I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Offering Blessings to a Beautiful World

 

Except for its seaside location, the Shenzhen city has some unique and magical regulations. Besides, there is a very famous place in this city, and that is the abundance of urban legends. Like the “Elevator Legend” at Mingzhu Square, where Jiang Wei, Pipi, and I held the first author meetup. There is also the “Lonely End” and the legend of “The Old Man and the Sea” on the side of Nanqi Tower.

 

The protagonist of “The Old Man and the Sea” legend is the old man who is now nearing seventy, still vigilantly watching the sea beneath Nanqi Tower. This legend is not romantic at all. Over forty years ago, when Shenzhen City was still a small place, there was no Nanqi district, Nanqi Port had not been built, and the surroundings of Nanqi Tower were desolate.

 

The sea was fierce, and in those days, everyone was very poor. The old man and his old partner were part of the wandering tide, impoverished and penniless. They came from other cities to the outskirts of Shenzhen City, saw the sea, felt hungry, picked up some stranded seafood on the beach, thought the scenery was nice, and settled down in a place.

 

Then, one day, the old man’s girlfriend was swept away by the sea. In order to wait for her to come back, the old man settled down at the seaside where they had lived, and he has been there for over forty years. The story of the old man and the sea, the old man and his old partner, is a simple but very sad tale.

 

“Clamming” is still a very fresh concept today. Many legendary “Three Harmony Gods” were attracted by the “slow-paced life” in the Nanqi district of Shenzhen City and came from afar to live a secluded life.

 

There are even many “city rankings” suitable for “lying flat” and “seclusion” on the internet. The “Nanqi district of Shenzhen City” ranks fifth on that list.

 

“Lying flat” is easy to talk about. Nowadays, it refers to being a “salted fish” at work—doing the bare minimum, not working overtime, and completely disconnecting from work projects and content during non-working hours. It involves maintaining only the most basic living expenses, such as eating and buying necessities. Even on weekends, there is no socializing, no dating, no home-buying – just focusing on one’s own life.

 

A cup of tea, a bed, and a broken phone to browse through the day—this is the current societal definition of “lying flat.”

 

The nature of “seclusion” goes beyond the “salted fish” lifestyle. Recluses may not even have a job, settling in a place with a few thousand yuan saved from part-time work, living off the land and water. In places like the Nanqi district, they find a piece of land in the outskirts, make a quick trip to the city once a year, buy necessary items like rice, vegetable seeds, and matches—all for less than a hundred yuan. With five thousand yuan, they can live in seclusion for fifty years, building their own house, cultivating a piece of land for vegetables, and occasionally hunting for meat or cooking rice and vegetables if no prey is found.

 

One advantage for recluses in the Nanqi district of Shenzhen City is that the sea brings in a variety of seafood almost every day after the tide rises. As long as one is physically able, they can collect and cook the seafood, making it a “perfect hermitage” for those who enjoy eating meat.

 

The old man in Nanqi Tower is known as the “old recluse” of Shenzhen City. Since getting to know Yin Xiamo, after stabilizing our lives, almost every evening after work, we would go to Nanqi Tower to watch the sea and chat.

 

With Xiao Mo carrying me, we flew past people jogging nearby, all the way to the top of the tower. The area on top of the tower is relatively flat, and given our petite sizes, lying down to stargaze is not a problem at all.

 

In those recent nights, whenever Yin Xiamo and I went up the tower to enjoy the scenery, the old man below often opened a radio on the first floor, lit a kerosene lamp, and listened to the broadcast while gazing at the sea in a trance.

 

Nanqi Tower was exceptionally tall, to the extent that even with my then very sensitive hearing, I couldn’t really hear the content playing from the old man’s radio on the first floor. Due to the old man’s advanced age, it was even less likely for him to hear our conversations at the high point where Xiao Mo and I were located. So, even though we could basically see the old man moving around Nanqi Tower almost every day, he had no idea about us at the top of the tower.

 

Normal people could not reach such a high place, and the old man had been living on this side of Nanqi Tower for decades. The experience and habits developed over those years probably made him confidently believe that… he was the only one around.

