I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 51

To say that Qi Yan had never fantasized about love in her twenty-two years of life would be impossible. She was a mere mortal, and ever since adolescence, she had imagined many sweet and beautiful relationships. She had never actually practiced these feelings for two reasons: first, she had never met anyone who truly made her heart flutter; second, she was quite a homebody. She did not enjoy socializing, which meant she had few opportunities to meet people. With a smaller social circle, she was even less likely to encounter someone who could move her heart.

Coincidentally, she was a talented creative. Ever since she began producing independent manhua, she had channeled her emotions into her work. This became especially true after she entered university. While her roommates and classmates began pairing off, she remained solitary, carrying her easel to various locations to sketch or staying in her dorm to draw.

She did not feel lonely or empty. When a close roommate asked her about her status, she maintained an air of complete indifference.

The roommate had teased her at the time, saying, “You are such a blockhead. Do you have any idea how many guys in our class, our department, or even other colleges have liked you?”

Qi Yan thought she was exaggerating and shook her head in disbelief. “Stop teasing me. I am not money; I do not expect everyone to like me.”

Her roommate felt she was a hopeless case. Qi Yan’s head was so full of her drawings that there was no room in her eyes for living people.

Qi Yan was beautiful, possessing a clear and refreshing appearance. Her look was not aggressive, nor was it overly sweet. Paired with her clean style of dress, she resembled a spring of the clearest, most translucent water. Her appearance alone was enough to attract many suitors, but shortly after her freshman year began, those who wanted to approach her instinctively retreated.

The reason was simple: they all agreed that Qi Yan’s eyes did not truly see human beings.

While this might sound dramatic, it was a genuine observation. She lived a solitary, shut-in life. Her daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, and drawing. As a novice with no romantic experience, Qi Yan did not realize it, but those who harbored feelings for her knew it well. When you like someone and try to develop a relationship, you pay extra attention to their every move, expression, and glance.

In the eyes of everyone who had ever liked her, Qi Yan’s gaze never landed properly on a living person. Her eyes only filled with human emotion when she looked at a canvas or a sketchbook. Faced with such a person, any ordinary suitor would choose to give up. To put it simply, Qi Yan did not see three-dimensional people; she only saw two-dimensional characters.

Perhaps Qi Yan herself had not realized this. She simply had not met anyone who sparked her interest or affection. One could say her emotional needs were sparse or that she was missing a romantic spark, but that did not mean she lacked fantasies about love, nor did it mean she was ignorant. She understood these feelings; she just had not cared before. Now that she cared, she could see everything. She clearly understood Bai Qing’s intent. That fox was trying to close the distance between them. Though it was clumsy, highlighting Bai Qing’s own lack of experience, the meaning was clear enough for Qi Yan to see through it instantly.

Qi Yan’s calm heartstrings were suddenly plucked. She glanced at Bai Qing, who had already rolled up her sleeves to wash the dishes. Bai Qing was not waiting for an answer, as if the answer itself did not matter.

In truth, Bai Qing was not expecting one. Having lived for a thousand years while remaining a pure fox, her mind was quite simple. She just wanted to live like the human couples she had observed. She was also somewhat dull regarding her own feelings, not entirely certain what kind of affection she held for Qi Yan, though she firmly acknowledged their status as a married couple.

Standing nearby, Qi Yan fidgeted with her fingers. Not daring to let her gaze rest on Bai Qing, she stared at the dishwashing instead. Gradually, her focus shifted to Bai Qing’s long, powerful fingers, watching how they stirred the water.

She told herself to stop and not to think about it anymore. She wondered how watching someone wash dishes could lead to such strange thoughts. Qi Yan shook her head and took a hurried step back, feeling ridiculous. She was daydreaming in broad daylight. That fox had not even said anything yet, and already her thoughts were veering wildly off course.

Steadying herself behind Bai Qing where she could not be seen, Qi Yan took deep breaths. She fanned her face with her hand to cool her cheeks, desperately telling herself to focus on something else. Bai Qing moved efficiently, soon finishing the dishes and stacking them aside. Wiping her hands, she turned to ask, “Where should I put these?”

“I will do it!” Qi Yan hurriedly suppressed her chaotic thoughts and stepped forward to put the dishes in the cupboard.

Bai Qing watched her intently, memorizing where every item belonged. Once the kitchen was tidy, they returned to the bedroom. Checking the time, Qi Yan saw it was still midday and decided to take a shower to wash away her fatigue.

Bai Qing did not need to shower. She could use a Cleansing Spell at any time to make everything spotless. This was a very convenient ability that made Qi Yan envious. She asked, “Can I learn magic?”

