Chapter 10 Night Fragrance: You Know You're About to Die
What is this being done?
Jiang Geyun was confused.
She did not answer, but sat silently opposite Pei Xuexiao.
After thinking for a moment, she casually picked up the hot tea on the table, which was most likely prepared by the person in front of her, and took small sips.
Pei Xuexiao lowered her eyes to look at the girl drinking tea in front of her.
After she entered the room, his gaze swept over her lips, her bare neck, and the flowing, dark black shackles, finally settling on her seemingly docile gesture of bowing her head to drink tea.
As she sipped her tea, Jiang Geyun fell into deep thought.
She was well aware of her identity as a suspect, but perhaps because of the shackles, although the three men secretly took turns watching her along the way, they never openly scrutinized her too harshly.
With her being so cooperative, the three of them should have felt relieved long ago.
Yunling Manor is not a safe place, and the group knew it all too well. Jiang Geyun is no fool either.
She understood the principle that you shouldn't scan shared bikes that others aren't scanning during peak hours.
If the three Night Watchers are being so cautious, she wouldn't be trying to escape at this point, would she?
Besides, she had no way to escape...
She just drank the tea obediently, so we should believe her, right?
So why did Pei Xuexiao come to wait for her?
What kind of answer does he want?
Jiang Geyun hates lies, and because she puts herself in others' shoes, there are absolutely no lies in what she says.
It's just that sometimes it's not the whole truth.
This is also some of her little survival wisdom from her past life, as she neither wanted to flatter or pretend to be virtuous, nor did she want to get into trouble or lose her peace.
If Pei Xuexiao really cares and presses her for the key information, she will answer.
Of course, this is on the premise that the other party can ask the key questions.
Jiang Geyun's heart skipped a beat, and she felt that she must have guessed correctly.
Setting down the tea, she said calmly, "I was feeling anxious and couldn't sleep, so I went out to relieve my worries. Does Lord Pei need to see me?"
Pei Xuexiao must be trying to warn her.
He was able to locate her by the shackles, so he knew she wasn't in the room. He then assessed the situation and warned her that if she really ran away, she would soon be dead.
Jiang Geyun looked up at Pei Xuexiao, whose expression was not very clear.
It doesn't seem like simple concern.
She didn't know when it started, but he seemed less easy for her to understand. He always had some unfamiliar reactions, which were far from her comfort zone in dealing with people, making it impossible for her to interpret them.
The two remained silent for a while.
Pei Xuexiao said, "This is the Netherworld Barrier, which is the place I told you about before, a place that can be reached through a special ritual... a somewhat dangerous place."
As he spoke, he rubbed his temples, struggling with how to explain the place. He wanted her to know how dangerous it was, but he didn't want her to panic too much.
Jiang Geyun had already learned of this news from the system, and had even informed people who didn't know about it, so she wasn't surprised.
She nodded and replied, "When you told me 'don't worry' earlier, I already had a guess."
Pei Xuexiao's gaze softened as she explained, "These kinds of barriers are usually set up by immortals to fulfill specific purposes, such as nurturing the soul or engaging in secluded cultivation to seek enlightenment."
Jiang Geyun understood and continued, "The immortals' desires are not limited to our few lives, so there's no need to worry?"
Pei Xuexiao's usually cold face showed a rare smile. He wanted to say something, but paused for a few seconds before speaking: "Indeed, if the immortals are from the Xuandujian, we have even less to worry about."
"But Lord Pei seems very worried."
Jiang Geyun looked intently into Pei Xuexiao's eyes.
Pei Xuexiao replied quickly this time: "The immortals' identities are unknown. What they think and feel is an inescapable fate for us."
This resonated with Jiang Geyun.
She replied as if she understood perfectly, "I understand Lord Pei's meaning, and I will cooperate fully with Lord Pei."
Pei Xuexiao asked, "Where did Miss Jiang go to relieve her stress?"
What a sudden comeback.
Should we tell the truth?
