The Little Ginseng is Super Sticky - 2

Don’t understand

He just don’t understand.

Currently, Ah Yuan’s eyes were red and swollen as hiccup from time to time as he hung dispiritedly on a rattan vine between two towering trees. This was his homemade “swing” that he has always loved to play on.

That man never probed the ground when he was climbing! He obviously wasn’t a ginseng harvester!

He even gave him so much delicious food.

But that man still teased him with the dragon fruit!

But he also apologized.

But it was an alcoholic chocolate that rendered him helpless! Could that all be a front to relax his guard?

The little sparrow anxiously flew around him here and there, “”What did I say! Humans are all bad! You believe me now? Ah Yuan, do you want to be stir-fried or steamed? Ah ah both sound painful, maybe being in a cold dish is better ahhhh——”

Ah Yuan: “…”

The swing is located on the top of Baiyun Mountain. Everyone from the ginseng clan from all over the mountain gathered here. There were those who were frightened, afraid, anxious, or indifferent. There were also some who were here to eat melon seeds and enjoy the show.

“My heavens, this is terrible! For tens of thousands of years now, our clan only have Ah Yuan who can change form but now he’s trapped by a human being. Could it be that our ginseng clan is about to suffer a terrible disaster? ”

“Do we have to move the whole clan to another mountain range? It doesn’t feel safe here anymore!”

“What are you afraid of! The terrain of Baiyun Mountain is steep and full of perils. So many humans can’t invade here all at once!”

“I’ve never seen a human being before. Was that human extremely huge and burly with fangs and claws and have stinky breath?”

……

Ah Yuan stared at the small gold pendant on the red string on his wrist. When he looked closely, he could see that it was engraved with the character “Qi”.

He used all his strength to pull off the red rope, but it was as useless as trying to swat locusts. He became depressed after realizing he couldn’t take it off no matter what. The inside of the tent came to mind; that man’s eyes seemed to be drowning him at the sea at night. Its waves seemed to push him far away, but when the tide pulled back, it also seems to be reaching out to him for help.

A middle-aged ginseng with purple wrinkles walked up to him, with eyes full of pain and love, “Ah Yuan.”

Hearing her, Ah Yuan slightly trembled before jumping off the swing and hugging the old ginseng’s shoulders, acting aggrieved and coquettish, “Mom, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have ran around.”

The way ginseng reproduces is through self-propagating. After the blooming season, it will produce a seed that falls to the ground to germinate. So they won’t have two parents, only a father or mother distinguished by gender.

Ah Yuan’s mother touched his wrist distressingly, “Don’t worry about it anymore. Once the contract is formed, the red rope can not be taken off.”

Ah Yuan pursed his lip.

“Mom thought about it all night, but I still don’t understand. If that person really came here to harvest ginsengs and had set his eyes on you, why didn’t he take you away?” The wrinkles on his mother’s cheeks seem to have increased. This sudden change made her look a lot older in an instant.

The original noisy discussion suddenly stopped and was replaced by the sound of a cane going “thud, thud”.

Ah Yuan didn’t care about being sad anymore and immediately stepped forward to support the trembling old ginseng whose whiskers were all gray and loosely drooping.

“Elder!” The old Elder is here!” “Elder, what do you think we should do!”

The eyes of the old patriarch are as deep as black wells that speak of his world-weariness fell on Ah Yuan, his tone was both loving and regretful, “My good child.”

He was supported by Ah Yuan to sit down on a low stone covered with animal skin. He stroked his beard for a long time without saying a word before he finally let out a long sigh.

All the clan members couldn’t help feeling distressed.

The old Elder fixed his eyes on the red rope on Ah Yuan’s wrist, “In ancient times when the Primordial Chaos, Hundun¹, was born, spirits and monsters frequently appeared. Our ginseng clan never had any special power because we are “rooted to the earth yet connected to the heavens” thus we are regarded as auspicious by humans and monsters alike. Many were captured and either kept as pets or eaten as nourishment. In the Xia Dynasty, this phenomenon intensified and became the darkest era for our ginseng clan. The clan head of that generation seeked out the humans to form a contract. Every year, a quota of ginseng beauties would be sent in exchange for the human’s protection and support so that the ginseng clan can be preserved.”

