I like you

She stood out so brightly in the crowd.

Having wandered the world for so many years, Cang Jingqi has witnessed all its splendor and excitement. Alone and utterly alone, he feels that the world's clamor offers no return.

As he looked in her direction, all the surrounding sounds seemed to fade away, leaving only that small figure moving among the crowd. She seemed to embody everything in the world; that one person constituted all the sounds in his world.

For the first time, he wished to leave the city and find a quiet place, where he could simply be with his partner.

"Where have you been?" Han Jiang walked towards Cang Jingqi. "Why do you look so happy?"

Cang Jingqi grasped Han Jiang's hand: "I went to see someone. Let's go see the fireworks."

Han Jiang seems to no longer reject the approach of the opposite sex, or rather, she does not reject Cang Jingqi's contact.

Their hands were naturally clasped together, and Cang Jingqi was in a very good mood.

Han Jiang felt resistant and shy a second ago, but got used to it after a few steps. Cang Jingqi's hands were much warmer than hers.

"Who did you see?"

"A friend."

"Could it be an old flame?" Han Jiang suddenly grabbed Cang Jingqi's hand.

Han Jiang thought this was a good opportunity. To watch the fireworks, Cang Jingqi led her to a quiet place. The night sky was clear, there was no noise, only the fireworks and them.

Besides, they've already held hands. No one would believe that Cang Jingqi has no feelings for her at all.

Cang Jingqi doesn't seem as melancholy as she was a few days ago, so why not take this opportunity to confess?

Although what he said during the day was practically a confession.

"No, it's—"

"I like you!"

The two spoke at the same time.

Cang Jingqi was only halfway through speaking when Han Jiang abruptly cut him off.

Worried that Cang Jingqi hadn't heard clearly, Han Jiang asked again, "Cang Jingqi, I like you. Do you like me?"

Her soft voice, filled with a young girl's anticipation, drifted into Cang Jingqi's ears.

Han Jiang still held his hand and looked up at him.

The silence was broken by the sound of fireworks exploding.

Why aren't you saying anything? Han Jiang felt nervous and held onto the hand even tighter.

"Han Xiaoman," Cang Jingqi stared at Han Jiang, "do you like me, or me who is about to become the Demon Lord?"

Could it be that Han Jiang said he wanted to marry the Demon Lord that day? How can Cang Jingqi remember it so well!

Is there a difference?

"Of course," Cang Jing retorted. "If I didn't become the Demon Lord, would you still like me?"

This confused Han Jiang. If he didn't become the Demon Lord, who would? Could it be a misjudgment, and Cang Jingqi isn't the Demon Lord? But his favorability rating clearly increased that day.

What exactly happened?

Cang Jingqi released Han Jiang's hand: "You hesitated. I will not become the Demon Lord, you don't need to like me."

"No!" Han Jiang said, "I like you!"

“Then it’s not you I like.” Cang Jingqi revealed his signature smile.

He's lying.

This is not what Hanjiang expected. They were fine when they went out, even holding hands. Why doesn't she like it?

Dizzy, Han Jiang walked back to his room and summoned the system: "Check the affection level."

In the center of the completely white screen was only one sentence—

[The entire system will undergo an upgrade and overhaul, which is expected to be completed within fifteen working days. We appreciate your understanding.]

Why aren't you upgrading and repairing it now? Why didn't you do that sooner!

What's even more infuriating is that "fifteen working days" means waiting for three weeks. Even the system has weekends off, but these working people don't!

A chill seeped through the crack in the door: the room across the street was dark; Cang Jingqi hadn't returned.

I guess they'll start avoiding me again.

Han Jiang discovered that Cang Jingqi's folding fan had not yet been taken back.

No, we can't give up.

As the saying goes, even a strong woman can be won over by a persistent suitor. Han Jiang decided to be shameless. Cang Jingqi's words today probably meant that he liked Han Jiang, but he was afraid that Han Jiang didn't really like him. So as long as Han Jiang proved his sincerity, Cang Jingqi would definitely agree!

Today is the Lantern Festival, but we haven't eaten glutinous rice balls yet.

There seem to be some ingredients in the kitchen. I'll cook some glutinous rice balls and send them to Cang Jingqi. It's just glutinous rice balls; how bad could they be?

Let's get right to it.

Cang Jing said sullenly in the study, "Come out."

A strange man emerged from behind the bookshelf.

"I thought you and Han Tian's apprentice were going out for a tryst and wouldn't be back until late." The man put a mute note on the door. "Why the long face? You're holding hands and you're still not happy?"

“If there’s anything you didn’t finish saying back then, say it now,” Cang Jingqi said, ignoring the teasing.

"There are two confirmed cases so far. One is A-Ye's guard, but he went missing before the New Year. The other is also someone from the palace. The palace servants will be back tomorrow after today."

Cang Jing said, "The imperial court plans to start the war after the New Year, so I have to go to Jingzhou."

“I’ll go with you. Leave the affairs of the Demon Palace to A-Ye for now,” the man said. “Will Han Tian’s little apprentice go?”

"I won't go; Jingzhou is not safe."

"The Demon Palace isn't exactly safe either."

"Amo, when do you plan to reveal your identity?"

"You didn't tell Han Jiang my identity, did you? Brother, you and her?"

"No."

At that time, Cang Jingqi vaguely sensed a familiar spiritual power in the teahouse, so he made an excuse to leave with Han Jiang.

After turning into a few alleys, I saw the man in front of me.

Different appearances, different voices, but demonic energy is connected to the soul, this person is clearly Cang Jingmo.

Cang Jingmo is still alive!

"Amo?"

"Brother, have I disturbed you two?"

Cang Jingqi asked excitedly, "Is it really you? You're still alive?"

