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With the fragrance and softness filling his arms, he instinctively pulled back. However, before he could turn around, he felt a tightness around his waist. Looking down, he saw that the jade pendant tied around his waist had been grasped by the white little hand.
She looked frightened, her dark eyes moist as she gazed at him, their depths filled with complete trust. Her fingertips traced the pattern on the jade pendant, gently hooking it into his palm, trembling slightly like a bud stirred by the wind.
His eyes were deep as he looked at her silently. The atmosphere between them was filled with charm.
The next moment, a smile curved her red lips as she leaned forward to hug his shoulders, her clothes sliding down, revealing her fair shoulders. His breath hitched, her peachy fragrance disturbing his mind. A sudden, dark fire burned his entire body, his throat dry and rasping, every nerve clamoring to crush the reckless woman in his arms beneath him...
"Master Su..." A soft whisper echoed in his ears, guiding his hand up her soft waist, along her curves, caressing her throat. She wasn't afraid either, just tilting her head to look at him, her innocent eyes softening her heart.
Suddenly, the slender neck was shattered under his palm, and the person in front of him shattered into pieces of peach blossoms. In the chaos, those cold eyes were as cold as before, without a trace of panic.
Lifting his eyelids slightly, he uttered a name coldly, "Shen Nan."
As if the barrier was broken, the scene before my eyes shattered in an instant and suddenly fell into darkness.
The person lying on the bed suddenly opened his eyes, with a stern look in his eyes and a hint of sneer.
In the dim light, he raised his hand, gently bent his fingers, and smiled silently.
How could an illusory soul be compared to the person he could touch with his hands?
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, but when the time comes to say goodbye, it can still be hard for a group of people to bear the pain. This is especially true when close friends are alone on an unknown journey under these circumstances.
"Can't you just not leave?" Cai Xin pulled Fang Jingsheng's sleeve with tears in her eyes and asked with a sob.
Fang Jingsheng's face was still haggard, but the previous determination was gone from his expression. He shook his head gently, "I promised Xiaoman that I would see the sights she wanted to see."
He has made arrangements for the Fang family. He even invited his second brother, who had been practicing in the temple with his hair uncut, to come back. Now there is nothing that requires his help here.
"A man's ambition is to travel far and wide. It's good to go out and have a good time. It broadens your horizons and makes you feel more relaxed." Qin Zhi had been traveling with his father since he was a child and didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Besides, Fang Jingsheng's current state made it even more difficult for him to leave Sizhou.
Not far from them, Yiyuan and Aruo, who had rushed over from Yangzhou, leaned against a big tree trunk and watched the three people say goodbye.
"You useless idiot. Others are ignorantly hanging up the spirit-calling banners, but you are still worrying about whether she is alive or not. You have wasted two days of your time." After checking her from head to toe, Yiyuan's expression relaxed and he began to find out another mistake she made.
Aruo retorted indignantly, "That's because I calculated long ago that the power of the soul is at its strongest on the seventh day, which would give Xiao Man a greater chance of appearing, so I waited two more days."
Yiyuan's eyes flashed with sarcasm as he sneered, "In the final analysis, it's because you haven't mastered the skills well enough."
Yiyuan knew her most vulnerable point, but now that she had been scolded, he was too lazy to attack her. Ultimately, her future needed to be influenced by those who could influence her. He was already a Buddhist, so he shouldn't interfere too much except in matters of life and death.
Her breath caught, and Aruo was unable to refute. After being brought back to Qishan by Master Shen, she had only learned a few tricks except for the Qinggong technique. Master Shen was strict, but he didn't really accept her as a disciple, nor did he set strict standards for her. Furthermore, her senior brother was lazy, and her senior sister doted on her, giving her all kinds of backdoors. So, wasn't she just... half-baked?
Seeing the guilt in her eyes, Yiyuan didn't bother to dwell on it. She'd done more than one stupid thing anyway, and as long as someone covered it, that was enough. "Did your Lord Su arrange for Fang Jingsheng to go to the northwest this time?"
