Chapter 79: Painter
Xiao Cui’s small fists went limp against his chest as Kian glided from roof to roof, her round eyes wide and bloodshot from crying.
Whatever the case was, she was not an ungrateful girl. She did not want to kick people in the back either.
"A... a ghost?"
She asked, frowning.
Kian landed on a quiet rooftop, setting her feet down against the cool clay tiles while keeping one arm locked around her waist.
"The Su Chen that you knew died the moment he took that sudden breakthrough in the market square," Kian said, looking down into her face. "A powerful soul, an ancient cultivator from higher realms, seized his corpse to live again. That’s what I called a ghost."
"Posession?"
Xiao Cui’s breath hitched, her dark eyebrows knitting together.
But at the words, she couldn’t refuse the fact that some of her own thoughts started connecting.
"Is... is that why he suddenly stopped yelling at me recently? And also his personality changed a lot!" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Kian nodded.
She continued: "He used to ignore me or throw things when he was talentless, but yesterday he looked right through me like I was a stranger. His eyes were also very deep."
"That’s exactly why," Kian replied, gently wiping a lingering tear from her cheek. "The old Su Chen is gone, little Cui. You don’t owe any debts to the remaining person. So, don’t worry about it."
Her small hands clutched at the lapels of his robe again, her knuckles turning white.
"What about the real Su Chen then?" she asked, her voice small and fragile against the night wind. "If a soul took his body... where is young master Su Chen?"
Kian looked down at her and gently shook his head.
"He’s dead, Xiao Cui," he said plainly. "Soul takeover always works like that. One soul devours the other to claim the vessel, leaving nothing behind."
Xiao Cui’s chin trembled as the truth sank in, her eyes dropping to the clay tiles beneath her feet.
"So that is the case..." she said softly, a fresh tear sliding down her nose and dripping onto Kian’s sleeve.
"No matter what, he was like a brother to me."
She rubbed her face.
Kian gently carried her up and flashed towards his home.
"Now, this person is lying to everyone, right?" she asked.
Kian nodded.
A cold, dark shift settled behind her round eyes.
The soft grief in her expression slowly turned into a quiet, burning hatred, her small fingers clenching into tight little fists against his chest.
"This reincarnator truly is heinous! Murderer!"
Kian felt the sudden change in her body language and smiled to himself as he glided over the final stretch of rooftops.
They were home.
"We’re here," he said softly, dropping into the quiet courtyard of his residence.
Xiao Cui looked up at the warm, lantern-lit house, her pale blonde hair fluttering in the wind.
Kian set her feet onto the smooth slate floorboards.
As they entered the courtyard, he noticed something and looked over.
Near the center of the yard, Jia sat on a low stool before a small wooden easel, a paintbrush tucked behind her ear and black ink splattered across her fresh robes.
Kian walked over, taking slow steps so as not to break her concentration, and leaned over her shoulder to look at the canvas.
’What are you drawing?’
He was immediately awed by how good a painter she was.
The painting showed a massive dragon soaring over the rooftops of Mulberry Gate City, its scales painted in dark, aggressive strokes.
Above it, a golden phoenix swooped down through the clouds, pinning the dragon by its neck like an eagle catching a snake in a field.
As he stood immersed in observing the artwork, Jia broke out of her deep focus and blinked at the drying ink.
She turned her head, noticing his face right beside hers, and dipped a dot of ink on his nose.
"Hey, when did you come back?"
Her gaze then drifted past his face, landing directly on the quiet blonde girl standing timidly behind him. "And who is this?"
"Before that, how dare you smear ink on me!" he teased.
Kian’s hand shot out and grabbed her chin before she could pull away.
"Very brave, little artist," he murmured, and pressed his nose firmly against her cheek, smearing the wet black ink right back onto her skin.
Jia merely hummed, her eyes crinkling as she rubbed her face against his nose to leave even more dark streaks.
"Joke’s on you, I love the smell of pine ink."
Rolling his eyes at her stubborn pout, Kian wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her soundly on the neck until she pouted.
"Don’t kiss me infront of a stranger, asshole!"
"She is no stranger."
He set Jia go, turned toward the timid girl hovering by the gate, and gestured for her to step forward into the lantern light.
