Entangled with a Gloomy Creep in an Explicit Novel - Chapter 24.1

Jin Yongyi took a deep breath and forcefully pulled her hand away, giving a stiff and perfunctory excuse, “I am just a bit cold.”

Zhao Fuzhou seemed entirely oblivious to her avoidance and resistance. Once again, he took her hand naturally yet firmly, pulling her down to sit on the edge of the bed. He picked up the exquisite clothes he had prepared, his tone thoroughly doting, “You ran out in such a hurry just now without even putting on your clothes or shoes. Did you freeze? I came to find you simply because I was worried you would catch a cold.”

“I am not cold anymore. I will just wear the clothes Sister Fuyao gave me.” The moment Jin Yongyi saw the outfit he had prepared, all the doubts and suspicions from earlier crowded back into her mind, sending shivers down her spine and making her scalp tingle with fear.

“But you are clearly still shaking, Yiyi.” He acted as if he were taking meticulous care of a disobedient child, patiently taking her cold hand into his palm to rub it gently.

Jin Yongyi was at a loss for words and could only respond with silence.

“Be good and put them on. The sun is about to set in a moment.”

Jin Yongyi instinctively glanced out the window and saw that the sun had indeed quietly slipped behind the mountain forest, leaving only the remnants of twilight in the sky. It turned out she had actually slept in a daze all the way until the afternoon.

“We are going out to explore the streets in a little while, and you will catch a cold if you go out dressed like this.”

Zhao Fuzhou gazed at her with that same gentle expression, a beautiful smile playing on his lips as he persuaded her over and over again.

Jin Yongyi’s thoughts were gradually pulled toward the prospect of exploring the night market. Looking at his face, which bore a warm and gentle smile exactly like it did when they first met, she found it flawless and unchanging.

She could not help but begin to doubt herself, wondering if she was just being paranoid and overthinking things.

After a long while, Jin Yongyi finally compromised, took the clothes from his hands, and said in a low voice, “I will change by myself. You go out first.”

“Alright.” He agreed exceptionally quickly, immediately turning to leave the room and pulling the door shut behind him.

While changing her clothes, Jin Yongyi thought to herself that just for the sake of how mindfully he had served her food this morning, she would defer to his kindness this time. Besides, the wind in Dingyuan City was indeed very strong at night, and the thin outer cloak she was wearing probably could not fend off the severe cold.

As she changed alone inside the room, Zhao Fuzhou stood outside by himself. He leaned lazily against the cold wall. The very moment the door closed, the smile on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by an expression of pure gloom.

The system’s voice suddenly resonated inside his mind, [Host, please be absolutely sure to note that if the heroine’s favorability toward others exceeds eighty, it will break the boundary and formally unlock affection points. Although my current permissions are insufficient to check her specific favorability toward other people, judging by the fluctuations in her emotions just now, her favorability toward Mu Qingfeng must have risen. You must be on guard against Mu Qingfeng!]

The system said everything in one breath. Seeing that Zhao Fuzhou did not offer any reaction for a long time, it steeled its heart and reported the latest information, [Furthermore, the heroine’s favorability toward you has just dropped by another ten points.]

Zhao Fuzhou’s brow twitched violently, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes as he uttered a single, ice-cold word in his mind, “Get lost.”

The system shuddered at the piercing coldness, [Please forgive me.]

“In the future, if I do not actively seek you out, you are not permitted to appear on your own. Otherwise, I will find your true form at all costs and kill you completely.” A mocking and cruel smile curled at the corner of Zhao Fuzhou’s lips, “Additionally, I never want to know how much favorability she has toward me ever again. Do you understand?”

The system did not dare to say another word. It could only sob textually in fear before logging off and vanishing instantly.

The surroundings quieted down considerably. Zhao Fuzhou slowly closed his eyes, listening to the faint rustling of clothes from inside the room. The incredibly irritated and violent mood within him actually began to calm down gradually.

Jin Yongyi had just finished putting on her clothes and was about to change out of the casual shoes that were a size too large. Exactly at this moment, Zhao Fuzhou pushed the door open and walked back inside. He sat down on the couch with her in a perfectly natural manner, lifting her white ankle to help her change her shoes gently.

There was nothing strange about this; she had become quite accustomed to Zhao Fuzhou touching her feet over the past few days. It also saved her from having to wash her hands afterward since she did not have to touch her footwear, making it rather convenient.

Jin Yongyi leaned back comfortably, propping herself up with her hands while resting her bare feet casually on his warm thighs, thoroughly enjoying his attentive service.

She had many little preferences. For instance, she was a hopeless visual, voice, hand, abs, and pale-complexion enthusiast.

