The divination tells me to kneel down and swear an oath.
Pei Xuanzhi bent down and handed the cup of warm water in his hand to Yun Ruoliang, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, the ground is dirty, please get up quickly."
Yun Ruoliang took the water, secretly sniffed it, and then drank it all in one gulp. He said apologetically, "It's not that I didn't want to get up, it's just that I've been hungry for so long that I'm too weak to do anything after falling. I'm feeling dizzy and lightheaded right now..."
He placed the cup on the ground, then lay down to rest at Yan Huanyue's feet, panting heavily, and said:
"I used all my magical artifacts to fight a vicious demon and killed it, but I was also injured. I originally wanted to go to Tianqing City to heal my wounds, but I couldn't hold on halfway and fell here. I fell into a deep sleep in this wasteland for a long time. At that time, the wild grass in this wasteland was not this tall. Now it has grown up to a person's knees."
"Just now, I was awakened by some sound in the darkness. I was so hungry that I couldn't find any food. Unexpectedly, I saw someone sitting here in the distance. It seems that... I have some kind of fate with you, fellow Daoist."
Yan Huanyue looked up at Pei Xuanzhi, who immediately dispersed the yellow talisman barrier around her.
Yan Huanyue got up and walked to the side. She turned back and examined the person on the ground for a moment; it was clear at a glance that he was recovering from a serious illness. Then she said:
"Fellow Daoist, please take a seat at the brocade table. We have some food to offer, please don't find it offensive."
Having said that, he took out the pastries he had brought from Tianqing City from his treasure pouch, placed them on a plain plate, bowed and placed them on the brocade mat, then turned and took the wine pot and placed it next to the plate, saying:
"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."
Holding the cup in his hand, Yun Ruoliang climbed onto the brocade mat to rest for a while, then slightly opened his clear, black and white eyes and looked up at her.
In the warm breeze of early summer, his smile was exceptionally bright and cheerful. "Thank you... My name is Yun Lang, and yours is Yun Lang."
Yan Huanyue said, "My surname is Yan, and this is my husband, surnamed Pei. If you need anything, we can send you back to Tianqing City."
Yun Ruoliang looked surprised, as if he hadn't expected them to have this kind of relationship, and thoughtfully got up from the brocade mat.
He grabbed a pastry and ate it quickly, devouring three or five pieces before finally taking a moment to drink some water. He said with a touch of melancholy:
"There's no need to trouble you. I suppose that the person I'm looking for in Tianqing City has already left because I couldn't wait any longer."
Pei Xuanzhi stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly very interested in the matter, and asked with a curious look, "Didn't Fellow Daoist Yun intend to go to Tianqing City to heal his injuries? How did it turn into searching for someone?"
Yun Ruoliang questioned Pei Xuanzhi's associative abilities, wondering how this succubus could not only be physically weak but also so inflexible in her thinking.
Yun Ruoliang pretended to eat a few more bites of pastry before patiently saying, "The person I went to find to heal my injuries is probably no longer in Tianqing City, and besides... fellow Daoist..."
He couldn't hold back any longer and continued, "Furthermore, even if I'm just going to get treatment, does that mean I can't contact someone after I'm treated?"
Pei Xuanzhi said with a smile, "Oh, right, who are you going to see, fellow Daoist?"
Seeing that Yun Ruoliang had finally gotten to the point, his expression became serious, and his eyes gazed in the direction of Tian Qingcheng, his gaze passing through the fields in front of him, becoming exceptionally distant.
"A person... someone I thought was the only one in the world who cared about me, but in the end, he treated me like I was nothing."
A cool, refreshing fragrance wafted by.
Yun Ruoliang turned his head and saw Pei Xuanzhi walk to his side and also look in the direction of Tian Qingcheng. He said in a very amiable manner, "Fellow Daoist, with such a bright and carefree appearance, you must not have done anything to disappoint others, right?"
Yun Ruoliang choked.
A normal person would feel that the other person has let him down, that he has a tragic past and has never received any care in the world, and that he would entrust everything to someone who shows him a little care.