Hers… When did he become hers?
Aruo was distracted for a moment, his ears burning. He quickly coughed before saying, "The goal Xiaoman gave him before he left was probably because he was worried he would commit suicide. Su Feng helped me get a pass for the journey, and he also asked Fang Jingsheng to visit Master Luo Shi, the famous Ta'er Temple in the northwest, who had been kind to him in the past."
Whether it was the spirit-calling banner or his attempt to resurrect through a corpse, it didn't matter now. She didn't know how Xiao Man scolded her husband that night, but Fang Jingsheng had a new goal after waking up. Su Zirui had mentioned the events in the northwest to her: he'd killed too many people back then, and it was Master Luo Shi who brought him to the temple to soothe and calm his inner demons.
The master has infinite merits and virtues, and I think he can give Fang Jingsheng some insights.
Yiyuan had also heard of this Northwest Mage and nodded secretly. "That's fine, then. Why are you still here? Not going to say a few words of farewell? Are you feeling guilty?"
Aruo choked again. She didn't feel guilty, but she was still afraid of seeing her friend's resentful eyes. Sighing, she looked up and saw Fang Jingsheng walking slowly towards her, smiling at her.
"Aruo, I'm leaving." Fang Jingsheng looked at her with an indelible sadness in his eyes, but the crazy resentment had dissipated. "I still can't say thank you to you now, but maybe in the future..."
Today, his heart is still hurting. He knows that Aruo is also sad, but he cannot honestly say thank you to her at this moment. Perhaps one day in the future, when he is truly relieved, he will still thank Aruo for her choice that day.
There was a sense of sadness and loss in my heart, but also a sense of relief. Aruo smiled and said, "The scenery along the way is beautiful, don't miss it."
Some things really need to be left to time.
Fang Jingsheng smiled faintly, vaguely regaining some of his former demeanor as the eldest son of the Fang family. After a pause, his face darkened slightly, and he finally whispered a reminder, "About two months ago, some storytellers in teahouses in Sizhou started telling ghost stories. I learned about the spirit-calling banners... I learned about them from them. Later, Marquis Dingbei visited Sizhou and hosted a banquet for my father and me, and it was during that banquet that he discussed folk legends... After Xiaoman's accident, Ayan suddenly came to me and said that someone in her hometown had succeeded and was willing to die for Xiaoman."
Aruo and Yiyuan's expressions suddenly changed. "You mean, someone told you these things on purpose?"
"Who is it?" Aruo recalled what Zhang, the actor, had said earlier about how, after Peach Blossom Records became popular, many people would write ghost stories like this, but no one would actually believe them. That maid, A'yan, was a native of Sizhou. How could she have a hometown? How on earth did she know these techniques?
Fang Jingsheng shook his head, looking at her with a slightly dimmed look, a hint of apology in his eyes, "I don't know."
"If you don't know, you shouldn't say it." Yiyuan said coldly, his expression indifferent. He was about to leave, but after saying this, Aruo, who was already suspicious, would definitely go to investigate.
He can't protect his wife, can't take revenge, and in the end he even plots against Aruo openly. What kind of man is he?
Arora tugged at his clothes and shook her head. She naturally understood Fang Jingsheng's purpose in saying this, but if there really was anything, it was probably caused by her, and she had no choice but to take responsibility.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have said that." Fang Jingsheng's eyes were slightly red, and he spoke slowly with a choked voice, "But now we're even."
"Fuck it, let's clear the two." Yiyuan's eyes were filled with anger and he snorted.
Fang Jingsheng looked at Aruo deeply, then turned around and started on his own way.
"Don't worry about it. Don't you have Lord Su? Just go check it out." Yiyuan knew what she was thinking at a glance and reminded her, "Don't act alone. Some things are still unclear, so it's not advisable to act rashly."
