“Miss Xun, are you awake?” There was a gentle knock at the door, light enough not to disturb anyone who might still be sleeping.
Xun Ruosu recognized Aunt Fang’s voice. Xue Tong had told her that the family’s housekeeper was named Zhang Zifang, and she could just call out “Aunt Fang” if she needed anything.
She had been lying in bed for two or three hours now. Aside from a few segments of orange she’d eaten from last night until now, Xun Ruosu was starving. Though her limbs felt glued to the sheets and she had no desire to move, her stomach let out a very clear rumble. She called back to the person outside, “I’m awake.”
Aunt Fang chuckled. “Probably woke up hungry. You girls barely touched last night’s midnight snack… Well, now that you’re up, come on out. I’ve got clothes laid out on the nightstand, and breakfast is ready whenever you are.”
Following the directions, Xun Ruosu opened the nightstand drawer. Inside lay a fluffy set of pajamas in black and white, folded neatly but unmistakably shaped like a panda.
The room’s air conditioning was set rather low. Even under a thick quilt that had been out in the sun, she didn’t feel too hot. Xun Ruosu figured this must be one of Xue Tong’s quirks—the whole house was kept cool, so she’d prepared a set of pajamas suited for spring or fall.
Xun Ruosu adapted easily. Staying in someone else’s home, she didn’t want to trouble Aunt Fang, so she slipped out of her qipao and into the pajamas.
The hood at the back dangled loosely, complete with a pair of black ears!
Xue Tong had been waiting at the foot of the stairs, clearly eager to catch Xun Ruosu looking ridiculous. Though Xun Ruosu was in a guest room, it was an en suite. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she stepped out—right into Xue Tong.
They were both in pajamas, but Xue Tong’s was a soft lavender velvet gown draped with a bohemian-style shawl. Xun Ruosu, meanwhile, was a fluffy panda, complete with tail and ears.
Xue Tong seemed to be in high spirits. She looked Xun Ruosu up and down, but before she could tease her, Xun Ruosu yanked the hood over her head, grabbed the ears on top, and fixed Xue Tong with a glare. “I’m reporting you for national treasure abuse.”
With that, she brushed past Xue Tong while she was still stunned and took a seat at the dining table.
“…” She hadn’t been like this last night. Had she gone into Sumeru and left her soul behind, turning into an airhead?
Xue Tong hurriedly pulled out the lamp vessel and examined it closely. “That can’t be right.”
While she puzzled over what had gotten into Xun Ruosu, Aunt Fang was already singing praises. “Miss Xun, you’re so pretty. I bought this set for the young mistress two years ago. There are three colors, and the panda one’s the cutest…” Realizing she’d wandered off topic, Aunt Fang smiled and pressed her lips together. “But she thought it was too childish and never even glanced at it. For you to wear it fulfills one of my little wishes.”
With that, Aunt Fang beckoned to Xue Tong. “Come take a look. It doesn’t look bad at all—so adorable!”
“…That’s because the person’s adorable.”
Of course, Xue Tong didn’t say it aloud.
The Xun family produced beauties, men and women alike. Back in the ancient days of bandit-plagued counties, they had to wear veils in public or risk being kidnapped by robbers to become mountain stronghold brides. Yet for all their knowledge of heaven and earth and their silver tongues, the Xuns were physically indolent and hopeless at fighting.
“A pretty vase hiding rotten cotton,” Xue Tong said as she sat down beside Xun Ruosu, rephrasing her compliment. “No substance inside.”
“Your self-assessment is spot on, Miss Xue.” Xun Ruosu shoveled down a couple of bites of rice. Fresh from sleep, she was dealing with low blood pressure and blood sugar, staring darkly at the sweet-and-sour pork ribs in her bowl.
Aunt Fang, assuming the girl was so hungry her eyes were turning green at the sight of ribs, quickly slid the entire dish over to Xun Ruosu.
It wasn’t that Xun Ruosu had a particular fondness for the dish. She wasn’t picky about food in general; it was just that sweet-and-sour ribs were calorie-dense, and right now her body desperately needed the energy… She’d just glanced at the central AC—sixteen degrees Celsius. If it weren’t for some limit, Xun Ruosu suspected it would be set to single digits.
Why not just stay in the fridge instead of the villa?
Xun Ruosu wasn’t especially sensitive to cold, but the Xun family lacked merits. Children born into the family always had frail constitutions, prone to illness. Under the teasing chill of the central AC at these temperatures, she finally let out a sneeze.
Xue Tong’s cat was fiercely independent. While Xun Ruosu had been asleep, it had wandered off somewhere. Now it sauntered to the doorway, heard her sneeze, and shot onto her lap like an arrow from a bow. It tilted its head back and meowed insistently, trying to position itself as a hand warmer.
The cat was ancient enough to be practically wise, with a round face where the eyes took up a third of the space. It strutted through the door like an unbeatable gang boss, but curled on Xun Ruosu’s lap, it looked like a one-year-old baby.
“Can’t you have a little dignity?” Xue Tong grabbed the cat by the scruff and tossed it to the floor. The cat stretched out its front paws and pounced toward Xue Tong’s face. In an instant, woman and cat were locked in combat.
“This cat doesn’t seem too fond of you?” Xun Ruosu had finished eating and was propping her head on her hand, watching the spectacle.
Xue Tong gained the upper hand and flung the cat onto the sofa, where it circled restlessly. Hearing the comment, she paused for a moment before nodding awkwardly. “It’s from an old acquaintance—boarded with me.”