“With the advancement of modern civilization, the number of spirits and monsters has greatly decreased, and there are even fewer who can transform. Most of them had fled to the deep mountains and old forests to fend for themselves. We are the same and lived a relatively peaceful life. But that ancient contract still continues to this day, and has always been a hidden danger for our clan. Human beings now have plenty of interesting things so they no longer play any mind to us, but we are still seen as a precious tonic. Some traditional ginseng seeking families would still use this method to catch us…”

Ah Yuan’s mother’s heart rose to her throat, “Since it’s a contract, is there a way to break it?”

“That’s right!” “Elder, you can think of a way!” The clan members clamored one after another.

The old Elder saw that Ah Yuan was also looking at him with hope, he answered solemnly, “A method was actually established during the contract ceremony. It’s just that no clan member has ever been able to do it so everyone gradually stopped mentioning it.”

Ah Yuan’s eyes lit up, “What should I do?”

The Elder replied, “ Only love is the most equal. The way to terminate the contract is to make the Master fall in love with you, so that you will no longer be in an unequal master-servant relationship. ”

Ah Yuan tilted his head, “Love?”

The old patriarch hummed, “It’s not like our love for you, but a type of love where they are willing to do anything for you.”

Ah Yuan was confused.

And all the clan members fell silent.

Ah Yuan’s mother also turned pale, but trying to hold onto a sliver of hope, she asked, “Elder, this Master doesn’t take Ah Yuan away, maybe nothing will happen…”

“No,” the Elder interrupted her, “Ah Yuan must be by the contract’s Master’s side, otherwise he will suffer the backlash of the contract and wither to his death within a year.”

There were also ginseng spirits who tried to escape after being bound to the contract and their fates ended miserably.

Ah Yuan’s legs instantly went weak.

·

Two months later.

Ah Yuan washed himself clean and tender and wore a small bag he picked up on the mountain a tourist lost on his back.

The little sparrow Queque used his wings to stuff various nuts into the side pocket of the bag, “Ah Yuan, although I am not as fast as you when you burrow underground, I will fly as fast as I can. I should be able to meet up with you in a while.”

Ah Yuan pursed his mouth in reluctance, holding back his nasally voice, “I’m leaving.”

Even after dawdling until now, he still have to leave. The backlash of the contract is becoming reality, because the skin on the back of his hands is starting to dry out.

Ah Yuan’s mother quietly wiped the corners of her eyes, “Ah Yuan, let Queque send us a message if anything happens. What should we do? You’ll enter your blooming period soon. You have to take care of yourself outside…”

The old Elder warned him over and over again, “No, no matter what, do not let humans know that you are a ginseng spirit, otherwise you might be eaten and not even your whiskers remain.”

Ah Yuan pretended to be strong, “I know, I know, it’s just making that person fall in love with me! I will be back home soon!”

After ending what was frighteningly similar to a final farewell scene, he didn’t linger any longer. He easily burrowed down into a hole as if the soil had become extremely soft.

Ah Yuan’s mother covered her face as she wept.

The Elder patted her on the shoulder, reassuring her, “There’s an old saying that goes, ‘If things go contrary to your wish, just believe the Heavens have arranged other plans for you’, there is no need to worry too much.”

Ah Yuan’s mother stared at the ground sadly, “I’m just afraid Ah Yuan won’t have enough to eat.”

Elder: “…”

·

Half a day later, at Tianze City, in a well-known local supermarket.

Ah Yuan has a meatball stuffed in his mouth, a small hot dog in his left hand, and a mini ice cream cone in his right. He seems to be having a great time stuffing himself full.

“Thank you, I can’t eat anymore.” He even declined the shopping guide who wanted to give him another sample.

A young man next to him insisted on giving him a cup of coffee.

Such hospitality is hard to come by. Ah Yuan accepted it and used it to warm his hands, smiling, “Thank you gege.”

When this young man and the group of aunties heard this, their hearts melted. Whether or not he would buy their things wasn’t important. This young boy was very serious when eating. Seeing the enjoyment on his face coupled with how lovable he was, everyone was happy to gather around.

