental condition improved and self-harm decreased, the extreme pallor from blood loss gradually disappeared. Her lips became rosier again.

And now, she had actually tanned.

Qin Huai knew many girls pursued fair skin, using skincare, sunscreen, umbrellas. Even Qin Luo started wearing sunscreen in middle school summers.

But Qin Huai thought Qu Jing looked better a bit darker.

Her previous skin tone had been too white—lifelessly so. Even with a mask on, she stood out in a crowd like a crane among chickens. Now, she looked like a normal person.

She no longer wore gloves, still preferred long sleeves, but her gestures and presence had become that of an ordinary, healthy human.

“I met my uncle and third uncle during the New Year,” Qu Jing suddenly said.

Qin Huai paused while mixing the fruit bowl. “You went to a nursing home for volunteer work during New Year?”

“Mm.” Qu Jing nodded. “My parents invited me, and our hospital also had assignments in that area, so I volunteered.”

“My third uncle said I look a lot like his niece who passed away many years ago,” she said with a smile. “He told me a lot about my past.”

“In my previous life, I was always in a daze. I didn’t know many things. I didn’t even know I was that outstanding in my third uncle’s eyes. He said I was first in class every exam in middle school, first in the city in the high school entrance exam, and top ten in the city for the college entrance exam.”

“I clearly remember I was first in my school and top ten in the city for the entrance exam. My third uncle even exaggerated it in his memory.”

“He remembers I liked wearing dresses, liked drawing, and in middle school tried to be a literary girl by writing poems. In high school, I followed classmates to learn the flute, but couldn’t even play a complete piece after two months.”

“He also remembers the day I got into Capital Medical University—my dad was so happy he drank half a bottle of white liquor and slept until the next afternoon.”

“Even when I first entered university and wanted to join the literature club, I was rejected because my poems were too bad, and I wrote a letter to my parents complaining about it—he remembers that too.”

Qu Jing spoke slowly and steadily as she scooped the rice cake soup.

“My third uncle said his niece was very outstanding, but because she was too outstanding, she was envied by heaven. Somehow she suddenly went insane.”

“He, my uncle, and my parents tried many ways, found many doctors, but none of them could cure me. Eventually, my parents had no other choice and turned to praying and superstition. My mother secretly burned a lot of incense and asked for many talismans.”

“I didn’t know any of this. My mother never believed in such things. The thing she usually said the most at home was how some patients refused proper treatment and instead believed in shamans and drank talisman water in the countryside.”

“After I died by suicide, many people advised my parents to have another child while they still could. But my parents insisted on adopting a child from among relatives—and they insisted it had to be a girl.”

“My third uncle said my father’s exact words were: ‘I’ve already had the best daughter. Even if I have another, that child will never surpass Shen Ai in my heart. That wouldn’t be fair to the child, and it wouldn’t be fair to Shen Ai either.’”

“So that’s why he would rather adopt a child. That way, Shen Ai would be their only child.”

“That’s why I did something I shouldn’t have done,” Qu Jing said, lowering her head. “Qin Huai, I’m only telling you this. Don’t ever tell Sister Hong or Mr. Luo. If they find out, they’ll definitely scold me.”

“What did you do?” Qin Huai asked.

“I told my parents that I had a dream. In that dream, I heard my classmate say he went with his parents to the capital zoo and saw big lions and tigers. I told my dream-parents about it, and they agreed that after I got into a university in the capital, they would take me to the zoo together. But later, because of scheduling conflicts, we never went.”

Qin Huai was stunned. He thought to himself that Qu Jing really did big things quietly—she had actually done something like this behind everyone’s back.

“And… what was your parents’ reaction?”

“My mother told me she often has a dream too—she dreams that her daughter grows up and becomes a doctor, and now her dream has come true.”

“I also made an agreement with my parents and Teacher Chen. This summer vacation, I’ll take annual leave and go to Beiping with them to visit the zoo.”

For a moment, Qin Huai didn’t know what to say. It sounded like a very beautiful ending, but at the same time, it carried hidden risks.

Chen Huihong, although she often said outrageous things, usually spoke the truth.

For example, she believed that once a spirit successfully completes its tribulation, it should immediately die—because living on carries the risk of failure.

Such cases were rare, but not nonexistent. Qin Huai even had one in his “catalogue”—a being currently in elementary school, attending after-school tutoring at this very moment.

