Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

In the same alley as the Gu Shan family lived a simple and honest household.

The husband and son had gone out on a boat and were not expected to return for about five days, leaving only the elderly woman at home.

Since the Gu Shan household only had two rooms—one occupied by Mei Yi and the other filled with wine jars—there was no space for Jian Huan to stay. So, she decided to stay with this family. The elderly woman charged a very modest fee: thirty coins for room and board.

As the sun set in the west, the evening light was so gentle it seemed to spill golden water.

The elderly woman was preparing dinner in the kitchen, the sizzling sound of oil mixing with the aroma of vegetables wafting from the back.

Jian Huan sat by the window, resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought as she tried to piece together Shen Jizhi's family background, her brows slightly furrowed.

Jian Huan had the memories of the original owner of her body. Before Grandfather Jian passed away, he had told the original owner about the arranged marriage between her and Shen Jizhi.

Afterward, the original owner had also inquired about the Shen family.

The Shen family was ordinary, with Shen Jizhi's parents being unremarkable wandering cultivators of modest talent.

When Shen Jizhi was three years old, his parents took him to visit his maternal grandmother. On the way, they encountered a minor evil spirit. After a fierce struggle, they were severely injured and were rescued by Grandfather Jian, who happened to be passing by.

Grandfather Jian brought the family of three back to the Jian household for treatment. During their conversation, it turned out that Grandfather Jian and Shen Jizhi's maternal grandfather were old acquaintances.

Thus, with the blessing of both families, Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi were betrothed as children.

Afterward, Shen's father and mother continued their journey with Shen Jizhi, but not long after, they disappeared without a trace.

Grandfather Jian tried to find out what had happened but to no avail, and the matter was eventually forgotten.

However, Grandfather Jian was a man of his word, and even on his deathbed, he still remembered this betrothal.

From what Mei Yi and Gu Shan had told her, Jian Huan now had a rough idea of what had happened back then.

The place where Shen's parents encountered the minor evil spirit was near the ruins of the ancient battle of Hua Dihai, which had taken place a thousand years ago.

While his parents were fighting the evil spirit, young Shen Jizhi hid nearby. He accidentally fell and cut his arm, and his blood stained a demonic stone.

According to Gu Shan, although Shen Jizhi's spiritual roots were weak, his bone structure was exceptional, as evident from his striking appearance. He was someone favored by the heavens.

Such a fine bone structure made him the perfect vessel for the demonic stone.

The stone, awakened by his blood, silently merged into Shen Jizhi's body and lay dormant.

Not long after leaving the Jian household, the Shen family noticed something unusual about Shen Jizhi.

Fearing that someone might discover the truth and endanger Shen Jizhi's life, his parents went into hiding, seeking out trusted healers.

Finally, when Shen Jizhi was four years old, they found Mei Yi's master, who then introduced them to Gu Shan.

At the cost of enduring a heavenly tribulation, Gu Shan completely erased the remnants of Hua Dihai's consciousness from the demonic stone and sealed its power within Shen Jizhi's body. To prevent the young Shen Jizhi from being tempted by the stone, Gu Shan also erased all his memories of the "demonic stone."

That was the gist of the story.

In the original novel, Shen Jizhi eventually broke the seal and fell into demonic ways, but did it happen in the hidden temple?

In the book, the heroine Jiang Qiaoqiao, the male lead Jing Chi, and the antagonist Shen Jizhi had arrived in Ningzhang City a year earlier. The reason wasn't explicitly stated, but it was likely related to the Jiang Demon Ghost Fish King.

The three of them had always traveled wherever there were rumors of evil spirits.

It was unclear whether Gu Shan had still disguised himself as an old Taoist priest and boarded the ship in the original story, but regardless, he had been in Ningzhang City for the past few years.

If Shen Jizhi attempted to break the seal, Gu Shan would sense it and awaken to stop him.

After all, the hidden temple was built beneath the reed marshes outside Ningzhang City, so there was plenty of time to intervene.

Moreover, judging by Shen Jizhi's personality, he wasn't the type to trust Mei Yi enough to break the seal on the demonic stone.

