Married to the One Who Is Not Human

Wushan City is located at the foot of Wuhuan Mountain and is a large city with nearly a thousand years of history. 

Because the Ji family guards this area, no demons dare to cause trouble in the vicinity of Wuhuan Mountain. As a result, Wushan City not only has a large population but also a thriving economy, making it extremely prosperous.

　　The wharf of Wushan City is home to numerous ships, including passenger vessels and cargo ships. The wharf is bustling with people coming and going. 

　　A passenger ship slowly approaches and comes to a stop at the wharf. 

　　The servants from various households waiting at the wharf peer out to look. Upon seeing the servants from the passenger ship, they realize that the person they are waiting for has arrived and rush over to greet them.

　　The Ji family had also sent people over. 

　　Since they did not know when the young master would arrive, they had sent people to the pier every day to wait. 

　　When they saw Xuan Jia Wei escorting Ji Yu off the ship, the head steward hurried forward to greet him, exclaiming with joy, "Young master, you're back!"

　　Ji Yu exchanged greetings with the steward and turned to look at Jiang Shiqiu, who had disembarked with her. 

Before she could speak, the steward turned to Jiang Shiqiu with a smile and said, "Lord Jiang, you're here too. Let's get in the carriage."

　　Jiang Shiqiu smiled and nodded, helping Ji Yu onto the carriage prepared by the Ji family.

　　Ji Yu and Jiang Shiqiu sat in the carriage, while outside, the streets were bustling with people, and the cacophony of voices created a lively and chaotic atmosphere, the unique hustle and bustle of human life.

　　Noticing that Ji Yu was staring at him, Jiang Shiqiu smiled and asked, "My lady, why are you looking at me?"

　　Ji Yu hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

　　Shortly after passing through the bustling streets, the carriage entered a quiet and peaceful alley. On both sides of the alley were tall walls, with white, pink, and red apricot blossoms peeking out from the top.

　　The alley was long, and there was only one household in the entire alley.

　　This was Shuangyu Alley, where the Ji family resided.

　　The carriage stopped in front of the gate. The Ji family's servants had already received word that the young master would be returning home today, so they had opened the gate early to await his arrival.

　　When the carriage arrived, a slightly plump woman with a friendly demeanor came out with the servants.

　　Hongxiao dismounted first and called out to the woman, "Aunt Gui."

　　Aunt Gui's round face was filled with smiles as she asked repeatedly, "Has the young master returned? Was the journey smooth? How is the young master's health? Is he feeling unwell?"

　　Hongxiao smiled and said, "Aunt Gui, please rest assured. With Magistrate Jiang taking care of him, the young master is doing well."

　　As they spoke, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a man dressed in crimson stepped out. He was tall and slender, standing straight and tall, extremely extraordinary.

　　He glanced over this way, then turned around and reached out to lift the person inside the carriage down.

　　Ji Yu felt a bit embarrassed as he was lifted out of the carriage.

　　Although she wanted to protest, feeling that she was not yet unable to take care of herself, she had no choice but to give up, as she was not as strong as him and could not argue as eloquently.

After her feet touched the ground, Ji Yu still held onto his arm with one hand and looked up to see Aunt Gui, the manager of the Ji family mansion, who had come out with the servants, smiling.

"Aunt Gui, I'm back."

　　Guiyi's face lit up with surprise and relief at seeing her return safely. 

　　When her gaze fell on Jiang Shiqu, who was standing beside Ji Yu, she smiled kindly and said, "Mr. Jiang is here too."

　　The servants of the Ji family who followed Gu Yi also stepped forward to bow, addressing him as "Mr. Jiang."

　　Ji Yu kept staring at Gu Yi. Seeing the smile on her face, she couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.

　　Gu Yi had grown up in the Ji family and had served by her mother's side since childhood. She had never married, so she had always treated Ji Yu like her own child.

　　Now, the way she looked at Jiang Shiqiu was as if she were looking at her own child.

　　Ji Yu understood that in Aunt Gui's heart, Jiang Shiqu was the Ji family's son-in-law, her husband. 

　　Jiang Shiqu smiled. When he wanted to make an impression, he could be a refined and elegant young gentleman, without a trace of aggression, speaking softly and pleasantly, making people like him. 

　　He also followed Ji Yu and called out, "Aunt Gui."

　　This "Aunt Gui" sounded like a younger generation greeting an elder, drawing Ji Yu's sideways glance.

Aunt Gui let out a soft "Ah" and smiled broadly, quickly saying, "You must be exhausted from the long journey. Come in and rest."

