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Ruyi Rouge Shop
"After my mother-in-law passed away, Father-in-law has been away for a long time, and everything in the house has been managed by her. As for the ancestral hall, it was also my mother-in-law who arranged for its construction. Except during the festivals when Father-in-law would take his husband to the ancestral hall to pay respects to the ancestors, he rarely visited otherwise. Therefore, it is reasonable that Father-in-law is unaware of the secrets within the ancestral hall."
"I don't think it's that reasonable. As the head of the Luo family, Father cannot be indifferent to the ancestral hall. If he cares about it, how could he not understand it thoroughly? Even if we assume that Father-in-law is careless and doesn't mind these details, and trusts Matriarch completely, after Xi'er and her son went missing, knowing that Matriarch had a hand in it, how could he not pay attention to her every move? If he is aware of her actions and knows that she spends most of her time in the ancestral hall throughout the year, how could Father-in-law not investigate? According to what you said, the hidden chamber isn't very concealed; with a little attention, one could discover its oddities.
So Fox Demon boldly speculates that Father-in-law has long known about the existence of that hidden chamber, is aware that Xi'er and her son have died there, and knows that their deaths were orchestrated by Matriarch. The reason he hasn't acted on this knowledge and has maintained a facade of confusion all these years is merely to convey to Matriarch that he has always believed her false words and has been searching for Xi'er and her son. As for why Father-in-law would do this, there are likely multiple reasons."
Yunxi initially wanted to refute but fell silent after contemplating for a while.
"Even if Father-in-law knows there is a hidden chamber in the Luo family's ancestral hall and is aware that Xi'er and her son died there, what does this have to do with my mother-in-law's and grandmother's deaths? If Father-in-law wanted to avenge Xi'er and her son, he should have had plenty of opportunities over the years."
Xing Ruyi pondered for a moment before looking into Yunxi's eyes and saying, "Tomorrow, my lady might arrange for Fox Demon to visit the Luo family ancestral hall. Some matters can only be clarified once Fox Demon arrives at the Luo family's ancestral hall."
Yunxi nodded. "This isn't difficult! With my mother-in-law gone, although the cause of death remains unclear, arrangements are already being made for her funeral. Father-in-law and my husband are both busy; since I am pregnant, my family fears any disturbances, which is why I have this opportunity to confide in you."
"In that case, my lady should return early. If Young Master Luo comes back and doesn't see you, his heart will surely be more anxious." Xing Ruyi helped Yunxi down from the bed. "By now, the miscarriage prevention medicine should be ready. You need not worry too much; after you drink it, I will instruct A Niu to take you back. At that time, just rest assured and sleep well."
"I understand all this logically, but how can my heart be at ease? These past few days, I haven't even dared to look into my husband's eyes; after all, everything that happened that night was because of me. If I hadn't listened to that Taoist's words and gone to the ancestral hall looking for my mother-in-law's secrets, these troubles wouldn't have arisen. Deep down, I feel responsible for my mother-in-law's death."
"Don't worry; I assure you by my reputation as the female shopkeeper of Ruyi Rouge, I will investigate thoroughly into the deaths of Matriarch and grandmother."
Yunxi looked deeply at Xing Ruyi, remaining silent as she was supported out of the bedroom. Just as they stepped outside, they saw a fox standing in the courtyard.
"Don't worry; Young Lady is fine, and I'm even better."
"That's good! I need to take Yin Yuan out for a bit; Old Beggar will accompany me. At that time, only you, Chang Tai, A Niu, and Deer Lady will remain in this shop. The wind is strong at night; please take care of yourself while I'm away."
"How is Yin Yuan doing?"
"Don't worry; I've got everything under control; he won't have any problems." The fox held onto Xing Ruyi's shoulder, staring intently at her. "If you go to Luo Manor tomorrow, let Deer Lady accompany you. Your brother Chang is too familiar with people from this place; under such circumstances tomorrow, it won't be easy for him to appear."
"Okay! Got it! You and Yin Yuan must also be careful; this Yun family gathering is different from Divine Capital. Oh right! While talking with my lady just now, she mentioned something—Mo Xu returned!"
"I know!"
The fox gave Xing Ruyi a reassuring look.
"You know! When did you find out?" Xing Ruyi looked into the fox's eyes and noticed the corners of his eyes drooping slightly. Ignoring Yunxi still standing nearby, she grabbed his arm, "It's because you knew he was coming back that you hurried to help me with my illness, isn't it?"
The fox nodded, "That person's thoughts are hard to predict; I had to prepare early. That pill was hard to come by, and I needed you to take it before I could feel at ease. Although this method is a bit risky, it's better than watching you suffer every day."
"How did you know I was suffering daily? I thought I was hiding it well."
