Chapter 117: The Truth of the Matter

The man's gaze seemed off, causing Qingli Shen to furrow her brows; she had the distinct feeling he was hiding something from her.

"Jinchuan Xie, are you keeping something from me?"

Seeing the sharp look in the woman's eyes, his gaze flickered briefly before he suppressed his emotions. "How could I possibly hide anything from you? I have nothing to hold back when it comes to you."

Lulu Xiangcai quietly glanced at Jinchuan Xie, and sensing the aura emanating from him, she lowered her head and ate in silence.

He knows nothing. He truly knows nothing.

"Is that so?"

Jinchuan Xie nodded. "Yes, but regarding your health, I need to conduct a thorough examination. Once I have the results, I will tell you."

As he spoke, Jinchuan Xie looked at her tenderly and gently stroked her hair.

"However, it seems you have regained the power of the Deer Spirit, just like before. Let me help you transform it again."

His voice was low, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Who had Qingli Shen come into contact with to have her body infected with the Deer Spirit’s power? Could it be Qiao Yi Rong?

Or perhaps it was due to the spiritual energy from this afternoon?

Without overthinking, Jinchuan Xie began helping Qingli Shen refine the energy.

By the time the refining was complete, both of them were coated in a thin layer of sweat. Jinchuan Xie smiled lightly, reached out, and lifted her in his arms, heading toward the bathroom.

Qingli Shen’s face flushed red as she struggled to get down. "W-What are you doing carrying me to the bathroom? I can wash myself!"

"Let me wash you. Isn’t that the duty of a husband?"

Hearing his self-righteous tone, Qingli Shen felt herself almost laughing with exasperation.

"You want to act like a scoundrel and yet come up with such a serious excuse. Men really are full of tricks!"

Hearing this, Jinchuan Xie was displeased. "In that case, I will wash you properly today, so you won’t think I’m not serious."

Properly wash...

Recalling the last time, Qingli Shen’s face turned even redder. "I don’t want to. I can manage on my own."

But her refusal was futile. Soon, embarrassed sounds drifted from the bathroom.

About two hours later, Jinchuan Xie emerged from the bathroom, holding Qingli Shen, who was utterly exhausted, in his arms with a satisfied expression.

"You jerk! If you keep this up, I’m moving out."

Qingli Shen whimpered pitifully, feeling as though she was about to be worn to pieces by him.

---

A soft laugh from above caught her attention, and she glared at the man.

Instantly, his smile faded, replaced by a look of concern. "My mistake, I was a bit slow, but... next time, I won’t be."

He gently bit her earlobe, prompting an alarm in Qingli Shen’s heart. She quickly pushed him aside.

"Stay away from me tonight. Don’t touch me. I’m really tired."

Who could endure such relentless teasing from Jinchuan Xie?

Sighing, Qingli Shen silently pitied herself.

Then she felt the surge of spiritual energy on her back, soothing her entire body.

Unconsciously, she fell asleep. Jinchuan Xie gazed at her peaceful face, his expression full of contentment.

"With you by my side, everything is well."

He lowered his head, kissed her forehead, and held her tightly as he too drifted into sleep.

---

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was far less pleasant elsewhere.

Qiao Yi Rong staggered out of the hospital, her body battered and bruised.

She could only summon the Deer Spirit’s power within her to heal her wounds.

But after taking just a few steps, she fell into a foul-smelling gutter; a sharp steel rod nearly pierced her.

Her eyes trembled with fear.

"Damn it! How do I break this Curse Dagger?"

"I will never let you off, Qingli Shen. Never!"

No sooner had she spoken than a bucket of filthy water fell from above, some of it splashing into her mouth.

Her face instantly twisted in disgust. She vomited violently, feeling the cruel unfairness of everything.

Why could Jinchuan Xie and Qingli Shen be together in peace?

Why must she endure such suffering? Why was heaven so unjust to her?

She summoned her power again, focusing on the Deer Spirit’s energy in her chest.

The only way was to force out the Curse Dagger, but doing so would consume most of her Deer Spirit power.

Her ability wasn’t even truly her own to begin with...

Yet after much thought, Qiao Yi Rong had no other choice.

If she didn’t act, she might be tortured to death before she could seek revenge.

---

With that resolve, she left the gutter, cleaned herself up, and immediately used the Deer Spirit’s power at home to remove the curse.

At that moment, Qingming Gu, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes as if sensing something.

Instinctively, he stepped outside and drove toward Qiao Yi Rong’s villa.

His eyes shimmered with green light, resembling an elven prince, clearly lacking his usual self-awareness.

When Gu’s car stopped in front of the villa, Qiao Yi Rong had just completely removed the curse from her chest.

Most of her Deer Spirit power was drained; she could no longer use it recklessly or she would lose her leverage.

"Who’s there?!"

Sensing something, she dashed to the balcony but could only see a black car speeding away under the night sky.

She frowned, sensing a faint clarity in the air—like the aura of the Deer Spirit power.

She narrowed her eyes but did not suspect anything, thinking it was her own.

After all, to prevent Jinchuan Xie from resurrecting that woman, she had wiped out the entire Deer Spirit tribe during the Divine Demon War!

---

In the distance, a car stopped by the roadside.

Gu Qingming frowned, staring at his hands, feeling something different about his body.

"Why am I near Qiao Yi Rong’s place? Wasn’t I supposed to be sleeping at home? Sleepwalking dreams are far too terrifying..."

He muttered to himself, utterly puzzled, and eventually drove back to the villa.

Lying back in bed, he soon drifted into a drowsy sleep, where he dreamed of a figure...

The figure was especially radiant, appearing much older than him.

It was a woman.

Her demeanor and figure alone revealed her extraordinary beauty.

A mist veiled her face, but a gentle smile curved her lips as she reached out to him.

"The Deer Spirit clan’s newborn, I bless him. In times of peril, he shall escape disaster and slumber until the time is right to awaken."

"Fate cannot be changed, but I will help you survive this death trial. One day, you must repay this debt, and I hope that when that day comes, you will remain true to yourself, untainted by corruption."