Chapter 9 : Husband

Ji Yu dreamt again of her childhood.

When she was born, her mother, Ji Lan, died from exhaustion. It can be said that her life was exchanged for her mother’s life.

When the thousand-year-old corpse demons of the Longquan Underground Palace wreaked havoc on the world, all the demon hunter went to the battlefield. Her mother, Ji Lan, was a powerful demon hunter and, as the head of the Ji family, went to the battlefield as well.

At that time, her mother was already five months pregnant and unfortunately got infected with corpse poison. Although the poison was later suppressed, it affected the fetus in her womb.

In order for Ji Yu to be born safely, her mother exhausted her own life force.

After Ji Yu was born, the corpse poison also affected her body, making her frail and sickly from a young age, nearly useless.

Despite this, the Ji family did not abandon her. Instead, they gave everything they had, raised her broken body, and protected her until she grew up.

During childhood, when the corpse poison flared up, Ji Yu often spent sleepless nights in pain. Sometimes, in her dazed state of pain, she would hear her grandmother and the housekeeper, Aunt Gui, talking.

“…Old Madam, do we really have to do this? The young master is still so young…” Aunt Gui’s tone was full of worry and reluctance.

The old grandmother’s aged voice came from afar, not quite clear “It’s precisely because she is still young that I must do this. As long as my Ji Yu can grow up safely, I’m willing to take this gamble…”

“But what if the curse…”

“This is also her fate.”

“…”

Ji Yu slept uneasily. She wanted to ask her grandmother about the curse. Her grandmother’s warm hand gently stroked her head, her voice warm and loving “Good child, go to sleep. It won’t hurt once you’re asleep.”

Ji Yu murmured “Grandmother” and tried to grasp her grandmother’s hand. She did grasp it, but it was not as warm as she remembered instead, it was cold and chilling, making her shiver and waking her from the dream.

Dim light seeped through the window.

Ji Yu opened her eyes in confusion and saw a tall figure by the bed. Instinctively, she called out “Hongxiao…”

“Wife, it’s me.”

A deep, magnetic voice spoke, filled with tenderness and affection, as if a man deeply in love with his wife was speaking gently and softly to her.

Ji Yu’s long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes widened slightly, the confusion clearing away.

She saw clearly the man standing by the bed.

He was still in the uniform of the Commander of the Demon Division of the imperial city, its vivid colors bold and striking. Even in the dim light, its brilliance was not concealed, yet it carried an indescribable irony.

Ji Yu could not find her voice. Her gaze met the man’s pitch-black eyes, and he gave her a gentle smile, his eyes full of her.

“My Wife, you’re awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?” He spoke with concern, fully immersing himself in the role of “husband.”

As his “wife,” Ji Yu did not want to speak, her defenses only growing stronger. Her hand was still in his, and it wasn’t cold and clammy, but rather warm so warm it was almost addictive.

When he gently inquired again, Ji Yu lowered her gaze and replied weakly, “I’m fine.”

Seeing her condition, Jiang Shiqiu sighed with exasperation. “Wife, if you’re uncomfortable, you must tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself, it pains me to see you like this.”

Ji Yu did not respond. Emotions and desires are the most precious treasures of human life, proving one’s existence. Can a being that doesn’t even understand what it is truly experience emotions like “pain”?

Seeing her dry lips, Jiang Shiqiu poured a glass of warm water, helped her sit up, and supported her against himself while feeding her.

He did it naturally and attentively, as if he was accustomed to caring for her, doing so with great care to avoid hurting her.

Ji Yu drank the water silently, with a lingering sense of confusion beneath his calm face.

She originally thought that she might not be able to wake up this time, and even if she could, she would still be controlled by the evil spirit. For a demon hunter, once controlled by an evil spirit, the hope of escape is very slim, not to mention the power of “Jiang Shiqiu”.

She was not afraid of death. From a young age, understanding her physical condition, she had always been prepared for death. As it was this time, if she had unfortunately died, she would not have felt much regret. Perhaps the only regret was not obtaining what the Ji family needed.

But now, not only was she alive, but she also had an unknown “husband” who, despite seeming so genuine, took care of her with deep affection.

She almost started to believe it.

If it weren’t for the constant pain pervading her body, keeping her fully alert, she might have accepted this “husband” named Jiang Shiqiu and fallen into the beautiful illusion he created, just like others.

After feeding her the water, Jiang Shiqiu helped her sit up.

Hongxiao came in with toiletries, her face full of smiles as she looked at them. Seeing Jiang Shiqiu there, she did not rush to assist with washing but instead left contentedly.

Ji Yu: “…”

Ji Yu numbly raised her face and let him wipe her face with a soft, wrung-out towel. The warm, moist touch of the towel on her face felt incredibly real. But when he picked up her clothes to help her put them on, Ji Yu’s face, which had been numb and calm, finally showed a hint of struggle. “N-no, I can do it myself.”

Jiang Shiqiu looked at her steadily, his pitch-black eyes intense and pressuring.

Ji Yu lowered her gaze, stiffly avoiding his eyes. While she could avert her gaze, she couldn’t escape the sensation of his eyes on her, demon hunter have highly sensitive senses and cannot ignore the weight of a gaze.

It was too intense, filled with… possessiveness.

As Ji Yu struggled to endure and worried about whether she had angered him, the man’s voice spoke, “Wife, it pains me to see you like this.”