“You doing this… aren’t you worried about the risk…? Well… if you’re happy with it, then it’s fine,” Qin Huai could only say.

“I know there’s risk,” Qu Jing said, “but I think this is the right thing to do. The lives of spirits are long and dull. If not for tribulation, most of us would probably live forever until we eventually decide we don’t want to live anymore.”

“Before my tribulation, I never understood what it was for. Actually, I still don’t fully understand. But I think maybe it’s meant to teach us how to live—how to have emotions, how to engage with the world, how to truly become human.”

“Humans have emotions and desires. As a spirit, I shouldn’t have done this—but as a daughter, I don’t want my parents to have regrets.”

“I think Mr. Luo might be right. You are not my straw.”

“My straw has always been around me. Even if I hadn’t met you, maybe in some moment when I was breaking down from self-harm, I would have met my uncle or other relatives from my past life, and I could have awakened too.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Huihong walked to the kitchen doorway.

“Jingjing, Xiao Qin, do you need help? Xiao Qin, are you making snacks? Can you steam some steamed buns? I haven’t had fermented rice wine buns in so long—I really want some!”

“Sure, but fermenting the dough takes time. Sister Hong, you might have to wait until evening,” Qin Huai replied loudly. “I’m making fruit yogurt bowls right now—you and Mr. Luo can have those first.”

“Bring it out,” Qin Huai said to Qu Jing.

“Okay.” She nodded, then reminded him again, “Don’t tell Sister Hong or Mr. Luo.”

“Got it.”

Qin Huai and Qu Jing brought out the fruit bowls and rice cake soup. Only then did Luo Jun stand up from the sofa and walk toward the table. He was holding his phone; the TV had long been paused.

“I want Chenpi tea,” Luo Jun said expressionlessly. “The ingredients are already prepared by Zhang Shumei.”

“I’ll make it for you in a bit,” Qin Huai agreed immediately. “Today’s snacks will be enough for everyone.”

“Also, Sister Hong, you probably won’t have room for steamed buns today—I’m making Four Joy Tangyuan. I already had the ingredients shipped over; I was just checking whether they arrived.”

“They arrived yesterday,” Luo Jun said. “They’re in the fridge.”

Chen Huihong immediately looked like she understood everything.

“Don’t worry, we’ll give you feedback. I already asked my dad, mom, brother, and sister-in-law to write reviews of your Four Joy Tangyuan. Wait, I’ll find them on my phone and send them to you.”

Qin Huai: “…?”

Why was it that every time people saw him, the first thing they mentioned was writing reviews of Four Joy Tangyuan? Did he look that obsessed with reviews?

Well… before his Four Joy Tangyuan reached A-grade, he probably was.

Seeing Qu Jing already opening her phone, Qin Huai quickly waved his hands.

“No need, no need.”

“No more reviews are needed. My Four Joy Tangyuan is already done—it’s A-grade now! It’s upgraded! My seasoning is master-level too. Didn’t I tell you? I didn’t really join the video tea gatherings during New Year.”

“Anyway, the current Four Joy Tangyuan is completely different from before. A-grade really is far better than B-grade.”

The three of them looked at him calmly.

Luo Jun’s expression said: So what? A-grade? Big deal. I’ve had better.

Qu Jing’s expression said: Then my review was pointless.

Chen Huihong’s expression said: I can’t imagine it without tasting it first.

Each of them had their own inner thoughts written clearly on their faces.

Qin Huai: “……”

For some reason, this was supposed to be a satisfying moment of showing off—but lately, none of his attempts at showing off seemed to go well.

Was he just not suited for showing off?

No. He’d try again tomorrow.

“I’m going to make the tangyuan,” Qin Huai said, heading back into the kitchen, determined to prove himself through action.

Chen Huihong quietly put away her phone.

If Qin Huai could see her WeChat screen, he would find that just a few minutes earlier she had been chatting with Luo Jun.

Lonely Old Bird: I’m old, not dead. Don’t they realize the kitchen door isn’t fully closed?

Chen Huihong: Maybe they don’t.

Lonely Old Bird: That little bird is just too troublesome.

Chen Huihong: Exactly. I say after successfully passing tribulation, you should just die immediately. No risks.

Lonely Old Bird: Then why are you still alive?

Chen Huihong: I’m different.

Chen Huihong: What if Jingjing fails again?

Lonely Old Bird: Then what else? Just pull her through again—if I’m still alive then.

Lonely Old Bird: That little bird is just too troublesome.