As the crowd gradually dispersed and the divine medium, after accepting everyone’s worship, prepared to leave.
Li Cuiya had mentioned that the Li family town had specifically built a mansion for the divine medium, and Qin Jiujiu guessed the medium was returning to that residence. Perhaps due to watching too many historical dramas, Qin Jiujiu felt they would discover something in that mansion.
So, she looked up at Xie Jing and said, "Second Young Master Xie, let's follow her!"
Qin Jiujiu didn't notice her address to Xie Jing; her attention was entirely on the divine medium at that moment.
Xie Jing’s expression, however, turned even colder upon hearing "Second Young Master Xie." Qin Jiujiu, accustomed to Xie Jing's icy demeanor, failed to notice his unusual reaction.
Seeing that Xie Jing had no intention of following, Qin Jiujiu, in her haste, grabbed his hand and ran.
The divine medium was carried back in a sedan chair. Qin Jiujiu had ridden in the Qin family's carriage before and thought it was quite grand. But compared to this charlatan medium, it seemed rather humble!
Qin Jiujiu’s focus was entirely on the divine medium, thus she overlooked the other hand in hers.
Xie Jing, however, could not ignore it. He felt the hand holding his was incredibly soft. So soft it seemed capable of smoothing his rough edges, preventing him from pushing her away immediately.
A newly built mansion appeared before Qin Jiujiu, rivaling the Qin mansion in Shangyang Town.
It seemed this divine medium's status in Li family town was even higher than they had anticipated!
A year ago, Li family town couldn't compare to Shangyang Town at all, let alone now.
Li family town was primarily agricultural, and most residences were bungalows. This mansion stood out conspicuously, but the divine medium clearly reveled in it.
Although Qin Jiujiu hadn't directly interacted with the divine medium, her recent exchange with the villagers clearly showed a sense of triumph.
Perhaps due to sweating palms from walking, Xie Jing found the sensation in his hand increasingly hard to ignore, yet the person holding it showed no sign of letting go.
Qin Jiujiu was startled awake by Xie Jing shaking her hand loose. She only then realized what she had done. However, she couldn't help but think that Xie Jing deserved to be single and that Bai Qianluo wouldn't fancy him!
Having her hand released, Qin Jiujiu desperately wanted to yell at Xie Jing, "You deserve to be alone!"
While it was true she had grabbed his hand first, she was, after all, a delicate woman. Only a demon like Xie Jing would act this way, practically wasting his good looks.
But Qin Jiujiu could only curse Xie Jing in her heart, and even the system was against her.
"Host, if you're that upset, go up and fight the villain. Cursing him in your heart isn't gentlemanly!" The system's nasal voice only amplified Qin Jiujiu's already furious mood.
"You shut up! Who is it that can't even breathe loudly in front of him, acting like a dead person around the villain!" Gentleman? She, Qin Jiujiu, was merely a weak woman, not some gentleman...
While Qin Jiujiu and the system were silently engaging in verbal warfare, the divine medium had already entered the mansion and closed the door.
The door was locked, so the only way in was to climb the wall. Qin Jiujiu glanced at the wall of the medium's house, then at Xie Jing, signaling him to climb over.
Xie Jing, however, showed no inclination to use his own abilities to enter. His expression clearly conveyed, "Do whatever you want, it's none of my business."
Qin Jiujiu surveyed the surroundings. The mansion seemed deliberately built to be impenetrable.
Climbing the wall was out of the question for her, and relying on Xie Jing by her side was a pipe dream.
Qin Jiujiu could discern a hint of amusement in Xie Jing's subtle facial expressions. She suspected the villain wanted to see how she would handle the situation next.
But she had to complete this mission. What should she do?
She thought she heard a dog barking in the yard earlier. Since the divine medium kept a dog, there would be a dog hole, and with a dog hole, there would be a shortcut!
Resignedly, she began searching diligently for the dog hole. After years of reading novels, she never expected to find herself crawling through one.
Though she was a thousand times unwilling, her system had no cheat codes. And beside her stood the biggest boss in the entire story, utterly useless at the moment.