Jiang Geyun was somewhat conflicted.
Rationally speaking, she felt there was nothing wrong with telling innocent people that it was dangerous here and they should be careful.
However, perhaps because the topic involved that uncertain engagement, or perhaps because her choice to meet before midnight seemed strange when she talked about it later.
Instinctively, Jiang Geyun felt that she shouldn't have revealed this information.
However, she had imagined what she would "do" tonight.
Jiang Geyun took out a white mountain tea from her bosom.
She chuckled and said, "Just as the master said, there is a special charm to appreciating flowers under the lamp." She propped herself up with one hand and handed the flowers to Pei Xuexiao with the other, saying, "I invite Lord Pei to enjoy them together."
Yao Ji didn't say that picking them was forbidden.
She figured nobody wanted her.
Pei Xuexiao stared at the camellia for a while.
The petals, like frosty silk, took on a warm orange hue under the bright lights, their texture as fine as jade.
The flower branch was not short. Pei Xuexiao reached out and pinched it, about three fingers' width away from Jiang Geyun's hand.
He got up and repeated some of the usual warnings about the dangers of the area, telling her not to act rashly, before going back to his room to rest.
Jiang Geyun watched him leave.
It didn't provide any valuable information.
...What exactly is he here for?
*
Early the next morning.
Jiang Geyun was preoccupied with their promise from the previous night, and with the occasional sound of the night watchman's drum, she slept very lightly all night. She even doubted whether she had really fallen asleep, but felt that she had indeed entered some vague dreams.
After tidying herself up, Jiang Geyun opened the door. The floor was a little damp, probably because it had rained again late at night. The servants of the manor silently appeared in the corner where the lanterns were lit, and as dawn broke, they put away all the lanterns.
These people's limbs and facial features all seem normal; they should be human...
After watching for a while, I inexplicably felt like I was witnessing the behind-the-scenes work at Disneyland.
Jiang Geyun withdrew her gaze and just then saw Xie Jiming appear. He definitely hadn't left the room; he must have just returned from outside.
Jiang Geyun looked at him silently.
Brother protagonist, where did you go to make your fortune?
Xie Jiming was looking up at the sky, frowning in thought, when he looked down and bumped into Jiang Geyun.
Their eyes met, and Xie was clearly a little embarrassed.
The next second, perhaps realizing that Jiang Geyun was, after all, a suspect and there was no questioning of his stance, he regained his composure.
The door to the room next to Jiang Geyun opened, and Pei Xueyi's voice was still a little groggy as she greeted the two of them, "Good morning, Ayun; good morning, Xiaoxie."
Jiang Geyun walked over to her and, seeing her tired appearance, asked, "Was Miss Xueyi also affected by the night watchman's drum last night?"
Pei Xueyi reacted for a moment and asked in confusion, "Was there a sound? I lost consciousness as soon as I lay down."
Jiang Geyun couldn't help but envy that quality of sleep.
Xie Jiming walked towards the two men and, upon hearing this, said, "There was indeed the sound of the night watchman, and that night watchman... have you two heard of him...?" As he finished speaking, his expression became conflicted, as if he felt he shouldn't tell them.
But Pei Xueyi was already focused on him, and he continued the sentence he was about to cut off: "No, it's best not to touch her, and not to be curious."
These words made Pei Xueyi even more curious, but before she could ask any further questions, Pei Xuexiao had already left the room.
The four gathered together, and Pei Xuexiao briefly explained to everyone that they already knew about "our entry into the Netherworld Barrier," and then said that "communication with the outside world has been cut off," instructing everyone not to act on their own.
At this point, he glanced at Jiang Geyun.
Jiang Geyun was feeling regretful because, since Pei Xuexiao said that, the bronze mirror probably wouldn't be able to contact Xuandujian anymore. But after being looked at like that, she couldn't help but wonder whether she should tell him that the protagonist had most likely not returned home last night as well.
