Volume One, Chapter 109: The Scent of the Love Curse

Chi Xingwan sat in the car, her mind occupied by thoughts of Xiao Duo.

It was not out of any personal concern for the man, but rather curiosity as to why the black miasma surrounding him had suddenly vanished. She sent a message to Xiao Yue, explaining the situation and asking him to look into it. To her surprise, Xiao Yue was awake and replied immediately.

[Why did Xiao Duo go to see you?]

Chi Xingwan replied quickly: [God knows. He must be up to something. I suspect he’s in cahoots with Chi Yueyao or Chi Qianyu.]

Seeing the word "cahoots," Xiao Yue’s mind wandered for a split second, but upon reflection, he realized Chi Xingwan likely didn't mean it in a romantic sense.

[Understood. I will keep a closer eye on him.]

Chi Xingwan chuckled at the message. Why did Xiao Yue’s response sound so much like a subordinate reporting to a superior?

[Are you still sticking to your five-hour limit every night?]

Since recovering the Soul-Stealing Bell, the duration of Xiao Yue’s consciousness had extended to five hours a day. While still not long in the grand scheme of things, it was enough for him to accomplish much. Recently, he had begun appearing at the group headquarters alongside Grandma Xiao, effectively silencing many of the rumors that had circulated about him. It was said that his father, Xiao Peiyuan, had been much better behaved of late.

Could it be a scheme orchestrated by that family of three? Using Xiao Peiyuan to distract everyone while Xiao Duo worked in the shadows?

Xiao Yue was lost in thought when he was startled by a new message from Chi Xingwan.

[Actually, no. For instance, right now—my time for today is almost up. I only have ten minutes left.]

[Then you should hurry and get ready for bed. Goodnight.]

Xiao Yue felt a pang of regret as he read the message. If he had known, he would have saved more time today. Would that have allowed for more conversation with Chi Xingwan?

He sighed, washed up, and lay in bed, closing his eyes. His consciousness quickly shifted to Daidai.

Chi Xingwan had moved back to the Chi residence earlier that day. Upon arriving home, she found it empty. Chi Zhenghua had not moved back and was still living elsewhere. Chi Boyu had been so annoyed by the family drama that he had moved in with a friend, while Chi Qianyu and Chi Yueyao were busy playing the roles of caregivers and found it more convenient to stay at a hotel near the hospital. The servants and the housekeeper had taken advantage of the vacancy to take time off, leaving the house deserted.

Daidai fluttered over, flapping his wings. "Big Sister, there's no one here."

Chi Xingwan hugged him and chuckled, "I never expected them to be so considerate, intentionally creating this opportunity for me."

She looked around. "Let's search the house first."

Casting an invisibility charm on herself and Daidai to bypass the security cameras, Chi Xingwan began to prowl through the house with swagger. Her primary target was Chi Zhenghua’s study.

"As I thought, it's not here," she muttered after searching the room, failing to find the secret recipe left behind by Xue Miao.

Daidai suggested, "It wouldn't be kept at home. It must be at his office."

"Why? You seem to know a lot, Daidai," Chi Xingwan teased, raising an eyebrow.

Daidai paused, then said, "I'm just guessing. I saw him arguing with Yang Jing before; he clearly doesn't trust her."

Chi Xingwan nodded. "You're right. He never trusted Yang Jing, so he wouldn't leave anything important where she could get her hands on it."

Finding no recipe didn't bother her much. She left the study and said, "Let's go check on the others."

Although she said that, she didn't actually bother rummaging through their rooms. She merely glanced inside, ensuring there was nothing unusual before moving on. However, in Chi Yueyao’s room, Chi Xingwan sensed something off.

She smiled, a glint in her eyes. "Interesting. There's the scent of a Love Gu here."

Daidai immediately became vigilant. "A Love Gu?"

Just the name made it sound sinister. He felt a shiver of fear; surely that madwoman Chi Yueyao wasn't planning to use it on him?

"A Love Gu is a pair of parasitic insects—a mother and a child. The practitioner must plant the mother Gu in their own body. After forty-nine days, the mother Gu produces a child Gu. The practitioner then plants the child Gu into the target. Once the child Gu matures, the target will become hopelessly devoted to the practitioner."

Daidai shuddered. "That's terrifying. She's actually using such wicked sorcery."

"It's not her. I saw her today, and she doesn't carry the scent of the Gu."

Chi Xingwan’s gaze landed on a backpack in the room. She opened it and searched through it; it was empty, yet the scent of the Love Gu emanated from it.

"It seems this bag once held the Gu."

Daidai was still uneasy. "Could it be that she hasn't planted it in herself yet?"

Chi Xingwan shook her head. "No. Once a Love Gu is born, it must be planted within an hour, or the mother Gu will die. So, it’s not Chi Yueyao who was implanted, but someone close to her."

Daidai breathed a slight sigh of relief—as long as he wasn't the target, he was fine. But Chi Yueyao was too dangerous; he would be sure to avoid her from now on. And he had to make sure little Jin didn't associate with her anymore.

Chi Xingwan yawned. "No luck here. I'm going to sleep. I have to go to the Evernight Street tomorrow."

As the New Year approached, the Evernight Street was filled with a festive atmosphere. Every stall was running pre-holiday promotions, and many spirit masters were eager to take advantage of the opportunities to stock up. Beyond that, there was a change compared to previous years: many foreign faces had appeared on the streets.

Before the Spirit Master Exchange Conference had even begun, several foreign spirit masters had arrived in China early and, upon receiving entry permits, had entered the Evernight Street.

When Chi Xingwan arrived at the tower, she was surprised to see Dai Luming waiting for her in person.

"Secretary-General Dai, why are you here yourself?"

Dai Luming smiled. "I am also a participant in today's meeting, so I just waited for you while I was at it."

Chi Xingwan’s curiosity grew. She left Daidai at the reception desk on the first floor and followed Dai Luming upstairs.

Dai Luming briefly explained the situation. "The visitor today is the Vice President of the Lan Kingdom Spirit Master Association. Although we don't know their purpose yet, our relationship with their association has always been friendly, so the President attaches great importance to this meeting."

Chi Xingwan frowned slightly. "Their Vice President actually came early?"

"Indeed," Dai Luming said. "Not only did he come early, but it is said that he intends to stay in China for a long time."

"What is the Association's stance?" Chi Xingwan immediately grasped the key point.

For the Vice President of another country's association to leave his own nation and remain in China for an extended period seemed highly suspicious.

"The Association has already agreed."

Chi Xingwan was surprised.

Dai Luming continued, "The Lan Kingdom has shown sufficient sincerity. During his stay in China, this Vice President will voluntarily submit to our surveillance. As for their true purpose, the President has already spoken with him; we should know more after the meeting."

As they spoke, they arrived at the President's office. Dai Luming knocked, and Xu Hengyang’s assistant opened the door immediately.

Chi Xingwan followed Dai Luming inside and saw, sitting across from Xu Hengyang, a man with blonde hair and blue eyes.