What kind of dark mind does someone have to be to think outside the box and interpret such an absurd conclusion as "he wronged others"?
However, Pei Xuanzhi's words described him as having "the appearance of a bright moon," and even the questions he asked were carefully chosen, as if it were just a cautious probing. Even if he wanted to take the opportunity to put him down, it seemed a bit petty.
So I could only go along with his words and explain: "That's not the case. Perhaps life is just unpredictable. What I thought was concern was just a little kindness from someone else that wasn't special. The person I originally wanted to see when I was injured, I've now woken up from my dream and realized how frivolous I was in the past."
Ah, so seemingly true yet false, like a deep, passionate, and clear-headed person, how could he not attract young and naive women?
When Yan Huanyue develops feelings for him in the future, she will surely recall day and night that elusive figure that stood between them at the beginning of their encounter.
If she becomes so worried about this that she can't eat or sleep, and after agonizing over it for many days finally musters the courage to ask, he can simply say nonchalantly, "Oh? That's one of my sworn brothers, what's wrong?"
The vivid expression of the woman bursting into laughter through her tears seemed to unfold before his eyes, overlapping with the slightly resilient and stubborn eyes of the woman standing alone in the wind, expressionless.
Yan Huanyue brushed aside a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. Seeing him looking over, she smiled politely and simply said:
"Fellow Daoist, it seems your injuries haven't healed yet. Do you need any medicinal pills to treat them?"
Yun Ruoliang was taken aback. The mutual support among prestigious families was different from what he had been taught, and it was something he had always despised.
He quickly realized what was going on and said frankly, "If I had some pills to nourish my spiritual veins, that would be the best."
Yan Huanyue took out a few Spirit Nourishing Pills and placed them in a cup, saying, "Then these things can be left for you to rest, fellow Daoist. We still have a long way to go, so we'll take our leave now."
"Fellow Daoist Yan!"
Yun Ruoliang stood up from the ground, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Where are you going?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanzhi looked at him and smiled, "Fellow Daoist, would you like to join us?"
After eating some snacks and pills, Yun Ruoliang regained some strength. His dark, bright fox eyes sparkled as he tentatively said:
"I have been all alone for so many years, and now I have survived a great calamity and woke up to find myself in your presence. I feel that there is a deep connection between us, and I wish to befriend such open and friendly people as you."
Pei Xuanzhi didn't say much, still standing in the wind, but glanced at Yan Huanyue.
Yan Huanyue felt that it was somewhat unusual for someone to suddenly appear out of the wilderness and follow them, but she couldn't be sure what this person's identity was.
If it's a friendly situation, that's fine. But if it's hostile, then it's not easy to handle. There are only her and Junior Brother Pei here. If there are other people hiding in the shadows, then it will be difficult to handle.
She tried to calm him down by giving him some food and medicine. She had already sensed that he was no longer a threat or hostile, but suddenly he wanted to follow them...
Yan Huanyue smiled and said, "I'm so sorry, it seems that your injuries have not yet healed. I suggest that you go to Tianqing City to recuperate first. My husband and I are riding on the same sword, and I'm afraid we can't carry you at all."
Yun Ruoliang made an extremely unusual request to first pique their suspicions, and then said sullenly:
"Well, I've been sleeping for so long. I originally wanted to travel with you two so we could talk more... but that would be a bit presumptuous."
After he puts people on guard and then puts them at ease a few times, they will completely trust him. No matter what he says, they will not find anything wrong with it, and they may even feel ashamed for having doubted him.
It's like finding a few trembling people in a land overrun by evil spirits, and leading them to escape; surely some people will suspect his motives as an outsider.
But he first attracted pursuers, and then he was injured while saving people. After doing this once or twice, everyone would regard him as a companion, or even a pillar of support.
Even if they were tricked into the alchemy furnace by him, they would still worry about his safety, and some would feel that they could die without regrets for protecting him.
Human beings can be both selfless and selfish, fearless and cowardly. They can be complex or simple, sometimes to an absurd degree.
Yan Huanyue thought he would insist a few more words, but he simply brushed the matter aside, which made her secretly release her spiritual senses to search the wilderness again.
