AUOF - 126

Jealous?

Sang Sang spent her days either at the pharmacy or clinging to him—what could possibly make him jealous?

Could it be because of Si Tu?

Thinking back to his behavior during the meal, Sang Sang suddenly understood and couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re surprisingly petty,” she teased. “If we have children in the future, will you get jealous of them too?”

At these words, Ji Hengyu’s arms stiffened around her. His eyes lowered, deep in thought.

Sang Sang inwardly cursed, realizing she had said the wrong thing. Just as she was about to change the subject, he muttered: “Then… let’s not have children for now.”

No children?

Sang Sang was first shocked, then delighted.

Heaven knew how much she had suffered daily trying to conceive—unable to eat, unable to sleep, even contemplating stealing a child to pass off as her own.

Now that Ji Hengyu had voluntarily given up on the idea, how could she refuse? If she had known this method would work, she would have done it earlier.

However, she couldn’t appear overly happy—it was his deep-seated wish, after all.

Suppressing her laughter with a small cough, Sang Sang said: “Hmm, I also think it’s too early to have children.”

Seeing the genuine lightness in her tone, without a trace of disappointment, he knew she meant it—not just placating him.

Ji Hengyu himself didn’t like children, and now he harbored selfish thoughts. If Sang Sang willingly abandoned the idea of having children, that would be the best outcome.

“Will you feel wronged?” Ji Hengyu couldn’t help but ask. If Sang Sang truly wanted children, they should still have them, and he would take on the responsibility of being a father.

Sang Sang hastily shook her head. “Not wronged at all. I think it’s great just the two of us for now.”

Ji Hengyu’s lips curved into a smile, tenderness softening his gaze.

His eyes brimmed with emotion, as if they could drown her in their depths. Though his black irises were naturally cold, they were now filled with desire—for her. Sang Sang couldn’t help but wonder: Was her conjecture correct? Could someone as pure and noble as him truly be an immortal from the sacred mountains?

Her thoughts turning, Sang Sang tugged at Ji Hengyu: “I want to go up the mountain to gather herbs later. Will you come with me, Husband?”

“Gather herbs?” Ji Hengyu glanced at the boxes behind him, already packed full. “Aren’t these enough?”

Sang Sang tightened her grip slightly. “It’s the season for Liuming flowers to bloom right now. They’re scarce on the market, so I want to look for some on the mountain.”

Ji Hengyu didn’t know what Liuming flowers were, but since she wanted to go, he would naturally accompany her.

After packing lightly, they left the shop in the care of the apprentice and Lingxiu, then rode two horses straight toward Qingyang Mountain.

Gathering herbs was a pretense; testing him was the real purpose.

Sang Sang intended to use this opportunity to see if Ji Hengyu was mortal or immortal. If he was mortal, she could continue staying in the human world to spend this life with him. But if he was immortal…

At this thought, Sang Sang’s expression dimmed involuntarily.

Tying the horses at the foot of the mountain, Sang Sang slung a bamboo basket on her back and disappeared into the wilderness along a narrow path.

Qingyang City was one of the few places in the mortal realm abundant in spiritual energy. As such, it attracted many cultivators seeking training. However, the abundance of spiritual energy also brought danger. The forests were teeming with beasts and even spawned mutated spirit creatures. Not long ago, there were reports of a creature eating humans, causing panic among the townsfolk and making herbalists hesitant to venture in.

If they were lucky enough to encounter a spirit creature attack, it would provide an opportunity to test things out.

The wilderness was dense with shrubs and tall grass. Branches intertwined overhead, blocking out the sky.

Sang Sang picked up a long stick to clear the way, while Ji Hengyu followed calmly behind her. His steady footsteps were reassuring.

All around was serene, save for the chirping of insects and birds.

Suddenly—

A rustling sound came from ahead.

Sang Sang abruptly stopped, her eyes narrowing. From amidst the greenery emerged a small crimson snake. Its body was over five feet long, covered in overlapping patterns, and it had two heads—it was the very mutated spirit creature she had been longing to encounter!

Sang Sang’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Pretending to be frightened, she shouted loudly to startle the strange snake, pointing at it with feigned panic: “Husband, a snake—a monstrous snake!”

She secretly hoped the snake would lunge at her and bite her.

If Ji Hengyu truly cared for her, he would surely reveal something.

Ji Hengyu’s expression remained unchanged, and just as he was about to act, the two-headed snake tilted one head to the left, the other to the right, flicked its tongue, and twisted itself into a pretzel-like shape. Then, it rolled onto its belly to show friendliness.

Ji Hengyu: “….”

Sang Sang: “….”

When the snake saw she wasn’t petting it, it hesitated for a moment, climbed a tree, plucked two wild fruits, and dropped them into her basket—all signs of affection.

Sang Sang forced a dry laugh: “It’s… quite friendly.”

Having lived as a human for so long, she had inadvertently forgotten her true identity. Her original form was also a snake, after all.

How awkward.

The two continued walking, one in front of the other.

This time, Sang Sang learned her lesson and avoided provoking animals, instead focusing on the poisonous plants in the forest.

The area was saturated with spiritual energy, nurturing not only animals but also many toxic fungi.

Sure enough, after only a few steps, she spotted a black mushroom growing in a crack between trees. Over the years, Sang Sang had learned to recognize many herbs. Judging by the mushroom’s color and shape, it was undoubtedly poisonous!

Should she eat it herself?

But she was immune to all poisons, so it would be useless.

Then she’d give it to Ji Hengyu…

If he was truly an immortal, this level of toxicity wouldn’t affect him. If he wasn’t, Sang Sang could still revive him.