The sudden question caught Bai Qing’s attention. She looked at the girl and asked, “Why?”

Qi Yan scratched her head sheepishly. “I think it is convenient. For example, you can use a Cleansing Spell whenever you want and never have to shower.”

The corners of Bai Qing’s lips curled up. “If you do not want to shower, I can just clean you myself.”

She meant using the spell, but to Qi Yan, it sounded scandalous. Her face flushed red as she shook her head, grabbing her pajamas. “I was just speaking casually. If you will not teach me, then forget it!”

As she ran toward the door, Bai Qing said, “I am willing to teach you. I just do not know if you have the talent or the patience.”

Qi Yan stopped and turned back. “You are really willing to teach me?”

“Why would I not be?”

“I imagine teaching magic is very troublesome. You asked if I have the patience to learn, but I want to ask if you have the patience to teach. What if I am a very stupid student?”

Bai Qing stared at her, watching the girl’s awkward expression. With a pleasant smile, Bai Qing said lazily, “I have never taken a disciple. Not a single one.”

Qi Yan lowered her head. “I know. You must be afraid of the trouble.”

“Yes, indeed. I hate trouble most of all.”

Hearing the answer she expected, Qi Yan felt a strange wave of disappointment. But before that disappointment could spread, Bai Qing continued, “However, if it is teaching you, it is not impossible. After all, you are not an outsider.”

Qi Yan felt her heart stir again. The silence was replaced by a feeling like a warm morning breeze. Her mood soared. Qi Yan bit her lip, suppressing her excitement. She fidgeted for a moment before whispering, “Then, would I be your only disciple?”

Bai Qing heard her clearly and chuckled. “A disciple? I truly have never taken one. However, our relationship is certainly not that of master and apprentice. Even if I teach you magic, you cannot be considered my disciple.”

If not master and apprentice, then what? Qi Yan wanted to play dumb, but she could not lie to herself. Their relationship had been set from the first second they met. She had denied it many times, but it had no effect. Now, she realized she was not as resistant to it as before.

Qi Yan could not explain the feeling. She just felt like things were becoming unpredictable. She was no longer fully in control. Instead, she felt a curious urge to explore something unknown. Panicked yet excited, she opened the door and fled.

Bai Qing found her reaction amusing. While Qi Yan showered, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Her spiritual power was recovering, but the damage to her soul was still significant. This injury would impact her cultivation, making it difficult to reach her peak power. She needed to find another way because she knew the girl would encounter greater dangers in future scripts. If she could not return to her full strength, she would feel uneasy. Even though she was still strong, she knew that in a high-difficulty script like Carnival, she needed to be at her best.

After her shower, Qi Yan returned to Bai Qing’s side and presented the two emotion fragments she had collected. “We need seven different ones to leave. I have only cleared two scripts so far, so the chance of duplicates is low, but as we do more, the probability increases.”

In other words, it was unknown when they would be free.

“Carnival was my second script, and the difficulty already jumped significantly.” Qi Yan wrapped her hair in a towel and knelt beside Bai Qing. “I assume things will not be easy from here on out. There are plenty of scripts harder than Carnival. I need more power, and I need to learn to protect myself.”

Bai Qing reached out to tuck a damp strand of hair behind Qi Yan’s ear. “Do I make you feel unsafe?”

Qi Yan shook her head. “You know that is not what I mean. Your protection is enough, but there are too many variables. For example, when I was turned into a doll.”

Bai Qing frowned. Recalling that incident made her regret not protecting Qi Yan better. “I am sorry. I was being difficult then; it was my oversight.”

Qi Yan was caught off guard by the apology. “It was not just your fault. I was being difficult too. I did not want to back down because we were fighting. It was childish.”

Bai Qing agreed. “I was also being stubborn. I regretted it deeply afterward.”

They both realized how immature they had been. Qi Yan leaned happily against Bai Qing. Since her hair was still wet, she just pressed her arm against hers. They were both trying to accept the relationship brought about by the spiritual bond.

“Anyway, it is in the past. Let’s talk about the future,” Qi Yan said. “I really want to learn how to protect myself. I am serious.”

Bai Qing laughed softly. “I never teased you. I will certainly teach you.”

Qi Yan smiled and added, “There is one more thing. Many scripts require multiple players. If we keep running into people like Wu Shuang, it will be dangerous. So, I was thinking about finding a few familiar people to form a team.”

Bai Qing asked, “Why ask for my permission? If you want to form a team, then do it.”

Qi Yan thought about how Bai Qing had been jealous before. “Because of our relationship, I should ask you. If we are a team, the chances of them seeing you will increase. I need to know if you are okay with that.”

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