After I Lost My Memory, I Was Coaxed into Marriage by a Yandere - Chapter 15

Chi Wei’s eyes widened in shock. “One touch means death, yet you can say something as cold as leaving her behind?”

Xiao Tan was speechless with frustration. She could not exactly explain that the bird’s venom was not necessarily more potent than Xiao Yanyi’s own poison. She could only remain silent, gripping Chi Wei tightly to prevent the fool from rushing out to her death.

Fortunately, the chaos outside subsided before long. Once they heard Xin Rong say, “Check the number of injured,” Xiao Tan finally released her hold.

Chi Wei lifted the dusty, faded tablecloth. The first thing she saw was the hem of a dust-stained white skirt, followed by a long sword pointing diagonally toward the ground. The blade shimmered with a cold, eerie light. Thick, dark blood dripped from the edge, hitting the ground with a soft sizzle and sending up wisps of acrid white smoke.

Her gaze followed the trail of blood upward. The hand gripping the sword had well-proportioned joints and long, slender fingers with clean nails; one could tell just by the hand that the owner was a beauty.

“Xiao Yanyi!” Without needing a closer look, Chi Wei recognized her. She rushed forward and grabbed the woman’s wrist, only then noticing a gash on the outside of her forearm. Blood was welling up from the wound. After a brief moment of daze, Chi Wei immediately tore a strip of cloth from her own clothes and bandaged the wound, covering the flash of scarlet and gold.

“It is no matter,” Xiao Yanyi said, watching her quietly.

Chi Wei’s movements paused for a second. She looked around; the ground was littered with the corpses of Zhen birds, yet the area under the table where she had been hiding was perfectly clean, without a single drop of blood. Xiao Yanyi had stood guard right here. Could it be that she had done so specifically to protect her?

“I did not realize Miss Xiao’s swordsmanship was so extraordinary. It was quite unexpected,” Xin Rong said as she walked over, a hint of suspicion entering her eyes as she looked at Xiao Yanyi.

Chi Wei took a step sideways, shielding the side of Xiao Yanyi that was injured. “Taoist Xin, what was that demon?”

Xin Rong frowned. “I expect it saw how many of us there were and wanted to turn us into a midnight snack. I was careless. I thought since we were almost out of the mountains, one sentry would be enough, but she fell asleep. Sigh.”

She lowered her head in annoyance. From a short distance away, a voice called out; it seemed one of her junior sisters had been hurt. Once Xin Rong left, Chi Wei breathed a sigh of relief. The bandaging had been done in such a rush that she was not sure if she had let any secrets slip.

Seeing her look so relieved, a faint, teasing smile appeared on Xiao Yanyi’s lips. “You are concerned about me.”

Chi Wei turned around, her brow furrowing as she prepared to argue. “I am not!”

Before she could finish, Xiao Yanyi’s eyelashes flickered. Her entire body seemed to lose its strength, and she slumped softly toward Chi Wei.

“Xiao Yanyi!”

Chi Wei’s heart tightened as she lunged forward to catch her. Xiao Yanyi’s weight fell heavily into her arms, her warm breath brushing against Chi Wei’s neck. Thinking about how the Zhen bird was lethally poisonous, Chi Wei felt a layer of cold sweat break out on her back. She hurriedly carried Xiao Yanyi behind a pillar.

As she struggled to re-bandage the wound, Xiao Tan crawled out from under the table. She stood beside Chi Wei, brushing the dust off her skirt while silently watching Chi Wei’s movements. Her eyes held a mix of utter confusion and a helpless sense of “I cannot bear to watch this.”

“So, you can actually play it this way?” Xiao Tan muttered under her breath.

Chi Wei looked up, fine beads of sweat on her forehead. “What did you say?”

Xiao Tan opened her mouth as if to speak, but at that moment, the person in Chi Wei’s arms stirred. Chi Wei immediately ignored Xiao Tan and looked down. Xiao Yanyi’s lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze bypassed Chi Wei and landed directly on Xiao Tan.

“Thirsty,” she said. Her voice was cool, and Chi Wei could not detect any signs of discomfort.

Xiao Tan pursed her lips and gave a subtle roll of her eyes. “I know, I know. I am going. I will not disturb your good moment.” She drew out her words teasingly, turned, and headed out to find water.

Once Xiao Tan left, Chi Wei felt the weight in her arms increase as Xiao Yanyi leaned back against her, her voice growing weaker. “So tired. So cold. Can I lean in your arms and sleep for a while?”

Tired? Cold? Could she truly be dying from the poison?

