Entangled with a Gloomy Creep in an Explicit Novel - Chapter 23

The image of the two of them kissing forced its way into her mind once more. Jin Yongyi’s face flushed crimson, and she frantically scanned the table for food to hide her embarrassment.

She grabbed a pair of chopsticks, but her five fingers were so sore that she could not maintain a grip. The chopsticks slipped out with a clatter, scattering randomly across the floor. A soft chuckle resonated from beside her, leaving her even more mortified, nearly driving her to scoop up the food with her bare hands.

Just as her chaotic mind was genuinely preparing to do so, her hand was taken by Zhao Fuzhou. He shifted his stool closer, their legs brushing against one another. Holding her hand, he placed it on his lap and began to rub it gently.

His care was entirely too deliberate. From the moment she walked into the room, his attentiveness had been meticulous, behaving as though he slept beside her every single night and knew exactly what she needed upon waking and where her body felt uncomfortable.

Jin Yongyi furrowed her brow. Gritting her teeth, she asked the exact question she had sworn she would never bring up, “Zhao Fuzhou, did anything happen last night?”

He lifted his eyes, his gaze filled with complete bewilderment. “Was something supposed to happen?”

Jin Yongyi: “…”

True, what was supposed to happen?

If the kind of event she was imagining had genuinely taken place, then her awakening just now should have involved the two of them tangled naked beneath a single blanket, staring in shock before erupting into piercing shrieks, accompanied by flying spit and tears as they accused each other of being scum.

“Yi Yi, what did you want to happen?”

Stunned by her own wild imagination, Jin Yongyi shook her head rapidly, “Nothing, nothing! I was just asking out of curiosity.”

Zhao Fuzhou released her hand, focusing intently on using a spoon to stir and cool the scalding porridge. He added a small portion of her favorite side dishes on top, scooping up a manageable bite to present to her lips.

Jin Yongyi was still trapped in a cycle of self-induced embarrassment and mental collapse. Without a single thought, she cooperatively accepted his attentive service, quickly dispatching a small bowl of porridge into her stomach.

Toward the end, she even let out an involuntary little hiccup. She quickly clasped her hand over her mouth, staring at the table where more than half of the dishes had disappeared, registering belatedly with absolute shock that she had consumed this much food.

Had she gone out to swing a hoe last night? Why were her hands this sore, and why was her appetite as massive as an ox?

Zhao Fuzhou chuckled softly, seemingly taking great pleasure in watching her fail to control her facial expressions.

“Was the hawthorn cake last night truly made by Yi Yi?” he inquired.

“Of course, my mother taught me how to make it,” Jin Yongyi replied without a second thought.

“An acacia aphrodisiac powder was added inside.”

“…”

Here it came. He was finally interrogating her about it, which was exactly how a normal plot should progress.

Jin Yongyi put on a look of profound shock, fluttering her large eyes as she gazed at him with pure innocence, “What?! It was absolutely not placed there by me! How could I possibly possess that kind of substance!”

Zhao Fuzhou curled his lips into a smile, noting, “I believe it was not you.”

“It is good that you believe me.” Jin Yongyi let out a sigh of relief.

He added, “If you had placed it there, you would not have delivered it in person, nor would you have remained inside my quarters after I consumed it. After all, acting in such a manner would be entirely too foolish, resembling a clumsy little kitten.”

“…”

Jin Yongyi’s smile vanished instantly.

She had been insulted.

And she could not even talk back.

Fortunately, he had not insulted her intelligence by comparing her to a pig. A kitten, an insult that sounded like a compliment, and she absolutely adored kittens!

Jin Yongyi straightened her posture, vowing to maintain her distance from this passive-aggressive man.

“There is still a bit of beef left. Does Yi Yi wish to eat more?”

“Yes!”

Jin Yongyi felt she possessed absolutely no spine.

Zhao Fuzhou smiled, picking up a piece of beef with his chopsticks to feed her.

