Chapter 80

Nangong Yunshang blinked in slight surprise. Yes, she was her prince consort—there was no need for her to avoid anything.

While Nangong Yunshang was lost in thought, Tao Chuyi had already undone her inner robe. But instead of handing over a fresh one, she did nothing of the sort.

In the past, Tao Chuyi had listened to heartbeats through layers of fabric. Now, she could do so directly.

“Chuyi, what are you doing?”

Tao Chuyi looked up, her eyes sparkling. “I’m listening to Sister’s heart.”

With robes falling to the floor, she drew Nangong Yunshang down onto the bed, her touches as tender as could be. Both of them soon found themselves swept up in passion.

Nangong Yunshang suddenly caught her wandering hand. “Have you been reading those naughty novels again?”

Tao Chuyi lifted her head and replied smoothly, “Yeah, that’s how they describe it in the storybooks. I want to give it a try. Sister, I’m hungry. I want to devour you.”

Today’s Tao Chuyi was far too bold and perceptive. Nangong Yunshang was utterly defenseless, her mind blank as all her attention fixated on those hands, those lips.

They lingered in each other’s arms for a long while until Nangong Yunshang finally threw down her arms and surrendered, unable to hold back any longer. Tao Chuyi truly wanted to consume her whole but stopped short of the final step.

In her eyes, Nangong Yunshang was like flawless white jade, pure and unblemished. Leaving her own marks upon that jade filled her with deep satisfaction.

They had been married for so long, yet she had been clueless all this time, wasting precious days. But on second thought, perhaps it was her sincere obliviousness that had finally opened her sister’s heart.

“Sister, time to sleep.”

Tao Chuyi planted a soft kiss on her forehead before holding her close and drifting into dreams.

They slept deeply, and when Nangong Yunshang opened her eyes again, morning light was already filtering in. She sat up bolt upright, stunned to realize she had slept from yesterday afternoon straight through to the next day. That was far too… indulgent.

Memories of the previous day gradually resurfaced, lingering vividly in her mind and growing ever clearer.

Nangong Yunshang lifted a corner of the quilt and caught sight of the red marks on her body. She quickly pulled the covers back around herself, burying her face in the thin quilt with only her eyes peeking out.

Too… wanton.

She had read countless storybooks, but when it happened to her, it was nothing like she imagined. How could she let Chuyi fool around like that? Yet Chuyi was her prince consort—it was bound to happen eventually.

After spending half the morning psyching herself up, Nangong Yunshang turned to gaze at the still soundly sleeping Tao Chuyi and let out a soft sigh.

She wondered if Chuyi even understood the meaning behind it all.

At that moment, Tao Chuyi reluctantly opened her eyes. Seeing Nangong Yunshang watching her, she broke into a radiant smile like the morning sun.

“Sister, good morning!”

“Not morning anymore. We’ve slept for a day and a half.”

Nangong Yunshang murmured, her earlobes turning red without her realizing.

Tao Chuyi sat up in a daze and looked down. “Where are my clothes?”

Nangong Yunshang: “…”

Not content with just lifting her own quilt, Tao Chuyi mischievously tugged at Nangong Yunshang’s as well. “Sister’s not wearing any either! Naughty, naughty!”

“Chuyi, stop fooling around.”

Nangong Yunshang turned her back. “It’s all because of your antics yesterday.”

Tao Chuyi scratched her head in confusion. She only remembered going to sleep—she had no recollection of any antics. Why did Sister say she had been naughty? Had she done something and forgotten?

“Sister, what are you talking about?”

“I mean the way you… treated me yesterday…”

Nangong Yunshang’s voice grew quieter. “Don’t you know? Only true husband and wife would do something like that.”

They hadn’t gone all the way, but they had been completely intimate.

Tao Chuyi scratched her head again. “Sister, what are you saying? What did I do?”

She was more confused than ever—it seemed like something she didn’t understand.

At those words, Nangong Yunshang turned back, eyeing her strangely as her brows furrowed.

“You don’t remember? You don’t remember what happened yesterday?”

Tao Chuyi looked utterly bewildered. She genuinely had no memory of it—not pretending—but Sister seemed about to get angry at her.

Seeing this, Nangong Yunshang clenched her fists into the bedding, a sudden sense of betrayal surging in her heart.

Misplaced affections on a heartless betrayer!

“Forget it if you don’t remember.”

With that, Nangong Yunshang turned away, dressed herself, and strode out, leaving Tao Chuyi staring blankly from the bed.

Sister was mad at her? But why? Whatever the reason, it must be her fault.

After washing up, Nangong Yunshang ignored her. At breakfast, she still ignored her.

Tao Chuyi panicked. Sister was really furious.

“Sister… I was wrong. Please don’t be mad, okay?”

Nangong Yunshang didn’t look at her. “I’m not mad.”

Tao Chuyi thought to herself that Sister was lying—her face was pale with anger.

The two of them went downstairs one after the other and sat in the front hall, ordering only a pot of clear tea without any food. The usually voracious Tao Chuyi had no appetite; her mind was consumed with one thought: when would Sister talk to her again.

The inn bustled with guests stopping for meals at the large tables in the front hall, chatting animatedly.

