Chapter 5

In the darkness, Xuanwei could still clearly see Wu Qingluan.

Her long hair cascaded behind her, just as thick, glossy, and fragrant as he remembered. A faint, sweet scent lingered around her.

Xuanwei reached out and gently lifted a strand of her hair.

“Giggle…” a childish, playful laugh came from above.

Xuanwei looked up and, as expected, saw a chubby figure crouching on a bedpost.

The figure was plump, with two eyes flickering with emerald-green lights, eagerly watching them. “Daddy, are you finally going to make your move? Hurry up! I can’t wait to see it!”

Xuanwei snapped his fingers lightly next to Wu Qingluan’s ear, causing her to sink into an even deeper slumber. Then he sat up, his voice turning cold as he addressed the shadowy figure, “You’re just an untransformed hatchling; what do you want to see?”

The figure stiffened abruptly, “Daddy, do you have to pierce my heart like that?”

Xuanwei replied mercilessly, “If you could redirect your curiosity from spying to cultivation, you wouldn’t still be untransformed. Your older siblings are all delayed because of you; you can’t even recognize your kin.”

The shadow fell silent for a while before suddenly shouting, “Yu Xuanwei, you’re being too much! I’m angry!”

Yu Xuanwei remained unfazed, saying, “Suit yourself.”

With a loud sob, the shadow suddenly disappeared.

Unperturbed by his son’s tantrum, Yu Xuanwei lowered his head and lightly kissed Wu Qingluan’s cheek before lying down again.

Wu Qingluan’s life on set took an unexpectedly smooth turn after filming the intimate scene. She began to deliver her lines flawlessly, often nailing her scenes in a single take. Everything seemed to flow effortlessly, and the entire crew, including the director, was in a harmonious and friendly mood.

Having spent many years in the entertainment industry, Wu Qingluan had never experienced such smooth sailing before. Previous shoots had always been filled with chaos and unexpected complications.

Furthermore, the mysterious Daoist, Xuanwei, appeared to be a genuinely decent person. His request for her to accompany him for repaying the debt was fulfilled by simply sleeping in the same room. There was always a respectful distance between them, and Xuanwei never made any improper advances.

Unbeknownst to her, Wu Qingluan had been sharing a room with Yu Xuanwei for two months, and things had remained peaceful. Xuanwei seemed genuinely dedicated to his spiritual practices, waking up at 5 AM every morning and returning home at unpredictable hours. Wu Qingluan had hardly seen him eat but knew that he had a penchant for various types of tea, and he was quite skilled at brewing it.

The fact that Xuanwei maintained such a healthy physique despite not eating regular meals made Wu Qingluan wonder if he had some secret cultivation technique.

She also noticed a significant improvement in her sleep quality since she began sharing a room with Xuanwei. She no longer experienced midnight awakenings, heart palpitations, or restless nights. Working in the entertainment industry, where stress levels were high, work hours were irregular, and sleep patterns were disrupted, Wu Qingluan had struggled with sleep problems for years. The peaceful and comfortable sleep she now enjoyed had been a rare experience.

As the film’s shooting progressed smoothly, the entire cast and crew gathered for a farewell dinner. During this jovial occasion, Wu Qingluan’s manager brought up a pressing question: “You’ve been sleeping alongside him for so long. How much debt do you still owe?”

Wu Qingluan had just taken a sip of sweet wine and was almost choked by the unexpected question. She replied with a panicked tone, “Oh no, I forgot to ask!”

Her manager couldn’t help but remark with concern, “Are you planning to sell your body for a lifetime?”

Wu Qingluan wore a regretful expression and said, “I’ve been so busy with filming that I forgot to ask how much I owe for each night. I must have missed out on a lot of money! Oh, and he also mentioned that I should help him take care of his child, but I haven’t even met his child yet!”

Her manager looked at her as if she were speaking nonsense. “What have you been doing during this time?”

Wu Qingluan hung her head and replied, “I’ve just been sleeping, nothing more.”

Her manager covered his face in frustration and said, “I don’t want to deal with this. You got yourself into this mess; you figure it out.”

Desperate, Wu Qingluan held onto her manager and pleaded, “You can’t leave me like this. You have to help me come up with a solution!”

Her manager coldly refused, “What can I possibly do? Everyone will be gone tomorrow, so you can stay and keep sleeping with him.”

“No, I can’t! I need to go back and terminate my contract. My grandmother is waiting for me to come back and take care of her!”

