After leaving the kitchen, Meng Qi had just sat down when Gu Xiaosang leaned slightly closer and whispered in his ear with a playful smile, “Did you just say my father died early?”
After arriving on Earth, she had quietly dropped the self-referential “concubine” at some point, seemingly intent on genuinely playing the role of a girlfriend.
“Your father was from the Yu family of Southern Province. He exhausted his lifespan and passed away long ago. Compared to our indestructibility, ‘early death’ isn’t inaccurate.” Having achieved the Other Shore, capable of retracing the past and claiming the future, almost nothing could escape Meng Qi’s gaze. He was well acquainted with Gu Xiaosang’s childhood experiences.
Gu Xiaosang’s smile deepened, her warm breath tickling Meng Qi’s ear: “That was the father of my past body. As for this body now…”
Suddenly, she called out in a soft, melodious voice: “Daddy…”
Meng Qi shuddered, his scalp tingling. He glanced at his mother, who seemed quite pleased with their intimate closeness, nodding slightly in encouragement.
Naturally, she couldn’t hear words the Great Divine Powers of Creation didn’t intend for her to hear.
After chatting for a while, Meng Qi’s mother went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Watching her busy figure, Gu Xiaosang twirled a strand of her hair and asked, “Should I go help?”
“No need. When meeting the parents, you’re the guest. If you help, Mom might feel awkward,” Meng Qi replied, shaking his head before joking, “Besides, I’ve never seen you cook. Who knows what you’d make? The Holy Maiden of the Luo Sect wouldn’t have been taught such things.”
“The Luo Sect didn’t teach me, but I’ve wandered through samsara and survived on my own,” Gu Xiaosang said with a smile. “And I’m just being considerate. Unlike you, sitting there so comfortably without a thought for filial piety.”
Meng Qi chuckled. “If I went in, she’d chase me out immediately. Can’t neglect our esteemed guest.”
As they chatted idly, the sounds of chopping and sizzling from the kitchen filled the air, creating a peaceful and warm atmosphere.
Before dinner was ready, Meng Qi’s father hurried home early from work. Staring at Gu Xiaosang, he was utterly stunned, unable to believe his son had found such an extraordinary girlfriend.
Though he had always been proud of Meng Qi, he was also acutely aware of the facts: his son had an average education, an ordinary job, unremarkable looks, and a modest family background. Aside from his strong will, lively personality, and knack for socializing, Meng Qi was the type to disappear instantly in a crowd. What could possibly make a girl like Gu Xiaosang take notice?
As for his sociable nature—had he ever brought a girl home in the past twenty-odd years?
Was this sheer dumb luck?
With these thoughts, the old man felt uneasy facing the “gentle and well-behaved” Gu Xiaosang. Making an excuse, he slipped into the kitchen to confer with Meng Qi’s mother. Only after exchanging opinions and calming his nerves did he return to the living room, resigning himself to letting things unfold naturally.
Dinner was lavish, but Meng Qi’s parents refrained from interrogating their son’s girlfriend on her first visit. They could always pry details from Meng Qi later. Instead, they regaled her with embarrassing childhood stories—like the time he was chased by a dog for three blocks, crying hysterically, or his nude bath photos as a toddler. Whether feigning interest or genuinely amused, Gu Xiaosang listened raptly, laughing heartily and even chiming in with remarks about Meng Qi’s foolishness, making for a merry gathering.
Later, the couple didn’t linger. After a short while, they excused themselves, citing work commitments, left gifts and well-wishes, and departed.
“I thought you’d stay the night,” Gu Xiaosang remarked under the evening breeze, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled at Meng Qi.
Meng Qi smiled faintly and sighed. “I don’t dare ask for too much of this life. Best not to disturb their peace and happiness. Who knows how the kalpa’s end will unfold?”
“True. If we’d stayed longer, your mother might’ve started listing all the girls you ever fancied,” Gu Xiaosang teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I wonder if your taste back then was as refined as it is now.”
“Hah, hardly…” Meng Qi laughed awkwardly before changing the subject. “I never knew you could play the demure, well-behaved girl so convincingly.”
