Chapter 56: Qiu Luo Part 2

If the people around Yu Ruoyin were not Yin Messengers or Yin-Touchers, Zhuang Ciyue would surely suspect she was possessed by a ghost. Now, looking at this Yu Ruoyin so different from the soft, timid bestie in her memories, she could only console herself that Yu Ruoyin was ill. She patiently checked Yu Ruoyin’s condition and felt much relieved upon touching her arm’s unusually scorching heat. “Xiao Yu, you have a bit of a fever. It’ll be fine once it breaks.”

Ying Zhu twisted her face and tugged Zhuang Huaisu. “Is your grandniece not right in the head?”

Anyone with eyes could see Yu Ruoyin was in perfect health right now—far better off than they were, needing the coffin to cool down.

Zhuang Ciyue was clearly deluding herself, and Zhuang Huaisu wanted to say so too, but she was used to opposing Ying Zhu. She sneered. “Heh, maybe she was driven mad helping outsiders like you.”

“…” Ying Zhu yanked her sleeve free and glared fiercely at the Daoist before telling Zhuang Huaisu, “What do you know? His mouth is foul, sure, but he’s not at the level of deserving death.”

“Then who deserves to die?” Yu Ruoyin blinked slowly, crimson light already flickering in her eyes. She stared fixedly at Ying Zhu. “Sister Ying Zhu, do you think the people of the Four Spirits Shop deserve to die too?”

“No! No matter who dies, Jiang Huaining doesn’t deserve it!”

Ying Zhu seized the key point at once. After hearing this, the red in Yu Ruoyin’s eyes faded somewhat.

Unfortunately, the next moment, those eyes reddened again. “Sister Ying Zhu, he said Auntie Ning deserves to die—doesn’t that mean he deserves to die?”

“…” Ying Zhu regretted engaging Yu Ruoyin immensely. She had no doubt a wrong answer would redirect the hatred onto her, but she truly did not know what to say now. Zhuang Huaisu and the others had no intention of helping her out, so she could not help shouting toward Jiang Huaining, “Jiang Huaining, control her! You’re the only one who can rein her in now!”

Jiang Huaining wanted to, but she simply could not free her hands. She could only look their way and gently shake her head at Yu Ruoyin… That would not rein her in.

“Sister Ying Zhu.” Yu Ruoyin suddenly grabbed Ying Zhu’s arm, her voice much colder. “Why did you yell at Auntie Ning?”

“I… didn’t.”

Ying Zhu found it hard to argue; at most, she had just raised her voice a bit.

Yu Ruoyin’s palm was scorching hot. Having fused with the Summer Spirit’s power, the current barrier conditions favored her greatly.

As she questioned Ying Zhu, fireballs began falling from the sun in the sky.

The fireballs struck unerringly toward Ying Zhu’s position.

They seemed to coordinate with Yu Ruoyin’s anger. Ying Zhu was utterly speechless. “If I’d known you’d turn into this ghoulish state, why did I even help you snatch that spiritual power? Why…”

Ying Zhu triggered some prohibition again, spitting blood before she finished speaking.

She wiped the blood from her mouth, broke free of Yu Ruoyin’s grasp, and darted away from the spot. The fireballs targeted her, so of course she could not endanger the others by the coffin.

Ying Zhu was still Ying Zhu. Even in this scorching barrier, she successfully condensed a frost-and-snow ball and actively met the fireball head-on.

Before Ying Zhu collided with the fireball, a woman suddenly swayed in from outside the barrier. She wore a deep brown long skirt with skirt hems embroidered in thread as scattered maple leaves. The maple leaves swayed lightly as she quickly appeared at Ying Zhu’s side. With one hand, she seized the ice ball; with the other, she blocked the fireball. Clear water poured from her palm, extinguishing the fireball.

Ying Zhu shifted back to human form upon seeing her and hugged her. “Why’d you take so long? Your little one has gone berserk.”

Little one?

Who was she talking about?

Yu Ruoyin blanked out, and the woman froze too.

The woman did not react for a long moment until Jiang Huaining called out, “Qiu Luo.”

“Ma’am.” The woman hurriedly responded and tried to approach Jiang Huaining, forcibly wriggling free of Ying Zhu’s embrace. “Miss~ You’re hugging me too tightly.”

Ghost miss?

Ying Zhu’s expression turned sullen. She reluctantly released the woman and watched her head toward Jiang Huaining, irritably calling out, “This isn’t fair.”

Neither Jiang Huaining nor the woman paid her any mind. Jiang Huaining lightly tapped the woman’s forehead and pointed toward Yu Ruoyin. “Go on.”

The woman immediately headed toward Yu Ruoyin.

