Forced to concede to the wisdom of avoiding immediate losses, the cunning trickster Chen Yi could only begrudgingly let the self-proclaimed "bride" into his home.
After shutting the door, he pressed his ear against it for a long while, ensuring that the overly enthusiastic neighbors had finally dispersed. Only then did he turn to Han Wenxue, his expression dark with frustration. Gritting his teeth, he demanded, "What exactly do you want from me? Let me tell you, I didn't assault you! You took off your own clothes! I shouldn't have bothered saving you in the first place!"
Seeing that her performance had achieved its desired effect, Han Wenxue dropped the act and said coldly, "Do you think I'm a fool?"
Chen Yi was momentarily stunned, unsure of her meaning. "No, you're not a fool."
Han Wenxue cast him a disdainful glance, her gaze sharp and mocking. "Since I'm not a fool, do you think I'd undress myself? Do you think I'd believe your ridiculous lies?"
"D*mn it, it was that scumbag Feng Kun! He drugged you!" Chen Yi finally seized the opportunity to reveal the truth, hoping to put an end to the matter.
"Feng Kun drugged me?" Han Wenxue faltered briefly, but her expression quickly reverted to one of scorn. "You stole his phone and now want to pin the blame on him?"
"I stole his phone? When did I steal his phone?" Chen Yi was livid. "I saw him filming you with his phone, so I took it from him—for your sake! How does that make me a thief?"
"Maybe it was you who took the video?" Han Wenxue retorted, adamant that Chen Yi was the culprit.
Deep down, Han Wenxue was also puzzled. She clearly remembered drinking Feng Kun's wine, so why had she woken up next to Chen Yi?
She had considered the possibility that Chen Yi had saved her, especially since she hadn't been violated. But why, then, were Feng Kun's phone and her undergarments together? If Chen Yi were truly guilty, would he leave behind such obvious evidence?
She had charged Feng Kun's phone, but it was password-protected, leaving her unable to access its contents.
Moreover, she couldn't believe that Chen Yi had the ability to rescue her from Feng Kun, who always had two bodyguards by his side. Chen Yi might excel in divination, but could he really take on two professional bodyguards?
What she didn't know was that those two bodyguards, along with Ji Hao, had already been dealt with by Chen Yi in the restroom.
She had called several people who had attended the party, and they all claimed that after she got drunk, Chen Yi had carried her away.
Her lack of understanding of Chen Yi, combined with a series of coincidences, led her to direct all her suspicion toward him.
Although her grandfather trusted Chen Yi implicitly, Han Wenxue did not share his confidence.
Her purpose in coming here was to uncover evidence—any evidence—that would incriminate Chen Yi.
As for moving into Chen Yi's home, that had been her grandfather's idea. Worried that she might be at a disadvantage, he had even given her a 360-volt high-voltage self-defense taser, capable of incapacitating someone in an instant.
Chen Yi was on the verge of banging his head against the wall. He felt as though Han Wenxue's brain had been soaked in water. Despite saving her from Feng Kun, he had somehow become the villain, while Feng Kun was seen as the victim.
D*mn it, reasoning with women was useless. He couldn't fathom how their brains worked; they seemed intelligent in every other matter, yet turned to mush in situations like this.
"If you won't listen to my explanation, then just say what you want. What do you intend to do?"
Defeated, Chen Yi gave up trying to reason with her and resigned himself to his fate.
"Master Chen, you still haven't fulfilled the promise you made to me," Han Wenxue said nonchalantly, leaning against the wall. "I'm not asking for much—just help me avert my great calamity. We can discuss everything else later."
"Aren't you afraid I might sabotage things, making your calamity even worse? Wouldn't that solve everything once and for all?"
"Of course I'm afraid," Han Wenxue replied with a sweet yet chilling smile. "That's why I've already written a will. If anything happens to me, everyone will know it was your doing!"
Her tone was light, as if she were discussing something trivial.
Initially, Han Wenxue had been resistant to her grandfather's plan. But after he laid everything out for her, she had agreed without hesitation.
And so far, every reaction of Chen Yi's had unfolded exactly as her grandfather had predicted.
The old saying held true: the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Even the most cunning monkey cannot escape the Buddha's palm!