“Roughly a quarter of an hour after accidentally consuming it last night, I regained my clarity and unexpectedly discovered that you had consumed it as well. After assisting you in expelling the medicinal properties from your body, I escorted you back to your quarters. Therefore, absolutely nothing took place,” he explained.

“That is a relief… What about the remaining hawthorn cake? Was it discarded?” Jin Yongyi asked while chewing.

His movements faltered for a brief second before returning to normal. Continuing to feed her, he stated calmly, “Miss Xie took it away this morning.”

“What!” Jin Yongyi bolted upright instantly, rushing outside in a frantic hurry.

Zhao Fuzhou fixed his gaze on her anxious, departing silhouette, his vision drifting to the set of garments he had personally selected for her resting on the mattress, and the shoes arranged on the floor.

His countenance darkened instantly. He tossed the chopsticks carelessly onto the table, and a porcelain plate shattered right on cue.

Jin Yongyi cursed under her breath as she sprinted toward Xie Fuyao’s quarters. Seeing her in the middle of eating the hawthorn cake, her anxiety drove her to bridge the distance in rapid strides, extending her hand to deliver a sharp swat.

The hawthorn cake was knocked directly to the floor. Feeling that was insufficient, she stepped forward and stomped on it viciously several times.

Xie Fuyao was left entirely bewildered by her actions, “Yongyi, what are you…?”

“Where is the rest of it?” Jin Yongyi searched the bare surface of the table. Noting that Xie Fuyao still held a piece inside her mouth, she rushed forward to shake her shoulders frantically, “Spit it out! Quickly force yourself to vomit! This stuff is absolutely not meant to be consumed! Eating this much will claim your life!!”

She had consumed only a minuscule amount last night and lost all recollection of the events. Emptying an entire plate would be catastrophic; was Xie Fuyao a little pig to be capable of consuming this much?

Jin Yongyi rolled up her sleeves, her eyes filled with a determination that looked ready to charge onto a battlefield, “It does not matter! At worst, I shall assist you! We are both women, so there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about!”

“…”

Xie Fuyao suddenly erupted into a loud laugh, “What on earth are you talking about? It is merely a piece of hawthorn cake.”

Shaking her head helplessly, she walked over to the wardrobe to retrieve a thick cloak and a pair of boots, assisting Jin Yongyi in putting them on, “Why are you running around everywhere without your proper attire again?”

It was entirely due to urgency!

Jin Yongyi harbored grievances she could not vocalize.

“There is poison inside that hawthorn cake! Eating it will claim a person’s life, so quickly tell me how much you consumed!” Her anxiety caused her to stand up once more, “Forget it, I shall simply go summon a doctor directly.”

Xie Fuyao pulled her back, “Would I fail to detect the presence of poison? Besides, was this not made by you? How could it contain poison? At any rate, I have already consumed it, and as you can see, I am completely unaffected.”

Jin Yongyi cast a suspicious glance toward the empty plate, asking in shock, “You consumed this much and are entirely fine?”

Could the female lead perhaps be a robot?

No, this book is a male-frequency fantasy cultivation revenge narrative.

It holds absolutely zero connection to future technology.

Xie Fuyao pointed toward the mangled hawthorn cake on the floor, “I only consumed this single piece. The rest…”

“The rest was taken by me.”

A clear, resonant male voice echoed from behind them. Jin Yongyi turned her head to look, discovering Mu Qingfeng standing at the entrance, offering her a smile.

Jin Yongyi’s brow furrowed tightly. She walked over to him and extended her open hand, “Hand it over! When I say it is toxic, it is toxic. Perhaps the substance was distributed unevenly, and the piece your older sister consumed happened to be untainted. You cannot afford to harbor a complacent mindset, do you understand? Whom will you seek for rescue once the toxins manifest? Hand it over quickly…”

Two open presentation boxes were placed onto her outstretched palm. One box contained a pair of exquisite earrings, while the other held a small porcelain vial.

Her voice trailed off, and she froze in place.

“Is it acceptable if I do not consume it? I simply wished to preserve it. If you feel it is an unfair exchange, may I offer these two items to trade with you?”

