I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 321

Chapter 321: The Plum Blossoms Fall Like Snow, Adorning the White Attire

 

It was night.

 

Compared to the past half month, the temperature on Moon Orchid Island was slightly lower this evening, not as hot as before. It feels like the temperatures in cities near the sea or large lakes and the Yangtze River are very stable.

 

I remember it’s because of the high specific heat capacity of water, which means water temperature doesn’t change dramatically in most cases. Consequently, cities near the sea also don’t experience significant temperature differences between day and night.

 

“This island is so beautiful, meow, and it seems to have a strange sense of security.”

 

Sitting with Xiao Mo at the top of the sea mountain peaks resembling “elephant trunks” on Moon Orchid Island, we sat on the edge of the mountain, watching Dolly and Yueyue playing on the coast ahead.

 

“Ying, Ying, Ying…”

 

Underneath us, several orcas swam in the water as usual, making cheerful sounds. Orcas are like the rulers of the ocean, similar to how humans dominate the land. They are at the top of the marine food chain, and besides various human tools, not much can harm them.

 

Moreover, they have developed a fairly complete social order, similar to humans. Here is a pod of orcas, there is a tribe of orcas, and they even have different “dialects.”

 

Some scientists have pointed out that orcas haven’t evolved higher intelligence because it’s not necessary.

 

Ancient humans needed to migrate due to various climate disasters and environmental changes, encountering predators and needing to think of defense strategies, such as sharpening wooden sticks into spears and making fires to keep warm in the cold. Human bipedal creatures lacked attacking power, so they had to rely on intelligence.

 

Meanwhile, orcas were already the bosses in the ocean, and their intelligence stops developing around the level of human children. It’s unknown if this theory is true.

 

At least, the orcas that often come to play with us on Moon Orchid Island give me the distinct impression that they truly have significant intelligence, probably similar to seven or eight-year-old children.

 

“Because there are no sea monsters or monsters in the sea here, and Master Momo also said that there is no magic aura on Earth, so there are no polluted animals. Therefore, the animals here must be exceptionally clean.”

 

In elf mode, sitting on this high mountain, I can clearly hear Dolly and Yueyue’s conversation on the shore.

 

“Anyway, in the afternoon, I ate such pure fruits for the first time, just like those grown in the sacred garden of heaven.”

 

“Is that thing called a carrot? And there’s that cucumber… so thick, so long?”

 

“I super like both of them.”

 

“But they look a bit like colorful toys.”

 

“You little naughty cat…”

 

These two little ones give me the feeling of childhood friends who grew up together. Whether it’s delivering takeout together in the afternoon or chatting like this, it’s very warm. Dolly is lively and energetic, like an older sister, while Yueyue is playful and cute, like a younger sister. They complement each other and cooperate very well.

 

“Look at these seaweeds, they’re especially clean, and they look delicious too.”

 

“Can we really eat this? Maybe we should skip it. Master Momo bought some dried fish in the afternoon, I’ll share some with you.”

 

“I don’t really like eating dried small fish.”

 

“Just three, they’re very small. I only have six left here, so you take three and I’ll take three.”

 

“Okay, but Yueyue, you should also eat some seaweed later to replenish various trace elements.”

 

Under the beautiful moonlight, the two sat down on a large rock by the shore. Yueyue took out a bag of small fish from her pocket and shared some with Dolly.

 

Shenzhen Little Spicy Fish, like Shenzhen shredded squid and Shenzhen small eel, is one of the three major seafood delicacies and local specialties of Shenzhen City. Fishermen often catch many fish the size of their fingers or even smaller than their thumbs when they go fishing, and these small fish are then made into similar spicy fish snacks, which are simply packaged and sold to distributors.

 

These small fish snacks are delicious, but their shelf life is a bit short because they are not vacuum-packed. In summers like this, they can easily spoil if not consumed within half a month.

 

In human mode, I also really like these small spicy fish snacks, but as a cat, Yueyue definitely prefers them. She could share three fish with Dolly when she only had six, which could be considered true love.

