Xiao Muyu observed everything carefully and naturally understood that Shen Qingqiu was telling the truth.
Her heart had not yet calmed down from the earlier tension. She turned to look at Shen Qingqiu beside her, her eyes showing some hesitation.
The groom’s gaze had turned towards her hiding place for the second time. Xiao Muyu had a bad feeling about it. If it happened once, it could be a coincidence, but twice in a row made it hard for her to dismiss it as such.
Moreover, the strange behavior of the paper man made Xiao Muyu reluctant to take risks and follow them. Since Shen Qingqiu hadn’t regained her memory, Xiao Muyu couldn’t disregard her safety.
However, tonight, she might have missed a good opportunity to track them.
Shen Qingqiu’s face was pale, clearly still shaken from the earlier scare. She glanced at Xiao Muyu and seemed to understand her thoughts. “Do you still want to follow them?”
Xiao Muyu shook her head and whispered, “No, it’s too dangerous.”
Shen Qingqiu looked a bit disappointed. She lowered her head and said regretfully, “If I hadn’t followed you, or if I weren’t so weak, would you have followed them?”
Xiao Muyu was surprised by her words. She looked down at Shen Qingqiu. “Did you remember something?”
Shen Qingqiu was puzzled. “Remember what? Did I forget something?”
Xiao Muyu sighed inwardly and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
When Shen Qingqiu became a bit anxious, Xiao Muyu chuckled softly. “You’re not weak. If you hadn’t noticed that shadow and stopped me in time, we might have been caught by the paper man. You were scared but still alert and reacted quickly. That’s impressive.”
Shen Qingqiu blushed at the compliment. “I just happened to see it.”
Then she remembered something and frowned. “Why are you so invested in this matter? It’s dangerous, yet you came out alone.”
Shen Qingqiu was disapproving and somewhat blaming her.
“This is something I must do. I can’t explain now, but you’ll understand later.”
Xiao Muyu glanced in the direction where the wedding procession had disappeared, which was towards the North Gate.
On the other side, the traces of water on the street were still visible, winding along the way. It was unclear which girl had suffered tonight.
“Let’s go, let’s check over there.” Xiao Muyu started walking to the right.
Shen Qingqiu instinctively reached out her hand but quickly withdrew it when she was about to touch Xiao Muyu’s hand.
However, Xiao Muyu swiftly grabbed Shen Qingqiu’s hand, holding it tightly.
Shen Qingqiu’s heart pounded, and she stared blankly at their clasped hands, her face turning red. Xiao Muyu noticed everything and couldn’t help but smile.
Shen Qingqiu muttered softly behind her, “Why are you holding my hand?”
Xiao Muyu glanced at her and smiled, “You’re cute.”
Shen Qingqiu was stunned and felt a ripple in her heart. The earlier terrifying scene was instantly forgotten, and she began to smile foolishly.
The thought crossed Xiao Muyu’s mind again. Maybe it was worth trying. Shen Qingqiu probably wouldn’t slap her now. But the timing wasn’t right; they had more important things to do.
Shen Qingqiu kept looking back, afraid those ghostly things would reappear. Tonight had overturned her understanding of reality; she had never seen such strange occurrences.
Looking at the water traces on the street, she asked nervously, “You said I wasn’t the target tonight. Does that mean there’s already someone in that bridal sedan?”
Xiao Muyu glanced at her and nodded.
Shen Qingqiu shuddered and felt pity. “I wonder which girl is suffering again. Being involved in such a thing, she must be scared to death.”
Xiao Muyu gave her a complicated look. Following the water traces, they arrived at a small courtyard, not a large mansion, with a grey door and a puddle of water at the entrance.
There were wet handprints on the wooden door, with water dripping from the prints, making it eerie.
The place reeked of a strong river smell. Xiao Muyu crouched down to inspect and found the water wasn’t clean; it was muddy with some water plants.
Shen Qingqiu felt a chill seeing this. “So, the story of the White River Lord might be true. The groom did look like he climbed out of the river.”
