With Chu'he around, Ninth—who had been covered in dust—was noticeably cleaner by the time someone pulled him up from the ground.
A long time ago, he had noticed that Chu'he was fastidious about cleanliness, wiping away even the slightest speck of dirt. But at some point, she had extended this habit to him as well.
What a nuisance.
Yet, strangely enough, it wasn’t the least bit unpleasant.
Ninth’s pale face was now spotless, flawless as white jade, and his gem-like eyes shone even brighter, sparkling like stars.
The dim lighting and uneven ground made Chu'he stumble every few steps. Each time, Ninth would grab her by the waist and lift her slightly, preventing her from falling in an undignified heap.
Chu'he asked, "Is this the right way to go?"
Ninth: "Who knows—"
Chu'he shot him a glare.
He shut his mouth, cleared his throat awkwardly, and corrected himself, "The Ghostlotus flowers grow denser ahead. Going this way should be right."
Chu'he thought to herself: Whoever cultivated so many Ghostlotus flowers must have some purpose. The denser the flowers, the closer they must be to that person’s goal.
She could feel them ascending. The cave’s exit ahead was choked with vines—the very same ones that had crept down from above, hollowing out the ground beneath and causing Chu'he and Ninth to fall through.
The Ghostlotus flowers blocking the exit were no obstacle. The little green snake coiled out, its venom instantly corroding the plants into smoke.
Before long, the path was cleared.
Chu'he let go of Ninth’s hand and scooped up the little green snake, exclaiming happily, "Little Green! I’m so glad you’re alright!"
When they had fallen earlier, she had worried the snake might have been hurt or separated from them. But here it was again.
The little green snake raised its head proudly, flicking its tongue, looking quite pleased with itself.
Ninth glanced at his now-empty hand, then at the snake cradled in Chu'he’s palm, his gaze darkening.
The snake shivered, its head drooping as it hastily slithered out of Chu'he’s grip and onto her shoulder, hiding most of its body in her hair—only its dark, slit-pupiled eyes peeking out, staring timidly at its master.
Good. At least it still remembered who its master was.
Ninth withdrew his imperious glare and took Chu'he’s hand again, leading her through the exit.
Chu'he turned to more pressing matters. "That Song Tingxue suddenly attacked us. He’s definitely suspicious."
It was an obvious statement, but Ninth was in a good mood, so he hummed in vague agreement.
Chu'he continued, "But it’s strange. He was the one who sought us out to investigate the disappearance of the Zhao Family’s second young lady. And now he’s trying to kill us."
"His attitude toward Miss Zhao is odd too. On the surface, they seemed close—he acted like he cared deeply for her. But when she was taken hostage by those bandits, his reckless actions didn’t seem like concern for her safety at all."
"His behavior is full of contradictions. What’s really going on?"
Chu'he tapped her chin, deep in thought. Without more information, she couldn’t draw any conclusions. She glanced around at the pitch-black surroundings and sighed. "It must be night again. Who knows how long it’ll take to get out? I’m getting hungry."
Her steps grew heavy, her shoulders slumping.
Suddenly, a wriggling insect was thrust in front of her face.
"Eat."
Chu'he looked up.
In Ninth’s pale hand was a plump, squirming larva—so lively that one squeeze would surely make it burst.
She recoiled. "Actually, I’m not that hungry!"
"Oh." Ninth shrugged, then opened his mouth, dangling the larva near his lips. He paused when he noticed Chu'he’s face scrunching up like a steamed bun.
Chu'he said gravely, "I don’t think I’ll ever want to kiss you again after this."
Ninth closed his mouth and tossed the larva to the little green snake instead.
Splat.
Juice splattered, a droplet landing on Chu'he’s cheek.
She stood frozen for a moment before her expression shifted—first a twitch, then a grimace, and finally, she shrieked in horror.
"Ah! I’m dirty! My face is ruined!"
The little green snake was flung to the ground, its head coated in juice as it blinked up at its hysterical mistress in confusion.
Chu'he flailed wildly—only to lock eyes with a towering, disheveled wild man lurking in the shadows. She screamed again, darting behind Ninth and clutching one of his braids, trembling violently.
"A ghost!"
Ninth winced at the tug on his scalp but didn’t rush to free his hair. Instead, he wiped the juice from Chu'he’s face with one hand, remembering her fastidiousness.
Then, with a flick of his fingers, he summoned the little green snake, which obediently slithered up the vines toward him.
Ninth wiped his fingers clean on the snake’s body. The snake’s round eyes brimmed with betrayal—but before it could protest, Ninth kicked it back into the darkness, its usefulness expired.
"Your body is already dead, sustained only by a Ghostlotus flower clinging to your last breath, driving your limbs to move. Your will and obsession are extraordinary—you’d make excellent material for a puppet."
Ninth smiled, all harmless charm.
Chu'he peeked out from behind him, studying the towering figure more closely. His chest was stained with dried blood, evidence of a severe wound—but sprouting from it was a ghostly violet flower, more vivid and mesmerizing than any of the Ghostlotus blooms around them.
Chu'he gasped. "There’s a flower growing from his heart?"
Ninth’s slender fingers brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his eyes curving into crescents as he corrected her. "That flower feeds on his heart. And in turn, he needs the trace of life it provides to sustain himself."
Man and flower, locked in a grotesque symbiosis.
Still baffled, Chu'he frowned and called out to the figure, "What did you do to Miss Zhao?"
"I… didn’t… harm her," the man rasped, his movements stiff, his speech halting.
Though Chu'he had no martial skills, she sensed no malice from him. Emboldened, she finally released Ninth’s braid and asked, "Who are you?"
The man answered, "Gao Yuan."
Chu'he’s eyes widened. "You’re Guard Gao from the Zhao Family! They said you left to search for the missing second young lady. So why did you return to kidnap Eldest Miss Zhao?"
"I wanted… to save… the second young lady."
