Chapter 17  

The Huoyuan Sword

By the time Qi Shanglan returned home, it was already one o’clock in the morning. Zou Ying had left the living room light on for him. The moment he stepped inside, he headed straight for the upstairs bathroom, urgently stripping off his clothes before turning on the shower.  

Suddenly, he pressed a palm against the wall, his arm tensed, veins bulging faintly.  

His hair was soaked, a few damp strands clinging to his forehead, dripping water down his face. The stream cascaded over his lean, toned waist before finally pooling onto the floor.  

His lips and tongue were still filled with her taste, her scent—nearly making him lose control.  

He had tried to restrain himself, to suppress that unspeakable desire, but under her relentless teasing, his self-control had completely collapsed.  

He couldn’t understand it. He couldn’t understand why he had let this happen—why he had chosen to challenge a drunk woman, only to fall straight into her trap.  

That little troublemaker had clearly treated him like a male escort, playing around as she pleased. She had kissed him without hesitation, without even considering his feelings.  

And he—he had truly wanted to make her pay for provoking him. But in the end, reason won out.  

The sound of running water mingled with his ragged breaths, lingering in the bathroom until the latter half of the night.  

Yet, no matter how long he stood under the cold water, the restless storm inside him refused to settle.

Qi Shanglan regretted it—regretted acting on impulse and kissing her. Just now, he had clearly taken advantage of her drunken state.  

Thinking of this, he slammed his fist heavily against the wall again.  

That wasn’t like him at all. It wasn’t him. He had never lost control like that before.  

His life had always been calm and orderly. His adoptive parents had planned his future meticulously, and he had rarely rebelled. The only time he had ever gone against them was during college applications, when he chose the police academy, causing a dispute with Qi Dongjun. That had been their only argument.  

Aside from that, though his life wasn’t entirely rigid, he had never acted so recklessly—until Lin Qianyou appeared, completely disrupting his rhythm.  

Not only that, but she seemed to affect his emotions as well.  

With just a single playful tease, she could throw him into chaos.  

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he finally turned off the shower and reached for a towel—only to notice a small wound on his lower abdomen, with tiny beads of blood seeping out.  

It must have been from Lin Qianyou scratching him in her drunken stupor. No wonder he had felt a slight sting while showering.  

After coming out of the bathroom, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the image of Lin Qianyou, flushed and intoxicated. Just thinking about it made him lose control.  

“Damn it.” He cursed under his breath, got up, and headed back to the bathroom.  

Soon, the sound of running water echoed again.  

With one hand braced against the wall, he struggled to suppress his desire, his breath coming in deep, ragged gasps.

The next day, Qi Shanglan woke up even earlier than Qi Shangxing, who had to go to school. At this hour, Zou Ying hadn’t even finished making breakfast yet. Seeing him rush downstairs, she asked, “Why are you up so early? Something urgent at the station?”  

“No, nothing urgent. I just couldn’t sleep,” he explained, casually grabbing a can of Coke from the fridge and popping it open.  

Zou Ying immediately stopped him. “Why are you drinking cold soda first thing in the morning? The porridge is almost ready—can’t you wait two more minutes?”  

Qi Shanglan didn’t seem to hear her. He headed straight for the entrance, put on his shoes, and opened the door to leave.  

“I thought you said there was nothing urgent! Where are you rushing off to so early? You haven’t even eaten!”  

But Qi Shanglan had already stepped out and left.  

When he arrived at the police station, he saw a large crowd gathered inside through the glass doors—men and women alike.  

So many people… a family dispute?  

Qi Shanglan pushed the door open and walked in. With his tall height and long legs, he stood out in the crowd. The moment he entered, all eyes turned toward him.  

He raised an eyebrow but hadn’t even had a chance to ask what was going on when Captain Zhang suddenly pointed at him and said, “That’s Shanglan. Talk to him.”  

Qi Shanglan frowned slightly and glanced at Captain Zhang in confusion. Before he could speak, a middle-aged man from the crowd stepped forward and asked, “Are you Qi Shanglan?”  

“That’s me. What’s this about?” Qi Shanglan gave him a once-over, wondering who he was. He didn’t recognize him—so why was he looking for him?

The man immediately smiled and said, “Hello, my name is Sun Dong. I’m a director, and I’m currently planning a variety show about cultural relic preservation. We’d like to invite you to be a regular guest and help promote the importance of protecting cultural artifacts. These people here are all part of our production team.” He gestured toward the group beside him.  

Qi Shanglan was even more confused. He had heard of Director Sun Dong before, but wasn’t variety shows supposed to cast celebrities? Why would they ask a police officer like him? Besides, shouldn’t a program about artifact protection be handled by the Cultural Relics Investigation Team?  

“Are you sure you’ve got the right person? Shouldn’t you be asking the Cultural Relics Investigation Unit instead?”  