 

“After we eat, how about we run a lap around the island at the fastest speed, just like usual?”

 

“Huh? Are you sure you want to run here?”

 

“Hehe, I’ve already observed it. The terrain here is very complex, with rocks, coral, and forests, just like my hometown. Don’t forget I was born by the seaside. Don’t underestimate me!”

 

“In that case, I’ll have to bring out all my energy to face the challenge later.”

 

“Let’s do it, let’s bet on the honor of the Hero Cat-Eared Girl!”

 

“Bet on the honor of the Dolly family!”

 

As they chatted, the two who had finished eating the dried small fish arrived at a clearing behind the beach and stood in a row together.

 

“Young people really have energy.”

 

Hundreds of meters away from Dolly and Yueyue, on the hillside, Fei Luo, transformed into a dragon, yawned widely with her huge dragon mouth.

 

“It seems like it’s been a long time since we lay under the moon like this, right?”

 

“There’s only one moon here. What’s there to bask in?”

 

Gabriel, who had spent a day and night playing games in the basement of the cafe before being pulled out, stood next to Fei Luo, holding a glow stick.

 

“I’m still curious about how these things are made. Earthlings have such poor computational abilities, yet they invent so many strange things.”

 

“There are many people here, and there is plenty of time to think, without being influenced by various wars.”

 

Fei Luo sighed. “I remember a book related to Fei Luosophy saying this: ‘One day in the future, when people reach the limit of science and find God, someone asks God, did you foresee that we would reach this point?’ God said yes. When the creatures on Earth one day look up at the sky and become curious about the stars, the hourglass of science has already begun to fall.”

 

“I remember you used to hate this kind of talk the most. When did you start believing in God?”

 

“Well, what can I do? There is a little angel who used to preach every day as part of her task.”

 

As they chatted, Fei Luo flapped her huge wings and flew into the sky. “Are you coming up? Let’s go see what Momo and her little sweetheart are chatting about.”

 

“No, I have my own wings, and besides, why bother looking? Women in love want the whole world to know how happy they are.”

 

Gabriel also summoned angel wings and flew into the sky with Fei Luo.

 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been active in the sky. Shall we take a look around nearby? Let’s not bother with those two lovebirds.”

 

“Isn’t that a bad idea? I remember satellites in the sky can see…”

 

“Last night, I hacked into the main system of the country’s security department. Satellites can’t monitor this place. Let’s go.”

 

“What does ‘hacking into the system’ mean?”

 

“I’ve learned some computer-related knowledge on the internet of this world, understood many principles. In short, I’ve controlled those satellites. Don’t worry.”

 

Then, a dragon and an angel flew into the sky like this, under the bright moonlight, towards the shimmering sea ahead.

 

It was quite spectacular. Fei Luo’s dragon form was already huge, and Gabriel, with wings spread, looked like a big light bulb. Their wings glowed, and the halo above their heads emitted light.

 

The two flapped their wings respectively and flew into the distance in the night sky. From my and Xiao Mo’s perspective, it looked like something out of a fairy tale.

 

Meanwhile, Dolly and Yueyue on the beach also got into a starting position—

 

“Let’s run around the island at the fastest speed. Whoever arrives here first wins!”

 

“Alright, let me give the signal. Three, two, one, go!”

 

“Phew—”

 

Watching Dolly and Yueyue dart out like little squirrels, I took off my halo from my right hand and followed Teacher Gabriel’s method to light up this halo, waving it above my head from side to side.

 

Good luck, warhorse and cat girl from another world.

 

“Nuo’er.”

Beside me, Xiao Mo turned her head. “Is there something you suddenly brought me here for?”

 

“Can’t I come here for no reason?”

 

I shook the angel halo in my hand, watching Dolly and Yueyue leave my sight, then I placed the halo on Xiao Mo’s head.

