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Mother Wang lowered her head, not knowing what was on her mind.
Xing Ruyi pointed to the houses on either side: "You just mentioned that because Winter Pearl's house is haunted, the neighbors have hung red cloths to ward off evil. But Mother Wang, have you taken a close look at these red cloths?"
"Aren't they just ordinary red cloths? At most, the ones from other households are of better quality than mine. As a poor old widow, being able to find these red cloths every year is already quite good."
"Exactly! You just used a very key phrase—every year. Because you have a guilty conscience, your home needs to hang red cloths every year to ward off evil. Yet, you can still hear Winter Pearl walking around. Do you know why? Because Winter Pearl is coming to find you, to ask for the Gold Bracelet that was taken from her."
Mother Wang turned pale.
Xing Ruyi continued, "Take another careful look at the red cloths of the neighbors; most of them have been hanging for many years. After being battered by wind and rain, some of them are even torn and faded. Don't you find it strange that they don't hang new ones every year? This is because they are straightforward and have watched Winter Pearl grow up. Even if Winter Pearl has become a ghost, she wouldn't disturb them.
"Additionally, there’s something else that Mother Wang you may not have noticed.
"Just now, when I returned with Dongzhu's Mother, you instinctively hid this Gold Bracelet in your sleeve when you saw her from a distance. This is because you are afraid—afraid that Dongzhu's Mother would realize that this Bracelet was taken from her daughter. However, while talking to me, you inadvertently revealed this Bracelet, as if you wanted to show off and let me know that you possess such a valuable item."
After finishing her words, Xing Ruyi returned the Gold Bracelet to Mother Wang: "As the saying goes, if you want others not to know, unless you don’t do it yourself. Mother Wang, you've had this Bracelet for many years now. If you want peace of mind from now on, return this Bracelet to Winter Pearl. Of course, if you choose not to return it, within half a month at most or just one or two days at least, Winter Pearl will come to ask for it herself. By then, what she wants may not just be this Bracelet, but your life as well.
"Theft may be a crime, but it is clearly recorded in the accounts of Yin Si. As for what punishment you might face, I don’t know; perhaps you can think about it when you're free."
After saying this, Xing Ruyi walked towards Eastern Pearl's house.
"Miss—" Mother Wang called out to Xing Ruyi: "This Bracelet, indeed I took it from Winter Pearl. I won’t deny it. But could you please keep this matter confidential for now? I... I will return it to Winter Pearl myself."
"Don't worry; while I do love meddling in affairs, I’m not one to interfere in every trivial matter. Just now I’ve already told you that whether to keep this Bracelet or not is entirely up to you."
"Thank you, Miss!" Mother Wang nodded and bent down as she returned to her courtyard.
"She is stalling. That Bracelet, she won't return it at all." The Fox appeared, revealing that he had been following Xing Ruyi all along.
"I know! Everyone has some greed; it's not surprising that she does too. I was just kindly reminding her that if she comes to her senses, she could have a couple more peaceful years. But if she remains stubborn, who knows what will happen to her?"
"Are we still going to Winter Pearl's house?"
"Yes! I want to take a look. If I can help this poor mother and daughter fulfill their Wish, then I would consider it a good deed on our part. After all, humans and ghosts are on different paths, separated by yin and yang. They are no longer human, and if they stay here for too long, it won't be good for them or for the neighbors around them."
The dark energy surrounding them was invisible to ordinary mortals, but Xing Ruyi and the Fox could see it clearly. Living in this dark energy for an extended period would deteriorate a person's health and often bring an inexplicable chill. This was due to the constant invasion of yin energy.
Over time, those around would be affected by this yin energy, not only developing various strange ailments but also having their temperaments become odd.
A warm sensation spread from Xing Ruyi's fingertips to her heart. She looked down and saw the Fox's hand reaching through the cool air, tightly holding hers.
"Let's go; I'll accompany you! Even though you possess Ghost Technique, you are still just a mortal. The yin energy here is already so heavy; inside it must be even worse. With me around to protect you, you won't fall ill after returning."
Xing Ruyi smiled sweetly and didn't argue, allowing the now-invisible Fox to lead her into Winter Pearl's home.
Winter Pearl's house resembled a ghostly realm, shrouded in that black Eerie Aura. The furnishings inside were very simple and mostly old, but it was clear that the owner took great care of them. Whether it was the tables, chairs, or other items, everything was kept very clean.
Xing Ruyi did not see Winter Pearl's mother, which struck her as odd since the house wasn't large; after looking around, she should have seen everything. The Fox signaled for Xing Ruyi not to rush and to use her other set of eyes to look. Indeed, the black energy in the room varied; the closer one got to the cabinet, the denser the dark energy became.
"Is there a hidden compartment?" Xing Ruyi asked the Fox in a low voice.
