Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

The bead curtain was lifted, emitting a few soft clinks.

A young maid with twin buns placed a freshly brewed cup of tea in front of Jian Huan, smiling gently, "Miss, here's your tea."

The maid curtsied to Madam Baili and Jian Huan before quickly retreating, leaving the two of them alone.

Jian Huan lowered her gaze, picked up the teacup, and lifted the celadon lid.

The steam from the tea rose, misting her lively eyes.

She took a sip, finding it too hot, and quickly put the cup down, blowing out a breath of cool air. She smiled sweetly, "Auntie, what are you talking about? Those who run a shop can't turn away customers. If it weren't for that, my senior brother and I wouldn't have met Ran Mu'er last night. I should be thanking you!"

"You really have a sweet tongue," Madam Baili said, her eyes filled with fondness as she looked at Jian Huan. "But what exactly happened between you and Mu'er? To be honest, in my eyes, both you and Mu'er are good girls. There must be some misunderstanding, right?"

"Well..." Jian Huan's long, curled lashes lowered, hiding the thoughtfulness in her eyes. "It's nothing serious. A close friend of mine had some issues with Mu'er, and in the end, she left without saying goodbye. Since then, my friend has been heartbroken, barely eating or drinking. On top of that, something went missing from their home..."

Jian Huan rested her chin on her hand, carefully observing Madam Baili's expression before shaking her head with a light sigh. "Yesterday, when we went after Ran Mu'er, we just wanted to clear things up. But she abandoned her horse and ran off. I really didn't expect that."

Madam Baili let out an understanding "Oh" and nodded. "I see. That does need to be clarified."

She showed a hint of reminiscence. "Mu'er never mentioned where she might go... But she's a disciple of the Harmony Union Sect, so she'll have to return to her sect eventually. You two can stay here with me for now. I know a few people from the Harmony Union Sect, and I'll ask them to keep an eye out. If there's any news about Mu'er, I'll let you know. How does that sound?"

Jian Huan agreed immediately.

Both Madam Baili and Jian Huan were skilled conversationalists, and they began discussing events from their time in Yujiang City.

When Jian Huan mentioned that Baili Dao had once disguised himself as a night soil collector, Madam Baili laughed until tears welled up in her eyes. "That's exactly the kind of thing Dao would do! He got into even more mischief when he was a child!"

Madam Baili took out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe her tears, then thought for a moment. "I don't have much to offer you here, but if you don't mind, Huan, you could show me your talisman brush and sword. I might be able to improve them a little for you."

Jian Huan, who had just popped a candied date into her mouth, brightened at the suggestion. Without hesitation, she retrieved her talisman brush and silver sword from her storage pouch and handed them to Madam Baili. "Then I'll trouble you, Auntie!"

Madam Baili first examined the silver sword and praised, "This sword is well-made!"

Then she turned her attention to the talisman brush. Her calloused fingers brushed over it, and she immediately remarked, "There's something off about this brush."

Jian Huan, still chewing on the candied date, paused and leaned over to take a look. Her words were slightly muffled as she explained, "It's normal for it to feel off. This brush is a defective piece..." Shen Jizhi had made it poorly, so it wasn't suitable for sale, and he had given it to her instead.

Before she could finish, Madam Baili carefully used her fire spiritual energy to melt away the outermost layer of the brush.

Soon, the dull, grayish layer peeled away, revealing its true form, hidden for years.

The carving of a pixiu on the brush was lifelike, and the body of the brush was black, but not entirely. When viewed from a certain angle, a faint purple light seemed to flow across its surface.

Madam Baili returned the brush and sword to Jian Huan.

Both items had already been crafted to the best of their materials, and there was little she could do to improve them.

"This brush is no defective piece," Madam Baili chided Jian Huan with a smile. "It's made from premium purple sandalwood spirit wood and the fur of a mystical wolf. If this is considered defective, what could possibly be considered high-quality?"

In a secluded corner of the corridor, a young girl in a pink dress sat under the eaves.

A white oil-paper umbrella leaned against the maroon pillar, leaving winding trails of water droplets.

The autumn rain fell steadily, heavier than it had been in the morning. Drops cascaded from the eaves, one after another, lightly dampening the hem of Jian Huan's skirt.

