"Strange, strange..."
Bai Xinghe tugged at a strand of his goatee, a look of confusion on his face.
"Strange about what?"
"Strange that the young man's destiny is peculiar. He's clearly human, yet his entire being reeks of demon... uh..."
Bai Xinghe stopped mid-sentence, finally realizing who had asked the question. He shuddered in fright.
Upon seeing the handful of beard in his hand, his face instantly contorted in pain.
Lan Feifeng had once praised his beard for its beauty. Now it was ruined.
However, with the Dragon Girl present, he suppressed these thoughts for the moment, daring not to indulge in wild fantasies.
"Bai Xinghe pays his respects to Princess Dragon Girl." Bai Xinghe bowed deeply, a gesture of profound respect.
While dragons were also demons, they were considered nobility among demons, highly revered.
This time, Ao Jiangyue did not correct him as she had Anbo Hou.
Instead, she asked directly, "Have you calculated it?"
Her question was cryptic, but Bai Xinghe understood her meaning.
He shook his head with a hint of bitterness, "The Heavenly Dao is obscured, and the heavenly secrets are chaotic. Eighty percent of my arcanum skills are crippled; how could I possibly calculate anything clearly?"
Ao Jiangyue remained silent, but her pupils suddenly turned golden. Her vertically slit eyes stared at Bai Xinghe with an utter lack of emotion.
Bai Xinghe immediately felt the surrounding air thicken, making it difficult to breathe. Deep within his mind, a constant alarm blared.
The sounds of the wind, the waves, the voices of people—all seemed to recede from him.
It was as if he were confined in a sealed space with a large predatory animal.
The predator's cold eyes fixed on him, ready to pounce and hunt him at any moment, instilling a primal fear he could not resist. This fear was etched into his soul; even in his human form, he could not escape this innate suppression.
His back, already slightly hunched due to his lean physique, curved even further. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
"I only calculated... I only calculated that it's vaguely related to that little koi fish," Bai Xinghe said with great difficulty, suppressing the fear in his heart.
As soon as he finished speaking, the oppressive aura completely dissipated.
"Don't set your sights on her," Ao Jiangyue said coldly.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Bai Xinghe replied hastily.
He could tell that the little koi fish possessed dragon bloodline. Although modern society was technologically advanced, humans still dared not claim dominion over the sea.
Yet, dragons remained the kings of the Four Seas, one of the most powerful demon factions. How could a solitary "little mountain goat" like him dare offend the dragon clan?
Ao Jiangyue said no more. With a look of disappointment, she transformed into a wisp of mist and vanished.
Seeing Ao Jiangyue depart, Bai Xinghe finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He looked up at the sky. His formerly cloudy eyes shone like stars, as if the entire night sky had been reflected in them, beautiful and brilliant.
But after only a few breaths, the light faded, and his eyes returned to their cloudy state.
A confident smile spread across his face. He flicked his sleeve and set off in another direction.
The next morning, Liu Nanfeng woke up feeling refreshed. Seeing Su Jinxiu still asleep beside him, he tiptoed out of the room.
After he finished preparing breakfast, Su Jinxiu emerged from the room, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
"I'm sorry, I slept in. I should have been the one to make breakfast," Su Jinxiu said apologetically.
"Don't say that. Since when is making breakfast your responsibility? Hurry and brush your teeth, wash your face, and then eat. See how my cooking is?"
As Liu Nanfeng spoke, he leaned in to lightly kiss her.
But Su Jinxiu dodged him, saying, "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
"I don't find you dirty," Liu Nanfeng said, then domineeringly pecked her lips.
Su Jinxiu playfully punched him lightly, her face flushed with a charming annoyance, then turned and went to the washroom.
Liu Nanfeng subsequently turned off the heat and plated the fried eggs.
Liu Nanfeng was not a pampered young master who never did manual labor. His parents were busy when he was young, so he cooked for himself. His cooking was just average, at a commoner's level.
"Taste it and see how it is." Seeing Su Jinxiu emerge from the washroom, he quickly beckoned her to sit down.
"It looks good!" Su Jinxiu exclaimed with pleasant surprise after a glance.
Fried eggs, steamed corn, thin crepes, and two cups of milk. It wasn't as elaborate as Su Jinxiu's cooking, but it was still very good. Su Jinxiu was quite satisfied.
Su Jinxiu picked up a crepe, took a bite, and then said with a smile, "It tastes good."
"Then eat more." Liu Nanfeng was also very happy to hear this.
In reality, he knew his own cooking skills better than anyone.
The way Su Jinxiu put it, Liu Nanfeng appeared to believe her, but in truth, both of them understood the unspoken reality. However, this was life. Nothing was perfect; it was all about mutual accommodation.
