As soon as they stepped out of the elevator and into the apartment, Lin Yue stopped in the entryway to change her shoes. She glanced over and asked, “Why did you come downstairs?”
“You were in danger. I really don’t like that guy touching your hand,” Huiqian replied, spinning around abruptly to pull Lin Yue into a tight embrace, pinning her gently against the wall. His voice was low and husky, “You were out for so long. I’m just a lonely fox demon at home—my ears nearly popped out from waiting!”
With that, he pulled off his baseball cap in defeat, revealing two fluffy animal ears poking out from his hair. Both his ears and his head drooped, the picture of pitiful dejection.
Lin Yue’s heart melted into a puddle. She obediently tilted her head up, letting him kiss her deeply, his lips and tongue greedily seeking the spiritual energy flowing within her.
Ten minutes later, Huiqian had returned to his full human form and was sprawled contentedly on the sofa, eyes narrowed in satisfaction.
Lin Yue sat at the other end of the couch, letting Huiqian rest his head on her lap. Neither of them paid any attention to the TV, which was playing some random variety show. Her fingers absentmindedly stroked his silky black hair. She asked, “Huiqian, have you figured out how to retrieve your inner core yet?”
Huiqian replied, “No rush. Let’s wait a little longer.”
“How much longer is ‘a little longer’?” she asked, a bit greedy, secretly wishing it could be a lifetime.
The phone was a gift for Huiqian, to keep him entertained at home. Lin Yue had even taught him how to use it for fun.
Just yesterday, Huiqian learned how to send voice messages on WeChat. While Lin Yue was in class at Jinling University, she suddenly heard her phone buzz. Sneaking a look while the professor’s back was turned, she saw a 30-second voice message from Huiqian.
She turned down the volume and pressed her phone to her ear. For the first twenty-nine seconds, there was nothing but static and the faint hum of electricity. Just as she was about to give up, in the very last second, Huiqian’s low, raspy voice came through:
“Hello.”
That was Huiqian’s very first voice message—just a simple “Hello.”
It was too cute!
Lin Yue felt like her heart had been struck by Cupid’s arrow. She replayed that “Hello” over and over, grinning like a fool for the rest of class.
Winter evenings in Nanjing came early. After class, Lin Yue bought Huiqian’s favorite roast chicken from Lao Wang’s Chicken Shack, humming a tune as she skipped home.
But under the streetlamp in the Hua’an Gardens apartment complex, someone was waiting for her. He grinned, “Well, miss, we meet again.”
It was that young Taoist she’d run into at the bus stop before… or, as she preferred to call him, a wandering con artist.
Sensing a ripple of spiritual energy, Huiqian’s ears perked up at home. He bolted out the door and down the stairs.
Under the streetlamp, a paper bag had toppled over, revealing the still-warm roast chicken inside. Lin Yue’s little purse lay scattered a few feet away, but she herself was nowhere to be seen.
A wave of panic surged through Huiqian. His pupils flashed with a demonic glow as he snatched up her purse, sniffed it for her scent, and dashed off in pursuit.
“Someone said you were a demon and paid me a fortune to come subdue you. I thought she was seeing things—after all, demons these days keep a low profile, blending in with humans. Rarely do they cause trouble…” The young Taoist, now standing on the windy rooftop of the Golden Lotus Building, adjusted his round sunglasses and struck a dramatic pose. “But I guess this trip was worth it. What a big payday!”
He continued, “Relax, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m just interested in the owner of that inner core you carry. Not many demons would sacrifice their life’s essence to save a dead person, you know!”
“What did you say?” Lin Yue was tied to a chair, her lips trembling—she couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the Taoist’s words.
She pressed, “Dead person? What dead person?”
“You really know how to get to the point!” The Taoist turned to look at her, pushing his glasses up onto his head and squinting with a mischievous grin. “Sometimes the truth is cruel. Maybe it’s better to forget. If you don’t live well, how can you repay that demon’s deep affection?”
“Explain yourself!” Lin Yue shivered, her eyes brimming with tears. “What do you mean?”
“Tsk, so fierce! Are you sure you want to remember? No regrets?” The Taoist shook his head, clicking his tongue in mock pity. He pressed his finger to Lin Yue’s forehead. “You asked for it.”
Thunder, lightning, a wounded demon by a mountain stream, a raging flood…
Images flashed through Lin Yue’s mind. She saw herself lying under a bamboo bridge at the foot of Mount Qingyun, wearing a raincoat—her face pale, lips parted, nostrils full of mud, her half-open eyes reflecting the post-storm clouds. She was unmistakably dead.
She remembered. She’d drowned in that mountain flood, only to be revived by accidentally swallowing Huiqian’s lost inner core. She’d been living on borrowed time ever since.
No wonder Huiqian wasn’t in a hurry to take back his core. No wonder he’d said that once it left her body, she’d die…
So that was it. She wasn’t saving Huiqian—Huiqian was saving her.
“Here he comes.” The Taoist’s voice snapped Lin Yue out of her daze as the wind howled and clouds blotted out the moon.
She looked up, eyes red with tears, just in time to see a giant white wolf leap down from the sky like a divine beast. Her tears flowed freely.
“Go… Huiqian!” she choked out. “Take back what’s yours and get out of here!”
After a fierce battle, the rooftop was a mess. The giant white wolf’s snowy fur was streaked with blood, but his gaze toward her was gentle.
He opened his mouth, blood dripping between his sharp fangs, but even in his weakened state, he stubbornly gnawed at the ropes binding her wrists.
The Taoist stood off to the side, hands behind his back, looking thoroughly entertained. “So it’s a rare white wolf demon. Too bad his cultivation isn’t high enough. His inner core’s been gone too long—he’s weak as a kitten. He couldn’t even handle half my power.”
He shrugged. “Oh well, I’m not interested in bullying the kind and the weak. If you two ever cause trouble, I’ll come back and play hero.” With a flourish, the young Taoist made a mystical gesture and vanished in a swirl of dust and flying leaves.
Chapter 09
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