After Being Cursed, My Cold Senior Sister Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 10

Qing Qian looked up to see Jiang Rulian perched on a branch, one leg dangling casually, her posture relaxed. She had been watching for who knew how long.

“Senior Sister didn’t even notice me,” Jiang Rulian said, leaping down with a graceful landing.

She scrutinized Qing Qian suspiciously. “I suspect your injuries are more severe than I thought.”

Otherwise, how could she fail to detect even the most basic signs of my presence?

Qing Qian ignored her, her face impassive as she released her grip. The little sparrow flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing into the forest in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Qing Qian’s refusal to speak again, Jiang Rulian pouted, her face contorting into a scowl as she accused, “Senior Sister, you were secretly stalking me!”

“It wasn’t stalking,” Qing Qian replied calmly. “I was following orders.”

She quickly unlocked her phone and turned the screen toward Jiang Rulian.

It was a simple and uncluttered app. On her personal homepage, a white notification with red text floated at the top:

[Warning! Jiang Rulian has left her post without permission. Suspected to have entered the outskirts of Demon Alliance S District. Signal is unstable. Please confirm immediately, Senior.]

Attached was a real-time DPS (Damage Per Second) share, with a small red dot indicating her location nearby.

Jiang Rulian chuckled. “Dog forgot to turn on the filter again. Does this kind of trivial matter really warrant bothering Senior Sister? Does the Monster Bureau think I’m going to defect?”

The Demon Alliance was completely different from the Monster Bureau, accepting only members of the Demon Race.

After several “friendly negotiations” with humans, the Monster Bureau had designated specific areas across various regions for demons to live and operate, promising not to interfere with internal affairs within these zones.

This was a place the Monster Bureau couldn’t reach, so naturally, no humans would accidentally stumble upon it.

Qing Qian had already put away her phone, her hands tucked into the pockets of her trench coat, but she made no further move.

She didn’t ask about Jiang Rulian’s plans, nor did she order her back. It was as if her visit was merely a perfunctory gesture.

She spoke, “I won’t interfere with your operation. This time is—”

“I know,” Jiang Rulian cut in bluntly. “That’s just how the rules are. Even if Senior Sister didn’t come, the Monster Bureau would have sent someone else.”

Her expression softened into a radiant smile. “Even though Senior Sister was so harsh this morning, I’m not upset at all now.”

Her words implied that she had been deeply upset before, but Qing Qian’s willingness to side with her had lifted her spirits.

Qing Qian ignored this, her gaze drifting past Jiang Rulian’s peach-blossom face.

In the distance, faint sounds of an argument drifted toward them.

“You’re the one who brought me to this place, right?”

“No, I swear I didn’t.”

The man’s voice was eerily familiar, the same hoarse, broken tone from last night.

Qing Qian glanced at Jiang Rulian. “Wasn’t he supposed to have been sent back?”

“Right, I had Dog bring her out again. Once the Monster Bureau’s protection period is over, we’ll investigate again, and I suspect we’ll uncover a lot more.”

The Monster Bureau established protection periods ranging from one week to a month for humans traumatized by demon attacks. During this time, they were forbidden from interacting with supernatural beings to prevent mental collapse.

Jiang Rulian skipped over details like evading Monster Bureau surveillance, knocking out humans, and ignoring warning lines to enter Demon Alliance territory, and got straight to the point, explaining the current situation to Qing Qian.

“That woman wasn’t brought here by us; she came on her own. She’s the tailless fox.”

The moment they met, the already anxious man broke down again, refusing to let the fox approach and telling her to get lost.

One desperately pleaded with him to leave with her, while the other loudly accused her of being the root of all evil. Jiang Rulian patiently waited for a long time, but instead of seeing what she’d hoped for, Qing Qian arrived.

The man’s face flushed crimson as he swept his large hand, shoving the woman back. “I knew you had ulterior motives from the start! Tell me, what do you want from me?!”

The once-peaceful forest came alive with commotion as the voices of the two women carried far, startling several small birds into flight.

Qing Qian frowned slightly. “Are you trying to…”

Before she could finish, a fierce demonic wind swept through, causing leaves to rustle violently.

She turned just in time to see a massive clawed hand slam into the ground, snapping trees like twigs. A white-headed, black-winged demon staggered toward them.

Ignoring Jiang Rulian and Qing Qian completely, it lunged straight for the man.

“Jiang Rulian, the Jique lacks reason. It’s completely uncontrollable,” Qing Qian said coldly, already preparing to draw her sword with a hand behind her back.

