Chapter 62
“Mo, Maureen… I brought you flowers…”
A fluffy fox cub, holding a freshly picked bouquet, timidly placed it on the table and ran off, afraid of having its ears played with.
Maureen smiled, removed the extra leaves and thorns, and carefully arranged the flowers in a vase, planning to thoroughly pet the fluffy little creatures later.
Catching the tail end of autumn, Ning Zhixia had gone to Biluo Mountain to see the red maple leaves. Before leaving, he had been tempted by the long queue at a rice cake stall and had been craving it ever since, so the nail salon was unusually lively tonight.
Harpas and Mili had taken on the task of making rice cakes, kneeling by a stone mortar like two small mountains, one pounding the glutinous rice, the other turning it—
“Thump!”
“Ouch!”
“Thump!”
“Ouch!”
“Thump!”
“Hiss—are you blind?!”
His hand repeatedly hit by the wooden mallet, Harpas roared furiously, clutching his reddened hand, “Did Fu Fu eat your brain? You’re lucky if you hit it right once out of ten times!”
Fu Fu, playing with the flower sprites, turned his head and blinked in confusion: “?”
The blond centaur averted his gaze, then defiantly retorted, “It’s just a few hits, who told you to be so slow! If the human had left this task to me, everyone would be eating rice cakes by now!”
“Fine, fine… give me the mallet.” Harpas, exasperated, conceded. “You do it then!”
Mili snorted and agreed. The two centaurs quickly switched places. Harpas lifted the mallet and swung it.
“Thump!”
“Ouch!”
Mili’s eyes welled up: “Damn it, you did that on purpose!”
“Oh, come on, it’s just a few hits.” Harpas retorted, echoing his earlier words, a sinister smile on his face.
A moment of silence, then sparks flew from their manes as they erupted into a heated argument.
The glutinous rice in the mortar remained untouched. Ning Zhixia, holding a leaf, his lips pursed, grumbled, “When are we going to eat the rice cakes…”
“Stop complaining, you’re the one who gave them the task…” Qu Banqing brought out a pot of simmering bone broth, a layer of oil floating on the surface, perfect for blanching vegetables later.
It was lively with so many people around. Ning Zhixia, hungry after ten minutes, patted his belly helplessly.
Just then, the door opened and closed, and Fatty Orange, nudging Ning Zhixia with its paw, twitched its ears and meowed sweetly.
A dessert box grazed his hair and was placed before him.
Ning Zhixia pushed away Fatty Orange’s paw, recognizing the familiar aroma, and quickly opened the box, exclaiming in surprise, “Wow, baked mochi!”
“Taro and soy milk flavor.”
Audrow sat down beside him, clearly pleased with the young man’s delight, and glanced at the bickering centaurs and the doomed glutinous rice, as if convinced that taking care of humans was best left to him.
…My ass!
Spoiling him with sweets and snacks, giving him whatever he wanted, he was clearly trying to turn him into a pampered piglet.
Qu Banqing, who had been planning to add extra vegetables to Ning Zhixia’s bowl, saw Audrow place a dark, diamond-shaped crystal on the table.
The crystal floated, its facets rotating, and with a metallic clinking sound, unfolded into a sheet of paper, shimmering silver words gradually appearing.
Qu Banqing gulped, quickly scanning the text, his breath catching in his throat.
As if sensing the shift in atmosphere, the room quieted down, only the pets continuing their playful antics.
“What’s that?”
“A letter from Peleg’s family.”
“Who’s Peleg?”
“Who else…”
Ning Zhixia, his mouth full of crumbs, looked up, following their gazes towards Qu Banqing.
“It’s an invitation to the Shadow Isle royal banquet, all royal members must attend.” As if sensing the young man’s question, Qu Banqing gave a wry smile, put away the crystal, and pouted, “Unless he wants to be disowned.”
Ning Zhixia looked at him incredulously: “You’re a royal?!”
“Yes!” Qu Banqing straightened his back. “If I had been the first to hatch, you would be the crown prince of Shadow Isle.”
Ning Zhixia’s lips trembled, and after a moment, he said, “So you elves hatch from eggs!”
Everyone else: “…”
Audrow chuckled softly.
Ning Zhixia realized he had missed the point, coughed awkwardly, and leaned closer to his friend, “Don’t you want to go back and see them?”
“Hmm… honestly, not really. It’s like returning home after running away for over a decade, I can’t imagine what my father would do to me.”
Qu Banqing’s face crumpled, his voice unusually calm as he muttered, “He never liked me anyway.”
The Shadow Isle elves were fierce and powerful, similar to the Barrenlands, valuing strength above all, but their power came not only from themselves, but also from their mechanical weapons.