Pei Xueyi, who was already full of curiosity and interest in these matters, was particularly relaxed at this moment and said, "I understand, there's always a way! Now we just need to find the exit?"
Pei Xuexiao's expression was solemn: "Yes."
Pei Xueyi smiled: "Then let's look for it!"
After saying that, the girl waved to Yao Ji, who was walking towards them, and said, "Miss Yao Ji, over here!"
*
During the day, without the golden lights, the villa appears more understated and elegant. Breakfast is not served in the banquet hall from the previous night, but it is still a place so luxurious it's astonishing.
Yao Ji first brought the four people here, then smiled and withdrew, saying that she had to go pick up two other guests, meet the manor owner, and give instructions to the kitchen.
This girl is more like a butler than an ordinary servant.
There were already two women with their hair styled in a bun in the hall; they must be the manor lord's "ladies".
One of them looked very strange. Not to mention that she was trying her best to avoid other people's gaze, and she looked timid and flustered, not at all like the lady of the house... one of them.
Both of her arms were wrapped in something like bandages, extending from deep within her wide sleeves to her palms, as if she had suffered some strange and serious injury.
Noticing someone looking at her arm, she immediately pulled her sleeve down slightly, bowed her head slightly to the group, and forced a smile.
She was clearly beautiful and charming, but her temperament held her back considerably, leaving only a gloomy impression, like a lily withering away.
Another woman, with a normal complexion and exquisite makeup and hair, was less beautiful and elegant than the elegant lady, but she was covered in gold and jade, giving her a unique and glamorous look. She was idly playing with the amber beads in her hand.
Before leaving, Yao Ji instructed the servants in the hall to lead the group. The servants faithfully carried out her request and led the four of them to sit in two rows on either side.
Jiang Geyun and Pei Xuexiao were with the lady who was playing with amber.
Upon seeing the arrival of the guests, both ladies remained silent, displaying different expressions but equally ignoring everyone.
Jiang Geyun naturally wouldn't bring up the conversation at this time. She was waiting for someone else to guide the dialogue, and it would be best if she could observe quietly from the sidelines without being disturbed.
Before Pei Xueyi could sit down and speak, the exquisitely made-up lady suddenly stopped.
She gripped the amber beads in her hand, stared at Jiang Geyun, and scanned her up and down with her gaze.
Then, with a malicious smile, she asked Jiang Geyun, "Young lady, what kind of incense are you burning?"
Jiang Geyun felt puzzled.
She was wearing the same white robes as the monks of Yunshui Temple. In addition, she had keen senses and, in order not to put pressure on herself, she did not use incense, unlike the clear snow water fragrance of the Pei siblings or the green bamboo leaf fragrance of the Cheng siblings. She should only have the soapy scent of her clean clothes.
She didn't think that was the answer the other person wanted.
After a brief pause, Jiang Geyun was about to open her mouth to answer.
Before she could speak, the other person said, "No need to tell me, I didn't mean to wear the same incense as you, I just wanted to say that some..."
She put away the bracelet, covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and said the word "poor and shabby" in a voice that seemed to be lowered but was actually not lowered at all.
Wow, more trash talk...
Indeed, she seemed to be the easiest to mess with out of the four. She wasn't dressed well, and she had a conspicuous "evidence" around her neck. This kind of thing is bound to happen when you encounter someone who respects you for your appearance before respecting you.
This kind of scene was not unfamiliar to her.
In her original world, she had a lot of work experience and met many good seniors. However, there were more of these kinds of people. You may not have offended them, but they had a lot of malice to vent, and you just happened to be the easiest target.
How did she handle it?
This kind of person isn't actually targeting her; rather, they need a target. Being caught in a state of self-justification and panic is what this kind of person most wants to see.
Before anyone else could react, Jiang Geyun looked at her calmly and said knowingly:
"You know you're about to die."
A note from the author:
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I'm here just in time! This chapter has a bit too much setup and introduction, so I'll add more chapters depending on my current drafts (I'm trying to save up more chapters every other day for now qwq).
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