Fairy, please don't do this!

Thinking of this, Mu Yiren's voice softened: "Then...do you like me?"

The moment the words fell, the night wind seemed to stop, and the courtyard was silent except for the faint chirping of insects in the distance.

For some reason, she felt a little nervous at that moment, her fingertips clenched tightly.

In this life, although the two are childhood sweethearts, their feelings for each other are more than affection, but not quite lovers.

Previously, when she forced Gu Jinzhao to sign the marriage certificate, he was clearly somewhat resistant.

Therefore, Mu Yiren was somewhat unsure whether Gu Jinzhao had feelings for her.

"I like Sister Yiren."

Gu Jinzhao did not hesitate at all.

Upon hearing this answer, Mu Yiren's heart, which had been hanging in her throat, seemed to be gently lifted by a tender hand and steadily placed back in its place.

An indescribable warmth and joy, like spring water breaking through the ice, instantly spread to every part of my body.

Her tense nerves quietly relaxed, and the corners of her lips involuntarily curved upwards, outlining a captivating arc.

It turns out that Gu Jinzhao had already fallen in love with her at this time in his previous life!

Mu Yiren felt both sweet and somewhat annoyed.

In her past life, if she had broken through the barrier between the two of them earlier, Lin Qingci would never have had the chance to get involved.

"When did it start?"

Mu Yiren wanted to know when this affection had truly begun.

Gu Jinzhao lowered his eyelids slightly, as if recalling memories deep in his heart.

After a long silence, he slowly said:

"When we first met, I was drawn to the little beggar's stubborn yet bright eyes."

"Especially after seeing the tombstones standing outside the dilapidated temple, a sense of shared suffering arose in my heart."

"So later on, I would buy steamed buns every day, and after buying them, I would wander around the street, waiting for the little beggar to appear."

"Until that day, when the snow was falling heavily and you didn't appear, I felt an emptiness in my heart, so I ran into the dilapidated temple..."

Mu Yiren seemed somewhat dazed!

That day, it snowed heavily; it wasn't that she didn't want to go to the city to steal his steamed buns.

Unfortunately, they were ambushed by a creditor who had previously stolen from them, along with his men.

They stole her few remaining coins and broke her leg.

The wind was biting cold, my wounds were bleeding, and I was cold, hungry, and in pain.

She struggled back to the dilapidated Taoist temple and huddled in a cold corner.

If nothing unexpected happens, she definitely won't make it through that night.

Perhaps it was truly a blessing from heaven, for just as she was losing consciousness, the young master whose steamed buns she had stolen several times actually braved the heavy snow and came to the dilapidated temple.

He walked up to her, squatted down, and asked softly, "I need a maid to do odd jobs at home. She'll provide room and board, and I'll also get a monthly salary. Would you like to come?"

The little beggar didn't believe him because she had seen too many similar tricks.

First, offer some sweeteners to lure them to a certain place, then resell them...

Chapter 74, The Fated Marriage of Childhood Sweethearts (3K)

The little beggar didn't respond, but the young master continued, "If you don't speak, I'll take that as a yes."

After saying that, he walked over directly and, disregarding the filth and bloodstains on her body, carefully picked her up.

The little beggar panicked and struggled with his last bit of strength, even opening his mouth and biting his shoulder hard!

"hiss--"

The young master gasped in pain, grimacing, "Are you a dog?"

Although he was cursing, he didn't let go of her. He just held her like that, step by step, walking towards the city through the snow that was over his ankles.

After an unknown amount of time, she arrived at a place called Baicaotang.

A gentle and beautiful woman bathed and dressed her, and prepared a delicious meal for her.

That was the first time she had eaten her fill since she arrived in Qingyun City, and she even let out a burp.

After she finished eating, the woman set her broken leg and gently told her that she could stay there from now on.

From that day on, the little beggar stayed at Baicaotang.

She now has a home to shelter her from the wind and rain, loving elders who are like mothers to her, and the young master who pulled her back from the brink of death...

Mu Yiren forcibly suppressed the ripples in her heart and pursed her lips: "Back then, I was a dirty little beggar. I was slovenly and ugly. People would avoid me because they thought it was bad luck."

"How...how could you have liked me back then?"

She inherited her mother's beauty and grew up to be exquisitely beautiful, like a fairy child in a New Year's painting.

However, in that cannibalistic world, an outstanding appearance often meant disaster rather than blessing.

Therefore, she smeared charcoal ash on her cheeks, deliberately making herself look dirty and ugly, turning herself into the kind of ugly child that people would hate at first glance and never want to look at a second time.

This is the only way she can protect herself.

Gu Jinzhao seemed lost in pleasant memories, and a soft smile involuntarily curved the corners of his lips: "At first, it was indeed just curiosity."

"I'm curious about that little beggar; why does he have such a stubborn yet bright look in his eyes?"

"Until Aunt Ruo took the little beggar to bathe, washed away the filth, changed him into clean clothes, and he reappeared before me..."

He paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words to describe his feelings at the time: "The face that was revealed after being washed was extremely young, but it already showed signs of beauty and charm, like a bright pearl that had been wiped clean of dust."

"At that moment, my heart seemed to beat faster, and a thought popped into my head that I found a bit silly."

"This little beggar is really good-looking. If she could stay at Baicaotang and become my wife when she grows up, that would be pretty good, wouldn't it?"

Mu Yiren's beautiful eyes widened suddenly, and her cheeks flushed crimson as if bathed in the sunset.

She never imagined that Gu Jinzhao, that lecherous scoundrel, would have harbored ill intentions towards her when she was so young.

