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墨書 Inktalez
Qizhe draped a coat over my shoulders and pinched my nose, saying, "You can't just run out like this without worrying about catching a cold. The air here is quite cool, so you mustn't go outside without shoes again."
Her words were stern, but her actions were caring. She took the water bottle and cup from my hands and, looking towards the bustling kitchen, asked with a smile, "What do you want to eat later?"
Without thinking, I replied, "Meat!"
"The baby wants to eat meat too!"
A child swayed as he tugged at my clothing, his innocent face adorably chubby. He wouldn’t let go of me, repeating, "The baby wants to eat meat too."
"How did the baby get here?"
"Father, the baby sensed Mommy's scent."
Qizhe paused for a moment before picking up the child, her eyes filled with tenderness. "Baby, go rest for a while. After some time, Father will take you to see Mommy."
"But isn't Mommy here?" The chubby little hand pointed at me. "She smells like Mommy."
Qizhe sighed and reluctantly handed the child over to the Nursemaid before leading me away. I asked suspiciously, "Is this your child?"
"Yes. Isn't he adorable? He is my last hope."
"What about his mother? Why does he say I'm his mother?"
Qizhe lowered her head and remained silent as she held my hand and walked toward the bedroom. "Anxin, will you stay by my side and keep me company?"
I opened my mouth, ready to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat, unable to escape.
Looking around at the somewhat familiar yet strange environment, and the person beside me, I felt a sense of recognition but couldn't remember why I should be so close to him.
What happened to me?
"Anxin? Anxin?" Qi Zhi tugged at my hand, concern etched on his brow. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine. I'm just hungry. Tell the kitchen to hurry up!"
Qi Zhi smiled helplessly and picked me up effortlessly. "For me, hurrying means getting you back to your room so you don't catch a chill."
This was the Demon Realm, Qi Zhi's home. My bedroom was right next to his, and the surroundings were pleasant. Everything felt familiar, as if I had lived here for quite some time.
It was as if I had woken up today and naturally stepped out to fetch water, something I used to do often. There were no memories, yet it lingered in my body.
But I was still just a soul.
When Qi Zhi was free, he liked to watch me with a smile, saying nothing at all. At first, I found it uncomfortable and would pull him around to talk. Eventually, when I grew tired, I would lie on the bed and sleep without worrying about him; after all, he would take good care of me. I could just live freely.
"It's time to eat."
The round table was filled with an array of meats. Of course, Qi Zhi always prepared one or two dishes of vegetables because too much meat needed balancing with greens. I feasted on the food laid out before me while Qi Zhi watched me eat with a smile, barely touching his own meal.
But I loved having meals like this face-to-face; even though there were only two of us, it made me think of home for no reason at all—a simple yet sweet happiness.
But I would never have a home because I had no parents, no friends, and no lovers.
"Beloved?"
Why does mentioning this make my head hurt?
I dropped my chopsticks and covered my head with both hands, frowning in discomfort. Qi Zhi was startled, gripping my wrist and asking anxiously, "Tell me, where does it hurt?"
"I don't know, my head suddenly hurts so much that it feels like it's going to split open, and my heart feels heavy too."
Some fragmented images flashed through my mind. I saw a very handsome face within them, but it wasn't the one in front of me.
I saw myself smiling at that person. He was stroking my head and talking to me, his words filled with gentle warmth and an unnamed bitterness.
"Who is that person?" I opened my eyes and looked ahead, seeing another face through Qi Zhi. "I feel like I know him, but it hurts so much inside."
In the blink of an eye, tears streamed down my face.
I lowered my head to look at the clear droplets falling onto the table, and the pain in my head intensified. The strong ache made it impossible for me to sit still; I wanted to suppress it with even greater pain.
And the only way to do that was to crash into a wall.
I didn't know where the strength came from, but I pushed Qi Zhi away and charged toward the wall.
Qi Zhi was alarmed. "Anxin, no!"
With a loud bang, his hands shielded my head as I collided with the wall, creating a dent from the impact. The ground shook from the force, and the servants outside heard the commotion and came to inquire, "Second Prince, is everything—"
"Nothing's wrong. Everyone retreat. No one is allowed to approach without my command."
"Yes."
Qi Zhi struck my neck with a swift chop, and my body went limp, collapsing into his arms. He furrowed his brow, filled with concern, and gently laid me on the bed, brushing away the thin sweat that had formed from the pain. He let out a heavy sigh.
"I intended to seal your memories of him, to keep you here with me. I never expected it would come to this in just half a day. Anxin, am I truly unable to hold onto you?"
His eyes held a soft light mixed with dark emotions, his long eyelashes fluttering down to hide the pain beneath them. He tightened his embrace around me, trembling uncontrollably.
"Why? Why did he kill you back then, and now seek to take your Seven Souls? You clearly belong to me; you are my wife! Jun Chong, I hate you. Anxin is something I must possess no matter what. Although her Seven Souls belong to her, they are still part of her—she is the woman of Qi Zhi, not your possession. If you do not love or cherish her, then I will protect her and ensure she never cries again."