Ah Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He saw too many bizarre high-tech products along the way that shocked him on the inside. When going through the security check, he was always anxious and afraid that people would find out he was a silly foolish plant when they scanned him.

But humans don’t seem to be that scary. It seems the clan’s stereotypical image of humans are too deeply-rooted.

He took a small sip of the coffee and the rich milky taste spread to the tip of his tongue. He raised his head carefully and sneakily looked at the two men standing in front of the daily necessities section ten meters ahead.

Tang Jiefan was carefully studying the product’s labels, while the man in a black hat, sunglasses, and black mask just threw everything into the cart.

Even at such a distance, Ah Yuan seemed to feel the man’s cold eyes through the sunglasses.

Maybe it’s the coffee or maybe it’s just because he’s too nervous, but Ah Yuan’s heartbeat suddenly sped up.

The red rope hidden by the cuff glowed with a light only he could see and felt warm to the touch. It’s precisely because the red rope can locate its Master that he was able to smoothly find that man’s location.

How should he greet Master?

And more importantly, how can he make Master fall in love with him?

Regardless, first impressions are always important. Thinking of this, Ah Yuan gnawed on all the food in his hand in annoyance.

The night they first met, he only focused on eating. He was being both gluttonous and stupid, his Master must have a bad impression of him.

On the other side—-

Mu Qi checked off the list in his hand, then turned around and walked towards the furniture area on the second floor.

Tang Jiefan held a doll in one hand and another of the same style in the other, “Hah, even dolls come in pairs now ah… Hey! Wait for me…”

Tang Jiefan finally managed to catch up after squeezing through several people. He straightened his glasses on the bridge of his nose, “Did you hear what I said just now? Your sister-in-law said that she found a civil servant for you. She’s well-established, honest and gentle, and doesn’t go mess around outside! Isn’t she pretty good? How about we set up a date a few days before Christmas for you two to meet?”

Mu Qi’s expression remained flat, “Help me thank sister-in-law for her kindness but the restaurant has just opened and I’ve been very busy, so I’m not interested.”

It’s true that they are busy, Tang Jiefan knows this very well. Even now they’re currently stocking up on some essentials for the restaurant.

But he seemingly glanced at Mu Qi’s wrist joints inadvertently, it’s so thin that the bones are becoming more and more prominent. It was Tang Jiefan who suggested opening a restaurant, but even he didn’t know whether his proposal was good or bad. At first, he wanted to shift Mu Qi’s attention, but it didn’t seem to improve his condition at all.

That’s why he insists Mu Qi go on a blind date, but he was very uncooperative and resistant to this matter.

Mu Qi still keenly caught his glance. He lowered his head and quietly hid his wrist behind his back.

Tang Jiefan didn’t give up, “Seriously, what type do you like? I’ll ask your sister-in-law to find someone like that for you…”

After Mu Qi stated his position, he stopped talking. No matter how much Tang Jiefan talked, he couldn’t get any more out of Mu Qi. He rolled his eyes,

“You’re so unromantic.”

Mu Qi arrived at the tableware area and carefully selected the drinking cups for the customers. He picked up a round stainless steel cup with a smooth and reflective surface.

Tang Jiefan suddenly thought of something, “By the way, business has been getting better and better these days, but the back kitchen is short of manpower. I plan to hire a few more part-timers. What do you think?”

Mu Qi stared at the cup, a little lost in thought.

“I want to resign! I’m still ignored by the boss despite being the second-in-command senior manager of the restaurant! Workers have no human rights! I want to resign…” Tang Jiefan was so angry that his nostrils flared up.

Mu Qi came back to his senses, “You can decide the hiring, you can also be the boss if you want.”

Tang Jiefan rolled his eyes at Mu Qi again, feeling like he’s just punching cotton.

Christmas was approaching so there were a lot of promotional Christmas decorations in the supermarket. Tang Jiefan directly filled up a whole basket with them.

Mu Qi watched him do this, piquing up, “The restaurant doesn’t need so much.”

Tang Jiefan replied, “Then put the rest at your house, otherwise it’ll always look deserted. It doesn’t feel like anyone lives there at all.”

