For some reason, Jiang Xuxu felt a bit guilty.
It wasn't because of the Marriage Contract established between them by her master. Although her master had chosen him as her fiancé, she didn't acknowledge it. Since Chu Beihe didn't know the true meaning of the mark on his palm, she simply acted as if it didn't exist.
Her guilt stemmed more from the fact that she had just made a move against Pei Yuancheng.
Generally speaking, she avoided using metaphysical means against ordinary people. The last time she used a Truth Talisman on Bai Shuqin had been her first offense. Pei Yuancheng was her second.
She couldn't help it. Rather than reasoning with people, she preferred to use reality to shut them up.
To her relief, Chu Beihe didn't seem to have witnessed what happened. He simply pointed toward the small fox sitting upright by his feet, pretending to be as disciplined as a military dog.
"I've brought your fox back to you," he said.
Jiang Xuxu felt slightly embarrassed. This wasn't the first time her little fox had scurried over to the Chu family's side. Not only did the fox gravitate toward him, but the Little Infant Spirit loved him too. Even the spiritual energy from her Spirit Gathering Array tended to drift toward his villa. Because of this, she frequently had to confirm his schedule just to avoid him while she practiced.
Jiang Xuxu didn't like being a burden, yet she had certainly caused Master Chu a fair amount of trouble.
"I was just about to go pick it up," Jiang Xuxu said, pausing for a moment. "I'll keep a tighter leash on them so they don't bother you anymore."
Chu Beihe's face remained unreadable as he gave a faint grunt of acknowledgement.
Jiang Xuxu suddenly remembered something. "School starts in a month and a half. Once I move, I won't have to keep checking your schedule anymore."
At those words, Chu Beihe's brow twitched slightly. After a long pause, he pulled a box from his pocket and handed it to her.
"I don't have time to attend the Jiang family's Teacher Appreciation Banquet today. Take this as a university entrance gift."
He hadn't planned on returning so early today, and he had already sent over gifts for the other Jiang children earlier. However, the thought remained that there was a fated connection between them.
Although he didn't want to acknowledge it, the mark on his palm was undeniable. Chu Beihe felt he should at least show some courtesyespecially on such an important day as she prepared for university.
Jiang Xuxu was surprised that Master Chu would give her a gift, but she politely accepted it. Opening the box, she found a nine-tailed fox brooch. It was a delicate, exquisite design with diamonds embedded at the tips of each tail, crafted with unique precision.
Jiang Xuxu instinctively looked down at the little fox by Chu Beihe's feet. Unfortunately, her fox was just a common pet, not some mythical Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Thank you, Young Master Chu. It's beautiful."
Jiang Xuxu carefully tucked the box into her clutch and asked, "The banquet has just begun. Would you like to come inside?"
Chu Beihe had only intended to deliver the gift. Since he had run into her outside, he naturally had no desire to enter. He said nothing, but his silence made his stance clear.
Jiang Xuxu leaned down to scoop up Little Beauty from his feet. She was about to bid him farewell when Chu Beihe suddenly asked, "What did you do to the Pei family's young master just now?"
His voice was pleasant, and though cold, it didn't inspire dislike. However, it was equally difficult for others to detect any emotion in his tone.
Jiang Xuxu pursed her lips. So, he had seen it.
Since she had been caught "bullying" an ordinary person, she didn't bother hiding it. She replied directly, "Nothing much. I just let him meet his ancestors."
Chu Beihe raised an eyebrow. "Meet his ancestors?"
Jiang Xuxu nodded with a smile. "Yes. The real ones."
The last time she had visited the Pei family, she noticed a few ancestors still lingering in their villa. She had slapped a clan-linked Yin Talisman onto Pei Yuancheng. When he returned home tonight, he could have a heart-to-heart with his ancestors. Maybe it would stop him from spending every waking moment obsessing over who he "loved."
She was only being this lenient because of the late matriarch of the Pei family. Otherwise, she would have simply hit him with a blast of Yin Energy and made him see ghosts directly. If she had, Pei Yuancheng probably would have had a heart attack on the drive home.
It was rare to see Jiang Xuxu with her eyes curved in a slight, mischievous smile. To Chu Beihe, she seemed a bit more vibrant. He realized that the girl before him was only eighteen. Despite her age, she usually carried herself with a cold, detached indifference to everything. Ultimately, it was because the Guan family had wronged her.
At that thought, Chu Beihe felt a rare surge of patience for his "fiancée."
Thin lips pressed together, he simply said, "I won't be at the villa much over the next few days. You can draw your talismans whenever you like." He paused, then added, "You don't need to stay up all night to do it."
Jiang Xuxu realized he was referring to what she had said a few days ago about pulling an all-nighter while he was away on business. She assumed a man as busy as him wouldn't care, but he actually remembered. A subtle, complicated feeling flickered in her heart before vanishing.
She nodded and felt the need to explain. "I'm used to drawing talismans through the night."
Especially when it came to carving jade plaques; a single piece often took four or five hours. The daytime was filled with distractions. The night was much quieter. She wanted him to know that all-nighters were her routine, not a way to sneak around during his business trips.
Chu Beihe frowned slightly. His dark eyes swept over the area beneath her eyelids, as if checking for dark circles. He didn't like dark circles. He wanted to tell her that staying up all night was bad for her health, but then he remembered their "engaged" status was purely a default state they both refused to acknowledge. He had no standing to lecture her.
He swallowed back the words and simply gave her a cold nod before turning to leave.
Jiang Xuxu could never read the details of his expressions, but from the way he turned and walked away, she got the feeling that the Great Boss was somehow... unhappy. Her eyes showed a hint of confusion.
Did she say something wrong?
If she couldn't figure it out, she decided not to dwell on it. Holding Little Beauty, Jiang Xuxu headed back to the Jiang villa. She wondered if she should set up an array around the entire property. It would prevent spiritual energy from leaking and stop the fox and the Little Infant Spirit from escaping to harass the Boss.
However, the thought was quickly discarded once she looked at the sheer size of the Jiang estate. She didn't have an infinite supply of spiritual power; setting up an array that large would leave her exhausted every day.
Jiang Xuxu shook the thought away, along with any concern for Pei Yuancheng.
Pei Yuancheng had also forgotten about the incident by the time he left the Jiang family. That changed the moment his car pulled into the Pei villa.
Pei Yuancheng rubbed his weary brow as he walked into the house, only to be met by an old man in Tang clothing who shoved his face right into his.
"Oh! My dear grandson is back!"
Pei Yuancheng's hand froze mid-motion.
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