Chapter 22

Xie Jinhuan returned alone to Qingquan Alley, carrying a small bag containing snacks he'd bought on the way for Meiqiu.

Thanks to the unexpected windfall he'd taken from Fu Dongping, he didn't need to worry about food or clothing for the short term, and had even bought a new robe.

After returning to the house, Xie Jinhuan leapt over the white wall, intending to check whether Lin Wanyi had purged the poison—but after taking a few steps, he suddenly sensed something amiss.

The house was eerily silent, like an abandoned place, and the main room's door remained open.

Xie Jinhuan frowned, hand resting on the Tian Gang Club, and crept silently to the main room's entrance—everything was in place, but Lin Wanyi was gone.

The personal maid who had been staying by the bed now sat with her back to him, crouched in the corner, her forehead pressed against the wall, showing no sign of coming to greet him.

"Meiqiu?"

"Gur!"

Meiqiu muttered, not turning around—she looked like she hadn't eaten in half a day and was sulking.

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan knew Lin Wanyi hadn't fed him; he picked up the box of dried meat and shook it:

"Gobble-gobble~"

"Gurji?!"

Meiqiu spun her head a full 180 degrees, her big eyes wide with shock—as if to say: Do you think I'm a free-range chicken? Just starve me to death!

Xie Jinhuan had no choice but to place the dried meat on the table and let Meiqiu eat it herself, then stepped outside to survey the surroundings.

He'd assumed Lin Wanyi had grown impatient and gone home—but soon noticed the bathroom door was tightly shut, with faint qi currents swirling inside.

Xie Jinhuan approached the bathroom door, listened closely, and called out:

"Miss Lin?"

A response came immediately from within:

"Come in."

Xie Jinhuan didn't think twice—he pushed open the door.

Creak~

The moment he stepped inside, he saw a skirt hanging from a clothes rack.

The stunningly beautiful Lin Da, soaked in the bathtub, her long black hair cascading down her back…

?

Click—

Xie Jinhuan, caught off guard, thought he'd wandered into the wrong room—he quickly shut the door, looked around, confirmed it was his own house, then pushed it open again to verify—it really was Lin Wanyi—his expression was utterly bewildered:

"Miss Lin, what's the meaning of this? You call me in while bathing? I must say beforehand—I won't marry you just because I saw you, and I didn't mean to look…"

"Hmph~ Your skin's thick, isn't it? Last night you were practically shoving your hand down her cleavage, and now you're playing the upright gentleman?"

Last night?

Xie Jinhuan remembered he hadn't glanced at Lin Wanyi's chest last night—just as he was puzzled, something suddenly struck him, and his eyes widened:

"Ye Hongshang? You've taken over her body?!"

"What's 'taking over'? It's just a spirit possession. If you don't come in, I'm coming out."

Xie Jinhuan was half-skeptical, but even if Ye Hongshang had possessed her, using Lin Wanyi's body, she couldn't have much power.

He'd originally thought it was some Wu Sect witch seducing a young hero—but now that he realized it was Ye Hongshang causing trouble, he was speechless and shut the door:

"Put your clothes on first! Even if you're possessed, why are you still bathing?"

"I'm covering my chest—you can't see anything…"

Splash-splash~

As they chatted, water splashed and rustling sounds came from inside.

Xie Jinhuan waited by the door until the voice came again: "All done." He then pushed the door open and looked inside.

Creak~

Looking up, the breathtaking beauty was still soaking in the bathtub.

This time, she'd sunk lower, a white towel draped over her neck—but her bare white feet were raised, resting on the far edge of the tub, seated with regal authority, blending Lin Wanyi's intellectual poise with the aura of a female CEO receiving her male concubine in the bathtub…

Oh my…

Xie Jinhuan, seeing this, hesitated to step closer:

"What are you doing? Is she alright?"

Ye Hongshang leaned back against the tub, idly flicking water:

"I'm checking her cultivation technique. Her sect's method has been tampered with—it's thrown yin and yang out of balance, making her vulnerable to yin evils. That's why I could possess her so easily."

"Tampered with?"

Xie Jinhuan frowned: "So someone plotted against her?"

Ye Hongshang shook her head: "Lin Wanyi's too young to be worth such a scheme. More likely, 'the top beam is crooked, so the bottom beam is crooked'—the technique's been flawed since her ancestral master."

Xie Jinhuan didn't know where Lin Wanyi had learned this strange technique, and since she refused his help, he couldn't force himself into her affairs—he thought for a moment and asked:

"Is she in immediate danger?"

"Not right now—but she has zero resistance to yin evils. She'll be easily corrupted by malevolent spirits."

