Shen Yiqiong’s personal life has, despite everyone’s feigned concern, become a running joke in the family.

Every morning, for instance, as Shen Yiqiong sits by the door, enjoying the fresh air and his breakfast, Shen Erbai invariably walks up behind him and asks, “Shen Yiqiong, did you dream about your wife last night?”

Shen Yiqiong would retort angrily, “Why are you asking me? It’s not like you’ve found someone either.”

Shen Erbai would burst out laughing, but he had found someone.

Shen Yiqiong instantly wilted, like an over-sunned eggplant, his head drooping. It was a sight that made one’s heart ache with pity, making you want to pat his head—just like you would a bullied dog at home.

Shen Musi looked at Shen Yiqiong with loving eyes, as if at his foolish son who couldn’t find a wife. He said, “Poor child, don’t worry. We have land in the family. When the time comes, Dad will sell the land and buy you a wife.”

Shen Yiqiong: “…Senior Brother, please don’t mock me.”

---

Shen Yiqiong used to be quite confident about finding love. His luck with women wasn’t bad; he just hadn’t found the right person due to bad fortune. For someone from a prominent family like his, falling in love was quite simple. If he were truly determined, he could even spend money to “package” a beautiful young celebrity.

However, at that time, Shen Yiqiong was still young and held onto hope for free love. But this hope, after the Planchette session, was clearly on the verge of shattering.

“Why 73 years old? Why fall in love at 73?” Shen Yiqiong was terrified, yet he had to pretend not to care. Few Planchettes dared to lie in front of Lin Zhushui, which meant… this prediction was true, didn’t it? Thinking this, Shen Yiqiong fell into deep melancholy.

When a person doesn’t worry about something, they’re fine. But once they start worrying, everything feels like a hint or an omen.

---

While eating lunch, Shen Yiqiong gasped, looking at his chopsticks. He asked why one was longer and one shorter. Did it mean he would be alone forever?

“…It’s just because you bought new chopsticks and their height doesn’t match the old ones,” Shen Musi said. “You’re just eating. Must you be so dramatic?”

Shen Yiqiong finally swapped for chopsticks of the same height before he could finish his meal.

Before Zhou Jiayu’s accident, the atmosphere at home was already like this. After his accident, Shen Yiqiong’s personal issues became even more unresolved. However, looking at Lin Zhushui, left alone, an unspeakable worry arose deep within Shen Yiqiong… a worry that the love he yearned for would bring not only the joy of companionship but also the pain of separation.

During that period, the atmosphere at home was consistently gloomy; even Little Paper stopped talking. Shen Yiqiong, with his usually carefree nature, also became much more subdued after attending Zhou Jiayu’s funeral. Especially at dinner, almost everyone at the table was silent.

Little Paper initially cried for Zhou Jiayu, but eventually realized Zhou Jiayu wouldn’t return and spent his days in Zhou Jiayu’s bedroom, rarely seen elsewhere. The other senior brothers also started taking on numerous odd cases and traveling. Shen Yiqiong then thought, why not go on an adventure himself?

---

Shen Yiqiong packed his bags and left after bidding farewell to Lin Zhushui. Now, looking back, some things seemed predetermined, like his first destination being the Northeast, and encountering a 73-year-old weasel.

After escaping the tomb with Xu Ruwang, Shen Yiqiong realized that Xu Ruwang was truly unreliable. The two of them, dishevelled, took a green-skinned train back to modern society. All the way, his mind was filled with the beautiful face he had seen in the tomb. Shen Yiqiong felt possessed, and it took several days for that face to gradually fade from his mind.

“Shen Yiqiong, what did you see in that tomb?” Xu Ruwang asked, seeing Shen Yiqiong’s distracted state over the past few days. “You look like someone’s soul has been taken.”

Shen Yiqiong said, “I met a captivating demon…”

“How captivating?” Xu Ruwang asked.

“Quite captivating indeed,” Shen Yiqiong said. “My meager words can hardly describe her.”

Xu Ruwang asked, “So, what happened between you and her?”