After breakfast and feeding Moyu, they prepared to go out together.
"You need to be good and stay home today," Su Jinxiu said, petting Moyu's little black head.
"Meow."
Having eaten its fill, Moyu lay lazily on the sofa and let out a soft meow.
"What if it poops and pees all over the house?" Liu Nanfeng asked with some concern.
"Meow." Moyu growled at Liu Nanfeng upon hearing this.
"Huh? It understands what I'm saying?" Liu Nanfeng was greatly surprised.
Moyu had no text appearing above its head. It wasn't a cat demon, just an ordinary cat, yet it was surprisingly sentient and understood human speech.
"I already taught it yesterday. It will use the litter box for its sanitary needs," Su Jinxiu said, reaching out to scratch Moyu's little chin.
Moyu immediately purred contentedly and then rolled over onto its back, as if asking for more.
After settling Moyu, Liu Nanfeng rode his electric bike, carrying Su Jinxiu, out of the residential compound.
Liu Nanfeng's residence, Wangjiang Garden, was a high-end compound with river view apartments, all large flats with abundant greenery and robust security, with guards patrolling frequently.
Over time, though they didn't know each other personally, the residents were familiar, generally aware of who lived in which building.
Thus, every morning, when Liu Nanfeng rode his electric bike, carrying a beauty like Su Jinxiu, it naturally drew discussion and envy from everyone.
"A delivery guy actually married such a beautiful wife. Is this woman blind?"
"I think you're the one who's blind. He's so handsome."
"Handsome? You're blind! Is that what you call handsome? Someone like me, full of manly vigor, that's handsome."
A companion beside him glanced back at his doughy face covered in stubble and silently nodded. He was indeed handsome, like a household celebrity—Zhang Fei.
"What do you think, am I handsome?" the companion asked at the opportune moment.
"Heh... yeah, quite handsome," his colleague replied against his better judgment.
"So, this woman, despite her beauty, truly has no taste."
Alas... hearing this, his colleague felt truly exhausted.
However, unwilling to accept defeat, he added, "Perhaps the other person has a special talent."
"Talent? What kind of skill is that? Looking at my appearance, you can tell I'm a rough guy." He then started walking with a crab-like gait.
Damn it, I've seen shameless people, but never one this shameless.
But truthfully, for a delivery guy to marry a beautiful rich woman, and for the beautiful rich woman not to mind, riding on a delivery guy's electric bike every day—anyone would be envious.
"Who knows what that woman does?" another person chimed in sourly.
The general sentiment was that a woman who looked beautiful and had a good demeanor but was interested in a delivery guy must have something wrong with her. Such is human nature.
"She's the owner of the Nanfeng Coffee shop up ahead," said a slightly older security guard.
The coffee shop wasn't far from the compound, so some people had seen her.
"Rich people do it to experience life; you do it for a living. Mind your own business, or you'll make your own life unlivable."
Liu Nanfeng was unaware of the security guards' discussions, and even if he were, he wouldn't care.
What could he do if he married a beautiful rich wife and they were all envious and jealous?
"Tell your friend to let you know, it's hot, so we should leave a bit earlier on Saturday."
"Okay, I know. By the way, what about that car from last time? Was it damaged? Did you claim insurance? My friend is fat and sturdy; he might be a bit cramped riding your Mini back."
Liu Nanfeng had fainted then and hadn't seen Su Jinxiu push the dilapidated Mercedes into the river.
"I've arranged for it to be handled. Don't worry about these things."
"Alright, then." Liu Nanfeng asked no further questions.
As usual, he first dropped Su Jinxiu off at her shop, then prepared to resume his delivery work.
"Do you want to come over for lunch today?" Su Jinxiu asked as usual.
"No need. I'll be busy at noon. Don't wait for me; I'll just grab something to eat myself."
"Alright. Be careful on the road, and don't rush through red lights or cut into lanes."
"Got it. It's not my first day delivering food."
Liu Nanfeng said this, then turned the handlebars and zipped away.
Watching Liu Nanfeng leave, Su Jinxiu then pushed open the coffee shop door and walked in.
"Good morning, boss."
Song Haitang, who was tending to the flower bed, looked up and greeted her.
"Morning," Su Jinxiu replied.
Her gaze inadvertently fell on Song Haitang's hips, which were perky and round, making her waist appear even more slender. No wonder Liu Nanfeng liked to look.
Good heavens, so she still didn't believe Liu Nanfeng's explanation.
"Boss, your friend came waiting for you early this morning," Xu Xinyi said to Su Jinxiu as she walked to the counter.
"My friend?" Su Jinxiu asked, a bit confused.
Xu Xinyi pointed to the window seat on the right.