Now, it was up to her to see if she could uncover any incriminating clues.
"For the last time, it wasn't me! I'm not interested in you! I have a girlfriend! And with your scrawny figure, you're not even my type!"
Chen Yi's patience was wearing thin. This woman was utterly unreasonable.
"You have a girlfriend? Wonderful!" Han Wenxue sneered. "I'd love to see how your girlfriend reacts when she finds out what you did to me, this so-called 'scrawny girl.'"
Han Wenxue was as stubborn as a turtle swallowing a lead weight, determined to drag Chen Yi down with her.
To his dismay, her tactics were surprisingly effective. Chen Yi had no counter and could only stew in his frustration.
"Fine, have it your way. I'll help you avert your calamity without any tricks. You can rest assured—I'm not that despicable. Now go home. I'll contact you when the time comes."
He suddenly recalled something Han Wenxue's grandfather often said: "Don't argue with fools. They'll drag your intelligence down to their level and defeat you with experience."
Chen Yi now realized that this saying perfectly described Han Wenxue. Her experience in such matters was unparalleled!
"I've decided to stay here," Han Wenxue declared.
Her words left Chen Yi utterly flabbergasted. "Are you out of your mind? Just moments ago, you accused me of assaulting you, and now you want to willingly step into the wolf's den?"
"A wolf's den? What an apt metaphor!"
Chen Yi frowned, his mood souring. Something about this situation felt off. Heaven only knew what this water-logged woman was planning. "There's only one bed here, and no room for you," he said firmly.
Han Wenxue surveyed Chen Yi's home. Though small, it was tidy and well-organized, exceeding her expectations. She wasn't afraid of sharing a space with Chen Yi, but she did dread filth. With her mild mysophobia, she had prepared herself to clean his place thoroughly before settling in.
But to her surprise, Chen Yi's home was spotless. The furniture was neatly arranged, and the air carried a faint, refreshing scent—no need for air fresheners. She even found herself liking the place.
Of course, with one exception: the biggest "piece of trash" in the room—Chen Yi himself.
Unaware of her disdain, Chen Yi was too busy lamenting the unreliability of Han Wenxue's grandfather, who had dumped his granddaughter on him like an unwanted burden.
The two sat in silence, ignoring each other as if the other didn't exist.
Han Wenxue picked up a copy of The Book of Changes from Chen Yi's simple bookshelf and began reading with great interest. Chen Yi glanced at her and thought she must be insane. What could an outsider understand about The Book of Changes? It was practically gibberish to the uninitiated, and this particular edition was written entirely in classical Chinese, without any modern annotations. How could a foreign-raised woman like her possibly comprehend it?
Chen Yi didn't bother to verify whether she was truly insane; he had his own matters to attend to.
Seated at his desk, he took out the tree root he intended to craft into the "Azure Dragon" talisman. He meticulously studied it, filling sheets of paper with intricate diagrams and symbols. Two hours later, he was finally ready to begin the crafting process.
"I'm hungry," Han Wenxue suddenly announced.
"Go buy something yourself. There's a market to the left as you exit," Chen Yi replied without lifting his head.
"A market?"
Han Wenxue frowned. She had visited a Chinese market once but had fled after barely stepping inside. The muddy floors and pervasive stench of decay were unbearable.
"I'm not going," she declared.
"Then starve," Chen Yi retorted, unwilling to indulge her whims. She wasn't anyone special to him. If his attitude drove her away, all the better—he'd finally have some peace.
Han Wenxue huffed, her chest rising and falling in anger. Unfortunately, Chen Yi had his back to her and missed the dramatic display.
"Fine! I won't eat!" she snapped.
Her outburst reminded Chen Yi of his own hunger.
The "Azure Dragon" project was only in its preliminary stages, requiring another two or three hours of work. Crafting the talisman demanded his full concentration and optimal condition.
"What do you want to eat?" Chen Yi asked, stretching lazily as he set aside his work.
"Steak and a fruit salad," Han Wenxue replied.
Chen Yi chuckled. This woman truly thought she was a pampered princess.
"You're in the wrong place," he said. "I live simply. If you want that, go get it yourself. I'm not your servant."
"Then what do you have?"
"Cabbage and pork stew. Take it or leave it."