After the Second Playthrough, the CP-Less Female Lead Kneels and Begs Me for Forgiveness [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 32

Fortunately, Pei Ming didn’t seem to intend to pursue that topic any further.

She said, “Just now, I was only joking. Please don’t take it seriously.”

Shao Xibei’s long eyelashes lowered as she gave a faint smile. “Since that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say.”

“I am taking Pei Xi with me.”

Pei Ming asked, “I wonder… why Concubine wants to take my sister away? According to my knowledge, you and Xi’er haven’t known each other for very long, have you?”

Hearing this, Madam Pei spoke up from the side, “Pei Xi is my daughter. By what right are you taking her away?”

Having said that, she shouted at Pei Xi, who was standing behind Shao Xibei, “Xi’er, come over here quickly! Whose daughter are you, after all?”

Pei Xi merely looked up at her, her feet not moving an inch.

Seeing this, Madam Pei’s rage was visibly written all over her face. “Pei Xi, have your wings grown so strong already?! You won’t even listen to my words?”

Pei Ming raised her hand and gently patted Madam Pei’s back. “Mother, don’t be angry. Perhaps Sister Xi just wants to play with… Concubine for a while longer.”

“Just let her go.”

Pei Ming’s words seemed to have a massive effect on Madam Pei; after this brief intervention, Madam Pei’s emotions began to stabilize.

“Pei Xi, remember this: the wedding with the Wang family is set for five days from now.”

Madam Pei mentioned the wedding once again, but this time Shao Xibei remained silent. She had realized just now that continuing to argue with Madam Pei here was pointless.

Although she felt very strong currently—as if she could take on five people at once—if something truly went wrong, she would still be outnumbered on their home turf.

Shao Xibei had lost her memory, but she hadn’t become a fool. She was still capable of basic reasoning.

She pulled the silent Pei Xi all the way toward the exit. The servants still kept their heads bowed like a row of puppets. Perhaps if it weren’t for the faint sound of breathing, Shao Xibei would have thought they were dead.

No one stopped them—not Madam Pei, and not Pei Ming.

As she reached the doorway, Shao Xibei suddenly looked back and caught a glimpse of Madam Pei’s expression.

Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she saw Madam Pei—who just moments ago had been vivid and full of expression—now staring into the void with hollow, unfocused eyes.

Beside her, Pei Ming’s hand rested lightly on Madam Pei’s shoulder as she watched them leave with a smile in her eyes.

An indescribable sense of eeriness rose within her. Shao Xibei couldn’t help but blink; when she looked again, Madam Pei was looking at her with disgust, and Pei Ming’s hand was no longer on her mother’s shoulder but hanging naturally at her side.

Shao Xibei led Pei Xi out of the main hall, but they didn’t go back immediately. Shao Xibei said to Pei Xi, “Pei Xi, let’s not go back yet. I want to take a walk around the Pei Estate.”

Though confused, Pei Xi nodded. She led Shao Xibei through corridors and courtyards, and they explored almost the entire Pei Estate, save for the guest rooms.

Shao Xibei discovered a very strange thing.

The Pei Estate was massive, but there were very few servants, and the cheeks of these servants were all uniformly flushed red.

When they faced the servants, the servants could interact with them normally, just like ordinary people. However, as soon as they left, the servants’ expressions vanished instantly, as if their souls had been snatched away, and they returned to repeating mechanical movements over and over.

On their way, she encountered the little maid who had come looking for Pei Xi earlier today.

The little girl stood hollow-eyed by a cluster of flowers, her expression identical to the one Shao Xibei had seen on Madam Pei earlier.

The presence of Shao Xibei and Pei Xi seemed to alert the girl; she was instantly “re-injected” with a soul, and her expression became animated.

“Second Miss, and this elder sister, do you have any instructions?”

Pei Xi glanced at Shao Xibei. Seeing her brow furrowed in thought, she shook her head at the maid. “It’s nothing. Go about your business.”

The little girl replied, “Yes.” After speaking, she stole another glance at Shao Xibei.

Shao Xibei noticed and gave her a radiant smile.

The girl’s ears immediately turned red with shyness, and she scurried away. To all appearances, she looked like a lively young girl.

However, the doubt in Shao Xibei’s heart only deepened.

Pei Xi continued to lead Shao Xibei around the estate. During this time, she looked at Shao Xibei from time to time; seeing her constant frown, Pei Xi was filled with curiosity but didn’t dare to ask.

She was afraid that asking would be annoying. She didn’t know how much tolerance Shao Xibei had for her, and she didn’t want to test it.

Finally, the two returned to the garden outside the side courtyard.

Suddenly, Shao Xibei placed both hands on Pei Xi’s shoulders, standing face-to-face. She bent down slightly so their eyes were level.

Pure black eyes met pale pupils. Such close proximity caused Pei Xi’s breath to hitch for a moment.

Shao Xibei spoke with a serious tone: “Pei Xi, don’t you find the servants in your house very strange?”

She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but Pei Xi felt the warmth of Shao Xibei’s breath, accompanied by a faint fragrance, brushing against the tip of her nose.

But now was not the time to focus on such things.