Meanwhile, a certain someone was sliding around on a shopping cart behind them, going over here and there, and having the fun of his life.

Tang Jiefan tilted his head, “Why does it feel windy…”

Mu Qi shook his head, “This minimalist clock would look good in the center of the dining area.”

“It’s not bad, let’s get one then!” Tang Jiefan quickly took one off the shelf.

The two continued deeper into the supermarket.

There were quite a lot of customers inside, so Ah Yuan couldn’t play with the cart anymore and had to reluctantly say his goodbyes.

Then he quietly followed Mu Qi.

Unexpectedly, when he poked out his head to take a peek, Mu Qi happened to turn around to talk to Tang Jiefan. Ah Yuan hurriedly sat down on a nearby chair, but who would have thought that this chair was actually an office chair. It spun him around a full 360 degrees three to four times before finally stopping.

Ah Yuan patted his chest, already frightened, but when he looked up again, he was completely terrified!

Why was his Master and his Master’s friend walking towards his direction?

He jumped around anxiously, looking for a place to take shelter. Finally, he squeezed past a couple while whispering “Sorry, sorry” and squeezed into a display closet.

Whew…

He heaved a sigh of relief.

That was so dangerous! He was so close to being discovered!

Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough.

This was Ah Yuan’s plan: Since ‘love at first sight’ already failed, he should carefully plan for a ‘love at second sight’ no matter what. He wants to find out his Master’s preferences before acting. That way, he could get twice the result with half the effort.

The more Ah Yuan thought, the more reliable he felt this plan was as he nodded to himself.

So much time should be enough. He has to quickly get out, or he’ll lose track of his Master.

He reached out and pushed the door…

Ah Yuan: ?

Why can’t he push the door open?

He used both hands to push the door, but it still wouldn’t budge!

There’s something barring the door outside!

Ah Yuan suddenly became anxious. The closet was not well ventilated in the first place, and he can already feel the heat climbing up his cheeks. He immediately tried slamming against the door. What’s going on? It was still fine when he came in before. Just as he was about to body slam against the door again, he heard a cold snort coming from outside.

Ah Yuan was startled.

“You were the one following me the entire time.” Mu Qi’s cold voice came through the door.

Ah Yuan remembers this voice.

But the strange thing was, despite the other party’s bad tone, much of his fear from being in this closed space was dispelled.

Mu Qi’s tone trembled slightly, as if he was desperately suppressing something, “It’s hard to breathe, right? I’m forced into the same state by you guys almost every day.”

Ah Yuan was confused hearing this, but his heart quavered nonetheless.

Mu Qi pushed hard against the door, but his tone was scarily quiet, “Are you a paparazzi? Everyone just wants to see how down and miserable I am or how they can trample me under their feet. If you don’t take any pictures of me in a wretched state you’ll probably lose a lot of money right.”

The people inside did not speak.

“Still unwilling? Enough is enough. I’m just a normal person now, can you stop disturbing my life?” Mu Qi spitted out this word by word.

The person inside the closet seemed to be in a daze. Aside from their breathing, there was no other response.

Mu Qi’s patience ran out. He pulled open the door but he wasn’t expecting the person inside to be leaning against the door. The person immediately fell out and threw himself into his arms.

Mu Qi grabbed his wrists in disgust and pressed it against the closet door, preventing that person from struggling.

Recording pens, miniature cameras, and all other dirty methods that are used in the entertainment industry; Mu Qi was prepared to deal with them.

But when he saw the face of the person under him, he was startled and the look in his eyes deepened,

“It’s you?”

Ah Yuan’s face was flushed red. His bangs were slightly wet from sweat and his feet went numb from squatting in the closet for so long that he weakly leaned against Mu Qi’s chest as if he was boneless.

He seems to not understand but also understand what Mu Qi just said, mainly that phrase ‘Can you stop disturbing my life?’”

His eyes appeared misty, but his heart was actually full of joy,

“Master, do you not want me anymore?”

——————–

1. Embodiment of primordial chaos. Myth tldr: It had no orifice but was kind, gods wanted to reward it by drilling 7 holes into his body, he died, and created the universe. yay