After handing over the tonics she brought to the butler, Cheng Wenyu led her to their mother's courtyard.
Even before entering the house, standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Shen Jianxi smelled a strong medicinal scent.
The moment she saw their mother, Shen Jianxi had 77 check her body. "77, how is it?"
After a thorough examination, 77 replied, "I'm sorry, Xi Xi, the demonic energy has been in her body for too long, there's no saving her."
Shen Jianxi's mood became incredibly heavy. Before seeing their mother, she could still hold onto hope, perhaps there was a pill in the system store that could cure her.
Now, it seemed there was nothing she could do.
On the contrary, their mother was overjoyed to see her, and her complexion even improved significantly.
"Xi Xi is here, come, let Aunt Ning take a good look at you." As she spoke, she came over to take her hand.
Seeing this, Shen Jianxi quickly stepped forward to support her, subtly giving her mother strength from beneath.
Their mother seemed to sense something, her body paused for a moment, then as if nothing was wrong, she led her to sit on a chair.
"You've lost weight," it seemed all elders were the same, this was the first thing their mother said after sitting down. "Did Wenyu not take good care of you? If you've been wronged, remember to tell Aunt Ning, Aunt Ning will help you teach him a lesson."
As she spoke, she glanced at Cheng Wenyu.
He helplessly touched his nose, feeling as if he had been adopted.
Shen Jianxi forced a smile and held their mother's cold hand in her own. "Don't worry, Aunt Ning, Brother Wenyu treats me very well, and I... really like Brother Wenyu."
She appropriately showed a shy demeanor, "secretly" glanced at Cheng Wenyu, but that one glance was seen by both people present.
Seeing the two youngsters clearly fond of each other, their mother's heart was filled with relief, and her face was beaming with uncontrollable smiles, which made Shen Jianxi's heart ache.
Perhaps it was because she saw her today, but their mother seemed more energetic than usual. She kept Shen Jianxi talking for a long time. At first, Cheng Wenyu could stay, but later he was driven away by the two women, under the pretense that men were not suited for women's topics.
As she was leaving, their mother held her hand, her eyes full of maternal love. "Xi Xi, you've been intelligent since you were young, so Aunt Ning won't say too much. Aunt Ning only hopes that you two children can be happy together."
Shen Jianxi could completely understand a mother's heart. Moreover, their mother's condition wouldn't last much longer, at most until after they got married. She sighed inwardly, but her face was beaming with smiles. "Aunt Ning, we will always be happy together."
Even if they couldn't truly be husband and wife, she didn't say this part.
When she left, Cheng Wenyu walked her back. They didn't drive but chose to walk slowly.
When the two of them were together, they didn't always talk a lot. Shen Jianxi actually preferred the feeling of quiet walks together compared to that.
Moreover, Cheng Wenyu seemed to possess a certain charm that made it not unbearable even when they were silent.
The street vendors they passed would greet him warmly, and some would even give him things. When he refused, they would insist on stuffing them into Shen Jianxi's arms.
Before long, Shen Jianxi was holding a pile of food and drinks, including sugar cakes, candied haws, and fruits.
Shen Jianxi: ???
It was quite sudden.
She felt as if she was stocking up for a wholesale business.
Seeing her bewildered expression, unsure of what to do with the items in her arms, Cheng Wenyu couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her head.
"Take them, this is everyone's blessing for us."
She knew Cheng Wenyu was highly regarded in Sifang City, but she hadn't expected him to be this popular. Perhaps it was because they always traveled by carriage before, so she had never experienced this.
Just as she was contemplating whether to eat them or not, she suddenly felt her hem being pulled. She looked down to see a little girl holding a flower.
Seeing her look at her, the little girl seemed a bit shy, her eyes darting away. "Sister, sister, this flower is for you. You and brother are so well-matched!"
Shen Jianxi blushed at the innocent words, and the surrounding vendors let out warm laughter, making her face even redder.
She took the flower and was about to speak, "Little sister, I..."
"Thank you, Yan Yan," Cheng Wenyu interjected, squatting down to be at eye level with the little girl. "Is Grandma feeling any better lately?"
When her grandmother was mentioned, the little girl's shyness vanished, and she began to chatter animatedly.
The child didn't have many words, repeating the same few phrases, but Cheng Wenyu showed no sign of impatience, listening attentively to every word with a warm smile on his face.
"Sister!" a male voice broke the atmosphere.
Before either of them could react, Fu Zi pounced and hugged Shen Jianxi tightly.