 

“This is where the world’s only Elf Tree is planted. I am the Elf Queen here, and Xiao Mo has half of the elf bloodline in her body, which makes her my subject. By the queen’s command, the subjects must obey unconditionally.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

The girl beside me remained silent for a moment and said, “As you wish.”

 

“Hehe…”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Just kidding.”

 

With that, I hugged the bunny backpack beside me and took out a flute from inside, handing it to Xiao Mo. “Here.”

 

“What’s this?”

 

“When we were running deliveries with Dolly at night, we passed by a shop specializing in musical instruments and bought it on a whim.”

 

I put on a “you must accept it” expression.

 

“Dolly runs too fast. To avoid the customers noticing anything unusual, we always take a few laps around the area after delivering to see if there’s anything interesting, and that’s when we found this. I remembered Xiao Mo knows how to play the flute.”

 

This was specially customized by the shop owner back then, engraved with the words “Nuo’er · Xiamo”. The owner said they’d carve the words first and asked us to come back later. When Dolly and I finished delivering the food and went to pick up the flute, the owner charged us fifty yuan.

 

“Um…”

 

Clearly, Xiao Mo noticed the words “Nuo’er · Xiamo” on the flute, then observed this beautiful transverse flute.

 

“The craftsmanship here is much better than ours.”

 

“I heard over there, because of various wars and cultural habits, literature, art, and music have never been highly regarded.”

 

I smiled. “So girls like Xiao Mo, who can both draw and play the flute, are particularly rare, right?”

 

The current Yin Xiamo in front of me, although she’s the incarnation of “Momo,” this “incarnation” is actually not the same as what most people would perceive as an incarnation.

 

Apart from not inheriting some memories from the “original,” she can actually be considered as the “Momo” from the other world.

 

However, “Momo” has divinity. Because she has become a concept of “death” in this world, she’s fixed in the universe. Many things in her memory are far from what a “human” would be, so if Xiao Mo wants to interact with us in daily life, she has to be separated from the original body and meet me in the form of an “incarnation.”

 

The difference between them is like the difference between Madoka and Homura in “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”: one is the divine Madoka who controls the concept of circles, and the other is the ordinary person, Homura Akemi. The ordinary Homura Akemi can also be the Homura Akemi of the magical girls.

 

The Homura Akemi who usually plays with Sayaka can also be considered as a manifestation of Madoka, after all, Madoka has been fixed as a concept in the universe. When the soul gem of the magical girl is contaminated, there will be a similar Madoka to save them, and there will be countless Homura Akemi.

 

But in a sense, the Homura Akemi who is with Sayaka is also special, just like the Xiao Mo beside me. It can be said that the current Yin Xiamo, although she is an incarnation, can indeed be regarded as the “Momo” from the other world. She is special compared to the other incarnations that harvest souls.

 

“I… I also learned the flute skill from him.”

 

Above the sea, the girl sitting next to me looked at the flute in her hand, stroking the flute membrane in the middle.

 

“The journey was too quiet, so he said we could try to find some bamboo and then play music for me.”

 

“Then the music of the hero must be very beautiful?”

 

“It’s very bad.”

 

Yin Xiamo smiled, a smile of resignation or reflection. “Until he was betrayed by his companions and left us, he never played a complete and beautiful piece.”

 

“Then Xiao Mo’s music…”

 

“I learned it by myself.”

 

The girl raised her head and looked at the moon in the night sky. “I’ve been learning for a thousand years or two thousand years, intermittently. Sometimes, when I don’t know what melody to use, I freely splice according to the occasional melodies I dream of.”

 

“When I first heard it, I always felt that Xiao Mo’s flute had a kind of sadness but also a power to encourage people to cheer up.”

 

I hugged the rabbit backpack and leaned against Xiao Mo’s thigh, “I want to hear it again.”

 

“Why do I feel like you’re being clingy today?”

 

The girl lowered her head, “What, are you ready to awaken as a cat maid?”

