I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 12

No one knew what the consequences of the bald man’s tardiness would be, and Hong Sister certainly wouldn’t tell them. They waited under the archway for ten minutes, but there was no sign of him returning. After checking her watch, Red Sister said, “I suppose he got too carried away and forgot the time. We won’t wait any longer, let’s head back first.”

The other five were startled, unsure what to make of her decision.

Qi Yan suppressed the unease in her heart and resisted the urge to ask any questions. Whatever fate awaited the bald man, she wouldn’t be surprised, nor was it something she could afford to investigate now. In this world, survival was the priority, and she knew all too well that she lacked the capacity to worry about others.

Despite the countless questions swirling in their minds, the five of them had no choice but to silently follow Red Sister back to the guesthouse. No one dared to bring up the bald man, they were already struggling to stay afloat themselves.

When they returned, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, likely from Cuilan preparing dinner.

Red Sister dismissed them in the courtyard. “Rest for a while. Cuilan will call you when dinner’s ready.”

With that, she turned and left without another word.

Left alone in the courtyard, the five players were lost in their own thoughts, their faces grim and clouded with worry.

Qi Yan glanced back at the open gate still no sign of the bald man.

Tang Shanshan, still trembling with fear, whispered to Huo Zheng, “That bald uncle, do you think he’s in danger?”

The question was naive, and Tang Shanshan knew it. Though young, she wasn’t stupid, she understood exactly how perilous their situation was. So she didn’t mind when Huo Zheng didn’t answer. She already knew the truth.

The five of them didn’t linger in the courtyard and silently retreated to their rooms.

The moment Qi Yan entered, Bai Qing eagerly flew out from the ring, landing lightly in front of her and narrowing her eyes as she studied her.

Qi Yan still hadn’t gotten used to it and flinched at the sudden appearance.

“Stop popping up like that. You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

Bai Qing scoffed. “And yet, you’re still worrying about that bald man who isn’t coming back. If you’re this easily frightened, how do you expect to look out for others?”

Qi Yan fell silent, walking over to sit on the bed before finally sighing. “I know my limits. Keeping myself alive is already the best I can do, I don’t have the ability to care about others.”

“Then why do you keep thinking about him?”

Qi Yan lifted her gaze to the demon standing before her and replied coolly, “I just want to know what will happen to him. He didn’t regroup within the time Red Sister gave, so he obviously failed the task assigned by the NPC. That’s definitely a violation. And with all his irrational behavior today, plus those offensive things he said. I want to know which of those things sealed his fate.”

Bai Qing looked puzzled. “What does it matter? All you need to know is that he’s done for. Stay away from him, don’t get involved, and don’t break the rules. With me here, you’ll be fine.”

Bai Qing was right, and Qi Yan knew it but she couldn’t help thinking further.

“But I want to understand the hierarchy of the rules,” Qi Yan lay on her back on the bed, closing her eyes as she spoke slowly. “The bald guy has done so many reckless things at once, but in the end, it’s unclear which one will kill him. Figuring this out might help us understand the game rules of this scripted world better.”

Bai Qing blinked, not entirely grasping Qi Yan’s meaning. Despite having lived for over a thousand years, most demons were simple-minded by nature. After all, demons were usually born from the cultivation of plants and animals without a pure and untainted heart, how could these creatures ever become demons? As the Demon King, even during the peak of her spiritual power, Bai Qing likely didn’t possess half the shrewdness Qi Yan had now.

Qi Yan didn’t bother explaining further to the demon. She simply lay on the bed, resting with her eyes closed, waiting for dinner time.

Before long, Cuilan called them downstairs to eat. Qi Yan quickly got up from the bed. Truthfully, she had no appetite at all, but she had to eat. With the exact rules of this scripted world still unclear, she couldn’t afford to step into any hidden traps, caution was paramount.

At dinner, the bald man appeared. He looked much more subdued than he had during the day, his face slightly flushed and his eyes dull and unfocused.

Qi Yan observed him silently, noting how much he had changed after disappearing for a while. But without knowing what he had gone through during that time, she couldn’t draw any conclusions from these changes.

Perhaps because of the bald man’s earlier antics at lunch, dinner had two extra dishes, both containing meat. The thick fog outside hadn’t lifted, and though Cuilan had promised to buy groceries earlier, most of the town beyond the folk street where their inn was located remained shrouded in mist. It was highly unlikely she had managed to procure any meat.

Qi Yan stared at the two meat dishes on the table, her intuition screaming at her not to touch them.

Huo Zheng and Tang Shanshan were equally cautious, sticking only to the same stew they’d had at lunch and avoiding the new meat dishes entirely.

The bald man, seemingly drunk, swayed slightly as he stared blankly at the table. Spotting the two new meat dishes, he chuckled in satisfaction and eagerly dug in with his chopsticks.

The couple, still shaken from the incident on the suspension bridge, barely touched their food, clearly having no appetite.

Qi Yan kept her head down, picking at her plain rice, when Bai Qing’s voice came from the ring: “That meat isn’t right. Don’t you dare touch it.”

