I personally cooked a few dishes, and we gathered around the table with Huang Jiu's family and mine, creating a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere.
After dinner, we watched TV for a bit, and it was soon time for bed.
I didn't bully Xiao Cui, because every time I thought about what Hu Wenhui had said, I felt sorry for her.
She was forced out of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and turned into what she was now, and she still had to face targeting from the people of the Xuan world.
If I didn't protect her, no one would.
We lay side by side, facing each other, and I gently caressed her cheek.
She looked at me quietly, her big eyes blinking.
Seeing her so pure, I whispered, "Don't worry, I'll protect you. Anyone who tries to hurt you, I'll kill them!"
It sounded a bit dramatic, but I meant every word.
Xiao Cui seemed to not fully understand what I said, and there was a hint of confusion in her eyes. She gently extended her hand from under the blanket and placed it on my face.
We just stared at each other.
In that moment, I think I tasted the flavor of love.
I leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips, then pulled the blanket over her.
After days of running around, I was a bit tired, and I fell asleep without realizing it.
But perhaps due to everything I had experienced recently, and after hearing Hu Wenhui's words, I was plagued by nightmares.
I dreamed that Xiao Cui was beaten to a pulp, hiding everywhere, and that the people from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains came to capture her, hanging her up on a big tree.
I could only watch.
The immense sadness and anger made me wake up abruptly, reaching out only to find that the space next to me was empty.
I turned over to check, and Xiao Cui wasn't there.
The bathroom door was closed. Where had she gone?
I got up, turned on the light, put on my shoes, and prepared to search the living room.
However, as I opened the door, I suddenly stopped.
The light from the bedroom didn't shine out, with the door frame as the boundary.
Inside was bright, and outside was dark.
In the next moment, I quickly turned back, jumped onto the bed, grabbed the blood dagger under my pillow, and immediately activated the Earth Dog Star.
But just as I reached the door, I nearly bumped into Xiao Cui, who was coming toward me.
She was startled and pressed her hands to her chest, looking at me with big, curious eyes.
When I didn't say anything, she softly called, "Hubby, what's wrong?"
I froze for a moment, and then I felt as if my heart was filled with honey.
Xiao Cui rarely spoke, and whenever she did, it made me happy.
What's more, she had just called me "hubby."
But while I was happy, I still carefully pulled her into the room and stood behind her protectively.
However, when I looked again, everything was back to normal.
The light from the bedroom shone outward, reflecting bright glimmers on the smooth ceramic tiles.
Huang Xian'er, hearing the noise, also came over. Seeing me holding the blood dagger, she asked, "Little brother, what's going on?"
I peeked outside and saw that everything in the living room was fine. Huang Xian'er was also there. Could it be that I had woken up in a daze and imagined it?
Before I could ask, Huang Xian'er explained, "Xiao Cui couldn't sleep, so I got up to keep her company. Did you have a nightmare?"
I scratched my head, seeing that Huang Xian'er was wearing a camisole, and hurriedly said, "It's nothing. Sister Xian'er, you go back to sleep. I'll stay with her."
Turning back to see Xiao Cui looking as beautiful as a fairy, I felt all my doubts disappear. I asked her, "What did you just call me?"
Xiao Cui blinked her big eyes in confusion and softly said, "Hubby, Sister Xian'er said I should call you that."
I felt like my heart was full of honey, sweet enough to make me dizzy. I quickly put the blood dagger away and pulled Xiao Cui back into bed.
I hadn't planned on teasing her, but since she called me "hubby," I had to fulfill my duty.
However, for some reason, as soon as I lay next to Xiao Cui, my eyelids became so heavy that I couldn't keep them open. I ended up dozing off right on top of her.
The next day, I woke up to find it was already noon.
After washing up, I took my fully charged phone, turned it on, and saw that I had missed several calls—over a dozen, all from different numbers.
Just as I was about to call one back, one of the numbers rang again.
I picked up the phone, and it was Director Qian.
"My little ancestor, you've finally picked up the phone!" he complained. "You need to come to the museum right away. Wei Guo is in trouble."
"Shen Wei Guo? Isn't his issue already resolved?" I asked, confused.
The soul of the Nine-tailed Fox Demon had been consumed, and the Qipao Woman Ghost was sent for exorcism. There shouldn't have been any problems. Did they run into another cursed artifact?
Before I could ask more, Director Qian said, "Get over here quickly! If you don't, someone might die!"
When I heard someone might die, I didn't dare waste any more time on the phone and immediately agreed to come.
I quickly got dressed and went into the living room where lunch was just being served.
While putting on my jacket, I said, "Huang Ge, we need to go to the museum."
Huang Xian'er and Xiao Cui were both in aprons. Huang Xian'er was holding a spatula, and Xiao Cui was carrying a plate of food—it was clear that the master was teaching her apprentice.
Huang Xian'er asked, "Should we eat before going?"
"Director Qian said someone might die. I need to go check it out. I'll eat something on the way. Don't wait for us."
I finished speaking, grabbed the cat carrier, and Huang Jiu jumped in. We hurried out the door.
On the way, I didn't stop to eat. I took a taxi straight to the museum.
Director Qian was already waiting at the door. We didn't go through security but headed straight to the staff area.
As soon as we entered Shen Wei Guo's dormitory, I saw him lying on the bed, pale and barely breathing.
When I got closer, a cold, eerie atmosphere hit me.
My expression changed, and I shouted, "Get out!"
The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, and the Qipao Woman Ghost floated out from Shen Wei Guo's chest. She landed and looked at me uneasily.
Seeing this, I almost wanted to slap her into oblivion.
With a cold expression, I asked, "What happened?"
The Qipao Woman Ghost immediately started crying.
"Cry, cry, cry. That's all you ever do. Is crying the only thing you're good at?" Huang Jiu was also frustrated.
It was clear that Shen Wei Guo hadn't properly exorcised the Qipao Woman Ghost. Instead, they were still entangled. After I opened my spiritual vision, I noticed that Shen Wei Guo's chest still had a gathering of yin energy, which was different from the Qipao Woman Ghost's.
Before the Qipao Woman Ghost could explain, I pulled open Shen Wei Guo's shirt and saw that there was a tattoo on his chest of the Qipao Woman Ghost.
I turned to look at the still-sobbing ghost and asked, "Did you two get tattoos of each other?"
The Qipao Woman Ghost covered her face and wiped away her tears. Nodding, she said, "After leaving the little master's place that day, Shen Lang couldn't bear to part with me. He said he knew someone who could tattoo me on him, so we could be together forever."
I was speechless and let out a sigh. I lowered my head to examine the tattoo on Shen Wei Guo's chest. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the tattoo wasn't just of her but of two figures.
However, the technique was so sophisticated that the second figure was hidden within the tattoo of the Qipao Woman Ghost. I could vaguely make out the outline of a man.
I touched it with my hand and immediately felt a surge of intense, mixed resentment—this wasn't the energy of one person.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be the energy of four people.