Jiang Rulian gripped Qing Qian’s wrist firmly and answered with unwavering conviction, “Senior Sister, trust me. I can handle this.”

In the few seconds they spoke, the Jique had already extended its sharp beak, tearing deep grooves into the bark of a nearby tree.

The man let out a terrified scream, his first instinct being to shove the woman forward, toward himself.

She fell like a butterfly with its wings torn off, hurtling uncontrollably toward the Jique’s gaping maw.

Before Qing Qian could draw her sword, a chestnut-colored figure darted forward and threw the woman aside.

Liu Qi suddenly appeared beside the man, let out a loud shout, and flung a talisman.

A blinding white light flashed, and the Jique faltered, swaying unsteadily before collapsing. But before Liu Qi could breathe a sigh of relief, it staggered to its feet and shook its wings.

A deafening screech pierced the air as the Jique was thoroughly enraged, its blood-red eyes locking onto Liu Qi.

“Damn it!” Liu Qi yanked the man to his feet, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and bolted. “Captain, save me!”

He ran, and the Jique chased. But after barely a hundred meters, the creature misjudged its footing, slamming headfirst into a tree.

It lay motionless on the ground, its chest heaving violently, utterly immobilized.

When Qing Qian glanced at Jiang Rulian, she saw the golden light in her eyes gradually fading.

Noticing her Senior Sister’s gaze, Jiang Rulian flashed a brilliant smile. “See? I told you so.”

Qing Qian averted her gaze, withdrew her hand, and strode forward.

The Jique’s substantial body had cleared a patch of ground where the man had been standing. A brown spaniel crouched there, wagging its tail as it guarded the woman before it.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the dog wagged its tail even more vigorously, its tongue-lolling mouth forming a sweet smile: “Wag!”

The woman knelt on the ground, her expression despondent as she clutched the hem of her skirt, a single tear glistening on her delicate chin.

Jiang Rulian skillfully grabbed the dog’s head and asked, “Do you know that man?”

As if snapping out of a trance, the woman regained her composure and lifted her head. “I’m his girlfriend.”

Her eyes, with their elongated, elegant shape, and her slightly upturned lips, now framed by tears, created a poignant, almost alluring image that stirred inexplicable tenderness.

But Jiang Rulian wasn’t moved by such things. She raised an eyebrow. “You’re a traitor to the Fox Clan, aren’t you? How foolish. Calling yourself his ‘girlfriend’? Anyone would think you’re his enemy.”

“Lord, I beg you,” the woman suddenly knelt and bowed deeply. “Please save Cui Lang. He’s been tricked, but I’m too useless to help him.”

The dog had already sidled up to Qing Qian. After sniffing her curiously, it lifted a paw: “Wag!”

An electronic watch strapped to its paw flashed with a communication request signal.

Qing Qian crouched down and tapped her electronic watch.

After a brief static-like sound, a man’s anguished cry came through:

“Master, save me, Master! That woman isn’t human—she’s a beast! It’s all her fault that I’m in this mess!”

Seemingly not expecting the man to say such things, the Fox shook his head in disbelief, his eyes filled with sorrow.

“Tsk,” Jiang Rulian scoffed sarcastically.

Liu Qi’s voice came from the other side, “Captain, what should we do now?”

“Bring him over.”

After lazily giving her instructions, Jiang Rulian casually kicked the dog beside her.

The dog had been circling Qing Qian, its tail wagging so fast it looked like a propeller, and even trying to stand up to paw at her clothes. Now that it had been scolded by Jiang Rulian, it obediently crouched down.

Jiang Rulian continued her questioning. “Are you a Tushan fox? Have you registered with the Monster Bureau? And how do you know him?”

“No, my name is Nanzhi, and I’m a wild fox,” the woman replied, her eyes downcast and brimming with tears. “The Monster Bureau… I’ve never even heard of it.”

“Since I began cultivating, I’ve never left home. Cui Lang saved me during my tribulation, so I came down the mountain to repay him.”

Jiang Rulian immediately scoffed. “What era are you living in, still clinging to the idea of repaying debts with your body? Just give him some money and be done with it.”

Her disdain was palpable. Nanzhi gazed tearfully at Jiang Rulian.

“But when I first came down the mountain, I knew nothing. Cui Lang bought me clothes and allowed me to stay in his home. He saved me; he just… forgot.”

She seemed unable to grasp that time could completely transform a person.

The man who now spoke harshly to her was no longer the young man who had carried her for miles to stop her bleeding.

The dog placed its paw on Nanzhi and gently patted her in consolation.