Jin Yongyi was astonished beyond measure. Mu Qingfeng had genuinely located the earrings she had allegedly lost.

No, she had never lost them in the first place.

To prevent her from experiencing disappointment, he had specially purchased a brand-new pair to present to her. Furthermore, this porcelain vial was clearly the exact medicine Zhao Fuzhou had given her, which she had subsequently gifted to him, except this specific vial was newly purchased.

Jin Yongyi’s mouth puckered, and tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably in a heavy, fierce torrent, “Why must you be this kind…”

An inexplicable sorrow enveloped her heart. She was on the verge of departing; within three days at most, she would have to say goodbye to her companion. Furthermore, they would never meet again in the future, and the camaraderie they had cultivated would gradually dissolve within the torrent of time until they forgot one another entirely.

Yet, she was still present in this exact moment, facing Mu Qingfeng’s absolute sincerity, so how could she not feel sorrow?

Jin Yongyi let out a loud sob, crying even harder.

Mu Qingfeng was entirely at a loss, wanting to assist her in wiping away her tears but fearing his hands were unclean, leaving him frozen in place, frantic to the point of madness.

Xie Fuyao glared at him, pulling Jin Yongyi by the hand to guide her onto a stool, producing a clean handkerchief to assist her in drying her tears.

After a considerable duration, Jin Yongyi’s sobs finally began to subside.

The two individuals beside her stared at her in unison. She instantly curled her toes in embarrassment, covering her face with the handkerchief.

Now that she had finished crying, she realized how embarrassing the display had been.

It was immensely awkward.

Seeing her cover herself with the handkerchief, Mu Qingfeng assumed she wanted to cry further. Anxious, he squatted beside her to offer his apologies, “Yongyi, please do not cry anymore, all right? I shall return all of the hawthorn cake to you. I did not intend to force an exchange of items. These two things were originally meant for you anyway. I shall not trade with you, so please do not cry…”

He tugged gently at the edge of Jin Yongyi’s sleeve.

Seeing that his younger brother was entirely oblivious, his mind behaving as though it were blocked by debris, Xie Fuyao delivered a sharp slap to the back of his head.

He was already in a semi-squatting position, so he could hardly withstand a forceful blow from an individual who had trained in martial arts for years, causing him to be knocked flat onto the floor instantly.

Witnessing this scene, Jin Yongyi let out a sudden snort of laughter.

Seeing that she had finally smiled, the two exchanged a glance and began to laugh alongside her.

With melon seeds and pastries arranged on the table, the three sat in a circle to chat about everyday matters.

The conversation consisted primarily of Jin Yongyi chatting with Xie Fuyao while cracking melon seeds, while Mu Qingfeng nodded in agreement from time to time and peeled fruit for the two ladies.

Xie Fuyao noted, “In a few days, I must return to the Demon Vanquishing Tower.”

Jin Yongyi asked, “Is it that urgent?”

“Yes, there are still numerous administrative matters within the tower that require processing. The demonic entity encountered during this excursion must also be cataloged into the archives, waiting to be presented to the Tower Master upon her return.”

Hearing this, Jin Yongyi’s features twisted in frustration, and she exhaled sharply through her nose, “What a garbage Tower Master, dumping all of the tasks onto her subordinates.”

Xie Fuyao raised an eyebrow, noting with a smile, “That is not the case. The Tower Master treats us with immense kindness.”

“Sister Fuyao, you do not need to make excuses for her. I am highly capable of empathizing with your situation; life as a corporate slave is truly difficult, especially when encountering an incompetent leader. It makes progression nearly impossible,” Jin Yongyi stated, sharing her innermost thoughts.

Xie Fuyao simply smiled without offering a verbal response.

“At any rate, you absolutely must remain for three days. Just consider it as keeping me company.”

“Very well.”