Chi Wei reached out and untied the bundle Xiao Tan was carrying. She pulled out an outer garment to cover Xiao Yanyi and tightened her embrace, her gaze becoming complicated. “I, I will try my best to take care of Xiao Tan for you.”

Xiao Yanyi asked, “Hmm?”

Thinking the other woman was dissatisfied with the word “try,” Chi Wei immediately corrected herself. “I will give it my all. You, you can go in peace.” Her voice dropped low at the end, leaving it unclear if she meant “go to sleep” or “pass away.”

It sounded very wrong, but Xiao Yanyi could not quite put her finger on why. Still, her goal had been achieved. She leaned back into Chi Wei’s embrace, feeling her being held tighter. It was much warmer than a hay mattress. As fatigue washed over her and she drifted toward sleep, she thought to herself that Chi Wei truly was too soft-hearted.

Chi Wei leaned against the wall, listening to the low sobbing coming from the hall, feeling uneasy. Someone she had just met and greeted during the day was now gone forever. One of Xin Rong’s junior sisters had been injured in the skirmish; a Zhen feather had grazed her shoulder, but the group had no way to treat the toxin. In less than fifteen minutes, the woman had turned black and stiff.

As the breathing of the person in her arms became steady, Chi Wei let out a long sigh. Life was truly unpredictable. She wondered how much longer a demon like Xiao Yanyi could hold on. When Xiao Tan returned and saw that Xiao Yanyi was asleep, she tossed the water bottle aside and found a spot to sleep herself. Chi Wei lamented inwardly that the child was simply too young to understand. Your companion is nearly gone, yet you can sleep so heartlessly.

The next day, as the group set out for the city, Xiao Yanyi remained listless. She leaned into Chi Wei’s arms as if she had lost all her strength. Chi Wei had no choice but to help her onto the donkey while she walked in front, leading the rope and glancing back frequently. Every time, Xiao Yanyi would give her a faint smile, which made Chi Wei feel even worse.

She figured a demon’s constitution must be different from a human’s; even though she was clearly suffering, she was still forcing herself to be strong. During the journey, Chi Wei even tried to ask Xin Rong if there was any cure for that poison. After hearing the question, Xin Rong only shook her head in silence. Her gaze toward Chi Wei held a hint of complicated gloom before she turned and walked away without a word.

Since Xiao Yanyi had been hurt by the bird but had not died, Chi Wei did not dare speak openly about the poisoning. She was afraid of arousing suspicion, which would only make things worse for the mother and daughter.

They finally reached an inn in the city by noon. Chi Wei tied up the donkey and helped Xiao Yanyi to the entrance. Xin Rong’s sisters were already gathered in a circle in the lobby, crowding the area so much that she could see nothing. She did not dare linger, fearing Xiao Yanyi’s identity would be discovered, so she hurried to their guest room.

After closing the door, Chi Wei turned around. “Xin Rong’s master is here. Are you sure the demonic aura of you two will not leak out?” Chi Wei sniffed the air as she spoke. She smelled nothing.

Xiao Yanyi sat on the bed, looking at her with confusion. “What are you smelling?”

“The demonic aura and such.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yanyi closed her eyes helplessly. “It will not happen. Do not worry about that.”

In her heart, Chi Wei took it for granted that Xiao Yanyi could not defeat Xin Rong’s master. After settling the two of them, Chi Wei went out to buy some light food. Passing through the lobby, she saw Xin Rong attending to a Taoist of extraordinary bearing, so she went over to offer a greeting.

Through Xin Rong’s introduction, Chi Wei learned that this was her master, whose Taoist name was Qing Jue. Chi Wei offered a polite greeting. Master Qing Jue gave a calm nod but said little. Knowing she was but a mere mortal, Chi Wei wisely stepped aside.

This Master Qing Jue appeared to be in her thirties with an elegant countenance. However, her long hair was mostly white, creating a striking contrast with her beautiful face. As the two continued their conversation, Chi Wei quietly retreated with the food and hid behind a pillar.

Xin Rong spoke in a low, dejected voice about the disciple who had died from the Zhen attack in the mountains. Master Qing Jue remained silent for a moment before gently patting Xin Rong’s shoulder. “The path of cultivation is full of hardships,” the master’s voice was gentle yet powerful. “Your junior sister sacrificed herself to protect the common people; she died a worthy death.”

Xin Rong turned away, quickly wiping her eyes with her sleeve, her voice growing raspy. “But I could not find even a trace of that snake demon. I have failed my master’s orders.”