In the underground tomb of Xuanzhou, Cang Jingmo wanted to find clues about the transformation between human and demon in the woman's crystal coffin, but unexpectedly the woman self-destructed.

Just when Cang Jingmo thought he was dead, he found that his and the woman's souls were sucked into the lamp. He could see Han Jiang holding the two of them and handing them over to Gui Xu.

Gui Xu extracted the woman's soul from the lamp and unexpectedly discovered that Cang Jingmo's soul was also inside.

But she didn't care. Instead, she took out a body and tried to infuse the woman's soul into it.

It is probably because the woman's soul was damaged over the course of a hundred years, and completely shattered and vanished during the infusion process.

"Your resurrection plan has failed, and that has nothing to do with me," Cang Jingmo heard Gui Xu say.

Gui Xu then turned to Cang Jingmo: "Second Prince, you owe it to her. Otherwise, your soul should have dissipated instead of surviving thanks to the power of this lamp."

What do you want to do to me?

"It's nothing special, I'll just help you resurrect. I received help from your mother in my early years, and now I'm helping her son, which is a way of repaying that favor."

Gui Xu used an array that Cang Jingmo had never seen before. He didn't have time to study everything in the basement. When he woke up, he was lying on the bed in Feng Huo Ying Shuang Lou.

Cang Jingmo agreed to conceal the secret of Guixu's basement and her power to bring people back to life.

With Gui Xu's help, Cang Jingmo awakens in a new body and rushes back to the Demon Realm.

He only gave Cang Jingqi a general overview, without going into details.

Halfway through their conversation, Cang Jingqi became worried about Han Jiang being alone, so he told Cang Jingmo to return to the Demon Palace and wait for him.

"Don't tell anyone yet, just you and I will keep it to ourselves," Cang Jingmo said. "The court's intentions are unclear, and the cause of the unrest in Anzhou is still unknown. Perhaps I can infiltrate it."

"What was the original owner of this body? I need to think of a reason to bring you into the palace."

"This is a body created by Gui Xu. She used a secret technique I've never seen before to create a half-human form for that woman, but after the woman's soul shattered, Gui Xu gave me the human body. After the soul entered the body, it began to be shaped under Gui Xu's external intervention."

Gui Xu, this woman, is no simple character either.

"Then I will find a reason to bring you into the palace tomorrow. Once the traitor is found, we will immediately head to Anzhou."

There was a commotion outside, and Cang Jingmo jumped onto the roof beam.

Hanjiang knocked on the door with a bowl of glutinous rice balls in his hand.

There was nothing on the table, clearly indicating there was no official business to attend to. Han Jiang's expression was displeased, but she quickly adjusted her tone and said, "I cooked you some glutinous rice balls."

"I will not become the Demon Lord, Han Xiaoman."

"I cooked this for you." Why is this person so stubborn? "Cang Jingqi, I like you, and you like me too, okay?"

Cang Jingqi controlled himself from looking at Han Jiang and said, "Then you can leave it there."

"Cang Jingqi!"

Cang Jingqi's indifference successfully angered Han Jiang. She slammed her hand on the table in front of her, her voice trembling uncontrollably, and said, "If you don't like me at all, why did you spend New Year's Eve and the Lantern Festival with me?"

Not understanding what she was aggrieved about, Han Jiang ran off without waiting for Cang Jingqi's reply.

She despised her own pathetic tears.

If Cang Jingqi doesn't like me, so be it! I don't like him anyway, so saying I do is just a lie...

Cang Jingmo jumped down: "If you don't like it, are you holding a young girl's hand and walking down the street to prevent her from getting lost?"

Cang Jingqi heard the sarcasm in Cang Jingmo's voice: "She wants to marry the Demon Lord, not like me."

"Is there a difference? If the eldest son inherits, you will be the Demon Lord."

"I have no interest in the position of Demon Lord, and you've known that for a long time. Since you're still alive, come back for the Snow Festival once the rebel issue is resolved."

Returning for the Heavy Snow Festival is to allow Cang Jingmo to return and inherit the position of Demon Lord.

"But isn't she Hantian's disciple? Why would she marry the Demon Lord? Seeking power and status? She doesn't seem like someone who's after power. Could it be a powerful backer and money? But Hantian can give her both. Perhaps marrying the Demon Lord is just an excuse." Cang Jingmo rarely acted as a wise person.

That makes sense. Perhaps Han Jiang said that to appease Cang Jingye, who was present at the time.

"The spiritual energy fluctuations she generated when she said that didn't seem fake." Cang Jingqi's ability to perceive spiritual energy was so strong that he could sometimes judge whether a person was lying by the spiritual energy fluctuations they generated when they spoke.

"It's none of my business." Cang Jingmo shrugged. "I'm leaving now. I'll wait for your news tomorrow."

Cang Jingqi picked up the bowl of glutinous rice balls and rolled them into pretty round shapes.

I like... Han Xiaoman, do you really like me?

The lights were on in the room; the person was still awake.

The sound of crying could be faintly heard.

It seems he's angered. Cang Jingqi's hand hovered in mid-air, unable to knock.

"Han Xiaoman?"

Han Jiang didn't want to talk to Cang Jingqi, so she got out of bed, blew out the lamp, and pretended to go to sleep.

If you don't like it, then what was the point of all that before? Han Jiang couldn't pinpoint exactly when it started, but the two of them became closer, and she no longer resisted Cang Jingqi's physical contact; on the contrary, she sometimes looked forward to it.

Han Jiang clenched her fists: What a jerk! Why did you hold my hand if you didn't like me!

Cang Jingqi was still standing at the door.

"You'll be standing here all night!" Han Jiang cursed inwardly. If it weren't for the strategy guide, who would bother with you!

You're avoiding me, aren't you? Just you wait!