Chapter 7

Although the plan had failed once again, Xiao Xihe still diligently prepared a variety of dishes—from stir-fries to stews, Chinese to Western cuisine—making as many different types as possible before carefully packing them all into her Cosmos Sack.

Meanwhile, the heartless someone had been watching from the sidelines since morning. Whenever a particularly interesting dish caught his eye, he would smoothly pick up his chopsticks and take a bite, his movements so natural that Xiao Xihe couldn’t help but suspect that even if she dropped dead right in front of him, it wouldn’t affect his appetite in the slightest.

By the time afternoon rolled around, Xiao Xihe finally washed her hands and prepared to settle her affairs.

“Demon Lord, considering I’ve left you so much delicious food, could you at least bury me after I die?”

“Sure,” Xie Zhaixing replied cheerfully, holding a freshly baked sweet potato.

Xiao Xihe sighed in relief and was about to continue when he leisurely added, “But you’ll have to dig the hole yourself.”

She blinked. “Why do I have to dig it myself?”

“Because you still have time,” Xie Zhaixing said, glancing up at the sunlight filtering through the tree canopy. “You can finish before dark.”

“…Demon Lord, after all the food I’ve made for you, you’re really going to make me dig my own grave? Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” Xiao Xihe was speechless.

Xie Zhaixing took a bite of the sweet potato, its caramelized surface glazed with honey and milk, rich and fragrant. “You don’t have to dig it.”

“…So if I don’t dig it, you won’t bury me, is that it?” Xiao Xihe had long since given up any hope for his decency.

Xie Zhaixing met her gaze with perfect composure, silently confirming her assumption.

After a long pause, Xiao Xihe took a deep breath. “Fine, don’t bury me. Once I’m dead, I won’t know anything anyway. Rotting underground or above ground—what’s the difference?”

Then she shot him a sidelong glance. “Well, actually, there is a difference. At least rotting above ground would gross you out. Maggots crawling everywhere and all that. Hope you don’t mind—it’s not like I’d be doing it on purpose.”

Xie Zhaixing paused mid-bite and stared at her expressionlessly.

Xiao Xihe smiled sweetly.

“I don’t mind,” he said before resuming eating.

…So damn infuriating, and yet she couldn’t even beat him up. Resentful, Xiao Xihe plopped down and grabbed a piece of sweet potato for herself. When she looked up again, Xie Zhaixing had sat down across from her, showing no intention of leaving.

“Aren’t you leaving?” she asked bluntly.

“No.”

“Why not?” Xiao Xihe was puzzled.

Xie Zhaixing: “I want to see what the Yin-Yang Joyous Gu poison looks like when it takes effect.”

Xiao Xihe: “…”

To avoid being angered to death before the poison could even kill her, Xiao Xihe decisively turned and retreated into the tent. As she lay down on the bed, she faintly heard his cool remark: “Bold when death is at your doorstep.”

Her eye twitched, but she pretended not to hear.

Without the annoying Xie Zhaixing around, Xiao Xihe finally felt at peace. The distant calls of birds, the nearby babbling of the stream, and the rustling of leaves in the wind—each sound deepened her attachment to this world.

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep amidst nature’s symphony.

When she woke again, the tent was bathed in dim golden light—clearly, evening had arrived.

…With less than half a day left, she’d slept through most of it?! Xiao Xihe was immediately filled with regret, taking a long while to recover.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Sleeping is also a form of enjoyment. No matter how time passes, as long as it’s pleasant, it’s good.” She comforted herself while walking out of the tent, only to freeze the moment she stepped outside. “Why are you here again?”

Xie Zhaixing looked up. “I never left.”

“Why didn’t you… Oh, to watch my Gu poison take effect,” Xiao Xihe answered her own question mid-sentence, sitting down across from him with a regretful expression. “Too bad, you won’t get to see it because I’ll be dead before the poison even flares up.”

Xie Zhaixing raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Xihe gave a wry smile and pulled out her medicine box from the Cosmos Sack.

This was the second time Xie Zhaixing had seen her medicine box. The last time, she had been sneaky, as if afraid he’d discover the Joy Union Powder. Now, she seemed unbothered, spreading everything out openly.

