Chapter 132 Killing Tai Sui (Twenty) The thought lingered in my mind...

Afternoon sunlight filters through the leaves and enters the courtyard of the lakeside alley, casting dappled patterns of light on the blue brick floor.

The lingering aroma of the food had not yet dissipated.

Gu Lianzhou got up to clear the dishes and moved skillfully between the kitchen and the courtyard.

Seeing this, Wan Hongling leaned closer to Song Qiling beside her, touched the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, and said in a very low voice, "Qiling, your junior brother is quite diligent, but he has nothing to do in the afternoon, shouldn't he go back to his own residence to take care of things?"

Upon hearing this, Song Qiling's hand holding the teacup tightened suddenly.

She was so engrossed in chatting over tea that she forgot to tell Hongling that she and Gu Lianzhou were currently living under the same roof.

However, this matter is a long story and involves many backstory factors, so now is not the right time to explain.

So she quickly lowered her head and gave a muffled, dry laugh: "He's just a bit clingy, you'll get used to it, you'll get used to it."

Seeing her evasive words, Wan Hongling frowned slightly and turned her gaze back to the kitchen. "Clingy? I saw the way he looked at you, it's not innocent at all. Just now when we were eating, his eyes were practically glued to you. Qiling, his deliberate clinginess is probably not just for affection, but for something else."

"cough--"

Song Qiling choked on her tea and knew something was wrong.

Wan Hongling's gaze fixed suspiciously on Gu Lianzhou.

He walked out of the kitchen, seemingly wanting to ask where the tea was kept, but he didn't ask. He turned around, glanced around the room, and went straight to the display cabinet against the wall, taking out a tea caddy from an inconspicuous corner.

The movements were fluid, as if they were at home.

This deepened her suspicions. "He even knows exactly where you put your tea leaves? Qi Ling, have you sorcerers become so close that you don't care about such trivial matters between men and women?"

Song Qiling's knuckles curled slightly as she marveled at Miss Wan's keen perception. Just then, she saw her junior brother approaching and decided to be frank: "We are closer than others. We have feelings for each other."

"Bang--"

Perhaps the words were too sudden, Gu Lianzhou paused, the tea canister slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, rolling forward once with a "clatter," the lid loosened, and some fine pieces of dry tea leaves spilled out.

Wan Hongling was caught off guard, her mouth agape in astonishment, her gaze darting back and forth between the two: "You...you..."

She originally intended to take this opportunity to warn the white-faced but black-hearted Gu family man to recognize reality and keep his distance from the sorcerer Song, but how did things develop in such a way that they were completely different from what she had imagined?

They have feelings for each other?

Song Qiling actually likes this black-hearted man?

After a moment of silence, Song Qiling put down her teacup, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. "I'm sorry to have made Miss Wan laugh."

As he spoke, Gu Lianzhou bent down to pick up the tea canister and walked over. "Senior brother, Miss Wan, let me brew some tea for you."

Walking to the table, he readily moved the teacup in front of Song Qiling, saying, "This cold tea has lost its flavor and tastes bitter, so don't drink it anymore."

This thoughtful gesture seemed to have been rehearsed a hundred times.

Seeing this, Wan Hongling couldn't help but glare at Gu Lianzhou.

He took out a tea scoop, scooped out an appropriate amount of tea leaves, placed them in a white porcelain tea scoop, then turned around, picked up a ceramic teapot, poured half a pot of spring water into the teapot, and then bent down to stir the charcoal with silver chopsticks.

Once the water was just beginning to boil, he lifted the teapot, gently turned his wrist, and slowly poured the hot water into the teacup containing the tea leaves. His tea-rinsing movements were fluid and graceful. The tea soup barely covered the tea leaves before he quickly poured it out. Amidst the rising steam, the aroma of tea quietly filled the air.

His manners were refined and his conduct was fairly proper.

But when he occasionally glanced at the sorcerer Song, the undisguised tenderness in his eyes made her anger rise with every look.

Especially when she saw him pick up the teacup that Song Qiling had just used and carefully rinse it with hot water, she was so angry that her teeth itched, her lips tightened, and her dissatisfaction almost overflowed.

On what grounds?

Why is this person so favored by the sorcerer Song? Even when brewing tea, he can do it so subtly and ingratiatingly?

Gu Lianzhou seemed completely unaware of her gaze. After the tea soup boiled for the second time, he raised the teapot slightly and poured a thin stream of water into the tea bowl. The tea leaves unfurled and tumbled in the water, and the soup gradually darkened in color.

