Chapter 28

The sun was already high, three poles into the day.

Wu Qingluan was abruptly awakened by the frantic vibrations of her phone.

She was incredibly tired, and just when she heard the phone vibrating incessantly, she couldn’t seem to locate it anywhere.

As she groped around, her hand was suddenly caught.

Yu Xuanwei rolled over and pinned her down, kissing her with longing. “Don’t tease me…”

“Who’s teasing you… Go away, don’t touch me,” Wu Qingluan’s voice was hoarse, her lips sore, and her whole body devoid of any hint of shyness.

As the two of them were entangled, Wu Qingluan’s phone somehow slipped out and fell under the bed.

She pushed Yu Xuanwei away with difficulty, retrieved her phone, and saw it was Brother Guo calling.

” Brother Guo?”

“Qingluan, how’s everything going at home?” Brother Guo asked cautiously.

“It’s going quite smoothly. We’ve finished all the tasks, and my grandmother seems quite satisfied with me,” Wu Qingluan replied.

Brother Guo breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ve always been strong and optimistic, and I truly admire you. Oh, by the way… Director Li’s movie is scheduled for release on the first day of the Lunar New Year. We’ve already set the promotional schedule on our end. I’ll send the itinerary to your phone. I’ll have Xiao Ma and the others pick you up.”

Brother Guo reminder brought it back to Wu Qingluan. She still had one contract left to fulfill, the film “Flower Destiny” directed by the renowned director Li, which she had shot before her temporary retirement. She needed to cooperate with the promotional department before the release, attend events during the screening period, and fulfill other arrangements made by the production company.

Anyway, she was ready to follow the pre-set plan. Wu Qingluan readily agreed to Brother Guo’s request, knowing that she could earn a handsome sum once “Flower Destiny” was officially released!

As Wu Qingluan was getting excited, she suddenly realized that something was amiss. She turned around and saw Yu Xuanwei gazing at her with a deep expression.

Wu Qingluan felt a sense of unease. She had forgotten that she was now a married woman with children. Traveling was one thing, but she probably should have discussed it with Yu Xuanwei before making any plans.

She decided to take the initiative, saying, “In the future, please don’t just leave without saying a word. Even if you send a message and I don’t reply, at least call me before you go. You should let me know what I’m about to do, just like I do.”

Yu Xuanwei sighed in resignation, “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

After bidding farewell to Yu Xuanwei and ensuring that the triplets were well taken care of, Wu Qingluan left in the car that had come to pick her up that afternoon.

Once the promotional period began, everyone would be incredibly busy.

Wu Qingluan had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, and she was accustomed to these hectic and chaotic days. However, this time, after just under a week of promotional activities, she found herself struggling.

It wasn’t so much physical exhaustion as it was homesickness. She missed her lively triplets, and she also missed… Yu Xuanwei.

As Wu Qingluan was getting excited, she suddenly realized that something was amiss. She turned around and saw Yu Xuanwei gazing at her with a deep expression.

Wu Qingluan felt a sense of unease. She had forgotten that she was now a married woman with children. Traveling was one thing, but she probably should have discussed it with Yu Xuanwei before making any plans.

She decided to take the initiative, saying, “In the future, please don’t just leave without saying a word. Even if you send a message and I don’t reply, at least call me before you go. You should let me know what I’m about to do, just like I do.”

Yu Xuanwei sighed in resignation, “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

After bidding farewell to Yu Xuanwei and ensuring that the triplets were well taken care of, Wu Qingluan left in the car that had come to pick her up that afternoon.

Once the promotional period began, everyone would be incredibly busy.

Wu Qingluan had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, and she was accustomed to these hectic and chaotic days. However, this time, after just under a week of promotional activities, she found herself struggling.

It wasn’t so much physical exhaustion as it was homesickness. She missed her lively triplets, and she also missed… Yu Xuanwei.

Wu Qingluan felt that she was being too weak in this state, yet she was also embarrassed to admit her longing.

She could endure hardship and fatigue, but what she feared the most was this feeling of uncertainty.

On this particular evening, after a long day of promotional activities, Wu Qingluan returned to her hotel room. She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even eat anything. She briefly took a shower and then collapsed onto the bed.