But after they left, the journey was smooth and nothing seemed amiss.
She used one hand to perform a hand seal to control her sword, while holding Pei Xuanzhi's hand with the other.
The cold black jade bracelet on his wrist dangled on the back of her hand, never warming up the whole way, always exuding a slight chill.
Pei Xuanzhi adjusted her cloak to shield her from the wind and asked calmly, "Does Sister think we'll run into that fellow Daoist again?"
Yan Huanyue turned to look into his clear, bright eyes and asked, "What do you think?"
Pei Xuanzhi said, "Shall we make a bet?"
Yan Huanyue squeezed his wrist, turned her head back, and said, "Since you asked this, it means you don't think he's just a passerby today. We are companions who were born together, and I need to consider your guess. I am not against you on this matter, so why should I make a bet with you?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanzhi lowered his eyes slightly, his expression calm, letting her long hair brush against his lapel.
The strands of hair seemed to brush into his robes, fall onto his skin, and burrow into his flesh, tightly and without any gaps binding his heart, penetrating his soul and growing wildly.
His heart was restless, almost suffocating from being entangled in her hair, and he didn't even want to breathe. He just wanted to die contentedly like this...
"Junior Brother Pei?"
As dusk fell, the golden sunset painted the sky. Yan Huanyue turned to look at him, and his snow-white profile was bathed in the golden light, even his long eyelashes seemed to be coated with gold, making them appear soft and fluffy.
Pei Xuanzhi smiled, and seeing that she was still looking at him, he tilted his head and replied, "Hmm?"
Yan Huanyue said, "I just said that we might not reach the small town ahead until nightfall. If you are hungry, please have something to eat first."
Pei Xuanzhi nodded and said, "Okay."
Yan Huanyue asked, "What were you daydreaming about just now?"
Pei Xuanzhi shook his head, his gaze shifting to the brilliant sunset in the west, and said, "It's nothing."
Finally, they arrived at the next small town as night fell.
As Yan Huanyue walked through the city, she paid attention to the pedestrians around her, intentionally or unintentionally.
They did not see the fellow Daoist named "Yun Lang" until they washed up and went to sleep in their inn room that night.
Pei Xuanzhi closed his eyes gently and lay down obediently beside her. His voice was tinged with weariness as he lowered it and asked, "Does Sister still think about Yun Lang?"
Yan Huanyue slowly circulated the spiritual energy within her body, and after a long while, she said, "I'm actually more curious about why you think he will reappear."
Pei Xuanzhi recalled the look in that person's eyes when they looked at her, and said casually:
"It's just an intuition. But if it were me, I wouldn't appear so quickly. You'd be scared, but it can't be too late, lest you go home and never come out again. Three days later, when you're almost forgetting me, I'll meet you halfway. You won't be too wary; you'll just think it's a coincidence."
Yan Huanyue fell silent for a long time, then calmed her spiritual energy, opened her eyes, and said, "Anything else?"
Pei Xuanzhi was feeling sleepy and her willpower was gradually weakening. Jin Wu took the opportunity to escape and slipped into her quilt to rest next to her.
Yan Huanyue kicked twice, but her ankles were entangled and rubbed against each other as if seeking her pity, so she became too lazy to fight back.
Pei Xuanzhi reached out and gripped the corner of her blanket, murmuring wearily, "What else?"
Yan Huanyue asked, "If it were you, what else would you do?"
The boy chuckled lazily in the darkness and replied, "There's nothing I can do; your husband will kill me."
He turned and hugged her through the blanket, his warm breath brushing against her cheek as he called out softly, "Sister... will you not believe your poor husband in the future, but believe me instead?"
Such a beautiful tone, yet it felt inexplicably strange.
It was as if her husband, who was rightfully sleeping with her, had become a man she was secretly sleeping with.
Yan Huanyue pushed him aside and said, "Have you ever seen or done anything like this before?"
Pei Xuanzhi slowly opened his eyes. "I was just stating my speculation."
As if realizing something, he hugged her again, unusually flustered, and said:
"Don't think of me like that. How could I possibly manipulate people's hearts? I've only heard of people in Chang'an who made friends in this way, swindling others out of their fortunes..."
