After impulsively asking the question, Liu Jiang Fusheng lightly pursed his lips, his expression suppressed. He wasn't sure what kind of answer he wanted to hear.
He especially remembered Danyan calling her "A'yi." The jealousy that surged at that moment gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, yet her expression remained unchanged. Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd used such a greeting.
Gu Junshi led him into the room, explaining in words he could understand, "He's never been inside." Considering that his mention of his relationship with Danyan didn't align with the actual situation, she added, "I am also not familiar with him."
Aside from knowing each other's names, she had no deeper understanding of him. How could they be familiar?
He didn't even know her true self as well as Jiuwei or Guiying.
This statement was undoubtedly like a gentle spring breeze, smoothing out the unevenness in Liu Jiang Fusheng's heart.
Entering the enclosed room from the open outside, the long-permeated warmth, the scent unique to her, seemed to envelop him from all directions. After they went in—
*Clang!*
Gu Junshi closed the door.
Liu Jiang Fusheng's nerves jumped. For some reason, he felt a bit nervous, and his cheeks flushed with a light shade of peach pink mixed with pure white. He feigned calmness, his clear eyes surveying the room's furnishings, but he was somewhat surprised.
This wooden house, which looked rather humble from the outside, with its four pillars, two beams, and two crossbeams forming the basic framework of a room, connected on the sides, was almost visible from end to end upon entering. Compared to the magnificent pavilions and halls within the Dayan Sect, it was truly unremarkable.
However, upon closer inspection, he discovered a hidden world within. This small space had been arranged by her in a way that was… far from simple.
There was a sandalwood jade screen, a celestial wood clothes rack, a canopy bed draped with gauze curtains, a dressing table, a jewelry box, a washbasin stand, a chaise lounge… In short, all the luxurious furnishings of a noble were present. Even every item in the room exuded the scent of considerable wealth.
Seeing him engrossed in his observation, Gu Junshi, standing nearby, relaxed her brows. Just as she was about to say, "Are you satisfied with what you see?" she heard her "little pampered husband" ask with a suppressed voice.
"Where did these things come from?"
These furnishings were far more elaborately patterned and finely carved than the decorations in Daoist Zhiyang's cave dwelling. Where did she get the money to acquire them?
Could it be… Danyan gave them to her?!
The moment Liu Jiang Fusheng considered this possibility, he experienced the torment of jealous heartache. He tried hard to control his features from contorting into a grimace, comforting himself that it was fine; those who suffered tragic love in novels naturally needed to experience sorrow and hardship to achieve a happy ending.
At this moment, he should appear oblivious, as victims in such tales were usually not very clever…
But—
He smiled somewhat pallidly and finally uttered a sharp, sour remark: "Ostentatious things are ultimately insubstantial."
Gu Junshi was taken aback. She hadn't expected that the room she had specifically prepared for him wouldn't have the effect she desired.
He truly was a wealthy husband; ordinary things apparently didn't catch his eye.
She didn't feel particularly disappointed. Instead, she agreed with him, "You truly deserve the best."
The first step of "pampering" naturally involved pleasing him according to his wishes to be considered complete. Perhaps he disliked these flashy and impractical furnishings, but it didn't matter. She had also prepared many essential items for him, waiting to present them one by one.
"If you don't like these, it's fine. Just bear with them tonight, and I will replace them all tomorrow."
"Replace?" Liu Jiang Fusheng, regretting his lack of "foolishness," was somewhat unable to keep up with her rhythm upon hearing this.
Shouldn't she be complaining about him being ungracious and making a fuss over nothing? Why was she not displeased at all and instead accepted his words without question?
Could it be…
He suddenly realized.
Indeed, as her husband, he should be responsible for the cost of replacing these items. But he had just emerged from seclusion and was short on funds. However, he would rather borrow money than have these things gifted by others replaced: "Replacing them will cost a lot, allow me…"
Gu Junshi interrupted him, "Husband, you don't need to worry about these things. The spirit stones I've saved over these three years are enough to ensure you have no worries about food and clothing…"
No, saying it like this was too stingy. She felt she couldn't be less doting than the "Immortal Master" in the book. He granted his female lead every request, so she generously expanded her statement: "Whatever you request, I can fulfill it for you."
