Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Qiao Ying looked timid, but at certain moments, she could be surprisingly bold.

“Shen Qingyu, just tell me what the skeleton in the Water Yaoguai Lair has to do with the people of Phoenix Town.” She clutched the corner of his robe and refused to let go.

Shen Qingyu could hardly cut out her tongue for real. He smiled good-naturedly. “Do you really want to know?”

Qiao Ying nodded. “I do.”

He seemed to give in and said helplessly, “All right.”

Qiao Ying pricked up her ears, waiting for the story. Then, all of a sudden, an arm wrapped around her waist. Before she could react, her body lifted into the air. The wind rushed past her ears, and in the blink of an eye, she was standing on the branch of a tall osmanthus tree.

Almost on instinct, she hugged the trunk. Only then did that terrifying sense of teetering on the verge of falling ease a little. “Shen Qingyu!”

The Youth in Blue had already returned to the reclining chair. The corners of his lips curved upward as he said in leisurely comfort, “Learn what it means to be quiet first.”

From up on the branch, Qiao Ying cursed and grumbled, “Shen Qingyu, get me down right now! What kind of skill is it to bully a weak woman just because you’re good at martial arts?”

Shen Qingyu smiled. “With all that noise, I wonder if you’ll attract any venomous snakes that like to eat people.”

The racket in the tree vanished without a trace.

As the saying went, good spirits follow happy occasions. No phrase could better describe Zhao Zhiyi, who had just gotten married.

Although Zhao Zhiyi’s parents had not approved of Mu Yunshu as a daughter-in-law before, they were respectable people. Since they could not change their son’s mind, they could only force themselves to accept her.

Zhao Zhiyi had it all planned out. In another year or two, once he and Mu Yunshu had a child, his parents surely would no longer have anything to say against her.

“Zhiyi.”

Zhao Zhiyi turned around, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. “Grandmother.”

Old Madam Zhao looked at the things in Zhao Zhiyi’s hand. “What is that?”

Zhao Zhiyi said, “Water chestnut cakes I just bought outside. Yunshu likes them, so I bought a few extra to bring back.”

At the words “water chestnut cakes,” Old Madam Zhao’s expression shifted slightly, and her hand clenched tight.

Zhao Zhiyi was puzzled. “Grandmother, what’s wrong?”

Old Madam Zhao regained her composure and shook her head with a smile. “Nothing. I heard Yunshu’s father was a schoolteacher, and that her parents were unfortunately killed by horse bandits. Does she have any other family?”

Zhao Zhiyi shook his head. “No.”

Old Madam Zhao could not help asking again, “Then have you ever seen her mother… No, have you ever seen her grandmother? Did she look like her?”

“Yunshu’s parents have both passed away. I’ve never met them, much less her grandmother.”

Old Madam Zhao’s smile was very forced. “Zhiyi, there are so many good girls in the world. Why did you have to fall for her?”

Zhao Zhiyi laughed despite himself. “Grandmother, what an interesting question. Just like Grandfather loves you, I love Yunshu. How could there be any reason to it?”

Old Madam Zhao’s expression turned even more subtle. Just then, she saw two figures walking over not far behind Zhao Zhiyi.

Old Master Zhao and Mu Yunshu were walking together, chatting and laughing. They looked very harmonious.

Perhaps Mu Yunshu stepped on a pebble, for her ankle twisted beneath her. Fortunately, Old Master Zhao reached out in time to steady her, so she did not fall to the ground.

Seeing Old Master Zhao’s hand gripping Mu Yunshu’s arm, Old Madam’s brow furrowed sharply. Her knuckles whitened around the handkerchief in her fist, and a hard-to-detect shadow flashed through her eyes.

She hurried over. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. “Husband, your granddaughter-in-law is steady on her feet now. You may let go.”

Mu Yunshu withdrew her hand, took a step back, and bowed to Old Madam.

Old Master Zhao lowered his now-empty hand and unconsciously rubbed his fingers together. When he looked at Old Madam again, he seemed rather displeased. “Our granddaughter-in-law is shy by nature. Why put on such a frightening face?”

Old Madam was furious. “Aren’t I always like this? I never heard you say there was anything wrong with me before.”

Zhao Zhiyi sensed that something was off. He took Mu Yunshu’s hand and whispered, “When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. Let’s slip away.”

Mu Yunshu nodded with a soft laugh.

As the newlywed couple quietly slipped away, Mu Yunshu could still be heard saying in a low voice, “Your grandfather told me many stories about catching Yaoguai when he was young. I heard some Yaoguai are especially good at using a Beautiful Woman’s Skin to bewitch people. When you met me on that mountain road, weren’t you afraid I was a Yaoguai wearing a Beautiful Woman’s Skin?”

“If you really were a Yaoguai, then I’d gladly let you eat me.”

Mu Yunshu smiled. “Maybe one day, I really will eat you.”

Old Madam trembled all over. She raised her head just as Mu Yunshu seemed to glance back from the corner of her eye. The moment Old Madam met that almost-smiling gaze, a chill rose along her spine.

At the same time, cries of alarm came from the servants in the distance.

“Someone’s dead!”

By evening, beneath the glow of the setting sun, everything seemed to be plated in a layer of warmth.

Shen Qingyu sat at the dining table, and another pair of chopsticks was placed into his hand. Amused, he said, “I thought you weren’t going to feed me anymore.”

After all, he had thrown Qiao Ying into a tree and made her play mute for half an hour.

Qiao Ying’s voice was bright and lively. “A person is iron, rice is steel; miss one meal and hunger makes you weak. You’re so thin. What if you don’t eat and get sick? So I can only be magnanimous and not stoop to the level of a petty man.”
Pickled vegetables with congee. Thoughtful as ever, she even set the pickles right in front of him.