Shen Yiqiong’s cheeks flushed slightly: “I can’t quite remember, but I just remember he seemed to have held my hand…”

Xu Ruwang looked at Shen Yiqiong with pity: “You poor thing, you’re so excited just from holding hands.”

Shen Yiqiong: “…”

Xu Ruwang: “Just be honest, have you ever held the hand of a female creature in your life?”

Shen Yiqiong gritted his teeth: “I have held hands before, okay? Do you look down on me that much? Xu Ruwang, you…”

Xu Ruwang said, “When did you hold hands? Don’t tell me it was in middle school?”

Shen Yiqiong fell silent, his gaze drifting aimlessly to the side.

“Since you arrived at the Lin family, you haven’t seen any girls, have you?” Xu Ruwang, now channeling Conan, made a very logical analysis. “Not middle school, then it must be elementary school… Not elementary school either? Damn it, Shen Yiqiong, you even went for kindergarten girls?”

Later, Shen Yiqiong confessed that he had held his niece’s hand when picking her up. His niece was only four years old and very cute. Although young, she could still be considered a girl… probably.

Then, Shen Yiqiong was met with Xu Ruwang’s merciless mockery. He got angry from being laughed at: “You just laugh, laugh, laugh. Can’t you help me?”

Xu Ruwang wiped away the tears of laughter from his eyes: “Why are you in such a hurry? Your conditions aren’t bad, just a little dark. I think it should be quite easy for you to find a girlfriend.”

Shen Yiqiong said, “Hmm… actually, it’s like this.” He told Xu Ruwang about the Planchette and the 73-year-old prediction, and then mentioned that the weasel demon in the tomb had also said he was 73 years old when he left. This coincidence made him uneasy; he worried that his destined marriage might really be related to that demon.

Xu Ruwang said, “Isn’t that demon quite pretty? Why are you so worried?”

Shen Yiqiong said with difficulty, “But no matter how pretty… he’s still a man.”

Xu Ruwang: “…”

Shen Yiqiong: “…”

The two stared at each other for a few minutes. Finally, Xu Ruwang made a gesture of surrender. He actually wanted to mock Shen Yiqiong further, but the words died on his lips. He suddenly felt that this child was truly too pathetic. He was already in his twenties and hadn’t even held a girl’s little hand; what kind of terrible luck with romance was that? And now, he was inexplicably entangled with a weasel demon. Ultimately, he was the one who dragged Shen Yiqiong into this, and upon reflection, he should take responsibility.

Xu Ruwang sighed, patted Shen Yiqiong’s shoulder, and said, “Don’t look so down. Just wait for tonight. Tonight, big brother will take you to a good place.”

Shen Yiqiong happily nodded.

Then Xu Ruwang took Shen Yiqiong to a bar that night.

---

The two arrived at the bar, ordered drinks, and began observing their surroundings. Xu Ruwang and Shen Yiqiong both had good looks. Although Xu Ruwang currently sported an unfashionably long hairstyle, after getting dressed up, he had a rugged charm like a wandering artist—at least no one would believe he was a geomancer.

Shen Yiqiong, on the other hand, still retained a youthful awkwardness, but his aura was clean and sunny, and his appearance was not bad. There should be many girls who liked his type.

Shen Yiqiong, filled with ambition, drank several glasses of wine to bolster his courage. Finally, he spotted a young woman sitting in a corner. He said, “Ruwang, I like her. Can I go talk to her?”

Xu Ruwang said, “Go, don’t be afraid. You can do it. You’re the best.”

Shen Yiqiong took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself, stood up from his chair, and walked towards the girl. On his way, he had already rehearsed his pickup line several times. At this moment, his mind was calm, and he felt like everything was under control.

Then, Shen Yiqiong stood beside her and spoke: “Excuse me, are you alone?”

The girl’s face showed a hint of confusion; she didn’t speak.

Her reaction caught Shen Yiqiong off guard, but he composed himself and repeated, “Excuse me, are you alone?”

At this, the girl’s face filled with terror. She said, “Who, who’s speaking?”

Shen Yiqiong: “…”

He said nothing, silently turned, and walked away.