Yan Huanyue raised her hand and pressed it against the back of his neck, slowly ruffling his hair, and said, "I know, you're hot, you can sleep by yourself."
Pei Xuanzhi turned back to her seat and lay down, staring into the darkness with her eyes open. Once her breathing had calmed down, she brazenly leaned closer to her.
.
When Yun Ruoliang appeared in Chiyang City, where they were staying, on the third day, Yan Huanyue couldn't help but glance at Pei Xuanzhi, who was struggling with his food beside her.
I ate a bowl of soup noodles for a long time, but only suffered some minor cuts and bruises.
He glanced up at Yun Ruoliang, who was sitting opposite him talking excitedly, and finally put down his chopsticks, saying, "Fellow Daoist, what a coincidence, where are you headed this time?"
Yun Ruoliang said, "I've spent my whole life wandering around in the south, and I'm planning to travel to the north."
Yan Huanyue raised her eyes upon hearing this and smiled, "It's been a long time since we last met. What a coincidence to meet you here again."
Yun Ruoliang said, "Let me treat you both to some food."
Yan Huanyue said, "Thank you, but no need, we've almost finished eating."
Yun Ruoliang pointed to Pei Xuanzhi's bowl and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Pei hasn't even touched his chopsticks yet, has he?"
Yan Huanyue said, "That's just how he is. He's been eating a bowl of noodles for quite a while now. Fellow Daoist, there's no need to worry about him. We won't disturb him any longer and will go back to our rooms first."
Yun Ruoliang looked up at her and replied, "Okay, see you tomorrow."
After washing up in her room, Yan Huanyue sat at the table and combed her hair.
Pei Xuanzhi, dressed in loose sleeping robes, held six copper coins and laid them out on the table, fiddling with them as if divining or making a deduction, and casually said:
"Life is unpredictable, and perhaps it's just a coincidence."
Rain began to fall outside the window at night, and Yan Huanyue was awakened by the sound of raindrops under the eaves. Pei Xuanzhi's slow and long breathing lingered beside her pillow.
She heard very light footsteps in the rain, lingered for a moment, and then quickly left.
The next morning, while it was still raining outside, Yan Huanyue decided to stay for another day.
After having breakfast, Pei Xuanzhi, wearing a cloak, sat at a small table under the south window, cut out some talisman paper, and arranged various bottles and jars to mix cinnabar.
Yan Huanyue went out to practice her knife skills for a while. When she came back, she saw some unused talismans lying by his side, so she picked them up and sat down at the square table in the room to cut out small patterns.
As noon approached, the rain began to fall. Yun Ruoliang, carrying a pot of wine, came from under the eaves, leaned against the south window, and said with a smile:
"So you guys didn't leave after all. I came to find you for a drink last night, but it seems you were all asleep."
As she spoke, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Pei Xuanzhi's slightly rolled-up sleeves, revealing several clearly visible old bloodstains and wounds on his arms.
He was a little confused, but Pei Xuanzhi seemed to sense his gaze, immediately put down the medicine spoon, pulled down his sleeve, and looked back at Yan Huanyue who was seriously cutting paper.
Yun Ruoliang was a little confused. It was possible that the person who scratched him with such marks could not kill him, but could at least seriously injure him.
The wound was so fresh, how come Pei Xuanzhi is still perfectly fine?
Unable to figure out the reason for a moment, he put aside his doubts and asked with a smile, "May I come in and sit for a while?"
Pei Xuanzhi held a silver medicine spoon, scooped up a spoonful of Bletilla striata powder, and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, you seem to be in high spirits, but we need to take a midday rest."
Yun Ruoliang walked into the room on his own and said with a smile, "I didn't come to disturb you. I came to make friends and chat with you. Such cool weather will probably be rare after summer arrives. Since we met by chance, why not have a drink and a chat, and not let fate's arrangement go to waste?" Pei Xuanzhi coughed a few times and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you well?"
Yun Ruoliang laughed nonchalantly, "I'm not fully recovered, but I'm not the kind of sickly person who's overly concerned with details and needs to be careful about everything. Who could stand that..."