"Good."

Xie Jinhuan urgently needed pills to boost his strength; as long as Lin Wanyi was safe for now and could help him through this crisis, everything else could wait.

After finishing the serious matter, Ye Hongshang suddenly asked:

"Xie Jinhuan, what was your first impression of me?"

Xie Jinhuan found the question absurd; he thought back slightly:

"I nearly died of fright."

"Anything else?"

"What a huge carriage!"

"Hm?"

Ye Hongshang frowned in confusion.

Xie Jinhuan found it hard to explain just how strong the impact of a "sixteen-foot succubus" had been on him, so he waved his hand:

"Quickly end your technique—what questions can't wait until bedtime?"

"At night, you can't touch anything."

As Ye Hongshang spoke, she slightly lifted her chest, causing the white towel draped across her chest to rise high, forming a perfect inverted bowl curve:

"Want to feel it? I'll keep it secret."

?

Xie Jinhuan never denied he had an appreciation for beauty, but if he was going to touch a girl, it should be Lin Wanyi herself offering it willingly.

What kind of deal is this—some "Ghost Driver" coming to drive?"

"This is Lin's girl's body. If you want me to touch it, you come yourself—I promise I won't hold back."

"Heh~ I'm much bigger than this girl—I'm afraid you can't handle it."

Xie Jinhuan could clearly see how substantial Lin Wanyi's assets were; Ye Hongshang was far larger—unless she was truly sixteen feet tall.

He was just about to explore this question when the sound of wheels came from the alley outside the courtyard:

Gulu gulu…

The sound drew nearer, then stopped right outside the gate.

Xie Jinhuan frowned, thinking it was Yang Dabiao and the others again, but soon came a knock at the gate—and a girl's sweet voice:

"Auntie~ Auntie~?"

?

Hearing the voice of "Poison Hand Medic," Xie Jinhuan's heart jolted as he turned to the stunning beauty in the bathtub:

"Hurry, hurry—your daughter's here! Get out of this body quick, don't let her find out! I haven't taken any advantage—I'll be framed as a lecher and cursed, and I'll dump you in the latrine!"

Ye Hongshang looked slightly disappointed, but still leaned against the tub, assuming the posture of someone fainted…

…

In Qingquan Alley.

A carriage bearing the wooden sign "Lin" had stopped outside the gate. The guard Jia Zheng, stunned by Xie Jinhuan's performance at noon, held him in deep respect and whispered:

"Young Lady, Master Xie isn't an ordinary man. Be extra courteous when you meet him—don't poison him..."

Lin Zisu had rushed from the Academy upon hearing her aunt was poisoned; now she wore a water-blue official-style dress, paired with white pants and white shoes—clean and ethereal:

"I know how serious this is—if I scare Master Xie away, won't Auntie spend all day weeping and sinking into sorrow…"

"Shh~"

The two waited a moment, then footsteps sounded from within the courtyard:

Tap tap…

The main gate opened, revealing a noble-looking young man in white robes.

Lin Zisu, being a girl, still felt shy about arriving unannounced, and quickly bowed:

"Greetings, Master Xie."

Xie Jinhuan, seeing Poison Hand Medic, forced a smile:

"Miss Lin? What brings you here?"

"I heard my aunt was poisoned—I came to check on her."

As Lin Zisu spoke, she glanced into the courtyard:

"Is Auntie inside?"

"Er..."

Xie Jinhuan didn't know whether the great succubus had ended her technique; he couldn't say he'd never met Lin Wanyi, so he said:

"Her condition is fine, but she expended a lot of energy detoxifying this morning—she's resting now. I just returned from handling a case at Sanhe Pavilion with the government office."

"Really?" Lin Zisu, worried about her aunt's safety, stepped forward: "Which room is she in? I'll go see her."

Xie Jinhuan froze, hesitating whether to stop her—when a sound came from the back courtyard:

"Zisu? What are you doing here?! Don't come in!"

Splash splash—

The sound of water and the panicked tone carried a distinct air of "hiding silver in plain sight." All three at the gate fell silent.

Xie Jinhuan recognized it as "Lin Wanyi's real aunt," and secretly exhaled in relief—but a flicker of embarrassment showed in his eyes.

Lin Zisu's bright eyes widened noticeably; the foot she'd stepped over the threshold retracted. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, then finally cleared her throat and pretended she hadn't heard:

"I heard Master Xie just slew a demon—were you injured?"

"No serious harm. Miss Lin, please come in."

"No need—if I go in and actually see something… cough~ This is fine right here..."

"Er..."

…

(End of Chapter)