The Crystal Pendant and Hidden Intentions

The letter stated that in a town north of Taihu—Xiangyun Town—a large number of low-rank demons had died suddenly, and the cause of death was unknown.

The old antique had not violated her privacy; she had simply overstepped herself.

Yan Yi did not know whether to laugh or cry and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

“Your Excellency, please forgive me.”

She braced herself and stepped before Wen Xiaoran, handing over the letter in her hand.

“I thought it was a reply from my cousin.”

Wen Xiaoran did not reach out to take it.

When he caught the fleeting disappointment in her eyes, his expression darkened at a visible speed.

With the great villain refusing to respond, Yan Yi felt uncomfortable all over.

Choosing her words carefully, she asked gently, “Your Excellency, will you be leaving the residence soon?”

Wen Xiaoran lowered his gaze, his probing eyes resting on her face, his tone less than friendly.

“If you have something to say, say it directly.”

Yan Yi’s heart tightened, a bad premonition rising within her.

She felt that the great villain had taken a grudge against her.

Thinking of the accident that had occurred on the Frozen Continent in the past, she hesitated.

She wanted to warn him, yet feared it would be unnecessary and would instead arouse his suspicion.

Lowering her voice, she finally offered a vague reminder.

“Your Excellency, please be extra careful on this trip.”

Wen Xiaoran seemed pleased by her words, his brows relaxing.

He assumed Yan Yi was reluctant to see him leave but was too embarrassed to say so.

“Your Excellency, will you personally go to investigate the scene?” Yan Yi asked.

Wen Xiaoran hummed in response.

He grew increasingly puzzled; this mortal physician’s hesitant manner teased his curiosity like a hundred claws scratching at his heart.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

Yan Yi blinked, steeled herself, and spoke frankly.

“Your Excellency, the demons in Xiangyun Town most likely died due to demonic energy invasion.”

After hearing her words, Wen Xiaoran found himself intrigued.

He walked to the round chair by the window and sat down, lightly tapping the edge of the table with his knuckles, signaling her to continue.

“What evidence do you have?”

“Back then, on Mount Fuyu, I saw demonic energy spilling out from the center of Taihu.

It was not my imagination.

To be safe, Your Excellency—please take a look in person.”

“I have my own arrangements.”

With that, Wen Xiaoran stood up and strode toward the door.

Yan Yi grew anxious and hurried after him, tugging at his sleeve.

“Your Excellency, are you returning to your room?” she asked cautiously.

Wen Xiaoran paused and turned back with interest in his eyes.

“What, do you want me to stay the night?”

Yan Yi choked on her words.

If there ever comes a day you stay the night, I’ll make you cry and beg me on your knees to let you leave! she thought bitterly.

Taking a deep breath to suppress her turbulent emotions, she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito.

“Your Excellency, you haven’t returned my crystal pendant yet.”

Wen Xiaoran’s expression darkened.

He took a pendant from his robes and examined it in his palm for a long moment.

“Is this truly a family heirloom and not a token of affection?”

Yan Yi fell silent.

What nonsense token of affection!

This was standard equipment for completing missions.

“Your Excellency truly knows how to joke.”

She smiled shyly.

“I am not yet betrothed.

Where would I get a token of affection?”

Her words pleased Wen Xiaoran.

He handed the pendant to her.

“Keep it safe.”

When he had first seen it in the study, he had examined it carefully.

There was nothing unusual about it, nor any trace of demonic energy.

It was merely an ordinary red crystal with no special use.

Yan Yi felt as though she had been pardoned.

She quickly took the pendant and attempted to fasten it around her neck.

Perhaps she was too excited at having it returned, or perhaps she was distracted by the great villain’s presence.

Her hands trembled violently.

After several attempts, she still could not tie the cord, breaking out in a sheen of sweat.

Wen Xiaoran frowned.

Unable to watch any longer, he stepped behind her, pinched the cord between his fingers, and skillfully tied a bow at the back of her head.

His cool fingertips brushed unintentionally against the delicate skin of her neck.

Yan Yi felt the hairs all over her body stand on end.

She did not know whether it was from fear or from some instinctive human reaction.

“It’s done.”

His voice sounded close to her ear.

“It’s late.

Rest early.”

Yan Yi nodded stiffly and stared blankly as his figure disappeared into the night.

The lingering warmth on her neck remained.

Her cheeks burned inexplicably.

Sitting down beside the desk, she could not help but suspect that when she had boldly teased the great villain before, she had suffered a backlash.

Perhaps that was why she now harbored unspeakable thoughts about his body.

“Meow—”

Lost in thought, she was startled when Xiao Li ran out of the bedroom, jumped onto the desk, and gently tapped her finger with its paw.

Following its paw, she noticed that the redness and swelling on her fingertip had already faded.