As if realizing he had misspoke, he immediately made amends, saying, "I was just talking nonsense... Fellow Daoist Pei doesn't seem to be in very good health either, you should still take good care of him."
As he spoke, he walked to the square table and sat down opposite Yan Huanyue. He then said to Pei Xuanzhi, "I suppose Fellow Daoist Pei cannot drink alcohol either. You probably don't mind if I have a drink with Fellow Daoist Yan, do you?"
Pei Xuanzhi lowered his head, scooped up a spoonful of cinnabar powder, and said, "Please go ahead."
Yan Huanyue said, "I'm sorry, I can't drink alcohol either. If I get drunk, I might hit people, and it would be unsightly. I'm also afraid of damaging the restaurant's tables and chairs."
Yun Ruoliang then poured himself a drink and noticed a few copper coins lying on the table.
He then took three copper coins, gathered them in his hand, shook them with a clatter, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Yan, let me tell your fortune."
Yan Huanyue cut the talisman paper in her hand and asked, "Do you take money?"
Yun Ruoliang smiled brightly, with a clean and innocent expression, and said, "I'll accept it after I approve it. Just give me that wooden hairpin in your hair as collateral."
Yan Huanyue said, "Then forget it."
Yun Ruoliang added, "I'm not joking with you. I won't charge you. I'll just do a calculation for you. I'm very accurate."
He tossed the copper coin in his hand onto the table, flipping it six times to mark the yin and yang, then drew six lines, pondered the hexagram for a while, and said:
"Your kinship is weak, you are a lone pillar supporting the family, and you seem to have achieved great things. You have no harm or descendants. It seems that you have had a very difficult life. You... don't plan to have children either."
Yan Huanyue tore up a piece of paper and then folded a new one. "Fellow Daoist, you are indeed quite capable in the field of divination."
They even know about her background.
Yun Ruoliang seemed quite naive. After being praised by her, his cheeks immediately flushed with joy. He took another sip of wine and looked at Pei Xuanzhi, "Fellow Daoist Pei, let me also do a fortune telling for you."
Pei Xuanzhi stirred the prepared cinnabar and said, "Thank you, but no need."
Yun Ruoliang chuckled and said, "It's alright, it's just a way to kill some time."
As he spoke, he picked up three copper coins and shook them six times, then looked at the final hexagram and kept calculating with his five fingers.
After a long while, his expression suddenly changed. He looked at the divination chart on the table with great shock, then looked up at Pei Xuanzhi, pursing his lips tightly as if he couldn't believe it.
His expression was perfectly controlled, neither overly exaggerated nor too exaggerated, yet enough to arouse the curiosity of others.
Pei Xuanzhi merely glanced at him casually, ignoring him completely, and continued to sit by the window mixing cinnabar.
Yun Ruoliang bit her lip and glanced timidly at Yan Huanyue. Yan Huanyue held a pair of silver scissors in her slender fingers and was playing with cutting out something that looked like a cow or a sheep from scraps of yellow paper.
Her eyes were exceptionally bright and clear, and the sunlight shone on her rosy cheeks, revealing a vibrant life force beneath her fair skin.
Her paper-cutting skills were not very good; in fact, they could be described as terrible.
However, she herself was probably quite satisfied; her complete concentration made her seem like a master.
Yun Ruoliang looked at her fluttering eyelashes, then his gaze drifted to her delicate, fair nose, and the small earrings swaying by her ears quickly caught his eye.
"Fellow Daoist Yan?"
Yan Huanyue stopped what she was doing, looked up at him, and her eyes seemed to say, "What's wrong?"
Yun Ruoliang raised an eyebrow, adopting an expression that was both shocked and somewhat sympathetic, "Fellow Daoist, aren't you concerned about Fellow Daoist Pei's calculation results?"
Yan Huanyue lowered her head and continued cutting paper. "Hmm."
Yun Ruoliang choked for a moment, then continued, "But...but the result is different from yours."
Yan Huanyue cut out a shape that was missing arms and legs, but she was quite satisfied with it. She laid it out on the table and examined it, saying, "We're not the same person, how can we be exactly the same?"
