Chapter 25

Inside Qinglong Temple, Wu Qingluan wandered around in confusion, and it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was lost.

When they were filming here, the crew had only rented a small portion of the area. At that time, Wu Qingluan didn’t know much about Yu Xuanwei’s background. She had heard from Brother Guo that the Taoist here had a big temper and many rules, allowing filming but with various taboos.

After finishing the shoot, Wu Qingluan had been in a hurry to terminate her contract and return home. As a result, she had never taken the time to explore Qinglong Temple.

Qinglong Temple occupied the entire Qinglong Mountain and had a meticulous internal courtyard design. There were multiple courtyards, and the scenery changed with every step, creating a labyrinth-like effect. For someone unfamiliar with the place, it was easy to get lost.

As her overheated mind cooled down, Wu Qingluan regretted her impulsive actions. She had nearly been eaten by a monster just a while ago, and now she had acted recklessly!

Wu Qingluan considered calling Yu Xuanwei for help but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She hesitantly reached for her phone in her pocket, but her hand came up empty.

This feeling… something wasn’t right.

Wu Qingluan trembled as she lowered her head and discovered that her hand had passed through her pocket and into her own body.

She… Wu Qingluan panicked and covered her face. She had turned into a transparent ghost!

Not far behind her, Yu Xuanwei stood in mid-air, looking down at her helplessly.

When Wu Qingluan had encountered the monster earlier and was frightened, it was precisely when her spirit and soul were unstable. Inside the temple, where spiritual energy was abundant and filled with barriers, her emotional turmoil had caused her soul to leave her body without her realizing it. She had run quite a distance before she discovered her current state.

Yu Xuanwei was contemplating how to guide her back without frightening her when suddenly, a clear bell sound rang out.

Naturally, Wu Qingluan was drawn to the sound. Following the sound, she saw a girl dressed in a plain gray Daoist robe.

The girl was slender and appeared to be no taller than 1.65 meters. She had a simple ponytail and looked like she hadn’t reached adulthood yet. In her hand, she held a golden bell, and as she lightly swayed her wrist, the bell produced a continuous, melodic sound.

Guided by the tinkling of the bell, Wu Qingluan unconsciously followed the girl.

The girl’s steps were light and swift, and she quickly led Wu Qingluan back to Yu Xuanwei’s room. There, Wu Qingluan saw her own body lying comfortably in bed, covered with a blanket.

“Go back,” the girl urged her to return to her body.

“Thank you,” Wu Qingluan whispered, but she couldn’t hide her curiosity. She gave the girl a lingering look, and the girl smiled at her, revealing a faint dimple on her left cheek.

Wu Qingluan approached her own body, ready to return to it, but suddenly felt a connection in her heart. She abruptly looked up at the sky.

Yu Xuanwei didn’t expect her spirit to be so alert and was caught off guard as she looked right at him.

After a brief hesitation, Yu Xuanwei made up his mind and no longer concealed himself. He descended slowly and stood before Wu Qingluan.

For a moment, Wu Qingluan felt the world change, and the sun and moon lost their light.

She stared blankly at the man in front of her and asked in a trembling voice, “Why are your eyes green?”

“So I can see you more clearly,” he replied.

“Why are your nails so long?”

“In order to hold you more tightly,” he replied.

Wu Qingluan’s gaze fell on what was swaying behind Yu Xuanwei. “What’s that behind you?”

“My tail.”

Wu Qingluan struggled to speak, “So… you’re not… you are…”

“Nine-tailed fox,” those words were still caught in Yu Xuanwei’s teeth. Wu Qingluan screamed, “Fox spirit! Nine-tailed fox!”

“Ha!” The girl who was watching couldn’t help but burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. “Big Brother, she’s not wrong; you really are a fox spirit, hahaha!”

Sensing the predatory look in Yu Xuanwei’s eyes, the girl abruptly stopped laughing and left with a parting remark, “I’ve got things to do.”

However, after a moment, the girl ran back at lightning speed and made a goofy face at Yu Xuanwei. “Big Brother, if you keep being so reserved, the  lady you love will run away with someone else. If you have something to confess, do it quickly. Is there anything you need to explain? Say it now, or I’ll have to wait for my death before I attend your wedding, hahaha…”

The girl ran far away, but her laughter still echoed in the air.

Yu Xuanwei and Wu Qingluan stared at each other, one not knowing where to start, the other not knowing what to ask.

Yu Xuanwei’s otherworldly appearance made her somewhat afraid, as it combined a mystical and ethereal quality that was uncanny.

Wu Qingluan suspected that she might still be in a nightmare; she hadn’t woken up yet. How could it be such a coincidence that she kept seeing this hidden world?

Legends were one thing, but witnessing them firsthand was something else entirely.

Wu Qingluan recalled Yu Xuanwei’s request for her to accompany him to sleep for the sake of his cultivation, and her complexion became even worse. It seemed that he was telling the truth. Perhaps from a metaphysical perspective, her destiny or something else favored his spiritual progress?

At that moment, various speculations swirled in her mind.

Wu Qingluan felt overwhelmed and decided to bury her head in the sand. She resolutely lay back in her own body.

However, as soon as she moved, she sat up abruptly.

Seeing Yu Xuanwei, she breathed a sigh of relief. The Yu Xuanwei in front of her had no pointed ears, no majestic tail, and his eyes were normal black… It must have been a dream, a nightmare.

Wu Qingluan chuckled, “I just had a terrible dream. I dreamt that you turned into a fox spirit, hahaha!”

Yu Xuanwei sat down by the bed and gently embraced her. “It’s not a dream. When you left your body earlier and your spiritual eyes opened, you saw my true form. My true form is that of a nine-tailed celestial fox, and I am the only one of my kind in this world.”

Wu Qingluan felt like she wanted to die. No, she didn’t want a human-animal romance; it was too intense!

“Do you know who Qingzhi is?” Yu Xuanwei asked.

Wu Qingluan’s heart felt bitter. “Is she your deceased wife?”

Yu Xuanwei’s eyes showed a painful expression. “Yes.”

Wu Qingluan turned her face away. “I can’t bear to be your replacement.”

“You’re not a replacement, you… you are her.”

Finally, he revealed the truth, and Yu Xuanwei felt a sense of relief. Over the years, from the joy of discovering her reincarnation as an adult, to his careful protection, to his uncontrollable attraction…

Yu Xuanwei held Wu Qingluan’s hand. “I will tell you everything.”

In the early morning hours, Wu Qingluan and Yu Xuanwei returned to their home in Yuzhou together. Since they had already confessed their identities, Yu Xuanwei no longer concealed his abilities and chose to transform back into his true form to fly them home.

Descending from the back of the majestic fox, Wu Qingluan’s legs turned weak, and she knelt down. Oh my goodness, this wasn’t a dream; it was real!

The door to the living room was open, and the sound of running water could be faintly heard. Even at this hour, Grandma Zhou had already gotten up to cook breakfast. After all, the triplets had to go to school today.

Triplets… Wu Qingluan helped Yu Xuanwei stand up, feeling too embarrassed to look at him.

This guy said the triplets were her children from her previous life with him… Suddenly, she felt awkward.

Thinking about the solemn eldest child, the obedient and sensible second child, and the mischievous and clever youngest child, all of whom were her biological children!

Wu Qingluan had just experienced the “I am my own replacement” scenario and her mood was complicated.

Suddenly, there was a sound of dishes and utensils falling in the kitchen.

“Grandma!” Wu Qingluan hurriedly ran into the living room.

“Whoosh!” The chickens in the yard suddenly flew up in a panic, as if they had been startled by something.