“Someone from the Xun family?” Xun Ruosu explained, “It seems to know me.”
Xue Tong’s expression cooled. “No. It likes you only because you’re the first guest here. It’s been lonely.”
“Is that so?” Xun Ruosu didn’t press further.
The air at the table turned icy in an instant. Aunt Fang fetched a thin blanket and draped it over Xun Ruosu’s shoulders. “The young mistress has this habit. In winter, she cranks the AC to thirty degrees; in summer, she’d live in an ice cave if she could. I hear it’s a holdover from her past…”
“Aunt Fang!” Xue Tong shot her a look. “Everyone’s done eating. Time to clear the table.”
Aunt Fang realized she’d been talking too much today. She clamped her mouth shut and pretended to be nothing more than a highly functional cleaning robot that could also handle dishes.
Xue Tong’s stern mood didn’t last long. She really did love to smile, and in the less than a day Xun Ruosu had known her, she’d already seen dozens of varieties on that face—
Not all of them genuine.
Xue Tong cradled a lamp vessel of pale teal in her palm. The lamp was slightly translucent, revealing blood threads coiled inside as the wick, with a black soulfire burning steadily along it.
Zhang Yue had already vanished from the house. According to Xue Tong, he had embarked on the Reincarnation Wheel Path.
“But for the homeless, even with longing as a guide, they might not complete the path,” Xue Tong said. “Get ready. You’re coming with me somewhere today.”
Xun Ruosu: “…”
This wasn’t her home. Aside from the death shroud she was wearing and a pocket watch, what was there to prepare?
Her qipao was far too formal—walking down the street in it would make her look like an actor fleeing mid-performance. In the end, Aunt Fang dug out a loose round-neck T-shirt and denim shorts from the dressing room—new items Xue Tong had rejected and never worn.
Their builds were similar; barefoot, Xun Ruosu might have had a one-centimeter edge, but shoes hid it well. That alone thrilled Aunt Fang; her stockpile of unsold “inventory” finally had a buyer.
Summer sun blazed fiercely. Xue Tong was nocturnal, hating heat and sunlight. Xun Ruosu leaned against the doorframe, watching Aunt Fang tie a silk scarf around Xue Tong’s neck, smoothing it meticulously to cover every inch of skin.
Xun Ruosu’s preparations took ten minutes. Xue Tong’s took two hours.
The driver had been waiting for ages. Probably learning from yesterday’s lesson that he wasn’t just ferrying the boss, he’d brought an SUV this time—plenty of space, even if Xue Tong and Xun Ruosu decided to brawl in the back.
Pleased with his foresight, the driver snapped a photo and sent it to Xue Tong with the caption: “I get the boss’s vibe, right?”
Moments later, his phone buzzed. It was a picture of Aunt Fang wielding a spatula in mortal combat with the house cat, captioned with a single word: “Scram.”
The driver shrank back and stuck out his tongue.
He had some experience by now and knew the boss took her time, so he wasn’t in a rush. When Xun Ruosu tapped on the car door, he was hunkered down in the driver’s seat playing a mobile game. Last night in the dark countryside, she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. Now she saw he was just a young guy in his early twenties, clean-cut and handsome—probably still in school.
“I’m Yan Shu—you know, like the great poet… My parents aren’t great at names,” he said sheepishly when Xun Ruosu asked his name. Feeling it didn’t suit him, he added, “You can call me Xiao Yan or Yan Qing. I’m changing it in half a month—might as well get used to it.”
Xun Ruosu nodded and asked, “Which ‘qing’ is that?”
“The qing from green vegetables,” Xiao Yan replied. “Why?”
“Use the one with the three water drops beside it—qing as in clear. You need it in your fate.” Xun Ruosu paused, then added, “Better do it soon.”
Xiao Yan agreed in bewilderment.
He was a city college freshman, fresh out of driver’s ed, picking up holiday gigs. Young and energetic, with great pay for the job, he was always on call no matter the hour, and Xue Tong was pleased with him.
“Boss, I don’t think I’ve picked you up in broad daylight before. Where to today? Bar, party, or concert?” Xiao Yan asked.
“…” Xue Tong had just settled in when she reached back and smacked the back of his head. “Can’t I handle some proper business? Soaring Firmament Temple.”
“Ah? Soaring Firmament Temple.” Xiao Yan quietly engaged the parking brake. “Boss, isn’t that area kinda sketchy lately? Bunch of incidents this year—cordon’s up everywhere.”
“I know,” Xue Tong said dismissively. “The trouble spot’s not at the temple itself. The roads aren’t closed despite the cordon. Soaring Firmament Temple’s famous for matchmaking prayers, super effective. Mountain’s cool too, packed with tourists in summer. Broad daylight—what’s to fear?”
“I’m not scared,” Xiao Yan insisted stubbornly. “I’m a socialist successor, civil engineering undergrad, firm believer in materialism and science. I’m just worried about you and Sister Xun… Back in ancient times, you’d be courtesan queens; in school, campus beauties; in society, nation-topplers. If some ghost or god takes a shine to you two, won’t I be in hot water for failing to protect you?”
Xue Tong smacked him again. “Like I need your protection? Relax—we’ll be back before dark. Nothing happens in broad daylight.”
It was the boss’s orders, and Soaring Firmament Temple was bustling these days. As long as they didn’t travel at night, it wasn’t so scary. Xiao Yan hollered, “Passengers, buckle up! Your interstellar express is ready for launch.”
“…” He was deep in middle-school syndrome.