He glanced casually—most of the contents were low-grade spiritual medicines for prolonging life and enhancing constitution.

“Seems you really cherish your life,” Xie Zhaixing remarked leisurely.

“Yeah, I really do.” Despite her mental preparation, Xiao Xihe still felt downcast.

“Pity. Those who cherish life the most tend to die young,” Xie Zhaixing added.

Xiao Xihe felt as if an arrow had struck her heart.

“If you treasure life so much, you should cherish your final moments instead of wasting them on sleep,” Xie Zhaixing continued, not letting her off easily.

Another arrow struck.

Just as Xie Zhaixing was about to speak again, Xiao Xihe couldn’t take it anymore. “Demon Lord.”

“Hmm?” Xie Zhaixing looked up, a faint glimmer in his eyes.

“Don’t you think you’re being unusually talkative today?” Xiao Xihe asked as calmly as possible.

Xie Zhaixing’s eyes flickered before he curled his lips into a smile. “After all, tomorrow, there’ll be no one left to listen to me.”

Xiao Xihe: “…”

For the sake of her last moments of peace, she decided to ignore Xie Zhaixing and focused on rummaging through the pile of pills.

After a long while, she finally pulled out a small black pill and sighed in relief. “Found it.”

Xie Zhaixing raised an eyebrow. “Body-Ending Pill. Instant death upon consumption, irreversible.”

“Taking this before the Gu poison flares up will spare me the suffering.” Xiao Xihe smiled faintly, a soft light in her eyes.

Xie Zhaixing stared at the smile at the corner of her eyes for a long moment before calmly looking away.

Night fell, and the cold crept in—Shady Valley was much chillier than during the day.

Wrapped in a goose-down quilt, Xiao Xihe sat at the small table and brought out the fruit wine she had been saving for so long, drinking cup after cup. Xie Zhaixing sat quietly across from her, watching her final ritual.

“Getting drunk will make it less scary,” she mumbled in explanation.

Xie Zhaixing glanced at her cup. “With this kind of fruit wine, you could drink ten thousand cups and still not get drunk.”

No sooner had he spoken than a cup was suddenly thrust in front of him, splashing wine onto his robes. “Drink!”

Xie Zhaixing: “…”

“Come on, drink,” Xiao Xihe urged.

Xie Zhaixing smirked and took the cup. “Seems I overestimated you.”

Xiao Xihe sniffled, her eyes suddenly reddening. “Why am I so unlucky…”

Once a drunk starts talking, it’s hard to make them stop.

“I’ve been a good person all my life. Back in school, I often helped elderly ladies cross the street. After starting work, I regularly donated money and did charity work. I have a good personality and good looks—everyone likes me and wants to be my friend. Tell me, why would someone as good as me be so unlucky, getting hit by two drunk-driving idiots?”

“Getting hit was bad enough, but I didn’t even die on the spot. Instead, I ended up with broken bones everywhere and became a vegetable, lying in the ICU for a year, kept alive only by a ventilator. My back was practically rotting. Even though I couldn’t open my eyes, I knew everything—where the doctors stitched me up, where they cut off a piece of skin—I felt it all. So many times, I wanted to get up and yank out my own oxygen tube.”

“It hurt so much. How could it still hurt so much when I was already a vegetable? I really, really wanted to die back then… But then I suddenly appeared here, suddenly given a new life. Do you know how I felt? Happy. So happy. Even if I only had thirty days left, I couldn’t help but be happy.”

“Not being wheeled into surgery all the time was wonderful. Not lying in bed waiting to die was wonderful. But why only thirty days? I wanted so badly to live—why only thirty days?”

By this point, Xiao Xihe was already choking back sobs.

Xie Zhaixing watched her calmly, though it was unclear how much he actually took in.

Xiao Xihe’s nose was red, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at Xie Zhaixing. “Demon Lord, I’m already starting to feel the pain now. Before I die, there are a few things I want to say to you.”

“Speak,” Xie Zhaixing said, lifting his gaze to meet hers.