Qi Yan thought as much. This scripted world was riddled with hidden dangers vigilance was the most universal and effective rule here.

After forcing down a few bites, Qi Yan dragged her exhausted body back to the room and collapsed onto the bed.

Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy, but she forced herself to stay just awake enough.

Bai Qing emerged from the ring, taking human form as she sat beside Qi Yan. Looking down at her with amusement, she teased, “You can barely keep your eyes open, yet you’re forcing yourself to stay awake? What, planning to wander around at night instead of sleeping?”

Qi Yan shook her head sluggishly, her voice weak. “I don’t have the energy to go anywhere. I just don’t dare sleep. What if I close my eyes and end up dead for no reason.?”

Bai Qing seemed surprised by her concern. After a brief pause, she replied with a hint of irritation, “What’s there to fear? Just sleep. Even if everyone else dies, you won’t.”

Her words seemed to be spoken through gritted teeth. Qi Yan struggled to open her eyes and look at her, catching sight of the white-robed demon exuding an anger she couldn’t comprehend. Puzzled, she asked, “What are you mad about?”

Bai Qing crossed her arms, looking down at her with a cold snort. “I told you you wouldn’t die. With me here, what are you afraid of?”

Qi Yan’s exhausted mind churned for a moment before she grasped the point Bai Qing was making. With a faint chuckle, she turned over and closed her eyes. “You’re right. I’ll just rest for a bit. Wake me if anything happens.”

Perhaps the day had been too exhausting, her nerves stretched too tight. The moment she finished speaking, Qi Yan fell asleep.

Bai Qing sat beside her, watching quietly for a while, listening to her slow, even breaths. A glint of something unreadable flickered in her eyes as a fierce aura rose within them. Her right hand curled slightly, fingertips elongating into sharp claws.

A few moments later, the golden light in her eyes faded, and her fingers returned to normal. Bai Qing stared at Qi Yan’s sleeping face for a while longer before finally shaking her head with a soft laugh.

The spirit contract was already sealed. Any further resistance would be futile hurting this person would only rebound on herself, a loss not worth the gain. Besides, staying by her side wasn’t all that restrictive. Though the girl was clever and sharp-witted, she was still just an ordinary person who knew nothing about the spirit contract, let alone how to use it.

And so, Qi Yan slept peacefully while Bai Qing’s body shimmered with silver light, dissolving into white mist as a pure white snow fox took form. The fox’s tail flickered with phantom images, as if unable to maintain a solid shape, the faint outlines of multiple tails barely visible.

The snow fox circled the bed once before curling up beside Qi Yan, closing its eyes to rest and recuperate. Freshly freed from imprisonment, Bai Qing still needed continuous cultivation to heal the wounds on her true form and soul. Now that she had formed a spirit contract with this girl, staying close to her would speed up her recovery.

The fox’s fur was thick, long, and silky smooth, radiating a gentle warmth with a faint white glow. Pressed against Qi Yan, it was incredibly comfortable. As if instinctively seeking warmth, Qi Yan rolled closer into the fox’s embrace, nestling into an even cozier position.

Bai Qing cracked one eye open to glance at the person burrowing into her. Suppressing the urge to toss her off the bed, she eventually lifted a front paw and pulled Qi Yan closer, wrapping her body around her to keep her warm.

The night passed unusually peacefully. Qi Yan slept soundly until dawn, only waking when Sister Hong’s voice called from outside.

“Time to get up. Breakfast’s at eight.”

With that, Sister Hong’s footsteps faded away, soon followed by the sounds of other players stirring and leaving their rooms in the hallway.

Qi Yan lay in bed for a long moment, staring blankly before turning to see the empty space beside her. She figured Bai Qing must have retreated back into the ring.

After a quick freshening up, she headed downstairs to the dining area, where the others already sat with grim expressions. Tang Shanshan’s dark under-eye circles were especially pronounced, as if she hadn’t slept well at all.

Qi Yan took a seat beside her and casually asked, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Tang Shanshan nibbled on a steamed bun, looking utterly drained. “It was way too cold. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Cold?” Qi Yan blinked in surprise. Was it really that cold this season? She hadn’t felt a thing, if anything, she’d been so warm she’d sweated in her sleep.

Huo Zheng chimed in from the side, “Yeah, it was freezing. The temperature suddenly dropped around two in the morning and stayed that way for over an hour. It only got better after three.”

Tang Shanshan also looked at Qi Yan with confusion. “Sister Qi, you really didn’t feel it?”

Qi Yan really didn’t feel anything. She chuckled and said, “Seems like it, but I was too sleepy and slept more soundly.”

She couldn’t figure out why everyone else felt cold except her. Trying hard to recall last night’s sleep, she remembered feeling something warm and soft beside her, then snuggling closer to it like a giant body pillow.

The “giant body pillow” Bai Qing read her thoughts and secretly gritted his teeth.

“So, what exactly happened? Do you know?” Qi Yan asked Bai Qing in her mind.

“Hmph, I was fast asleep last night too. No idea.”

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