After I Lost My Memory, I Was Coaxed into Marriage by a Yandere - Chapter 6

Xin Rong and Chi Wei failed to find any sign of Xiao Tan in the tailor shop. The anxiety was so intense that cold sweat nearly soaked through the back of Chi Wei’s clothes.

Xiao Tan was lost! How could she possibly account for this to Xiao Yanyi when she returned?

The owner of the tailor shop was even more frantic than she was. The child had disappeared from her shop; if the authorities were involved, she would be held responsible. “Why don’t you go home and check first? Maybe the child went back on her own.”

Xiao Tan had always been obedient and sensible. Chi Wei did not believe she would suddenly leave and abandon her in the shop. However, having no other choice, Chi Wei could only head back. “Fine. Please ask the neighbors to help look for her. I’ll head home first.”

On the way back, Chi Wei, who was blind, walked faster than Xin Rong, the Taoist cultivator. However, her gait was incredibly unsteady. Every few steps, she would lurch or stumble, leaving Xin Rong drenched in sweat from constantly catching her.

Finally, after Chi Wei nearly fell again and was hauled up by Xin Rong, the cultivator could not take it anymore and pulled her to a halt. “Stop! Do not rush. The more frantic you walk, the messier it gets. When are we ever going to reach your house?”

The two stopped at a three-way junction. Xin Rong looked at the three paths ahead, took a ragged breath, and said, “I have chased demons for hundreds of miles and was not as tired as I am from supporting you on this walk. There are three roads ahead; which way?”

Chi Wei froze. “A three-way junction? Usually, it is my Wife or Xiao Tan who guides me back.”

Xin Rong felt her vision go dark with frustration. She randomly pulled aside an elderly woman whose simple clothes and dark complexion marked her as a long-time village resident. “Auntie, do you know where this young lady lives?”

The old woman waved her hand and spoke in a rapid, unintelligible dialect that made Xin Rong scratch her head in confusion. Once the woman finished, Xin Rong hurriedly thanked her and sent her on her way. After watching the woman walk into an alley and sit on a stone stool to chat with some local fishermen, Xin Rong wiped the smile off her face and turned to Chi Wei. “Did you understand that? Which way is your house?”

Chi Wei was even more bewildered than she was. “You should find a local to ask for directions.”

Xin Rong thought to herself, Who exactly is the non-local here?

Xin Rong glanced at both sides of the road. No one was passing by. Being helpful was such a hassle; she thought that maybe she should just leave this blind girl at the crossroads. She slowly loosened her grip and quietly shifted her feet back a few steps.

Sensing the silence, Chi Wei worried she would not make it home and said anxiously, “There is a swing at my house, and it is very quiet nearby. There is a huge field of rapeseed flowers in front. It is likely either at the beginning or the end of the village. That demon is incredibly fierce, dressed in white, with no head on its neck. I almost died at its hands that night. Taoist Xin, you are a woman of your word; you will definitely help me get home and catch the demon, right?”

“Is it really that fierce?” Xin Rong was skeptical. But then she remembered how her fellow disciples, both stronger and weaker than her, had returned with great harvests. Even her youngest junior sister had struck gold by landing a blow on a tiger demon during a hunt, while she had achieved nothing.

Chi Wei nodded vigorously. “Really fierce!” It had scared her so much she could barely sleep, only finding rest when her Wife coaxed her to.

Xin Rong guessed that Chi Wei’s family must have moved here recently; otherwise, how could a local blind person not know their way home? Besides, while the thought of abandoning a blind girl in the street crossed her mind, she could not actually bring herself to do it.

An hour later, after asking for directions along the way, Xin Rong finally saw the vast field of rapeseed flowers Chi Wei had described.

In a daze, Chi Wei heard Xiao Yanyi’s gentle voice calling her: “A-Chi, you are finally back. Oh? And who is this Taoist?”

In the afternoon courtyard, the setting sun was warm, but Chi Wei’s heart was filled with dread. Breaking away from Xin Rong’s support, she stumbled forward to find Xiao Yanyi’s embrace. “Wife, it is all my fault. Xiao Tan is gone. We were at the tailor shop buying clothes for you, and then suddenly I could not hear her voice anymore. It is my fault for not looking after her.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Chi Wei heard Xiao Yanyi’s low chuckle, followed by Xiao Tan’s characteristic giggling.

“She came back ages ago. I just finished scolding her and was about to head out to find you.” Xiao Yanyi led Chi Wei to a seat on an old wooden stool in the courtyard. Only then did Chi Wei realize Xiao Tan had been playing a prank on her.

She let out a heavy sigh, feeling genuinely annoyed. “Xiao Tan, if you ever dare to run off and leave me like that again, I will never take you out with me. Do you have any idea how worried I was? I almost had the shop owner report it to the authorities.”

A weight settled on her knees as Xiao Tan leaned against her, resting her upper body on Chi Wei’s lap while still giggling. “I know, I will not do it again. A-Chi, who is this person in the strange clothes?”

Chi Wei finally remembered to introduce Xin Rong to her family. “This is Taoist Xin Rong. She is here to catch the demon in our house.”

“Catch a demon?” Xiao Tan immediately straightened up and ducked behind Xiao Yanyi in alarm. Xiao Yanyi, however, stared calmly at Chi Wei’s smiling face.

