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Liu Hui was filled with shock, shame, and anger as she began to struggle. Ming Kong realized that his identity had been exposed and, in a panic, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and lunged at Liu Hui beneath him.
Perhaps it was due to lingering concerns or an instinctive feeling, Xu Liang found himself unable to sleep. He felt restless, as if something was about to happen. With both parents gone, the only person he truly cared about was Liu Hui. So, he walked to the wall of Liu's house and heard her suppressed cry.
In his panic, Ming Kong knocked over a basket containing chicken legs and fled Liu's home. As he climbed over the wall, he ran into Xu Liang. Seeing Ming Kong disheveled and panicked, Xu Liang seemed to understand something and climbed over the wall as well, only to find Liu Hui lying in a pool of blood, her clothes torn and barely covering her.
He trembled with shock and pity as he carefully helped Liu Hui get dressed. He knew that soon, Liu Laoshi would wake up, and the neighbors who heard the commotion would also come out. He couldn't let them see Liu Hui in such a disgraceful state; he understood all too well what this experience meant for her.
Liu Hui looked into Xu Liang's eyes, shook her head, and pushed him away. She felt that she had already been defiled and was no longer pure, so she didn't want her brother Xu Liang to touch her dirty body, stained with blood.
Xu Liang sat down on the ground in a complex mix of emotions.
Liu Hui was weak; her throat had been choked by Ming Kong, rendering her unable to speak. She pointed at the scattered chicken legs on the ground, wanting to tell Xu Liang the truth about what had happened to her. However, Xu Liang misunderstood. He thought Liu Hui wanted him to eat those chicken legs, so he bit into one with tears in his eyes.
When Liu Laoshi heard the noise and rushed out of the house, he saw that scene: Liu Hui pointing at Xu Liang who was gnawing on a chicken leg. To protect Liu Hui's reputation, Xu Liang took all the blame upon himself. He thought that their childhood bond would be understood by others; however, if they learned that Liu Hui had been assaulted by an outsider—a monk—their reactions could be unpredictable.
As for Ming Kong, given his character, if the incident were exposed, he would likely insist that Liu Hui had seduced him, a devout Buddhist.
The "Sun Fairy Ointment" was intentionally placed on Ming Kong during his struggle with Liu Hui. She knew that if she died, the government officials would investigate. The ointment found on Ming Kong would eventually lead them to uncover the truth about her murder. It was rare for a girl to think of leaving evidence while being viciously harmed; however, what Liu Hui did not expect was that the ointment would fall from Ming Kong when he climbed over the wall and be picked up by Yin Yuan who happened to be wandering around at the scene. Although those Yard Officers were dull enough not to consider it important evidence, even if they had seen it, they wouldn't have been able to investigate anything substantial because the scent attached to the box was very faint—only non-common people like Xing Ruyi, foxes, and Yin Yuan could detect it.
Regardless of how things unfolded, the case ultimately ended with White Fox! Liu Hui went to the underworld; whether she would wait on the road to Huangquan was something Xing Ruyi did not need to inquire about. Ming Kong faced public outrage (which Xing Ruyi had deliberately incited) and was sentenced to death; he was also expelled from Buddhism by his master on the mountain, ending up as a wandering ghost. Later on, because he remained unruly even in death, he was eaten by Yin Yuan as a snack. As for Xu Liang, after being acquitted, he distanced himself from Buddhism and became a traveling doctor who occasionally stopped in places to teach children how to read.
Xing Ruyi once asked the fox whether Xu Liang could meet Liu Hui after death and if they could still be lovers in their next life. The fox smiled and said, "Three parts fate are determined; seven parts depend on human effort—relationships also require seeking." Xu Liang did so much; did you think he was seeking merit for himself? No! He was seeking fate for himself and Liu Hui."
At that moment, Xing Ruyi looked up at the bright moon and poked the fox with her hand, asking him: "Do you know Yue Lao?"
The fox glanced at her and replied: "I don't know him! But if you want to meet him, I can reluctantly introduce you."
Meanwhile, in some palace where an old man was tying red threads together sneezed heavily. One of the red threads slipped from his hand without him noticing. But it didn't matter; such mistakes were common for him; he could just tie another thread together carelessly. However, what he didn't notice was that one red thread quietly slipped away from the palace and appeared in the fox's hand.
The fox looked into Xing Ruyi's eyes and said: "Extend your hand!"
Xing Ruyi didn't understand but obediently extended her right hand as she watched the fox pull out a red thread and seriously tie one end around her wrist while tying the other end around his own wrist. The red thread shimmered under the moonlight before disappearing into their skin; even the part connecting them vanished without a trace.
"This is for telepathy?" Xing Ruyi recalled the "Chinese Paladin" she had once watched, where Anu had given a similar item to Ling Er and Tang Yubao. She curiously moved her fingers, only to hear the fox let out a low, hoarse laugh.
"What are you laughing at? Is it or isn't it?" Xing Ruyi asked repeatedly, but the fox gazed at the moon and deceitfully replied, "Yes! It is for telepathy."