However, as the youngest son of the lord, Qu Banqing was an exception. He hadn’t made many weapons, but countless cute trinkets, earning him many scoldings throughout his life.
After years away from home, he was now being summoned to a banquet. Moreover, Qu Banqing disliked his true form, and he slumped on the sofa, sighing dejectedly.
“It’s just a banquet, what’s there to worry about?” The actress, a veteran of red carpets, scoffed and patted her chest. “With us here, what’s there to be afraid of? We’ll make sure you outshine everyone, they’ll see how well you’re doing!”
Qu Banqing wasn’t convinced, but her words energized everyone, as if they had received a main quest from a game, and they pulled him off the sofa.
Ning Zhixia chuckled and brought a pile of clothes from his room, piling them on the sofa.
Audrow, lounging on the sofa, covered his face with Fatty Orange and, using its paws, said, [Your friend is going to a banquet on Shadow Isle, please choose a suitable outfit for the dejected elf.]
Ning Zhixia saluted: “Yes, sir!”
“Who’s a dejected elf?!”
Qu Banqing, caught off guard by the sudden styling session, revealed his metal wings and scorpion tail, but before he could protest, clothes were being thrown onto him.
Ning Zhixia had just picked a suit vest when Su Qiushui pushed him aside with a large cloak.
The gem-loving centaurs placed jewelry on his head and ears, and the fox cubs, seeing no space left, whined and, along with Pipi and the flower sprites, started decorating his tail with flowers.
Half an hour later, the stylists, satisfied with their work, clapped their hands.
Qu Banqing, as if sleepwalking, stood in front of the mirror, staring at the cake-tower-like figure in disbelief.
Yin Fuliu, leaning against the window, took a drag from Su Qiushui’s cigarette holder and chuckled, “He looks like my teenage daughter trying to clear a video game level with mismatched clothes.”
Ning Zhixia held up a sign with gold lettering: “S+!”
…You guys are really enjoying this!
Qu Banqing snapped out of his daze and glared at them.
“Okay, okay, no more playing…” Ning Zhixia quickly appeased him, bumping his shoulder and whispering, “You still want to go back and see them, don’t you?”
Go back and see them…
Qu Banqing’s fingers, picking petals from his hair, paused, a mix of emotions swirling in his heart.
He didn’t know how his parents and siblings were doing, what his nieces and nephews, who were still eggs when he left, looked like now, whether the invitation was just a formality or if they truly wanted him back… The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became, his small wings fluttering listlessly.
Ning Zhixia stood before him, his hands behind his back, and asked, “You do, right? You do, right?”
Qu Banqing pushed his head away and mumbled an indistinct “hmm.”
“Then just show them your true form.”
“What?”
“Show them, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Ning Zhixia removed the blinding jewelry from him. “I don’t think it’s ugly, you’re tall, even if you think it’s ugly, I can help you fix it!”
Qu Banqing sniffled and looked up at him: “Seriously?”
“Seriously!” Ning Zhixia patted his chest, assuring him.
Qu Banqing nodded in agreement.
With a series of clicks and cracks, the gray-skinned elf revealed his true form, his mechanical scorpion tail shimmering, nervously curling as everyone watched.
“Qu gege is so handsome!” The foxes’ eyes sparkled as they clapped enthusiastically, then tugged on Su Qiushui and Yin Fuliu’s sleeves, “Sister, look, he’s so tall and big!”
Qu Banqing grinned, glanced at his reflection in the mirror, then his expression fell, and he muttered, “What’s so good-looking…”
“You are.” Ning Zhixia grabbed his toolbox and said proudly, “I can make you even more handsome!”
Qu Banqing’s eyes widened, and under the young man’s bright smile, the drooping metal feathers on his wings perked up one by one.
When Ning Zhixia took his hand, he was still a little dazed. This was the first time he had been treated like a customer, and his tail swayed like a snake.
The Shadow Elf’s nails were black as jade, slightly pointed, and unlike humans’, the center of his long nail beds was slightly raised.
Ning Zhixia didn’t want to cover this unique, natural color. After cleaning them, he applied a clear base coat, then a layer of silver cat eye polish, creating a wide shimmer with a magnet.
But he wasn’t going for a simple cat eye effect. He applied a matte top coat, obscuring the shimmer, and started painting a magic circle-like pattern.
Intricate designs would look crowded on a small surface, usually requiring careful planning, but Ning Zhixia didn’t need it.
He had painted this pattern countless times, and he knew Qu Banqing’s preferences and what suited him. Their years of friendship gave him confidence, and his brush moved swiftly and decisively across the nail, leaving a trail of shimmering gold, then moved on to the next nail.