Sun Dong chuckled. “Oh, we asked them already, but in the end, we still felt that you were the best choice.”  

Qi Shanglan frowned and turned to Captain Zhang, silently seeking his help.  

Captain Zhang clicked his tongue. “Director Sun, just be honest—aren’t you just trying to boost your ratings with our handsome Shanglan’s face?”  

Qi Shanglan: “…”  

Sun Dong let out an awkward laugh, afraid that Qi Shanglan would refuse. He kept trying to persuade him to join, and the other crew members chimed in as well.  

In the end, Qi Shanglan gave them a vague answer, saying he would review the contract and think about it, then give them an answer tomorrow. Sun Dong quickly agreed.  

After they left, Qi Shanglan lazily sprawled on his swivel chair, frowning as he flipped through the contract.  

“Captain Zhang, should I go or not? The contract says I have to go into the mountains. Isn’t this about relic preservation? Why would I need to go into the mountains?”  

“The director said they want to base the show or documentary on an ancient sword. According to reports, that sword is buried near the Earth Temple in the east of the city. Didn’t you just discover a tomb raiding tunnel there a few days ago? It’s probably the work of grave robbers. But there’s another theory—some say the sword was unearthed by the robbers but abandoned in Lingchuan Mountain while they were fleeing.” Captain Zhang explained, pulling a file from the cabinet and tossing it to Qi Shanglan. “This is the information sent by the Cultural Relics Investigation Unit. Take a look.”  

Qi Shanglan caught it and curiously flipped it open.  

Inside were several images—ancient texts, likely from historical records, with simplified Chinese translations beside them.

Qi Shanglan skimmed through the document. It mainly described an ancient general who massacred an entire city and then died in front of the Earth Temple, with his sword buried there.  

“Hiss…” The more Qi Shanglan read, the more familiar it seemed. Wasn’t this the same ghost story Lin Qianyou told him last night? And there were actual historical records of it?  

“What’s wrong? Something off?” Captain Zhang asked.  

“No, but… is this historical record even credible? It looks like pure nonsense. Why does it read like a ghost story?” Qi Shanglan closed the file and casually tossed it onto the desk.  

“Ghost story?” Captain Zhang was surprised by his reaction. “What part of this sounds like a ghost story? This has been verified by experts—it’s completely legitimate.” He spoke with certainty.  

“So, should I go or not?” Qi Shanglan was unsure. He didn’t really want to go—what business did a police officer have in the entertainment industry? But then again, he wouldn’t be going to play around, he’d be promoting the importance of cultural heritage preservation.  

“If you feel like going, just go. Treat it as a trip. Isn’t Lingchuan Mountain full of scenic spots? You can check them out and broaden your knowledge.” Captain Zhang pulled out a chair and sat down. He picked up the file and flipped through it. “Huoyuan Sword? That’s an unlucky name. Why would they name it that?” He turned to the last page, where there was a sketch of the sword. Next to it, three simplified Chinese characters were written: Huoyuan Sword. 

The moment Qi Shanglan heard those words, he shot up from his seat. “Huoyuan Sword (禍淵劍)?!” He snatched the file from Captain Zhang’s hands and flipped past the pages he had already seen. When he reached the last page, the three glaringly large characters Huoyuan Sword were staring right back at him.  

Huoyuan Sword? The sword of the Huoyuan Deity? 

Damn, this is really a ghost story!  

“What’s with you? Why are you so jumpy? Did you stay up all night again? Didn’t sleep well?”  

Qi Shanglan furrowed his brows tightly, too shocked to say a word.  

—

Meanwhile, Lin Qianyou woke up at ten o’clock in the morning. She glanced at her phone and immediately panicked—Director Li was definitely going to scold her to death.

Strangely enough, Director Li didn’t send her any messages urging her. Even after adding Zhou Ziqing on WeChat yesterday, he also didn’t contact her. Instead, it was Ke Siyu who had sent her a bunch of messages—some at midnight and a few more this morning.  

At twelve o’clock in the middle of the night, Ke Siyu: You, did you see the news? I never thought Director Li was that kind of person. But honestly, he’s pretty dumb—he actually dared to grope the female lead? Serves him right for getting exposed. She’s a top actress, does he really think he can mess with her?

Ke Siyu: Too bad, though. Your new drama is scrapped again.

Ke Siyu: Ah well, doesn’t matter. There’ll always be another chance.

At nine o’clock in the morning, Ke Siyu: Director Sun Dong is working on a new variety show. But it’s pretty creepy—apparently, they’re even going into tombs. Most of our company’s artists aren’t interested. I wanted to ask if you’d be up for it? If you are, I’ll negotiate the contract for you.

Ke Siyu: Still not awake? Message me when you’re up.