He picked up the teacup and poured a small half-cup for Song Qiling with gentle movements. "Senior brother, try it. The water temperature should be just right."

When he poured tea for Wan Hongling, his movements were still proper, but he lacked a bit of consideration, and his tone was also a bit flat, "Please have some, Miss Wan."

Looking at the cup of tea in front of her, and then at the unspoken understanding between the two, Wan Hongling felt that even the rising aroma of tea was an eyesore.

She picked up her teacup but hesitated to drink, her gaze still fixed on Gu Lianzhou. The resentment in her eyes finally caught his attention. "Miss Wan, is the tea not to your liking?"

Wan Hongling gave a soft hum, picked up the teacup and brought it close to her nose, her brows furrowing slightly. "The tea is too strong. I prefer light tea."

Gu Lianzhou understood. "So that's how it is."

His gaze shifted to Song Qiling's face, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Senior brother seems to have gotten used to the tea I brew."

Hearing his "provocation," Wan Hongling gritted her teeth in anger. "Is that so? Then I'll make things difficult for Madam Song. I'll treat her to an even better drink tomorrow."

Seeing that the two seemed to be at odds, Song Qiling cleared her throat and changed the subject, saying, "By the way, Hongling, the painted skin ghost you mentioned earlier is really strange. When I passed by that shop just now, I felt a chill in the wind, so it seems that there are indeed some unclean things hidden inside."

Wan Hongling was slightly taken aback, then quickly realized, "Qi Ling, since you are a sorcerer in the Tianji Sect, could it be that you want to get rid of that demon?"

“Of course.” Song Qiling nodded. “Now that we’ve encountered it, we can’t just sit idly by.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Lianzhou quickly put down his teacup, pulled out a stool, and sat down beside him. "What are your plans, Senior Brother?"

After a moment's thought, Song Qiling said, "Since it's a bookstore that does business, I'll pretend to be an ordinary customer, buy the painting, take it home, and then deal with it behind closed doors."

“But that painting is very strange, Qi Ling, you must be careful.” Wan Hongling frowned slightly, but her previous displeasure was completely dispelled by this topic.

"It's alright." Song Qiling raised her hand and gently patted her shoulder, soothing her in a gentle voice. "But you, don't come looking for me these next few days, lest you get implicated."

With things having come to this point, Wan Hongling had no choice but to agree.

As the sun grew stronger, Gu and Song did not delay. After seeing Wan Hongling off, they went to Hongyan Bookstore and, after several discussions, successfully bought the painting of a lady.

As the shopkeeper took the painting down, rolled it up, and handed it to her, Song Qiling carefully accepted it and said goodbye to the shopkeeper.

"Wait a minute." The bookstore owner, feeling guilty after receiving the money and presenting the "strange painting," stopped the two men. "Have you heard of the painting's evil nature?"

Song Qiling nodded: "I've heard of it, shopkeeper. Do you know the secret behind it?"

Unexpectedly, someone knew about this matter and was still able to come to buy the painting so calmly. The shopkeeper's suspicions grew even stronger, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "To tell you the truth, this painting is indeed painted by me. There is nothing unusual about it. As for the scholar who drowned a few days ago... he was just drunk and lost his senses and couldn't see the road. Although he said some filthy things about this painting during the day, there may not really be any connection between the two."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more earnest: "Since you two have come to buy a painting, you must be connoisseurs who love art. This painting has found a good home by meeting you."

After a brief pause, he added, "How about this, if there is anything wrong with this painting in the future, you can bring it back to me, and I will definitely return it to you in full."

Seeing the shopkeeper's repeated assurances, Song Qiling felt a little relieved, nodded in agreement, and left the shop with her junior brother.

Back in the courtyard of Lake Stone Lane, he slowly unrolled the scroll and examined it closely in the sunlight.

Just as the shopkeeper had said, this painting was originally an imitation of a famous painting from a previous dynasty. Judging from the vivid ink strokes and the date of the inscription being only two months prior, it looked almost identical to an ordinary painting.

"Such a strong demonic aura." Gu Lianzhou crossed his arms over his chest, marveling at the painting. "If there hadn't been so many people around, I really wouldn't have been able to resist..."

"Can't resist what?" Song Qiling looked down at the edge of the scroll, teasing without looking up, "So you're so picky about food that you don't eat grains anymore, but monsters instead?"

