Just as the skeleton was about to come crashing down in a thunderous roar,
Chu Yunxi, who had been lowering his head and concentrating entirely on his work, executed a sudden, nimble roll.
Without even looking back to see what was happening, the skeleton whistled past his side as it plummeted. Just as it was about to smash onto the desk, he raised a hand like lightning.
Clatter,!
The skeleton’s chest was caught squarely by his palm, producing a crisp sound of friction between bones.
Its two arm bones dangled down, swaying incessantly, while that rusty long nail stopped a mere half-inch above the skull resting on the writing table, almost piercing right into it.
Though the long nail was covered in rust, its tip was sharp as a needle. Had it landed on the back of his neck, he would have been dead on the spot.
Chu Yunxi glanced at the sharp iron nail, then lifted his eyelids to look at Shi Wuxie, just in time to catch the upward curve of Shi Wuxie’s lips flattening back down, the excitement in his eyes transforming into disappointment.
Chu Yunxi ground his back molars together and sneered, Were you waiting for me to be smashed to death by this thing?
Shi Wuxie showed not the slightest hint of awkwardness at being exposed. Instead, he nodded with utmost candor. Yes.
Chu Yunxi’s brow twitched. Speechless, he pointed at the long nail and said, No… how is this any different from committing murder with your own hands?
Of course there is a difference, Shi Wuxie replied righteously. This is an accident and has nothing to do with me.
Chu Yunxi:
He had never seen anyone so brazenly shameless.
As if he hadn’t seen the utter speechlessness in Chu Yunxi’s eyes, Shi Wuxie earnestly lectured: According to the penal code of our dynasty, whenever a sudden emergency arises, and a person lacks the physical capacity to save the victim, or if attempting to save them would inevitably plunge oneself into grave danger, they are exempt from criminal liability.
Having said this, he spread his hands wide. This incident was a sudden accident, which rightfully falls under ‘lacking the capacity to save,’ and therefore it does not count as murder.
Chu Yunxi was on the verge of being laughed to fury.
The Great Zhou Penal Code must be this human-shaped AI’s highest operating guideline!
There were no moral shackles, only legal constraints.
Looking at Shi Wuxie’s deadpan expression, Chu Yunxi closed his eyes deeply and let out a long breath: Intentionally manufacturing an accident still counts as murder.
Shi Wuxie’s calm gaze finally rippled slightly. I did not.
You did.
With the expression of someone saying, ‘Wait, and I’ll make it impossible for you to defend yourself,’ Chu Yunxi crouched down halfway to carefully inspect the wooden frame.
He scratched at the fractured wood, his fingertips registering a damp, rotting, and soft texture, accompanied by a faint, moldy scent.
However, the wood had simply rotted away over time; there were no traces of expected intentional sabotage.
Chu Yunxi froze. Refusing to accept it, he laid the entire wooden frame flat and checked it meticulously over and over again.
Half an incense stick of time later,
Chu Yunxi found no evidence, left with only an unvented, pent-up frustration.
Squatting on the ground, he tilted his head up to look at Shi Wuxie and finally swallowed his pride, waving the broken half of the rotting wooden block.
The wood on the frame’s legs has completely rotted away, and the mortise and tenon joints are loose.
He forced a questioning tone: Didn’t you notice at all?
Shi Wuxie’s gaze swept over the decayed wood and nodded. It has indeed been like this for some time. I simply never paid attention.
You did this on purpose. Chu Yunxi stood up with absolute certainty.
For a rare moment, Shi Wuxie’s gaze flickered, just a fleeting instant. Putting aside the fact that I wasn’t doing it on purpose, even if I were, how could I possibly predict when you would arrive here, let alone precisely calculate when this wooden frame would snap?
Chu Yunxi: ..
He seriously suspected this fellow had done it on purpose, but he had no evidence.
After a long moment, the pupils beneath his lowered eyelids rolled as if recalling something. He pulled out the marble, laid it flat in his palm, and held it out before Shi Wuxie.
What about this then? On my way here, this hidden weapon flew in from outside the wall. He sneered, Surely this can’t be an ‘accident’ as well?