Anxin's consciousness faded, but mine gradually awakened after she fell asleep. I was astonished to hear Qi Zhi's words.
So it turned out that the Seven Souls Jun Chong gave me were actually Qi Zhi's wife's Seven Souls, which Jun Chong had personally destroyed. But hadn't Jun Chong claimed that no one knew the origin of those Seven Souls? If Qi Zhi was telling the truth, then he had indeed done much to protect his wife, yet it still exposed him.
When a person is alive, the Three Souls and Seven Spirits are not easily detected; however, once a person dies, the Three Souls and Seven Spirits become apparent externally. For those with low cultivation levels, it is difficult to conceal their aura.
At that moment, I suddenly realized something ironic.
I was merely a patchwork of various elements: my shadow belonged to Su Yi, my Seven Souls were from another woman, half of my Three Souls were given to me by Jun Chong, and my Heart was just a divine object. In essence, I was like an oddity—precious yet lacking coherence.
An invisible sorrow spread within my heart as I became curious about why I had wanted to live back then despite knowing I was such an oddity.
How important was that desire for life to me at that time? Yet even if it was important, in the end, I still died.
Before long, Anxin woke up.
Qi Zhi picked me up and offered me a cup of water, but I didn't drink it. Instead, I stared at him wide-eyed and asked, "What did you bring me to the Demon Realm for?"
"Don't worry, I won't use you to threaten Jun Chong," Qi Zhi said with a smile, moving the cup of water closer to me. "Drink some water first."
I took half a cup from his hand, and the pain in my head subsided. He let me lean back against the bed to rest, and as he looked at my listless state, he sighed again.
"Anxin, I could completely erase all your memories of him, and there are ways in the demon realm to prevent those memories from resurfacing. But I know that even if you forget those memories, his essence still lingers within you. It's like how you should feel like you don't know me, yet somehow find me familiar. I hate seeing you like this, so I hope you can pull yourself together."
Noticing my silence, his long fingers rested on the back of my hand, feeling cool before slipping beneath the covers. The gesture was small but considerate.
"Though I am a demon, I have always been loyal to you." His hand pressed slightly against the blanket, gripping it tightly. "To be honest, the Seven Souls within your spirit belong to my wife. Her name is Xiao An, a name I gave her. She was pure-hearted but possessed an exceptionally pure soul. Because of that purity, she was ultimately taken by Father. Father wanted Xiao An's soul for his own cultivation. To protect her, I helped her escape to the human realm, but she encountered Jun Chong there. He killed Xiao An with his own hands simply because she carried the scent of the demon realm."
His emotions surged as he clenched his fists tightly, trembling ever so slightly. I didn't interrupt him; he spoke of painful memories while struggling to contain his emotions.
I didn't know how to comfort him; all I could do was hold his trembling hand. Qi Zhi looked surprised at first and then shook his head with a smile. "Are you worried about me?"
I nodded, and he continued, "Aren't you afraid that I'm just lying to you? That I'm trying to make you feel sorry for me so you'll stay with me? You should know that demons are all deceitful villains who prey on humans and souls."
I gasped in shock and instinctively withdrew my hand in fear, bumping my head against the bed railing. The pain made me wince as I reached up to touch it and found the Qilin Hairpin in my hair.
Jun Chong had said that the Qilin Hairpin would react in times of danger, but it had remained silent—does that mean Qi Zhi isn't a bad person?
"Let me see if you've hurt yourself."
I quietly allowed him to check. He gently rubbed the spot where I'd bumped my head until the pain faded away. I pursed my lips and whispered a thank you.
"If you're going to thank me, just stay with me!"
I neither agreed nor disagreed because at that moment, I didn't know where I belonged. The two most important people in my life were not by my side.
I increasingly felt like a burden, causing trouble wherever I went. Thus, I couldn't stay in the Demon Realm, but where else could I go?
Perhaps I could hide away; as long as I was alive, even if it were a hard life, I could still see the blue sky and not fear the encroaching darkness.
Just like now, as I walked into the pitch-black corridor, the faint light filtering in reassured me. I wasn't afraid because I could see my hands and feet, unlike a shadow that would be swallowed by darkness and see nothing at all.
"I don't want to lose my life. I want to live. I don't want to turn back into a shadow, nor fear the dark anymore." Looking up at the narrow gap above me, I suppressed my inner fear and moved forward. "Living mindfully... I'm sorry for being selfish."
"Where are you going?"
Qi Zhi's sudden appearance pulled me away from that darkness. Her face was a mix of urgency and anger. "You know you’re afraid of the dark; why did you come here? Do you realize that if you go just one more step forward, you'll fall into endless darkness?"
"I don't want to go into the dark! I want sunlight! I don’t want to become a pitch-black shadow!"
Qi Zhi hurriedly hugged me tightly, trying to comfort me. "Don't worry; I'll protect you. Even if I fall into darkness, I'll make sure your life is always bright."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Qi Zhi, it's time to return what you've taken from me."
Jun Chong's voice made me look up sharply. What met my eyes was still that familiar black robe, fluttering in the wind.
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