Remembering the groom’s appearance, Shen Qingqiu stuttered and continued, “He seemed like he drowned in the water. But if it’s the White River Lord’s wedding, why are there so many paper men? That doesn’t make sense. Paper men are afraid of water. A water ghost shouldn’t bring them along.”
She didn’t realize she was analyzing this supernatural event as if it were a logical puzzle, showing her true analytical nature.
Xiao Muyu felt proud. Despite any weakness or strong settings, Shen Qingqiu’s excellence was undeniable.
“You’re right. A dead person wouldn’t make paper men for themselves. I could smell glue and ink when the paper man got close, so they were newly made.”
Xiao Muyu shared her thoughts. Shen Qingqiu’s face changed. “So, this isn’t just a haunting. Someone is behind this, stirring up trouble?”
Xiao Muyu nodded. The situation had already happened, and staying there was pointless.
The eerie suona sound from earlier troubled Xiao Muyu. Shen Qingqiu hadn’t regained her memory, but time was running out for her.
“Alright, it’s not safe to stay out late. I’ll take you back.” Xiao Muyu felt it was unsafe to linger outside, so she decided to return.
Despite being proud and embarrassed, Shen Qingqiu didn’t throw a tantrum and let Xiao Muyu hold her hand as they returned to the Shen residence.
They still had to climb the wall to get back. Shen Qingqiu, embarrassed but with no other choice, let Xiao Muyu lift her up to climb over.
Watching Xiao Muyu agilely climb in and catch her, Shen Qingqiu felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
Seeing her frowning, Xiao Muyu curiously asked, “Why do you look like that?”
Shen Qingqiu glanced at the wall behind her and hesitated. “I feel something’s wrong.Shouldn’t I be the one lifting you?”
Xiao Muyu’s eyes lit up, and she suppressed her emotions, whispering, “Why would you feel that way? Did you remember something?”
Shen Qingqiu looked at Xiao Muyu suspiciously and finally said, “Why do I feel like you always think I’ve forgotten something?”
Xiao Muyu sighed, chuckling helplessly, “Indeed, you forgot something big.” A living wife standing in front of her, unrecognized.
“What big thing?” Shen Qingqiu, now convinced, frowned and asked.
Xiao Muyu looked at her. “Do you really want to know?”
Shen Qingqiu had no doubts and nodded.
There was really no better solution at the moment. Xiao Muyu took a deep breath and pulled Shen Qingqiu into the room.
The room was still unlit, and the windows were closed, making it very dark. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t see Xiao Muyu’s appearance at all.
“Do you want me to light a lamp?” Shen Qingqiu asked, completely unguarded.
“No need,” Xiao Muyu’s voice was very low, even somewhat hoarse, which made Shen Qingqiu feel an inexplicable sense of danger.
But before she could think further, Xiao Muyu suddenly moved quickly, hugging Shen Qingqiu and firmly holding the back of her head with his right hand.
Shen Qingqiu felt the darkness deepen before her eyes as Xiao Muyu’s presence overwhelmed her. The warm and soft touch on her lips made her soul seem to leave her body.
“What are you… mm…” The rest of her words were swallowed by Xiao Muyu. When Shen Qingqiu opened her mouth, it gave Xiao Muyu an opportunity, and she was consumed by a familiar yet strange feeling.
At first, she panicked and tried to push away, but eventually, she let go and wrapped her arms around Xiao Muyu’s waist, kissing back passionately.
This was completely beyond her control. The sensation between her lips and teeth was so wonderful that she became addicted, unwilling to let go even when she ran out of breath, wanting to devour Xiao Muyu entirely.
Xiao Muyu naturally felt this change. She quickly pushed Shen Qingqiu away, her breathing heavy. The person in front of her was staring at her intently, making Xiao Muyu nervous. She asked breathlessly, “Do you remember who I am now?”
The heat in Shen Qingqiu’s eyes faded a bit, and she murmured, “Xiao Muyu.”
Xiao Muyu’s heart sank with a touch of helplessness. It was indeed a bad move, thinking that a kiss could restore her memory.
However, looking at Shen Qingqiu leaning softly in her arms, she felt both helpless and amused. “Since you don’t remember, how dare you kiss so passionately?”