Gu Lianzhou regretted his quick tongue and closed his eyes in annoyance. "Senior brother, please don't laugh at me. I was seriously injured earlier and my body is weak. It's just... I just felt that this demonic energy was quite pure..."

...

This explanation seems even more superfluous and weak.

Fortunately, his senior brother was knowledgeable and experienced, and didn't take it personally. He simply stopped him from making any rash moves.

“If this is a demon that Chu Yue intentionally released to lure you into a trap, would you still dare to eat it?” Song Qiling said cautiously. “Let’s observe it for a day and find out what this demon’s intentions are. If it really harms the innocent, then it’s not too late to eat it.”

Whether the scholar who fell into the latrine and drowned earlier offended the "fairy in the painting" because of his loose tongue or because he fell while drunk, she could not say for sure.

Therefore, she cannot convict the painting based on mere conjecture at this moment.

"Senior brother, how should we observe?"

Are you just going to stare at the painting the whole time?

He clearly sensed that the things in the painting avoided him like the plague, yet he could only reside within the painting and could not escape.

Song Qiling carried the painting into the house. "Let's hang it up first. Maybe it will appear after we fall asleep."

Of course, this "appearance" is not the same as that appearance.

Evil spirits are colorless and formless, and are difficult to find in ordinary times. They can only act on people by using illusions.

Tonight, they might be able to try their luck.

-

The candlelight flickered, casting a hazy glow.

The moisture condensing on the beams gradually thickened, occasionally coalescing into a single drop that fell silently, spreading a dark circle on the blue brick floor.

Gu Lianzhou sat cross-legged on the hard Luohan bed, his gaze fixed on what lay ahead.

A screen stands between two beds.

The painting of a lady that he bought during the day was hung above it. The woman in the painting had curved eyebrows and eyes, which seemed to contain a hint of mockery in the flickering candlelight.

Gu Lianzhou felt as if a wad of cotton was stuck in his chest, something he couldn't spit out or swallow.

The two beds were already somewhat separated, and there were bed curtains for privacy, but now there's an unsightly screen...

Is my senior brother guarding against him?

As my thoughts wandered, the sound of water in the greenhouse gradually subsided, but after a moment, the sound of slippers rubbing against the floor quietly began.

The candlelight flickered, and a figure emerged from behind the screen.

The woman, fresh from her bath, wore a thin nightgown, the fabric clinging softly to her body from the steam. Her slightly damp hair was loosely gathered at the back of her head, and her skin, moistened by the hot water, glowed with a pale rouge color that spread from her cheeks to her flushed earlobes.

The belt around her waist was loosely tied, just enough to hold her slender waist in place. Water droplets dripping from her hair slid down her neck and disappeared into the depths of her collar.

Gu Lianzhou's gaze unconsciously followed the water droplet, watching it slide across her delicate collarbone and disappear into the deeper shadows. Her fingertips suddenly tightened, her nails almost digging into her palms, as if only in this way could she barely suppress the surging impulse in her heart.

“I know you’re finding it hard to endure.” Song Qiling stared at the lady in the painting and kindly advised, “With your current strength, eating it might not even be enough to fill your teeth, but if this is really Chu Yue’s doing, there might be a trap hidden in it.”

Just like the silver box and jewels of the past, they were merely tools to lure Tai Sui into being deceived.

After he finished speaking, there was no movement beside him for a long time.

Song Qiling turned around and saw a pair of dark eyes staring intently at her.

Like a wolf drawn by the scent of blood, his Adam's apple bobbed silently, his eyes filled with undisguised longing.

Silence filled the space between the two.

A moment later, Song Qiling waved her hand to interrupt his overly direct gaze, her face growing increasingly flushed. "What are you thinking about?"

Gu Lianzhou remained silent, only silently getting up and slowly approaching. Seeing his senior brother's eyes flicker and him back away, he finally couldn't help himself, reaching out to embrace her waist and pulling her into his arms.

Song Qiling's breath hitched suddenly.

His masculine body heat instantly enveloped her, holding her tightly against his chest, leaving almost no gap.

She could even feel his steady, powerful heartbeat through the thin fabric of his clothes.

She felt an itch on her neck, and warm breath brushed against her. A man's voice muffledly sounded in her ear: "With Miss Wan present during the day, I still couldn't find an opportunity to get close to my senior brother. I'm really thinking about it."

The heat made her ears burn, and she even stammered, "This, this is only the second day."

Why is it sticking to me again...?