After reading Ke Siyu’s messages, Lin Qianyou opened Weibo to check the trending topics, quickly piecing together what had happened.  

Yesterday, Li Zheng had made an inappropriate move on the female lead, and someone caught it on camera. She retaliated by reporting him. The news blew up immediately, making it onto the trending list almost instantly. Then, even bigger scandals surfaced—allegations that Li Zheng had previously raped multiple actresses. They had stayed silent because of his status, but now that he had fallen, all the accusations came pouring out.  

The most shocking part? Ye Shuwan’s death was also connected to him. This was revealed in an official statement by Ye Feng himself, who accused Li Zheng of coercing his daughter Ye Shuwan into sex, leading to an unwanted pregnancy. When she confronted him, he refused to take responsibility and even blamed her for seducing him. In despair, Ye Shuwan threatened him with suicide—but he remained unmoved. In the end, she actually took her own life.  

After finishing the news, Lin Qianyou felt a mix of emotions—disgust toward Li Zheng and deep sympathy for the innocent actresses who had suffered.  

She sent a message to Ke Siyu: Director Sun Dong has a good reputation. Creepy or not, that’s fine. If the contract looks good, go ahead and sign it.

The moment her message was sent, Ke Siyu immediately called her.

“Hello? You, are you really joining that variety show? I heard they’re actually going into tombs, and you’ll have to stay in Lingchuan Mountain for a while. Are you sure about this?”  

“Yeah, I’ve thought it through. What’s the big deal? I’m an actress—this is what I do. Besides, there aren’t any dramas to film right now, so I might as well treat it as a trip.”  

“Alright then, I’ll contact their team. Hanging up now.”  

“Mm, bye-bye.”  

After ending the call, Lin Qianyou suddenly realized she was only wearing her underwear. It was then that she remembered drinking at the Earth Temple last night, which explained why she had overslept today.  

But… how did she get back?  

As she was thinking about it, her gaze landed on the glass cup on the vanity near the door. Curious, she walked over, picked it up, and sniffed it—there was a faint, sweet scent of honey.  

Did she make honey water last night?  

However, through the glass, she noticed a red stain under her fingernail. Setting the cup down, she brought her hand closer for a better look.  

It was dried blood.  

But… why was there blood under her nail?  

Did she kill a mosquito with her bare hands last night?  

Before she could think further, Ke Siyu called her again, saying that Director Sun Dong was thrilled about her joining. The physical contract would be ready for signing in the afternoon.  

The speed was so fast that Lin Qianyou almost wondered if she had walked into a scam. It seemed like no other actors really wanted to join this show.

Ke Siyu said the production team planned to start filming in a week. The first half would be shot in Yangcheng, while the second half would take place in the mountains. She told Lin Qianyou to prepare in advance.  

Lin Qianyou agreed and hung up the phone. Her finger hovered over Qi Shanglan’s chat for a moment before she tapped into it.  

Could it have been him who brought her home again? But why didn’t she remember anything at all?  

After hesitating for a while, Lin Qianyou decided not to disturb him and exited the chat.  

What she didn’t know was that, on the other side of the phone, Qi Shanglan was also staring at their chat screen in a daze.  

He wanted to come clean about everything he did last night and apologize to her.  

But he just couldn’t bring himself to say it. Was he supposed to tell her that he lost control and kissed her? Or that he was simply teaching her how to kiss as she had asked?  

Wouldn’t that just be taking advantage of her? What excuse could he possibly give?  

After struggling internally for a long time, Qi Shanglan finally sent her a message: “Are you free tonight? Let’s have dinner together.” 

He decided to explain in person and apologize face-to-face.

The other person quickly replied: “Sure! I’ve been wanting to invite you for a meal, thank you for sending me home last time.”

Last time?

Qi Shanglan furrowed his brow at the screen. Which “last time” was she referring to?

There’s no reason for a girl to pay for a meal. He was typing, “I’ll treat you,” but before he could send it, Lin Qianyou’s second message came through: “By the way, did we meet last night? Were you the one who sent me home?”

Qi Shanglan paused for a moment, deleted his previous message, and simply sent “Mm.”

Lin Qianyou immediately replied with “Thank you!”

This time, Qi Shanglan furrowed his brow even more.

Thank you? Does she really not remember what happened last night?

On his side, Qi Shanglan was unsure how to respond to her reaction. Should he say “you’re welcome“? He sent her home, then was kissed by her, and then kissed her again. Would she believe that if he told her? Never mind, he decided it would be better to clear things up in person.

Unlike Qi Shanglan, Lin Qianyou was still inexplicably excited about finally being able to treat him to a meal. She felt that asking him to send her home twice and treating him to a meal was too casual.

Lin Qianyou chose a hotpot restaurant with good reviews on her phone and sent the name and location to Qi Shanglan. Qi Shanglan simply responded with “Okay.”