Jin Yongyi glanced at Mu Qingfeng, who was nodding mechanically beside them, unable to prevent a wave of worry from rising. She knew exactly how desperately he yearned to locate his older sister. Now that the family had reunited for a mere few days, he was bound to remain glued to Xie Fuyao’s side. Since Xie Fuyao was returning to the Demon Vanquishing Tower, he would likely want to accompany her as well.

If that was the case, would she not lose her successor, and would the male lead not lose his underling? If things progressed this way, the System might refuse to let her return home!

Mu Qingfeng had just finished peeling an orange, splitting it into two halves. He gave one half to Xie Fuyao and presented the other right before Jin Yongyi’s eyes.

Her expression was solemn, and instead of accepting the fruit, she reached out and grabbed his hand firmly.

“Do… do you intend to depart as well?”

Her words were laced with intense nervousness, and the hand gripping his arm had even broken out into a sweat.

Mu Qingfeng froze. The answer in his heart was actually very clear, but in this exact moment, he suddenly did not know how to respond.

The hand resting on his arm tightened once more. Jin Yongyi’s eyes had still not fully recovered from her crying fit, and she gazed at him intently with a layer of moisture in her gaze, behaving as though she would burst into tears the second he uttered a response that displeased her.

“I already brought up this matter with him yesterday,” Xie Fuyao noted, mockingly acknowledging her younger brother’s lack of spine as she consumed a slice of orange. “I highly desired for Ah Feng to enter the Demon Vanquishing Tower, but he stated that he wishes to remain with you to vanquish demons and uphold the righteous path.”

Jin Yongyi let out an ecstatic shout, “Truly?!”

Xie Fuyao exchanged a glance with Mu Qingfeng, replying, “With absolute certainty. I classify this behavior of his as abandoning his sister for a pretty face…”

“Sister!” Mu Qingfeng’s earlobes and neck flushed completely red, and he quickly interrupted her, “This matter was originally agreed upon between Yongyi and me ahead of schedule. Furthermore, I do not yet possess the qualifications to enter the Demon Vanquishing Tower; forcing me inside would only invite gossip from others. My current arrangement is perfectly fine, allowing me to accumulate more experience through travels, and I can visit the Demon Vanquishing Tower to see you whenever I am free.”

Though Jin Yongyi did not entirely comprehend the nuances of their discussion, she disagreed with one specific point. Possessing connections was far more important than possessing raw ability. Countless talented individuals tried their hardest to squeeze their way up, yet they were easily outmatched by an upper leader who could bring in an outsider with a single sentence. It would certainly invite criticism, but for individuals who held powerful connections, such gossip was entirely trivial.

She had witnessed this type of scenario frequently; under normal circumstances, she belonged to the category of people who grew incensed by such unfairness.

However, Mu Qingfeng was her good companion, so she naturally desired for his path forward to be as smooth as possible. An establishment like the Demon Vanquishing Tower offered a secure livelihood, so refusing an opportunity to enter was the behavior of an absolute fool.

“Though that may be true, Sister Fuyao is simply acting out of concern for you. Traveling outside will inevitably involve instances where you face a lack of food or shelter. Though the Demon Vanquishing Tower possesses a leader who cannot handle administrative tasks, Sister Fuyao is the Deputy Officer. Working inside the tower will undoubtedly be more comfortable than venturing through the wilderness.”

Xie Fuyao found her words highly agreeable, pointing at Mu Qingfeng’s nose to instruct him to listen carefully.

Jin Yongyi added, “Naturally, I am not instructing you to enter the Demon Vanquishing Tower immediately. I still desire for you to accompany us for a longer duration.”

At least until she departed from this world and secured her massive financial payout.

Jin Yongyi flashed a bright smile. Seeing Mu Qingfeng’s mouth move as he attempted to say something, she quickly snatched the orange he had been holding and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

The distance between them closed abruptly. Jin Yongyi placed her hand over his mouth, turning to say to Xie Fuyao with a smile, “Sister Fuyao, he says he shall proceed to the Demon Vanquishing Tower to accompany you after a bit more time has passed.”

Xie Fuyao was moved to laughter by the two of them. However, a moment later, the smile froze completely on her face.

