Volume One, Chapter Five: Stripping Away the Clothes

After strolling through the streets for quite some time, she finally found an old shop selling authentic yellow paper and cinnabar. Once her purchase was complete, Yun Mojiu hailed a taxi and returned to the hospital.

Xiao Junhe was in the VIP ward on the hospital’s top floor. Two bodyguards stood at the entrance. Yun Mojiu couldn’t be bothered to explain herself; she flicked out two immobilizing talismans, freezing the guards in place. Then, she pushed the door open and entered.

“You’re here,” said Xiao Junhe, who had been standing by the window with his back to the door. He turned to look at her. Upon seeing the unmoving bodyguards at the entrance, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes. But it quickly faded.

“Mm,” Yun Mojiu replied indifferently as she walked towards the bedside. There, another Xiao Junhe lay—the physical body. It rested quietly on the bed, eyes tightly shut.

Yun Mojiu took out the yellow paper and cinnabar and began to draw talismans. Xiao Junhe approached her side, watching silently.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, slanting across Yun Mojiu’s face. Her delicate skin seemed flawless, her curled lashes trembled slightly, and her calm, beautiful eyes lent her features a mysterious, tranquil charm.

Xiao Junhe watched her, momentarily lost in thought.

“It’s you!” Suddenly, a surprised voice echoed from the doorway.

Yun Mojiu turned to see a head of red hair—the very young man she’d met earlier on the antique street. He entered, looking at her as if he’d just encountered a heartless lover.

“You… hey, what’s Xiao Junhe doing here?” He had intended to say something else, but upon seeing Xiao Junhe lying on the bed, his brows arched and he halted.

“You know him?” He pursed his lips and asked Yun Mojiu.

“Sort of,” Yun Mojiu replied casually, her hand continuing to draw.

“What are you drawing?” he asked.

“A talisman.”

“Talisman? Are you an occultist?”

“Mm.”

“So young!” Shen Fan exclaimed in surprise once more.

“I heard Xiao Junhe lost the use of his legs, and now he’s stuck in bed. Is he… about to die?” Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so desperate as to seek help from someone who looked so unreliable and young. Weren’t all the true masters supposed to be grizzled old men with a beard?

Besides, rumor had it the Xiao family had already summoned every doctor and master, domestic and foreign, to cure Xiao Junhe, but nothing had worked. Now they called in someone so young—what else could it be but desperation?

Upon hearing this, Yun Mojiu’s hand paused briefly. She gave a faint smirk. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll settle accounts with you later, saying such things right in front of him?”

“Eh, what’s the big deal? He can’t hear me,” Shen Fan waved dismissively.

“Is that so?” Yun Mojiu cast a sidelong glance at the soul of Xiao Junhe standing beside her, smiling meaningfully. It seemed… he could hear.

Suddenly, a phone rang. Shen Fan answered.

“Hey, big brother, I’m here. Where are you? All right, I’ll be right over.” After hanging up, he was about to walk out, but suddenly stopped. He remembered why he’d come in.

He turned back to Yun Mojiu. “Hey, you still haven’t apologized for betraying me earlier.”

If she hadn’t revealed his whereabouts, he wouldn’t have been chased two streets by that crazy woman. He’d nearly died of exhaustion!

“Apologize for what? Did I do anything to wrong you?” Yun Mojiu shrugged.

“You—you—you… you won’t admit it!” Shen Fan gritted his teeth. “Didn’t I give you a hand signal not to reveal my location?”

“Did you?”

“I did!”

“Oh, I didn’t see.”

“That’s it?” Shen Fan was astonished.

“What else?” Yun Mojiu replied.

Shen Fan: !!!

What do you mean, what else? She’d set him up, he was furious, but she wore an innocent face, as if nothing had happened. It was like punching a pillow—utterly maddening!

“But…” Yun Mojiu suddenly said, “Since fate has brought us together, I’ll give you a friendly warning: your eyelids are dark, your brow is clouded. You’d best avoid cars today, or you’ll meet with bloodshed.” She handed him a talisman and a slip of paper with a phone number.

“If you ever need help, call me.”

This man was shrouded in dark luck, with misfortune dogging his steps. He was bound to encounter a string of unlucky events. Moreover, he shared a blood relation with her—the reason she’d lingered over him on the antique street.

“Huh?” Shen Fan nearly dropped his jaw.

“Hahaha…” He burst out laughing. “Isn’t this just a classic charlatan’s trick? Trying to fool me? You’re not nearly… Ow—!”

Before he could finish, he suddenly fell hard, landing squarely on the floor.

“Who? Who’s plotting against me?” he shouted in anger, scanning the surroundings warily. But there was no one around.

Yun Mojiu cast a glance at Xiao Junhe, who lounged lazily in the corner, then at the disheveled Shen Fan on the floor, her lips curling into a faint smile.

See? Retribution already.

“Was it you messing with me?” Shen Fan clambered up, grimacing.

“Did I move?” Yun Mojiu retorted.

Shen Fan: …

It seemed she hadn’t. How odd—how had he suddenly fallen?

Frowning, he limped out.

“Don’t you want the talisman?” Yun Mojiu asked.

“Why not—it’s compensation, isn’t it?” he snatched it up and strode off without looking back.

Yun Mojiu chuckled softly. He’d be back to seek her out. This talisman was free; next time, she’d charge more.

She bent her head and continued to draw. After a while, the talismans were ready.

She affixed them to the four corners of the bed, to either side of Xiao Junhe’s temples, and to his palms and soles.

“Come here, stand here,” Yun Mojiu said to Xiao Junhe, indicating the head of the bed.

Xiao Junhe obediently floated over. But in the next moment, he saw Yun Mojiu begin to undress his physical body.

“What are you doing?” he exclaimed in alarm.

Yun Mojiu slowly turned to look at him, her eyes calm and clear. “I’m helping you dispel the curse in your body. What did you think I was doing?”

Her words left Xiao Junhe speechless. Usually commanding and forceful in the business world, he now found himself at a loss.

He’d thought…

Yun Mojiu ignored him and went on with her task. As the clothes came off, a strong chest was revealed. Even lying there, the sharply defined eight-pack abs were unmistakable.

Yun Mojiu’s expression remained unchanged as her slender fingers gently traced his chest.

Seeing this, Xiao Junhe’s gaze grew darker and deeper.