"I know." Aruo calmed down and went to meet Caixin, who was reaching out to her for comfort. "I want to go to the ghost market again."
"Silly, it's almost noon now. It's just an ordinary path if you go there." Yiyuan retorted with a frown, "What if you get into trouble if you go there alone?"
Aruo rolled her eyes at him. Caixin had already come over, so she didn't bother to talk about the topic anymore. She wasn't stupid, she was just going there to ask around for information about the people in the ghost market.
After the afternoon, the sun in late August was quite scorching. Even though the seats at the tea stall were shaded by trees, it was easy to make people sweat on their temples.
"...It was said that it was almost time, but it was not the evil ghost or the fox fairy that suddenly appeared, and it was not the wealthy man who was about to break up the couple." The man in the coarse summer clothes stroked his goatee and told the story in an enigmatic tone.
"It's my fault. Can you get to the point?" As his only listener, Aruo impatiently interrupted his long speech. After sitting in the carriage for almost two hours, her bones were stiff and she couldn't bear to listen to the long speech.
The storyteller was refuted and his face turned bad, but since only one person was listening, he endured it. "Little girl, you have no patience. Isn't this the key point? The one who appeared is the young lady. The scholar used the magic of reincarnation to make the fox fairy become the young lady."
Aruo put down the teacup with a thud. "Ridiculous! Death is like the extinguishing of a candle. How can there be any way to bring the soul back to life?"
"Hey, hey, hey, little girl, how can storytelling be compared with a real death? Are there fox spirits in this world? It's unreasonable!" After being refuted so many times, the storyteller became angry. After taking a sip of tea, he left angrily.
Aruo didn't pursue him. Her tea stall was located south of Sizhou, a crucial route between Yangzhou and Sizhou. Many merchants traveling to and from Yangzhou's ghost market would stop by during this time. She had originally wanted to find out how Fang Jingsheng had learned about the secret technique of the soul-summoning banner.
However, she had been here for half an hour and had not met anyone reliable.
Dejectedly slumped over the table, Aruo wondered if she might return to Yangzhou to explore the ghost market again. She wondered if Lord Su, who was so busy with official duties, would be interested in joining her. As she was daydreaming, she completely failed to notice the chaotic scene at the other end of the road.
After feeling frustrated, Aruo stood up and tried to leave, but was caught off guard by someone who bumped into him head-on. "Ouch... you're blind, eh? Is that you?"
The person who bumped into her was the witch in the ghost market who was wrapped from head to toe!
"Save me!" The witch also recognized her and grabbed her hand, begging, "Someone is chasing me!"
Does she look like someone who can fight? Aruo widened his eyes and refused, "No, I don't know martial arts. If you need me, I can help you report it to the police."
The witch grabbed her with one hand and reached into her bosom with the other, frantically saying, "I don't want to report to the police. Help me lead them away. I'll give this to you in exchange. It will save your life when you're desperate!"
Seeing Aruo's expression of resistance, the witch took out her brocade bag and added viciously, "Otherwise, I will cast a curse on you, cursing you to lose your love forever!"
What a joke! Aruo subconsciously held her purse tightly, but then she thought, if she lost money, she could earn it again, but now she had Lord Su... What if her life turned out to be a melodrama? She couldn't afford to take the risk.
Seeing all kinds of talismans and crystal balls revealed in her bag, Aruo gritted his teeth and snatched the sachet, "Remember this!"
After saying that, he grabbed her cloak and pulled it cleanly. The black cloak spread out gorgeously in the air and was quickly draped over Aruo.
"Oh my God, I can't see the light! It's so dazzling, I'm going to melt..." The witch was dressed in exotic clothes, with gorgeous clothes wrapping her exquisite figure. She screamed and covered her face.
After Aruo kicked her into the stove of the tea stall, the experienced boss picked up a large winnowing basket and covered her tightly.
More than ten men with weapons had chased to the other end of the road. Aruo quickly tapped the ground with his toes, jumped into the woods, and slipped away.
