“Ah Jian, we originally had feelings for each other, but one day we had a fight and you left in anger. You were kidnapped by bad guys, and I tracked you down to find you. I never thought you would have already married someone else.”
Wen Yeci's eyes flickered as she wove her lies, and as she spoke, a hint of genuine emotion unconsciously crept into her tone.
"Really?" Mei Shuwei looked at him leisurely, leaning closer to stare into his eyes.
"But I feel like we're not close at all."
The rich fragrance filled the air, and Wen Yeci instinctively choked, turning his head slightly to avoid her approach. A blush rose on his handsome face, and he pursed his lips, speaking somewhat dryly, "Because...because we are not yet married, we must naturally observe proper etiquette."
The aura suddenly turned cold. Wen Yeci turned around and saw Mei Shuwei taking a step back, her brows furrowed with disbelief and coldness. He panicked.
Seeing her turn to leave, Wen Yeci made up his mind and quickly reached out to grab her hand. Their fingers intertwined, and with his heart pounding, he tried to look serious, asking earnestly but with a hint of trepidation, "A-Jian, don't leave me. Let's go back together, okay?"
“I know you have a red mole under your collarbone. You’ve always been gentle, but you’re actually stubborn, resilient, intelligent, and cunning. I’ve always admired you and…I’m in love with you.” Wen Yeci blushed crimson as she racked her brains to recall their first meeting and their reunion.
Mei Shuwei raised their clasped hands and smiled. "Hmm, that's right. I'll believe you for now, but the evidence isn't enough. Let me think it over carefully. I'll come find you when I've made up my mind."
After seeing Wen Yeci off, Mei Shuwei's smile gradually faded. She lowered her eyes in thought and slowly walked home.
Wen Yeci was lying, but there was a sliver of truth mixed in with his lies. It was true that the two knew each other, but he seemed to be hiding much about his identity, making his situation more complex than it appeared.
She rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Who was she, and why was she here, and why was she in such harmony with a stranger?
Out of the corner of her eye, Mei Shuwei caught sight of a snowdrift and paused, startled. Looking up, she saw the bright sunshine; where had all the snow come from? Upon closer inspection, she saw a huddled figure by the roadside, seemingly a strange man with completely white eyelashes.
She frowned, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, and tried to walk away quickly, but the man grabbed the hem of her skirt. Mei Shuwei looked down at him and, seeing how thin he was, assumed he was a beggar on the street, so she took some pastries from her sleeve and handed them to him.
"Here you go."
The white-haired man blankly accepted the pastries, then released them, a hint of tears flashing in his eyes.
Mei Shuwei smiled slightly and turned to leave, but she didn't expect that a dagger would appear in her abdomen the next second. She looked incredulously at the blood that spilled out and stained her dress, and then collapsed with a thud.
Yun Mo stood motionless like a statue, silently watching Mei Shuwei's corpse. A struggle seemed to flash in his eyes. He had lost his memory and had wandered all the way here.
Because of his unusual appearance, he suffered countless cold stares and scorn, and collapsed by the roadside, starving and freezing. When he saw Mei Shuwei, an instinct arose within him, and he killed the only kind woman who had given him food without hesitation.
He took the pastries and left, trembling and dazed.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The young woman lay in a pool of blood, her face still bearing the look of surprise she had before she died. Her fingers were pressed against a gaping hole in her abdomen from which blood was gushing out, and a dagger was stuck in it, gleaming coldly.
Mei Shuwei stood outside the small space, looking at her own corpse with a complicated expression.
She died, but was reborn in a new body.
This world is indeed not real.
Mei Shuwei carried her body back to the courtyard, packed it in a sack, and took it to the mountain to bury it. She dug two pits, one to hold the body, and the other…
She pulled out the murder weapon, the dagger, and examined it closely. She felt that the dagger exuded a different aura, unlike any ordinary object.
Mei Shuwei caught two rats and stabbed them to death with a dagger and a tree branch, respectively. The rat killed by the dagger miraculously came back to life, while the one killed by the tree branch was completely dead.
Mei Shuwei lay down in the pit and resolutely plunged the dagger into her abdomen again. She believed that the dagger was abnormal and that she had risked her life to conduct an experiment on herself.
Time flowed slowly, and Mei Shuwei stood before the pit once more, looking at her two corpses. Such a horrifying and bizarre scene unfolded before her eyes, causing her to purse her lips, pick up the dagger, wipe it dry, hide it, and then hurriedly bury the bodies.
As more and more tragedies occurred in the city, Mei Shuwei could even see black mist condensing in the sky, as if the resentment had materialized.
Chu Tiankuo left early and returned late, spending less and less time in the courtyard. He grew increasingly haggard, with dark circles under his handsome eyebrows and stubble on his chin.
Mei Shuwei quietly observed the anomalies in this world, trying to analyze every clue and unravel the truth.
Every day at dawn, she would exercise in the surrounding area to improve her physical condition. At mid-morning, when the sun was high in the sky, a time when the murderer would not be out and about, she would go out to gather information under the guise of buying groceries.
There were still no leads on the murderer, and the county magistrate was furious, imposing a heavy punishment and ordering all the constables to find the killer. However, despite the seriousness of the situation, there was still no news of the imperial envoy, making the city seem like an isolated city.
Mei Shuwei confirmed several times that only she could see the dark aura in the sky.
Before dusk, she would return home, close the door tightly, and carry a dagger with her.
Sometimes when Wen Yeci visited during the day, Mei Shuwei would greet him with a smile, often making him blush and unconsciously revealing many clues.
For example, Wen Yeci desperately wanted her to leave Chu Tiankuo, seemingly fearing she might do something to him. Mei Shuwei chuckled inwardly; what evil could a weak mortal woman like her possibly commit against a highly skilled constable?
Unless, they are not ordinary people.
Wen Yeci weaves sweet memories of their past together, and Mei Shuwei, following his expectations, gradually trusts him, like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, seemingly about to be captured.
With nothing else to do, Mei Shuwei often sought his divination. Over time, she discovered that there was a transparent vortex at his fingertips when he performed divination, a familiar feeling that stirred her heart.
The dark aura in the city grew stronger, and everyone felt uneasy. Wen Yeci's expression also grew increasingly grave. When asked why, she remained silent, only urging Wen Yeci to leave with her. Whenever this happened, Mei Shuwei would smile gently and deliberately avoid the topic.
Chu Tiankuo's attitude changed abruptly. One day, he suddenly returned home early, looking radiant and full of the smell of alcohol, a stark contrast to his usual dejected state. His attitude towards her also became much more affectionate.
"Madam~"
Seemingly with a sense of compensation, Chu Tiankuo brought back many gifts, such as expensive rouge and jewelry, making her look like a noblewoman.
Mei Shuwei gratefully accepted the gift and helped him to bed.
After closing the door, she glanced mischievously at Wen Yeci, who had hurriedly hidden away, and chuckled softly, "Aci, why did you hide?"
Wen Yeci blushed as he emerged from behind the woodpile. He didn't know why he had instinctively hidden away, as if afraid of being caught in the act. Embarrassed, he looked up and saw Mei Shuwei beckoning him. Wen Yeci's body moved faster than his thoughts, and he ran over quickly, unaware of the fervor in his heart.
Mei Shuwei leaned close and whispered, "Aci, could you do me a favor?"
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