So, there were still unresolved mysteries in the original story.

As the sky darkened completely, the sounds of cooking in the kitchen ceased.

Jian Huan sniffed the air, catching the aroma of the food, and decided to stop thinking about it.

Dinner was more important.

For thirty coins a day, including room and board, one couldn't expect lavish meals—just some vegetables, tofu, and a bit of minced meat.

But tonight, the elderly woman seemed to have cooked for a long time, and Jian Huan could smell meat!

Jian Huan put away her talisman brush and ran to the kitchen, smiling. "Auntie, let me help you carry the dishes."

"No, no," the elderly woman replied, her laugh lines deepening as she wiped her hands on her apron. "You just sit and wait. The kitchen is full of smoke, and I don't want your clothes to get dirty!"

But Jian Huan's attention was no longer on the elderly woman. Her eyes were fixed on the dishes nearby.

A fish, pan-fried to a golden crisp, drizzled with a thick sauce of scallions, ginger, and garlic;

plump soy-braised river snails;

tender soy sauce beef;

and braised chicken feet, among other dishes...

"It's fine, Auntie, I'll help. But why did you cook so much tonight?" Jian Huan's mouth watered as she reached for the edge of a dish, about to pick it up.

The elderly woman's voice suddenly sharpened, and she looked flustered as she stopped Jian Huan. "Oh no, you can't touch that!"

Jian Huan paused and looked up. "Huh?"

"That's not for our dinner," the elderly woman explained, stepping aside to reveal a plate of greens, a plate of celery with minced meat, and a plate of sweet potato leaves. "This is our dinner."

Jian Huan: "..."

She blinked, then pointed at the lavish dishes. "Then who are these for?"

The elderly woman walked over, gently nudging Jian Huan aside, and opened a cabinet below. She took out two simple wooden food containers and carefully placed the dishes inside.

"This afternoon, while I was strolling at the end of the alley, that young man from Gu Shan's family came to me and paid me to prepare these dishes. He said he wanted to have a good meal tonight."

At this, the elderly woman smiled sheepishly. "That young man is so handsome. In my fifty years of life, I've never seen anyone so good-looking."

Jian Huan: "?"

Wasn't that Shen Jizhi?

She had only arrived at the elderly woman's place last night, and Shen Jizhi hadn't come to see her, so the elderly woman didn't know they were together.

After a pause, the elderly woman added in a hushed tone, "But although he's handsome, he's too frugal. He caught the fish himself and gathered the river snails... I didn't make much profit from this meal!"

Then she sighed, "But then again, with a relative like Gu Shan, he has to be frugal. Poor child..."

Jian Huan: "..."

She looked at the elderly woman, wanting to say that if Gu Shan's house had a kitchen, Shen Jizhi probably wouldn't have let her earn this money at all.

Jian Huan glanced at the delicious meat dishes, then at the simple greens and sweet potato leaves. Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled sweetly. "Auntie, why don't I deliver the food for you?"

The night was clear, with a bright moon and scattered stars.

Behind the wall of Gu Shan's small courtyard stood a hundred-year-old ginkgo tree, adorned with a red lantern.

Beside the tree was a table with two cushions on either side.

A girl in a pink dress sat cross-legged, unceremoniously using a silver needle to pick at the river snails as she asked, "Where's your master?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

In Jian Huan's opinion, Shen Jizhi had prepared this feast as a gesture of gratitude to Gu Shan.

The black-clad, ponytailed young man sat across from her.

A breeze blew by, and the ginkgo leaves behind Jian Huan rustled, threatening to fall into the dishes. With a flick of his finger, Shen Jizhi used a bit of spiritual energy to redirect the leaves, which landed at their feet.

Shen Jizhi held a white porcelain cup, sipping lightly from the fine wine. His long lashes fluttered as he replied calmly, "He went to see Mei Yi off."

Jian Huan glanced at the moon in the sky, her eyebrows raised. "He's still not back?"

"Something might have delayed him," Shen Jizhi replied.

