“What is Miss Lu trying to run away from?”…
Lu Qingtang hurriedly explained, “This book is too precious. I cannot accept it.”
Jiang Xunbai’s gaze fell on the book in Lu Qingtang’s hand. He chuckled softly and said, “It’s just a book. I’ve already memorized everything inside. Miss Lu, you may keep it.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yijie suddenly let out a light laugh and said gently, “Since it’s A-Xun’s heartfelt gesture, Qing-Tang, you should accept it.”
With Jiang Yijie saying so, Lu Qingtang naturally had no reason to refuse. She took the book “Records of Demons” from Jiang Xunbai and happily began flipping through it.
Truth be told, in her previous life, she had also been fond of things with a touch of fantasy—tales of the supernatural and strange anecdotes. She had read many such stories.
Although the system had provided the worldview of “Zhu Yao,” it wasn’t very detailed. This “Records of Demons,” however, meticulously documented thousands of demon species in this world.
Jiang Xunbai’s handwriting was elegant—firm strokes and a slender style. Lu Qingtang found herself completely absorbed as she read.
By then, the sun had completely set, and Forget-Water Town was plunged into darkness. The group made their way back along the street.
Jiang Yijie and Su Lingyao walked ahead, while Lu Qingtang fiddled with the hair ribbon that had been blown against her chest, twisting it around her fingers again and again. Although the Skin-changing demon incident had been successfully resolved, and the protagonist team seemed quite satisfied with her performance, why was the completion rate for Task 1 still only 0.5?
When would the protagonist team finally agree to let her stay with them permanently?
Until Task 1 was completed, it seemed the other nine tasks wouldn’t be unlocked. Would they just have to keep waiting like this?
Jiang Xunbai watched the girl playing with her hair ribbon. His gaze was hard to ignore, yet she didn’t even glance at him, lost in her own thoughts. As she pondered, her brows furrowed slightly, giving her a somewhat troubled expression.
“Miss Lu?”
Lu Qingtang snapped out of her thoughts and unexpectedly met a pair of smiling peach-blossom eyes. Jiang Xunbai pointed at her hair bun, a slight smile curling his lips. “Miss Lu, your hair is messy.”
Lu Qingtang reached up to touch her twin buns and glanced at the two uneven hair ribbons in her hand. She let out a helpless laugh—whenever she was deep in thought, she would unconsciously fiddle with something. And now, she had messed up her hair buns.
She tried to fix her hair, but it only became more tangled. It was so messy that even Jiang Xunbai couldn’t bear to watch. He couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Lu, do you even know how to do it?”
Lu Qingtang gave up struggling and looked up at him, her eyes glistening as she admitted honestly, “No.”
“You…”
Lu Qingtang shrugged. She truly didn’t know how. In her previous life, she had never encountered such hairstyles. In this life, she lived in luxury, with numerous maids attending to her—how many things did she ever need to do herself?
Jiang Xunbai stiffly averted his gaze. “I don’t know how either.”
That’s what he said, but in his mind, he was flipping through the book “101 Ways to Charm.” Admittedly, the system-provided book covered a wide range of topics, offering comprehensive guidance. He found one method—how to tie her hair?
Jiang Xunbai read it once and felt he understood it in theory, but he wasn’t sure if his hands could manage. Still, the act of tying a girl’s hair felt too intimate and somewhat presumptuous. Tentatively, he asked, “Shall I… help you with it?”
Lu Qingtang seemed naturally a bit scatterbrained, especially when it came to matters between men and women. When Jiang Xunbai asked his question, she replied without a second thought: “Alright.”
After all, she didn’t know how to do it either.
Jiang Xunbai got the confirmation he wanted but suddenly felt awkward and hesitant. He asked nervously, “Is it really okay if I’m not very good at it?”
Lu Qingtang blurted out, “It’s fine.”
Jiang Xunbai took a few steps closer to her. Lu Qingtang’s height just reached his shoulders, so he could easily tidy her hair by simply lowering his head. They stood so close that he could catch the faint, delicate fragrance from her hair—it smelled like lotus blossoms.
Suddenly, he felt the urge to retreat.
Seeing him hesitate without making a move, Lu Qingtang assumed he truly didn’t know how and considerately suggested, “It’s alright if you don’t know. I don’t mind my hair being a bit messy. Why don’t you just adjust my hair ribbon for me?”
Hearing this, Jiang Xunbai held his breath and reached out to straighten her hair ribbon. Then, he abruptly stepped back several paces, turning his face away as he said, “It’s done.”
Lu Qingtang laughed, “Young Master Jiang, you’re really quite nice!”
This was the second time she had praised him for being kind.
This time, Jiang Xunbai didn’t startle as he had the last time. He quickly regained his composure and grinned, “Right? I think so too—I’m such a good person! Miss Lu, have you also fallen for me?”
Lu Qingtang: “…Don’t push your luck.”
Jiang Yijie chuckled softly, “A-Yao, look—”
Su Lingyao turned around and saw the girl in a jade-green dress running toward them, holding up her skirt. Her face was radiant with a smile, her eyes curved like crescent moons. Behind her, the young man in black also wore a faint, almost imperceptible smile. His high ponytail swayed in the wind, its ends tracing graceful arcs.
A flicker of amusement passed through Su Lingyao’s dark eyes. She continued walking side by side with Jiang Yijie and murmured softly, “They truly make a striking pair.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yijie raised an eyebrow slightly and asked gently, “A-Yao, have you also noticed how attentive A-Xun is toward Qing-Tang?”
