"A Jian! A Jian!"
Who? Who was calling her?
Shen Jianxi struggled to open her eyes.
The sounds around her were incessant, giving her a headache.
"A Jian! Don't sleep! The tribal chief is coming soon!"
This sentence was like a switch, and Shen Jianxi finally opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a face she had never seen before.
Her hair was pulled up in a high bun, adorned with silver needles, silver hairpins, and various combs made of silver, plastic, and wood.
Looking further down, her not-so-large eyes were filled with worry for her.
The clothes she wore were brightly colored and elaborately decorated.
Yet, everything felt strangely unfamiliar to Shen Jianxi.
Around her were all girls, dressed in clothing she rarely saw, somewhat like the ethnic minority attire she had seen in her original world, yet subtly different.
"You're finally awake! You scared me to death, A Jian." Seeing her open her eyes, the girl quickly reached out to help her up from the ground.
Who are you?
She wanted to say this, but what came out was, "I'm fine, Ah Ning. It's just that the little darlings who took care of me last night stayed up too late, and I'm a bit dizzy."
"By the way, do you think the young chief of the Baiyi tribe will come today?"
Why couldn't she control herself?!
Right! Where were Fu Zi and Lin Xinglan?!
She wanted to lower her head and look around, but her body remained still.
"77!? 77!?"
Even 77 was silent.
"I don't know. Today, the chief is selecting some women to be concubines for the young chief of the Baiyi tribe. He should come, right?" Speaking of the young chief of the Baiyi tribe, Ah Ning's face was filled with curiosity and longing. "A Jian, if we become concubines for that young chief, will we have a better life from now on?"
Shen Jianxi shook her head. "Look at all these women, it's not certain we'll be chosen! But, I heard he's extremely handsome. It would be fulfilling just to see him today."
The girls around probably felt the same way, craning their necks to look outside.
"Go, go, all of you stand properly." The chief yelled at those who were restless, then turned and smiled flatteringly at the back. "Young Chief Bai, look, these women are all yours to choose!"
It was no wonder the chief's attitude was so submissive. Their Qi tribe was too poor! They only knew some low-level Gu arts, and in this place where Gu was revered, they couldn't survive.
Now, with the chief of the Baiyi tribe selecting a wife for his son, they had no choice but to seek protection in this way. Moreover, being a concubine to the young chief of the Baiyi tribe was a blessing from several lifetimes, a way to give them a better life!
The chief was too fat, and only when he stepped aside with a fawning smile did everyone see an old man and a young man walking out from behind him.
The old one was tall and imposing, with a full beard that made him look somewhat fierce.
The young one was very fair-skinned, dressed in a blue robe, with his hair tied back in a bun.
As he turned his head, his clear, cold eyes met Shen Jianxi's. The tear mole beneath his eye was somewhat at odds with his demeanor.
For a moment, she stood frozen.
This…
Isn't this Lian Hua?!
She wanted to shout out, but she couldn't open her mouth no matter how hard she tried. She could only watch as the young man resembling Lian Hua said something to the man with the beard beside him, and then all three, including the chief, turned to look at her.
With a wave of his hand, the chief had two young men from the Qi tribe come and escort her out.
As soon as she approached, she heard his clear voice, "It's her."
"Yes, yes, yes, Young Chief Bai, don't worry. We'll send A Jian to you today." The chief beamed with joy. He had originally worried that no women from his tribe would be chosen, but now, the tribe's grain supply for the latter half of the year was secured!
The gazes of those behind her held complex emotions: gratitude, relief, jealousy…
After choosing her, Bai Hua seemed a bit tired. Seeing the impatience on his face, the man with the beard stepped forward and directly slung Shen Jianxi over his shoulder. "No need. I will take this person back for our young master."
Even if he was just a subordinate, the chief dared not disobey. He bent down and nodded incessantly.
As they were leaving, Shen Jianxi looked back and her heart skipped a beat when she met Ah Ning's fierce gaze.
…
After being cleaned, she was wrapped naked in a quilt and sent to a bedroom.
Shen Jianxi guessed this was probably the young chief's bedroom.
However, it was completely dark now, and the person had not arrived.
The current situation could be described as bizarre.
Her every word and action seemed to be pre-programmed, completely beyond her control. And 77 couldn't be reached, while Fu Zi and Lin Xinglan's whereabouts were unknown.
There was only the young chief of the Baiyi tribe, who looked exactly like Lian Hua…
She just didn't know if there was any connection between the two.
As she was pondering, the door creaked open, and Bai Hua stepped in.
At this moment, Bai Hua was different from his cool demeanor during the day. His collar was open, giving him a more demonic aura. The tear mole beneath his eye became alluring, just like…
Just like Fu Zi!
She remembered!
That's why the tear mole had felt familiar yet out of place when she saw it during the day.
The shape and position of this tear mole were exactly the same as Fu Zi's tear mole.
Shen Jianxi was shocked. This discovery left her momentarily unable to believe it.
Bai Hua walked to the bedside, looking down at her from above, his eyes filled with intense interest.
Just as Shen Jianxi was still speculating about his identity, a large hand suddenly gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"Let me see, so you're the woman that guy picked! You're barely passable in appearance, I suppose."
As he spoke, the look of disdain on his face could not be concealed.
Shen Jianxi felt an urge to lash out at him.
"Hey! Ugly, do you know who that guy is to dare follow him? Aren't you afraid of being sold?"
His hand moved from her chin to her neck, caressing it gently.
Shen Jianxi realized that the first time he made direct physical contact with her, she could actually move!
It was just that the quilt was wrapped too tightly, hindering her movement somewhat.
"You're the ugly one!"
Shen Jianxi could tolerate anything else, but calling her ugly?
Excuse me, let's fight.
Hearing her retort, Bai Hua scoffed. "You've got some temper, don't you? I wouldn't have thought that such an aloof person like him would like your type!"
If the current situation was Lian Hua's past, then Shen Jianxi was now almost certain that Lian Hua and Fu Zi had an unusual relationship, or rather, they might even be the same person.
She recalled the results of Fu Zi's examination that 77 had obtained back then, the missing soul, and Lian Hua's inexplicable killing intent towards her…
What if Fu Zi's missing half of his soul was Lian Hua?