Chapter 22

Yi Xuanwei welcomed Tu Hua without a word and ushered her inside the house, then disappeared without a sound.

Tu Hua was evidently an old acquaintance of his. When the triplets saw her, they rushed towards her with the affection one would show to their own mother. They embraced her warmly.

Wu Qingluan was shocked to see that, although Tu Hua appeared slender, her lower body was remarkably stable. Even when the triplets bumped into her, she didn’t waver a bit. She held the eldest in her arms while the second and third dangled from her slender arm. She smiled cheerfully.

“Hello, sister. I’ll go unpack my luggage first,” Tu Hua winked at Wu Qingluan and then went upstairs with the triplets still clinging to her.

Wu Qingluan wisely put away her stern debt-collector expression and managed to muster a friendly smile. “Do you need any help? I’m quite skilled myself, and I’ve seen people with real martial arts skills in action during my acting days. One punch from them, and you’re done for!”

“No need, no need. I can handle it myself, not much stuff,” Tu Hua replied, turning to blow her a flying kiss.

Wu Qingluan watched her lively eyes and felt her anger dissipate. She mumbled, “Well… alright then.”

Mrs. Zhou leaned in and said, “Is this young lady the security guard that Master Yu hired? She’s quite strong. I’ll have to cook more dishes for lunch.”

Mrs. Zhou rolled up her sleeves and headed to the kitchen, while the little dog in Wu Qingluan’s arms let out a couple of “woofs.”

“Poor little thing, Mommy will take you to the hospital,” Wu Qingluan said.

Suddenly, a leftover apple fell unexpectedly, hitting the little dog on the head and making it teary-eyed.

“You’re so fond of playing mommy to others, go ahead then!” an angry voice from above scolded.

“Yu Jue!” Wu Qingluan’s anger flared up, and she was about to pull him down to spank him when she looked up and saw that Yu Jue had tears in his eyes, looking as if he had been wronged.

Wu Qingluan’s heart softened for a moment, but she didn’t want to encourage his bad habits. She threatened, “You just wait for me; when I come back, I’ll give your butt a good beating!”

As Wu Qingluan carried the little dog towards the exit, she noticed an ornate folding screen next to the staircase. The flames of anger surged within her again. She hurriedly returned, taking a step and kicking the screen in frustration, shouting, “The dog priest’s spoiled son… Ah!”

However, Wu Qingluan didn’t kick a solid wooden surface as expected. Instead, she kicked into empty space and tumbled into the screen!

She staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground.

A gentle breeze brushed against her face, carrying the rustling of bamboo leaves and the soothing sound of slow-flowing water.

Beneath Wu Qingluan’s knees was a winding path paved with small cobblestones, flanked by lush and tall bamboo groves. A clear stream gently flowed beneath a small bridge up ahead.

Wu Qingluan took a while to stand up and muttered, “Am I in some kind of painting? This is unbelievable.”

For some reason, despite the eerie situation, she didn’t panic at all. The surroundings were both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time, and she found them strangely comforting.

The little dog was still in her arms, its warm body giving her courage. Wu Qingluan decided to keep moving forward. She had come this far; there was no point in standing still.

She gazed ahead and saw the roof of a building at the end of the path. Where there were buildings, there were likely people or something else.

Wu Qingluan continued along the path, and her legs began to feel tired by the time she raised her head again. The rooftop still seemed distant. The familiar sound of flowing water, the familiar small bridge—yes, she had returned to the same place she entered from.

Ghosts, hitting, walls.

Despite her reluctance, Wu Qingluan couldn’t help but think of these three words. She sighed, placed the little dog on the ground, and sat down on a large stone by the roadside.

Wu Qingluan wasn’t a particularly brave person, but she had a peculiar trait—she often scared herself with her own imagination. When something real happened, she found herself able to remain composed. It just went to show that fear stemmed from the unknown!

The little dog, now on the ground, didn’t cower like it did at home. It lifted its head, its delicate nose sniffing carefully.

Seeing how professional it seemed, hope welled up within Wu Qingluan. They say dogs have a sixth sense and can perceive things that humans can’t. “Can you lead me out, little darling?” she asked.

Wu Qingluan suddenly realized she hadn’t given this little dog a name yet, given the circumstances, there was only one name that came to mind…

She gently stroked the dog’s head, encouraging it, “I believe you can lead me back home. Go on, Compass!”