With nothing to do, her gaze involuntarily fixed on Zhao Fuzhou’s hands. She observed his long fingers applying subtle pressure. His skin looked exceptionally fair under the sky’s light, and a few veins protruded slightly on the back of his hands, looking full of strength.

Wait, something seemed off.

A flash of insight struck Jin Yongyi’s mind. She suddenly remembered that Zhao Fuzhou’s hand had just been injured at noon today. It had been bleeding profusely, and bandages had been wrapped inside and out several times, looking incredibly alarming.

Only a few hours had passed, so how could it possibly be completely healed?

Moreover, the back of his hand was perfectly smooth, without a single trace of a scar.

Jin Yongyi felt thoroughly perplexed. She grabbed his hand, turning it over to inspect it repeatedly from all angles, and asked in disbelief, “Were you not injured this afternoon? How is it that nothing can be seen now?”

“My constitution has been somewhat unusual since childhood, so my wounds heal faster than ordinary people.” His tone suddenly dropped, his voice carrying a hint of grievance and resentment, as if saying, You only noticed I was injured just now?

Jin Yongyi was speechless. This was way too fast. Were the characters in this book all descended from deities?

“That is exactly why I asked you for that special scar-removing ointment the other day.” Zhao Fuzhou’s eyes curved slightly, completely unbothered by her small hands squeezing his hand as he explained patiently with a smile, “Fortunately, I just managed to rummage through my own luggage and found an identical bottle.”

Jin Yongyi listened in open-mouthed astonishment, “Is that stuff really that effective?”

She instinctively turned her head to look at the open box on the dressing table not far away, where an identical, delicate porcelain bottle was resting quietly inside.

Zhao Fuzhou naturally noticed the bottle as well. He stood up, walked over, and took it into his hand.

“This is the bottle of medicine I gave you this morning, right? Yiyi, if you have no use for it right now, could you lend it to me again?”

Jin Yongyi pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, “Has your hand not already healed? What do you need it for?”

“Last night, I encountered a very wild stray cat at the corner of the street. I reached out to feed it, but accidentally got scratched and injured.”

Jin Yongyi found herself in a bit of a dilemma.

It was not that she was too stingy to return the medicine to him. The main issue was that she had secretly used a tiny bit of the ointment Zhao Fuzhou had given her earlier. The bottle on the dressing table was the entirely unopened, brand-new ointment she had taken back from Mu Qingfeng. The moment he opened it and realized it was completely unused, it would be incredibly awkward for her.

Before he could reach out to break the seal of the porcelain bottle, Jin Yongyi steeled her heart, rushed over, and snatched the bottle away. She quickly turned her back to him, secretly scooped out a tiny bit of ointment with her fingernail, and rapidly smeared it on the side of her hand.

Then she turned back around, feigning nonchalance as she stuffed the bottle back into his hand, saying generously, “I have no use for it right now! You can just take it. Consider it a gift from me, so do not return it anymore.”

Zhao Fuzhou quietly observed her subtle movements as she applied the ointment, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Then, in a very soft yet unyieldingly forceful tone, he said, “If the scars on your skin are already gone, there is no need to apply it blindly. Applying too much is actually bad for your skin.”

At noon today, in order to wipe away the juice from her palm outside Xie Fuyao’s room, the handkerchief he carried with him had already been soiled. At this moment, he still insisted on cleaning off the ointment she had just applied to the side of her hand. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled up his clean sleeve and meticulously wiped away the remaining yellowish-brown paste for her.

Jin Yongyi stared blankly at his expression, which was focused and gentle, as if he truly did this out of that simple, single purpose.

Yet, from beginning to end, she felt something was off.

However, she could not articulate what exactly was strange about it.

Perhaps she was indeed being too sensitive and overthinking things these past few days. After all, thinking about it carefully, Zhao Fuzhou had always been a rather thoughtful and considerate person.

After carefully wiping her hand clean, Zhao Fuzhou led her to the water basin to wash her hands, only relenting when not a trace of the ointment’s scent remained on her soft palms.

Even after completing all this, he showed absolutely no intention of leaving. Jin Yongyi assumed he had some important business regarding the martial world to discuss with her, so she sat on the stool and waited. She waited until the sky neared twilight before Zhao Fuzhou finally stood up slowly. He took her hand naturally and asked gently, “Are you hungry? I heard that the night stroll in Dingyuan City is very interesting. We can explore and eat at the same time.”

Exploring the night market and its food stalls was a temptation Jin Yongyi could absolutely never refuse.

Ever since her first night arriving in Dingyuan City, she had been yearning to have a proper food tour. Unfortunately, back then, the missions issued by the system were constantly chasing her down. Now things were different; the main missions had paused for the moment, leaving her completely carefree. She was going to feast tonight and make up for all the grievances of the past few days.