Before closing her eyes, she glanced at the bottle of mineral water on the bedside table. She was so thirsty. She thought to herself, “I’ll drink some water before sleeping…”

When she opened her eyes again, it was already the middle of the night.

Wu Qingluan’s throat felt parched, and she eagerly grabbed the water and drank it in one gulp.

“Ah… so tired,” Wu Qingluan murmured as she picked up the second bottle of water and struggled to sit up.

She retrieved her phone and saw that Yu Xuanwei had sent her many updates about the triplets. Tuhua had sent her some homemade snacks, and the parents’ group for the kindergarten was discussing what to prepare for the children’s next autumn outing.

“Sigh, I miss home,” Wu Qingluan whispered to herself.

She used to be afraid of not having enough money and had been determined to work hard to earn it. But now, after lying down for so long, she didn’t want to make any more effort.

A cool breeze swept in from the balcony, and Wu Qingluan sneezed.

She went to the balcony and found that it was a full moon night.

From this high floor, the moon appeared large and round, and it seemed exceptionally close, as if she could reach out and touch it.

As she gazed, Wu Qingluan actually reached out her hand towards the moon.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands reached out from thin air and firmly grasped her.

Wu Qingluan watched in astonishment as Yu Xuanwei suddenly materialized from the air.

With just a slight pause, she melted into his embrace.

In his broad and warm embrace, Wu Qingluan lay there for a while before murmuring softly, “I missed you.”

Her voice was so soft that it couldn’t get any softer, and her face turned crimson. She thought to herself, “I’m getting more and more sentimental as I get older. I haven’t been this affectionate since I was a child. This love is really…”

Yu Xuanwei kissed her delicate and soft long hair and whispered, “Me too.”

Originally, he had planned to follow her on the first day she left, but an urgent mission came up involving a troublesome demon. He had to deal with it first.

Because this demon chose the worst possible time to appear, it delayed his pursuit of his wife. So he had to take extra precautions. When he handed the demon over to his colleague responsible for detaining it, the demon cried hysterically, begging to be locked up as far away from this formidable deity as possible.

The moonlight was perfect, and the emotions were just right. Yu Xuanwei and Wu Qingluan exchanged a brief glance and then passionately kissed each other.

Previously, it seemed like there was always a thin sheet of paper between them, and despite their intimacy, they had both consciously and unconsciously restrained themselves. But at this moment, when they met again, neither of them wanted to hold back any longer.

Wu Qingluan tilted her slender neck upward, and Yu Xuanwei unreservedly kissed her throat.

She trembled vulnerably but held him even tighter with her arms.

During this promotional tour, the entire creative team of “Flower Destiny” was present, including Qin Rong, who played the male lead.

Although he knew that this was a big-budget production with a high chance of winning awards, which could greatly boost his career, every time he talked about this film or saw some exciting clips, Qin Rong couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he always felt that his portrayal in this film was off, very off. Especially in the scenes where he was supposed to be in a romantic relationship with the female lead. Was that enchanting man on screen really him? And those intense glances, even he was startled by them.

Even the director praised his performance in the romantic scenes, saying he had immersed himself deeply in the role. Others also commended his explosive acting skills. But…

This sense of dissonance continued to linger in his mind, and it felt even more awkward when he saw Wu Qingluan. Especially during interviews when he was frequently asked about intimate scenes meant to attract attention, Qin Rong had no recollection of those scenes at all!

Today, Qin Rong was particularly frustrated because someone had once again compared him to that nobody, Zhong Qi, and suggested that his performance in this film could surpass that of the award-winning actor Zhong Qi.

Qin Rong’s frustration grew, and with nowhere to vent his anger, he decided to pick a fight with Wu Qingluan.

He remembered that this older woman had some complicated entanglement with a Taoist priest while filming at the Qinglong Temple. He wondered if she had used some enchantment on him during filming, causing him to lose his senses.

He was determined to have a word with her!

Qin Rong had consumed quite a bit of alcohol that evening and was feeling quite tipsy. He arrived at the door of the room where Wu Qingluan was staying and pounded on it forcefully.

No one responded.

“Tsk!” Qin Rong sneered and gave the door a hard kick. “Why pretend to be innocent? I don’t believe you can sleep now.”

