After Swapping Identities With My Archenemy - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: The Behemoth

Huo Xuanjing offered a faint smile. “I knew you wouldn’t take the front door, so I waited here for you. If you don’t mind, little friend, let’s talk.”

She was always so self-assured, but Jiang Huaiyi didn’t give her an ounce of face. “No.”

Huo Xuanjing: “…”

A curve tugged at the corner of Shen Wensi’s mouth. Seeing the “genius” look so deflated made her mood brighten instinctively. Taoism emphasizes wu wei (inaction) letting things take their natural course but Huo Xuanjing was the type to fight for what she wanted.

After a brief pause, Huo Xuanjing spoke again. “What is it that you want?”

Without hesitation, Jiang Huaiyi replied, “Money.”

It was a brutally realistic answer. As soon as she said it, Huaiyi felt a bit embarrassed for being so materialistic, but she wasn’t a hypocrite. In this day and age, money bought comfort.

Huo Xuanjing was momentarily stunned, then rubbed her nose and said awkwardly, “How about I give you 500,000 first, and you consider it?”

Huaiyi’s knees felt weak. If it weren’t for the freezing weather locking her joints, she might have wobbled. She knew Huo Xuanjing was rich, but she didn’t realize she was that rich. It was like the woman had calculated exactly how to strike her fatal weakness.

Shen Wensi watched Huaiyi’s sparkling eyes, her own gaze darkening slightly. She looked down at her phone. She could already imagine Huaiyi’s next words this girl was perfect in every way except for the fact that she couldn’t walk past a stack of cash.

But then, Huaiyi’s clear voice rang out beside her. “But… my friend is richer than you.”

With that, she hooked her arm into Shen Wensi’s and walked away, rejecting the massive temptation with surprising finality. Once they were a good distance away, Shen Wensi asked tentatively, “Was it really because of the money?”

Huaiyi’s eyes were still bright. “Of course. But not entirely. I don’t want to be her disciple. There might be endless benefits, but the life I have now is the one I want.”

She paused, looking at Shen Wensi cautiously. “I used to think it was a bad thing that everyone forgot me that every trace of my existence vanished. But… at least I have you.”

She immediately regretted the bold confession, worried it might be one-sided or annoying. But suddenly, Shen Wensi pulled her closer. The scent of Wensi’s perfume enveloped her.

“It’s okay,” Wensi said, her voice sounding both relieved and slightly unnatural. “Actually, I am very rich. Even if it’s just for the money…”

“I told you it’s not just about the money!” Huaiyi interrupted, hugging Wensi’s waist tightly. “I didn’t know you were rich when we met. Besides, I’ve been poor for so long, life goes on either way!”

The memory of them huddling together in the tall grass of Cen Ling came back to her. In the face of unknown danger, her first instinct was always to find Wensi.

A strange, warm feeling surged through Huaiyi like walking into a heated mall from a blizzard, or the happiness of that first bite of a long-awaited dessert. It wasn’t a delusion. Shen Wensi didn’t push her away; she deepened the embrace. They stood on the deserted path, held tightly together.

In the distance, Huo Xuanjing stopped following. She watched the two figures hugging, scratching her head in confusion. Is the person she cares about most… her? She felt something was off, but she was too polite to keep eavesdropping and turned to leave.

Shen Wensi smiled softly. “I know. My money is just one of the things you like about me.”

Huaiyi: “Eh…?”

Shen Wensi: “And I’m the same. I like you, too.”

The New Task: “Removing the Sui”

Filled with joy, they returned home. But Xiao Die was still missing. Huaiyi pulled out her silk paper, and to her surprise, two new words had appeared: “Remove Sui” (Chu Sui).

Sui was an ancient calamity beast associated with New Year folklore. Usually, her Uncle handled these things, but silk paper tasks were never a coincidence.

That night, just as Huaiyi lay down, she heard a scratching sound at the window. Despite the sound-proof glass, a persistent skritch-skritch like sharp claws on glass sent chills down her spine.

She texted Shen Wensi. A moment later, Wensi stepped into the room. They stood together by the window.

1, 2, 3! Wensi yanked the curtains open. The darkness outside was absolute. The scratching stopped instantly. When Wensi turned on a flashlight, there was nothing there, but the glass bore several faint, deep scratches that shouldn’t be possible.

“Should we go down?” Wensi asked.

Huaiyi nodded, gripping her silk paper. They headed out into the cold night. Under the window, the bushes were flattened as if something heavy had been resting there.

Roar—

A low, bestial growl echoed in the wind.

“You heard that, right?” Huaiyi’s eyes were wide.

Using a paper-cutting technique, Huaiyi created a small paper dog to track the scent. It led them straight to the dark alleyway where Shen Wensi had gone the night before.

Huaiyi reached into Wensi’s bag, realizing Wensi had already packed the leftovers from the fridge. “I brought the food,” Wensi said. “Let’s go.”

As they entered the pitch-black alley, the flashlight beam cut through the dark, revealing a behemoth curled up in the deepest corner.

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