"Sister, you haven't been back in so long, Zi Zi misses you so much!" His head rubbed against Shen Jianxi's neck.
"Jianxi sister, who is this?" Cheng Wenyu looked at the exquisitely featured man with surprise.
Shen Jianxi was almost suffocating from the hug. She finally managed to break free and remembered that Cheng Wenyu was still by her side.
"Uh... this is my younger brother."
Younger brother? Cheng Wenyu frowned. Their families were old friends, and he knew the Shen family well. He had only heard of her having two older brothers, never a younger one.
Furthermore, this younger brother bore no resemblance to her. Instead, his purple hair made him feel a sense of familiarity.
Seeing Cheng Wenyu lost in thought, Shen Jianxi inwardly cursed. Fu Zi's purple hair was too conspicuous. Although there were many people with purple hair on Chong Jian Continent, it was well-known that the Demon Lord had purple hair. It was possible Cheng Wenyu had encountered him at some point.
"Ah, yes, a distant cousin who recently came to live with us. Shen Zi Zi, say hello to Brother Wenyu." She tugged at Fu Zi, who was playing with her hair, signaling him to greet him quickly.
However, Shen Zi Zi, who usually obeyed her, stubbornly refused to open his mouth this time. Under her urging, he even flung her hair away angrily and left.
Watching Shen Zi Zi walk away with heavy steps, Shen Jianxi smiled sheepishly at Cheng Wenyu. "You've seen the worst, Brother Wenyu. He has some issues with his mind."
Cheng Wenyu recalled Fu Zi's discordant words earlier. Hearing Shen Jianxi's explanation, he suppressed his doubts.
It couldn't be that person. The demon tribe was making considerable moves, so that person wouldn't be absent from the command center. Moreover, most of the people capable of harming him on Chong Jian Continent were in seclusion, and the remaining ones had retired.
With lingering thoughts, he sent her home. Cheng Wenyu's departing back was not as carefree as when he arrived.
...
Upon returning home, Shen Jianxi sat in the courtyard, watching Fu Zi chase butterflies. After a moment of thought, she decided she had to heal his injuries as soon as possible.
She had reviewed 77's examination results. Fu Zi had a portion of demonic energy that did not belong to him within his body. The two conflicting demonic energies were locked in a constant battle, day and night. Anyone else would have been unable to bear it, yet he showed no outward signs.
Healing him was actually quite simple, requiring someone to draw out this demonic energy. However, Shen Jianxi's cultivation was not yet sufficient; she needed to reach at least the mid-stage of Golden Core to even attempt it.
Furthermore, she had discovered something that could shock the entire Chong Jian Continent: the soul of the Demon Lord Fu Zi was incomplete!
❤️
Second Brother Shen Jiayi returned the day before the wedding.
At that time, Shen Jianxi was testing the newly repaired surveillance system. However, it was much weaker this time, only able to monitor two people at once.
"77, was this thing really repaired?"
77 looked at the surveillance system, which occasionally emitted phrases like "Listen, I thank you, because of you..." It was uncharacteristically speechless, unsure if the device was working or not.
Shen Jiayi arrived at this moment, howling as he entered the room and hugged Shen Jianxi. He cried, "My poor sister! Getting married at such a young age! How can your second brother live on!"
Shen Jianxi: ???
Brother, if you had even a single tear, she might have believed you.
Can you put some effort into it, darn it!
Shen Ziqian followed him in and disdainfully picked up Shen Jiayi. Seeing him still wriggling incessantly, he said expressionlessly, "Little Guai is marrying Cheng Wenyu."
Shen Jiayi froze instantly. After a few seconds of silence, he exclaimed excitedly, "Where is my brother-in-law?!"
Shen Jianxi was confused. Fortunately, Shen Ziqian explained.
He sat down, poured himself a cup of water, and said, "He has always admired Cheng Wenyu."
Actually, it wasn't Shen Jiayi's fault for having a bad memory. He and Shen Jianxi were only a few years apart. They were young when they got engaged, and later he only knew she was betrothed to the young master of the Cheng family, one of the four great families. As for the specific name of this young master, he had been traveling outside for many years and had long forgotten.
At this moment, Shen Jiayi was no longer the same person as before. He was completely excited and energetic.
Fortunately, Shen Ziqian could control him. Seeing Shen Jiayi sitting dejectedly at the table after being reprimanded, Shen Jianxi chuckled lightly, poured him a cup of tea, and handed it to him.
