After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

The light in Jiang Dusheng's eyes almost overflowed, and his mind was crystal clear.

Her body contained the most Yin evil energy, while Xie Jinchen possessed the most Yang purple evil energy.

Yin and Yang are two opposing forces that can generate and restrain each other, but they can also harmonize and blend together, serving as medicine for one another!

How to recruit them for one's own use is simply a matter of giving Xie Jinchen... How come she only realized this now!

The moment Jiang Dusheng wrapped his arms around Xie Jinchen's waist, Xie Jinchen froze completely, as if he had been paralyzed.

He could clearly feel the curves of her body, her cool breath brushing against the skin of his neck, and that unique scent of hers enveloping him completely.

A burning, throbbing sensation exploded from the point of contact, quickly spreading throughout the body, even causing a blush to appear on the tips of the ears.

His voice was completely hoarse, tight and strained, each word seeming to be squeezed out of his throat, "Jiang Dusheng, do you even know what you're doing right now?"

Jiang Dusheng was immersed in the ecstasy of finding the antidote when he was asked a question, which brought him back to his senses.

She blinked, looking at Xie Jinchen's taut jawline and slightly reddened ears, and an even more deadly thought surfaced.

If she told him now that she wanted more than just to hold him for warmth…

Will he turn pale and throw her out of the window?

Jiang Dusheng's mind raced with thoughts.

Should I keep it from him? Or should I simply... force myself on him?

No, absolutely not.

My master's admonition still rings in my ears: Forcing things will inevitably breed inner demons, which is not the right path.

Jiang Dusheng took a deep breath, deciding to tell the truth, but his voice unconsciously lowered as the words reached his lips, carrying a hint of hesitation that he himself was unaware of:

"Xie Jinchen, the evil aura on my body is of the extreme yin nature. But you not only have the protection of the imperial purple aura, but also harbor the extreme yang evil aura within your body."

"Our malevolent energies are yin and yang, with completely opposite attributes. Precisely because of this, they can both counteract each other and harmonize."

Her words ended there, but the unspoken meaning was already quite clear.

Xie Jinchen remained silent for a moment, and the air in the room seemed to freeze.

He slowly turned his head, looking at Jiang Dusheng's face, which was so close to his own, in the dim light.

After a long pause, he suddenly chuckled softly, but the laughter didn't reach his eyes; instead, it carried an inexplicable chill.

"So, you mean you want me to unite with you in yin and yang to dispel the negative energy for you. But all of this is solely for the purpose of dispelling the negative energy, and has nothing to do with anything else."

"Afterwards, you won't have to take any responsibility for me, and you don't need to hold it against me, right?"

He meticulously dissected her every scheme, word by word, until everything became crystal clear.

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

"You...didn't you say before that you'd try your best to appear less intelligent in front of me?"

She tried to shut him up with what he had said before.

Xie Jinchen's cold smile deepened, his eyes swirling with complex and unreadable emotions.

Finally, he almost gritted his teeth and said, "Jiang Dusheng, you're really something."

These words were spoken through gritted teeth, carrying an indescribable and inexplicable emotion.

Jiang Dusheng felt inexplicably uneasy under his gaze. She steeled herself, and with a hint of desperation, asked directly, "So... will you agree?"

She originally thought that Xie Jinchen would definitely refuse outright, and might even get up and leave immediately.

However, Xie Jinchen did not move.

Instead, he turned slightly to the side, instantly bringing the two of them even closer, so close that she could clearly feel his warm breath brushing against her nose and lips.

The candlelight danced in his eyes, reflecting an emotion that Jiang Dusheng couldn't understand.

He just stared at her quietly, his gaze so focused it almost made her heart race.

At that moment, Jiang Dusheng's heart skipped a beat, unable to stop itself from pounding.

Just as she was almost suffocating from the silent stare, Xie Jinchen suddenly spoke, asking a completely unrelated question:

"Jiang Dusheng," he said in a low, seductive voice, "Am I more handsome, or is Shi Qinglian more handsome?"

Jiang Dusheng was stunned, completely unexpected that he would bring up the old matter again at this time, fixating on this seemingly insignificant comparison.

Her gaze involuntarily fell on Xie Jinchen's face.

The flickering candlelight cast a warm golden glow on his handsome, otherworldly face, highlighting his straight nose, tightly pursed thin lips, and beautiful peach blossom eyes.

Perhaps the pain weakened her defenses, or perhaps his gaze was too oppressive.

She followed her deepest feelings and murmured, "...You're beautiful."

The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Dusheng saw Xie Jinchen's lips curve upwards in a slight arc.

Then, before Jiang Dusheng could fully grasp the meaning of the smile, Xie Jinchen suddenly turned to the side and flicked his fingertip at the candlestick on the table.

With a soft "poof," the only light source in the room went out, plunging the room into darkness.

In the darkness, Xie Jinchen's voice rang out, regaining its usual indifference, even more distant than usual, clearly reaching Jiang Dusheng's ears:

I cannot grant your request.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng's eyes widened suddenly. He looked in vain in the darkness toward the direction from which the voice came, and it took him a while to fully process the meaning of his words.

He first used a seemingly unrelated question to elicit her true feelings, got the answer he wanted, and then decisively rejected her?!

"Xie Jinchen, you're shameless!"

She blurted it out in anger, her voice filled with the shame and annoyance of being mocked in the darkness.

"Heh..." In the darkness, a low vibration came from Xie Jinchen's chest, and he let out a soft laugh.

The laughter was low and slightly hoarse, and in the stillness of the night, it was indescribably pleasant to hear, yet indescribably captivating.

"Yes," he readily agreed, a lingering smile still in his voice, "I admit it."

He then stopped talking, but readjusted his position, still lying beside her, but clearly creating some distance between them.

The lingering chill and dull pain within Jiang Dusheng's body continued to linger, and instead of letting go, she tightened her grip on his waist.

In the darkness, her voice carried an air of self-righteousness, "It's past midnight now, it's the fifteenth. As agreed, on the night of the full moon, you must share a room with me."

Xie Jinchen remained silent for a moment in the darkness.

He could clearly feel the soft touch of her body pressed against his, and he could also hear the embarrassment beneath her feigned bravado in her voice.

He suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent darkness, and carrying an unprecedented solemnity:

"Jiang Dusheng, if one day..." He paused slightly, "you are willing to exchange your sincerity for it, then I would be happy to be your antidote for life."