His tone was filled with helplessness, but he showed no sign of giving up.

“Wife, as your husband, it’s my duty to take care for you. Moreover, since you’re not in good health, I should be more understanding and take better care of you. It’s my responsibility.”

Ji Yu: “…” There’s no need for all this.

Ultimately, Ji Yu was defeated by Jiang Shiqiu’s shamelessness.

Her body was too weak to resist. Besides being “fully awake,” she was weaker than any demon hunter at Yanyue Villa.

After Ji Yu was dressed, Jiang Shiqiu carried her out of the inner room.

He was very tall. Standing before him, Ji Yu barely reached his shoulder. He could easily lift her, as if she were a small child.

Jiang Shiqiu carried her into the outer room, where Hongxiao had already prepared breakfast.

Ji Yu’s gaze slowly moved to the door, realizing they were still at Yanyue Villa.

She was both surprised and unsurprised. The demons at Yanyue Villa were not so easily dealt with, and given the unknown background and motives of the “person” beside her, they would not be allowed to leave so easily.

It was an early spring morning, with a light drizzle falling, and the air was cold and damp.

After breakfast, Hongxiao brought in a bowl of dark, bitter medicine.

Jiang Shiqiu, seeing the bowl of medicine, tasted it out of curiosity, then put it down with a look of reluctance. He took her hand and said, “Wife, this medicine is so bitter. Do you have to drink this every day?”

Ji Yu glanced at him and reached out to take it. “It’s not that bad.”

As she finished speaking, a candied fruit was brought to her lips.

The sweet aroma of the candied fruit was a welcome contrast to the bitter medicine. Ji Yu looked at the hand holding the candied fruit, slender fingers were delicate, like bamboo. If made into bone artifacts, they would be very beautiful.

She then looked at the man holding the candied fruit, growing increasingly silent.

“Wife, open your mouth,” Jiang Shiqiu urged, offering the fruit.

Ji Yu stiffly opened her mouth and ate the candied fruit he fed her. His face showed pleasure, and his previously weird features seemed exceptionally gentle and harmless.

At that moment, voices could be heard from outside.

Ji Yu still had the candied fruit in her mouth, which sweetened her taste and masked the strange flavor of the medicine.

Soon after, Hongxiao entered with Xu Xiujue, Chen Qingfeng, and the leader of the Demon-Exterminating Alliance, Zuo Lingshuang.

The three first bowed to Jiang Shiqiu, calling him “Master Jiang,” before inquiring about Ji Yu’s condition.

Ji Yu observed them carefully, noting their expressions were normal. She nodded slightly and said, “I’m much better, thank you all for your concern.”

Jiang Shiqiu was not pleased, feeling that the three were interrupting his wife’s rest. He stood up and said, “If you have something to discuss, do it outside. My wife needs to rest.”

The three complied and followed him out.

Ji Yu sat by the window, faintly able to hear the voices coming from the adjacent hall.

Xu Xiujue and the others had come to inquire about Yanyue Villa. Although Jiang Shiqiu had caused quite a disturbance at the wedding the previous night, the problems at Yanyue Villa had not been truly resolved. The demons causing trouble had not yet revealed their true forms, and like the people of Yanyue Villa, they were still trapped there.

Ji Yu’s fingers idly toyed with the gold beads on her wrist, her gaze shifting to Hongxiao, who stood guard nearby.

With Jiang Shiqiu gone, Hongxiao took up her usual role of attentive guardian.

“Hongxiao,” Ji Yu called out.

Hongxiao asked with concern, “Young Master, is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Ji Yu did not answer but instead asked, “Hongxiao, what do you think of Jiang Shiqiu…” She asked with a mix of curiosity and concealment, staring intently at Hongxiao.

“Master Jiang is quite good,” Hongxiao said with a cheerful smile, showing a look of trust. “Last night, when the corpse poison flared up again, we were very grateful to have Master Jiang here. Otherwise… Some time ago, Master Jiang mentioned he wanted to find Snow Jade insects as a medicine to treat you. I don’t know how that went…”

Ji Yu listened, feeling that “Jiang Shiqiu” was becoming increasingly inscrutable. Not only did he obscure the perceptions of demon hunter, but he also seemed to alter their memories, creating a perfectly coherent and logical memory without any discrepancies.

No wonder Hongxiao was so devoted to Jiang Shiqiu.

At that moment, she also heard Hongxiao say, “Master Jiang was willing to marry into our Ji family. I heard that the Jiang family was quite displeased, but Master Jiang handled it all.”

Ji Yu: “…” Marry into the family?

Then, Ji Yu learned from Hongxiao that Jiang Shiqiu came from the prominent Jiang family in Yun Jing. He was the youngest and most talented demon hunter of his generation, having attained the position of Commander of the Demon Division at such a young age. He was handsome, extraordinarily talented, capable of keeping everyone in line, and was admired as both a scholar and a warrior, a unparalleled of talent and appearance. Many noble families in Yun Jing viewed him as an ideal match.

He was also considered the most handsome man in Yun Jing.

Hearing this, Ji Yu felt it was utterly absurd.

It seemed as though Jiang Shiqiu was another “Shang Yunxiao”The most handsome man in Yunjing, the same man who married into the Ji family.

Could it be that he used Shang Yunxiao’s experiences as a template to fabricate a natural identity for himself in the demon hunter’ memories?