Jian Huan continued picking at the snails, a sly smile on her lips. "Well, if I finish his share, he can't blame me."

Shen Jizhi looked up, his gaze resting on her for a moment before he nodded slightly.

The night was quiet, and the two chatted intermittently, mostly Jian Huan speaking while Shen Jizhi responded with a few words or gestures.

After finishing her meal, Jian Huan set down the silver needle, cast a cleaning spell, and took a sip of wine. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shen Jizhi.

Clearly, he had been distracted all evening, quietly drinking by himself, his expression more distant than usual.

Jian Huan set down her wine cup and gently bit her lower lip before releasing it. She asked, "Shen Jizhi, are you thinking about your parents and your master?"

Shen Jizhi paused slightly in the act of drinking. "I was earlier," he admitted.

He placed the wine cup down, cradling it in his palms, and lowered his gaze. "But now I'm thinking of something else."

Jian Huan's eyes held a mix of understanding and sympathy as she continued to console him. "Don't be sad."

Shen Jizhi: "? I'm not sad."

Jian Huan thought he was just being stubborn, shaking her head in exasperation. "Look at you now, like a pitiful little thing who thinks no one loves you."

She extended her hand, counting off on her fingers as she muttered, "But so many people love you. Your father, your mother, your master..."

Shen Jizhi's fingertips absently traced the cool, smooth surface of the cup. Suddenly, he interrupted her, "What about you?"

Jian Huan's counting hand froze. She looked up, caught off guard. "...Huh?"

Shen Jizhi raised his hand, placing the cup on the table. His amber eyes, clear as glass, locked onto Jian Huan's. Softly, he asked, "Will you count yourself among them?"

A gust of wind from the river blew past, making Jian Huan's eyes sting as if sand had gotten into them. Her blinking quickened.

His words were suggestive.

His gaze was too bold.

Realizing something, Jian Huan didn't hesitate any longer. She sprang to her feet, patting her stomach and changing the subject. "Ah, I'm so full..."

Shen Jizhi stood as well, his boots crunching on the dry leaves scattered beneath the ginkgo tree.

The river breeze rustled the lanterns, causing them to sway gently. Ginkgo leaves fluttered down from the branches, dancing around the two of them.

Jian Huan nervously stepped back, glancing at the sky, then at the ground. "It's getting late, I should go..."

With that, she turned to leave.

Shen Jizhi reached out and grabbed her wrist.

His fingers were cool like porcelain, sending a shiver through Jian Huan.

She struggled to pull her hand free, wanting to slip away, her voice trembling slightly. "Shen Jizhi, I mean it. You're drunk. You're not thinking clearly right now, do you understand? Go back and get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow..."

Shen Jizhi's eyes remained fixed on her.

The girl in his grasp was as slippery as a fish.

Before, she truly hadn't understood.

But now, she was pretending not to.

Suddenly, he raised his left hand, wrapping it around Jian Huan's waist. Without giving her a chance to resist, he pressed her against the rough bark of the ginkgo tree.

Jian Huan's incessant chatter came to an abrupt halt.

She looked up at the person who, at some point, had grown much taller than her. Her breathing quickened as she twisted her waist, trying to escape the heat of his palm. Her hands instinctively gripped the tree trunk behind her.

Jian Huan's long lashes fluttered incessantly. She glanced at his right hand, resting firmly on the tree trunk beside her, then at his left hand on the other side, and finally at the owner of those hands.

Shen Jizhi rarely drank in front of Jian Huan.

Only now did she realize that alcohol made his cheeks flush slightly, a faint red tinge appearing at the corners of his eyes. His lips looked as if they had been lightly brushed with rouge.

A red lantern hung just above Shen Jizhi's head, its warm glow casting a soft light on his face, making the blush from the wine appear even more vivid.

"Jian Huan," he said, bending down until his face was close to hers. His usually cool voice now carried a faint hint of intoxication, slightly slurred. "You once said that if you met someone suitable and attractive, you wouldn't refuse them. So, tell me, do you think I'd make a suitable partner for you?"