 

I had always been curious about what happened to the “girlfriend” of the old man forty years ago. Was she swept away by the sea and drowned, or did she drift to some place, survive, and build a new life?

 

Nowadays, Yin Xiamo tells me that Zhou Xiaofei, whom I knew from Starlight Elementary School, carries the aura of that old man. Almost immediately, I thought of the legend of the “Old Man and the Sea” in the Nanqi district.

 

Zhou Xiaofei carries the aura of that old man, and according to the legend, the old man hasn’t sought a new wife since his girlfriend was swept away by water forty years ago. He has been guarding the tower, making it unlikely for him to have any descendants.

 

The only possibility is… if the girlfriend who was swept away by water was pregnant at the time, survived, and gave birth to Zhou Xiaofei’s father or mother.

 

Regardless of whether it’s the father or the mother, based on the current situation, Zhou Xiaofei’s “grandmother” is still alive.

 

In other words, the old man’s “girlfriend” from back then should still be alive.

 

“Today is Xiao Mo’s birthday, and our dinner here is quite rich.”

 

After the customary pre-dinner toast, Lan Jiajia took the initiative to move a small chair closer to Zhou Xiaofei.

 

“Come, child, no need to be polite. Take whatever you want. This is roast duck, and there’s also this… this is Orleans roasted chicken cooked by Nuo’er, torn by Nuo’er herself. This child often surprises me with some strange skills. I haven’t even learned the technique of tearing chicken by hand.”

 

After putting a few pieces of roast duck and torn chicken into Zhou Xiaofei’s small plate, Lan Jiajia picked up a large crab and put it in Zhou Xiaofei’s bowl.

 

“Do you want sister to help you peel the shell?”

 

“No, I can do this.”

 

Under Lan Jiajia’s gaze, the little one picked up the crab, tried to pull off a crab claw, opened her mouth, and her small teeth bit down on the crab claw with a crisp sound.

 

“My grandmother… when she was very young… caught crabs like this and also cooked snails for me.”

 

After effortlessly cracking open the tough shell of the crab claw, Zhou Xiaofei looked somewhat proud.

 

“My grandmother has weak teeth, so I used to help her with this.”

 

“Wow, what a filial child.”

 

Lan Jiajia exclaimed, “Your grandmother must be very happy, right?”

 

“Yeah… my grandmother said that her life was saved by my grandfather back then.”

 

Zhou Xiaofei said in a childish voice, “If my grandfather hadn’t pulled my grandmother out of the water at that time, she would have been swept away by the water. Then there wouldn’t be my mother, and there wouldn’t be me. So, my grandmother is especially good to me.”

 

“Ah… sorry, then you should eat more. I’ll bring some back for Grandma later.”

 

With a sense of satisfaction, Lan Jiajia picked up a crab, snapped it open along the middle trace of the shell, and handed half of it to me, saying, “Here, Nuo’er, I can only eat this much at most. You guys can handle the rest.”

 

I took the crab. “Got it.”

 

Honestly, we did make quite a lot of dishes tonight.

 

Several large crabs, a fish head tofu soup, a roast chicken, a steamed chicken, and a roast duck, along with two servings of vegetables…

 

The diverse dinner filled the large table to the brim, and the only ones dining here tonight were just the few of us.

 

Considering my small stature and appetite, if we estimated for one person with Zhou Xiaofei, Lan Jiajia being an adult would be one person, and as for Yin Xiamo… her appetite was similar to that of an average girl, so we could count her as one person. Only Fei Luo’s eating habits were unknown to me.

 

With this calculation, we needed to handle such a feast with a lineup of three people and a dragon. If Fei Luo, when in human form, had an appetite similar to an ordinary person, then the amount of food on the table was already more than twice the usual quantity for four people, not to mention we still had a birthday cake to deal with later.

 

Ah… I indeed bought too much.

 

As I cracked open the crab shell, I felt a bit embarrassed for a moment.