She had no intention of meeting these people. She casually threw her heavy, hot cloak into the river and headed straight for Sizhou City, using her Qinggong skills. Qinggong skills without internal energy were not suitable for long-term use. Her footing sank, and she nearly fell off the wall. She took several steps back before she could steady herself.
She was now in a courtyard, with several not-so-clear pools of varying colors, separated by high curtains. Aruo parted one of the yellow curtains, and the strong odor of alcohol filled her nostrils, making her head spin. A faint noise reached her, but Aruo didn't have time to think. The courtyard was too open, and there were no rooms to be seen. She didn't know where to hide, and she stamped her feet anxiously.
Suddenly, a hand stretched out from behind her and covered her with it accurately, and her frightened screams were all suppressed by the man's palm.
Aruo's pupils constricted, her heartbeat pounded like a drum, and the hairs on her body instantly stood on end. Hot breath brushed against her ears, a familiar scent enveloped her. Her dark eyes lit up, and her body suddenly relaxed as if soothed.
After the extreme shock, she reacted with a sudden movement, her elbow jerking back. The person behind her dodged, and she stumbled, falling into the pool at her feet, subconsciously pulling the person with her.
After the splashing sound, someone kicked open the gate and saw that the gauze curtain by the pool was turned down, but there was no one in the yard. He then turned around and left with his men.
The pool was deeper than she'd imagined. Aruo was pinned beneath the murky, white water. Even with the effort of opening her eyes, she couldn't see the person. The sudden plunge into the water caught her completely off guard, and her chest felt like it was bursting with suffocation. She fumbled to pry the other person's hand away, but before she could exhale, the hand had already gripped the back of her head. The next moment, something soft pressed against her lips.
Her head suddenly buzzed, and her mind went blank. She didn't even notice that she had swallowed the breath that the other person had passed through. After a long pause, Aruo suddenly reacted and pushed him away, breaking through the water.
The bright yellow gauze curtain was thrown aside, and the person who came into view was handsome and elegant, with a pair of cold eyes that were so bright that it made people tremble, staring at her.
"Su, Su, Su Feng..." Aruo was so scared that she almost fell backwards, and then her waist was tightened, and she was pulled into his arms. She looked around in panic, not daring to meet his intimidating gaze, "You, why are you here?"
Su Zirui held her waist tightly, and the tingling feeling made her subconsciously want to escape, but she was held in his arms.
"Investigating the case," that soft touch was still on his lips, softer than in his dream. Su Zirui's eyes darkened and his voice became hoarse. "Why is your face so red?"
He raised his hand and touched her blushing face, kneading it inch by inch with his fingertips. Feeling the uncontrollable trembling of the person in his arms, his fingertips stopped at her lips.
The mellow aroma and unique richness of rice wine enveloped her. Aruo seemed a little tipsy, even her words were incoherent, and she felt a little drowsy. "I, I, I was chased here... This, this alcohol smell is too strong, that's why I blushed..."
She herself couldn't touch alcohol, and even though she didn't drink it, some of the liquor had seeped into her lips from her soak in the wine pool.
His hand rested on the side of her neck, his large hand almost enveloping it, his fingertips caressing her cheek. Her chin was gently lifted, and she could only glance up, meeting those smiling eyes. In that instant, she felt the burning heat in his eyes nearly scorch her ears. His undisguised affection entwined her like threads. She could hear no sound but the pounding of her own heartbeat.
"Oh?" Su Zirui hummed noncommittally and asked softly, "Who is chasing you?"
Who? She couldn't remember anything...
Her trembling eyes fell on his thin lips, only the soft touch remained. She swallowed involuntarily, and the force around her waist seemed to tighten suddenly, and Aruo's heart trembled again.
Fight, fight for your honor, isn't it just artificial respiration? And, it's not like I haven't done it before.
