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

As he spoke, instead of backing away, he moved his face closer, his tone tentative, yet his eyes shone with an astonishing light:

"If you feel I've offended you, or been too abrupt..." He grabbed her hand and gently pressed it against his chest, "You can vent your anger here, I'll let you hit me or scold me."

Beneath her palm was his steady, powerful heartbeat, its heat penetrating through the fabric, striking Jiang Dusheng's palm again and again, as if striking the very tip of her heart.

Jiang Dusheng stared at his handsome face, which was adorned with a roguish smile. The embarrassment and annoyance she had felt earlier were mostly dispelled by him.

She withdrew her hand, looked away, and stopped looking into his overly intense eyes, but the blush on her ears did not fade and instead seemed to spread.

Her voice was a little strained, with a hint of annoyance:

You know perfectly well I won't really hit you.

Xie Jinchen saw that although she turned her face away, there was no real anger in her tone. Instead, it seemed more like embarrassment, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

But he knew when to stop and stopped teasing her to avoid really angering her.

His expression became slightly more serious. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. You should rest well. I'm going to the palace."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng looked up at him, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Entering the palace? At this hour? What for?"

Xie Jinchen raised his hand and naturally tidied her slightly disheveled hair. "Go and request an imperial decree to grant us a marriage."

He looked at Jiang Dusheng's slightly widened eyes, a triumphant smile curving his lips. "With the imperial decree, you really can't escape anymore. It'll be perfectly legitimate, and the whole world will know."

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

After Xie Jinchen left, Jiang Dusheng stood quietly in the courtyard for a moment, touched his still slightly hot cheeks and slightly swollen lips, took a few deep breaths, and then suppressed the inexplicable palpitations in his heart.

She suddenly felt something was wrong, so she turned around and walked towards the west wing.

The soul of Ruan Guyan rests there.

In the past few days, while she was away, Wang Dazhuang had been burning incense to soothe Ruan Guyan's soul every day.

Pushing open the half-closed door of the room, the room was softly lit, and the cool, soothing scent of incense wafted gently in the air.

Ruan Guyan's soul was indeed much more solid than before.

She was quietly floating beside the incense burner, absorbing the spiritual energy of the incense. Upon seeing Jiang Dusheng enter, a joyful smile immediately appeared on her face. She floated closer and gave a graceful bow.

"Miss Jiang, you're back. Was your journey safe?"

"Mm." Jiang Dusheng nodded, walked to the table and sat down, gesturing for Ruan Guyan to sit as well.

Seeing that Ruan Guyan's condition had obviously improved, she felt a little relieved, but then a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.

Ruan Guyan, being observant, noticed that she seemed to have something on her mind, so she asked softly:

"Is there anything you want to ask me, young lady? Please speak freely. I, Lone Goose, will answer all your questions without reservation."

She thought Jiang Dusheng had encountered some problem, or that he had made progress on his own affairs but was finding it difficult to talk about it.

Jiang Dusheng's fingers unconsciously dug at the table, his eyes darting around, and his cheeks began to feel faintly hot again.

After mentally preparing herself for a while, she leaned closer and asked vaguely and quickly, "Um... Miss Ruan, do you know how to get a man to do 'that' with you?"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Guyan's soul seemed to tremble, and the gentle smile on her face instantly froze, replaced by a blank expression.

She blinked, thinking she had misheard or misunderstood: "Which one?"

She instinctively asked back, her voice full of confusion.

Jiang Dusheng felt a sudden heat wash over his face, as if it were about to steam. His voice became even softer, almost as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth:

"It's...the things that couples do after getting married."

"Ah?!" Ruan Guyan's soul seemed to tremble, and her originally gentle face instantly turned a blush of embarrassment.

She flinched and shrugged, her voice both urgent and embarrassed, "W-why are you asking this, young lady?!"

"I...I was of marriageable age, but I never had a man I liked, nor was I ever married. My parents died early, and I had no one to guide me...I...I don't know."