Xiao Xihe bit her lower lip, staring at him for a long moment before finally speaking through her tears. “You’re the worst person I’ve ever met.”

Xie Zhaixing: “…”

“You could’ve saved my life just by sleeping with me a few times, but you refused no matter what. What, were you afraid you’d get pregnant afterward? You’re a man! It’s not like you’d lose anything!” Xiao Xihe wiped her eyes roughly, her voice filled with sorrow and resentment. “Treating human life like dirt, not even a shred of kindness in you. And after all the delicious food I made for you—what a waste of effort.”

“What’s so bad about me that you couldn’t even bear to endure it? My figure isn’t terrible, right? My face isn’t ugly, right? Why couldn’t you just help me?”

“I’ve never met a man with a blacker heart than yours. Not only did you refuse to help me, but you still came to eat my food, showing up in front of me every day, giving me hope over and over again. You’re a scumbag! A jerk! Trash!”

“Finished?” Xie Zhaixing asked mildly.

Xiao Xihe thought for a moment, then nodded. “Finished.”

“Then die. Your poison is about to flare up,” Xie Zhaixing said helpfully, pushing the Body-Ending Pill toward her.

Xiao Xihe sniffled, her hand trembling as she picked up the pill. She stared at it for a long while before finally steeling herself, closing her eyes and bringing it to her mouth—

“I suppose I could save you,” Xie Zhaixing said leisurely.

“Gah—!” Xiao Xihe immediately spat the pill out, gulped down two mouthfuls of fruit wine to rinse her mouth, then hastily swallowed a handful of detoxifying herbs. Only after confirming she was fine did she turn teary-eyed to Xie Zhaixing. “Demon Lord, what did you say?”

“But I hate being touched by others,” Xie Zhaixing replied, perfectly composed.

“I promise!” Xiao Xihe hastily raised three fingers in oath, “I won’t do anything unnecessary, won’t touch anywhere except the key area! When we’re done, your clothes won’t even be wrinkled!”

Xie Zhaixing pondered for a long while before finally leaning back lazily. “Go ahead then.”

“…I have to do it myself?” Xiao Xihe’s alcohol-fogged brain was slow to react.

Xie Zhaixing raised an eyebrow. “Or else?”

Xiao Xihe swallowed hard, quietly slid off her stool, circled around the table, and knelt before his knees. Taking a deep breath, she reached for his belt.

“Have you forgotten what I told you?” Xie Zhaixing said displeased.

Xiao Xihe was shocked. “We’re not even taking clothes off?”

“Is that necessary?” Xie Zhaixing sounded impatient, as if reconsidering.

Xiao Xihe hurriedly said, “No no… theoretically speaking, we just need to take it out.”

Only then did Xie Zhaixing look satisfied.

…So how exactly does one ‘take it out’? Xiao Xihe stared at Xie Zhaixing’s expressionless face, feeling unsure how to proceed. After much hesitation, she helplessly asked, “Demon Lord, maybe we should go into the tent? It’s a bit hard to operate with you sitting like this.”

“Tch.”

Xiao Xihe’s heart instantly leaped to her throat.

“Troublesome.” Fortunately, Xie Zhaixing merely complained before striding into the tent.

Xiao Xihe quietly exhaled in relief, downed two more gulps of fruit wine, and followed.

Inside the tent, Xie Zhaixing lounged lazily on the bed, watching her with amusement.

Xiao Xihe’s heartbeat quickened as she dawdled to the bedside and knelt before him again. After a moment’s silence, she asked, “Demon Lord, what’s your usual… private life like?”

Xie Zhaixing’s eyebrow twitched.

“Are you experienced? Any diseases? Should I take preventive medicine? Or maybe make a makeshift condom? You might not know due to limited knowledge, but male and female anatomies differ, women are very fragile so we must take protective measures…”

“One more word and I’m leaving,” Xie Zhaixing interrupted darkly.

Xiao Xihe instantly shut her mouth, and silence fell over the tent.

After a long while, Xiao Xihe still quietly took out a health-boosting pill and secretly swallowed it.

Xie Zhaixing, watching her secretly take medicine: “…”