Married to the One Who Is Not Human

When Jiang Shiqiu returned, Ji Yu couldn't help but stare at him several times.

She really didn't understand why, since he had such great ability to alter people's memories, he would arrange such a ridiculous identity for himself.

Was it because her biological father had once been a son-in-law, so he naturally became one too?

　　"My wife, what's wrong?" Seeing her staring at him, he asked with a smile, his eyes gentle.

　　Ji Yu remained silent for a moment, then said, "Nothing," closed her eyes, and leaned back to rest.

　　Better safe than sorry. Given the unclear situation, maintaining composure and observing was the wisest course of action. Before clarifying his identity and motives, it was best not to act rashly.

　　Thinking she was unwell, Jiang Shiqiu carried her back to the room to rest, tucked the blankets around her, and said softly, "My lady, rest well."

　　Ji Yu kept her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

　　She knew of his strength and dared not feign sleep in his presence, allowing her weakened body to sink into a deep slumber.

　　After an unknown amount of time, Ji Yu awoke suddenly from her dreams.

　　Upon waking, she glanced around the room and did not see his figure, finally letting out a sigh of relief. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

Before falling asleep, she had specifically given herself a suggestion: as soon as Jiang Shiqiu's presence disappeared, she would awaken from her deep sleep.

Ji Yu did not know how long she had slept, but she felt her entire body was weak and she could not muster any strength.

　　The window shutters were tightly closed, and the room was dimly lit. She had no idea what time it was. 

"Hongxiao," she called softly. 

The next moment, Hongxiao pushed open the door and entered. 

Seeing Hongxiao, Ji Yu finally relaxed, unable to help but speculate whether Jiang Shiqiu had already altered the memories of all the demon exorcists, so he had no intention of harming them.

　　If that was the case, they should be safe for the time being.

Ji Yu thought silently and asked, "Where is he?"

She couldn't bring herself to say the name "Jiang Shiqiu." Every time she tried, the pounding in her chest made her feel a bit out of control.

She knew how dangerous he was, but the name "Jiang Shiqiu" seemed too special to her.

　　Hong Xiao immediately understood who this "he" was and laughed, "Jiang Shiqiu and Xu Gongzi went together to investigate Yanyue Mountain Villa." 

　　Ji Yu paused for a moment, then felt a bit odd.

　　Could it be that Jiang Shiqiu had truly immersed himself in the role of the Demon Suppression Bureau Commander of Huangcheng Town, diligently helping to resolve the crisis at Yanyue Mountain Villa? Or was he toying with the demon exorcists, preparing to watch them make fools of themselves?

Many demons had this malicious mindset of enjoying tormenting others, first toying with the demon exorcists before devouring them.

　　The situation was unclear, so Ji Yu refrained from making wild guesses and instead inquired about the condition of Yanyue Mountain Villa.

"It's not good," Hongxiao said solemnly. "We heard that after dawn, everyone in Yanyue Mountain Villa disappeared, including the villa master and others. We're also trapped here and can't leave… Xu Daoyou and the others speculate that perhaps the people of Yanyue Mountain Villa were already killed, and the Villa Master and steward we saw earlier were actually puppets controlled by the demons..." 

 Last night's wedding clearly had an unusual aura. The people from Yanyue Mountain Villa at the wedding seemed normal, but in reality, they were no longer alive.

　　"...If it weren't for Jiang Da Ren arriving in time, we would have had a fierce battle, and who knows how many casualties there would have been."

　　At this point, Hong Xiao felt a sense of relief.

　　Given her young master's condition, such a situation would have been disadvantageous for her. She might have been forced to become the bride at the wedding, and once the marriage contract was sealed, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

　　When she mentioned last night's events, Hongxiao grew angry. "Chen Qingzhe is truly despicable. He dared to shift the blame and frame the young master. He deserves it!" 

　　Although Chen Qingzhe and Ji Yu were siblings by blood, Hongxiao had no affection for him. 

　　In her eyes, Chen Qingzhe was a member of the Chen family—what did that have to do with their Ji family?

　　Ji Yu looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean, 'deserved it'?"

　　Hongxiao smiled, "Last night, Jiang Da ren reprimanded him. Chen Qingzhe must have suffered serious injuries. He's probably still lying in bed right now."

　　Upon hearing this, Ji Yu's expression grew even more peculiar.

　　Realizing it was nearly noon, Ji Yu thought for a moment and asked Hongxiao to help her get up.

　　"Young Master, what are you going to do?" Hongxiao helped her wash up while asking.

　　Ji Yu looked at the sky outside and said absentmindedly, "I'm going out to take a look."

　　Although she was worried about her health, Hongxiao never interfered with her decisions, so she could only follow her out while chattering.

　　As she stepped out the door, a distinctively foul odor wafted toward her.

　　Ji Yu looked toward the courtyard ahead. The spring rain was still falling, and the flowers, plants, and trees in the courtyard were damp and lush green, just as they had been the day before.

　　However, it now appeared more desolate, and the putrid odor in the air was no longer concealed.

　　Ji Yu thought of the underground chamber similar to the Longquan Underground Palace at Yanyue Mountain Villa, last night's wedding, and the mysterious Jiang Shiqiu...

　　All of this was like the spring rain, with the mist obscuring all truths, preventing them from being revealed.

　　Ji Yu held an oil paper umbrella and walked in the rain.

　　Sure enough, as she walked along, Yanyue Mountain Villa was very quiet. Not only were there no strangers, but even the puppets were nowhere to be seen. 

　　The people of Yanyue Mountain Villa had indeed disappeared, as if they had vanished overnight. 