Xu Ruwang saw Shen Yiqiong approach and knew something was wrong. He had chosen a dark shirt for Shen Yiqiong today, intending to show off a sexy style, but the bar was too dark. After Shen Yiqiong walked two steps, Xu Ruwang realized he couldn’t see him anymore…

Upon seeing this, Xu Ruwang suddenly had a bad premonition.

Three minutes later, Shen Yiqiong, holding a glass of wine, returned to Xu Ruwang’s side and buried his head in Xu Ruwang’s shoulder, sobbing loudly. He said he would never come to a bar again, he hated it here, hated the lights and the atmosphere, hated everyone here.

Xu Ruwang patted his head, consoling him with pity, saying, “There, there, don’t cry. They’re bullying you. Let’s go.”

Shen Yiqiong, his emotions in complete breakdown, was led by Xu Ruwang to a nearby street food stall. They ordered a few cases of beer and started drinking.

“She couldn’t see me,” Shen Yiqiong said. “Am I only meant to be with weasels? Otherwise, when the lights are off at night, it’s like I don’t exist.”

Xu Ruwang was speechless. He should have laughed, but seeing Shen Yiqiong so sad, he couldn’t bring himself to.

“Why is the world so cruel to me…” Shen Yiqiong banged his forehead on the table. “I miss Guan’er so much, I miss his cooking. I really miss him.”

When Zhou Jiayu was mentioned, Xu Ruwang became silent. When he learned of Zhou Jiayu’s death, Zhou Jiayu had already been buried for several days. He rushed there but only saw a newly erected grave and Lin Zhushui with white hair. He never expected that someone by his side could just be gone. He seemed to have communicated with Zhou Jiayu just a few days prior, knowing he was feeling unwell, and even sent him some medicinal herbs, telling Zhou Jiayu to take care of himself, but he never expected…

After that, Xu Ruwang wanted to know how Zhou Jiayu had died, but the Lin family remained completely silent about it; even Shen Yiqiong refused to give him an answer. Finally, Lin Jue told him not to ask anymore; the answer to that question was known only to Lin Zhushui, but looking at Lin Zhushui’s appearance, who would dare to ask him?

Xu Ruwang was speechless. He fled back to the Northeast in despair and never wanted to set foot on that land again.

“No one at home talks,” Shen Yiqiong, likely drunk, couldn’t control his emotions. “I felt uncomfortable staying there, so I came out, wanting someone to accompany me, but no one did. I’m going to be lonely until I’m old…”

Xu Ruwang said, “Don’t overthink it. What’s meant to be will come.”

“It won’t come,” Shen Yiqiong choked. “No one can see me, no one…”

They chatted and talked until late into the night. Xu Ruwang, having a better alcohol tolerance, was still able to walk, but Shen Yiqiong had completely collapsed on the table, a puddle of mud.

Having no other choice, Xu Ruwang called his friend to pick him and Shen Yiqiong up. After making the call, his mind also became a bit muddled, and he dozed off on the table.

The next morning, when Xu Ruwang woke up, he found himself alone in a hotel bed. His friend was sitting nearby, playing on his phone. Seeing him awake, he looked up: “Awake? Breakfast is on the table.”

Xu Ruwang, clutching his aching, hungover head, stumbled to the table and drank the porridge his friend had bought him. After finishing it, he felt like he had forgotten something: “Did I forget something?”

His friend said, “What?”

Xu Ruwang thought for a while, couldn’t remember, and said he didn’t remember either.

His friend hummed in response, asking him what was wrong and why he had drunk so much alone.

Upon hearing the words “alone,” Xu Ruwang suddenly realized: “Wait, why alone? Where’s that dark-skinned guy who was drinking with me?”

“…What dark-skinned guy? Your new hookup?” His friend looked bewildered. “There was no one. When I got there, you were the only one passed out on the table.”

Xu Ruwang silently took out his phone and dialed Shen Yiqiong’s number.

---

Meanwhile, Shen Yiqiong was completely disoriented from drinking, his consciousness a chaotic mess. Although he was awake, he could barely think normally.

When he was picked up, he just grunted, tears of grievance still in the corners of his eyes. The person holding him let out a soft sigh, then lowered their head and gently licked away the tears from Shen Yiqiong’s eyes with their tongue.

