My Sister Never Said She Was a Creepy Tale - Chapter 86

After a comfortable soak in the hot springs and a satisfying dinner, Yue Yiyue looked at the cars speeding past downstairs and felt an inexplicable urge to take a walk outside.

The moment she looked at Gu Nanqiu, the latter stood up and handed over a jacket: “Let’s go.”

A silent understanding, without any ambiguous gestures, their relationship seemed to have taken a step back.

Yue Yiyue took the clothes from her hand: “You want to go too?”

“A walk after dinner is quite nice.” Gu Nanqiu put on her bag, confirming the contents: “Check your phone battery. We might be back late.”

Perhaps due to the rebound from the suppression of the Bizarre Tales, the streets were especially crowded tonight.

Large posters were hung everywhere, celebrating their freedom to live as they pleased and announcing sales.

“I wonder if the money they were scared of for years was actually earned?” Yue Yiyue was curious, since with Mu Hongcai’s system, money would only flow into her hands.

And since Yue Yiyue was only an external participant who briefly joined this rule-based dungeon, she didn’t know the specific economic chain inside.

“That, well, it depends on how it was set up,” Gu Nanqiu said cryptically.

Yue Yiyue’s mind didn’t quite catch up. Perhaps it was code related to the dungeon.

Since she hadn’t remembered everything, it was normal not to know.

Yue Yiyue didn’t dwell on the sentence. Holding Gu Nanqiu’s hand, they walked and stopped along the street, watching the lively crowd and listening to the little songs playing from the shops.

Smelling a not-too-strong scent from a cookie shop, Yue Yiyue darted in to buy local specialties.

One portion for her mother, one for Wild Qiu, one for Curator Qiu—although she didn’t know if she could deliver it—and one for the forensic doctor. Even though she felt the latter wouldn’t accept it, Yue Yiyue bought one anyway.

Two portions for Gu Nanqiu. Judging by the way she was peeking at the door earlier, she clearly wanted it.

After receiving them, Yue Yiyue unwrapped one portion and fed Gu Nanqiu first.

“I told you their relationship is good. The tall one’s eyes are always glued to the shorter one,” the conversation of two people standing next door drifted into Yue Yiyue’s ears.

“Ah? But I really want her contact info. She’s so pretty—”

“You probably won’t get it, right?”

“Should I try?”

“Maybe?”

Gu Nanqiu was eating a cookie and saw the figure approaching. Without raising her head, she said: “Forgot my phone, no adding.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet.” The person who was trying to ask for contact info paused, then shamelessly said: “Since you’re so beautiful, how about I write mine down for you?”

“No need.” Gu Nanqiu refused again.

The person sighed: “Alright, sorry to bother you. Also, you really are beautiful.”

Then, she walked away, smiling happily.

Yue Yiyue looked at the sparkling jade bangle on the person’s wrist, feeling a little lost in thought.

“Yiyue, the cookie flavor is delicious. You should try it too.” Gu Nanqiu pinched a buttery cookie between her fingers and waved it in front of Yue Yiyue: “Try it?”

“Oh? I will.” Yue Yiyue snapped back, biting the small, crumbly cookie. It was indeed quite good: “If we come here again next time, we’ll get some more. Where should we go now?”

“I don’t know.” Gu Nanqiu shrugged: “Let’s just wander around and look. If you want, we can try what it feels like to pull an all-nighter in a strange city.”

Yue Yiyue was truly tempted by the suggestion. She put her phone back in her pocket: “Let’s skip the all-nighter, but we can find a place to celebrate the New Year.”

“Tomorrow is the start of a new year.” Yue Yiyue looked outside at the vendors walking by with different New Year celebration balloons: “Let’s eat and drink well outside!”

“But we can’t go to the pier.” A City was located by the sea, and the winter sea wind was exceptionally cold. Yue Yiyue wasn’t particularly afraid of the cold, but she worried about Gu Nanqiu getting a headache from the chill.

“Do you want to lead? Or should we play rock-paper-scissors at the next intersection, and the winner decides the direction?”

Yue Yiyue won five consecutive games, leading Gu Nanqiu into an alley, startling the cats inside into scaling the walls.

Looking at the shops that were lit up but already closed, Yue Yiyue grumbled: “Darn it, I really shouldn’t judge by the lights alone. I shouldn’t have hesitated just now.”

Gu Nanqiu looked up at the shop sign: “It’s a pork cutlet restaurant. Should we come eat tomorrow?”

“We can.” Yue Yiyue pulled Gu Nanqiu toward the outside: “That doesn’t count. I’m taking back one choice, let’s go the other way!”

After a new round of rock-paper-scissors, the two entered a record store. Surrounded by a dazzling array of CDs and records, Yue Yiyue was pleasantly surprised to see a vinyl record of her recently favorite singer.

After much deliberation, Gu Nanqiu ordered a record player, and bought the singer’s new album in colored vinyl, black vinyl, and clear vinyl.

Claiming that a corner in her room was perfect for display, she also picked up the singer’s previous black vinyl records.

The excuse was: for neatness and completion.

In the next round, Yue Yiyue won. Turning left led to a handmade doll shop. Cute handcrafted dresses and plump, stuffed dolls hung on the wall, with displayed birth certificates nearby.

Yue Yiyue tugged at Gu Nanqiu’s sleeve.

An hour and a half later, the two carried bags containing a cat and a dog. The world now had a handmade cat doll named ‘Gugu’ and a handmade dog doll named ‘Yueyue.’

After a few more rounds, the two arrived at an unknown plaza.

Yue Yiyue easily bought the last three bouquets of flowers from a child selling them to supplement their family income. She also slipped a somewhat childish book she had just bought at the bookstore into the child’s hands, along with some money, telling the little girl to buy a hot bun to warm her hands.