 

I’ve never experienced a birthday party like this before, and I didn’t have close friends like Yin Xiamo who deserve a grand celebration for their birthdays. So, I had no specific concept of what dishes to buy and how much to buy for the birthday party. I just felt, purely, that even if I bought too much, it wouldn’t be too little.

 

*Click—*

 

While I was contemplating how to handle this table full of food, I instinctively took the crab claw that Lan Jiajia handed to me and put it in my mouth. The moment I bit down, I felt a noticeable resistance in my mouth.

 

Hmm?

 

When I came to my senses, I looked at the large claw and tried to open my mouth to bite again—

 

*Click!*

 

The crab shell remained unmoved.

 

Seriously?

 

I cautiously glanced at Zhou Xiaofei, who was happily devouring the crab on the opposite side, feeling puzzled. She’s much younger than me and can bite effortlessly, and here I am, a tough guy, struggling with this thing?

 

A bit unwilling to accept this, I put the red crab claw back into my mouth and tried biting with both my front teeth and my canine teeth. I even put it deep into my mouth and tried to use my entire cheek to apply force—

 

*Ting!*

 

“Pfft hahaha…”

 

Yin Xiamo, sitting next to me, laughed and set down her chopsticks, extending her hand towards me, “Let me do it, little kitty.”

 

“This crab is definitely problematic.”

 

Unhappy, I handed the crab claw to Yin Xiamo, saying, “Its claw is definitely mutated!”

 

“No, it’s just that Nuo’er, your strength is small.”

 

Taking the crab claw, Yin Xiamo directly bit through the tough shell in front of me, then effortlessly pulled it open left and right, making a “click, click, click” sound. She extracted the tender white meat inside and handed it back to me, saying, “Now you know how weak your canine teeth are, right?”

 

Huh?

 

I remembered the scenes of these days when I got angry and bit directly onto Yin Xiamo’s hand. Do my bites… not hurt at all?

 

By the way, does this count as an indirect kiss with Xiao Mo?

 

“These are delicious.”

 

While I was still in a daze, Fei Luo on the other side had already entered “sweeping the plate” mode. While sipping wine, he kept stuffing the Orleans roasted chicken I made into his mouth, saying, “The wine is good, and this… the meat is good too.”

 

Zhou Xiaofei was similar to Fei Luo, peeling crab shells with one hand and picking dishes with the other. Her little face was rosy, “Mm, mm, this roast duck is delicious.”

 

“No need to be in such a hurry. Nuo’er, Xiao Mo, and I can’t eat much. This pile is all for you two.”

 

The behavior of the two of them amused Lan Jiajia, who seemed still immersed in the multitude of “astonishing remarks” from Ai Luodi’s mom a while ago. She didn’t seem fully back to reality and spoke with a slightly dazed tone, “If it’s not enough, I can go to the kitchen and get more.”

 

“Xiao Mo.”

 

I decided to clarify the matter of “how much Fei Luo can eat.” After elegantly finishing gnawing on the crab claw, I leaned over to Yin Xiamo’s ear and pointed to the black dragon girl, “In this form… how much can she eat?”

 

“Basically, finishing all of this is no problem. Fei Luo is still a dragon, no matter what form she takes.”

 

Yin Xiamo explained in a low voice, “In general, if others want to, they can convert how much they eat into body energy or magic power immediately. The energy conversion efficiency in this world is too poor. I guess Fei Luo would choose to convert it into ordinary body energy, but there’s a downside to it.”

 

Instinctively, I asked, “What’s the downside?”

 

“In Fei Luo’s human form… if what she eats is to be converted into body energy, either it will be stored like in humans, turning into fat and causing weight gain, or… following the body pattern of the dragon race, it will transform into a substance unique to them. Clearly, Fei Luo wouldn’t choose to gain weight.”

 

Yin Xiamo continued speaking with a voice only we could hear, “The energy here is already severely overloaded for the humanoid form of a dragon. If Fei Luo eats half of this, she’ll definitely have to transfer the absorbed energy elsewhere.”

 

“Converted into what?”