Regarding Shao Xibei’s question, Pei Xi shook her head. Sometimes the servants ignored her, but usually, they would bow and greet her when they saw her.

Shao Xibei asked again, “Then do you think there is anything strange about your mother?”

Pei Xi fell silent. She didn’t know how to describe it to Shao Xibei; perhaps because she didn’t truly understand her mother, she couldn’t find the words.

“…No.”

Shao Xibei straightened up. She thought back to the black mist she had seen earlier on the young master of the Wang family.

But apart from him, she hadn’t seen it on anyone else. No, that wasn’t right—she had seen something different on Pei Qing: ghosts.

Perhaps only when someone’s malice became overwhelmingly intense could she perceive or “see” those things.

Shao Xibei reached out and looked at her slender wrist. Suddenly, she said, “Pei Xi, can you take me to see your father?”

Pei Xi looked at her. “But that night…” Aren’t you afraid?

Pei Xi didn’t finish the sentence, but Shao Xibei understood her meaning instantly.

Shao Xibei’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “That night, your father—who was neither human nor ghost—was almost crippled by me.”

Pei Xi thought about it and realized it was true. That night, if her father hadn’t left suddenly, he might have actually been beaten senseless by this person who looked so frail and sickly.

Thus, Pei Xi led Shao Xibei to the bedroom where Pei Qing resided.

Ever since Shao Xibei had been brought into the house, Madam Pei and Pei Qing had begun arguing and sleeping in separate quarters.

There were two servants guarding the outside of Pei Qing’s bedroom. As Shao Xibei approached, she saw with certainty that their hollow eyes instantly regained a spark of life.

The servants bowed to the two of them.

Normally, given Pei Xi’s personality and her standing in this family, the servants would show her very little respect. Those with more courage might even display their disdain openly.

However, Shao Xibei observed that their expressions were neither servile nor overbearing; there was no flattery, but no contempt either. It was as if they were facing a perfectly ordinary person.

They were exactly like all the other servants they had encountered today.

A thought flashed through Shao Xibei’s mind. These servants… it’s as if they are all wearing identical masks.

The two guards at the door did not block the person Pei Xi had brought. Pei Xi and Shao Xibei entered Pei Qing’s bedroom without any trouble.

When she saw Pei Qing again, Shao Xibei was shocked.

He was nothing but skin and bones now, even though they hadn’t been apart for very long.

Pei Xi took one look and looked away. She had no interest in her father’s condition. She poured a bowl of tea and handed it to Shao Xibei.

Shao Xibei didn’t drink it. She walked to the bedside and stared.

Suddenly, an ornament she was wearing began to heat up. Shao Xibei touched it through her clothes. The ornament seemed to be vibrating slightly.

She was about to take it out to look at it when her attention was caught by a voice calling, “Xiao Xi…”

Currently, only one person would call her “Xiao Xi”—undoubtedly, it was Pei Qing.

When Shao Xibei’s focus returned to Pei Qing, her pupils constricted instantly.

She saw that there were actually eight of those little ghosts—the kind she had grabbed that night—on Pei Qing’s body.

Their spindly limbs seemed fused with Pei Qing’s flesh, looking as terrifying as if they had grown out of his body.

The little ghosts were howling with hideous faces, their bodies twisting and swaying as if trying to break free from their bonds. However, they seemed suppressed by some kind of power, forced to remain attached to Pei Qing.

Sensing that someone could see them, the little ghosts suddenly let out ear-piercing shrieks, their vengeful wails echoing like thunder.

The sound made Shao Xibei’s head spin, and she was dazed for a moment. When she regained her clarity, she realized that new memories had flooded her mind.

She was not originally from this era. She was a Celestial Master from modern times, likely having arrived here after being swallowed by a thousand-year-old Vengeful Spirit.

She had thought she was surely dead after being swallowed, but she never expected to lose her memory and end up here.

Of course, this was just Shao Xibei’s guess as to why she had come to this era based on the fragments of memory.

The additional memories made her feel less lost; moreover, she seemed to know all the spiritual techniques stored in her mind.

However, it was clear these weren’t all her memories. She still felt as though there was one particularly important thing she had yet to do.

But she believed she would remember everything sooner or later.

Shao Xibei pulled her thoughts back and looked at Pei Xi beside her.

She said, “Pei Xi, no matter what you see in a moment, keep it inside, okay?”

Pei Xi didn’t quite understand, but she nodded anyway.

To verify whether her strength had returned along with her memories, Shao Xibei reached out and bit her finger under Pei Xi’s bewildered gaze. Fresh blood began to flow slowly.

This hurts like hell. I’m never doing this again, Shao Xibei thought with a hint of tragic indignation.

The little ghosts seemed to catch the scent of blood. They struggled even more violently, black slime secreting continuously from their gaping maws.

Shao Xibei thought they were truly an eyesore.

She reached out and smeared her blood across Pei Xi’s forehead, chanting a short, sharp incantation.

Pei Xi never expected Shao Xibei to do such a thing. She wanted to ask why Shao Xibei would suddenly bite her finger and smear blood on her, but Shao Xibei hushed her and pointed toward Pei Qing.

“Pei Xi, look.”

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