More accurately, she was going to spend Zhao Fuzhou’s money and feast.

Jin Yongyi agreed repeatedly, obediently following him out of the room. Suddenly remembering a highly terrible past experience, she pulled his sleeve to remind him, “By the way, absolutely do not eat at that meat burger shop about two hundred meters inside the city gates. The food they make is not clean; my stomach ached for a long time after eating it before.”

“Alright, I will listen to you,” Zhao Fuzhou chuckled softly.

The expression on his face remained extremely gentle from beginning to end, and the smile did not fade in the slightest even when he saw Xie Fuyao and Mu Qingfeng coming down the stairs, having also changed their clothes.

Seeing her friends, Jin Yongyi’s eyes lit up instantly. She immediately let go of Zhao Fuzhou’s hand with joy and trotted over toward them.

“Sister Fuyao, I was just about to go to your room to find you! Let us go explore the Dingyuan City night market together tonight!”

Xie Fuyao cast a brief glance at the white-clothed man standing behind Jin Yongyi. Then, she reached out her hand and thoughtfully pulled Jin Yongyi a bit closer to her side, blocking the man’s view, and said, “We had the exact same intention. Since we have a bit of leisure time tonight, let us all go explore together and relax.”

“Wonderful! When we get to the night market, I will treat you to the most famous roasted chicken here, as well as sugar-roasted chestnuts!”

Seeing that everyone’s ideas aligned perfectly, Jin Yongyi happily linked arms with Xie Fuyao, chatting and laughing as they walked down the stairs.

Mu Qingfeng followed closely behind the two girls. Suddenly remembering something, he turned his head back in confusion.

He saw that Zhao Fuzhou was still standing entirely alone on the second floor, motionless. His expression made him look exactly like a poor, abandoned child left behind by his companions.

Mu Qingfeng felt a bit sympathetic and called out, “Brother Zhao, are you not joining us?”

However, Zhao Fuzhou merely watched them quietly and did not speak to answer.

The soft figure walking at the very front suddenly stiffened. In an instant, Jin Yongyi felt an ice-cold gaze, filled with absolute aggression and psychological pressure, lock fiercely onto her back. She froze in terror, turned around trembling, and met his direct, completely temperatureless stare.

That hair-raising, bizarre sensation returned.

It felt as though an invisible hand was gently scratching at her heart through her chest cavity. It hitched everywhere, yet she had no way to stop it.

Xie Fuyao and Mu Qingfeng also noticed the anomaly and stopped their steps to look at her.

For a moment, the four of them stood frozen at the narrow staircase of the inn, the atmosphere deeply peculiar, with no one taking the first step.

Worried that Xie Fuyao and Mu Qingfeng would misunderstand that she and Zhao Fuzhou shared some sort of unspeakable, ambiguous relationship, Jin Yongyi could only steel her heart, trot back over, grab Zhao Fuzhou’s wide sleeve, and head forward with her head lowered.

As they passed Xie Fuyao and her brother, Zhao Fuzhou suddenly turned the tables. He pulled his sleeve out of her grasp and smoothly shifted to firmly hold her warm hand instead. Then, he curled his lips into a smile directed at the siblings, a cunning and provocative light flashing deep within his dark eyes.

Jin Yongyi naturally dared not utter a single breath, letting him lead her as she gritted her teeth and surged all the way out onto the bustling street, only then letting out a long sigh of relief.

The moment they stopped, Zhao Fuzhou forcefully stuffed a heavy, coin-filled pouch into her hands.

“So much money!” Jin Yongyi exclaimed, her eyes widening.

Seeing that her awkwardness and tension had finally transformed into joy under the comfort of money, Zhao Fuzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone rising high as he appeared to be in an excellent mood, “The reward for capturing the evil cultivator this time is exceptionally bountiful. Yiyi, your share and mine are now under your care. Consider it my way of making you happy in advance.”

“Well,” Jin Yongyi pursed her lips in slight embarrassment, then swiftly tied the pouch to her waistband with a sweet smile, “In that case, you are truly wonderful, so I will not stand on ceremony!”

During this brief conversation, Xie Fuyao and Mu Qingfeng also walked out of the inn, keeping a close but respectful distance as they explored the night market together.

The customs of Dingyuan City were very open, and because of the festival, there was no curfew. The streets at night were easily a hundred times more bustling than during the day. Jin Yongyi remembered that when she was a child, her village would often host lively gatherings, and various vendors pushing carts would come to set up stalls. Those few days were incredibly joyful. Just like Dingyuan City now, various stalls adorned with bright lanterns stood closely packed on both sides of the street, though the scale before her eyes was far grander than the village gatherings of her youth.