After taking the teacup, Shen Jiayi arrogantly glanced at Shen Ziqian. "Aiya~"
The moment he dragged out the last syllable, Shen Jianxi felt like hitting him.
But he shamelessly continued to provoke her, "Sister personally poured this for me~ Someone named Shen wouldn't get it~"
Fist hardened!
She couldn't stand it anymore. That tone was simply too infuriating.
Shen Ziqian ignored his provocations and lightly placed his hand on his sword. Shen Jiayi stiffened, and regardless of the hot tea, he drank it down in one gulp. Then he stood up and said, "Sister, your second brother won't bother you anymore! I'll go see Mother."
With that, he turned and left without looking back at Shen Ziqian. The back view looked like he was fleeing in panic.
The remaining two exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh. However, she didn't expect the person who had just left to return.
Shen Jiayi turned her shoulders, bent down to meet her eyes, and said, "Never let yourself be wronged. Remember that you still have your parents and your older brothers. If he dares to bully you, second brother will risk his life to get justice for you."
This warm atmosphere made Shen Jianxi feel a little flustered. She instinctively wanted to make a joke to change the subject, but when she met his serious, resolute eyes, those teasing words got stuck in her throat.
She softly "mm"ed, her voice carrying a hint of a sob that she herself hadn't noticed.
Shen Ziqian also wanted to say something. As he placed his teacup on the table, the clinking sound made Shen Jiayi stiffen. He gave a dry laugh. "Uh, second brother is leaving now!"
With that, he disappeared completely, even faster than before.
His behavior made Shen Ziqian shake his head helplessly. Perhaps it was because Shen Jiayi had always been slightly inferior to him in cultivation since childhood, and he was always the one being taught a lesson during their spars, which led to him being somewhat afraid of Shen Ziqian now.
As it was getting late, Shen Ziqian couldn't stay long. Before leaving, he gently patted her head, his expression filled with reluctance. "We will always be your support."
He appeared very composed, but as he walked past her, Shen Jianxi noticed a tear fall from the corner of his eye.
Everyone had left. She quietly sat back down, a sour feeling spreading from her heart to her limbs.
It's nothing, Shen Jianxi told herself, but tears began to fall uncontrollably, one after another.
❤️
The next day, before dawn, Shen Jianxi was picked up from her bed and dressed. She was so sleepy that her eyes couldn't stay open, and her head kept nodding.
"Miss!" Lu Yuan's displeased voice startled her awake.
"W-what is it?"
Seeing her eyes open, Lu Yuan signaled for everyone to continue dressing her.
Today was truly an auspicious day, clear and bright. The citizens of Sifang City gathered on both sides of the street.
The procession of carriages stretched from the beginning of the street to the end, and still, there was no end in sight. Red silk ribbons were tied to trees all over the city, and wedding candies and fruits were scattered along the streets. Everyone wanted to grab a piece of the joy.
However, Shen Jianxi's mood was extremely tense. She still remembered that Cheng Wenyu had invited Qiu and Lin to attend the wedding.
Worse still, the surveillance system was not cooperating. It was probably the first time being used after repairs, and it was taking an exceptionally long time to activate.
There was nothing she could do but go through the wedding process while periodically checking in her mind, her eyes constantly scanning her surroundings. Her heart was beating unusually fast.
It wasn't until she got into the sedan chair that the images finally began to appear.
Seeing the two of them held up by matters, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she was afraid of things going wrong, but on this particular day, she really didn't want to upset her mother.
At the auspicious hour, the bride was sent out of the mansion. Shen Jianxi was seen off by everyone from the Shen Residence. Her father's eyes were red with an unbearable reluctance.
This was Shen Jianxi's first time experiencing such an event. She was led through the entire process like a puppet, kneeling when she should, bowing when she should. Even when the bridal veil was lifted in the bridal chamber, she still felt a sense of unreality.
The warm candlelight made her look even more radiant and alluring. Her star-like eyes narrowed slightly, especially when she娇娇 (jiāo jiāo - sweetly/endearingly) called out to him, "Brother Wenyu~"
77: "Beep! Favorability +16, current favorability with Cheng Wenyu is 66."
He, who had always been steady and self-possessed, lost his composure for once.
"Can I?" Just as he was about to touch her lips, Cheng Wenyu suddenly asked. The look in his eyes told Shen Jianxi that he would stop if she said no.
Shen Jianxi knew that once their mother passed away, all the truth about this marriage would be revealed to him. Life was short, and she wanted to seize the moment with him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, rose slightly, and pressed her lips against his.