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墨書 Inktalez
As they spoke, they passed by a low house. Li Siniang stopped and pointed at the building, saying, "This house is where Hui Niang lived during her lifetime."
The small, low house was partially hidden in the night, making it hard to see clearly. The simple wooden door was half-open, and through the sparse frame, traces of fire damage could be seen in the yard.
"This house was later repaired by the villagers. Hui Niang..." Li Siniang sighed, reluctant to continue, "Hui Niang was burned alive in this house."
"Burned alive? Was it an accident?" Xing Ruyi frowned, noticing that the smoky scent had grown stronger as they approached.
"It was said to be an accident," Li Siniang replied, glancing at the house again. "At that time, Hui Niang was already quite mad. Her parents were willing to take her back home, but not long after, she secretly returned here. I think she could never let go of her husband and hoped that he would come back for her. No one knows how the fire started, but when it broke out, Hui Niang wasn't inside. Yet, while everyone was busy trying to put out the flames, she suddenly broke free from the crowd and rushed into the fire. Someone saw her through the window, standing there with a pillow in her arms, her face gentle as she softly murmured. I think Hui Niang must have regarded that pillow as her child. She must have wanted to go back to save her child."
As Li Siniang spoke, Xing Ruyi vaguely saw a flash of red in the yard, like a pomegranate flower blooming in May.
"When Hui Niang died, was she wearing that pomegranate red dress?"
"She probably was. That dress was something she never wanted to take off; I imagine she wore it when she died."
Xing Ruyi looked again at the vibrant color and thought, "Are you lingering here because of your unjust death or because you are still thinking of your unfaithful husband?"
People say that cats have a spiritual connection; at this moment, Ma Tao seemed to sense something unusual in the yard as he hissed loudly. Fearing complications, Xing Ruyi urged everyone to find Wang Peng and the others first; they could deal with Hui Niang's matter later when they had time.
As they moved further into the village, darkness surrounded them; however, in the distance, flickering lights could be seen among the trees, accompanied by some shouting.
"That must be Wang Peng and his group!" Xing Ruyi listened closely; the noise was chaotic and hard to decipher.
"When we were at the Tavern earlier, some villagers had become like Ma Tao. Given this situation, could it be true what that old man said—that everyone in the village is possessed?" Li Siniang looked worried.
"The cat spirit seeking revenge is a possibility!"
"What about you, Fox Demon?"
"I think it's a possibility." Xing Ruyi glanced at Ma Tao and said to Chang Tai: "Ma Tao is at the center of everything; only by waking him up can we understand what has happened in this village. But we can't ignore those people in the forest either. So I must trouble Brother Chang and Shengzi to check it out. If you encounter any difficult situations, having someone from the authorities there might reassure the villagers."
"Ma Tao is very strong and somewhat strange; I don't feel comfortable leaving just you two behind. How about this: I'll go into the forest alone and leave Shengzi with you. If anything happens, remember to protect yourselves first," Chang Tai advised with concern.
Xing Ruyi originally wanted to refuse, but seeing Li Siniang's worried expression beside her, she changed her mind.
"Since that's the case, let Shengzi stay. There are some matters that we, the Maternal Family, shouldn't interfere with. However, the situation in the forest is still unclear, and Brother Chang needs to be cautious."
"I will be careful. If anything happens, let Shengzi call for me. This place isn't far from the forest!"
"Mm!" Xing Ruyi nodded and didn't say anything more.
After Chang Tai left, Li Siniang secretly tugged at Xing Ruyi's clothes and asked her, "What do you think?"
"What do you mean?"
"About your Brother Chang? Even an outsider like me can see that he likes you. You can't possibly not notice, right?"
"Si Niang, don't talk nonsense. I only see him as my brother."
"If Ruyi hears this, Brother Chang will definitely be sad." Shengzi chimed in at the right moment: "I can also see that Brother Chang likes you, Ruyi, and it's a very deep kind of liking. It's just that he doesn't... well, he doesn't tell us. But Ruyi, can't you see what's wrong with our Brother Chang? Why won't you agree to be our Sister-in-law?"
"It's not that your Brother Chang is bad; it's just that I, Xing Ruyi, don't have that kind of fortune."
"Hmph! I don't believe it! The first thing Ruyi did when she came to the city was meet our Brother Chang! Although there was that incident with Yan Niang in between, we can all see that Brother Chang has a sibling-like affection for Yan Niang. The reason he wants to marry her is to protect her and prevent her from being bullied again. But Ruyi is different; Brother Chang genuinely wants to be with you. The way he looks at you is different from how he looks at others."
"Cough!" A light cough of embarrassment made Shengzi stop talking immediately. The three of them looked up and saw Chang Tai standing not far away, his complex gaze firmly locked on Xing Ruyi.
"Brother Chang, why are you back?" Xing Ruyi asked, forcing a smile.
"I suddenly remembered halfway that I should leave something for you!" Chang Tai took out a dagger and handed it to Xing Ruyi. The dagger was exquisitely crafted and large enough to suit a woman's identity. With the jewels adorning its top, it appeared quite valuable and likely belonged to personal collection.
"This precious item, Fox Demon cannot accept!"