　　Ji Yu went to Taofeng Courtyard, but there was no one there. She then went to the master's main courtyard, but it was also empty.

　　She looked around and found the room in disarray, likely caused by the demon exorcists who had come to investigate. However, there was no dust, as if someone had been living there all along.

　　After seeing this, she held her umbrella and was about to leave when she encountered a group of people coming toward her at the door.

　　The leader saw her and smiled gently, calling out affectionately, "My wife!"

　　The one surrounded by them was none other than her "husband."

Upon hearing the word "wife," Ji Yu felt a sharp pain in her temples. She swallowed the words "I'm not your wife" that were about to escape her lips and silently stared at him.

Jiang Shiqiu walked over, took the umbrella from her hand, and said with concern, "It's cold outside. Why aren't you resting inside?"

　　Ji Yu's gaze slowly shifted from his strikingly handsome face to the group of demon exorcists in the distance, and she cautiously said, "I couldn't sleep after waking up..."

Jiang Shiqiu held her hands, which were frozen stiff by the biting spring chill, and said helplessly, "If I had known you didn't take care of yourself, I should have stayed by your side myself."

　　Ji Yu's expression stiffened, and she felt at a loss, not knowing what to say. 

　　She wasn't used to having a "husband" yet, couldn't replace the role of a "wife," and didn't know how to interact with this "husband." 

　　The only thing she could do was try not to anger him, maintain the current peaceful facade, and buy time and opportunities for everyone to survive.

　　Jiang Shiqiu's eyes were filled with his "wife." He said something to the group of demon exorcists, then led Ji Yu away. 

He held an umbrella for her, walking slowly to match her pace, and said, "Your body is weak. You should rest properly and recover. Don't go to dangerous places in the future—it would break my heart… Let me handle such dangerous matters from now on."

　　Ji Yu listened silently, not taking it to heart.

When demons and monsters seduce people, they always show their most beautiful side. Once they achieve their goals, they reveal their hideous and cruel true forms.

Back in the room, Jiang Shiqiu personally twisted a hot towel to wipe her face and wash her hands, holding her cold fingers in his own palm.

　　Ji Yu watched him busy at work, her fingertips curling slightly. 

She had to admit that Jiang Shiqiu made an excellent "husband," taking care of her without involving others, as if they were a newlywed couple.

　　With Jiang Shiqiu around, Ji Yu couldn't do much, just lying on the bed like a useless person.

　　As time passed and the sky began to darken, Ji Yu's heart began to race again.

　　Night was the most dangerous time. Last night's wedding had already proven that, and now there was this Jiang Shiqiu, whose origins were unknown. Ji Yu had little hope that this group of demon exterminators would survive.

　　If a group of demon exorcists were to die here, it would certainly attract attention from the outside world. At that point, the demon exorcists sent to investigate would be of a higher rank, and they should be able to eliminate the demons of Yanyue Mountain Villa.

Ji Yu ate her evening meal absentmindedly.

She had no appetite, but there was a man beside her who was trying to feed her and urging her to eat more, so she could only eat silently.

　　Until she could no longer eat, she finally said, "I'm full."

　　Jiang Shiqiu stared at her, his gaze moving down from her calm face to her abdomen, as if to confirm that she was truly full.

　　Ji Yu's heart skipped a beat.

　　Sure enough, when that warm, large hand rested on her lower abdomen, she froze.

　　"Hmm, you are indeed full. " Jiang Shiqu said, then added with a hint of displeasure, "Wife, you ate too little. It's not good for your health."

　　Ji Yu didn't know what to say, thinking to herself that this demonic creature was too human-like.

　　After dinner, only a faint glow remained on the horizon, and Yanyue Mountain Villa was about to be engulfed by darkness.

　　Before the night completely enveloped the villa, the other demon hunters had all arrived.

　　The guest courtyard was not small to begin with, but with so many demon hunters suddenly flooding in, the space became crowded.

　　This group of demon hunters had naturally come for Jiang Shiqiu.

　　In their eyes, Jiang Shiqiu, the commander of the Imperial Town Demon Suppression Bureau, was extremely powerful. If anyone could break the Yanyue Mountain Villa's predicament and lead them to safety, it was Jiang Shiqiu.

　　They placed all their hopes on Jiang Shiqiu, following his lead.

　　Jiang Shiqiu did not drive them away. He pulled Ji Yu to sit down, holding her hand, completely unconcerned about the gazes of the others.

　　Ji Yu felt stiff.

　　She was not used to being so intimate with someone in public. Although in the eyes of these people, she and Jiang Shiqiu were "husband and wife," which was not considered inappropriate, she knew deep down that it was not the case.

　　"Lord Jiang, it's getting dark," someone said. "What should we do? Once it gets dark, Yanyue Mountain Villa will likely no longer be safe."

　　Last night's events had already shown them how dangerous Yanyue Mountain Villa was at night.

They feared that once darkness fully engulfed Yanyue Mountain Villa, they might be bewitched again, losing control of their actions, and the danger they would face was unimaginable.

　　Jiang Shiqiu's attention was focused on Ji Yu, finding her uneasy demeanor amusing. He said absentmindedly, "It doesn't matter. If you are bewitched, I can help you break the spell. Besides, this is a good opportunity to investigate. We might discover the truth about Yanyue Manor."

　　"Really?"

Though somewhat concerned, the others recalled that they had made no progress during the daytime over the past few days, with the only anomaly being the wedding that appeared last night.

Danger often comes hand in hand with opportunity—a fitting saying for such a situation.

The greater the danger, the more likely one is to uncover the truth.