The little girl smiled and waved at Yue Yiyue.

Yue Yiyue waved the flowers she was holding, saying sincerely: “Thank you for bringing such beautiful flowers in winter!”

Gu Nanqiu took the bouquet from Yue Yiyue’s hands and, imitating Yue Yiyue, waved at the little girl.

The little girl skipped toward the subway entrance.

Yue Yiyue felt a little melancholic. She used to frequently encounter kind people who would buy her remaining stock, which allowed her time to learn from the grandmothers.

Now, she also had the ability to help other children. It felt good.

Even though she wasn’t spending her own money.

However, once her scholarship came through, she could buy her mother a jade bangle as a thank-you gift.

Yue Yiyue thought so and acted on it. After winning the next round, she pulled Gu Nanqiu into a jade store.

Twenty minutes later, Gu Nanqiu was rubbing the bangle on her wrist, following behind Yue Yiyue.

Yue Yiyue carried a neatly wrapped small box in her other hand.

The jade inside was beautiful, so beautiful that Yue Yiyue felt she would never encounter it again if she missed it.

Yue Yiyue thought guiltily: It’s fine if I save up and put the money back in later.

Yes, it’s fine.

As it approached 11 PM, the streets were still packed. Yue Yiyue held Gu Nanqiu’s hand tightly, afraid of getting separated.

In the noise, Yue Yiyue heard people nearby cheerfully saying that a New Year’s countdown celebration was happening in the plaza ahead.

“Let’s go back,” Yue Yiyue looked up at Gu Nanqiu, shouting loudly.

Her voice was drowned out by cheers. Gu Nanqiu had to pull Yue Yiyue into a hug and asked close to her ear: “What?”

“Let’s go back,” Yue Yiyue slightly stood on her toes, repeating next to Gu Nanqiu’s ear: “Let’s go back to the hotel. Should take an hour to walk back, right?”

“We can do it.”

The hotel room lights turned on. Gu Nanqiu entered first, hung up her coat, and walked into the bathroom.

Yue Yiyue looked at the figure behind the frosted glass of the bathroom and organized the shopping bags scattered on the floor.

Gu Nanqiu was quite skilled; she took her through a small alley and they arrived in twenty minutes.

In the middle, they also bought two bottles of low-alcohol cocktails at a convenience store.

People called them “sweet water.”

Yue Yiyue placed the items down, took out her phone, and, pressing the new cat doll down on the sofa, first asked her mother what she was doing and if she was resting.

Then she replied to Liu Mingdian’s early New Year’s greeting.

Yu An sent a new photo of her at the plaza they had just heard about, apparently planning to join the excitement.

Thinking that it might be difficult to find a taxi after the countdown, Yue Yiyue sent a reminder.

After receiving the reply that Yu An was riding an electric scooter, Yue Yiyue switched to her chat window with her mother.

“Baby is so good for spending money today.”

Seeing the latest pop-up message, Yue Yiyue’s gaze fell on the jade bangle next to her. The bangle was said to be of good material.

Yue Yiyue wasn’t sure about the specifics, but the moment she saw it, she knew it was perfect for her mother.

Even though she hadn’t officially met her mother yet.

Yue Yiyue sent a shy puppy emoji, then moved on to what she wanted to ask.

“Mom, will you spend the New Year with me later?”

“Yes, Baby. Do you miss me?”

That’s so good, Yue Yiyue looked at the message on her phone. She had a mother.

Although they were only connected through the internet, she now had a mother.

“Yes, I miss you very much.” Yue Yiyue replied: “Then, Mom, would you be willing to spend the New Year in a different location?”

“Yiyue, it’s your turn to shower—” Wrapped in a white bath towel, Gu Nanqiu walked out of the bathroom, lazily drying her hair, bringing a steamy mist with her.

The comfortable room temperature made her fall comfortably onto the nearby sofa: “You squished my little cat.”

Her mother’s message also popped up: “Of course. Where you are is where home is, Baby. Get some rest soon, and go take a shower.”

“Okay, okay.” Yue Yiyue replied with a cute puppy emoji, then slipped into the bathroom.

She had already washed once at the hot springs, so Yue Yiyue just took a quick rinse and gargled.

Spitting out the foam, Yue Yiyue remembered she still had to drink the “sweet water” later.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but chuckle. She could actually live this kind of life now.

No need to lie in a cramped room, worrying if the fifteen-yuan birdcage would catch fire, or rack her brains over discounts, only to wake up the next day and face the cold wind.

From initially only buying discounted instant noodles to now buying a tens-of-thousands-yuan bangle without a second thought.

And after buying it, she would even be praised for spending money well.

Thinking of this, Yue Yiyue’s eyes welled up, and the objects in front of her began to blur.

The person who was an unreachable spiritual pillar in a novel was just outside the room.

And they had actually crossed paths in reality long ago, even loved each other.

Although this world was full of dangers, there were always different versions of Qiu, and various people who came to help her.

Even in the other world, Aunt Zhang, whose soul was imprisoned in a Bizarre Tale dungeon and sleeping soundly because she protected Yue Yiyue, was gradually regaining consciousness and could walk now.

A new year is coming.

The sound of the countdown broadcast started. Yue Yiyue froze for a moment and rushed into the bedroom.

A person in a light, silky pajama leaned lazily and elegantly by the window, looking out at the bustling city night view.

Hearing the sound behind her, Gu Nanqiu took a sip of the red wine by her side, turned around, and offered the glass to Yue Yiyue’s lips: “Yiyue, Happy New Year—”

Outside the window, brilliant fireworks bloomed.