Shen Qingyu took a bite. It was still just as hard to swallow. Anyone with masochistic tendencies would surely love the food she made.

Qiao Ying said, “I still have some wages I haven’t collected. Be good and eat at home. I’m going to Zhao Manor to pick up my pay, and I’ll come right back.”

Shen Qingyu lifted his face, as if he were “looking” at her.

“Don’t worry. I know exactly what I’m capable of. I won’t go running around.”

Qiao Ying reminded him a few more times, then turned and left. Before long, only the sound of the wind remained in the courtyard.

Shiwei Restaurant was the best restaurant in Fangcun City, so naturally, its prices were not cheap.

It was Ah Yuan’s first time stepping into Shiwei Restaurant, and she felt a little constrained. She ordered two dishes to go, then unexpectedly heard someone call her name.

“Ah Yuan.”

Ah Yuan turned and saw that the person sitting in the corner was none other than Qiao Ying.

Several dishes had been ordered on the table in front of Qiao Ying-chicken, duck, fish, and meat, all of it. She wiped her mouth and walked over with a smile. “What a coincidence, Ah Yuan.”

Ah Yuan came back to herself. “It really is. Qiao Ying, why are you here?”

“I made some money, so I’m treating myself.”

Ah Yuan did not see that unusually striking young master with her. Qiao Ying must have finally come to her senses and abandoned that man who lived off her. Ah Yuan did not ask further, only said, “I just got my monthly wages recently too, so I thought I’d improve my meals a little.”

The waiter brought over the packed food box, and Ah Yuan paid.

Qiao Ying glanced at that ingot of silver. It was probably Ah Yuan’s entire month’s wages. As for why Qiao Ying herself dared to eat like this, it was because she still had several banknotes on her.

Ah Yuan said, “I’ll head back first. Qiao Ying, goodbye.”

Qiao Ying replied, “Goodbye.”

Ah Yuan quickly left, and in no time, her figure disappeared through the restaurant doors.

Qiao Ying rubbed her chin. “Would someone who’s struggling to get by really be willing to spend such a huge sum on two dishes?”

“Yes, would someone like that really exist?”

Someone suddenly answered her. The voice was also terribly familiar. Qiao Ying turned around, and her body instantly went stiff.

The young man in blue-green robes and white hair had appeared at some point and was now sitting in the chair she had occupied earlier. His pale hand held a pair of chopsticks as he steadily picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour pork ribs Qiao Ying had not touched and leisurely brought it to his lips.

The white silk blindfold covered his eyes, making the line of his jaw appear even more ethereal. What did not match his celestial appearance was the crunching sound of bones being bitten apart in his mouth.

As the young man’s Adam’s apple bobbed, he asked and answered himself carelessly, “Mm, of course such a person exists. When the money they’re spending isn’t their own, naturally it doesn’t hurt.”

The fact that he ate ribs without spitting out the bones, and could even chew them up and swallow them-made him seem like some savage carnivorous beast. Qiao Ying’s scalp tingled.

She forced a smile onto her face and sat down beside Shen Qingyu. “Oh, look at you. Why say something so unpleasant? I was afraid you wouldn’t be used to food from outside, so I came to try it for you first.”

Qiao Ying picked the bones out of the fish, then ingratiatingly brought the boneless meat to his lips.

Shen Qingyu’s nose twitched slightly. Then he opened his mouth, accepting her attempt to curry favor. This time, he chewed slowly and swallowed at an unhurried pace.

Qiao Ying could tell. He liked fish.

She picked out another piece of fish and brought it to his lips. He had already opened his mouth cooperatively, and the piece of meat entered without obstruction.

Qiao Ying smiled and said, “From now on, whenever we eat fish, I’ll pick out the bones for you.”

Shen Qingyu tilted his head slightly, a trace of a smile rising on his lips. “Qiao Ying.”

“Mm, I’m here.”

“Since you’re being so obedient, it makes me give up the urge to break all four of your limbs.”

Qiao Ying: “…I thank you for that.”

“No need to thank me.” The young man opened his mouth again. “More.”

Qiao Ying glanced at him again and again. The way he waited to be fed was truly confident and justified.

She ground her teeth, then picked up another piece of fish. With forced patience, she carefully removed every bone before bringing it to his lips. “Here, eat!”

Diners nearby began whispering.

“Look, that couple has such a good relationship.”

“If my husband were blind, I don’t think I’d have the patience to pick fish bones out for him like that.”

“That woman must be madly in love with that man.”

Qiao Ying’s hearing was not as sharp as Shen Qingyu’s. She could not hear them, but he heard every word clearly.

Then a child asked his father in confusion, “Dad, that big brother looks so strange. He looks like the man-eating ghost from the storyteller’s tales. Why would that pretty big sister like him?”

Shen Qingyu turned his face slightly and smiled. “Naturally, it’s because I’m good-looking. Even if I ate people, she would still think I’m good-looking.”

The second half of his sentence frightened the little boy into bursting into tears. He threw himself into his father’s arms and cried, “Dad, there really is a man-eating White-Haired Ghost!”

Qiao Ying was baffled. Faced with the gazes everyone was casting over, she shielded the side of her face with one hand, somewhat embarrassed. “Why are you scaring a child?”

Shen Qingyu did not answer. He merely propped his chin on both hands and said slowly, “Qiao Ying, I want the fish belly.”

Qiao Ying puffed up her cheeks in anger, but she could only accept her fate and lower her head to search for the fish belly in the sliced fish dish for him.