Fragrant, soft, and irresistible—
Jiang Yi was a hot-blooded young man at the most impulsive age.
How could he resist Lü Yi’s temptations?
“Jiang Yi!”
A forceful voice snapped him out of his daze.
He hastily pushed Lü Yi off him, flustered and panicked. When he saw Li Qiao approaching with a peachwood sword in hand, his face drained of color.
Lü Yi, upon spotting the sword, turned pale and fled in an instant.
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
He didn’t even understand what had just happened.
He wanted to stop, but his body wouldn’t listen.
Seeing that Jiang Yi was unharmed, Li Qiao softened her tone. “Go back and rest. Don’t wander around aimlessly.”
“Okay… thank you.”
As Jiang Yi watched, Li Qiao tucked the roughly 80-centimeter-long peachwood sword into her pants pocket.
He rubbed his eyes hard.
Was it collapsible?
And why carry a peachwood sword?
Jiang Yi didn’t get it, but under Li Qiao’s stern gaze, he obediently retreated.
Li Qiao plopped down on the grass with a sigh.
“Ugh, this kid’s willpower is seriously weak. He almost got seduced by that female ghost again.”
A few more encounters like that, and he’d be a goner.
He Jingnian already had his suspicions, but hearing it confirmed sent a chill down his spine.
“Why not just exorcise her?”
“She means no harm. She’s just… lonely. Besides…” Li Qiao’s eyes curved into a smile. “Haven’t you noticed, Mr. He?”
“Noticed what?”
“None of the villagers here are human.”
He Jingnian’s heart skipped a beat.
He’d suspected one, but not an entire village.
Li Qiao gazed at the peach blossom grove before them and recited softly, “By chance, I came upon a peach blossom grove. For hundreds of paces along the bank, there were no other trees.”
The scene matched Tao Yuanming’s description perfectly.
“In ancient times, peachwood was called ‘dragon-subduing wood’ or ‘ghost-fearing wood’—used to ward off evil spirits. And ‘no other trees’? How could a deep mountain forest have only one type of tree? Unless…” Her smile deepened. “This place is a barrier isolating a burial ground, and we’ve just stumbled into the entrance of the Peach Blossom Spring!”
He Jingnian’s expression shifted as he surveyed their surroundings. Everything aligned with Li Qiao’s explanation.
“Qiao… Qiao-mei… Is all that true?”
Su Yan’s trembling voice cut in.
He shuffled over, legs wobbling. Even in broad daylight, his back was drenched in cold sweat.
Li Qiao glanced at him, amused. “What’s there to fear? Weren’t you happily chatting with those village girls earlier?”
“N-no! I take it back!”
Who knew they weren’t human? Su Yan frantically pulled out a handful of handkerchiefs from his pocket—gifts from the “girls”—and tossed them away. These were dead people’s belongings!
“Qiao-mei, just exorcise them! Or destroy them!”
“They haven’t done anything wrong. I have no reason to harm them. We’ll stay one night and leave tomorrow.”
Li Qiao had already made up her mind, so Su Yan dropped the subject.
The village chief was exceptionally hospitable, hosting a grand fish banquet. The entire village gathered, eating, drinking, and laughing merrily.
Watching them, Su Yan—now tipsy—started mingling again. They seemed so… alive.
Meanwhile, several young women tried approaching He Jingnian, only to be scared off by his icy glare. Strangely, they also seemed wary of him, as if sensing something.
“Miss Li, please enjoy.”
“Thank you, Chief.”
Li Qiao sipped the sweet-tasting wine, her eyes lingering on Lü Yi, who shrank behind the village chief.
The chief smiled apologetically. “Miss Li, Lü Yi is my daughter. If she offended you, I hope you’ll forgive her.”
“No offense taken. But remember—every realm has its rules. Selfish desires that disrupt the natural order will bring disaster to all.”
Her tone carried a quiet warning.
The chief and Lü Yi paled. They understood.
After the chief’s assurances, Li Qiao let it go. After all, no real harm had been done.
The banquet was the villagers’ way of expressing gratitude.
Once it ended, Li Qiao retired to her room on the second floor.
A knock came. He Jingnian entered, and the two found themselves alone.
“Mr. He… are you scared?”
“Yes.” His answer was blunt, but the helplessness in his eyes was genuine.
Or maybe… he just wanted to protect her?
On the bamboo bed, Li Qiao blinked up at him. “Mr. He… why don’t you join me?”
The moment the words left her mouth, they sounded oddly intimate.
He Jingnian’s gaze darkened.
Her heart raced as he stood and approached the bed.
Shrugging off his outer robe, he lay beside her.
Silence settled between them, broken only by their breathing.
Regret prickled at Li Qiao.
She shouldn’t have spoken so carelessly.
Why hadn’t he refused?
Turning her back to him, she stiffened under the weight of his gaze.
Then, a soft sigh. “Sleep.”
A small smile tugged at her lips.
That night, she slept soundly.
Next morning
When Li Qiao awoke, He Jingnian was already gone.
Children’s laughter floated up from below. Peering out the window, she saw He Jingnian surrounded by village kids.
“Big Brother feels so nice!”
“I want to keep Big Brother forever!”
Nearby, Su Yan squatted on the ground, sulking.
“Of course. Even ghosts adore him.”
The man was a menace.
And now he’d somehow charmed Qiao-mei too!
Su Yan had seen He Jingnian leaving her room this morning. They’d slept together!
This had to be reported to Brother Jin.
But with no cell signal, he was stuck. Muttering curses, Su Yan rubbed his arms. This trip was a mistake.
“Brother Su, what’re you grumbling about?”
A voice startled him. Jiang Yi stood there, dark circles under his eyes.
“Whoa! You look terrible.”
“Couldn’t sleep… kept waking up.” Rubbing his temples, Jiang Yi admitted the only silver lining: no more dreams of Lü Yi.
After breakfast hosted by the chief, the group prepared to leave.
Just before departure, Lü Yi appeared, pressing a handkerchief into Jiang Yi’s hand.
Tears welled in her eyes. “Take care.”
She seemed to want to say more, but the chief pulled her back.
Tucking the handkerchief away, Jiang Yi followed the others through the mountain tunnel.
Once outside, Li Qiao glanced back.
Su Yan called, “Qiao-mei, you’re really not going to exorcise them? What if they start causing trouble?”
“Huh? What ghosts?” Jiang Yi looked lost.
Su Yan couldn’t hold back. After explaining, Jiang Yi turned pale.
Li Qiao recited, “The entrance was narrow at first, barely passable. After a few dozen steps, it opened into brightness.
“During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, tombs were designed narrow in the front and wide in the back to deter grave robbers.”
Su Yan and Jiang Yi exchanged horrified looks.
Ignoring them, Li Qiao continued, “For centuries, from the Qin-Han to Wei-Jin eras, no one inside could leave. There’s only one explanation.”
She paused deliberately.
Su Yan couldn’t take it. “What? Spit it out!”
Li Qiao smirked, staring at the tunnel.
“The living can enter. The dead can never leave.”