Jin Yongyi followed her gaze, discovering Zhao Fuzhou standing outside the entrance at an unknown juncture. His back was to the light, obscuring his facial expression entirely. A sudden gust of wind swept past, lifting the brilliant red hair ribbon that served as the sole splash of color on his person. He turned his face slightly, casting a careless glance toward the ribbon on the floor. In this exact second, a beam of light swept across his cheek, revealing a small dimple.

He was smiling.

Due to Zhao Fuzhou’s sudden appearance, the atmosphere plummeted to absolute freezing point in an instant.

Jin Yongyi felt a wave of chill, a layer of cold sweat breaking out across her back, causing even her fingertips to tremble instinctively.

She felt slightly perplexed. Was it simply because the three of them had been enjoying themselves without including Zhao Fuzhou, and his arrival made everyone feel awkward?

Jin Yongyi had to admit that she felt a pang of guilt.

It was rather inexplicable.

She let out two fake coughs, releasing her hand from Mu Qingfeng’s mouth. The orange stuffed into his mouth had been too large, causing her palm to be coated in a significant amount of juice.

Yet, it was inconvenient to wipe it off right in front of Mu Qingfeng, lest he assume she found him repulsive.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Jin Yongyi felt her scalp turn numb from the frozen environment, intending to depart first so she could wash her hand. She walked to the entrance, but Zhao Fuzhou blocked her path, showing zero intention of moving aside.

“Did you come to look for Sister Fuyao?” She offered a highly artificial smile. “You two go ahead and chat, I shall take my leave first.”

“Your hand,” Zhao Fuzhou interrupted her.

At such a close distance, Jin Yongyi could see clearly that the smile on his face had vanished without a trace. Peering into his vacant eyes, it felt as though that smile had never existed in the first place.

She froze. Zhao Fuzhou directly took hold of her hand, producing a handkerchief to wipe away the residual juice from her palm, proceeding to clean each individual finger, not sparing even the crevices beneath her nails.

Her skin was rubbed bright red by his actions. Jin Yongyi attempted to pull her hand away but was gripped tightly by him, leaving her with no choice but to scold him in a low voice, “That is enough, that is enough!”

She lacked the courage to check what kind of expression Mu Qingfeng was wearing behind her; it was incredibly embarrassing.

“I shall simply go wash it directly,” Jin Yongyi stated with a hint of annoyance. Exerting a massive amount of force to push Zhao Fuzhou aside, she ran toward the stairwell with all her might.

Zhao Fuzhou watched her silhouette recede further into the distance until she disappeared entirely before withdrawing his gaze and stepping inside the quarters.

The two individuals who remained seated exchanged a glance, the expressions on their faces looking highly unappealing. Mu Qingfeng’s expression was primarily one of awkwardness, while Xie Fuyao’s was entirely different.

She had consistently felt that this man possessed significant underlying issues. This pertained not only to his personal nature but also to his attitude toward Jin Yongyi.

Zhao Fuzhou produced a gold ingot and placed it onto the table, noting with a smile, “Yi Yi wore Miss Xie’s clothing and will likely not return it. I shall compensate you on her behalf.”

This action made Xie Fuyao immensely uncomfortable. She pushed the ingot away, stating in a cold tone, “Brother Zhao speaks too gravely. As long as Yongyi desires any of my possessions, I am entirely willing to gift them to her. There is absolutely no need for Brother Zhao to act in this manner.”

Zhao Fuzhou tilted his head, remaining noncommittal toward her words. Turning his head to place the gold ingot right before Mu Qingfeng, he noted, “In that case, let it be given to Brother Mu. Yesterday evening, Brother Mu ventured into the Night Realm, renting horses and purchasing refined items for a young lady’s use. You must have expended a significant amount of funds.”

Mu Qingfeng froze.

He actually knew everything.

This gold ingot appeared to possess a weight of a thousand pounds, crushing Mu Qingfeng’s breathing until it hitched.

Zhao Fuzhou retracted his smile, refusing to tarry any longer as he turned and departed.