The Fox nodded: "Do you remember what Mother Wang said? She saw someone carry Winter Pearl into this house but never saw anyone carry her out again. This yard is just a little palm-sized; aside from this west room, the rest are dilapidated. What does this indicate? Clearly, among these three rooms, only this west room is regularly inhabited. Look at the arrangement of things in this room; doesn't it seem a bit strange?"
"It is a bit strange; it seems like the positions of the table, cabinet, and bed are somewhat awkward."
"Come on!" The fox took Xing Ruyi's hand and walked to the other side. "You stand here and take a closer look. Tell me, what do you see?"
"A path! Or perhaps a special passage," Xing Ruyi's eyes lit up. "Indeed, when you're around, my brain seems to react a beat slower, and my observational skills weaken as well."
"This shows you trust me and are willing to rely on me," the fox lightly tapped Xing Ruyi's nose. "Relying on your Husband is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Of course it's not shameful; after all, such an impressive Husband isn't something everyone can just stumble upon," Xing Ruyi carefully observed everything in the room.
The bed was folded very neatly, not even a crease on the sheets. This indicated that no one had slept on this bed since the night Dongzhu's Mother bought medicine. The answer was simple: Dongzhu's Mother was already a living dead person, and living dead people do not need to sleep. Even if she felt tired and wanted to lie down, she certainly wouldn't have the mindset to keep the bed so tidy because her time was already running out.
Dead people do not care if their room was messy when they were alive; similarly, living dead people with little time left also lack the mood to deal with such things. Even if she had severe obsessive-compulsive tendencies or had developed a habit of tidying up, at this moment, it would be an exception. Supporting this argument was the table nearby; although it was wiped clean, the teacups and tea bowls were misplaced. Especially the lid of the tea bowl, which was still turned upside down and had tea stains on it.
Among the chairs, one of the legs was crooked. From the direction it was askew, it was evident that someone who had come out of the cabinet had bumped into it. Thus, a new foul odor emerged from the wood, matching perfectly with the wound on Dongzhu's Mother's leg.
Xing Ruyi hesitated about whether to open that cabinet door when it suddenly swung open by itself. Behind the door was initially a dark space, followed by a figure floating out.
That person seemed unaware of Xing Ruyi, gliding closely past her. As they brushed by each other, Xing Ruyi caught sight of her face; although it wasn't as decayed as Mother Wang's eyes, it was covered in terrifying black spots.
Just as Xing Ruyi wanted to ask the fox about the black spots on Winter Pearl's face, the fox covered her mouth and made them both invisible.
"Why did you bring me out?"
Back at the entrance of Ruyi Rouge, Xing Ruyi finally asked the question she had been holding in all along.
"It's simple; we were discovered," the fox leisurely walked into the shop. "Just now, while you were looking at Dongzhu, Winter Pearl's mother was standing in that cabinet, staring at you without moving. I think she is extremely unwilling for anyone to enter her home and disturb her and her daughter. If I hadn't pulled you out in time, she might have taken action against you by now. At that point, would you hit her or would she hit you?"
"Is there really no third option besides hitting or being hit?" Xing Ruyi felt frustrated and unwilling to go back, so she sat down on the steps at the entrance and looked up. "Fox, what happened to Winter Pearl's face?"
"Nothing serious! That face must have been bitten by a type of poisonous insect. At first, it feels like a mosquito bite—itchy and painful—then it turns into a big bump. Once the bump bursts, the bitten area will turn into a black spot. Many years ago, I was bitten by this kind of insect too."
"It looks so real. Come on, let me see your black spot. I might as well conduct an experiment to see if it can be removed."
"Still wanting to help them?"
"Do you think it's in my nature, Xing Ruyi, to give up halfway?" Xing Ruyi propped her chin on her hand. "Honestly, I want to know what happened to Winter Pearl all those years ago. Also, since so much time has passed, why is Dongzhu's Mother suddenly thinking of helping her find medicine? Could it be that Winter Pearl's fiancé has returned?"
"So what if he has returned? You know, humans and ghosts are on different paths; they are destined not to be together. Even if we assume Winter Pearl is still alive, her fiancé might not even recognize her. That face looks like it has been bitten by dozens of poisonous insects. The toxins have already penetrated the skin; to completely heal it, not even you or I can guarantee that."
"Is it really that difficult?" Xing Ruyi asked skeptically. "What about the places where you were bitten by insects before? Did they heal?"
The fox raised an eyebrow and smiled, countering Xing Ruyi's question: "Where do you think I could be bitten by insects?"
The fox's smile was too ambiguous, causing Xing Ruyi's mind to wander off track. She quietly and tentatively asked, "Could it be that place? I remember that when you foxes revert to your original form, you aren't wearing any clothes. So is this the reason you've been hesitant to consummate our marriage?"
The fox's expression darkened as he turned and vanished!
Xing Ruyi propped her chin on her hand and sighed deeply: "Ah! Who would have thought that my happiness, Xing Ruyi's happiness, would be thwarted by a poisonous insect? Hmph! When I catch that insect, I'll definitely tear it apart limb by limb."
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