“You all can’t see me…” Shen Yiqiong mumbled. “I hate you all…”

“I can see you,” a slow, soft voice, like sweet candy, filled with an alluring aura, said. “I can see you wherever you are.”

Shen Yiqiong opened his eyes blankly and saw a dazzling red. The red was incredibly bright, but it suited the person in front of him perfectly. He said, “Who are you?”

“I am the one who will accompany you for life,” the man said. “I want to marry you.”

The light was ample then, and Shen Yiqiong saw the person in front of him clearly. He was still wearing the red wedding attire, his long black hair draped down, a smile on his androgynous face, and his golden eyes gazing at him.

Few people could wear red clothes so beautifully. Red is both extremely common and extremely elegant; some people look terribly vulgar in red, but this vivid color suited him exceptionally well. It was a dangerous beauty, like a flower blooming in a forest—the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is.

However, Shen Yiqiong’s alcohol-numbed brain at this moment did not allow him to think so much. He felt a little cold, and being embraced felt comfortable, so Shen Yiqiong forcefully buried his head into the man’s chest, mumbling that he remembered him, that he could see him at night.

“What’s my name?” the man asked him. “Do you remember it well?”

Shen Yiqiong was quiet for a moment, then slowly squeezed out a name: “Huang Yao…” He felt he should have forgotten, but instinct told him he still remembered this name.

“Good boy.” Another kiss fell.

Shen Yiqiong’s eyes slowly closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Shen Yiqiong slept until late morning. After waking up, he took a long time to recover before slowly getting out of bed, groggily rubbing his forehead and trying to figure out where he was. The room looked like a hotel. His memories from last night were completely unretrievable; he felt like his head had been violently struck, and he couldn’t remember anything.

“It hurts so much… Where’s Xu Ruwang…” Shen Yiqiong was, after all, a bit more conscientious than Xu Ruwang; he hadn’t completely forgotten his drinking buddy from last night after waking up. He fumbled for his phone and found dozens of missed calls, all from Xu Ruwang.

“Hello,” Shen Yiqiong said, sitting on the bed and calling back.

As soon as Xu Ruwang answered the phone, he exploded, nervously asking Shen Yiqiong if anything had happened, if his clothes were still tidy, if his kidneys were still there.

Shen Yiqiong: “…” He was silent for a moment, then checked his body. “My clothes are the same as yesterday, and my kidneys are still there, it’s just…” He looked at a jade bracelet on his right wrist, troubled. “I have a bracelet on my right hand.”

Xu Ruwang: “…Huh?”

Shen Yiqiong, while on the phone, tried to take off the bracelet, but he found that no matter how hard he pulled, the bracelet wouldn’t slide off his hand. The bracelet looked quite loose on his wrist, but when he tried to take it off, it seemed to be stubbornly stuck.

“Holy cow, I can’t get it off.” Shen Yiqiong rubbed his arm until it was red, but the bracelet remained firmly on his wrist. A bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. “Do you remember what happened yesterday? I don’t remember anything…” He had no memory at all, didn’t know how he got back, or how he ended up in the hotel.

“Never mind, just come over first,” Xu Ruwang said, a bit helpless. He didn’t quite remember either. “I’m at Hotel A. Just take a taxi here.”

“Okay,” Shen Yiqiong left the room.

Xu Ruwang’s hotel wasn’t far from Shen Yiqiong’s; a taxi took twenty minutes to reach the destination. He got out of the car, entered the hotel, found Xu Ruwang’s room, and saw two people sitting inside. One was Xu Ruwang, and the other was presumably the friend Xu Ruwang had mentioned, who had come to pick them up.

“What happened?” Xu Ruwang asked. “Who did you leave with?”

“I don’t remember,” Shen Yiqiong said, also confused. “I only remember blacking out from drinking; I don’t remember anything else. Didn’t you call someone to pick us up? I passed out on the table, and after that, I don’t know anything…”

“Then what about this bracelet?” Xu Ruwang said. “Come here, let me see.”

