Inside the bridal chamber.
Yin Qijin, dressed in a phoenix crown and xiapei, sat on the wooden red nuptial bed. On the red table in front of her, two dragon-phoenix red candles had already burned down halfway.
As a drop of wax slowly dripped from the red candles, Yin Qijin's heart couldn't help but thump. Then she heard a "squeak".
The door was pushed open, and beneath the red veil, Yin Qijin saw a pair of tall black felt boots embroidered with golden dragon motifs walking step by step towards her. Her heart felt like it was about to leap into her throat.
"Madam! Have you been waiting long?"
The smooth and gentle voice was like a gentle ripple in the ear, startling Yin Qijin and making her body shudder.
She slowly raised her head, but her blocked line of sight only allowed her to see the jade pendant hanging from the man's waist. The jade was as red as blood, chilling to the sight. However, she felt like she had seen it somewhere before.
The man extended a fair and slender hand to lift half of the veil from Yin Qijin's head. After revealing her rosy lips, he cupped her chin, bent over to cover her lips, and completely pressed onto her body.
"You are..."
Yin Qijin managed to squeeze out two words in the gap, her throat suddenly felt blocked, and her attempts to speak turned into soft panting.
Yin Qijin widened her eyes trying to see the man clearly, but his face seemed to be veiled in a thin mist, making it impossible to discern.
She felt a sudden chill beneath her and instinctively tightened her legs.
"Don't be afraid." The magnetic voice felt hypnotic, making her relax her guard.
She felt his large hand slowly moving down from her waist, his hot lips traveled down to her neckline. His kisses, like raindrops, were spread all over her body, creating a sensual sensation wherever they landed.
Yin Qijin unconsciously arched her back as a strange emptiness enveloped her. The man on top slowly parted her legs. Before she got a chance to react, he abruptly pushed in. The sudden pain hit her, awakening her from her dreamlike state!
Upon opening her eyes, she noted the early daylight peeking through the window. A quick glance around assured her she was still within the confines of her dormitory. A sigh of tension released from her chest.
Having the same dream for three days straight, each time feeling more real than the last, it felt as if she was truly living through the experiences within it.
She had dreamed of this same phenomenon when she was eighteen. It went on for seven agonizing days, nearly taking her life on the penultimate day. Medical examinations found nothing amiss. It wasn't until a wandering Taoist claimed she had been possessed by a demonic spirit which was expunged during an exorcism ritual, that she gradually recovered.
At the thought of this, Yun Qijin hastily retrieved the jade pendant the Taoist had given her four years ago. Using the dim illumination of her cellphone, she shockingly found an almost imperceptible crack in the previously intact pendant.
She had always worn this jade pendant, never removing it even when bathing. It had stayed safe and unscathed for the past four years but now it was damaged. Could this mean the demon was back?
Yun Qijin, having rid of her urge to continue sleeping, gingerly got out of bed to freshen up, carefully not to disturb her roommates, and rushed out early.
There's an old City God temple in Jingyun City, reputed for its miraculously powerful Taoist exorcism that could banish all forms of evil spirits.
Yun Qijin bought a ticket and entered. It was still early, with few people about besides a few Taoist monks doing their morning cleaning duties in the courtyard.
Walking into the grand hall, she directed her gaze to the statue of the City God and the infernal judges on either side, paying her respects. Then, she approached and picked up the bamboo sticks used for fortune-telling.
Although she did not believe in ghosts and gods, she maintained a sense of awe for the spiritual realm.
With eyes closed, Yun Qijin gave the bamboo sticks a shake. One stick slipped from the cylinder and christened the ground.
Opening her eyes and picking it up, three red characters froze her heart -
"Least auspicious."
A quick survey of the surroundings made her aware she was alone, apart from someone interpreting divinations. She swiftly returned the bamboo stick to the cylinder.
That one didn't count. Let's try again.
This time, two sticks fell out.
One of them marked in red was the best fortune.
Yin Qijin couldn't help but smile, picking up the best fortune stick and put the other one back. She didn't notice that the stick she returned was the bad fortune one she initially picked.
The fortune reader was very young, with tidy short hair, a pair of peach blossom eyes, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, sporting a face of scholarly disgrace.
Yin Qijin handed her best fortune stick to him for interpretation. Unexpectedly, he only glanced at it once before putting it back.
"I think your fortune lies in this stick!" The man scanned the bucket and pulled out a stick with his slender fingers.
Yin Qijin was startled; the fortune stick he presented was exactly the one she had drawn earlier!
Seeing her silent, the man only read the fortune verse: "Meng Jiangnv searches for her husband. The perilous journey is worrisome indeed, but worry not for afar, both mountain and water are forever serene." He glanced at Yin Qijin, suppressed a smile, and continued: "It talks about Meng Jiangnv's fruitless search for her husband, meaning futile efforts. But from my observation, the true message in drawing this stick is to remind you to remain chaste."
"Chastity?" Yin Qijin didn't understand.
"Here chastity has another meaning, I see your red luan spirit being moved, you must have encountered a romantic hindrance. Have you perhaps juggled two romances?" The man eloquently raised his brow, staring at Yin Qijin's face, with a hint of interest.
Hearing this, Yin Qijin widened her eyes in disbelief: "You're the one juggling two romances, not me!"
She thought he had some skills, but it turned out he was nothing but nonsense!
She only had one boyfriend during her two years in college. Wouldn't she know if she was juggling romances?
The man just chuckled, saying: "My name is Liu Fanxu. I am a well-known fortune teller here. First, add some money to the donation box, and I will help you break the hindrance that holds you back, then naturally, good fortune will come to you."
"Cut the crap, you sanctimonious scammer!" Yin Qijin couldn't help but curse him and turned to leave.
Seeing her call him a scammer, Liu Fanxu grew flustered: "You better believe me, the two romances you have juggled are significant. One of the spirits antagonizes the other, you'll pay for it! The next time you come to find me, the price will not be the same!"
Even though the man continued nagging behind her, Yin Qijin was irate: if she ever came back again, she would swear to take his surname!
By the time she arrived home, it was late morning. Despite the summer heat, she felt a cold shiver through her body. The school pathway filled with locust trees made her feel even colder. As she walked underneath, she felt a bit dizzy. She raised her head and saw something dripping on her face, illuminated by the distant specks of light. She couldn't help but wipe her face, only to see her hand covered in blood!