To be safe, Sang Sang decided to feed him only a small amount, just in case she accidentally killed him.

Stealthily glancing at Ji Hengyu, she stopped and said: “Husband, I’m hungry. Let’s rest for a bit and eat something before continuing.”

Ji Hengyu looked up at the sun, nodded, and set down the bamboo basket to unpack their supplies.

Seizing the opportunity, Sang Sang broke off a small piece of the poisonous mushroom, selected a stuffed flatbread, and crushed it into the filling.

She handed the flatbread to him with a sweet smile: “Husband, eat first.”

Ji Hengyu suspected nothing, took a small bite, and Sang Sang watched expectantly as he continued eating.

However, after just one bite, Ji Hengyu paused. He frowned, staring deeply at the flatbread, which made Sang Sang tense. In the next instant, he handed the flatbread back to her: “This one has stuffing. I’ll eat the plain ones.”

Sang Sang: “…”

Her husband, who rarely spoke, always reserved the best things for her.

Sang Sang was on the verge of tears as she reluctantly exchanged her plain bread for his stuffed one.

Eating the flatbread mixed with poison felt bland. Seeing her remain silent and downcast, Ji Hengyu assumed she was still hungry. So, he broke off most of the remaining flatbread and handed it to her: “Eat more.”

He left only a small bite for himself. Sang Sang held the flatbread in both hands, gazing at her husband’s jade-white fingertips, and suddenly felt a pang in her heart.

He was so good—he was the best person she could find in this world.

But he didn’t know that the wife he cherished so deeply was plotting against him.

“Husband…” Sang Sang looked up at him, calling his name pitifully.

Rarely had Ji Hengyu seen such an expression on Sang Sang’s face. His heart tightened, and he immediately grew serious: “Are you feeling unwell?”

Sang Sang shook her head and scooted closer, pressing tightly against him.

Ji Hengyu enjoyed his wife’s sudden dependence, smiling gently. He washed the fruit the two-headed snake had dropped using water from his flask and carefully wiped it dry. “I’ve already tasted it—it’s not poisonous, and it’s sweet.”

Sang Sang couldn’t help but chuckle: “You’re foolish. What if it was poisonous?”

Ji Hengyu replied calmly: “Then I have you.”

He trusted Sang Sang completely, knowing she would always save him no matter what.

The smile faded from Sang Sang’s lips. They were so close; his profile bathed in sunlight was as clear as the moon after rain. In that moment, a surge of emotion flooded her heart. With a flicker in her eyes, her lips lightly brushed against his ear.

Sang Sang rarely kissed his ears, and the sudden warmth startled Ji Hengyu. He reflexively wanted to dodge but quickly suppressed the urge, remaining still as her lips lingered on his ear.

The gentle touch left a burning sensation, steadily warming his usually cool demeanor, while his earlobes reddened increasingly.

Ji Hengyu was typically cold and taciturn, not prone to shyness. Sang Sang rarely saw him react this way—it amused her, so she leaned in again to kiss his ear.

As she grew bolder, Ji Hengyu’s throat tightened, heat rising in his chest. Just as Sang Sang was still scheming to continue teasing him, Ji Hengyu preemptively covered his ears, sidestepped, and said, “Sang Sang.” His tone was not angry but rather exasperated.

Sang Sang laughed brightly: “Are you blushing?”

Ji Hengyu denied it: “I’m not.”

Clearly, he was blushing.

Puffing her cheeks, Sang Sang let it slide. Looking at the remaining half of the meat-filled flatbread in her hand, now that all the poison was in her stomach, there was no need to finish it. Without hesitation, she handed it over: “I don’t want to eat anymore. You can have it.”

With no other choice, Ji Hengyu accepted the flatbread and began chewing slowly.

However, after just two bites, he sensed something unusual. There was a hint of bitterness in the filling. Upon closer inspection, he vaguely spotted an inconspicuous black impurity within the filling. Combined with the strange taste, it seemed… like a mushroom?

Poisonous.

Ji Hengyu quickly felt the poison spreading in his abdomen.

However, this minor toxin posed no harm to him. He furrowed his brows and worriedly looked at Sang Sang: “Are you feeling any discomfort?”

Sang Sang found his question strange but still shook her head: “No discomfort.”

“Really?”

Sang Sang was puzzled: “Really. Why are you suddenly asking this?”

Ji Hengyu’s expression was complex as he stammered: “Nothing…”

He averted his gaze and began eating faster.

The filling appeared normal, and the mushroom was undercooked. It seemed someone had secretly inserted the poisonous mushroom after the flatbread was made. Sang Sang had only eaten a couple of bites, avoiding the bottom layer, which explained why she was unharmed.

At this realization, Ji Hengyu couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

Thankfully, Sang Sang had given the flatbread to him. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. At the same time, he felt a twinge of guilt—Sang Sang had initially intended to give it to him.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Finishing the flatbread in a few swift bites, he stood up and hurriedly packed their belongings. “Let’s head down the mountain.”

Sang Sang blinked: “Huh?”

Ji Hengyu neatly arranged everything into a bamboo basket, slung it onto his back, and without explanation, scooped her up. “It’s about to rain. We should hurry back.”

Rain?

Sang Sang stared at the clear blue sky above, seeing neither rain nor clouds.

Her confusion deepened, leaving Ji Hengyu at a loss for words.

Recently, the pharmacy had been thriving, and the news of her being Sang Ning’s younger sister had spread far and wide. He had miscalculated, failing to anticipate the jealousy of others. Such ostentation was bound to invite trouble.

If someone really wanted to harm her…

Ji Hengyu tightened his hold on Sang Sang, his eyelids lowering as a surge of ruthlessness rose in his heart.