Shen Yiqiong walked over and extended his hand to Xu Ruwang, showing him the jade bracelet on his wrist. The jade’s clarity was beautiful, clearly a high-quality piece. Bracelets didn’t require special craftsmanship; as long as the jade was of good quality, the bracelet could be very valuable. The bracelet on Shen Yiqiong’s hand was too beautiful, without a single crack, perfectly translucent, light in hand, and exuding a gentle coolness. It was clearly a top-grade item.

“So beautiful,” Xu Ruwang exclaimed. “I haven’t seen such a beautiful jade bracelet in a long time… Shen Yiqiong, you really don’t remember who gave you this bracelet?”

Shen Yiqiong was a bit helpless. He tried hard to remember, but his memory was like a fault line, leaving only a chaotic void. The segment about last night seemed to have been forcibly erased by an unseen hand.

“But I still feel a chill down my spine…” Shen Yiqiong tried again, finding he still couldn’t remove the jade bracelet. “Why won’t it come off? Will some soap work?”

Xu Ruwang studied it for a while, then shook his head: “It won’t come off because the bracelet isn’t too small.”

“Then why?” Shen Yiqiong had a bad feeling.

Xu Ruwang said, “This bracelet has a curse on it.”

As he said this, his friend, who had been sitting nearby, suddenly leaned over and said, “A curse? Let me see.”

“Who is this?” Shen Yiqiong then remembered they hadn’t been introduced.

“This is my friend, Chen Xian,” Xu Ruwang said. “The Chen family from Xiling, you must have heard of them, right?”

“Oh, I’ve heard much about you,” Shen Yiqiong said. “My name is Shen Yiqiong.”

“Hardly ‘much about you’,” Chen Xian laughed. “Mr. Lin’s disciples are the ones whose names are truly renowned… But I do have some knowledge of curses. May I examine the bracelet?”

Shen Yiqiong said, “Of course.”

Chen Xian touched the bracelet, then pulled out some tools, studying it for a while, muttering a few strange things.

Shen Yiqiong nervously asked if the situation was serious.

Chen Xian said, “Serious? That’s not the word to describe it… There is indeed a curse on this bracelet, and not an ordinary one.”

“What kind of curse?” Shen Yiqiong held his breath.

“Hmm…” Chen Xian’s expression was a bit awkward. “It’s a curse to prevent… cheating on someone.”

As soon as he said this, the room instantly fell silent.

Xu Ruwang was still holding a cigarette in his hand, and it simply dropped to the floor. He slowly turned to look at Shen Yiqiong, with an expression that said, “You bastard, you’ve been lying to me for so long.”

Shen Yiqiong: “I’m not, I didn’t!” He quickly explained, “But I’m not in a relationship! I don’t even have a partner, so how could I cheat?”

Xu Ruwang: “That’s what I want to ask too.”

Shen Yiqiong: “…”

Chen Xian pondered for a moment: “Although you’re not in a relationship, have you provoked anyone recently? It’s not easy to place this curse on someone. Besides the restriction on cheating, there are basically no other downsides, and it can even provide protection at critical moments.”

Shen Yiqiong pondered for a while with a blank expression, then a name escaped his lips: “Huang Yao?”

Xu Ruwang said, “Huang Yao? Which girl?”

Shen Yiqiong said, “Damn it, it’s a guy, okay? It’s that weasel I saw in the tomb!!”

Xu Ruwang: “Oh…” His expression was a bit awkward, after all, he was the one who dragged Shen Yiqiong into that tomb. “Chen Xian, is there any way to undo this?”

Chen Xian said, “There is, but you’ll have to find the weasel first.”

Shen Yiqiong was so distraught he couldn’t even cry, thinking to himself, Where am I going to find a weasel?

Xu Ruwang, however, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and came up with an idea: “Otherwise, why don’t you try cheating on him to lure him out?”

Shen Yiqiong said, “With whom?”

Xu Ruwang rolled up his sleeves. Everyone thought he was going to volunteer himself, but then that scoundrel extended his hand and pushed Chen Xian forward: “Of course, it’s him!”

Chen Xian: “…” Xu Ruwang, you son of a bitch.