Two figures could be seen slowly making their way into the depths of a misty mountainous forest.
The surroundings were very quiet—one couldn’t even hear the sound of insects. It was as if they had entered a vacuum.
“You sure know how to pick a place!” Shi Sheng leaned heavily against a tree and panted. “How much further?”
“There are countless vampires hoping to kill me while I slumber.” Xi Yin walked over and squatted down in front of Shi Sheng. “I’ll carry you.”
She didn’t stand on ceremony and draped herself on Xi Yin’s back.Xi Yin’s steps were steady but not slow. He eventually came to a stop atop a cliff and set Shi Sheng down.
She didn’t have the chance to ask him anything, before he hugged her and leapt off.
As the wind buffeted her face, the cold seemed to seep into her bones.
Shi Sheng, “...” ‘What’s with jumping off a cliff so suddenly?! At least mentally prepare me first, dammit!’
Fortunately, the fall wasn’t too far. They soon reached the bottom.
The lighting down here was rather dim, so Xi Yin continued carrying Shi Sheng and walked forward. They entered a cave. Inside the cave was a translucent glass sarcophagus and not much else.
Xi Yin opened up the sarcophagus and rummaged around the bottom for a bit before taking out a rectangular box.The box was carved with all sorts of auspicious symbols[1]. Although it wasn’t locked, Shi Sheng didn’t move to open it.
Xi Yin smiled and bit his finger, dripping a drop of his blood on the box. With a few clicks, it unlocked.
“These anti-theft measures are simply...” Shi Sheng opened the box. A painting scroll was in there.
She took the painting out and unfurled it.
Similar to the half she possessed, this half was also covered with roses seemingly dyed in fresh blood. But unlike hers, one couldn’t see a child in it—only a sarcophagus wrapped around by countless vines with blooming roses. One could only vaguely make out its lustre beneath all the flowers.
Shi Sheng cast the sarcophagus behind Xi Yin an odd look.
“That’s it.” Xi Yin placed Shi Sheng’s hand on the sarcophagus, allowing her to feel a vast spirit energy gathering beneath the surface.
Even in cultivation worlds, such rich spirit energy could only be felt at special or auspicious places. But this sarcophagus...
Shi Sheng’s expression changed as she put it in her space. “Let’s head back.”
Even when the giant glass sarcophagus vanished before him, his eyes merely flashed, but he didn’t ask.
When Shi Sheng mentioned heading back, she didn’t mean back to vampire territory, but to her villa in the human world.
She made a beeline for her bedroom.
The painting was still hanging on her wall. Shi Sheng took it down and placed it next to Xi Yin’s half.
The two halves perfectly bisected a particularly large rose that was richer in colour than the others.
If looked at separately, one wouldn’t find anything off—they’d merely think the artist had deliberately painted it this way. But when placed together, the rose was clearly special.
But the link between the three objects wasn’t immediately apparent.
What did the boy refer to? Xi Yin?
And that rose?
The easiest to make out was the glass sarcophagus.
Xi Yin silently looked at Shi Sheng. Seeing her brows tightly locked, he reached out to smooth them out. “There’s no need to think so hard if you can’t find an answer.”
“I don’t like hidden threats. Especially not when they concern you.” Shi Sheng didn’t lift her gaze off the two halves of the painting as she spoke.
“Nai-Nai, you have to protect this painting, okay? You mustn’t let anyone else take it; it’s your life, understand?”
She didn’t know why, but she suddenly recalled these words.
‘If Mi Nai’s parents warned her, then would Xi Yin’s parents have told him?’
“Did your parents tell you anything?”
Xi Yin furrowed his brow. It had been too long, he almost couldn’t remember it. But seeing that Shi Sheng’s expression was so serious, he still did his best to recall it.
When his mother handed him the painting, other than telling him another half existed, there was only...
“She told me to protect this bracelet.” Xi Yin’s fingers brushed past the pendant on Shi Sheng’s wrist.