He pounded on the door a couple more times, and there was some faint movement from inside the room.

Someone was there but wasn’t opening the door for him!

This infuriated Qin Rong even more. He banged on the door forcefully. “Wu Qingluan, open the damn door!”

“Snap!” A streak of golden light flashed by, and Qin Rong’s handsome face took a heavy blow, causing his cheek to swell rapidly.

“What the hell!” Qin Rong roared. Before he could react, the golden light wrapped around him, binding him into a bundle like a rice dumpling.

As a dumpling-shaped Qin Rong watched himself being dragged away by the unguided golden rope, he was thrown into a utility room.

Qin Rong wanted to curse loudly, but a strong drowsiness overcame him, and he lost consciousness.

The next morning, Qin Rong, dressed only in his underwear, was discovered by a cleaning lady, creating another round of internet buzz.

The male lead of an unreleased film had already made a fool of himself. Qin Rong received scoldings from both the director and his own father. But no one would listen to his explanation—he had encountered a ghost, and that mischievous little demon, Wu Qingluan, knew magic. It was all her fault!

No one believed his supernatural story. He reeked of alcohol, and his speech was incoherent. Besides, why did he go looking for Wu Qingluan in the middle of the night? Everyone was well aware of Qin Rong’s playboy reputation, and they simultaneously looked down on him while feeling relieved that he hadn’t been let in by that woman.

However, regarding Wu Qingluan’s situation on that night, even if she had heard it, she wouldn’t have been able to get up to open the door.

In fact, Wu Qingluan couldn’t get out of bed the next day. She had to take a sick leave.

Lying in the hotel’s large bed in a half-dead state, Wu Qingluan came to a profound realization that Yu Xuanwei was not a mere mortal!

She didn’t even have the energy to cry at the moment.

Yu Xuanwei, having fulfilled a long-standing wish for many years, now saw everything as perfect.

After bathing with Wu Qingluan, he held her close on the freshly made bed, emitting a contented sigh.

Wu Qingluan warned him, “You’re not allowed to touch me anymore. Stay away from me!”

But Yu Xuanwei didn’t listen. He was feeling clingy at the moment and, in fact, reverted to his original form, surrounding Wu Qingluan entirely.

Wu Qingluan scrutinized him—the snow-white fur, emerald eyes, and proud expression. Wasn’t this the magnified version of that little fox she had encountered behind the folding screen?

“Did you… guide me that day?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“What place was it?”

“Fox Village. It’s currently the only gathering place for my clan.”

“Oh…” Wu Qingluan reached out to touch the tip of the tail that had just passed in front of her, causing Yu Xuanwei to shudder. “I thought you were going to say Qingqiu.”

Yu Xuanwei’s tail occasionally brushed against her, and Wu Qingluan wanted to grab it, but he stopped her.

“Let me play with it.”

“No,” Yu Xuanwei’s breathing became heavier. “Your current body can’t handle my true form. Don’t touch it anymore.”

Wu Qingluan reluctantly withdrew her hand and sneakily glanced at some part of him, then covered her face with her hands.

Yu Xuanwei, concerned about her, transformed back into his human form.

He had Wu Qingluan nestle in his embrace. “Qingqiu no longer exists. I destroyed it.”

Wu Qingluan didn’t ask for more details.

Yu Xuanwei remained silent for a while before speaking again, “You are now a pure human. Staying in Fox Village for too long will deplete your vitality. So, wait…”

“Wait for what?” Wu Qingluan asked curiously.

“Nothing.”

Wu Qingluan fell into silence, but Yu Xuanwei suddenly realized that the current Wu Qingluan was indeed different from the one he had known before.

The previous Wu Qingluan was always chattering, constantly asking “why,” “what next,” “why did you stop talking,” and all he could do was either silence her or drain her energy so she wouldn’t keep asking questions.

The current Wu Qingluan’s timely silence made him feel particularly concerned.

In fact, upon closer examination, she had started becoming quieter as he advanced to his later stages. Although she talked a lot, she always had a sense of moderation. She had also been clever, appearing lively and cheerful on the surface but being calculating on the inside. It was almost impossible to make her speak sincerely.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have successfully deceived him and made him willingly accept his constraints just to see her again.