But for some reason, upon hearing such a childish and ridiculous confession, she felt not the slightest bit offended or angry, but rather as if a jar of honey had been spilled.

That sweet and warm taste instantly flowed through my entire body, even my fingertips felt a tingling sensation.

Based on this feeling that began in childhood and has been nurtured over the years, Lin Qingci can never compare to her!

Perhaps this is the destined love between the little beggar and the young master, childhood sweethearts...

Deep in Gu Jinzhao's heart, the mark of Mu Yiren was deeply engraved from the very first time they met.

As for why Lin Qingci successfully broke into her home in her past life, she felt it was because she was not by Gu Jinchao's side, which allowed the other party to take advantage of her vulnerability.

However, amidst the sweetness, a previously overlooked doubt resurfaced in my mind.

Mu Yiren's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her double pupils fixed on Gu Jinchao: "Since you've had feelings for me since childhood, why did you act so unwilling when I asked you to sign the marriage certificate that day?"

Gu Jinchao said matter-of-factly, "Because people often don't know how to cherish things that are too easy to obtain."

"Moreover, as a man, one should be more reserved when it comes to marriage and not appear too eager."

Mu Yiren: "..."

She never expected to receive such an answer!

For a moment, I was both annoyed and amused.

reserved?

Isn't this usually something you say to demand of women?

As a man, what is there to be reserved about when a woman you admire offers you a marriage certificate?

This is clearly a case of feigning indifference to lure someone in, and then acting innocent after getting the benefit!

"hiss--!"

As the pain shot through him, Gu Jinzhao gasped sharply, the emptiness in his eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by clarity.

He looked at his feet blankly, then looked up at Mu Yiren: "Why did you step on me?"

Mu Yiren gave a dismissive snort, feigning indifference: "You were daydreaming when you were talking to me!"

Even so, there's no need to step on me, is there?

Gu Jinzhao lowered his head and rubbed the instep of his foot that had been stepped on, muttering to himself, "It's probably because I've been out exorcising demons lately and I'm too tired, that's why I was distracted."

Where were we?

Mu Yiren remained cold: "Speaking of your relationship with your dear junior sister!"

Gu Jinzhao blinked: "Weren't we talking about the marriage certificate?"

The mention of the marriage certificate reminded Mu Yiren of his argument about reserve, and the anger she had just suppressed began to resurface.

"Tell me if you want, or don't!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already gotten up and was about to go back to her room.

However, after taking only two steps, she seemed to remember something and pulled out a pair of snow-white stockings from somewhere, shoving them directly into his hands!

Gu Jinchao caught it subconsciously; it was soft and slightly cool to the touch, with a very faint, cool fragrance.

He looked down and was immediately stunned: "Why do I have to wash your stockings?"

This scene seems so familiar.

Oh right! Last time, Mu Yiren did the same thing, stuffing his undergarments into his hand.

"You're the one who made it dirty, so you have to wash it!"

Mu Yiren left the courtyard with only this sentence, leaving behind only a faint fragrance and the snow-white stockings in Gu Jinzhao's hand.

"We finally managed to hide it!"

Gu Jinzhao was stunned for a long time until the beautiful figure disappeared completely before he let out a long breath.

The ghost wife appeared silently, gracefully landing on the stone table beside her, and sat down leisurely: "So that's how it is~ My little husband just now hid a wisp of his soul in the [Earthly Branch Mirror] in order to awaken himself from the Mind-Capturing Illusion Technique."

Gu Jinzhao picked up the cup of tea, which had long since gone cold, took a sip, and moistened his somewhat dry throat: "Or what?"

Those who fall under the spell of mind control will have their minds wander and their thoughts wander, as if they have been hypnotized.

It is difficult to wake up unless the caster interrupts the ritual.

Of course, there are ways to deal with it.

For example, if you hide another wisp of your soul beforehand, you can awaken yourself through soul resonance after being affected by the mind-controlling illusion technique!

He had already guessed that Mu Yiren would use mind-controlling illusion on Lin Qingci, so how could he not guess that he would use it himself?

If his true feelings match what Lin Qingci just said, then it means that neither of them will be in a second cycle.

After the frankness just now, Mu Yiren's doubts have been completely dispelled.

Upon hearing this, An Wanxi covered her mouth and chuckled, "My little husband truly lives up to his reputation as a cultivator of the Heavenly Mandate Path; he is indeed a cunning and shrewd old fox!"

"That's called strategic planning."

Gu Jinzhao rolled his eyes in annoyance.

He's at least on his sixth playthrough; if he can't even handle the childhood friend on his second playthrough, then all those five playthroughs were for nothing.

An Wanxi's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the pair of snow-white silk stockings in Gu Jinzhao's hands: "So~ when does your shrewd and resourceful husband plan to wash these stockings?"

Gu Jinzhao's expression froze, and he fell silent once again.

If he wasn't mistaken, these stockings looked like the ones Mu Yiren wore when she teased him earlier that day!

……

The night was as thick as ink left on an inkstone, with only a bronze lamp with a crane in its beak casting a dim yellow glow on the rosewood desk.

"The moon's light flows on, illuminating the shadows of the past!"

Si Ruoyu sat alone in front of the mirror, closed her eyes and concentrated. Her slender fingers lightly traced lines in the air, and a bright moon appeared behind her, stirring up the causal trajectory.

This is the "Taiyin Suguang Jue," one of the most treasured techniques of the Heavenly Sect, and it is a technique that only the contemporary Moon Goddess can practice.