The gentle drizzle of the summer solstice taps against the green tiles of the roof, creating a continuous, pattering sound in the night.
With a frown on his brow, Lu Jin'an slowly opens his eyes, surrounded by the endless bubbling sounds.
Turning his head to look, the blood in the Blood Pool boils with countless blood bubbles.
He glanced over, showing no extra emotion, just noting the pain at the back of his neck — knocked out here by a blow.
Besides the pain, he feels a bit cold, because his clothes have been stripped clean, but there is a clean blanket underneath him, giving him a thought of 'the killer is oddly considerate.'
The wooden door is pushed open, and a woman in a blue and white Hezi skirt with a long-sleeved shirt steps gracefully inside.
The woman's flawless white face has a faint blush, with slightly disheveled long hair flowing like evening clouds, reflecting a hint of deep blue in the flickering candlelight.
Her curved willow eyebrows flutter lightly, her sky-blue eyes exude a deep transcendence and elegance, beneath her upturned delicate nose, her thin lips are as tender as rose petals, forming a face of classical beauty.
In her gentle breathing, she resembles a lake under moonlight, cool and elegant.
Upon seeing Lu Jin'an, a gentle smile blooms on her cool features: "Husband, you're awake?"
Lu Jin'an silently looks at her—the culprit who knocked him out, and also his wife of one year and six months, Zhu Nanzhi.
"Sorry, does it hurt?"
Zhu Nanzhi sits beside him, gently drawing him into her arms and caressing his nape: "I didn't want this... it's all Husband's fault.
Husband, so handsome and talented, why walk the Demon Path? I clearly warned you not to go to the clinic, why didn't you listen? Otherwise, it wouldn't have come to this."
Lu Jin'an tugs at the corner of his mouth: "So this is your reason for stripping my clothes? And you only discovered the Blood Pool hiding here the morning before last, personally came and saw it was me tonight... when did you poison me to seal my cultivation?"
"Because I still want to see everything about Husband~" Only answering the first question, Zhu Nanzhi then asks: "Husband, do you remember when we first met?"
As he speaks, Lu Jin'an closes his eyes, still clearly remembering the first words Zhu Nanzhi said to him, the only thing he didn't foresee was the situation today—
"Young man, aren't you afraid of freezing to death lying alone on such a remote snowy mountain?"
"Let me think... digging you out of the snow and giving you hot water unknowingly, does that count as a good samaritan deed?"
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"You're lying in the snow for a reason, right?"
"Coincidentally, I'm here for something too, how about we team up?"
"Then let's get married."
A year-old memory resurfaces in his mind, as Lu Jin'an, reopening his eyes, stares, slightly dazed, at the classical face so close to him.
This completely unfamiliar girl offering herself must have some unknown motive, yet even now, Lu Jin'an still doesn't understand what that motive might be.
Because Zhu Nanzhi's offering was so thorough.
He still remembers Zhu Nanzhi's gentle yet indisputable words back then.
"After we marry, you can live in this mansion freely... do you have a house? No, you must stay here.
You don't need to do chores, I can give you ten thousand spirit crystals each month as a monthly salary...
Don't want it? You aren't short of spirit crystals from your clinic? It doesn't matter; it won't conflict with what I give you.
All you need to do is live here with peace of mind and marry me."
In these absurd conditions of being kept, Lu Jin'an lives uneasily, although living in her house, he hasn't touched the spiritual crystals she provided, saving them all in the storeroom, and he initiated a treaty of three Chapters with her.
Not interfering in each other's private lives; not sharing a room; parting ways peacefully once things are done.
Hence, Lu Jin'an began a life seemingly living off a woman.
Yet, despite mutual agreement on the three provisions, one of them was broken half a year ago during one night.
Lu Jin'an devoured this bowl known as 'Zhu Nanzhi' wholly—what she had offered herself after drinking.
Zhu Nanzhi's blush with drunkenness, her soft whispers of seduction... even a gentleman couldn't remain indifferent.
Lu Jin'an, being a healthy man, was wary, but after drinking, he still confidently consumed the meal served to his mouth.
Other than the blood loss, no incident of extracting Yang to replenish Yin occurred.
Zhu Nanzhi offered no reason for the second time she surrendered herself.
Thus, they moved into one room, and from there, the days went uncontrollably.
Lu Jin'an doesn't know what this rich fairy's reason for offering herself was, but gradually notices her control seems to strengthen.
Every night except during her menstruation, she wants to be close to him, yet during these intimate moments, she isn't as strong, often like a gentle cat, stirring one's heart.
Lu Jin'an doesn't feel overwhelmed, yet Zhu Nanzhi's requests become more excessive: not allowing him to treat female patients, must eat her cooking, prohibiting him from going out...
Despite Zhu Nanzhi's increasingly absurd behavior and requests, Lu Jin'an naturally declines outright, and she doesn't continue with similar demands afterward.