Xing Ruyi looked away. The conflicting energies within her were temporarily suppressed, but she still felt discomfort at noon, Chen Time, Yin Time, Midnight, Xu Time, and Shen Time. To prevent the fox and others from worrying, she always acted spoiled or mischievous, even talking in her sleep to cover it up. She didn't expect the fox to be so observant and notice.
"You can't hide things from me; in the future, don't try to be clever, especially when you're not feeling well. You must tell me right away. After all, my medical skills are much better than yours as a novice Female Doctor." The fox said, looking up at Yunxi for a moment. "Tomorrow's trip to Ruo Mansion will trouble Madam to take care of my Fox Demon."
"Young Master Yin is too polite. Ruyi entering the mansion is to help Yunxi; Yunxi will certainly take care of everything."
Yunxi was a clever Ming Ren and knew that the fox and Xing Ruyi still had things to discuss, so he excused himself to drink medicine and went to the Kitchen. Just as Yunxi left, Xing Ruyi suddenly hugged the fox's waist. "Will it be dangerous for you to take Yin Yuan out tonight? You mustn't hide anything from me."
"There won't be any danger. Even if there is danger, with me as the Fox Emperor of Qingqiu and the ancient divine beast Lord Pixiu by my side, we should be able to handle it. Just stay at home and rest well; don't overthink things. When you get to Ruo Mansion tomorrow, you won't know what you'll face. Also, there's one more thing I need to remind you: now that your illness is getting better, don't use Ghost Technique recklessly. If you need to summon spirits, just use the token given by the Underworld King."
Seeing Xing Ruyi's confused expression, the fox couldn't help but gently poke her head with his finger. "Fool, have you forgotten how to use Ghost Technique after not using it for so long? If you need to summon Lady Luo and Grandma's souls later on, just use the token to call up a ghost and have it bring them here for a moment. That little time won't matter in the Underworld; even if the Underworld Lord notices, he will pretend not to know."
Xing Ruyi smiled shyly and then gently pushed the fox away.
"It's getting late; if you have anything to do, hurry up and do it. I only have one request: whether it's you, Yin Yuan, or Beggar Uncle, all of you must take care of yourselves. If you encounter Moxuyou, be extra cautious. Although you foxes are incredibly clever, when it comes to schemes and strategies, us mortals still have the upper hand."
The fox touched Xing Ruyi's face gently. "You must also be careful; although the Luo Family isn't troubled by Evil Spirits, when it comes to schemes and cunningness, monsters can never match mortals."
When Yunxi came out after finishing his medicine, the fox had already left with Yin Yuan and Old Beggar. Xing Ruyi stood alone in the courtyard, looking up at the moon above.
Tonight there were some drifting clouds; the moonlight flickered in and out like human thoughts.
Following the fox's instructions, after seeing off Yunxi, Xing Ruyi returned to her room to rest. She thought that after just waking up from a nap earlier, it would be hard for her to fall asleep again now; however, as soon as her head touched the pillow, she drifted off into a dreamland without realizing it.
In her dream, she appeared to be only three or four years old, wearing a handmade floral cotton jacket commonly seen in the countryside at that time. Her hand was held by a middle-aged man as she waddled along with her short legs in the snow. When they reached the front of a house, the middle-aged man stopped. Xing Ruyi curiously looked up, only to find that the man was also bending down to look at her.
Strangely, in the dream, she could only see the man's eyes clearly, but the rest of his features were indistinguishable. She felt that his eyes seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen them before. Just as she was thinking about this, the man raised his hand and gently ruffled her messy hair, saying, "Fox Demon, don't be afraid!"
"Afraid?"
Xing Ruyi pondered this word, unsure why she should be afraid or what exactly she should fear.
She opened her mouth but couldn't make any sound. The middle-aged man's eyes crinkled as if he found something amusing. She looked at those smiling eyes in confusion and soon realized that she had been picked up by him.
The door in front of them opened, revealing a thick layer of snow inside as well. It seemed that the owner of this house was not very diligent; even at this hour, they had not yet gotten up to clear the floor. The middle-aged man carried Xing Ruyi through the snow to the front of the house.
At the entrance, there was a bamboo curtain hanging, typical for that time. Unlike other common households, this curtain had seven coins tied to it, each from a different dynasty. The topmost coin was likely from the Han Dynasty, while the bottom one was naturally a Qing Dynasty square hole coin.
Just as Xing Ruyi reached out to touch it, her hand was pressed down by the middle-aged man. Then, someone lifted the bamboo curtain, and a face appeared before Xing Ruyi's eyes...
Unbelievable!!!
Xing Ruyi instinctively called out that name, and its owner merely raised a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes and smiled at her before saying to the middle-aged man, "You're here?"
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