"But...but..."
Yun Ruoliang was somewhat embarrassed, yet seemed to be tormented by his conscience and forced to reveal the secret. He hesitated for a long time before cautiously saying:
“But Fellow Daoist Pei has two children in his life, while Fellow Daoist Yan has no children.”
Yan Huanyue smoothed out the paper cuttings on the table, trimmed them with the tip of the scissors, and casually replied, "Oh."
Yun Ruoliang said in surprise, "Oh?"
This was completely different from the reaction he had expected.
She should at least have some dissatisfaction, or she should say that what he said was just nonsense, or even react more strongly and scold him.
But she seemed completely unconcerned, as if the wind were blowing past her ear.
This reaction left Yun Ruoliang speechless, his prepared remarks stuck in his throat, and he felt powerless, unsure of where to begin.
Yun Ruoliang couldn't help but pull up a stool and sit down next to her, turning his head to look into her eyes, and asked, "Fellow Daoist Yan, don't you have anything to say?"
Yan Huanyue, while repairing her strange creature, said, "Fellow Daoist, please move to the side a little, you're blocking the light."
With a clang, a flash of cold light appeared, and the silver medicine spoon was half-thrown and half-placed in the porcelain plate.
A cloud of cinnabar powder scattered, blooming into a crimson flower on the snow-white porcelain plate.
Pei Xuanzhi turned his head to look at Yan Huanyue, but said in a cold voice, "Fellow Daoist, why did you try to ruin the relationship between my husband and me when we were just chatting in the room?"
Yun Ruoliang looked pitifully at Yan Huanyue, then said to Pei Xuanzhi with a touch of melancholy and heartache:
"Fellow Daoist Pei, are you angry? I... I only said what I saw. Fellow Daoist Yan isn't angry, and you're blessed with both parents and such good fortune. Clearly, she's not the only one. Why are you angry? I... I really don't understand..."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she exclaimed in realization:
"Or are you upset that your secret has been exposed... Ah... I, I was just talking nonsense. I hope you won't hold a grudge because of this. I'm the kind of person who says what I mean and I'm not good at beating around the bush. No one taught me how to talk to people properly when I was young. I... I really didn't mean it. Fellow Daoist Pei, please don't be angry."
He glanced at Yan Huanyue with great sympathy, left the wine jug behind, and left the mess that had caused him to make by leaving the room.
After leaving, he glanced back at Yan Huanyue and sighed silently, as if he was still puzzled by Pei Xuanzhi's rather impolite words.
He turned and walked into the corridor, absolutely not believing that Yan Huanyue could be completely indifferent to this matter.
But then he thought, if Yan Huanyue really didn't care at all, wouldn't that be better for him?
Thinking about it this way, no wonder she didn't react at all...
Ah, it seems that the succubus only has a beautiful appearance, but is sickly and aloof.
I'm afraid I can neither stoop to coaxing her and taking care of her feelings, nor do I have any ability to serve a woman well. Who would be willing to support such an icy and delicate woman when they are sick?
But......
He suddenly remembered the wounds on Pei Xuanzhi's arm, including some teeth marks. How could someone who wasn't close to him have inflicted those wounds...?
Has she become so dissatisfied with this that she takes her anger out on her sickly husband when no one is around?
No wonder, no wonder... But isn't she the kind of woman who can be easily won over?
To think that the son of Pei Hanzhou, the dignified head of the Tianyan Sect, is being abused by his wife at home is truly... astonishing.
Outside the window, the rain was drizzling. As soon as Yuan Ruoliang went out, Pei Xuanzhi moved the table to the west wall, went to take a bath and change his clothes. After returning, he burned incense and lit candles, offered prayers in front of the table, and then picked up a brush to draw talismans.
Not wanting to disturb him, Yan Huanyue placed the small cut-out item she had made under the cup on the table, then leaped out of the window to have lunch.
When she returned, he was still drawing talismans under the west wall. She put the food she had brought back on the table, washed up, and then went to sit on the bed on the east side to meditate.
I didn't open my eyes until nightfall.