Shi Wuxie glanced at the hidden weapon, then pinched it between two fingers, holding it up to examine it carefully against the daylight filtering through the window. He rubbed its surface with his fingers and even brought it up to his nose for a very light sniff.
Then, he calmly spoke: The iron quality is ordinary, polished roughly, with shallow pits and wear marks left from multiple impacts on the surface, and a small amount of dust clinging to the edges.
With an even tempo and clear logic, he analyzed: These are iron marbles used by children in the markets, playing with slingshots to hunt birds and sparrows. You can buy a dozen for a single coin at the west market’s grocery store; it is not a specially crafted hidden weapon.
Handing the marble back to Chu Yunxi, he drew a conclusion: It must have been children playing and frolicking in the alley outside the wall, and a stray shot flew in by mistake. It was not aimed at you.
Chu Yunxi couldn’t believe it. You expect me to believe this was another ‘accident’?
Two accidents in a single day? Who are you trying to fool?
Shi Wuxie looked at him and nodded. Even if I wanted to hire assassins to kill you, I would not use such a marble. This thing can kill birds and sparrows, but it cannot kill a person; at most, it would give you a few minor scratches.
Listening to Shi Wuxie’s professional and flawless analysis, Chu Yunxi was once again rendered speechless.
He took a deep breath, lifted his eyes anew to meet Shi Wuxie’s gaze, which remained calm to the point of indifference, and dropped his voice by several degrees: From the moment I left my house to the time I reached your place, I almost died twice within the span of a single cup of tea. Do you think I’ll believe you?
Raising his volume in a warning tone, he said, No matter what methods you used, don’t think you can get away with murder just by manufacturing a few accidents. The Marquis of Anping’s estate is a family of nobility; if I die here at your place, you will never be able to clear your name!
At a time like this, he could not show weakness; he had to make Shi Wuxie back off in the face of difficulties.
Shi Wuxie didn’t seem to catch the threatening undertone in those words. Instead, he nodded in agreement, naturally. Since you and I are already married, our fates are bound together. If you were to die, I would certainly find it difficult to shirk responsibility for the aftermath, and at that time, I would naturally handle everything myself.
Chu Yunxi paused.
Wait hold on..
Before he could even figure out why this person had suddenly jumped to discussing funeral arrangements, he heard Shi Wuxie continue: It’s just that your destiny is too weak, destined for endless calamities and misfortunes.
As he spoke, Shi Wuxie nodded to himself, muttering and calculating in a low voice: Since that is the case, it is better to plan and prepare all the necessary items for the funeral rites in advance, to avoid frantic haste when the time actually comes.
Chu Yunxi:!
It took him a moment to process what he had just heard, and shock filled his face: Are you saying that I possess the legendary ‘bad luck’ constitution and might kick the bucket at any moment?
Shi Wuxie nodded earnestly.
The ghost shadow was laughing so hard it was doubled over, its eerie sound of Hahaha echoing by Shi Wuxie’s ear.
Yet, after laughing for a moment, it suddenly stopped. The dark shadow drifted swiftly to Chu Yunxi’s side, its formless gaze sizing him up closely from top to bottom with a trace of puzzlement:
Yuniu, that’s not right. Since when did this kid’s martial arts become so agile? He dodged both times. Wasn’t he said to be a sickly weakling since childhood who would collapse at a breath of wind?
Hearing this, Shi Wuxie paused slightly.
In an instant, his pitch-black pupils lit up with a cluster of sparks, like a deep pool ignited by falling embers. Abruptly, he reached out and grabbed Chu Yunxi’s wrist, while his other hand instinctively tightened its grip on the dissecting scalpel, the blade pointing right at Chu Yunxi.
Since you came back to life, has your body undergone any changes? How do your strength, speed, and five senses compare to before?
Chu Yunxi felt a sudden tightness at his wrist, the chill of the fingertips piercing through his skin and nearly freezing his heart.
Meeting Shi Wuxie’s gaze, which was brimming with earnestness and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, he hallucinated that he was either a targeted prey or a precious experimental specimen in the eyes of a mad scientist.
He shivered involuntarily, then instinctively took half a step back, resisting: What business is it of yours?
Shi Wuxie pondered for a moment, then picked up the record book beside the desk. Lowering his gaze and focusing his mind, he thought briefly before writing rapidly with his brush.