 

“It’s the same as what you drank today…”

 

Yin Xiamo lowered her voice even more, “Dragon milk.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“So, Nuo’er, you need to be prepared for tomorrow. Have a substantial breakfast, and drinking a glass of milk should basically ensure your energy supply for the whole day.”

 

Yin Xiamo continued, “This is probably the amount of milk for about three days, around 300 milliliters.”

 

Huh huh huh?!

 

Although Fei Luo’s dragon milk is very delicious, it’s okay to drink a few hundred milliliters at once. But that thing really won’t have any adverse effects on my body…

 

“So, if I drink dragon milk every day…”

 

I instinctively asked, “Will I gain weight too?”

 

“It might make you look a bit plumper than now, just a tiny bit. It’ll prevent Nuo’er from looking so petite, but you definitely won’t get fat, as this is already a third-level energy conversion.”

 

Yin Xiamo hesitated for a moment, “And it might also make Nuo’er’s chest a little bigger.”

 

There’s this kind of effect too?!

And who cares about that!

 

“Dragon milk has always had this effect. Otherwise, why do they call it soft gold from another world?”

 

Seemingly aware of the expression on my face, Yin Xiamo smiled, “Moreover, this is Fei Luo’s… the Black Dragon Princess’s milk. She is the only Dragon King in the world today. The title of Dragon King isn’t just a mere designation. The dragons recognized by the dragon race have undergone the ‘dragon vein’ baptism, and Dragon King’s milk is the best over there, without exception.”

 

So if I drink this stuff every day, wouldn’t it be…

 

“Nuo’er’s heart is pounding?”

 

“Absolutely not!” I turned my face away. “How could I possibly be moved!”

 

I’m already an uncle, a tough guy. What does it matter whether the chest is big or small? It doesn’t matter at all! If anything, I prefer it to be smaller, more convenient that way!

 

You see, if the chest is too big, it sways when running, which is uncomfortable. Moreover, the body weight increases out of thin air, and the center of gravity is altered. Regardless of the perspective, it’s a kind of “burden.”

 

Moreover… as an author sitting in front of the computer typing, right? What if the chest is too big and presses against the keyboard? Even if it doesn’t press against the keyboard, what if it hits the computer desk? If the chest is too big, swaying while typing, wouldn’t I get distracted? Wouldn’t there be a bunch of typos? Just adding to the author’s burden!

 

So, I don’t want a big chest or anything. It’s tiring and not conducive to the author’s work. When you make a typo, you can’t catch it, and you have to explain to readers that the author is struggling, and they don’t have the right to edit and publish chapters. If you want to make changes, you have to find an editor. On weekdays, during working hours, send the modified chapter to her.

 

The editor receives it, checks for violations, makes modifications, and the whole process takes a long time. One editor serves hundreds of readers, receiving hundreds of modification requests every day. If you run into an editor with a bad temper, they might say, “Are you bothering me for this? Just a typo, don’t bother, go away.”

 

So, I don’t envy big-chested girls. This way is just fine!

 

“It won’t get big so quickly, the development of the elven body has always been slow. Even with the nourishment of dragon milk, it’s impossible to go from A to D in just a few months. Don’t worry.”

 

After hearing my “defense,” Yin Xiamo looked at me as if I were a little kitten. “But now, Nuo’er, your body elements are complete: the beauty of the elves, the elegance of cats, the ordinary temperament of humans, the desire of succubi, and now the breath of dragons. I believe that in a few hundred years, after Nuo’er gets tired of life on Earth, when she returns to that world, she might become the ultimate magician surpassing me!”

 

“Even if you can’t become a magician, you can probably become the most beautiful girl over there.”

 

Finally, Yin Xiamo added, “Of course, as Nuo’er’s husband, I will become the happiest person in the world at that time.”

 

“Go away, it’s only been so long, and you’re already thinking about things hundreds of years later.”

 

I gave Yin Xiamo a disdainful look, picked up the crab in my bowl, and handed it to her, saying, “Help me.”

 

“Is there a reward?”

 

“Okay, Xiao Mo, my lovely Xiao Mo, help me with this!”

 

“If you meow, I’ll let you help.”

 

“Meow…”

 

“Click!”