‘Her attitude was more serious than when she gave me the painting, too.’
Shi Sheng raised her hand to look at her wrist for a moment. The crescent-shaped pendant was small and aquamarine in colour. But when the light shone through it, a faint yellow light could be seen.
Time slowly ticked by. After who knew how long, Shi Sheng placed the two halves of the painting together, a hint of a smile finally appearing on her taut face. “I got it.”
The pendant, the glass sarcophagus, and Ai Wei.
There should be something inside the pendant, while the glass sarcophagus would provide a large amount of spirit energy. As for Ai Wei...her use was probably her special blood or to act as a vessel—or perhaps both.
Xi Yin couldn’t help but feel surprised upon hearing Shi Sheng’s analysis. ‘She pieced together the whole picture from such few clues?’
Shi Sheng merely revealed a mysterious smile.
She didn’t attempt to analyse the plot; she merely put herself in the shoes of the author. When combined with the clues she already had, it wasn’t hard to deduce the answer.
‘Everything’s a cliché! Of course, the most important reason is because I’m(bbb) smart.’
Sikong Sa would come looking for her sooner or later for these items, so Shi Sheng had originally planned on destroying one of them to spite him.
But she couldn’t bear to destroy the bracelet, and Xi Yin said she couldn’t destroy the glass sarcophagus, so the only thing left was the FL...
‘Am I supposed to destroy the FL?
Perhaps even the matter of her falsely accusing Mi Nai had Sikong Sa’s hand behind it.
To tell the truth, this FL’s pretty unlucky to have been used from the start. Had it not been for the ML, she probably wouldn’t have survived till the ending.
I didn’t even do anything, and the FL’s already screwed herself over...’
Lives weren’t predetermined. Any little change had the potential to change the entire course of one’s life.
......
Shi Sheng left Xi Yin alone at home as she headed to Liang Ge’s house. Before leaving, Shi Sheng had told Liang Ge she could leave the house. So by the time Shi Sheng arrived at Liang Ge’s place, the girl wasn’t there.
Liang Ge returned after she waited a while.
“Senior, you’re back!” Liang Ge showed a surprised expression before excitedly going over, her eyes sparkling.
“En. Has anyone troubled you?” Shi Sheng nodded casually. She had checked the wards in the villa just now—they hadn’t been touched.
“No.” Liang Ge shook her head.
Ever since her Senior left, the school became much more peaceful. The people keeping watch on her family had also withdrawn.
“That’s good.” Shi Sheng patted Liang Ge’s head. “I’ll be off then.”
“Ah? So fast?” Liang Ge immediately appeared rather disappointed as she stared at Shi Sheng.
The latter merely pulled her lips into a smile. “I still have something I have to do. Once I’m finished, I’ll return to school.”
Only upon hearing this did some of the disappointment fade from Liang Ge’s face. “Then be careful, Senior.”
Shi Sheng left the villa, planning on challenging everyone at the headquarters of the vampire hunters, but hadn’t gotten far before running into Xi Yin.
He cast her a smile as he opened the door to the car behind him. “We’ll go together.”
Shi Sheng paused for a moment before getting onto the car.
“How did you know what I was planning to do?”
“I saw you checking their information.” Xi Yin drove the car to the highway.
“You’re my wife—do you think it’s appropriate to not tell me about these sorts of things?”
“I just...”
“Mi Nai.” Xi Yin was rather helpless. “You’re the one who should be spoiled ah.”
‘Why is she always trying to spoil me?
I’m a man, okay? Any other man would’ve called it quits at doing something so undignified!’
“Because you’ve been so disobedient, you’d best be thinking of how to make it up to me.”
Shi Sheng framed her face with her hands. “How ‘bout I pay you with my body?”
Xi Yin resisted the urge to laugh. “Fine.”
[1] As in, flowers, birds and auspicious clouds like the type you see beneath a qilin’s hooves.
