After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

When Xie Jinchen emerged from the palace, the oppressive aura emanating from him was so low that even his accompanying guards held their breath and dared not approach.

When they returned to the Jiang residence, the lights in the courtyard were just coming on.

As soon as they arrived at the courtyard gate, they saw Ruan Guyan's spirit floating leisurely under the corridor.

Upon seeing him, Ruan Guyan immediately stopped, gave him a graceful bow, but her expression was somewhat strange, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

In the end, he said nothing and simply drifted away.

A hint of doubt flashed through Xie Jinchen's mind, but he did not delve into it.

He strode toward the main room, and before he even pushed open the door, a mixture of medicinal smells and an indescribable fishy odor forcefully entered his nostrils through the crack in the door.

The overpowering and complex flavor caused him to pause almost imperceptibly, his brows furrowing instantly.

Pushing open the door, the scene inside made his gaze freeze.

On the central octagonal table, there was a purple clay soup pot steaming with hot liquid.

The lid wasn't closed properly, and a strange, unpleasant odor was constantly emanating from it.

With his sense of smell, he could almost immediately tell that it contained at least several kidney-tonifying ingredients such as deer antler and bull penis, and that the amount was extremely large.

Jiang Dusheng was sitting upright at the table, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his clear eyes looking at him.

Seeing him come in, she deliberately pushed the soup pot aside and gestured to the empty seat next to her, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.

Sit down and have some soup.

Xie Jinchen: "..."

In the corner, Wang Dazhuang was pretending to wipe a vase with a rag, but his eyes kept drifting this way, as if he was trying hard to suppress a laugh.

Not far from him, Ruan Guyan's spirit had reappeared, hiding in the shadows, looking guilty and embarrassed.

The two exchanged knowing glances.

Wang Dazhuang made a barely audible "tsk tsk" sound, as if he were sighing over something.

Xie Jinchen's gaze slowly swept over the soup pot, over Jiang Dusheng's kind expression, then over the two onlookers, and finally landed back on Jiang Dusheng's face.

He raised his hand and gently tapped his brow with his knuckles. His voice was still relatively steady, but it carried a dangerous undertone:

"Jiang Dusheng," he began, each word seemingly ground out from between his teeth, "can you give me an explanation?"

He raised his hand, pointing to the pot of soup on the table that was emitting a strong aroma. "About this pot of stuff."

Jiang Dusheng blinked, seemingly finding his question strange:

"What's there to explain? Drink it while it's hot, the medicine won't be as effective if it gets cold."

Her tone was sincere, even somewhat coaxing, "You don't need to feel embarrassed, really. If you're unwell, it's best to take care of it as soon as possible."

"Are you embarrassed? Are you unwell?" Xie Jinchen

He repeated these two words, then laughed in exasperation.

He walked slowly over, his tall figure casting an oppressive shadow in the room, and grabbed her wrist without saying a word.

"Sigh..." From the corner, Wang Dazhuang's sigh, which he thought was quiet, came clearly, full of regret. "From now on, when cutting bodies, we can't just focus on making them look good."

"This Young Master Xie is exceptionally handsome, with an impeccable family background and abilities, yet he turns out to be utterly useless. What a pity, what a real pity..."

Xie Jinchen abruptly stopped in his tracks as he pulled Jiang Dusheng away. His profile tightened instantly, and the oppressive aura emanating from him was almost icy.

He didn't turn around, but the chill he exuded in that instant made Wang Dazhuang immediately shut his mouth and shrink his neck.

Xie Jinchen dragged Jiang Dusheng straight into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them to block out all prying eyes.

He then stretched out his arm, trapping her between himself and the door panel. In the cramped space, their breathing could be heard.

"Speak," he said, looking down at her, his voice low and calm, carrying the anticipation of an impending storm, "What happened?"

Jiang Dusheng was held in his arms, his back against the door, his face pressed against his burning chest and his oppressive aura.

She felt somewhat helpless, but more than that, she felt he was avoiding seeking medical help, so she grabbed his wrist and tried to comfort him:

"Xie Jinchen, don't be like this. I know it must be because the backlash from the evil energy a few days ago damaged your foundation, that's why you... that's why you're occasionally powerless."

"It's alright. Medical books say that this kind of deficiency can definitely be recovered with proper care. Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to cure you. Trust me."

"Incapable? Heal me?" Xie Jinchen practically spat out these words through gritted teeth, laughing in exasperation.

"Jiang Dusheng, who told you I'm powerless? Huh?"

Jiang Dusheng felt guilty and looked away from his gaze, feeling burned by the intensity in his eyes. Could it be that she had misunderstood?

She dared not meet his gaze again, and her voice lowered, "Every full moon night I want to hold you and suppress the evil aura, but you wish you were far away. And during the day, even though you are clearly moved, you can still pull away..."

The more she spoke, the more convinced she became of her deduction. She glanced at him quickly, then looked down again. "What else could it be but a lack of ability?"

Isn't this the most direct evidence?

Otherwise, what hot-blooded man could stop himself from doing something else when he was so moved by the person he liked?

Xie Jinchen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if gathering the last bit of patience, or as if suppressing a ferocious beast about to break free of its cage.

When he opened his eyes again, something even more aggressive surfaced in them.

"Jiang Dusheng," he spoke slowly, his voice low and tinged with a hint of gritted teeth, "I thought you'd finally seen the light and understood love. But it seems you're still just a... stubborn block of wood."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and began to unfasten the buckle on his jade belt.

"I keep my distance from you because I'm afraid I won't be able to control my feelings." The jade belt loosened, making a slight clinking sound.

He casually tossed the jade belt onto a low table beside him, making a soft "thud" sound.

Then, his slender fingers touched the hem of his outer robe, one button at a time, slowly unbuttoning the buttons.

The outer robe was removed.

"I'll leave during the day," he said, leaning forward slightly to shorten the already narrow distance between them, which was less than a fist's width.

His warm breath brushed against her cheek, his voice lowered, carrying a hot breath and a hint of barely audible grievance:

"It's because I wanted to save it for our wedding night, after we were formally married. I wanted to give you... the respect you deserved, the sense of ceremony you deserved. I didn't want you to think that I was so lustful, so cheap towards you."

"Well, that's fine..." He slightly tugged at the corners of his mouth, his smile carrying the flames of a wildfire, "You've misunderstood me to this extent, and gone to all this trouble... to prepare such a lavish gift for me."

Jiang Dusheng was completely stunned by his actions and words.

Those moments of certainty were replaced by panic.

Seeing that the ties of his inner robe were also hooked by his fingertips, Jiang Dusheng finally reacted, a chill running down his spine. He instinctively tried to shrink to the side, his voice stammering:

"Thank you, Jinchen, I believe you. Hurry up and put your clothes on! You don't need to drink the soup, I'll go throw it away right now."

Although she wanted to follow her master's advice to dispel the evil energy, seeing him taking off his clothes and exuding an aggressive aura, she suddenly felt inexplicably hesitant.