Gu Xiaosang’s lips curled, stars dancing in her eyes:
“Husband, how do you know this isn’t a genuine part of me?”
…
Back in the living room, Meng Qi’s parents sipped their tonics, residual smiles on their faces.
Suddenly, his mother sighed. “Xiaosang is perfect—too perfect. How could our silly boy ever deserve her? He’s all smiles now, but who knows what heartbreak awaits.”
“Let it be. Meng Qi’s still young. Even if it doesn’t work out, a passionate romance would still enrich his life,” his father mused between sips of lingzhi tea. “Society teaches us to know our limits, but that doesn’t mean abandoning dreams. True self-awareness is understanding where you stand, how far you are from your dreams, and how to bridge that gap step by step. Calling it ‘self-awareness’ to avoid striving, suffering, or improving is just an excuse for cowardice and incompetence. It took me half a lifetime to grasp this.”
Mid-speech, a chill ran down his spine. Turning, he found his wife staring at him suspiciously. “Did you have a ‘passionate romance’ in your youth?”
That’s not the point… Sweat beaded on his forehead.
…
Strolling along the tree-lined paths of the neighborhood, Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang looked like any ordinary Earth couple.
Yet overhead, the crescent moon raced across the sky as if tugged by an invisible force, completing its nightly journey in moments before yielding to the golden dawn.
At this point, Meng Qi led Gu Xiaosang to a building freshly opened for the day, its plaque reading: “XXX Civil Affairs Bureau Marriage Registration Office.”
“After this, we’ll be legally wed,” Meng Qi declared solemnly.
Even without registration, no one would dare deny we’re married… Gu Xiaosang suppressed a smile and played along, feigning coyness. “Just met your parents, and already rushing to get hitched? How impatient.”
They entered and approached a counter. The clerk, a middle-aged woman, blinked in surprise. “Divorces are handled over there.”
“No, we’re here to register our marriage.” Meng Qi produced their household registers, IDs, photos, and completed forms—materializing them out of thin air while seamlessly inserting their details into the system, with slight alterations to avoid conflicting with Meng Xiaoqi’s records.
The clerk took the documents, scrutinizing the pair before blurting out, “Young lady, marriage is serious. Don’t let yourself be fooled.”
Gu Xiaosang nearly pretended to tear up but instead radiated solemnity. “Don’t worry, auntie. With how silly he is, I’m the one who’d be fooling him.”
Shaking her head inwardly, the clerk processed the paperwork and soon handed over two crimson marriage certificates.
As Gu Xiaosang accepted hers, her eyes met Meng Qi’s. They shared a smile, the moment unexpectedly formal.
Watching them leave, the clerk muttered into her tea, “A flower planted on cow dung…”
She took a sip and idly clicked through Meng Qi’s records:
“Name: Meng Qi.”
“Occupation: Primordial Heavenly Lord.”
Pfft— Tea sprayed across the screen. Wiping it clean, she saw only normal text.
“But why would I misread it as ‘Primordial Heavenly Lord’…?” Baffled, she rubbed her eyes.
Outside, Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang stepped back into the River of Time, vanishing without a trace.
…
Meanwhile, Meng Xiaoqi spent days in confusion before receiving a call from home.
“How’ve you been lately?” came his mother’s familiar voice.
“Not great,” Meng Xiaoqi admitted, expecting comfort.
After a long pause, she replied solemnly, “What’s yours will come to you; what isn’t won’t.”
…What? Before he could ask, the line went dead, leaving him bewildered.
Where’s the comfort?
On his next break, he hurried home.
When his mother opened the door, she frowned. “Just you?”
“Uh, yeah?” Who else would I bring?
His mother seemed to wrestle with something before brightening. “Come on, I’ll cook you a feast.”
Watching her leave for groceries, Meng Xiaoqi felt something was off—until his parents announced they’d stop pressuring him to date. Delighted, he forgot his earlier puzzlement.
…
Further back along the River of Time, Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang traversed millions of years until Earth came into view—shrouded in darkness, sun obscured, littered with colossal dinosaur corpses.
“The end of the last kalpa, the dawn of this one,” Meng Qi observed.
Earth, the Raft of Salvation, bridged the void between epochs.
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