The girl, who usually wore a smile, now had a tense expression. She held the Xuantian Mirror in her hands, biting her lip as she stubbornly wrote on its surface.

For an hour, Jian Huan had started with Jiang Mian and Gong Feihong, adding numerous senior disciples from the Jade Clarity Sect, all in an effort to find the Xuantian Mirror ID of a senior brother who had served by the sect leader's side for years.

This senior brother seemed to avoid trouble, as his Xuantian Mirror ID was more hidden than anyone else's, known only to a select few.

After a long and winding journey, bothering many people and saying plenty of sweet, playful words, Jian Huan finally managed to contact this senior brother.

The talisman brush had acted like a fuse, igniting memories in Jian Huan's mind—details and moments she had never paid much attention to, carelessly overlooked in the past.

Everything else was clear, except for one thing she still couldn't figure out.

Before the final match of the annual disciple competition years ago, many people had advised her to know her limits, but Shen Jizhi had never discouraged her. He had simply told her to do what she wanted.

The next day, the sect leader had unexpectedly shown up to watch the match.

Why had the sect leader been there?

Back then, Jian Huan had thought it was sheer luck, a stroke of good fortune.

But as she sat there, letting the wind brush against her, she thought back to that night.

It had been a rainy evening, just like today. Shen Jizhi had leaned against the window, the rain-soaked breeze blowing in through the open window, tousling the strands of hair on his forehead.

His face had carried a depth Jian Huan couldn't understand at the time, like the silent, towering mountains outside the window. He had said to her, "Do whatever you want to do."

...

Her thoughts were pulled back to the present by the Xuantian Mirror. Jian Huan pursed her lips and looked down at the screen.

Junior Sister, I do remember this incident you're asking about.

[Hidden: On the day of your match, the sect leader was originally scheduled to visit the Buddhist temple early in the morning. But after Shen Jizhi spoke with him, the sect leader changed his plans.]

As for what they discussed, I don't know.

...

Shen Jizhi's temporary residence was a small building in a corner of the garden.

The white and yellow chrysanthemums in the garden were battered by the wind and rain, leaning haphazardly in all directions. Jian Huan, holding her oil-paper umbrella, wandered in circles around the flower bed.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The hem of her pink skirt dragged along the wet ground, picking up dark patches of mud, leaving it dirty and stained.

The rain poured down, striking the umbrella with loud, bean-sized drops.

After walking in circles for who knows how long, Jian Huan finally pushed open the door to Shen Jizhi's room.

Having soaked in cold water for nearly a full day, Shen Jizhi was still struggling.

He felt as though his entire body had been scorched by fire, every part of him aching with desire.

His black robes, soaked through with cold water, clung to him, heavy with unfulfilled longing.

The door creaked open softly, and a familiar scent—one that had been etched into his very bones, never forgotten—drifted in, mingling with the faint earthy smell of the rainy day. Shen Jizhi's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

Shen Jizhi opened his damp, glass-like eyes, fixing them on Jian Huan as she entered. His voice, usually cool and composed, was now hoarse and strained. "What are you doing here?"

The moment Jian Huan stepped inside, she regretted it.

But since she was already there, she wasn't one to turn back.

Jian Huan quickly glanced at the figure in the bathtub, then steeled herself and closed the door behind her. She bent down to place the oil-paper umbrella by the door.

She walked toward him, her embroidered shoes leaving wet footprints on the dry floor. "I went to see Madam Baili this morning and had a chat with her. While what she said sounded plausible, I still don't fully believe it. How could Ran Mu'er just randomly pick a shop and ask someone to repair her Harmony Bell? If it were me, I'd definitely go to someone I knew..."

"Jian Huan," Shen Jizhi gasped softly, closing his eyes as he firmly dismissed her. "Get out."

"You think I'll leave just because you told me to?" Jian Huan shot back, her quick wit on full display. She stepped closer to the bathtub, peering into it with curiosity. However, Shen Jizhi's black robes obscured everything.

Shen Jizhi: "..."

"I know you've been affected by the Harmony Incense," Jian Huan said, crouching beside the bathtub. Her voice carried a hint of nervousness, and the more anxious she felt, the more she rambled. "But I'm here to talk about something important. Try to bear with it and listen to my analysis. This involves a million spirit stones, Shen Jizhi. Please, think of the bigger picture..."

