“Little Empress, it’s not that we didn’t rush to save you; it’s just that this barrier was a real hassle. Could you put in a good word for us with the Lord Emperor so he doesn’t punish us, huh~~” Bai Wuchang said to me with a smile.

Without his tongue hanging out, he didn’t look all that scary.

Honestly, my whole worldview is about to collapse. I even felt like his smile was a bit… friendly?

“I…” I looked at Jiang Qi Yun, who was gazing down at me.

His expression was so complex. Beyond helplessness and guilt, I even saw a hint of—

A hint of… compassion?

Yes, compassion.

Did he also think I was pitiful?

He used to be so harsh, so cold, so indifferent toward me. Now he finally realizes he could be a bit gentler?

“Uh… I’m fine. Thanks for coming to rescue me.” I said to Bai Wuchang.

Hei Wuchang stood by his side, looking much more serious than Bai Wuchang. He wasn’t smiling at all, staring at me with wide, intense eyes.

Bai Wuchang chuckled, “Oh no, we’re not worthy of your thanks. If you want to thank someone, thank the Lord Emperor… Hey, Old Eight, why’d you only catch these few female ghosts? Where’s that other wench?”

I looked and, sure enough, Hei Wuchang only held the souls of people killed by the evil master—most of them were the residents here.

“Tsk tsk, Old Eight, that’s not like you! You never miss a single soul! What happened, did the sight of that wench’s unclothed spirit blind you?” Bai Wuchang’s words were sharp as a knife.

“Nonsense!” Hei Wuchang glared at him furiously. “That spirit cultivator was strong. She vanished with a ghostly face; I didn’t catch her.”

Bai and Hei Wuchang usually appeared together, though they could retrieve souls on their own too. Men, made of yang souls and yin spirits, were often handled by Bai Wuchang, while Hei Wuchang retrieved female ghosts, composed of yin souls and yang spirits.

As I listened to their exchange, I didn’t realize I was clinging tightly to Jiang Qi Yun, with one hand grabbing his and the other clutching his shirt.

To an ordinary person, I probably looked downright crazy.

A cop had been eyeing me for a while and finally asked, “Uh… did you bump your head or something?”

“Ah?” I said, snapping out of it and realizing how strange I must’ve looked to him. Quickly, I let go of Jiang Qi Yun.

I didn’t want to let go of his hand, but strangely, he didn’t let go either. Even though he stayed silent with a complicated look I couldn’t quite read, having him beside me was enough.

“Damn, it’s freezing in here!” A junior cop rubbed his arms. “What the hell… Did these psychos set the AC to the lowest just to hide the bodies? Freezing in here!”

“If you’re cold, go get some sun before you catch a chill,” my Uncle pushed him out of the room.

My uncle, Mu Cheng Su, is the youngest deputy superintendent of the police force and an associate professor of forensic studies. He’s the most capable person in my dad’s generation.

And he’s seriously talented. Just now, I watched him handle both a gun and some Daoist hand seals like a total boss… Not that I could ever say that out loud, since he’s got the national emblem to protect and adheres strictly to certain principles, which means he can’t engage in any “feudal superstitions.”

He’s just turned thirty, single, with women practically throwing themselves at him, but he hasn’t given any of them a second glance.

Because of this, he’s been on bad terms with my grandpa and hasn’t been home in two years.

“Xiao Qiao.” He called to me from a distance, his gaze sweeping over my side, his voice deep. “It’s way too cold in here. Come outside.”

There was a pointed note to his words, and I felt a bit torn—I didn’t want to leave Jiang Qi Yun’s side right now.

Jiang Qi Yun gave a look to Bai Wuchang, and they disappeared.

He led me out of the room. Scattered on the floor were remnants that had fallen from the freezer, and the sight of those limbs made me gag, covering my mouth, which made Jiang Qi Yun frown.

“…Still not feeling well?” He pulled me to stand outside the caution tape.

“This whole scene is too disgusting.” I forced myself to steady my breathing, calming the wave of nausea in my chest. “I didn’t intentionally put myself in danger; these people targeted my family. We couldn’t have been prepared…”

I explained softly, unsure if he even cared to listen.

His gaze returned to that same icy calm. “I know. I’ll give the order to hunt them down and try to reduce the danger around you.”

His words reassured me a bit.

##

When I finally left the police station, I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, wobbling as I stood.

Lately, I’ve started to feel some early symptoms of pregnancy, and the first is a constant need to sleep. After this scare and staying up all night, I couldn’t hold on any longer.

I don’t know how I even made it back to my room. By the time I woke up, I sensed something unusual behind me.

Jiang Qi Yun was lying beside me…

He was resting on one arm, his other hand draped over my waist, wearing the clothes I’d burned for him—a simple white shirt and black trousers.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“…What are you laughing at?” He opened his eyes.

“Nothing… Didn’t you sleep?” I turned to face him.

“It doesn’t matter if I sleep or not.” He closed his eyes lightly.

Looking at his calm face, I couldn’t quite grasp his thoughts.

He seemed very concerned about this spiritual fetus, but why?

He isn’t an ordinary person; he doesn’t have to worry about aging, death, loneliness, or lacking someone to serve him.

So I asked, “Jiang Qi Yun, we’re… ghost-married, right?”

He gave a faint “Mm.”

“I don’t understand… why you need me. Or rather, why you need this spirit fetus. You… don’t seem like the type to lack for female company. Surely you have plenty of other female spirits by your side?” I asked cautiously.

He opened his eyes, and his cold gaze fixed on me, making me nervous.

“I’m not trying to pry or control you. I just want to know… what am I to you? Why do you need me to be pregnant? You don’t need to worry about old age or death, nor do you need heirs. I… I—”

I couldn’t finish…

His gaze was so intense, those dark golden eyes faintly glimmering.

It was like standing on the edge of a volcano, staring down at the bubbling magma below, making me dizzy.

“You’re someone important. Maybe to you, I’m just a fleeting guest. I’m not probing into your life; I just want to know… does this mean anything?” Nervous, I tensed, my hand instinctively resting on my belly.

His eyes remained as sharp and cold as ever, unblinking, his presence pressing down until my breath came quicker.

“There’s no one else,” he suddenly said, his voice low.

“What?”

“No one else. That ring—I only ever gave it to you.” His lashes lowered slightly, concealing those cold eyes.

I ran my fingers over the ring, tentatively asking, “…Is it because I’m special? That I can carry a spirit fetus for you?”

My heart held a hint of hope as I asked.

“Yes.” He answered without hesitation.

In that instant, it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me, filling my chest with a dull, aching pain.

“Why… me…” No matter how much I tried to hold back, a sob slipped out.

He suddenly rolled over, pinning me down, his grip on my chin hard with barely contained anger.