 

While I was forced to act cute to Yin Xiamo in order to get a crab, Lan Jiajia had already taken out her phone and pressed the shutter button on us.

 

“Not bad, not bad. This idea is good. Xiao Ai has bad teeth and definitely can’t peel open this shell.”

 

After taking the photo, Lan Jiajia put away her phone with satisfaction. “Tomorrow, when she comes back, I’ll use this method to tease her.”

 

Hey! Why are all of you so devious…

 

“Ai Luodi probably won’t fall for this. She’s quite different from Nuo’er.”

 

Glancing at Fei Luo, who was competing with Zhou Xiaofei in eating, Yin Xiamo picked up another crab.

 

“For Nuo’er, you should treat her like a little cat with a temper. Just a little pampering, and she’ll turn into an obedient cat. But for Ai Luodi… I suggest you directly use catnip.”

 

Lan Jiajia, puzzled, asked, “What does it mean to use catnip?”

 

“Literal meaning, it’s like… forcing something, like trying to feed a cooked meal to a ripe melon,” Yin Xiamo explained.

 

“Oh!” Lan Jiajia suddenly understood. “Got it!”

 

What did you understand?

Were you two speaking human language?

Could you two stop speaking in riddles?

And wasn’t using catnip a bit too cruel?

You shouldn’t have used it randomly, come on!

 

…

 

As expected by Yin Xiamo, Fei Luo pretty much handled this dinner entirely. Due to health reasons, Lan Jiajia couldn’t eat much seafood. She only ate a small portion of crab and didn’t touch the fish head soup. I consumed half a crab, a good amount of steamed chicken, and half a bowl of vegetables. Zhou Xiaofei took care of most of the roasted duck and hand-shredded Orleans chicken. Yin Xiamo handled the fish head soup, leaving the rest for Fei Luo.

 

In the end, this dinner costing several hundred yuan was devoured by the few of us. It had a kind of… “We’re quite something” feeling.

 

Considering that Zhou Xiaofei would go back to take care of her grandmother, who might not be in good health, and with half of the medicinal steamed chicken, vegetables, and fish head soup specially reserved for her, we packed them up for her to take home.

 

As the name suggests, medicinal steamed chicken did indeed contain various medicinal herbs.

 

Like cordyceps flowers, red dates, and goji berries, these are things that can nourish the body, and it should be fine for the elderly to have a bit. Additionally, I took out half a watermelon from the refrigerator, accompanied by a small spoon, for Zhou Xiaofei to take home. On her day off tomorrow and the day after, when she has time, she can use the spoon to scoop and enjoy it all at once.

 

“Finally, let’s wish Xiao Mo, Yin Xiamo, a happy birthday together!”

 

After finishing the meal and taking a short half-hour break, as it was getting late and Zhou Xiaofei had to leave soon, Lan Jiajia helped open the cake. She turned off all the lights in the living room, lit candles, and said, “The writing on this cake must have been done by Nuo’er. Such a cute font.”

 

I felt a bit embarrassed, “It’s a customized cake, and well… at that time, there was still a lot of cream left, so the lady at the shop let me have creative freedom.”

 

“Yes, yes, Nuo’er has creative freedom. There is thick love all over the cake. I don’t even bother to point it out to you two,” Lan Jiajia said as she took a few steps back.

 

“Come on, let’s all sing, ready – Happy Birthday to You!” Amidst the flickering candlelight, Lan Jiajia, in her usual “mom” demeanor, led us in singing the birthday song.

 

Although… throughout the whole time, it was mostly Lan Jiajia and Zhou Xiaofei singing. I, feeling a bit shy, had a soft voice and sang intermittently. Fei Luo, being a dragon, hadn’t learned how to sing like a regular person yet, so she could only hum along.

 

“Oh oh oh -” After finishing the song, Lan Jiajia signaled to Yin Xiamo, “Come on, Xiao Mo, blow out the candles, and then make a wish.”

 

“Can I still make a wish?”