Jiang Shiqiu helped Ji Yu into the house.

　　Along the way, every disciple or servant of the Ji family they encountered bowed to them, addressing them as "Young Master" or "Mr. Jiang."

　　Ji Yu observed this silently, gaining a deeper understanding of Jiang Shiqiu's abilities.

　　Not only could he alter the memories of everyone present at the Yanyue Manor that day, but he could also effortlessly alter the memories of ordinary people as well.

　　Looking at everyone in the Ji family, they all firmly believed in Jiang Shiqiu's identity and readily accepted his existence. 

　　Ji Yu asked as they walked, "Aunt Gui, where is Grandmother?" 

　　Aunt Gui smiled and said, "The Old Lady went to the forbidden area in the mountains half a month ago. She should be back in a few days."

　　Upon hearing this, Ji Yu fell silent.

　　Ji Yu lived in the Qingzhuo Courtyard in the East Wing. To get there from the front courtyard, one had to pass by a lake lined with green willows.

　　As they passed the lake, Jiang Shiqiu suddenly glanced at the shimmering water, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, his brows tinged with a mysterious, alluring aura.

　　Ji Yu caught sight of the smile on his face and his expression grew solemn.

　　The Qingzhuo Courtyard had already prepared washing water and clean clothes. Unlike when traveling, there were servants at home to attend to Ji Yu, the young master, as he bathed to wash away the dust of the journey.

　　When Ji Yu emerged from the bathroom wearing a fresh spring robe, his expression suddenly froze.

　　She looked around the room and noticed that there were many new items.

　　Qingzhuo Courtyard was her domain, and the items in the room were all her usual belongings, clearly indicating that this was a young lady's bedroom.

　　However, there were now many new items, as if a male master had moved into the room that had previously belonged solely to the female master, and the items had naturally blended together.

　　If she hadn't been completely awake, she would have almost believed that her room had always been this way.

"My lady, are you hungry?"

The man's gentle, pleasant voice rang out. Ji Yu raised her eyes and saw the man, who had washed up and changed into a crimson brocade robe.

　　This crimson robe was not the official attire of the commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau in Huangcheng Town, but a casual outfit. Its vibrant color was adorned with gold-threaded orchid patterns on the collar, cuffs, and hem, while a broad white jade belt adorned with flying fish motifs cinched his waist, accentuating his tall, slender figure and carefree charm.

　　Jiang Shiqiu naturally stepped forward, took her hand, and led her to the outer room to dine. 

　　It was as though he were the master of the house, showing no trace of formality. 

　　The servants had already prepared the meal, all of which were dishes Ji Yu loved, simple and flavorful, retaining their natural taste.

　　Jiang Shiqiu served her a bowl of fish soup, which was milky white with red goji berries floating on top. The color alone was extremely tempting, and the aroma was irresistible. 

　　Seeing Ji Yu lower her head to drink the soup, he smiled and said, "Another day, I'll go to the river and catch a few fish to stew for you."

　　Ji Yu paused for a moment but said nothing.

　　However, she noticed that the plump-headed fish in the glass bottle on the table looked terrified, struggling to move away from Jiang Shiqiu's direction, clearly afraid of being turned into fish soup.

　　Do not doubt Jiang Da Ren's ruthlessness; he is capable of such things, depending on his mood.

　　After the meal, Ji Yu sat on the tatami mat by the window, gazing at the apricot blossoms outside, her posture unusually relaxed.

　　Home holds different meanings for different people, especially on one's own territory, where one unconsciously relaxes, no longer tense or guarded.

　　"My lady."

　　As this soft, almost seductive male voice rang out, a warm body pressed against her from behind.

　　The next moment, she was embraced affectionately, enveloped by the other person's warm body heat, their hot breath brushing against her ear until their breaths mingled.

　　After a long moment, Ji Yu opened her eyes and looked up at the man above her.

　　He played with her slender fingers, seeming curious about them, running his fingertips over the lines on her palm, repeatedly tracing the lifeline.

　　Ji Yu glanced at it casually; even someone who didn't understand palmistry could see that her lifeline was extremely short.

　　She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it in place, so she gave up and let him continue. 

"My wife, is there anything you want to ask me?" Jiang Shiqiu asked, his expression gentle and intoxicating. 

Ji Yu looked at him silently and said, "Are you really the commander of the Imperial City Demon Suppression Bureau?" 

"I am!" Jiang Shiqiu nodded. 