"If you're my sister, then take it. No matter how precious the dagger is, it's still a weapon for self-defense. I'm a man; it’s useless for me to keep it." Chang Tai insisted on giving it to her despite Xing Ruyi's refusal and firmly placed the dagger in her hand: "You are a Maternal Family member who often goes out late at night; you need something for protection. Also, don’t believe what Shengzi said!"
"Oh!" Xing Ruyi replied softly, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Seeing Chang Tai leave again, Shengzi approached Xing Ruyi and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret. Brother Chang, when he has nothing to do, always likes to go to the Ruyi Rouge shop and stands in a secluded spot so you can't see him. I've secretly followed him a couple of times, and sometimes he stands there like a fool in the light. He used to dote on Yan Niang so much, but I've never seen him do anything so foolish for her. If he doesn't like you, who would believe it?"
"Does Brother Chang often go to the Rouge shop?"
"Recently, he hasn't gone much, but before that, he went all the time. Of course, that was when there were no cases."
Xing Ruyi felt a slight pang in her heart and lowered her head.
"Ruyi, tell me the truth. Does Brother Chang still have a chance?"
"Yes, Fox Demon, although Chang Tai is not good with words, his thoughts are delicate. Just look at the dagger he gave you; it’s clearly been carefully chosen." Li Siniang added from the side, "What a woman seeks in life is simply to meet someone who understands her feelings and truly cherishes her. Whether rich or poor, as long as that person treats her sincerely, it is happiness. Chang Tai is indeed a good man; Fox Demon, you must think this through."
"Si Niang's words are understood by Fox Demon, but matters of fate are unclear to anyone." Xing Ruyi raised her head and smiled sweetly, "I know Brother Chang is a good person and truly cares for me. If I marry him, my life will surely be happy. However, Si Niang, I met my special someone before I even knew Brother Chang. Although he can be quite infuriating at times, he genuinely cares for me; even though being with him may not be as stable as being with Brother Chang, I prefer that kind of life. I like his handsome looks, his cold and domineering demeanor that is warm only towards me. I also enjoy bickering with him and seeing him get angry yet still having to pamper me. Si Niang, although love doesn’t have a sequence of arrival, the one I like came to my side long before anyone else."
"So Fox Demon already has someone she loves!" Li Siniang smiled comfortingly. "No wonder you look down on Chang Tai. No! It's not looking down; rather, it seems you two are fated but not meant to be."
"It’s Fox Demon who lacks fortune!" Xing Ruyi said as she nudged Shengzi. "I see you're quite idle standing here gossiping about my affairs with your Brother Chang; why not help me find some Black Dog Blood instead?"
"Black Dog Blood! Ruyi, what do you need Black Dog Blood for?"
"Of course to help Ma Tao ward off evil spirits! Are we really going to stand here in Sister-in-law Village discussing my lifelong matters at this hour?"
"That wouldn’t be impossible," Shengzi scratched his head and before leaving didn’t forget to advocate for his Brother Chang once more: "Ruyi, are you really not considering it? Perhaps the person you've chosen isn't even one ten-thousandth as good as my Brother Chang."
"Whether good or bad is up to me, Xing Ruyi; it has nothing to do with you!" Xing Ruyi retorted and playfully kicked out her leg. Of course, this kick was just for show; Shengzi had already run far away.
"Cough!" A light cough came from behind. Turning around this time revealed not Chang Tai but the fox who should have been sleeping in the city.
He stood there motionless in white clothes with black hair, his eyes like stars and a hint of an enchanting smile at the corner of his mouth. As the wind blew by, his hair danced in the breeze; his handsome features seemed to glow in the night light, and his beautiful fox eyes were filled with affection.
The fox saw Xing Ruyi turn around, so it took a step forward and said, "I didn't expect you, Fox Demon, to be so satisfied with your Husband!"
Xing Ruyi initially wanted to joyfully run over, but upon hearing the fox's words, the foot she had just raised instantly fell back down.
Seeing this, the fox took another step forward and said, "When you left the house, you instructed me to cook dinner for you. However, the dinner is ready, yet I still haven't seen you return. What should we do about that?"
Xing Ruyi wrinkled her nose and replied, "You can just eat by yourself!"
"How can a Husband eat first when his Wife hasn't returned?" The fox smiled again, but this smile carried a hint of mischief. "So, since I haven't seen my Wife, I had no choice but to come out looking for you. Fortunately, my Wife didn't go far and hasn't been taken away by anyone."
"I'm not a child!" Xing Ruyi realized that the fox's words had another meaning; he must have overheard her conversation with Si Niang and Shengzi.
"Yes! My Fox Demon is indeed not a child, but my Wife tends to be a bit carefree and is particularly easy to be remembered by others. So I—" The fox took another step forward, reaching out to pull Xing Ruyi into his embrace and then leaned in close.
"So what?" Xing Ruyi poked the fox with her hand. "Why do you keep speaking in half-finished sentences lately? Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
"Marry me!" The fox suddenly blurted out those three words.
"What?" Xing Ruyi was taken aback and lifted her face.
"I, Xing Ruyi, let's get married!" The fox held Xing Ruyi's face with a look of indulgence and gazed at her earnestly. "I carefully considered Yin Yuan's words and found them reasonable. Therefore, I allow you to openly possess me and become my one and only Fox Wife!"
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