Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Su Qianqian's bedroom looked no different from that of any other wealthy young lady, but it gave off an oddly uncomfortable feeling. Once Xing Ruyi fully stepped into the room and surveyed her surroundings, she discovered the source of the discomfort.
The bedroom seemed to be imitating others; for instance, the placement of the painting "Chrysanthemums in Autumn" was not necessarily wrong, but it felt awkward and did not match the room's layout at all. Additionally, the decorative items appeared to be of great importance to the owner, yet they were arranged haphazardly, with some even shoved into corners, clearly neglected.
The pillow infused with chrysanthemum fragrance was not on the bed but stuffed into a corner. As for the sachets made from Wild Chrysanthemum, although they hung above the bed, their position was clearly less favored compared to several other sachets.
The other sachets were of a popular style from Divine Capital Luoyang; while trendy, the spices used inside were quite ordinary. Of course, they were more expensive than Wild Chrysanthemum, but lacked the thoughtfulness of a skilled sachet maker. It seemed that Su Qianqian did not share her second brother Su Jingliang's deep feelings for their deceased Sister-in-law; rather, there was a distinct sense of disdain towards that Sister-in-law.
Since entering the room, the fox had remained silent, standing behind Xing Ruyi and admiring his wife. The Fox Demon loved to meddle in affairs, so he let her be. If she managed to handle this matter well, he would naturally be pleased as her husband; if not, he wouldn't mind stepping in to help her out. In any case, everything revolved around making his wife happy.
Xing Ruyi had grown accustomed to the fox's presence. Sensing his unique scent, she smiled down and slowly took a step back, gently leaning against him—close yet still appropriate for a public setting.
"What did you discover?" The fox lowered his head to look at the smile in Xing Ruyi's eyes.
"A secret that might be the key to Su Qianqian's soul leaving her body!"
"Oh!" The fox exclaimed with a long drawl, "My wife is indeed impressive!"
"Of course!" Xing Ruyi proudly lifted her chin but then noticed that Li Siniang and Bell were missing. "Where are Si Niang and them?"
"Si Niang is a brewer, not a detective or a healer; she wouldn't be of much use here. Su Jingliang clearly realized this as well and took Si Niang and Bell to the front hall."
"And what about Li Mao?"
The fox blinked his eyes. "I discovered another secret as well, so I sent Li Mao to verify it."
"Mm, good! You truly have what it takes to be my husband at Ruyi Cosmetic Shop!"
"Of course!" The fox said while playfully pinching Xing Ruyi's chin. "The matters of the Su Family are likely more complicated than you imagine. So there's no need to rush; take your time to observe, heal slowly, and investigate gradually."
"Then, are you not in a hurry to take me back to Qingqiu to get married?"
Xing Ruyi turned around, squinting at the fox with an expression that seemed to ask if he was regretting marrying her.
The fox shook his head and held her hand. Since getting off the carriage, she had not wrapped herself in a cloak. Although the weather was clear now, the Fox Demon’s hands were still extremely cold. After warming her hands slightly, he said, "Of course not. I can't wait to take you back to Qingqiu right now. It's just that since you enjoy certain things, I shouldn't stop you. Besides, having you by my side, whether we get married today or tomorrow, what difference does it make for us?"
"Of course it makes a difference!" Xing Ruyi retorted, pulling her hand out of the fox's palm.
"Right now, you are only my fiancé, and we can barely chat and take walks together, helping me warm my hands. But if you become my husband, I can openly and legitimately devour you."
"Is that how much you want to eat me?" The fox chuckled in disbelief and pinched Xing Ruyi's cheek. "How can a young lady like you be thinking about such things?"
"Why should I be surprised? Why doesn't a man like you think about it? Is it because I'm not attractive enough or do you have some hidden ailment?"
"You are still too young; though tender, you're not easy to chew!" The fox said seriously, but Xing Ruyi's face turned red.
"I'm not at all! Look at the women of the Golden Tang Dynasty; many marry at thirteen or fourteen, and there are plenty who become mothers at fifteen or sixteen. I'm practically an old maid. Fortunately, everyone knows I have a fiancé; otherwise, they would think no one wants me. Oh no, wait! It's precisely because everyone knows I have such an outstanding fiancé that our delayed marriage makes them think you're rejecting me. Stinky Fox, hurry up! Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Am I?" The fox raised an eyebrow. "I actually think it's because my wife is too outstanding and too capable that she looks down on someone like me who only has looks but can only eat idle food."
"Is it being too outstanding or too capable?" Xing Ruyi looked into the fox's eyes. "If I'm outstanding, I completely agree; but if I'm capable? Show me where I'm capable!"
"You're capable everywhere!" The fox smiled indulgently and then pointed to the Red Bone Umbrella in her hand. "My amazing wife should be getting down to business now."