Shen Qingqiu shook her head. “I… I don’t know. I just wanted to kiss you. Clearly, you started it. I was just retaliating.”
Xiao Muyu felt her heart heat up. “Don’t you think my kiss was too much?”
Shen Qingqiu pondered for a moment. “It was too much, but it felt very good. It’s so strange; I really liked you kissing me. Am I sick?”
Xiao Muyu’s gaze softened. “Silly.”
Shen Qingqiu frowned slightly, her overexcited brain finally calming down. Shen Qingqiu had always been very smart; she just didn’t need to show it often.
More importantly, she acted more quickly and frequently than she spoke. When thinking of her, the first thing that came to mind was her unparalleled combat skills.
But now, without her fearless heart and terrifying skills, her inherent wisdom became evident. “You keep asking if I remember anything, but my memory is complete. I remember you and everything that has happened between us over the years.
“Although I admit I have a strong affection for you and liked following you since childhood, Xiao Muyu, you are too annoying, arrogant, and cold. You would never take such a risk for me at night.
“Even if you are warm-hearted under your cold exterior, you wouldn’t kiss me to save me. So, I think I must have forgotten something.
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so strange, afraid of you getting hurt, wanting to be close to you, completely uncontrollable. I feel like I went out with you tonight because I lost my mind, but if I hadn’t, I would have regretted it.”
She rambled on, even a bit incoherently, but Xiao Muyu understood completely and listened patiently, her expression softening.
“So, what are you trying to tell me?” Xiao Muyu’s voice was gentle and amused, making Shen Qingqiu’s heart itch, wanting to see her.
She suppressed the urge, raised her head seriously, and said, “Although I don’t know why you are involved in the River God’s marriage, it seems I can’t avoid it now. So, if you want to do anything, you can tell me and discuss it with me. Don’t…”
She paused and said softly, “Don’t go out alone like tonight, following them by yourself.”
When Shen Qingqiu saw the true nature of the wedding procession, she was indeed scared to death. But when she calmed down and saw Xiao Muyu, the fear was overshadowed by worry. What if Xiao Muyu had gone out alone and was discovered by those ghosts?
Xiao Muyu had been smiling all along, but hearing Shen Qingqiu’s serious and worried words made her nose tingle, and her eyes almost teared up. She held back for a long time before replying with a slightly nasal voice, “Okay.”
Shen Qingqiu sighed in relief, glanced outside, and whispered, “It’s very late. We should rest.”
Xiao Muyu nodded. “Hmm, you should sleep. You must be tired.”
Shen Qingqiu thought, having just kissed so passionately, she wasn’t tired at all. But she couldn’t say that out loud, so she whispered, “But I’m scared. Thinking of those paper figures and such, I don’t dare sleep.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t doubt her. After all, Shen Qingqiu didn’t have her previous memories and being scared was normal.
“I’ll stay with you. You sleep.”
Shen Qingqiu coughed a few times, then lowered her head, kicking her legs, seemingly unintentionally saying, “Seeing you sitting there scares me too. Since we’ve already kissed, sleeping together is no big deal. You sleep with me; I won’t be scared with someone beside me.”
Her words were very sincere, logical, even pure and innocent. But Xiao Muyu sensed a familiar intention. Compared to the old Shen Qingqiu, her tactics were immature, but clearly, the purpose hadn’t changed. Xiao Muyu even suspected that she had remembered some things.
But Xiao Muyu didn’t expose her and began to unbuckle her belt.
Shen Qingqiu glanced over, swallowed, and slowly took off her outer clothes, getting under the covers to wait for Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu listened intently to the outside noises, activated the bronze sword card, took it out, and placed it beside the bed before lying down next to Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu looked at the sword that had appeared out of nowhere, didn’t say anything, just frowned slightly, and finally turned to look at Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu glanced at her. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Shen Qingqiu said seriously, “I think if we kiss one more time, I might remember.”
Xiao Muyu smiled, turning over to face Shen Qingqiu. “Remember what? Calling for help in the carriage, or how many admirers Miss Shen has?”
Shen Qingqiu: …
Author’s Note: Little Shen: Do I have no face left? Crash!
—Little Xiao has also learned some bad habits—