Qing Jue’s voice stabilized, carrying a cold confidence. “This is not your fault. I have already tracked her whereabouts. Yanxia Pass is the only vital passage to the Southern Territory. I have already sent several of your senior sisters to search and give chase along the route, casting a dragnet. That creature will surely pass through there. At that time, you!”

Hearing this, and seeing a corner of a green Taoist robe appear around the bend, Chi Wei’s heart tightened. She did not dare stay any longer and hurried upstairs with the food.

After setting the food on the table, Xiao Tan was the first to gather around. She peeked and saw nothing but plain porridge, green vegetables, and vegetable buns. She immediately lost interest and went to the window with a pout.

“Eat something,” Chi Wei said, taking a bowl of porridge to the bedside.

Xiao Yanyi nodded and tried to prop herself up, but she had only sat halfway up before she slumped back as if drained of strength, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on her forehead. Chi Wei’s heart leaped! The bed curtains blocked her view; thinking Xiao Yanyi’s condition had suddenly worsened, she hurriedly set down the bowl and rushed to the bedside to check on her.

Seeing that she was merely weak and had no other symptoms, Chi Wei breathed a sigh of relief and did not dare let her move again. “Do not move. I will feed you.” After all, when Chi Wei had been unwell before, Xiao Yanyi had taken care of her for a long time. She picked up the porridge bowl, sat by the bed, scooped up a spoonful, and gently blew it cool before feeding it to Xiao Yanyi.

Xiao Tan could not help but roll her eyes from the side. Unable to stand it, she left a quick remark: “I am going to open another room.” She opened the door and disappeared in a flash.

Chi Wei thought that was fine; it was convenient for the girl to have her own room. She could not stay in the same room as Xiao Yanyi anyway. It was not appropriate. However, she never expected that the new room Xiao Tan opened was not for herself.

Chi Wei stood at the counter downstairs, hesitating over whether to spend five copper coins to squeeze into the large communal bunk shared by men and women. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. Xiao Yanyi had come downstairs at some point and was leaning against the stairs, watching her. The candlelight reflected off her pale face, and her voice carried a touch of lazy raspiness. “Just make do for a night with me. It is not as if we have not slept together before.”

She paused, the corners of her eyes curving slightly as she added, “Do not worry, I will not do anything to you.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the noisy lobby suddenly went silent. Several gazes, both obvious and subtle, swept over them. Chi Wei’s face flushed a deep crimson, so red it almost looked as if it would bleed. Wishing she could find a hole to crawl into, she grabbed Xiao Yanyi’s wrist, kept her head down, and practically fled upstairs with her.

Once the door was slammed shut, Chi Wei let go of her hand, her chest still heaving. She glared at Xiao Yanyi, feeling both ashamed and angry, the blush on her cheeks spreading all the way to her ears. “What nonsense are you saying? Before was before, and now is now. How can it be the same?”

Xiao Yanyi did not answer but slowly walked closer to her. “But that night when you were pretending to be blind, were you not quite happy watching me?”

Chi Wei’s head buzzed. All her rebukes were suddenly stuck in her throat, and even her neck turned red. “So you knew all along!”

Xiao Yanyi still did not speak but continued to press closer. Only then did Chi Wei notice that the skin on her exposed neck and wrists was flushed with an unnatural, faint red glow. Her eyes, which were usually cool, were now covered with a layer of shimmering moisture, and her gaze was so thick it made one feel flustered.

She grabbed Xiao Yanyi’s arms with both hands, trying to keep her at arm’s length. “What is wrong with you? Why is your gaze so strange? Your body is so hot. Could the poison be taking effect? Are you, are you not going to make it?”

“Not going to make it?” Xiao Yanyi frowned, trying to understand what she meant by that. Then it dawned on her; the reason Chi Wei was being so unusually kind today was because she thought Xiao Yanyi’s life was coming to an end.

A surge of emotion, whether it was irritation or something else, rushed to her heart. She had never been so thoughtfully provoked before. Xiao Yanyi stopped talking and simply reached out to grab Chi Wei’s wrist, pulling with force.

The world spun. By the time Chi Wei reacted, she had been pulled down onto the bed. Xiao Yanyi leaned over her, her hot breath brushing against her cheek.

“Injured, unstable magical power,” Xiao Yanyi stared into her suddenly widened eyes, speaking each word clearly and slowly. “I can no longer suppress my heat cycle.”

She lowered her head, her nose almost touching Chi Wei’s. Her voice was incredibly raspy. “If you are truly so kind-hearted, then why not help me tonight?”