 

“No way…”

I instinctively retorted, “It’s just that in the afternoon, when I was delivering takeout with Dolly and Yueyue, seeing them reminded me of some things.”

 

Unlike Fei Luo and Gabriel, who often quarrel and even fight, Dolly and Yueyue’s relationship is really good.

 

Although I really don’t know how a vegetarian centaur and a meat-loving cat can get so close, they really are the best couple I’ve ever seen.

 

It’s like… they always know how to empathize with each other, know how to speak so as not to quarrel, and know how to get along harmoniously.

 

Xiao Mo’s painting skills are very good, and she can also play the flute. Although she may appear silly in some places, she is willing to learn for me, which makes me always feel that she is not the so-called “incarnation”, but a real person just like all my other friends around me.

 

When we passed by the instrument shop while delivering takeout at night and saw the flutes inside, almost instinctively, I asked Dolly to walk in.

 

Of course, the shop owner was a little surprised and asked what a maid like me was buying.

 

“Fifty yuan is a bit expensive for a flute, but it doesn’t reach the standard of being considered ‘audiophile’ or ‘audiophile-grade’. It’s like… um, headphones that cost five or six hundred yuan, slightly better than ordinary headphones, but still not as good as those high-end headphones that cost tens of thousands.”

 

“The material of this flute membrane… I’ve never seen it before.”

 

After carefully examining the flute, Xiao Mo reached out and rubbed my head.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“The shop owner said it’s made of reed membrane, and there’s a spare one in the bag. It seems like most flutes use this kind of membrane.”

 

I asked curiously, “Is it not good?”

 

“It’s not bad. The sound produced with this material may be slightly crisp and bright, more cheerful.”

 

Xiao Mo placed the flute to her lips, “Shall I give it a try?”

 

I closed my eyes, “Try playing Xiao Mo’s favorite song.”

 

“Du.”

 

“Du Du Du…”

 

Before long, the entire world was enveloped in the melodious sound of the flute.

 

Because the moon was very bright tonight, and there were no other light sources around the sea, even with my eyes closed as I lay on Xiao Mo’s thighs, I could vaguely ‘see’ the moonlight overhead.

 

The moonlight easily penetrated my skin, leaving a silver mark on my eyelids, casting a faint yellow hue over my field of vision. Coupled with Xiao Mo’s soothing flute melody, I felt momentarily entranced.

 

This song… didn’t seem to be the one Xiao Mo played back then.

 

With a hint of confusion, I tried to open my eyes and glanced at the girl above me.

 

Xiao Mo was playing with great concentration, seemingly unaware of my gaze.

 

Oh well.

 

With that thought, I closed my eyes again and enjoyed the slightly cheerful and peaceful music.

 

“……”

 

Under the moonlight, one minute passed, then two, then three… I wasn’t sure exactly how much time had elapsed. When Xiao Mo’s flute stopped playing, I felt a small hand on my forehead.

 

With a gentle touch, the hand slowly moved to my hair, stroking it as if petting a little kitten.

 

“Do you like it?”

 

Opening my eyes, I saw Xiao Mo combing my hair while asking, “Would you like to learn, Nuo’er?”

 

“I… ”

I hesitated for a moment. “I might not be good at it…”

 

“It’s okay, even someone as clumsy as me can learn.”

 

The girl handed me the flute, held it up to my mouth, and then gestured for me to cover the holes on the right side.

 

“Like this, press them all together for the note ‘si’. The hole below the number 5 here. Lifting your little finger makes the note ‘re’, which is the number 4. Give it a try.”

 

Subconsciously, I followed Xiao Mo’s instructions and pressed my fingers on the flute holes.

 

“I remember learning this in music class when I was a child, but I’ve forgotten most of it… Hmm.”

 

Then my mouth pressed against the mouthpiece of the flute and I blew into it.

 

“Du!”

 

A very clear sound.

 

Then I realized something. Xiao Mo had just played this flute.

In other words, we indirectly kissed.

