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

Xie Jinchen's expression went blank for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbed, and then he found his voice:

"Why... are you suddenly bringing this up?"

The topic changed abruptly.

Jiang Dusheng remained serious. She took a step closer, her clear eyes devoid of any allure, only filled with earnestness.

"My master said that the yang energy in your body can be transferred into my body, and I can use yin energy to refine it."

"In this way, even if I am not by your side, when you face Shi Qinglian, you will have to use your spiritual power, or even... be forced to use the remaining evil energy to fight back. The backlash will be greatly reduced, and at least it will not easily erode your mind or endanger your life."

She looked at Xie Jinchen, who was still somewhat dazed, her brows furrowing even more, and her tone carrying a hint of displeasure:

"What? You're not happy again? Didn't you say a few days ago that all those formalities didn't matter? This is the most effective way to reduce the risks of this trip right now."

Xie Jinchen looked at Jiang Dusheng's face, which seemed to say, "If you dare say you're not happy, you're dead," and chuckled softly.

He reached out with irresistible force and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

Xie Jinchen rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice tinged with laughter, "Jiang Dusheng, I couldn't ask for more."

The harmonization of any evil energy was irrelevant; all he wanted was her.

Night fell, and the candlelight flickered.

Although they spoke frankly during the day, the atmosphere when they were alone in the room at night was completely different from what they had imagined.

Jiang Dusheng changed into a plain nightgown, his long hair cascading over his shoulders. He sat upright on the edge of the couch, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his back ramrod straight.

A pair of clear, bright eyes looked at Xie Jinchen, who had just entered the inner room, and his expression...

They didn't look like a bride waiting for her wedding night; they looked more like monks preparing for some important ceremony, as if they had "I'm ready, let's begin" written all over their faces.

Xie Jinchen paused in his tracks upon entering the room and seeing her tense and wary demeanor.

He raised his hand and rubbed his temples, instantly wiping away most of the excitement and anticipation he had felt during the day.

He suddenly realized that Jiang Dusheng was indeed exceptionally gifted at ruining the atmosphere.

Xie Jinchen walked to the edge of the couch, leaned down slightly, placed his hands on the edge of the couch, and enveloped her in his shadow. With a playful smile, his breath brushed against her ear intentionally or unintentionally.

"Jiang Dusheng, do you know what we look like right now?"

Jiang Dusheng, who was tense and preparing to receive the malevolent energy, was taken aback by the abrupt question and subconsciously asked back, "Like what?"

Xie Jinchen's lips curled up, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and he lowered his voice to say:

"Like in the stories, a spoiled young nobleman who bullies others and is about to forcibly take a girl from the common people, and a poor girl who is unwilling but has no choice but to submit to fate and grit her teeth and endure it."

As he spoke, he deliberately adjusted his posture to make his shadow completely envelop her, creating a stronger sense of oppression.

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

Her previously tense nerves were instantly shattered by this metaphor.

She subconsciously imagined the scene based on his description…

The tyrannical young master approached with a wicked grin, while the frail woman huddled in the corner, tears welling in her eyes...

Comparing her own upright posture to Xie Jinchen's teasing leaning closer...

It does look somewhat similar?

Her brows, which had been slightly furrowed with tension, relaxed, and her tense shoulders slumped slightly.

Jiang Dusheng glared at Xie Jinchen, his eyes losing the seriousness they displayed when discussing business and regaining their usual liveliness.

"You're the one who's suffering, poor little lady!"

Seeing that she had finally returned to her former self, Xie Jinchen's smile deepened.

She looked better this way. Her stern appearance just now reminded him of the backlash from the evil aura. When he opened his eyes, he saw three large Buddha statues looking down at him with lowered eyes.

Xie Jinchen straightened up, stopped teasing her, and reached out to pull her up from the edge of the bed. "Come on, let me take you out for a walk."

Jiang Dusheng was a little confused by his series of actions. While obediently putting on the outer skirt he handed her, she looked up at him and asked in confusion, "Aren't we going to have our wedding night?"

Xie Jinchen was bending down, patiently tying the silk ribbon on the side of her skirt. Hearing this, he chuckled softly, "Hmm, not for now."

He tied the last knot, his fingertips lightly brushing against her waist, deliberately drawing out his words slowly:

"Master Jiang, your heroic appearance just now, facing imminent danger and sacrificing your life for righteousness, left me somewhat... bored."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng paused in his act of adjusting his clothes.

She then turned around, her face expressionless, and said in a flat tone, "Oh, then you can go out and wander around by yourself. I need to rest."

After saying that, he made a move to walk towards the bed, as if to say, "Take care, I won't see you off."

Xie Jinchen stretched out his long arm and easily pulled her back into his embrace, his arm firmly around her waist. He half-pushed, half-carried her as he led her out of the room.

"That won't do. This playboy is in high spirits tonight and insists on taking this poor young lady to see the prosperity of Changling City. You have no choice but to agree."

He had perfectly mastered the blatant exploitation and plundering techniques from the storybooks, yet his eyes were full of tender and affectionate smiles, without the slightest hint of reluctance.

Jiang Dusheng was held tightly in his arms, his nose brushing against the fabric of Xie Jinchen's chest. He muttered under his breath, "Xie Jinchen, are you a scoundrel?!"

"Yes, that's me."

The night market in Changling City is bustling with activity.

As soon as you step into the main street, you are greeted by the hustle and bustle of people and the aroma of various food spices.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and vendors hawked their wares along the way, selling sugar figurines, dough figurines, and more. The lights illuminated the smiling faces, making them appear even more vibrant.

Jiang Dusheng then realized that he hadn't properly explored the night market of Changling City since he came down the mountain.

Her gaze lingered on the exquisite sugar figurines and the various snack stalls exuding fragrance.

Xie Jinchen turned his head to look at her profile illuminated by the lamplight, his smile deepening. He then took her hand, their fingers intertwined, and led her into the bustling crowd.

As Xie Jinchen passed a straw target covered with candied hawthorns, he stopped, took out his money, bought the largest one, and handed it to Jiang Dusheng.

"Master said," he looked at her somewhat surprised eyes, "that when Jiang Zhiyuan visited you before, he always liked to bring you this. You were still little then, and couldn't eat the whole hawthorn, so you liked to lick the sugar coating on it."

Jiang Dusheng took the string of candied hawthorns, looked up at him, somewhat surprised, "When did Master tell you? How come I didn't know?"

Xie Jinchen led her forward, avoiding the crowded throng, and said with a smile, "The day I went to Nanchansi Temple to propose marriage."

Jiang Dusheng pursed his lips, said nothing, and lowered his head to bite off a hawthorn coated in sugar.

The sweet and sour taste melted in her mouth; the sugar shell was crisp and sweet, and the hawthorn was slightly sour. Together, they were a vague sweetness from her childhood memories.

I was too young then, and my memory of my older brother has long faded, but the taste of that candied hawthorn seems to transcend time and overlap with that small figure eagerly waiting at the gate of a Zen temple on a distant afternoon.

She quietly ate two, then, feeling a bit tired of them, naturally handed the remaining half of the skewer back to Xie Jinchen.

Xie Jinchen took it naturally and continued to eat the rest of the candied hawthorn without caring about where she had bitten it.