“I…” Tan Yin opened her mouth, managing to utter just one word before she couldn't continue.
It was as if a hand had forcefully stirred her mind, leaving it in utter confusion. She closed her eyes, pressed her fingers to her forehead, and barely managed to calm herself. She remembered… she had gone to the imperial tomb to see the Tongxin Mirror. Then… what happened afterward? Why couldn't she remember?
“You suddenly fainted, so I brought you back,” Yuan Zhong touched her forehead, which was cold and damp to the touch. She had broken out in a cold sweat.
Fainted? How could she have fainted? Tan Yin examined her hands closely. Though slender, they were slightly rough, human hands. Her divine consciousness was perfectly aligned with this mortal body, making it impossible for something like fainting to happen.
“You’ve slept for an entire day. Do you want some water?” Yuan Zhong asked softly.
Tan Yin massaged her temples; she was still dizzy, muddled. It felt as if some force within her body was preventing her from thinking about what had happened. Tired, she nodded and watched as Yuan Zhong clumsily poured a cup of tea from a teapot and awkwardly held it up to her mouth.
She took a large sip, and then—spat it out immediately.
It was too hot!
She was scalded so badly that tears welled up in her eyes. She clutched her mouth, unable to speak for a while.
“Cough… cough…” Yuan Zhong was embarrassed, fiddling nervously with the teacup. “I guess it was a bit too hot…”
He had never served anyone tea before, and it was unfortunate that his first attempt ended up scalding her. He quickly grabbed another cup and began switching the tea between the two cups, trying to cool it down. Seeing that she was still holding her mouth, he pried her hand away and bent down to examine her swollen lips, gently saying, “Are you alright? Open your mouth, let me take a look.”
Tan Yin shook her head vigorously, but he frowned and said, “Open.”
She shook her head again.
Impatient, he pinched her chin, forcing her mouth open. Her teeth parted slightly, and Tan Yin involuntarily opened her mouth wide. Her tongue was clearly red from the burn, and her lips appeared swollen as well.
“Look at you, occupying a useless mortal body for no reason. You even managed to burn your lips just drinking some water,” Yuan Zhong chided her harshly, using the opportunity to scold her. He leaned in and gently blew on her swollen lips. Instantly, the redness and swelling began to subside.
“Does it still hurt?” he asked.
Tan Yin shook her head, unable to speak as her chin was still held in his grip.
Yuan Zhong suddenly realized that their current posture was rather intimate. He was so close to her, her fair, delicate nose and soft red lips right in front of him. Even though he knew this wasn’t her real body, he couldn’t help feeling his heart race. This foolish excitement emboldened him, making him lean in even closer.
In truth, there was something he hadn’t told her. That afternoon in the imperial tomb’s sacrificial pit, she hadn’t merely fainted—she had stopped breathing altogether, becoming a true corpse. She wouldn't know what it felt like for him to hold her cold, lifeless body in his arms.
Her affairs were shrouded in mystery. It wasn't that he didn’t want to ask, but he knew that no matter how many times he did, she wouldn’t tell him. She would only look at him with that troubled yet resolute gaze. He felt defeated, unwilling, even angry, but all of that had to be buried deep inside, left unspoken.
The appearance of Ji Tan Yin had been a devastating change for him. She had followed him, clung to him relentlessly, turning his initial shock and avoidance into anticipation and joy. She was like a goddess who had descended from the heavens, a goddess that belonged to him alone.
Then, his goddess had suddenly left him, abandoning him to sit alone by the bedside for an entire day and night, watching over her cold corpse. How did that feel? He didn’t want to tell her, as if keeping it a secret would preserve his last shred of dignity.
Even though his heart had already been soaked in sweetness, he still bared his fangs, pretending to be fierce; though his claws had long been retracted, he occasionally let them show just to remind her. This ridiculous, tiny bit of pride made him realize how helpless and small he was in front of her.
But he had no choice. There was nothing he could do.
He could kneel at her feet, kiss the dust on her shoes like it was sacred, and beg for a single glance from her. He was utterly devoted to his goddess. But he would never let her know. She was a divine being, the very eyes that appeared in his dreams a thousand times. And he would never tell her that.
In the face of her concealed origins, this was all the pride he had left.
Sensing his slightly aggressive gaze, Tan Yin finally realized how close he had gotten. She discreetly leaned back a little, and his hand immediately loosened, allowing him to sit upright, looking at her.
Tan Yin awkwardly glanced around and stammered, “Th-this place is…?”
Yuan Zhong stood up and handed her the now-cooled tea. “This is a cave dwelling I created. I haven’t been here in a long time, so it’s a bit messy.”
Tan Yin sipped the tea while surveying the place. The ground was covered in dust, the furniture layered with inches of grime, and most horrifying of all, there were cobwebs on the drapes! It seemed he had changed the bedding since she was now lying in it, but she could still see a spider crawling slowly across the headboard, smiling at her. This… this wasn’t “a bit messy”! It looked like no one had lived here for hundreds of years!
Tan Yin sprang out of bed as fast as lightning, her movement so sudden that she kicked up a cloud of dust.
In the midst of the dust, Yuan Zhong remained perfectly calm. “Well… I haven’t been here for decades. I’ll clean it right away.”
Tan Yin watched in disbelief as he clasped his hands together and murmured something. Suddenly, a filthy broom flew up from downstairs and began sweeping the room in a frenzy. In an instant, dust rained down like a storm, covering both of them in gray.
The two dust-covered figures stared at each other in a daze for a long while. Then, Tan Yin suddenly burst out laughing, laughing and sighing at the same time.
“I’ll do it. Come on, let’s go outside.”
The two of them, covered from head to toe in dust, stepped outside the door. Tan Yin felt a sudden clarity as she walked out. Behind her stood Yuan Zhong’s peculiar little building, shaped somewhat like the hexagonal hall on Fangwai Mountain. In front of her was a courtyard, most of which was planted with snow-white flowers, their petals sparkling and translucent.
Beyond the courtyard lay a modest lake, bordered by weeping willows swaying in the breeze. In the distance, mountains towered high, and the sky was crystal clear, with a thin layer of misty clouds. It was the hour just before sunrise. Across the lake, she could faintly see some medicinal fields and a small grove. In front of the grove stood a white stone monument, and with her exceptional eyesight, Tan Yin could make out the words “Xie Xiang Forest” inscribed on it. As she approached the lake, a gentle breeze brought the scent of grass, wildflowers, medicinal herbs, and water, along with a familiar, lingering fragrance. She guessed that the Xie Xiang Forest contained the fragrant wood used by the Fox Clan to make perfumes.
This immortal cave dwelling was not large, even somewhat petite, but the scenery was exceptionally serene and beautiful.
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