Jiang Rulian scoffed, “You shielded him from danger last night, repaying your debt of gratitude. Why prolong this entanglement?”

Nanzhi lowered her head, the tears on her cheeks still wet. She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a worn bell tied to her wrist with a red string.

After so long, it could no longer produce a clear, tinkling sound; now, its clappers only emitted a dull, rasping noise.

Seeing the conversation turn to emotional matters, Qing Qian, who had remained silent until now, murmured, “You mentioned he’s being targeted. What exactly do you mean?”

“As you can see, my Lord, he attracts my kind.”

Nanzhi gripped her sleeve tightly, visibly embarrassed. “Even I sometimes feel… he’s so fragrant, I want to devour him.”

She continued slowly, “At first, I thought it was just my problem. He’s desperately short on money, and fortunately, his friends are willing to lend him money to help him out. Last night, he told me he wanted to introduce me to his friends.”

“But we were followed the whole way by a man with a vacant stare, looking disoriented. He kept muttering, ‘So fragrant, truly so fragrant.'”

“Cui Lang wanted to go up and negotiate, but…”

Jiang Rulian already knew what happened next. Her eyes widened.

She and Qing Qian spoke at the same time—

“What? He took you to that kind of place to meet friends?”

“When did he start carrying that kind of demon-attracting scent?”

The two voices collided, each asking a completely different question. Nanzhi tilted her head in bewilderment, unsure which to answer first.

Just then, Liu Qi pushed aside the branches and strode over. “Captain! I’ve brought him!”

The man behind him staggered forward, looking utterly distraught.

Jiang Rulian crossed her arms. “Forget it. Take him back and we’ll interrogate him later.”

As she turned to leave, she seemed to remember something and beckoned to Liu Qi. “Wait. Bring him closer.”

Liu Qi, puzzled but obedient, pushed the man forward.

As the distance closed, the man finally saw Nanzhi’s face and froze as if struck by lightning.

His expression twisted into a snarl, and a hoarse gasp escaped his throat. “I understand now! You’re in this together! Nanzhi! You bitch—”

In the next instant, a sudden weight pressed down on his shoulders, and he collapsed heavily to his knees.

Jiang Rulian looked down at him from above, her gaze devoid of emotion. “Nanzhi,” she said, “slap him.”

Nanzhi felt lost and instinctively tried to back away. “No, I can’t.”

“You can,” Jiang Rulian commanded. “Reach out. Aim for his face.”

The Great Demon’s innate pressure forced Nanzhi’s hand to extend, but it froze inches from the man’s face.

She couldn’t bring herself to strike.

The man roared, “Monster! Get lost!”

Crack!

A sharp slap echoed, leaving a finger mark on the man’s face.

Dazed, he stood motionless for a long moment, not even reacting when Liu Qi grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away.

Nanzhi remained frozen, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.

“Not bad. This one has potential,” Jiang Rulian nodded in satisfaction. “Liu Qi, Dog, take them back.”

Dog had already grabbed her sleeve and was pulling her forward. Nanzhi had no choice but to follow.

She spread her palm in confusion. “I didn’t use any force.”

A sudden surge of spiritual energy had propelled her hand.

Jiang Rulian hadn’t heard. The two demons and the two humans had already walked away.

Her haughty demeanor crumbled instantly. She took a step forward, blocking Qing Qian’s path.

“I saw it! Senior Sister just petted the dog!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Jiang Rulian caught Qing Qian’s finger gently tapping the dog’s head.

It was a light touch, barely grazing the fur, but to Jiang Rulian, that counted as petting.

Qing Qian denied it without batting an eyelid. “I didn’t.”

“I saw it with my own eyes! Senior Sister will pet the dog but not me…”

Feeling increasingly aggrieved, Jiang Rulian began to protest. “The Monster Bureau won’t let me change back to my original form, and there are no-fly zones everywhere. I’m about to burst!”

“I’m jealous! Why can the dog change back and even get its head petted? I want Senior Sister to pet my head too!”

Qing Qian sighed softly, her furrowed brow filled with helpless exasperation. “Then change back to your original form.”

“No.” Jiang Rulian leaned closer, her head tilted slightly downward.

Her eyes sparkled as she made an even bolder request. “I want Senior Sister to pet my human form.”

Unexpectedly, Qing Qian didn’t refuse. Instead, she reached out and gently touched Jiang Rulian’s forehead with her icy fingertips, like gentle moonlight.

“Ow!”

With a pained yelp, Jiang Rulian clutched her head, looking pitiful. She couldn’t believe Qing Qian had actually smacked her on the head!

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