She was Qiu Luo.

Qiu Luo looked to be in her early twenties. She did not have Xia Yu’s flashy beauty, nor Jiang Huaining’s unparalleled elegance.

How to describe that face?

It exuded a soft aura everywhere, not gentleness, but tranquility.

Just seeing her made even the most restless heart gradually calm.

Yu Ruoyin’s extreme thoughts slowly subsided. As she watched Qiu Luo walk toward her step by step, she even felt an impulse to go meet her.

She did take two steps forward, but stopped when she realized how strange that was. Qiu Luo did not stand out just from her appearance; only upon close inspection did one realize how beautiful she was. Strangely, her hair was very striking—one half light green, the other deep brown.

One was the color of spring, the other of autumn.

Yu Ruoyin did not like the color of autumn, did not like the feeling of life withering.

She did not know why she had such thoughts. Her gaze instinctively avoided Qiu Luo’s hair and shifted to her face.

It was strange.

Before meeting Qiu Luo, Yu Ruoyin had hated her.

After meeting Qiu Luo, she actually wanted to rely on her.

Yu Ruoyin wanted to shake off these strange thoughts, but they grew clearer. She stared unblinkingly into Qiu Luo’s eyes, watched her walk right up to her, watched her take her hand.

Qiu Luo’s palm was very warm. She carried an aura close to sunlight.

It did not feel hot, only comfortably warm.

It was a scent that softened the heart, one that drew people instinctively closer. This soft, warm feeling was like… a mother.

“Mommy.” Yu Ruoyin voiced the word she had held deep in her heart.

Qiu Luo froze for a moment, then smiled and nodded at her.

At that moment, Yu Ruoyin truly felt that Qiu Luo was her mother—even though she did not remember what her mother looked like. She wanted to question Qiu Luo, ask if she had planted a soul loss Gu on her, if she had made her forget her. But she could not speak. At that instant, both she and Qiu Luo underwent obvious changes; thin branches sprouted from the tops of their heads.

The one on Yu Ruoyin’s head was fire-condensed, the one on Qiu Luo’s water-condensed.

The two branches entwined, the water branch gradually engulfing the fire branch.

Yu Ruoyin suddenly felt very sleepy. Her eyes closed uncontrollably, and she toppled toward the ground.

What caught her was not the cold ground, but a warm embrace.

“Ayin.” It was Jiang Huaining’s voice.

Yu Ruoyin’s consciousness cleared a great deal. She was not Xia Yu; she did not need to sleep.

She woke as if from a dream and abruptly opened her eyes wide.

The summer-autumn transition had ended, and Jiang Huaining had come to her side.

The barrier slowly dissipated, the crumbling small world gradually vanished from sight, and the lingering heat faded with the arrival of autumn.

It was raining in the outside world.

A pattering drizzle fell slowly, cool droplets landing on her nose tip, carrying a pleasant scent.

Yu Ruoyin had not liked rain much before. Knowing now that this rain came because of Qiu Luo, joy suddenly welled up in her heart.

She spread her hands, unable to resist catching the rainwater.

Jiang Huaining stayed by her side, watching her intently.

Jiang Huaining did not disturb Yu Ruoyin’s enjoyment; it was Ying Zhu who startled her awake.

After the barrier vanished and the seasons were temporarily stabilized, Ying Zhu latched onto the unfamiliar Qiu Luo. “Qiu Luo, do you remember who I am?”

Qiu Luo still did not recognize her, but identified her from the yin energy coiling around her body. “Ghost girl, do we know each other?”

Her confusion did not seem feigned, which left Ying Zhu somewhat distraught. “Huaining, why doesn’t she recognize me? Xia Yu’s memories should include me.”

Jiang Huaining pondered for a moment before saying, “Xia Yu has dissipated. Ayin only took one-third of her power, so Qiu Luo only received one-third of the memories. It’s normal that she doesn’t recognize you.”

Ying Zhu had believed it at first, until Xing Ruoyan and Lu Qingzhen walked over.

They both greeted Qiu Luo. “Lady Qiu.”

Qiu Luo nodded slightly. “A’Zhen, Ruoyan.”

“Even Lu Qingzhen aside, Xia Yu remembered Xing Ruoyan better than me?”

Jiang Huaining said, “Probably because she doesn’t like you.”

“…” Ying Zhu pointed at Yu Ruoyin. “Is it Xia Yu who doesn’t like me, or her?”

“Ying Zhu, you’re too noisy.”

The remnant spiritual power from Xia Yu belonged to Yu Ruoyin now, and the memories she shared naturally followed her will—even if she could not see Xia Yu’s memory contents.