In July, the heat was so intense that even sitting still could make one sweat.
Xing Ruyi tugged at her collar, nostalgically remembering the cool shorts from her time and the refreshing air conditioning. Unfortunately, this was the Golden Tang Dynasty; although prosperous, the only way to cool down was with ice, which was a luxury reserved for the wealthy.
When the fox entered, it saw Xing Ruyi fanning herself with one hand while several blocks of ice were lavishly placed around her. Hearing footsteps, she cast a resentful glance at the fox and playfully asked, "Fox, can you take me to your home to escape the heat? If it gets any hotter, I'm really going to roast!"
The fox shook its head with a smile and waved its hand, causing many ghosts to appear in the darkened room.
Xing Ruyi shot it an annoyed look and asked, "What are you doing?"
The fox replied nonchalantly, "Cooling down!"
Then it glanced at the ghosts and added, "Cover your Ghost Eyes; you're not allowed to see what you shouldn't. Also, go stick yourselves on the wall; crowding on the floor affects my wife's business."
The ghosts obediently pressed themselves against the wall. Although there were many of them, their weight was light, so even when they filled the space, it wasn't overwhelming—just a bit dizzying to look at. The fox waved its hand again, making those ghosts disappear. It held Xing Ruyi's fidgeting hand and asked, "Is it cooler now?"
It was indeed cooler—very cool—after all, there was a constant chill in the air.
Xing Ruyi gave the fox a sweet kiss and adjusted her clothes as she prepared to get up.
"What are you going to do?"
"Of course I'm going to open a shop and make money," Xing Ruyi said with sparkling eyes, showing no shame in her greedy nature. "Just think about it: in all of Luoyang City, I'm the only one with a Rouge shop that has 'air conditioning,' and my Rouge is heavy and high-quality—it won't easily smudge in this heat. Yin Chensi, just think about it! This summer I’m going to wipe out all Rouge and face powder shops in Luoyang! Just thinking about it makes me so excited!"
"As long as you're making money, you seem exceptionally happy!" The fox teased Xing Ruyi's tender face; indeed, having a wife who ran a Rouge shop meant her skin could outshine all the noblewomen in Luoyang.
"Of course I'm happy!" Xing Ruyi's eyes twinkled as she continued, "Who told you my future husband is the first Fox Emperor of Qingqiu ever overthrown by his subjects? Since he can't afford to support me, I guess I'll have to reluctantly support him instead. But don't be discouraged; with your looks, living off your wife’s earnings will be quite easy!"
"Thank you for your hard work, Wife!"
"It's not hard at all! If you're free, could you help me hang this sign outside? Also, find a few ghosts to stand close to the entrance; I want the Ruyi Rouge shop to achieve the effect of central air conditioning in the future." Xing Ruyi squinted her eyes, looking quite pleased. The fox smiled indulgently and went to hang the promotional sign at the door.
Although it was hot, there were quite a few Madam Sisters strolling around, probably because it was stuffy at home, prompting them to come out for a walk. Seeing a handsome man with an ethereal presence standing outside in the blazing sun hanging a sign made these Madam Sisters feel sympathetic—there was no need for him to actively attract customers; they flocked to him one by one. Coupled with the refreshing atmosphere inside the Rouge shop and the unique and effective products, word spread quickly, and business at Ruyi Rouge became unprecedentedly bustling. The original promotional event turned into a limited supply.
Xing Ruyi managed to squeeze out from the crowd to catch her breath outside but noticed a boy around seven or eight years old staring gloomily at her shop.
The boy had an average appearance and wore ordinary clothes, but his eyes held a sorrow that was unusual for his age. Xing Ruyi crouched down, wanting to touch his hand, but the boy instinctively recoiled and then looked up at her with his dark eyes.
Xing Ruyi's hand awkwardly hovered in the air before she pointed at the Rouge shop and asked him, "Are you waiting for your mother or your sister? It's hot outside; would you like me to take you inside?"
The boy shook his head. When he saw Xing Ruyi's shoes peeking out from under her skirt, he asked curiously, "Are you the shopkeeper here? They say that the shopkeeper of Ruyi Rouge loves Fox Demon, so even her shoes have Fox Demon patterns."
Xing Ruyi glanced at her shoes, wondering where this rumor came from. It was true that she liked Fox Demon, as her name was Xing Ruyi, and there was no reason to dislike it. For branding purposes, she often adorned her boxes of Rouge and Face Powder and skincare products with Fox Demon elements, but as for her shoes, it was purely coincidental!
The pair she was wearing was plain. Not finding them attractive, she had asked the owner of the embroidery workshop to add some designs. Who knew that guy would be so lazy and just embroider a pair of Fox Demon on them? She had spent a lot on those shoes; being so "stingy," she certainly couldn't bear to throw them away and had no choice but to wear them every day. Little did she know that someone would notice and create such a rumor.
However, faced with the boy's eager gaze, Xing Ruyi couldn't bring herself to explain and could only nod: "Yes! I am indeed the shopkeeper of this Ruyi Rouge shop, Xing Ruyi."
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