Xin Rong withdrew her gaze from Xiao Yanyi’s face and squatted down in front of Xiao Tan with a grin. “That is right. Do not be afraid, Xiao Tan, I am here to catch the demon. Chi Wei said there is a headless female ghost in your house who likes to stand at the foot of the bed at night. She asked me to take a look.”

Xiao Tan clutched Xiao Yanyi’s hand, her small face full of fear. “Sister, is there really a demon in our house?”

Xiao Yanyi rubbed the top of Xiao Tan’s head, soothing her with gentle movements. She looked up at Xin Rong and smiled. “Since the Taoist is here, please do check the house. Even if there is a demon, the Taoist will find a way to take it away, will she not?”

“Naturally,” Xin Rong promised, patting her chest. When Xiao Yanyi invited her to stay for a simple meal after her investigation, Xin Rong readily agreed. Xiao Yanyi then led Xiao Tan toward the kitchen.

“Your Wife is too beautiful; she looks like a celestial being. How did she end up with a blind person like you?” Xin Rong asked in a low, puzzled whisper as she sat down on a stool next to Chi Wei.

A few paces away, Xiao Yanyi stood in a plain white dress, the fabric faintly shimmering with subtle, intricate patterns under the sunlight. She was elegant and composed, her every gesture carrying the dignified air of someone accustomed to a life of luxury. The more Xin Rong looked, the more confused she became: Why would such a person be content to huddle in a dilapidated fishing village with a blind woman?

Hearing this, Chi Wei unconsciously touched her cheek and lowered her head, whispering, “Is my Wife truly that beautiful? And what about me? Do I look like I deserve her?”

Xiao Yanyi always told her she was average-looking, and Chi Wei had long believed it. Hearing such high praise for Xiao Yanyi from an outsider suddenly made her heart sink with a touch of insecurity.

“You do not look bad yourself,” Xin Rong said bluntly. “It is just a pity your eyes lack spirit.” This was true. Chi Wei had a clean face and delicate features, possessing a cool, detached elegance that even the bright Xiao Yanyi lacked.

Xiao Yanyi was different. She was like a meticulously cultivated, precious flower; elegant, yet with an underlying, barely perceptible allure. Even in a crowd, she would be the one people noticed instantly; she was dazzling and impossible to ignore.

“My Wife used to be a daughter of a wealthy family. She eloped with me. We love each other very much. And I was not always blind.”

Chi Wei lowered her head further, a groundless sense of crisis blooming in her heart. “Taoist, is there a demon in our house or not? It is almost dark. Have you seen anything yet?”

“I see. No wonder she wears such nice clothes while living in such a shack.” Xin Rong pulled out her side bag and began rummaging for her demon-hunting tools. When she heard Chi Wei say “it is almost dark,” she paused. “Wait. You are blind; how do you know it is almost dark?”

Chi Wei really wanted to roll her eyes. “Please, can you stop calling me blind every other second? Could you show a little respect to a person with a visual impairment? I cannot see things clearly, but I can still perceive light, okay?”

“Sorry, I will mind my words. I will start looking now.” Xin Rong took out a compass. The needle swayed unsteadily. Muttering incantations that Chi Wei could not understand, she walked toward the bedroom.

A small head slowly appeared in the kitchen window, followed by a pair of dark eyes and two clean little hands gripping the sill.

Xiao Yanyi stood by the window, glancing at Xin Rong as she headed for the bedroom. Looking down at Xiao Tan’s “ready-for-battle” expression, she found it somewhat amusing. “Tonight, shall we have braised chicken, stewed chicken, or roasted chicken?”

At the mention of chicken, Xiao Tan could not help but drool. Wiping her mouth, she turned around. “We had braised chicken yesterday; today, let us have stewed chicken! Can we add some mushrooms and potatoes?” There was a type of mushroom in the woods near the village that turned yellow and crunchy when cooked. Xiao Yanyi had made it for her once after the spring rains, and she loved it.

Xiao Yanyi did not look up. “We do not have mushrooms.”

“I will go pick some!” Xiao Tan turned to run out but was grabbed by the end of her braid and gently pulled back by Xiao Yanyi.

“Stay by my side. Otherwise, I will not be able to mask your demonic aura. That Xin Rong is just one of those foul Taoists; the others have likely already arrived. We cannot clash with that old Taoist yet, or it will draw too much attention to us being here. We need to leave soon.”

Hearing her tone turn cold, Xiao Tan’s heart skipped a beat. “Then Xin Rong, she…”

“Kill her, then we leave tomorrow.” Xiao Yanyi’s lips curved into a light smile. She looked up to meet Xin Rong, who was walking back from the bedroom empty-handed and looking dejected.

Suddenly, a shadow blocked the light. Chi Wei fumbled her way to the window, leaning over and smiling softly at Xiao Yanyi inside. “Wife, we are leaving in two days. Could I have that mushroom dish you made last time once more?”

Xiao Yanyi paused mid-preparation. Looking at the slightly nervous Chi Wei and then at Xin Rong, who was sitting at the table observing them, she quirked an eyebrow. “Alright. Xiao Tan and I will go pick some. You entertain the guest.” Chi Wei rarely asked for specific foods; how could she refuse?

Xiao Tan’s eyes widened as she stared at the biased Xiao Yanyi. Just as she was about to protest, her cheek was pinched by Xiao Yanyi, rendering her speechless. She could only let Xiao Yanyi lead her out of the courtyard and along the winding path, stained golden-red by the setting sun, to pick mushrooms.