Ruan Guyan panicked for a moment before the light of her soul stabilized slightly.

She looked at Jiang Dusheng, whose expression, though embarrassed, couldn't hide a hint of annoyance and confusion between his brows, as if he were genuinely troubled by the matter, rather than joking.

She was indeed ignorant about matters between men and women in her previous life, but she had vaguely heard some rumors. After becoming a spirit and observing the world, she seemed to have gained some more vague perceptions.

She cautiously floated back, scrutinized Jiang Dusheng's slightly annoyed face, lowered her voice, and tentatively asked:

"But young lady, between you and Young Master Xie, does he... does he not wish for it?"

Jiang Dusheng nodded in frustration and whispered, "Well... he... although he's close to me, he... hasn't taken any further steps. I guess he's still unwilling."

She recalled how Xie Jinchen had suddenly stopped when she was clearly aroused, and then acted as if he would let her hit and scold him...

If it's not that I'm unwilling, then what is it?

Upon hearing this, Ruan Guyan's soul flickered erratically once again.

She was ignorant of these things during her lifetime, but she occasionally heard bits and pieces of information from older servants.

She glanced outside the door to make sure Wang Dazhuang wouldn't suddenly barge in, then whispered to Jiang Dusheng:

"Young lady, I... I've vaguely heard rumors that most men... like or even crave this. It's only human nature."

"If I am alone with a woman I admire, and I am able to restrain myself when my emotions are stirred, perhaps... there is something I cannot say about it." After she finished speaking, she felt extremely embarrassed, and the color of her soul body deepened.

"Of course, this is just my wild guess. Someone as elegant and refined as Prince Xie should not be like that."

"A secret that's hard to talk about?" Jiang Dusheng repeated blankly at first. Her mind was mostly focused on cultivation and the salvation of the dead, and she knew very little about these worldly secrets.

But then, a thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly understood the hidden meaning in Ruan Guyan's words. Her eyes widened slightly, and a look of shock appeared on her face. "You mean... Xie Jinchen might not be able to do it?"

Ruan Guyan quickly waved her hand: "No, no, no, Miss Jiang, I really don't know. It's just that such a saying occasionally circulates. Perhaps it's due to some physical strain?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng nodded thoughtfully, finding the statement increasingly reasonable.

Xie Jinchen must not have recovered from the backlash of evil energy, and his vital energy is damaged. Although he seems to have recovered his mobility now, his vital energy must be greatly depleted, and in some aspects... he is naturally powerless.

That's why he was so careful and even apologetic just now, and afterwards he said things like "offended" and "take it or leave it," because he felt powerless and was afraid of disappointing or disgusting her.

The logic makes sense!

"I understand." Jiang Dusheng stood up abruptly, his face filled with certainty. "He needs to recuperate and replenish his energy."

Seeing that she believed him, Ruan Guyan felt somewhat guilty and uneasy: "Miss, this...this is just my guess. Why don't you...observe further? Or perhaps ask Prince Xie himself tactfully?"

She was genuinely afraid that her unfounded speculation might cause problems.

"No need to observe anymore." Jiang Dusheng had made up his mind, his eyes resolute. "Men are all strong-willed; they certainly won't say it on their own initiative."

She thought for a moment and immediately had an idea: "Tonight I'll have Dazhuang go out and buy some of the best nourishing soup ingredients to help him replenish his energy."

Seeing that she was about to get things done quickly, Ruan Guyan remembered the meals they had been eating these past few days and hurriedly said, "Miss, there's no need to go out of your way to buy anything."

"Young Master Yiche from next door sent his cook over a while ago. He's been cooking for Brother Wang and me these past few days, and the food is delicious."

Jiang Dusheng's eyes lit up: "That's great! I'll go to the kitchen right away and have the cook prepare the most nourishing soup."

After saying that, she went straight to the kitchen.