The little dog, initially poised and ready, heard its new name, and it hesitated for a moment, let out a whimper, then shook its ears and darted forward, taking off in the direction ahead.

As Wu Qingluan briskly followed Compass, she couldn’t help but think that she had chosen an apt name—it seemed to be guiding her well!

Despite Compass appearing visibly weakened earlier, it was now running swiftly through this place. Wu Qingluan struggled to keep up and, suddenly, the dog disappeared from her sight, and she lost track of it.

“Ugh!” Wu Qingluan sighed. “The magnetic field here must be chaotic; Compass is malfunctioning.”

“Pfft!”

A mocking sound startled Wu Qingluan. “Who’s there?”

No one responded. She mustered the courage to enter the nearby bushes where the sound came from but found nothing. Just as she was becoming more perplexed, she heard a noise behind her.

Wu Qingluan kept her body tense and told herself not to turn around abruptly—doing so was a taboo in supernatural situations. She slowly tilted her head to get a glimpse of what was behind her.

Nothing. She sighed in relief, turned around, and was surprised to find a small, pure white fox sitting in the middle of the path, staring at her.

Wu Qingluan pointed at it. “There you are, Fox Spirit!”

The small fox’s cool eyes revealed a hint of helplessness as it raised its chin at Wu Qingluan and got up, walking forward.

Was it going to lead her? Wu Qingluan didn’t dare to speak out of turn and quickly followed.

“Hehe!”

Laughter echoed from further in the bushes. Wu Qingluan was startled. Could she have entered a fox den?

The white fox was not large in size but exuded an astonishing presence, moving with grace. It had many tails trailing behind its rear end, proudly bunched together, giving the impression of a large flower on its behind.

Wu Qingluan followed a couple of steps behind the fox and said, “Great spirit…”

The fox’s ears twitched, and it stopped in its tracks.

It can understand human speech! Wu Qingluan pressed on, “Great spirit, thank you for leading me out. How can I repay you?”

Wu Qingluan had grown up with Grandma Zhou and had heard countless stories about ghosts and spirits. She had especially heard numerous tales about fox spirits. These supernatural beings had distinct personalities, often seeking compensation for their assistance; otherwise, bad luck could follow. Wu Qingluan didn’t want to be superstitious, but in this situation, what else could she do except rely on her ancestors’ beliefs?

The white fox leaped in place and landed on Wu Qingluan’s shoulder in an instant. She immediately froze, perking up her ears, ready to listen to the guidance of this great spirit.

Unexpectedly, the white fox stuck out its tongue and licked her ear, then affectionately rubbed against her.

The warmth of its moist tongue and the thick, soft fur immediately made Wu Qingluan think of the dream she had, where Yu Xuanwei had a large tail and pointed ears…

Wu Qingluan’s face turned bright red. She scolded herself internally, “What are you thinking, Wu Qingluan? You have quite the peculiar taste!”

The white fox leaned in and licked the corner of Wu Qingluan’s lips.

Wu Qingluan froze in place: “Could this great spirit want her body?”

The white fox didn’t continue but gave her one more nuzzle before hopping down.

Wu Qingluan breathed a sigh of relief and continued following the white fox forward.

“A-Luan, A-Luan, it’s time for lunch.”

Grandma Zhou’s voice echoed in her ears, and Wu Qingluan suddenly woke up.

Seeing that she had woken up, Grandma Zhou lightly patted her head. “Even if you’re not going to work, you can’t be sleeping like this, wasting the morning away. Hurry and help me set the table.” After saying that, she walked to the stairwell, hands on her hips. “Boys, it’s time for lunch!”

Footsteps resounded on the staircase, and the triplets came running down. “Time to eat, time to eat!”

Wu Qingluan rubbed her eyes, not fully awake yet. How had she ended up falling asleep on the couch like this?

“Woof…” A whimper sounded at her feet.

“Compass?” Wu Qingluan blurted out upon seeing the little dog.

“Woof!” The compass responded reluctantly.

Wu Qingluan shook her head, walked to the screen near the staircase, and cautiously reached out to touch it. Her fingers felt the warm, smooth wood. Was it all just a dream?

“A-Luan, why are you still standing there? Set the table!” Grandma Zhou urged.

“Oh, right.”

Compass followed her closely. Wu Qingluan shook her head. Could it be that lying down for too long had given her hallucinations? No, she needed to attend to the important matters she had been putting off for a long time after taking care of compass in the afternoon.