Her finger felt cool, yet the sensation of being entirely enveloped by the great villain’s hand remained vivid.

Yan Yi suddenly sprang from her chair.

Rubbing her head vigorously, she covered her flushed cheeks and ran inside to take a cold bath.

Only then did she gradually calm down.

Early the next morning, she brought Xiao Li to the medicinal storeroom to sort a newly delivered batch of herbs with the old witch doctor.

“Master, were these herbs purchased from the shop at the foot of the mountain?”

“Some were gathered by this old man from Mount Fuyu,” Bu Shu replied, pausing to glance at the calico cat on the windowsill.

“This heterochromatic creature seems quite spiritual.”

Yan Yi glanced proudly at Xiao Li basking in the sun.

“It seems to understand what I say.

I wonder if it will ever have the chance to transform into human form.”

Bu Shu looked at her thoughtfully.

“When the opportunity arrives, miracles will naturally happen.”

Hearing this, Yan Yi beamed with joy.

She lifted a large basket filled with herbs and placed it on the long table.

“Master, do you not need to treat His Excellency’s injuries today?”

Without looking up, Bu Shu muttered, “Last night, His Excellency set off for Xiangyun Town.”

Yan Yi froze.

After leaving her room last night, the great villain had departed immediately.

Did he not need rest?

Then she reconsidered—he was the Demon Lord, not an ordinary mortal.

Missing a night’s sleep would not kill him.

They worked all morning in the storeroom, covered in dust and plant scraps.

The daytime heat left beads of sweat on Yan Yi’s forehead, her cheeks flushed and steaming.

Only one final basket remained.

She wiped her brow and lifted it, her vision blocked by the heap of herbs.

Relying on instinct, she moved toward the long table.

Catching sight of a table leg from the corner of her eye, she tried to set the basket down—only to collide headfirst with a solid wall that seemed to have some elasticity.

“Xiao Yi, be careful!” Bu Shu warned.

Yan Yi quickly moved the basket aside.

A face far too familiar came into view.

“Your Excellency!”

Startled, she stepped back, kicking a chair and falling backward uncontrollably.

The herbs flew everywhere, scattering all over her.

Wen Xiaoran reached out to steady her, but as soon as his hand touched her arm, she forcefully shook him off.

“Your Excellency, I’m fine!”

Her tone was dry, tinged with unmistakable rejection.

His outstretched hand froze midair as he watched her fall to the ground with the basket covering her face, herbs strewn across her body.

“Ouch!

That hurts!”

The back of her head struck the chair leg, leaving her dizzy and seeing stars.

She tried to move, wanting to roll over and stand, but without support she had no leverage.

Bu Shu stepped forward to help, only to be stopped by a glance from Wen Xiaoran.

A long, strong hand grasped Yan Yi’s wrist and pulled her to her feet with a slight tug.

“Where are you hurt?”

His voice sounded above her head, making her scalp tingle.

“Your Excellency, I—”

She touched the aching back of her head, unsure whether she felt more anger or grievance.

The great villain appeared and disappeared without a sound.

Not only had she fallen because of him, but the newly delivered herbs were scattered everywhere.

Before she could speak, Bu Shu bent down and picked up a red-bottomed, gold-lined box from the mess.

“What is this?”

Yan Yi looked over.

Upon seeing the open incense box in his palm, she nearly fainted.

It was the calming incense she had recently prepared.

In recent days, Bu Shu had frequently entered and exited the great villain’s study to treat his injuries.

Yan Yi had no opportunity to act, so she had kept the specially prepared incense on her at all times, waiting for a chance.

Unexpectedly, before she could use it, the “evidence” was discovered by a professional.

“Master—”

She forced herself forward.

Suddenly, her head no longer hurt, nor did she feel dizzy.

She had never been so clear-headed.

“It’s calming incense I blended,” she explained half-truthfully.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately and often wake in the middle of the night.

I added a new herb to make it milder, so it won’t irritate the nerves.”

Bu Shu sniffed it gently and frowned.

“This should not be used excessively, or it may harm the mind.

Where did you obtain the formula?”

Yan Yi clenched her fingers until her knuckles turned white.

Her legs felt weak.

After racking her brain, she finally answered, “From an ancient medical text.”

She blinked guiltily, staring at Bu Shu, so nervous she could barely breathe.

The old witch doctor was far harder to fool than the great villain.

He was well-versed in medical classics and would surely ask to see the book she claimed to have read.

When that happened, her lie would collapse.

Without a doubt, she would die miserably.

Having heard their exchange, Wen Xiaoran sensed something amiss.

He strode forward and took the gilded incense box from Bu Shu, examining it in his palm.

His tone turned cold.

“This is clearly the calming incense you once used on me.”

“No.”

Yan Yi denied it at once.

“Your Excellency, this is incense for my own use.

Its ingredients are different from the one prepared for you.”