While knitting his brows and filled with vigilance, Chu Yunxi couldn’t help his curiosity either; his neck stretched forward slightly as his gaze probed over.
He had intended to look at the booklet, but his line of sight inevitably fell upon the collar of Shi Wuxie’s robe. Ordinarily, the fabric was crossed with absolute neatness, but from his diagonal vantage point, he happened to catch a glimpse of a slender neckline flowing smoothly downward from beneath the jaw, plunging into the shadow of the collar’s hollow, exquisitely and excessively pretty.
Hastily looking away, he closed his eyes to delete that image from his mind before finally looking at the booklet.
There, on the pages, a row of robust and striking regular script read: Observation Record – Chu Yunxi.
Somatological Functional Mutation. One, Evasion Reflex: The response time to sudden fatal threats is extremely short, far surpassing ordinary people. Two, Instantaneous Burst: Capable of single-handedly suspending dozens of pounds of falling objects within a square inch; arm strength and core stability are abnormal…
The more Chu Yunxi read, the tighter his brows knitted.
This madman really was treating him like an experimental subject!
Closing his eyes, he took a long, deep breath, then turned around and left.
Shi Wuxie was still immersed in his notes when the ghost shadow timely reminded him: Yuniu, he’s leaving.
Writing down the very last stroke in a rush, Shi Wuxie raised his eyes to see Chu Yunxi already resolutely stepping out the door. On impulse, he asked, Where are you going?
Without turning his head, Chu Yunxi called out loudly: Returning to my maiden home!
Shi Wuxie paused in his mind to process the meaning of returning to a maiden home, then blinked. Are you coming back?
Chu Yunxi’s footsteps paused for a fraction of a second before he continued striding forward: Not coming back!
Shi Wuxie stood in a daze.
Staring blankly at Chu Yunxi’s retreating figure, the ghost shadow suddenly urged Shi Wuxie: Yuniu, chase after him!
If he doesn’t come back and accidentally dies out there, what will we do?
What if he suffers an accident that harms his brain and ruins the specimen?
Before the final sentence could finish, Shi Wuxie had already bolted out the door in a single stride.
Chu Yunxi walked ahead while Shi Wuxie followed behind.
The bailiffs outside the door only felt a blur before their eyes as a flash of red swept out like a gust of wind. Before they could even identify who it was, they saw their own superior stride out rapidly, eyes locked tightly on the path ahead.
Sir, where are you headed? A bailiff asked hastily.
Shi Wuxie was about to give chase, but that flash of red had already flickered a few times into the bustling pedestrian traffic of the long street, making it impossible to distinguish further. Pausing his steps, he turned back and commanded urgently, Get the carriage.
Yes! Not daring to delay, the bailiff turned and sprinted toward the stables.
Walking in front, Chu Yunxi occasionally tilted his head slightly to observe the commotion behind him.
Not sensing Shi Wuxie’s presence, he furrowed his brow, and his pace lagged.
Did this little madman stop following?
Surely he wouldn’t just let him walk away like this?
As he was deep in thought, the sky abruptly darkened.
The sky, which had just been bathed in warm golden twilight, seemed to have a basin of thick ink overturned across it. Dark clouds rolled in from all directions, swallowing the setting sun in an instant. The long street felt as though it had entered night ahead of schedule.
It’s going to rain! Pack up your stalls quickly!
The cries of roadside vendors and the sounds of shelves being hurriedly folded up blended, and pedestrians scattered in search of shelter. Before long, the commotion died down with the vanishing crowd, replaced by a deep stillness.
Chu Yunxi paused his steps and looked up at the sky. He saw the cloud layer hanging low, as if rain were about to fall at any second.
Lifting a hand toward the sky, he sensed the humidity in the air climbing sharply until a single raindrop landed squarely in his palm.
Right at that moment, a spine-chilling shudder swept through him, instantly spreading across his entire body.
Immediately following that, a faint yet scalp-tingling crackling sound erupted right beside his ear, making Chu Yunxi’s hair stand on end.
Static electricity?
His pupils shrank to pinpricks as he reacted almost instantly. Then, exerting strength through the soles of his feet, he leaped toward the nearest eaves along the side of the street.