The young man, slightly hunched over under the light, was wearing a beige pajama set, the soft, light color making him look warm and gentle.
Audrow loved watching the young man’s focused expression, sitting quietly beside him, and if anyone dared to block his view, a snap of his fingers would turn them into an ice sculpture.
Mili grumbled softly, “Is he annoying or what, can’t even look at the nails, so domineering…”
Su Qiushui nodded in agreement: “Exactly.”
Yin Fuliu rolled her eyes and asked Maureen, “When will they learn how to use their eyes properly?”
Before Maureen could reply, Harpas, rubbing his still-swollen hand, interjected, “Eyes? Don’t they even have those?”
The quiet room became lively again. Ning Zhixia, having finished the nails, wasn’t done yet. He filled a mold with gold sculpting gel, cured it, and took out the pieces.
Gears and chains of various sizes were assembled on the nails. Qu Banqing’s gaze was fixed on them, his mind filled with images of the intricate, ever-turning machinery beneath the floating islands.
The clicking gears could be part of a power generator, or a powerful weapon, but not a music box.
Qu Banqing’s gaze dimmed, then suddenly, a black raven, made of sculpting gel and pigment, was placed on top of the gears.
It folded its wings, its head raised, its red eyes gleaming, no longer a small fledgling, but an independent, fearless bird.
Ning Zhixia smiled: “Hee hee, pretty, right?”
Qu Banqing, as if transported back to that afternoon on the swings, the small figure flying higher and higher, was silent for a moment, then smiled: “Pretty.”
But it wasn’t over yet. Ning Zhixia, aiming for perfection, mixed some pearlescent gel polish and carefully painted each segment of the tail’s metallic exoskeleton, intertwining antique gold dragonfly and brass rose patterns, then filling the gaps with sparkling Barrenlands sand, the intricate beauty a feast for the eyes.
As soon as he finished, he nodded at Maureen.
Maureen waved her wand, and the gears on the nails started turning, the whimsical fantasy becoming reality. His friends gathered around, their eyes wide with amazement.
“Wow!” The fox cubs, their faces flushed, held up the cool tail and cheered.
Audrow, standing nearby, frowned slightly and covered his ears.
“Hmm… I’m so handsome!”
Qu Banqing hesitantly glanced at the mirror, usually averse to seeing his true form, but now he was stunned, then he rushed to the mirror, twirling and admiring himself, never having found his true form so pleasing.
With his confidence restored, Qu Banqing put on his modified outfit and boots the next day, ready for the banquet.
“Wait, I’m coming too.” Ning Zhixia, worried that Qu Banqing’s father would break his legs, decided to go with him.
Qu Banqing paused: “What are you going to do there?”
“You haven’t been back for over a decade, what if your father wants to beat you up? With me, an outsider, there, he might be more restrained.” Ning Zhixia winked, thinking he was incredibly clever and socially adept.
Qu Banqing was silent for a moment, not daring to say that his father might just beat them both up.
However, Ning Zhixia was clearly determined, so he could only concede, “Fine, but I’m warning you, my plane might not be very… pleasant…”
Could it be worse than the monster-infested Barrenlands?
Ning Zhixia waved his hand dismissively: “I’m not afraid, I’ll shoot any monsters.”
Qu Banqing glanced at his bulging backpack, unsure what he had packed, and chuckled, “Do you even have a gun?”
Ning Zhixia put on a serious expression and held up eight fingers.
Qu Banqing was amused by his childishness, his heart warmed by the surge of emotions, thinking that the magic of friendship was truly amazing.
He dramatically opened the door, a loud clap of thunder echoing, startling the young man, who froze.
Black and purple lightning flashed across the sky like a spiderweb, the cracked clouds covering a floating island in the distance, intricate machinery turning with white steam, the buildings and bridges on the island shimmering with red lights, a magnificent and eerie scene.
“Come, my dear friend! Let’s embark on our journey!”
Qu Banqing reached behind him, but his hand grasped air. He turned around, puzzled, and saw Ning Zhixia cowering by the door, looking around nervously like a small animal.
Qu Banqing urged, “Let’s go?”
“Wait a minute.”
Ning Zhixia, holding Audrow’s hand tightly, emerged and said tremblingly, “It’s too dangerous, I, I think we should bring Xiao Ao.”
Qu Banqing’s face fell, and he sneered inwardly, thinking that one person was lonely, two were company, and three were a crowd.
Audrow smiled, a glint of challenge in his eyes: “Is there a problem with that?”
Qu Banqing angrily flicked his tail and snorted, turning to leave, not wanting to see them.
So annoying, even we, his loyal fans, have our pride!