Su Jinxiu followed her gaze and saw a woman holding a cup of coffee. Seeing her look, the woman immediately raised her cup in an elegant gesture.
Her caramel-colored hair cascaded lusciously onto her shoulders. Her eyes were clear, her eyebrows slender. Her fair skin exuded a faint pinkness, and her lips were like rose petals. Her face was rounded, exuding a classical charm.
A vintage green dress with a small floral print enhanced her elegance.
She rested her elbow on the table, a smile on her lips, as if seeing a long-lost friend.
However, Su Jinxiu showed no smile. Instead, with a grim expression, she walked over and sat directly opposite the woman.
"What do you want?" Su Jinxiu asked, her face dark.
"Sister, that's not like you to say. As expected, a woman's heart softens after marriage," the woman opposite her said with a sly smile.
Su Jinxiu looked at her coldly, offering no reply.
The woman, unbothered, continued, "Was that man just now your husband? I haven't congratulated you yet, truly I shouldn't have."
Hearing this, Su Jinxiu's expression grew even more unpleasant. If Liu Nanfeng were present, he would be very surprised; he had never seen Su Jinxiu so angry before.
"Stay away from him," Su Jinxiu warned.
"Heh heh..."
The woman responded by biting the tip of her little finger, letting out a burst of delighted laughter.
"Sister, you're actually getting worked up over a man. This truly shouldn't be. And I don't see anything special about him. Is it worth it for you to care about him like this?"
"Whether it's worth it is my business. You're not welcome here. You'd better leave soon, don't force me to act."
"You can make me leave, as long as you give me what I want."
The woman said this, leaning more than half of her body onto the table, forming a perfect curve. Fortunately, there were only a few employees in the shop early in the morning, and they were all women. Otherwise, it would have attracted countless eyes.
But her words seemed to strike a hidden chord in Su Jinxiu's heart. She stared at the woman coldly, an invisible pressure radiating outwards, causing a bone-chilling cold.
The staff at the Nanfeng Coffee counter shivered collectively, as if struck by a cold wind that pierced their bones, prompting them to look up at the central air conditioning. Had the cooling been set too high?
However, this chill came and went quickly, so they didn't pay it any mind.
"Sister, don't be so fiery. Your little sister was just speaking casually; don't take it to heart."
After speaking, the woman retracted her body, indicating that she still had some fear of Su Jinxiu, far less unbridled than she appeared.
"Jiangcheng hasn't been peaceful lately. I don't want to fight with you at this time. You'd better behave yourself."
"Thank you for your concern, sister. Your sister appreciates it." The woman smiled meekly, as if genuinely thanking Su Jinxiu.
Su Jinxiu said nothing more, simply staring at her blankly.
The woman didn't mind. She picked up the coffee on the table, drank the last sip, and placed it down before standing up. As she moved, a faint, pleasant fragrance arose.
"Sister, I'll take my leave then."
"Don't spray so much perfume. No matter how much you spray, it can't mask the stench of death on you."
The woman's face stiffened upon hearing this, then she let out a light, nonchalant laugh. "It can't be helped. Compared to you, sister, so I hope you'll be magnanimous and fulfill your little sister's wish."
"I'll see you out," Su Jinxiu said, standing up.
The woman said nothing more, and walked towards the shop entrance.
Just as she was about to exit, she suddenly turned to Song Haitang and asked, "Little sister, can I have a bouquet of flowers?"
Song Haitang was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied, "Sure, which ones do you want? I'll help you pick them out."
"So beautiful. Just pick whatever you like," the woman said with a smile.
Su Jinxiu stood by without a word. She also knew that when the woman said "so beautiful," she wasn't complimenting the flowers, nor Song Haitang, but the guardian spirit behind her emitting a brilliant radiance.
The guardian spirit, whose eyes had been closed, opened them, emitting a dazzling light and fixing its gaze on the woman, as if sensing her malice.
The guardian spirit's face was expressionless, as if it possessed no self-awareness.
Su Jinxiu shifted her steps, walked forward, picked up a pre-wrapped bouquet, and placed it into the woman's arms.
"Here, it's for you. Let's go."
The woman didn't mind, lowered her head to sniff it, then turned and pulled open the door, walking out. Immediately, a black car drove up and stopped in front of her.
The woman opened the car door, waved back at Su Jinxiu as if bidding farewell to an old friend, then got into the car and drove away.
Watching her leave, Su Jinxiu took out her phone and dialed Su Huamei.
"Han Xiangning has arrived in Jiangcheng. Temporarily hand over your current tasks to someone else and come to Jiangcheng."
Han Xiangning, Chairman of the Han Group, a world-renowned cosmetics manufacturer...