 

Upon hearing this, the girl stepped forward, blew out all the candles in one breath, and then exclaimed loudly, “I make a wish! I want to marry Nuo’er home within ten years, do naughty things with her every day, have the cutest baby, and live happily together!”

 

Lan Jiajia, who had just walked to the light switch, froze in place.

 

Beside her, Zhou Xiaofei, who had been curiously looking at the cake, lifted her small head in shock upon hearing Yin Xiamo’s words.

 

Fei Luo chuckled lightly on the side.

 

My face flushed, and I subconsciously said, “You don’t have to say that wish out loud…”

 

“Huh? Yin Xiamo looked innocent. “Don’t have to say it? Isn’t that what making a wish is about?”

 

“Yeah, well… you can say it if you want.”

 

Lan Jiajia snapped the lights back on with a ‘click’.

 

“Next time, I’ll say the same to Ai Luodi.”

 

No, wait, that’s not right.

You shouldn’t learn bad things from Xiao Mo, she’s not human. And knowing Ai Luodi’s personality, she’d probably think you’re going crazy…

 

“Anyway, let’s eat the cake now.”

 

Back at the table, Lan Jiajia picked up a plastic knife, first cutting a piece with lilies on it for Yin Xiamo.

 

“The first piece for Xiao Mo, wishing her to conquer Nuo’er as soon as possible… Oh no, considering the current situation, she probably has already conquered her. So, let’s wish Xiao Mo to quickly devour Nuo’er completely.”

 

“Then the second piece for Nuo’er, wishing our cafe mascot to quickly tie the knot with Xiao Mo, and may they have an early happy union and bear many children…”

 

“Why am I the mascot…?”

 

“Because Nuo’er is originally the mascot. We have 65 cats in our cafe, and Nuo’er is the biggest one, right?”

 

“No, I must object to being a cat…”

 

“What about the cat bell around your neck then?”

 

“……”

 

“Let’s talk about Xiao Mo and you getting married.”

 

“……”

 

After having the cake, Zhou Xiaofei sensibly ran to the kitchen. “Sister Lan, can I help with washing the dishes?”

 

“Huh? No need, I can handle it here…”

 

“I do the dishes at home, I know how to do it!”

 

Meanwhile, in the living room, I cut a portion of the cake, enough for two people, and packed it for Zhou Xiaofei.

 

“How does it feel?”

 

Yin Xiamo, sitting on the sofa, took out the remote control and pressed a few buttons on the TV. “Isn’t human life in this world rich? Is it more exciting than over there?”

 

“It’s fun, very… amazing.”

 

Nodding while observing Fei Luo in the room, she looked like she was saying, “I accept and acknowledge it.”

 

However, because she hadn’t finished learning the language, she could only express her excitement with simple words, “I like it here. I want to stay and also become a… maid.”

 

“Tomorrow, we’ll be starting work at the cafe, and I assume your clothes will be here by then.”

 

Yin Xiamo had the appearance of an ‘experienced maid’.

 

“No problem, right? Don’t let the cafe be ruined by some rude people.”

 

“No, I’ve worked as a bartender in the human city…”

 

Fei Luo shook her head. “I know the rules, and… I’m not a child.”

 

“That’s good. Take care of your ID card, it’s essential. We’ll stop here for today. Later, we’ll send this child back, take a rest tonight, and the next day, you can sign the contract with Ouyang Xue.”

 

Yin Xiamo stood up, stretched lazily, and turned to me. “Also, thank you for Nuo’er’s birthday wishes. I’m really happy.”

 

“Well… it’s nothing.”

 

I turned my face away. “We’re friends, it’s what friends do.”

 

“Hmm? Just friends?”

 

“Then… what else would it be?”

 

“Are we lovers?”

 

Yin Xiamo walked up to me. “Today, right in front of Fei Luo, I want to hear you admit our relationship.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I love you, Yin Nuo’er.”

 

While I was still in a daze, the girl in front had already taken my hand. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

 

“Uh… um…”

 

At that moment, my brain was in chaos.

 

“Um… ah… well…”

 

In the end, I twisted my body a few times in place, lowered my head—

 

“Alright… okay.”

 

“……”

 

……