"Oh dear, I've gotten so used to being spoiled that I've forgotten there's still a ghost here!" Xing Ruyi said shyly for once.
Seeing this, the fox felt a slight flutter in his heart and leaned down to gently kiss her lips. "Actually, Husband is also quite anxious!"
"Still!" Xing Ruyi blushed, glancing at the red bone umbrella from the corner of her eye.
The fox smiled, "Don't worry, I sealed her seven orifices with magic as soon as we entered this room. Now she can't move, hear, or see anything. So, the things we just said are known only to you and me."
"Indeed, you're quite cunning for a fox," Xing Ruyi realized there was no one else in the room, so she grew bolder. She reached out her arms and wrapped them around the fox's neck, then stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed his lips. "But I like it! Also, um... could you make yourself a bit shorter? It's tiring for me to be on my tiptoes all the time."
"Sure! Next time you want to sneak up on me, just let me know first, and I'll make myself shorter."
"Hey, what do you mean by sneaking up on you? I'm just rightfully claiming my own power!" Xing Ruyi turned around, stomped her foot, her face not only flushed but also slightly heated.
Thinking that Su Jingliang should be back soon, Xing Ruyi quickly regained her focus and walked to the bed to check on Su Qianqian's condition.
She had an injury on her forehead that had healed but still left a faint scar. However, with Ruyi Rouge's skills as a shopkeeper, removing scars wouldn't be difficult. Judging by the angle of the wound and the force of impact, it was clearly an accident. There were varying degrees of abrasions on her shoulders and back, signs of being pulled at her wrists, and there were wounds on her fingers that were so shallow they were almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
When it comes to soul separation, although it involves the soul leaving the body, the circumstances can vary greatly. For a Yao Shen like the fox, soul separation is referred to as Yuan Shen, and cultivation involves refining one's Yuan Shen—essentially cultivating both body and soul. Mortals can also practice cultivation by using spells to separate their souls from their bodies, but this usually requires accompanying formations, and the time spent outside the body cannot be too long; otherwise, it becomes difficult to return.
Xing Ruyi was an exception because she did not practice cultivation herself but inadvertently possessed remarkable ghostly abilities. With the fox's help, she could also achieve soul separation. However, during these separations, the fox would typically be there to protect her.
Children can also experience soul separation, often occurring after sudden fright or contact with something unclean that pulls their souls away. This phenomenon is referred to in folklore as losing one's soul; losing one soul or spirit can lead to weakness or illness. If all Three Souls and Seven Spirits are lost, it can result in fainting at best or death at worst. Xing Ruyi had a somewhat peculiar fate; she often engaged in absurd antics that led to frequent instances of losing her soul.
It wasn't until her first birthday when her parents followed her grandmother's instructions and had her recognize three godmothers that things returned to normal. However, her godmothers were quite unusual: one was an old jujube tree in the courtyard, another was Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the last was a stone millstone.
Xing Ruyi didn't know much about Guanyin Bodhisattva or the stone millstone, but after she recognized the old jujube tree as her godmother, it began to gradually wither away branch by branch. She remembered that during her last visit home, only half of the old jujube tree was still struggling to grow.
Although her grandmother told her that this was simply the tree's fate, Xing Ruyi knew deep down that this perfectly healthy tree had likely been affected by her presence. As for the sudden death of her biological parents, she felt responsible for that too. Afterward, until she met the fox, she was unwilling and afraid to get close to anyone else for fear of unintentionally dragging them down with her.
Reflecting on those past events made Xing Ruyi feel sad; however, looking at the fox who had always stayed by her side made her think those experiences were tests given by fate. Only by passing through these trials could she meet the fox.
He collected his thoughts and focused all his attention on Su Qianqian.
Just then, Su Jingliang returned after settling Li Siniang and the bell. Seeing Xing Ruyi sitting by the bed, checking Su Qianqian's eyelids, he softly asked, "How is she? Can she still be treated?"
"Qianqian has been injured, and it's an injury to her head?"
"That's right, it's an injury to her head!"
"What caused the injury?"
Su Jingliang shook his head. "Although Qianqian has a lively personality and can be a bit willful at times, she never casually leaves the house, especially not to those remote places. Even when she has to go out for something, she usually informs the family and always has a maid accompanying her. But this time, she went out alone.
Afterward, I asked the maid who was with Qianqian. She said that Qianqian had gone out after breakfast, just to stroll around nearby, and told the maid not to follow her. However, she didn't return until after lunchtime. When she came back, her clothes were torn, and she was covered in blood with wounds all over. As soon as she entered the door, she didn't say a word and fainted.
We also considered whether something unfortunate happened to her during that time out, so we asked a doctor to take a look."
"And then?" Xing Ruyi pressed for more information.
"The result..." Su Jingliang showed a troubled expression again. "The doctor said that Qianqian is no longer a young lady, but this incident did not happen recently."
Comment 0 Comment Count