But then he saw a flickering candlelight against the west wall opposite. Pei Xuanzhi stood there, pen in hand, head bowed, facing the wall. The candlelight cast a long shadow of him, and the gold ribbon binding his hair also glowed faintly.
Several yellow talismans marked with cinnabar lay scattered at his feet.
The talismans were clearly ruined; the blood-red cinnabar script on them was fierce and menacing, but it had been covered up with patches of crimson, making them look even more eerie.
He suddenly turned around, his back to the candlelight, his face and body in shadow.
He glanced at her only once, then put down his pen, washed his hands, and went back to bed to lie down with his back to her.
Yan Huanyue asked, "Did you have dinner at dusk?"
Pei Xuan remained silent.
Yan Huanyue lowered her voice and asked, "Junior Brother Pei? Are you asleep?"
He remained motionless and silent.
Yan Huanyue assumed that he had been drawing talismans for half a day and had already fallen asleep, having exhausted his mind.
He then turned off the light by making a hand seal, lay down on his side, continued to circulate his spiritual energy, and unknowingly fell asleep.
She heard the faint meowing of a dying cat in her dream. Following the sound, she found the source of the meowing under a withered lotus leaf on the shore.
She slowly lifted the withered lotus leaf and saw the once lively and fierce little golden raccoon lying in the muddy water, its body soaking wet.
Its fur was dull and its eyes had lost their former sparkle. It looked at her with a pitiful expression, and a stream of blood gushed from its heart.
Yan Huanyue suddenly opened her eyes, got out of bed, ran to the table, picked up the paper cutout, lit the candle, and glanced at it.
It was discovered that it had only gotten some water stains on the table, and that she hadn't made an extra cut in its chest.
Dreams are the opposite of reality.
When she turned around, she saw Pei Xuanzhi lying on the bed looking at her, his eyes bloodshot.
She walked to the bedside and asked, "Junior Brother Pei, what's wrong?"
Pei Xuanzhi looked at the distorted paper-cut in her hand and asked in a deep voice, "What is this?"
Yan Huanyue dried the paper cutting with a hand gesture, handed it to him, and said, "Your cat, do you remember it? I cut it out for you to play with. Does it look like it?"
Pei Xuanzhi glanced at the cat, then at her long, loose hair and clothes, and said softly, "I remember, you cut it very similarly."
Yan Huanyue rolled over and sat on the inside of the bed, pressing the paper cutting under his pillow, and laughed, "How could you say such a thing against your conscience?"
Pei Xuanzhi turned around and knelt down in front of her, asking, "Fellow Daoist Yun is talking nonsense, why didn't my sister react at all...?"
Yan Huanyue smiled and said, "You have two children? That's quite an explanation."
Pei Xuanzhi froze, as if all the blood in his body had turned cold, making him shiver uncontrollably. "Don't you care at all? Shouldn't you make me kneel down and swear an oath just in case?"
Yan Huanyue retorted, "Junior Brother Pei, why should I make you kneel? Besides, how can you guard against people's hearts? Don't you want me to believe him? He even knows my background. Why should I say anything more about such obvious lies?"
Pei Xuanzhi was silent for a moment, then, in a daze, leaned down and rested his head on her lap, murmuring softly, "Sister, I will resolve this matter as soon as possible..."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-06-05 23:48:30 and 2024-06-12 23:44:13!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 peach blossom fan;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: ivyyyy 46 bottles; lala 30 bottles; Manaka 20 bottles; Vision 5.0, Hege, Chennian, Cute Cheese, Lanze Duofangcao, Su Dongpo Kourou 10 bottles; Squirrel, Xiaoqi, I Love Jie Baobao 6, Suiruo Jiaojiao Meiren Wo Jiao Jiao Jiao, 024, Cengceng, Xiyun, Jiujiu, Zuoge Xiaofupo 5 bottles; Yikou Yunduo 4 bottles; kurosakiiji, Xiaodeng, shineyale 2 bottles; Xutuzhi, Ananjiahua, Geyunduan, Kuangbao Dashui Niu, Xia Minglang, Suibianla~, momo 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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