guard

The suffocating smell of blood filled her nostrils. Zhu Qinghe sat blankly on the wooden chair, her eyes unfocused. Suddenly, a candle flame was thrust in front of her, and the intense light made her close her eyes tightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The man held up the candlestick, using the flame to carefully trace the contours of her face, his tone intrigued: "You're different from her; I need to think about it carefully."

Zhu Qinghe suddenly asked him, "Why are you wearing a mask?"

The man paused in raising the candle, his eyes sharpening behind the mask: "Why are you asking this?"

Zhu Qinghe kept her eyes tightly closed, her face still pale, and her body was even trembling slightly, but her words were unhurried and clear: "Since you are sure that Xu Yishu and I will die here today, why wear a mask? Wouldn't it be more satisfying to let Xu Yishu see your true face before he dies?"

"Perhaps you're just trying to create a sense of ritual, but even people who don't wear masks often find it hard to get used to wearing ordinary masks, let alone the kind you're wearing."

The man had already stood up straight, quietly waiting for her to continue.

“But in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never once reached out to adjust your mask, which means you’ve been wearing it for so long that you’re already used to it.”

The man's tone was cold and menacing, like a demon grinning to reveal its fangs: "So what?"

"So I guess, your face..." Zhu Qinghe's last sentence was drowned out by a loud door breaking down. The man's masked face turned toward the sound, and a long knife flew over in a spinning motion. The man subconsciously turned his face away, and the long knife grazed his face, slicing off half of his mask and revealing a hideous scar, like a burn.

The man glanced at Zhu Qinghe with resentment, then turned and fled quickly.

Shen Wumei waved her hand: "Chase!" A group of constables quickly obeyed and left.

He carefully crouched down, turned the wooden chair around, and avoided the bloody and terrifying stone bed.

The girl on the chair was pale, with tear stains on her face, her hair disheveled, and her eyes tightly closed. He felt as if something had gripped his heart tightly.

A surge of intense emotion, a feeling of heartache, washed over him. He clenched his fists and began to untie the ropes binding her. The moment he touched her hand, she jerked violently, instinctively flinching away and screaming, "Don't touch me—!"

Shen Wumei's pupils reddened as she cupped her face in her hands and said gently, "It's me, it's Shen Wumei. I've come to save you. Don't be afraid, everything is alright now."

Zhu Qinghe slowly opened her eyes, stared blankly at the person in front of her for a moment, and suddenly burst into tears: "Waaaaah, Shen Wumei, why did you take so long to come—I was so scared—"

Shen Wumei pulled her into his arms, letting her wipe her tears and snot all over his collar, and gently pressed the back of her head, saying softly, "I'm sorry, I'm late."

-

The overwhelming flames, the sinister smiles—everything was like a bizarre dream. Peace was shattered, light was extinguished, and everything that was once possessed vanished into nothingness.

He struggled to wake from the nightmare, and a cool, soft hand touched his forehead, gently wiping away the cold sweat that had seeped out.

"Why are you here?" He straightened up with some concern. "If people find out that you're involved with a murderer like me, you'll be in trouble."

The woman had a gentle look in her eyes. She opened the box in her hand, took out the mask inside, and handed it to him: "I destroyed the one you wore before. This is a new one."

The man then seemed to realize what had happened and turned his ugly, disfigured right side to the side, revealing only his handsome left side. "I...I scared you, didn't I?"

“How could that be?” the woman smiled gently, placing her hand on his intact left cheek. “It’s not like we haven’t seen them before. In my eyes, you are much more handsome than those who are all looks and no substance but have malicious hearts.”

His eyelashes fluttered, and a dark, inky light spread across his eyes: "I'm not a good person anymore. I killed someone, but you know what?" A sudden, intensely excited light flashed in his eyes, "That feeling was just too wonderful. If he were alive, he would be happy too."

“He will know everything you’ve done for him,” the woman said softly.

Sai Banxian's Main Shop.

Ruyi stood guard outside the door, stamping her feet in anxiety. When she turned around and saw Mo Wu beside her, she was furious. Forgetting all about his status, she rushed to his side and questioned him harshly, "Why didn't you protect my young lady? That's a murderer! How scared my young lady must have been!"

Mo Wu didn't dare to say a word after being scolded by a little girl who barely reached his shoulder. After all, their boss was in the wrong this time, and as his subordinate, he could only endure it.

He glanced at the tightly closed door in front of him, wondering why his boss hadn't come out for so long.

Inside the room, Zhu Qinghe was wrapped in a quilt and nestled in bed. The warm candlelight illuminated the familiar objects and furnishings, creating a feeling completely different from the gloomy darkness of that time.

She sniffed, and the person at the table turned around and asked, "Are you feeling any better?"

"No." Zhu Qinghe simply buried herself in the blankets, resigned to her fate.

Shen Wumei was unusually at a loss. After thinking for a moment, she finally walked to the bedside and asked softly, "What can I do to make you feel better?"

Zhu Qinghe peeked out from under the covers and looked at him earnestly, asking, "How is Xu Yishu?"

Shen Wumei said in a deep voice, "The body has been sent to the government office, and the Xu family has also been notified."

He glanced at Zhu Qinghe, but swallowed the question that was on the tip of his tongue. She had just been so frightened; now was not a good time to ask.

That desperate and pained face appeared before her eyes, and Zhu Qinghe shrank back dejectedly. "Lord Shen, I want to rest."

Shen Wumei stood up and said, "Then you should rest well. I will send people to protect you." After hesitating for a moment, she slowly reached out and gently patted the bulging quilt.

The door was gently closed, and after a moment, Zhu Qinghe poked her head out and softly called out, "Ruyi."

Ruyi pushed the door open and came in. Seeing Zhu Qinghe cowering like a quail, her eyes welled up with tears of heartache: "Miss, don't be afraid, I'll sleep with you tonight."

Zhu Qinghe nodded obediently, which made Ruyi even more upset. When had her young lady ever looked like this? It was more like she had returned to the time when she was a child and was locked in the ancestral hall for a whole night by Aunt Song.

That night, Zhu Qinghe had another nightmare. The demonic Nuo opera mask, with its piercing, bell-like eyes, stared intently at her, grinning with blood-stained white teeth, and cackling eerily, "I'm here to peel off your skin—"

Zhu Qinghe suddenly opened her eyes, gasping for breath like a drowning person. Ruyi was sleeping soundly beside her, even snoring softly.

She felt a chill run down her chest and back. After sitting for a while, she suddenly noticed a tall, slender figure reflected in the window. Zhu Qinghe nervously bit her lip. Could it be that the pervert had really come looking for her?

She glanced at Ruyi beside her, tiptoed out of bed, and wandered around the room but couldn't find anything useful, so she picked up a round stool. She walked to the window and slowly opened it, just as the person heard the sound and turned around, and the two bumped into each other face to face.

The person in front of me had fine eyebrows and handsome eyes, and stood tall and elegant. Dressed in a light blue casual outfit, he looked like a fairy under the moon. Although he was indeed pleasing to the eye, the scene inevitably made people wonder.

Zhu Qinghe stared in disbelief: "Lord Shen, what are you doing here?"

Didn't he go back?

The night breeze was cool as water, the white moon was obscured by dark clouds, and the stars hung palely beside it, creating an ominous scene of a dark and windy night. Yet the person in front of him had a serious expression, and his gaze was intense, revealing his concern.

He said, "I'm afraid you'll be scared when you wake up from a nightmare, so I'm staying here to watch over you."