Su Lingyao replied, “I’m not sure if it’s romantic affection, but we’ve all grown up together since childhood. When has he ever been this attentive to a girl before?”
Jiang Yijie glanced back at the young pair under the twilight sky, the smile in his eyes deepening.
After having dinner with the main group, Lu Qingtang was about to return to the Inn to rest and was pleasantly surprised to find they were staying at the same one. That day, Jiang Yijie and Su Lingyao had searched for an inn and, after comparing several options, ended up choosing the very one where she and Jingchun were staying.
Even more coincidentally, their two rooms happened to be right next to Lu Qingtang and Jingchun’s.
So the four of them went upstairs together before parting ways to their respective rooms. Su Lingyao’s room was closest to theirs, with Jiang Yijie and Jiang Xunbai’s a bit farther down.
As soon as Lu Qingtang entered the room, Jingchun rushed over and clung to her, sobbing, “Miss, where have you been all day?”
Lu Qingtang let her hang onto her and asked instead, “Jingchun, have you eaten dinner?”
Jingchun nodded, “I saw you hadn’t returned, and I was too hungry, so I ate first. Miss, have you eaten? If not, I can go buy you something.”
The novel didn’t elaborate much on Jingchun’s character, but for some reason, Lu Qingtang felt she must be very familiar with her. Besides, Jingchun wasn’t overly formal or cautious around her, so Lu Qingtang guessed they had likely grown up together—outwardly mistress and maid, but in truth, as close as sisters.
“As long as you’ve eaten—I’ve eaten too.”
Lu Qingtang walked to the window and sat down, carefully weighing her words. To complete her mission, she had to find a way to travel with the main group, but Jingchun was different—she couldn’t drag Jingchun into the perilous world of demons and spirits. She needed to persuade Jingchun to return home first, back to the Lu family in Gusu.
Based on her observations, even if Jingchun returned alone, the Lu family wouldn’t give her a hard time.
“Jingchun, there’s something I need to tell you,” Lu Qingtang said with a serious expression.
Jingchun looked at her, forcing a smile that was uglier than crying. “Miss, why do I have a feeling that what you’re about to say isn’t good news?”
“Jingchun, go back to Gusu.”
Lu Qingtang was direct.
Jingchun’s eyes widened. “Miss, what about you? Where will you go?”
Lu Qingtang felt that persuading Jingchun would be difficult, but she had to press on. “You go back to Gusu. I have other matters to attend to and won’t be returning home for now.”
“No.”
Lu Qingtang’s expression shifted. “Jingchun, you have to listen to me.”
Tears welled up in Jingchun’s eyes. “No, Miss. Wherever you go, I go too. You even took me with you when you ran away from marriage—why can’t you take me now?”
“Listen to me, Jingchun!” Lu Qingtang resorted to a threat. “If you don’t obey me and return properly to Gusu, I’ll be angry and never speak to you again.”
Jingchun’s eyes widened further, and in the next moment, tears streamed down her cheeks. Lu Qingtang’s heart ached for her.
Sobbing, Jingchun said, “Alright, Miss, I’ll listen to you. Please don’t ignore me, wuwuwu—”
Lu Qingtang sighed in relief—she had finally managed this. Once Jingchun returned to Gusu the next day, she could continue with Mission One.
Unexpectedly, the very next morning, the main group received news from Gusu.
Su Lingyao’s expression was grave. “Something has happened in Gusu City.”
“Let’s go to Gusu.”
Lu Qingtang immediately changed her plans.
With trouble in Gusu City and the main group heading there, she could use returning home as an excuse to stay with them.
“Big Brother Jiang, Sister Su, if you’re going to Gusu, may we accompany you?”
Lu Qingtang pleaded.
Jiang Xunbai added, “Elder Brother, Miss Lu has a constitution that easily attracts demons. We can protect her along the way.”
Lu Qingtang glanced at Jiang Xunbai, grateful but inwardly puzzled: What constitution? Since when does she easily attract demons?
Su Lingyao nodded. “Of course.”
When Jingchun finished packing and learned that Lu Qingtang would also be returning to Gusu with her, she was overjoyed.
Amid her delight, she glanced at the two men and one woman opposite and whispered, “Miss, who are they?”
Her voice was soft, but every member of the main group were demon hunters—how could they not hear?
Lu Qingtang laughed and introduced them. “These are my newly made friends: Jiang Yijie, Su Lingyao, and Jiang Xunbai.”
“This is Jingchun.”
“No time to waste. Let’s set off.”
Jiang Yijie said.
As they walked, Jingchun cast a suspicious glance at Lu Qingtang, leaning in to whisper, “Miss, aren’t you running aw—”
Lu Qingtang swiftly covered her mouth and whispered back, “We’ll talk at home, we’ll talk at home.”
Only when Jingchun nodded did Lu Qingtang release her.
Lu Qingtang breathed a quiet sigh of relief and stepped back a few paces. She decided that from now until they reached Gusu City, she would speak as little as possible with Jingchun.
Too many words could lead to mistakes.
Lu Qingtang had just finished her thoughts when a dark shadow fell over her vision, followed by a young male voice tinged with laughter, carrying a hint of nonchalance and a touch of confusion:
“What is Miss Lu trying to escape from?”