“Demon race?” Ye Qisheng knew he was referring to Raphael, so she feigned confusion: “I’ve never heard of the race you mentioned. My husband and I are both mixed-race—our ancestors had bloodlines from the Western Regions, but he inherited them more thoroughly, while I lean closer to my parents’ Central Plains appearance, just with slightly fairer skin that isn’t as yellow.
The capital city where we used to live was an open and inclusive city. Every day, people from all over the world came for trade, and many outsiders settled down there. Mixed-race people like us were very common. After living there for a long time, everyone became a local of the capital, regardless of race. So, I truly have never heard of this ‘demon race’ you speak of.”
Liu Shiting listened to her words thoughtfully. After a long pause, he asked half-believingly, “Did the place you originally lived in really have mixed races living together without ostracizing foreigners?”
He was born and raised in Liuye Village, and he knew that many clan elders in the village were stubborn and conservative. They rejected all foreign races, viewing them as ominous without exception, and the village basically only intermarried with a few neighboring villages.
Over a year ago, when Physician Xu brought that demon-race youth back to the village for treatment, it caused a considerable uproar. Had it not been for Physician Xu’s deeply respected prestige accumulated over the years, he would have been driven out of the village alongside that demon-race youth long ago.
Although Ye Qisheng hadn’t described her husband’s appearance in detail just now, he immediately associated it with that demon-race youth.
Because he knew all hundred-plus households of Liuye Village like the back of his hand—aside from that demon-race person, there was no other possibility.
“Not at all!” Ye Qisheng shook her head, saying in all seriousness: “Why would anyone reject foreign races? Our capital city is an open and inclusive city. As long as you are willing to keep your head down and be a law-abiding citizen, anyone can live and work there in peace and content! Bad people are bad because of their hearts, not their looks—why reject foreigners?”
These words left Liu Shiting momentarily speechless. He stopped looking at Ye Qisheng and slowly lowered his head, staring at a spot on the ground, complex emotions churning in his eyes.
Ye Qisheng’s acting was convincing enough that he didn’t harbor any suspicions. Besides, he himself believed that the villagers’ blindly xenophobic mindset was utterly ignorant.
The world was vast, and the world beyond the mountains was so wide. He believed that on the other side of the mountains and across the sea, there must be a broader sky they didn’t know of, as well as many hardworking and kind-hearted people just like those in Liuye Village.
Perhaps those people’s appearances and daily customs were slightly different from theirs, but everyone lived on the same land. As long as they could find a way to coexist peacefully, there was no reason they couldn’t be friendly neighbors and trade with one another.
However, human prejudice was a mountain—breaking it down overnight was no easy task. Even though he was the village chief, he didn’t hold absolute authority in the village, nor could he single-handedly change the long-ingrained, insular mindset of the villagers.
So when Physician Xu brought that demon-race youth back and met with almost unanimous rejection from everyone, although he couldn’t bear it in his heart, he couldn’t override the public opinion to forcibly keep him either.
This had made him taste a rare sense of defeat, leaving him with a slight feeling of apology toward that demon-race youth, always thinking of finding an opportunity to make amends.
Now that the man’s wife had come looking for him, he ought to find a way to quietly look after them.
Just as he was thinking this, Ye Qisheng suddenly raised her head to look not far ahead, waving her hand vigorously, and shouted cheerfully: “Raphael, you’re back!”
Before Liu Shiting could react, he saw her charge forward like a little bird. The breeze she kicked up fluttered a few strands of his bangs hanging over his forehead before they quickly settled back down.
He turned around to look, only to see at the end of the path that demon-race youth walking gracefully over. Just as in his initial impression, he had blue eyes, brown hair, an ethereal posture, picture-perfect features, and skin as white as snow.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, sprinkling dappled light over him. The passing breeze rustled his clothes; looking at him from afar, there was actually a fluttering elegance as if he might ride the wind and return to the heavens at any moment.
Liu Shiting stood frozen in place, watching Ye Qisheng fly like a little bird over to him. He didn’t know what she said, but the demon-race youth first froze, then revealed a somewhat shy and bashful smile—gentle and beautiful like spring flowers, allowing anyone to feel his good mood.
The height difference between the two wasn’t huge; Ye Qisheng stood a head shorter than the demon-race youth. Standing together, they were extraordinarily pleasing to the eye, truly interpreting what it meant to be a match made in heaven—a handsome man and a talented woman.
Although he had anticipated this long ago, seeing this scene in person made a strange feeling suddenly well up in Liu Shiting’s heart—indescribable, fleeting, and impossible to trace.
Ye Qisheng stole a glance at the person behind them and lowered her voice to instruct: “Raphael, I just introduced our marital relationship to him according to what we agreed on earlier. He didn’t say whether he believed it or not, but we don’t care—let’s just keep acting! If you don’t know what to say later, just keep quiet and let me be our spokesperson.”
Raphael gave a soft hum, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Ye Qisheng, full of trust and doting affection.
He didn’t have many belongings in the cave—just some frequently used tools and a few animal pelts. He wrapped the tools inside the pelts, tying them into two bundles, and carried them directly over, one in each hand.
Ye Qisheng wanted to help him carry one, but he shook his head, saying gently: “No need, I can carry them.”
The little angel’s boyfriend power was quite strong! Ye Qisheng smiled and didn’t insist. Instead, she wrapped her arm around his and walked up to Liu Shiting together, introducing generously: “Brother Liu, this is my husband who went missing two years ago, Raphael.”
Liu Shiting furrowed his brows and glanced at Raphael. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say, merely nodding his head in response.
Ye Qisheng crinkled her eyes and continued: “Raphael has amnesia and can’t remember most past events, only remembering that I am his wife. The two of us have nowhere else to go right now, and my face is still injured, so we’ll be staying here temporarily for this period. Please take care of us in the future, Brother Liu!”
Liu Shiting restrained his emotions slightly, his tone normal: “You’re being too polite. Now that you’ve found your husband, Physician Xu and I can rest easy.”
Pausing for a moment, he cast a glance at the house over there and added: “It’s fine for you two to continue living in this house, but the villagers have quite a few taboos regarding your husband. Just to avoid causing trouble, try to enter the village as little as possible on normal days. If you really need to find me for something, take care to avoid the crowds as well.”
Ye Qisheng had already heard about this from Raphael earlier and wasn’t surprised by this request. She agreed very readily with a nod: “Alright, we’ll keep that in mind.”
With everything necessary explained clearly, Liu Shiting nodded. Taking one last deep look at Ye Qisheng, he tactfully bade farewell and took his leave.
He originally wanted to come over to see if Ye Qisheng needed any help on her end. But since she now had a husband—and a husband who could live safely and soundly alone in the mountains for over a year at that—there was no need for him to stay and play third wheel.