Her manager dismissed her plea, saying, “Talking to me won’t help. Go beg your creditor for a solution!”

While Wu Qingluan was arguing with her manager, there was suddenly a commotion on Qin Rong’s side. His boisterous laughter echoed through the crowd, “Look at what I’ve caught!”

“Hahaha!” The people erupted into laughter, with someone exclaiming, “What is this thing? Why is it so fat?”

“Is it a dog?”

“A fluffy little white pig?”

“I don’t think it looks like…”

“Squeak!”

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

Wu Qingluan’s ears perked up as she recognized the familiar squeaking sound. She looked towards Qin Rong’s direction and saw a fluffy white bundle being tossed around, emitting the “squeak” noises.

It was…

Wu Qingluan rushed over and asked, “What are you all doing?”

Qin Rong, looking puzzled, said, “We’re just playing. What’s wrong? Is this your dog?”

Qin Rong was holding a fluffy white puppy in his hand, and the puppy looked scared, with tears in its eyes.

Wu Qingluan remembered this puppy; it was the pet dog of Daoist Xuanwei, the one she had seen in the bathroom before.

Qin Rong tossed the puppy into the air again, watching the helpless little creature’s four short legs tremble in mid-air as he laughed heartily.

As the puppy began to fall, Wu Qingluan opened Qin Rong’s hand, extended her arms, and caught it. She scolded him, “This is Daoist Xuanwei’s dog! You’re mistreating an animal!”

Qin Rong, with his hands on his hips, glared at her menacingly and said, “Mind your own business. Who’s mistreating the animal? It’s not even your dog!”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s mine or not; you can’t treat it like this!” The puppy in her arms was still trembling. Wu Qingluan held it close.

Qin Rong raised his index finger, “This stupid dog not only stole food but also bit me. I’m just teaching it a lesson. What’s wrong with that? If you don’t leash your dog, I’ll report you!”

Wu Qingluan noticed that there was indeed a deep bite mark on Qin Rong’s finger, with traces of blood. Her resolve weakened a bit. Daoist Xuanwei really shouldn’t let his dog roam without a leash…

Qin Rong reached out to snatch the puppy. “Give it to me! It’s none of your business. I want compensation from that old Daoist!”

Wu Qingluan refused to give it to him. She tried to move away, but Qin Rong caught her.

“Let go!”

“Give me the dog!”

“Get lost!”

People who were initially watching the commotion quickly stepped in to separate them as they seemed to be getting into a real fight.

Brother Guo tried to smooth things over with a smile, “Mr. Qin, getting bitten by a dog is no small matter. I’ll accompany you to get a tetanus shot. Come on!”

Qin Rong’s temper flared up, and he was significantly taller and larger than Brother Guo. He pushed the short and chubby man aside. “If I need a shot, the dog’s owner should pay for it. Get lost!”

Taking advantage of the chaos, Wu Qingluan ran away with the puppy. When she got close to Daoist Xuanwei’s courtyard, she shouted, “Is the Daoist home? Your dog bit someone; come quickly!”

The next moment, Wu Qingluan was suddenly embraced by someone. She was stunned as she looked at the unexpected appearance of Yu Xuanwei. “How did you get here?”

Yu Xuanwei didn’t answer her, and after releasing her, he used one hand to lift the puppy she was holding by the back of its neck. “What’s going on?”

The puppy whimpered, trembling, and its tail tucked nervously between its legs.

Wu Qingluan quickly explained what had just happened to Yu Xuanwei.

Yu Xuanwei asked the puppy, “Was it you?”

The puppy lowered its head, and its big ears drooped. “Whimper.”

At that moment, Qin Rong also caught up, shouting, “Don’t think you can run away!”

Yu Xuanwei confronted him.

When Qin Rong came face to face with Yu Xuanwei, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. For some reason, just looking at Yu Xuanwei, every inch of Qin Rong’s skin involuntarily tightened.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t lose face. Qin Rong raised his eyebrows and pointed at the puppy in Yu Xuanwei’s arms. “This is your dog, right? It stole food and bit me. How are you going to compensate me?”

Yu Xuanwei said, “Give me your hand.”

Qin Rong held up his finger defiantly. “See?”

(Note: “Whimper” represents the sound made by the puppy, indicating its timid response.)

Yu Xuanwei lightly tapped Qin Rong’s hand, and the visible bite mark on Qin Rong’s hand healed at an astonishing speed.