“Did you hear? The youngest daughter of the Feng family in the east is quite the philanderer. She goes for pretty women, older ones who are gentle and virtuous.”

Tao Chuyi perked up her ears at this—it sounded like juicy gossip.

Someone chimed in. “Exactly. She set her sights on the sole daughter of the Li family up north. The girl wasn’t interested, but she tricked and coaxed her relentlessly until she succeeded. Goodness, the world is going to ruin.”

“Yeah, yeah. A woman chasing after women, leading her astray, doing everything under the sun, then denying it all afterward. Infuriating! Men who start something and abandon it are called scum, so what do you call a woman like that?”

“Slag, I guess.”

Laughter erupted around the hall, but Tao Chuyi’s expression turned peculiar. For some reason, it made her uncomfortable, like she was the one being scolded. But what did it have to do with her?

As she turned her head, she locked eyes with Nangong Yunshang’s resentful gaze and inexplicably felt guilty.

That look… it was like staring down a slag.

She hurriedly poured a cup of tea—half of it spilling—and pushed it toward Nangong Yunshang.

“Sister, have some tea.”

Nangong Yunshang irritably looked away. After hearing those men, she only felt angrier.

The more she thought about it, the madder she got. She slammed down her teacup with a dull thud.

“Tao Chuyi, what exactly am I to you?”

Tao Chuyi jolted in fright, nearly tumbling off her stool.

“Y-You’re… Sister, of course.”

Nangong Yunshang wasn’t satisfied. She demanded an answer today.

“Just Sister?”

Tao Chuyi panicked. Instinct told her the wrong reply might mean losing Sister forever. But Sister had told her to call her that from the start—what else could she be?

Suddenly, she had a brainwave.

Just before Nangong Yunshang could erupt, Tao Chuyi declared clearly, “My wife.”

At that, half of Nangong Yunshang’s anger evaporated.

“You… know that much, at least.”

Tao Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief. Judging by Sister’s reaction, she had passed the test.

With her anger subsiding, Nangong Yunshang reflected that perhaps she was being too harsh on the little fool. After all, her mind wasn’t right, so forgetting was forgivable—and she had only been mimicking the storybooks without knowing what she was really doing.

Fine. They had a long future ahead. Even if she never understood, Nangong Yunshang would teach her.

“Sister, I heard it’s almost the Double Seventh Festival. It’s supposed to rain or something, with the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.”

Tao Chuyi recalled what the inn waiter had said and asked, “Isn’t the Double Seventh your birthday, Sister?”

Nangong Yunshang glanced at her. “You remember? Yes, it’s my birthday. But it doesn’t matter—I don’t celebrate it much.”

Tao Chuyi widened her eyes in confusion. In the two years she could remember, her father had celebrated her birthday twice.

“Tao Siqing dotes on you.”

Nangong Yunshang patted her head. “But my father won’t celebrate mine because it’s the anniversary of my mother’s death.”

Sensing her sadness, Tao Chuyi felt it too. She threw herself into Nangong Yunshang’s arms and gently patted her back.

“Be good, Sister. Chuyi will dote on you.”

Nangong Yunshang smiled lightly. “Alright, I know.”

She wanted to buy Sister a birthday gift, but she had no money.

Tao Chuyi racked her brains. Sister needed her silver for the journey. How could she make money? What could she do?

After much thought, it hit her: she had caught a murderer before. Maybe someone needed help catching one. She’d surprise Sister.

Decision made, Tao Chuyi waited until Nangong Yunshang was taking her afternoon nap and slipped out quietly to look for opportunities.

Murderer-catching jobs probably had posters, so she’d check the walls.

After circling around, she actually found one.

It read: Haunted mansion seeks Maoshan Taoist to perform exorcism.

Tao Chuyi tilted her head. What the heck was a Maoshan Taoist?

In a few quick moves, she peeled off the poster and hurried back to the inn, puzzling over it for ages. Even after the napper awoke, she was still stumped.

“Where did you get that poster?”

Tao Chuyi explained everything—except the birthday gift plan.

Nangong Yunshang sighed almost inaudibly. This little fool had taken someone’s poster; trouble would come knocking soon enough.

“As for Maoshan Taoists… well.”

To educate her, Nangong Yunshang asked the inn waiter for a book. Surprisingly, there was one. She handed Tao Chuyi a tome on ghost exorcism, letting her learn all about Taoist altars and rituals.

Tao Chuyi read with rapt attention. She could never memorize poetry, but this ritual rigmarole stuck effortlessly. Not applying herself to proper studies, indeed.

That evening, a servant from town came to the door.

“Young master, was it you who took down the Zou Mansion poster?”

Tao Chuyi had just finished reading the Maoshan Taoist Exorcism Record. Brimming with confidence, Tao Chuyi was determined to put the techniques into practice no matter what.

“Yes, that’s me.”

The manservant bowed respectfully. “If I may ask, young master, from which sect do you hail?”

Tao Chuyi adopted a solemn expression. “I am a lay disciple of Phoenix Mountain!”

The manservant’s eyes lit up. He actually took Tao Chuyi at Tao Chuyi’s word. “My apologies for the disrespect! Please, young master, follow this humble servant to the estate at once so you can exorcise the ghost and perform the rites.”

Nangong Yunshang: “…”

This actually works?