Acrobatics performances like breaking large stones on someone’s chest were visible everywhere, alongside a massive procession of floating lanterns. While it was lively, walking through the crowd proved somewhat difficult.

Jin Yongyi was currently holding a fragrant, massive roasted meat skewer in her left hand and a packet of freshly baked, delicate pastries in her right. A parade of floating lanterns suddenly passed low over her head, startling her into dodging through the crowd. By pure coincidence, she crashed headfirst right into the chest of Zhao Fuzhou, who was walking toward her. The sharp iron skewer in her hand came dangerously close to stabbing straight into his stomach.

The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward for a moment.

Zhao Fuzhou merely cast a brief glance at the dangerous weapon in her hand without making a sound. He smoothly took the pastries from her right hand, then gently held her slender wrist to pull her closer into his embrace, shielding her from the surrounding crowded crowd.

Jin Yongyi gave him two dry laughs, and to ease the awkwardness, she rapidly accelerated her pace of eating the meat skewer.

“Yongyi, once you are finished eating, I will go throw this iron skewer away,” Xie Fuyao said, casting a helpless glance at her brother, who was currently a complete mess but still smiling foolishly at Jin Yongyi. She could not help but sigh.

Along this walk, as long as Jin Yongyi’s gaze lingered on any novel little item for more than two seconds, Zhao Fuzhou would pay for it without hesitation. Seeing Zhao Fuzhou spending money wildly, Mu Qingfeng’s pride kicked in, and he volunteered to carry everything. In no time, he was laden with colorful packages from his shoulders down to both arms. At this point, only his final left pinky finger could manage to hold anything, yet he still shouted with excitement, “Yongyi! Let me carry this packet of pastries, I can truly still manage it!”

Xie Fuyao sighed deeply, ultimately choosing not to bother stopping her hopeless younger brother.

Jin Yongyi stuffed her cheeks, quickly finishing the meat skewer. She handed the bare iron rod to Xie Fuyao, thanking her indistinctly, “Thank you, Sister Fuyao. Huh? Mu Qingfeng, why are you carrying so many things!”

“It is nothing! It is not much at all. Look, I can even hang two more around my neck!” Mu Qingfeng seemed to find her mouth-full, indistinct way of speaking incredibly adorable, shaking his head with a silly laugh. As he moved, the countless parcels hanging on him let out a series of clattering noises.

“That will not do, you will tire yourself out!” Jin Yongyi chewed hard as she reached out to take the heaviest items from his hands, “Let us return to the inn first to drop these things off, and then we can come back out to play properly.”

Mu Qingfeng naturally supported her decision with all his heart. Zhao Fuzhou remained silent, but whenever Jin Yongyi took an item from Mu Qingfeng, he would silently reach out and take it from her.

In this way, the massive pile of new purchases was evenly distributed between the two tall men, who were both close to 190 centimeters, instantly making the load look less bulky.

Xie Fuyao was agile and easily navigated through the crowded crowd. She quickly returned after throwing the skewer away. Jin Yongyi stood beside her, quietly waiting for the two men to return after dropping off the items.

Shortly after, the four of them walked together again, the atmosphere unexpectedly harmonious.

Outside Dingyuan City lay a clear moat that ran through both the interior and exterior of the city, which was exactly how the city got its name. Every evening, many local citizens and scholars would gather by the river to release floating lanterns for blessings.

Jin Yongyi was drawn to the sparkling, river-like channel from afar, running excitedly all the way to the riverbank.

As she drew closer, she saw many delicate small boats floating in the water and several vessels waiting for passengers at the pier. The citizens were mostly paired up, buying a beautiful lantern at a designated shop on the shore, allowing them to board a boat to admire the scenery and float along.

Jin Yongyi naturally wanted to join the fun. Seeing that she liked it, Zhao Fuzhou led her to a shop to select and purchase two beautiful lotus lanterns. Holding her lantern, she shouted excitedly to Xie Fuyao behind her, “Sister Fuyao, this boat looks so interesting. Let us two share a boat together!”

Xie Fuyao nodded with a smile. However, when the two girls approached a small boat moored at the shore and prepared to hand their lanterns to the old boatman, he shook his head and refused.

“Miss, take a look around. Everyone boarding the boats tonight consists of couples. For two young ladies like yourselves, I am afraid we cannot accommodate you these few days.” The boatman waved his hand, then hollered to a young couple nearby, “Hey, young master and lady over there! Once you buy your lanterns, you can board the boat. After eleven o’clock, the wind and waves on the river pick up, and the authorities will not allow us to take passengers, so hurry along!”