"Are you afraid of me?" Her panicked eyes, like prey cornered by a hunter, were tinged with a delicate red. Her eyes were innocent, like a frightened cat, yet they held a deadly allure. His thumb gently stroked her lips, and Su Zirui lowered his head, his voice soft and soothing as if whispering to himself.
Are you afraid?
Aruo was slow to react and was stunned for a moment. It was not so much fear as helplessness, with a hint of obsession... and anticipation.
"No, I'm not afraid..." Her mind was already overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol and the beauty, and Aruo didn't know what she was saying. Her eyes darted around, accidentally touching his red ears and neck. In an instant, her panicked heart seemed to be filled with a sweet taste.
Who could have told her that such a cold and indifferent person's eyes could actually surge with such a drowning tide of emotion? Aruo felt that a pool of wine up to her waist wouldn't drown her, but the eyes of the man before her were enough to drown her.
"So sweet." Her eyes, the same color as the night sky, were filled with a deep, veiled gaze. Her lips, caught in the attack, were slightly moist. Her breath blended with the aroma of wine, making his ears burn. Yet, the face reflected in her clear, pure eyes softened, her brows and features an indelible gentleness. Su Zirui rested his forehead against hers and murmured, "Then shall we... go back?"
Oh? What? What kind of nice guy only flirts but doesn't kiss?
Aruo looked up, and before her eyes were his smiling eyes. With his affectionate gaze, he looked like a seductive demon, tempting her to lift her chin slightly, and her moist lips brushed against his thin, close lips. A tingling sensation instantly exploded through her body, her pupils trembling slightly, and an inexplicable panic swept over her, making her heartbeat even more uncontrollable.
It was as if a switch was triggered, and the hand holding her suddenly tightened. The big hand locked the back of her head, not allowing her to retreat even a little. He pressed hard on her soft lips, pried open her teeth, and attacked her wildly.
His kiss was like a sudden thunderclap, and panic swept through her blurry eyes. Aruo felt like she was being dragged into a black vortex, unable to break free. Her already unclear mind exploded like a brilliant firework, burning away all her rationality and thoughts. She closed her eyes with a shudder, and all her senses became more pronounced. Her fingers subconsciously slid along the embroidery on her collar, weakly trying to grasp something.
The real entanglement of lips and tongues was more thrilling than any imagination, and the heart that had always been calm and restrained was violently churning, burning hot. The deep eyes closed lightly, sweet, whether it was her tongue that seemed to taste of wine, or her.
The blood in his body was boiling with anger, and those thoughts that had not run wild in his dreams were frantically trying to control his mind.
"Su... um..." The arrogant kiss took away all her breath, and her soft moan was tinged with a hint of crying.
His heart suddenly trembled, and Su Zirui managed to calm himself down. He panted against her moist lips for a while before relaxing his hold on her. He rested his forehead against hers and whispered hoarsely, "Ruoruo, don't be afraid."
Even if they were in love, they should still act according to their feelings and respect each other. It was inappropriate to treat her like this before they were engaged. It was just what his heart desired. He was not a saint. How could he not be distracted with the girl he loved in his arms?
Aruo was stunned. That feeling of being cherished might have seemed a bit pretentious to her before, but it was deeply moving to her as she gradually adapted to this world. She stood on tiptoe and gently kissed his lips, which he reluctantly lowered his head to offer. Aruo smiled and said, "I like... Lord Su."
Covering her eyebrows with his palms, Su Zirui barely suppressed the rising heat, "Don't speak so bluntly in front of others."
He was a man, and even if he enjoyed all the advantages in the world, he would only be ridiculed for his playboy status. But she was a woman, and if she made a mistake, she would be blamed and humiliated. He liked her directness and straightforwardness, pitied her loneliness and wandering, and was even more afraid that she would be wronged in a place where he could not pay attention.
Hey, which nice guy would lecture me after a kiss... Aruo couldn't help but smile and buried her face in his palm.
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