Qin Rong was left dumbfounded.

Yu Xuanwei said, “The injury is healed, no need for more shots. I apologize for not controlling my ‘son’ properly. For compensation matters, please discuss them with my lawyer.”

Qin Rong, although still upset, felt that he had lost face for no reason. Since the other party had apologized and offered compensation, he didn’t want to make a scene. He glared at Yu Xuanwei and said, “Fine, let your lawyer handle it!”

Qin Rong walked away in anger, leaving Wu Qingluan conflicted. She opened her mouth a few times, wanting to say something, but then decided against it.

It was the first time she had seen Qin Rong back down…

The puppy, which had been held the whole time, made a sound, seemingly reminding Yu Xuanwei that it wasn’t feeling well. Yu Xuanwei glanced at it indifferently and placed it in his arms.

Wu Qingluan said, “You should still leash it. Biting people is not acceptable.”

Yu Xuanwei replied, “He’s not a dog.”

“Ah…?”

“He’s a fox.”

“Oh.” A fox? Wu Qingluan thought. Aren’t foxes supposed to be graceful and agile? And this fox is so chubby, looking so much like a Samoyed.

“But you’re right, he should be leashed.” Yu Xuanwei carried the chubby fox as he walked toward his courtyard.

Wu Qingluan followed him and said, “Look at your pet… the fox. It didn’t get hurt, did it?”

“He’s perfectly fine.”

“It looks like he was crying.”

“He deserves it.”

“…”

Yu Xuanwei entered the courtyard and miraculously produced a bright golden rope from somewhere.

Seeing that rope, the chubby fox let out an angry “squeak” and tried to escape with a forceful kick of its hind legs. But it couldn’t escape, and its neck was instantly caught by the leash.

“Squeak!” The chubby fox cried out in frustration.

Yu Xuanwei led the chubby fox to the ground, dragging it forcibly to a nearby pine tree and tying the other end of the rope to the trunk.

He touched the chubby fox’s head and said, “If you cause trouble again next time, I’ll skin you and sell your fur.”

The chubby fox was furious, trying to bite him. But every time it moved, the rope pulled it back, making it look even angrier, with all its fur bristling.

Wu Qingluan watched the chubby fox, feeling sorry for it but also finding the situation a bit amusing. However, since it was someone else’s pet, she didn’t say anything.

Yu Xuanwei ignored the chubby fox and approached Wu Qingluan, saying, “Thank you for saving it.”

Wu Qingluan waved her hand modestly, “You’re welcome.”

Yu Xuanwei said, “Please, have a seat inside.”

Wu Qingluan followed him, “Xuanwei, I wanted to ask, how much money do I still owe you? My part in the movie is finished now, and I need to deal with some things back home, including the debt…”

“Call me Yu Xuanwei.”

“Okay… Yu Xuanwei. I’ve finished my scenes, and I have some matters to attend to back home, including the debt I owe you…”

Yu Xuanwei sat down at the tea table and pulled out his ledger. “You still owe 40 million.”

Wu Qingluan was pleasantly surprised. She had paid off half of her debt so quickly? She quickly said, “I’ll finish my business and come back immediately. With 40 million in two months, if I sleep with you for another two months, I can pay it all off, right?”

Yu Xuanwei shook his head. “You go and take care of your matters first. In a few days, I’ll come to find you and send the child over.”

Wu Qingluan was taken aback. That’s right, he had mentioned before that she needed to help him take care of his son as part of repaying the debt.

“Alright.” Wu Qingluan hesitated and asked, “I’ve never raised a child before. Are you really sure you want me to help you raise him?”

Yu Xuanwei nodded. “Yes.” He glanced at the screen behind the tea table. “They should start kindergarten. It’s time for them to learn to integrate into society. Staying with me here isn’t a long-term solution.”

“Oh.” Wu Qingluan couldn’t help but also look at the ornate screen. In the corner of the screen, two small white foxes were lying under the peony flowers.

Hmm? Why were there only two now? She remembered there were three of them before…

Yu Xuanwei handed Wu Qingluan a bank card. “I’ll cover the children’s living expenses and tuition fees. I’ll take care of the enrollment procedures in advance. You need to be responsible for managing them.”

Wu Qingluan was stunned. “Children…? How many children do you have?”

“Three. They are triplets, all boys.” Yu Xuanwei’s expression was unusually gentle.

Triplets!!!