 

“Hahaha…”

 

Seeing me dumbfounded in place, Xiao Mo burst into cheerful laughter. Still laughing, she leaned backward, gazing up at the moon above.

 

“Nuo’er is still as silly as ever.”

 

“What do you mean, silly?”

 

I protested, “We’ve only been… been together for less than four months, all told.”

 

“But I’ve been watching you for years.”

 

Xiao Mo looked at me with a teasing expression, “From when I finally came to this world, became its goddess, to when I rented at Ai Luodi’s house to work as an ordinary person, I’ve been watching every move you make, Nuo’er!”

 

Why did that sound so scary?

 

“That’s an invasion… of privacy!”

 

I sat up, discontented, “Protest!”

 

“As an exchange, from now on, Nuo’er can freely observe everything about me, how about that?”

 

Bathed in gentle moonlight, the girl in front of me wore an expression of ‘I’m okay with it’.

 

“Whether it’s bathing, sleeping, or even playing games like you used to do alone at home, surfing weird websites, we can do it together.”

 

What do you mean by “surfing weird websites”? And come to think of it, weren’t we always doing what you said? Every day, don’t we sleep together, work together, and then go home together?

 

“You…”

 

In the time of my hesitation, the girl in front of me laughed again.

 

“Every time I see that face of yours, Nuo’er, so… conflicted, but still trying to figure out a way to win, it’s just… hahaha…”

 

“You’re devious. Hmph.”

 

I punched her in dissatisfaction. I picked up the flute, recalling the fingerings I learned as a child and, based on the melodies in my memory, began to play,

 

“Du, Du, Du, Du… Under the sunset of the imperial empire… Du, Du, Du, Du… Plum blossoms fall like snow on white robes… Unable to accept this life… Du, Du, Du, Du… Unable to accept this life…”

 

“If I weren’t bad, I wouldn’t have survived to this day, nor would I have met you.”

 

The girl beside me hugged me from behind, gesturing for me to look towards the island—Dolly and Yueyue had already run most of the way, causing quite a stir in the forest, rustling up countless seabirds.

 

In the distance, you could faintly see Fei Luo’s huge wings hiding beneath the black clouds, while Gabriel’s angelic halo in the dark night seemed like a wisp of lingering fire.

 

“Every time I hug you like this, I feel like all the suffering I’ve endured over these thousands of years has been worth it.”

 

After a moment of silence, Xiao Mo behind me whispered softly, “Even though for Nuo’er, I might just be… a bad person she met less than a year.”

 

“Indeed, a bad person.”

 

I set down the flute, turning to push Xiao Mo down onto the messy pile of rocks on the mountaintop.

 

“But I never said I was a good person either.”

 

The girl beneath me first looked startled, then calmly smiled, “So Nuo’er means you’re planning to learn to be bad with me?”

 

“Swoosh—”

Dolly and Yueyue burst out of the forest, returning to the beach by the shore, their small feet rubbing against the sand, making distinct sounds.

 

“Becoming friends with a villain doesn’t always mean going down the path of villainy together.”

 

I poked the angel halo on Xiao Mo’s head. “Xiao Mo, do you know why I came here today?”

 

“Isn’t it to give me that flute?”

 

“Besides that, there’s one more thing, and it’s to thank Xiao Mo.”

 

“What are you thanking me for?”

 

“Nothing much, just wanted to say thank you to you sincerely.”

 

I blinked, “And… can we practice water magic again tonight?”

 

The girl beneath me looked surprised, “When did Nuo’er become so proactive?”

 

“Just consider it as expressing gratitude.”

 

I leaned down and said, “Please continue to guide me in the future, my dear.”

 

“……”

 

Dolly and Yueyue broke through the finish line, then ran a few steps along the coastline before lying down on the lawn.

 

“Yueyue.”

 

“What?”

 

“I want to eat dried fish.”

 

“It’s already finished.”

 

“I mean… your dried fish…”

 

“……”

 

It was a night of the full moon.

 

“…..”

 

……