Ji Yu asked again, "Don't you have to return to the Imperial City to report?" "

　　Jiang Shiqiu shrugged indifferently, "No, my wife is more important than reporting back."

　　Upon hearing this, Ji Yu understood that this "Commander of the Imperial City Demon Suppression Bureau" was a stubborn man. Even if the entire world knew that the Commander of the Imperial City Demon Suppression Bureau was Jiang Shiqiu, it wouldn't change his attitude in certain matters.

　　Though he wore the guise of a mortal, he had no intention of fulfilling the responsibilities of a mortal.

　　"How many people know you're the commander of the Imperial City Demon Suppression Bureau?" Ji Yu asked curiously.

　　How many people's memories had he altered?

　　Jiang Shiqiu smiled slightly, gazing deeply at her. "Everyone within the Great Yu Mirror knows."

　　Ji Yu was slightly startled and began to speculate again about his origins, growing even more puzzled about how their marriage had been arranged.

　　Unfortunately, Jiang Shiqiu said nothing about this, only smiling at her. If she wanted to ask more questions, he would simply kiss her, disrupting her thoughts.

　　This made her understand his attitude.

　　**

　　The next day after returning to the Ji family, Ji Yu began to busy herself.

　　Although the Ji family had dwindled in numbers, it was still a large clan with many disciples. The matriarch had gone to the forbidden land, and as the young master had returned, Ji Yu had to handle some affairs.

　　After three days of busyness, Ji Yu finally had a chance to relax.

　　During a break, she asked the maid Suyu by her side, "Where is Jiang Shiqu?"

　　Suiyu covered her mouth and laughed, "Lord Jiang said the flowers outside the city are in full bloom and he's going to pick some for you."

　　Ji Yu's expression paused slightly as she looked at the people in the room. Seeing their smiling faces, all seeming to approve, she didn't know what to say.

　　She had originally thought that after returning to Wushan City, Jiang Shiqiu would no longer be able to maintain his mortal identity.

　　But it turned out that even on the territory of the demon-slaying clan, he still openly held the title of Commander of the Imperial Town Demon Suppression Bureau, and no one suspected him.

　　Moreover, everyone in the Ji family easily accepted him as their son-in-law.

　　In the afternoon, Jiang Shiqu returned with a bouquet of vibrant mountain flowers.

　　Red, yellow, pink, purple... the colors were vibrant and full of life, clustered together, truly beautiful.

"My wife, these flowers are for you," Jiang Shiqu said tenderly. "You've been working hard these past few days."

Ji Yu found it amusing and reached out to take them, asking, "Why are you suddenly giving me flowers?"

　　Jiang Shiqiu smiled, his eyes sparkling with charm, unlike any mortal, "What does my wife desire? Or shall I give you another fish? Your name contains the character for 'fish'—is it because you love fish?" 

Ji Yu shook her head, "It's not that I love fish; it's because my mother loved eating fish when she was pregnant with me, so she named me Yu."

　　Her name was that simple. She was the precious treasure her mother had sacrificed her life to bring into the world. Her mother hoped she would live a peaceful life until old age, as free and unrestricted as a fish in a river.

　　Though the idea was naive, it was the most beautiful wish a mother could have for her child.

　　Jiang Shiqiu praised, "What a wonderful name! It suits Ah Yu perfectly."

　　Just as they were talking, a commotion suddenly erupted in the front yard.

Ji Yu and Jiang Shiqiu looked up and saw a middle-aged woman dressed in a plain-colored Taoist robe, with a beautiful face. Her hair was simply tied at the back of her head with a wooden hairpin, and she wore a gold bead around her neck. As she walked, her robe swayed gracefully, like flowing clouds and water.

　　Ji Yu saw her and smiled, "Grandmother!"

This was the matriarch of the Ji family.

As an exorcist with magical powers to protect herself, she could delay aging. Though the old matriarch was of advanced years, she appeared to be in her thirties.

The old matriarch's expression was solemn, and her sharp gaze shifted from her granddaughter holding a bouquet of flowers to the man beside her dressed in a fiery red robe.

　　She spoke coldly, "Ah Yu, who is this gentleman?"

　　Ji Yu's expression faltered. Perhaps in recent days, she had grown accustomed to the world easily accepting Jiang Shiqiu's identity. Hearing her grandmother's sudden question, she finally remembered that as the matriarch of the Ji family, her grandmother also possessed "absolute clarity," and the demons of the world could not arbitrarily alter her memories.

　　With this thought, she grew tense.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)