Meanwhile, Jin Yongyi returned to her quarters and washed her hands, placing the two gifts Mu Qingfeng had presented to her onto the dressing table. She carefully picked up the earrings, holding them against her ear to check the fit.

Her ears were highly sensitive, so she normally did not wear ear accessories frequently.

The earrings were crafted primarily from white jade, with a ring of emerald jade suspended beneath the silver hooks, allowing an individual to discern at a single glance that they were highly valuable. Mu Qingfeng was not wealthy himself; even with financial assistance from Xie Fuyao, he did not dare to spend money extravagantly. Simply to ensure her happiness, his ability to purchase such a valuable item to present to her moved her deeply.

She wanted to wear them for Mu Qingfeng to see, allowing him to know that she was incredibly happy and genuinely fond of the gift.

Due to her infrequent use of ear accessories, Jin Yongyi spent more than half of her time simply groping around to locate her earlobe piercing, her body practically pressed into the mirror.

Just as she located the piercing and prepared to guide the silver hook inside, her gaze unexpectedly caught a ring of teeth marks on the soft flesh where the earlobe connected to her cheek. The flesh of her earlobe had been rubbed bright red by her fingers, and the ring of teeth marks positioned on top appeared so crimson it looked ready to drip blood.

Jin Yongyi froze, the entirety of her blood flowing backward. Her earlobe lost all color instantly, leaving only that ring of teeth marks to project a bizarre, bloody hue.

At that exact moment, a weight pressed against her back, and a cool sensation enveloped her frame.

Jin Yongyi descended into immediate panic, her grip on the earring failing as it dropped, only to be caught securely by someone.

Zhao Fuzhou let out a low chuckle beside her ear, his breath brushing against the fine hairs near her earlobe, causing her entire frame to tremble uncontrollably like an electric shock. Her body attempted to shrink away to the side, but she was pressed flat by his palm, reined back into his embrace without the slightest effort.

Jin Yongyi shrank within his arms, simultaneously pinned before the mirror, watching him pinch her earlobe to assist her carefully with putting on the earring. During this time, his measured breathing continually brushed against her neck, leaving her completely stripped of the capacity to think, let alone resist.

“Beautiful.”

Zhao Fuzhou straightened her face, forcing her to look directly into the bronze mirror. Two equally beautiful faces appeared inside the glass. He leaned close with a smile, his cheek pressing against hers, the white jade earring caught between the two of them, making it impossible to discern who was actually wearing the accessory.

“Is this the pair I presented to you? Why did you think to wear it today?” he inquired.

“Ah… ye… yes,” Jin Yongyi had absolutely no time to process the situation, lying to him instinctively.

But she had forgotten that the earrings Zhao Fuzhou had presented to her were currently stored inside the luggage in his quarters.

Zhao Fuzhou’s gaze darkened. Seemingly unsatisfied with merely viewing her through the mirror, he turned his face, his gaze possessing a tangible weight as it crawled across her skin inch by inch.

The surroundings were entirely saturated with the scent of his person, the intensity causing Jin Yongyi’s brain to throb.

She had no idea what was wrong with him today, as he behaved completely differently from his usual self. The sensation was highly similar to the feeling brought by their kiss beside the lake that night, resembling a gentle palm lightly caressing a fragile neck, yet carrying an underlying intent to claim her life, striking dread into her heart.

Jin Yongyi’s breathing gradually slowed, growing heavier.

She lowered her head.

No, these details were merely her own assumptions.

There was zero evidence to validate these theories, and furthermore, she had no desire to know whether her assumptions were correct or incorrect.

It was trivial.

The duration remaining for her inside this book consisted of a mere final three days. Everything that transpired during this period was simply a vacation for her. She had maintained this exact mindset from the very beginning, and now that it was concluding, she simply needed to enjoy these final moments thoroughly.

A shadow fell before her eyes.

Zhao Fuzhou squatted down, taking hold of her hand.

“Yi Yi, why are you trembling?”