But being as clever as she was, after a thorough search, she found the long-awaited dog hole near a side door.
She glanced behind her. As expected, the villain hadn't followed.
Qin Jiujiu observed her surroundings. The mansion was built in a remote location, and thus, no one lived in this area. It was deserted now, the perfect time to crawl through a dog hole.
Qin Jiujiu acted immediately. She first got down and stuck her head inside to check the situation.
No one was inside! But there was a dog! And it was right next to the dog hole.
Earlier, she had found a petrification talisman given by Xie Yun from her Qiankun bag. Holding the talisman, Qin Jiujiu was annoyed she hadn't asked Xie Yun for more teleportation talismans. With those, she wouldn't have to crawl through this dog hole today.
Qin Jiujiu decided that the next time she saw the male lead, she would ask him for several teleportation talismans.
No, she'd ask for a whole pack!
Qin Jiujiu looked at the talisman in her hand. Today, she would use it on this dog.
Leveraging her small frame, Qin Jiujiu moved agilely and squeezed through. The dog, previously dozing on the ground, was disturbed by her entry. Just as it was about to bark, it found itself unable to make a sound.
Qin Jiujiu had already placed the petrification talisman on it. Watching the agitated but immobilized and silent dog, she even kindly reminded it, "Don't worry, I'm just taking a look around, I'll be out soon!"
Seeing the dog trying to lunge at her but unable to move, unable to even bark and only able to glare fiercely, Qin Jiujiu inexplicably thought of the saying—"I love to see you hate me but be unable to do anything about it."
Qin Jiujiu felt the fierce glare of this wolfdog reminded her of a certain villain. She then recalled the scene of Xie Jing being immobilized. If she had such an opportunity, she would definitely torment him.
She didn't know why, but every time she thought of getting revenge on Xie Jing in her heart, he would appear before her.
She seriously suspected that Xie Jing could sense when she was cursing him, otherwise, why would he always appear so promptly!
His gaze suddenly shifted from the dog beside her to her, and then Qin Jiujiu saw a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Although Xie Jing had no intention of helping Qin Jiujiu, he was very interested in what she was about to do.
While she was searching for a way, Xie Jing had already scaled the wall and entered the courtyard. He watched firsthand as Qin Jiujiu slowly crawled through the dog hole and then applied a talisman to the dog.
He watched from a distance without making a sound.
But he saw clearly, missing not even the subtle expressions on Qin Jiujiu's face.
Someone actually crawled through a dog hole, and so gracefully and skillfully, it could only be the woman in front of him.
Xie Jing looked at Qin Jiujiu. Her originally neat and spotless pink dress was now stained with dirt and a few tufts of dog hair. Her hair was also a bit messy, with strands escaping her styled bun, which also failed to escape the fate of being covered in dog hair.
Looking at her in this state, Xie Jing chuckled.
The dog beside her had been glaring fiercely at Qin Jiujiu, as if it wanted to devour her whole. But the moment Xie Jing appeared, the dog quietly lowered its gaze.
Qin Jiujiu sighed inwardly, realizing she wasn't the only one afraid of the big villain. Even dogs were intimidated by his aura!
She didn't miss the fleeting smile on Xie Jing's face. In fact, the villain looked quite handsome when he smiled.
Indeed, the external conditions created for Xie Jing in this book were exceptionally superior. Xie Jing's appearance was top-tier, and most importantly, he possessed an undeniable youthful charm.
Compared to Xie Yun's gentle demeanor, Qin Jiujiu preferred Xie Jing's type.
She felt that if she didn't know what he would become after blackening, she would be completely captivated by his outward appearance, as his looks and demeanor perfectly matched her aesthetic.
However, she couldn't recall how the villain in the original text had blackened. She only remembered that the villain would directly blacken due to unrequited love for the female lead. But that should have only been a catalyst, as he was already a “white lotus, black heart” type even before falling in love with the female lead.
Qin Jiujiu was determined to find the fundamental reason for the villain's blackening. Only then could she administer the right remedy and prevent his eventual descent.