Almost simultaneously, a blinding flash of white lightning tore across the vault of heaven, plunging straight down from the pitch-black cloud layer to land precisely where he had been standing just a moment ago.
Boom, rumble!
The thunder exploded right beside his ear. In the blink of an eye, the bluestone pavement within inches was blasted to pieces; the shallow crater emitted wisps of scorching smoke, and the flagstones surrounding the pit took on a glazed, vitreous sheen while the air grew thick with a choking scent.
A breath later, Swish, pour!
The long-accumulated rain poured down in a torrential sheet.
Thick strands of rain merged into an impenetrable curtain, lashing mercilessly against the empty street.
Chu Yunxi stood stiffly in place, watching the water cascade down like a waterfall from the eaves, forming a transparent curtain of water before him.
Had he just narrowly escaped being struck to death by lightning?
An absurd chill crawled stealthily up his spine, leaving a thin layer of cold sweat on his forehead.
At that moment, the sound of hooves broke through the rain curtain as a carriage draped with dark green curtains halted in front of him.
The dark cyan curtain was lifted from the inside by four fingers as slender as green scallions, and the torrential rain instantly soaked those fingertips.
Chu Yunxi’s pupils rolled as he made a split-second decision. Letting out a muffled groan, he brought a hand up to press tightly against his chest and collapsed heavily to the ground.
When Shi Wuxie stepped out of the carriage holding an umbrella, he saw that striking red figure already lying prone in the shadow beneath the eaves, completely motionless.
Rainwater dripped down from the tiled roof, pooling into tiny trickles around him.
Yuniu! Did you see that? It was a lightning strike! The ghost shadow’s voice carried irrepressible excitement.
Shi Wuxie’s gaze swept past the charred shallow crater not far away, where rain was pouring and gushing in.
He nodded. If it had struck him directly, his life would have been in grave jeopardy.
Quick! Go take a look! If he’s still breathing, just finish him off with another blow.
Shi Wuxie stepped out into the rain. The rainwater instantly soaked the toes of his boots and the hem of his robes.
Walking up to Chu Yunxi’s side, he gathered his robes and crouched down halfway.
He watched quietly for a moment. Rainwater trickled down the pale cheeks of the person before him; his long eyelashes were tightly shut, and his lips were so pale they were nearly transparent, making him look truly like an inanimate doll that had lost its breath.
Extending four fingers, he checked beneath Chu Yunxi’s nose; the breathing was weak, but it definitely existed. Then he checked the side of his neck, feeling the pulse beating beneath the skin.
As his cool, rain-drenched fingertips touched the skin, Chu Yunxi’s tightly closed eyelashes twitched imperceptibly, though Shi Wuxie failed to notice.
Frowning, Shi Wuxie murmured, He actually didn’t die.
That hint of surprise and disappointment was heard loud and clear by Chu Yunxi, even with his eyes closed. Forcing down the urge to roll his eyes, he held his breath and flattened his body even more.
With such a good opportunity, he refused to believe this little madman could resist making a move now.
Wait for it; this time he was going to catch him red-handed!
The ghost shadow egged him on from the side: Do it! Finish him off now; it’ll be seamless! If it’s reported upward, they’ll just say he was struck by lightning; who could ever suspect us?
Hesitating for a moment, Shi Wuxie drew a small jade bottle from his bosom and extracted a pill.
The ghost shadow was puzzled: Yuniu, aren’t you going to kill him?
Answering through thought, Shi Wuxie replied, Something is amiss. I don’t see any burn marks from lightning on his body; perhaps he merely fainted. If I act rashly now, it will only leave traces of our deeds. As he spoke, he brought the pill right to Chu Yunxi’s lips.
Then why are you feeding him that?
A glint of burning excitement flickered within Shi Wuxie’s eyes, brighter than ever before, and his thin lips curved into a slight arc.
Even if I don’t kill him, I can still study something else first.
Just as the pill brushed against Chu Yunxi’s lips, however, his wrist was suddenly gripped by a firm force.
The person lying on the ground abruptly opened his eyes. Fine droplets of rain still hung from his long, sweeping lashes, and his fox-like eyes were clear and razor-sharp in that instant.
Amidst the rushing downpour, a voice rang out languidly: Caught you.