Liu Jiang Fusheng was a bit stunned.
"Where… where did you earn the spirit stones?"
Gu Junshi briefly recounted her experiences over the past three years, omitting the part about earning sect contribution points. Only then did Liu Jiang Fusheng realize that his previous assumptions were completely wrong. These items had nothing to do with Danyan at all, because the truly wealthy person was his formidable wife.
He had misunderstood.
Feeling a touch of shame and embarrassment, yet also an indescribable secret delight that stirred his melancholy, Liu Jiang Fusheng turned to the water缸, fetched a basin of water, heated it with a spell, and brought it to her for a foot soak.
In the mortal world, whenever the weather turned cold, Gu Junshi's feet would remain icy all night. Therefore, no matter how late it was, he would always prepare a basin of hot water to soak her feet.
Knowing that his wife had accumulated a substantial fortune through farming over the past three years to support him, he felt it was his duty to be a supportive spouse at this time.
He lifted his robe, squatted down, and she sat on the edge of the bed, allowing him to remove her shoes and socks.
Her feet were small and exquisite. Having been naturally fair and translucent from being unseen for years, her toes had a pinkish hue. As he washed them with clear water, he felt a moment of weakness.
He forced himself to calm down and asked, "I waited for you all night. Where did you go just now?"
When Gu Junshi took his hand, she had already sensed his chill, realizing he must have waited for quite some time. "Nothing much happened at night, so I wandered around a bit. As for you, would your master allow you to come find me?"
She had known for a long time that Daoist Zhiyang viewed her as a harbinger of disaster. It was unexpected that he would allow him to seek her out immediately after emerging from seclusion.
"It was the Sect Master who decreed that I should spend these days accompanying you well. My master dare not object." The little pampered husband lowered his eyelashes, concentrating on the task at hand.
Jiuwei?
A glint flashed in Gu Junshi's eyes.
Did he have so much free time to meddle in the harmonious affairs of other couples?
Didn't he also always look down upon her, a mortal?
On the table, a lamp burned brightly without oil. After pouring the water, the little pampered husband paused, silently cast a purification spell, and then returned.
Under the warm firelight, he appeared like early spring snow, or perhaps like a vision formed from autumn water for spirit and jade for bone. He leaned closer, his dark hair carrying a faint fragrance cascading down. He used his spiritual power to remove the illusion covering Gu Junshi's face, revealing a glaring brand of the character "Fox" beneath.
It was too unsightly.
"A'yi, before we go to the newcomer rankings this time, I will definitely ask the Sect Master to break this Soul Binding Curse." His voice was a hazy murmur.
On her person, only the marks bestowed by him, Liu Jiang Fusheng, should be imprinted.
Break the curse?
If Jiuwei were to truly break the curse for her, he would discover that this "Soul Binding Curse" had long since become ineffective.
Gu Junshi twirled a strand of his cool, smooth hair between her fingers and said lazily, "It's too early to mention it now."
"Why?" He asked, confused, tilting his head, his eyes rippling.
Gu Junshi didn't want him to fixate on this matter. Since she couldn't explain it clearly, she decided to distract him in another way.
She pulled him closer, their eyes meeting.
It was like a signal of sorts.
One hand traced along his arm. His hand had grown considerably, long, fair, and with distinct knuckles.
In contrast, the difference in their genders, she being female and he male, was immediately apparent.
She thought that perhaps an adult's body might be more sincere and gentle than that of a young lad.
"We'll discuss this later. You don't have to leave tonight, do you?"
"...Mmm."
Her hands measured his body, and she leaned over him.
"It's late, so we should rest."
"Mmm."
A burst of spring light, a blossoming tree… His eyes seemed to fall into a galaxy, his forehead damp.