Shen Jizhi struggled to focus on her words, but his body betrayed him, leaning closer to her. The water in the bathtub rippled with his movements.

His hands gripped the edge of the bathtub tightly, his lips and nose half-pressed against Jian Huan’s ear, restraining himself like someone drinking poison to quench thirst as he nuzzled her cheek, breathing heavily.

The young man before her was completely drenched.

The black hair at his forehead dripped with water, and as he moved, a few droplets slid down to Jian Huan’s ear, trailing along her fair skin and sending a shiver down her spine.

Jian Huan instinctively tried to pull back, but Shen Jizhi yanked her back.

She was pressed against the bathtub, her gaze fixed on his Adam’s apple, which bobbed incessantly.

Shen Jizhi’s chin rested on the top of Jian Huan’s fluffy hair, his muscular forearm firmly holding the back of her head, his damp fingers lightly pinching her earlobe.

He didn’t want to let her go.

But he also didn’t want to do anything to her.

This was enough—just holding her like this for a while.

But his lips betrayed him. He couldn’t hold back, kissing the golden hairpin in her hair, then her long tresses.

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could control himself.

Shen Jizhi’s voice was hoarse, almost pleading, “Jian Huan, get out…”

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‍scent of him filled her nostrils.

Jian Huan trembled in his embrace.

The dangerous, ambiguous silence made her increasingly uneasy.

“...The Bodhi Pagoda was created by the Hundred Artifacts Sect in collaboration with the Buddhist sect back then. I plan to visit the Hundred Artifacts Sect tomorrow. Shen Jizhi, you have to come with me. We don’t have seven days for you to take your time…” Jian Huan mustered her courage, her hand reaching over the edge of the bathtub to grip his wet clothes. “So, Shen Jizhi, maybe… maybe I should just help you out…”

Her trembling voice was almost inaudible.

Shen Jizhi stiffened, his lips and hands freezing mid-action.

Shock momentarily overpowered the effects of the Harmony Union Sect’s aphrodisiac. He released her, tilting his head to meet her eyes, his voice low as he asked, “...Do you know what you’re saying?”

Meeting his dazzling gaze, Jian Huan nearly bit her tongue. Her words took an unexpected turn, “I’ll draw a portrait of you and find someone willing to spend a night with you. How… how does that sound?”

“Not good,” Shen Jizhi murmured softly.

The girl’s rosy lips and white teeth were tinged with regret for her misspoken words, her vivid expression more intoxicating than the Harmony Union Sect’s aphrodisiac.

As if entranced, he slowly leaned closer to Jian Huan.

The overcast sky cast a dim light, and the room was unlit.

A trail of crimson blood seeped from Shen Jizhi’s calf into the bathtub, gradually staining the clear water red.

He wanted to kiss her with a clear mind.

Realizing what was about to happen, Jian Huan’s grip on the young man’s clothes tightened, her long lashes fluttering like petals trembling in the wind and rain outside.

When his face, kissed by droplets of water, was just inches away, she closed her eyes.

In the darkness, his soft gasps and his scent became even more pronounced.

Jian Huan, inexperienced and tense, felt a mix of fear and anticipation.

Shen Jizhi’s lips gently met hers.

Warm and soft.

At first, it was just a light press, a tentative peck.

But the longing had been too intense.

Like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, sparks flew everywhere.

What started as a gentle kiss turned into something more aggressive, his tongue boldly seeking entry through her slightly parted lips.

Jian Huan let out a muffled sound, her body instinctively trying to retreat.

But he pulled her back.

Shen Jizhi leaned halfway out of the bathtub, one hand cradling the back of Jian Huan’s head, the other gripping the edge of the tub.

Below him was the cold water, but in his mouth was the sweet taste of her.

He felt as though he were caught between heaven and hell, the lingering effects of the aphrodisiac gnawing at his sanity, while the wound on his calf fought to bring him back to reality.

Shen Jizhi was in agony, the corners of his eyes red as if smeared with rouge.

Water dripped continuously from his body, soaking Jian Huan, who knelt in front of the bathtub.

Jian Huan had been wandering outside for a long time, chilled by the autumn wind and rain.

But now, the storm of his kiss set her ablaze.