"This is Xiao Cui, our new family member."
Xiao Cui took a hesitant step toward the easel, her small fingers twirling the hem of her damp dress.
"Hello," she whispered, bowing her head. "I... I am Xiao Cui. You must be Mia."
"Not Mia, I am Jia. What? Did the bastard talk a lot about Mia?"
Jia wiped a streak of ink off her own jaw with the back of her hand and evaluated the girl with sharp, dark eyes, taking in the petite frame, the wet clothes, and the lingering redness around her eyes.
Her expression softened instantly, shifting from prickly defensive to the familiar, bossy warmth she usually reserved for her close friends and family.
Xiao Cui was so cute that one just couldn’t feel so defensive against her.
Almost everyone who met her would want to protect her.
Jia scoffed. "Why are you soaking wet? Did this idiot throw you in the river?"
"I swam!" Xiao Cui offered quickly, looking up with a small, nervous smile that made her cheeks dimple. "And he bought me noodles."
"Noodles don’t cover up a fever," Jia huffed. Then called out: "Mia! Come out here! RIGHT NOW! Someone’s brought a new one in."
Then, she looked sideways at Kian, then asked: "Another girl, how quick are you moving man?"
"Am I moving too quick?"
Jia rolled her eyes. "I’ve barely settled into living with you, and look at you bringing others. At this rate, you won’t even have time."
Mia came out and looked at Xiao Cui.
At first, she was confused, but Jia soon brought her upto the page.
Mia turned her beautiful eyes towards Kian, almost glaring.
Kian chuckled and looked at Jia, blinking innocently.
Mia grabbed Xiao Cui by the wrist—gentle enough not to startle her—and began hauling her toward the house. "Come inside before you freeze. We have fresh towels and extra robes, and mom’s made some nice herbal soup."
As the two girls disappeared through the sliding door with Mia already asking about hot water, Kian felt a quiet warmth settle in his chest.
How nice were his women?
Truly.
He turned back to Jia, who was already picking up her brush to touch up the phoenix’s golden crest, though the corner of her mouth twitched with a hidden smile.
She looked as if she knew what was about to happen.
"You look proud of yourself," she said, dipping the bristles into dark ink without looking at him. "Bragging about noodles and snatching girls straight out of who knows where?"
Kian stepped forward, leaned down, and cupped her chin with one hand.
Before he could pull her in, Jia smoothly extended her free hand, nudging the easel two feet away so her drying canvas wouldn’t get ruined.
She had predicted his move the moment his eyes landed on her.
Their lips met in a hot, familiar kiss, the faint taste of pine ink on her mouth mixing with the cool night air as her arms wrapped around his neck.
When he finally pulled back a fraction to let her catch her breath, she rested her forehead against his chest and glared up at him.
"Do tell me what’s going on with this new girl, alright? I want the whole story."
Kian nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her head. "I’ll tell you everything at night."
Jia’s hand slid down his chest and firmly gripped his member through his robe, giving it a sharp, warning squeeze.
"And don’t bring any more girls home anytime soon, you greedy demon. Or I’ll squeeze it."
"Don’t threaten me with a good time lady!"
Jia let out a bright, ringing laugh as Kian swept her off her feet, hoisting her whole frame straight into his arms.
She squirmed once, but her hands quickly locked behind his neck, legs wrapping around him. "Looks like someone can’t resist seeing me sit idle."
"Why the hell do you look so tempting? I can’t watch you draw without wanting to kiss. No joke."
Her dark eyes sparkled with a playful spark as he carried her toward the house, showering her cheeks and jawline with warm, relentless kisses until she gasped for air between her giggles.
"By the way, I want snacks from outside!" Jia asked. "Can I get it?"
"In return for kisses."
"Too expensive!"
Through the open doorway, the quiet chatter of Mia and Xiao Cui drifted from the bath area, mingled with the soothing hum of Feimei’s guqin in the main room.
As Kian stepped onto the wooden porch with Jia nestled firmly against his chest, he turned a fleeting glance at the translucent panel across his vision.
[Current Fortune: 100]
The golden numbers flickered for a brief second before dissolving back into nothingness, leaving Kian to kick the wooden door closed with his heel.