Her words clearly stunned Wei Sheng Lan, as his expression stiffened, looking as if he struggled to digest it.
Moments later, his dark eyes narrowed slightly, his tone cold enough to shatter ice. “Miss, do not talk nonsense. Though I do not know your true purpose, I do not know you.”
Xin Yi: “…”
Fine, it was normal for him not to trust her.
If she had lost her memory and suddenly a man appeared to save her, claiming to be her husband, she probably would not only disbelieve him but also see him as a scoundrel with ill intentions.
She thought this in her heart, but she could not act on it outwardly.
Only the two of them were in the thatched hut.
Outside, the weather was bitterly cold, and this drafty hut was no better.
Xin Yi’s eyes reddened, her slender shoulders began to tremble nonstop, and finally, under his indifferent gaze, she burst out crying with a “wah.”
She wiped her tears with her sleeve while sobbing and asked aggrievedly, “You’re deliberately pretending, aren’t you! You just don’t want to admit our relationship, regretting marrying me back then! No wonder you were gone so long on this trip with no news—it turns out you didn’t want me anymore!!”
Anyway, Wei Sheng Lan had lost his memory now, so whatever she said was what happened.
Even if it was not true, she would make these events real one by one. Over time, even the most suspicious person would let go of their doubts.
When pursuing, being too reserved would not do.
Sometimes throwing a tantrum was necessary, especially against these aloof immortal sect folks used to being cold.
Wei Sheng Lan listened as she cried more and more aggrievedly, crystalline teardrops rolling down nonstop. She looked utterly pitiable.
Her nose tip was also red. Though she bit her lip in resentment while glaring at him, she somehow seemed charmingly naive and cute. With her naturally petite and delicate looks like a girl from a humble family, her crying resembled coquetry, not ferocity at all.
After the girl finished crying and saw he still had no intention of responding, she pretended to be strong and wiped her tears dry.
Though her tone had calmed, a careful listen revealed a slight tremble beneath. “If you truly want to divorce me, no need for such lame excuses to deceive me—just say it straight. I will not cling to you!”
She seemed truly angry and truly sad.
Even so, she still tried to maintain her last shred of dignity before him, not wanting to be looked down upon.
Just then, Xin Yi heard the system sound. “Ding dong~ Detected Wei Sheng Lan’s current favorability at 10%. There is still room for improvement—please keep trying hard, Host!”
Xin Yi’s face went blank: “!”
Oh ho, this seemed to be the first time her opening favorability was a positive number.
But Wei Sheng Lan misunderstood her expression. From his perspective, the girl before him had vented a bunch of angry words and, upon realizing he offered no explanation or entreaty to stay, looked slightly stunned.
As if they had argued like this before, but he had never failed to coax her.
Xin Yi did not know what the youth had imagined. After a brief daze, she decided to retreat in order to advance.
She feigned dejection, held back her tears, and said, “Fine then. In that case, let’s part on good terms. I wish Brother Mu Lan will meet a lady more to your heart in the future.”
As she spoke, a bitter smile tugged at her lips, as if she truly intended to stop pestering him.
But Xin Yi knew Wei Sheng Lan would not let her leave just like that. After all, he had lost his memory now, and she was the most likely person connected to his past. No matter if she was a liar or not, he had no choice.
After saying those last two sentences, Xin Yi turned and walked toward the door.
Her slender white fingers trembled as they gripped the doorframe. Once opened, she could leave, and from then on, bridges would return to their paths, roads to theirs—they might never meet again.
One, two, three…
Sure enough, the youth’s voice sounded from behind. “Are we truly dao companions? Am I truly your husband?”
Xin Yi whipped around, eyes full of disbelief. “If you were not my husband, why would I have stood up for you in danger just now? Did those loose cultivators look easy to mess with!”
As she spoke, she stared at that face. She had to admit, the villain’s face was stunning, especially paired with that untouchable white robe—handsome to the point of ethereal detachment.
In the original plot, he and Qing Heng both only loved the demoness.
If she had tried to woo him before he lost his memory, even exhausting all her tricks, he would not have spared her a second glance. Fortunately, Wei Sheng Lan did not know that the brave girl who saved him earlier was actually his Shiniang, who was supposed to perish in the Demon Grotto.
On the crude grass mat, Wei Sheng Lan propped himself up with his arms. His white robe was still covered in bloodstains.
Moments later, facing her aggrieved little face that seemed to have suffered great humiliation, he rasped, “I did not mean to doubt you on purpose… I simply lost my memory and have no recollection of past events.”
The girl froze upon hearing this, slowly opening her mouth wide.
Then, her gaze shifted from anger to heartache. She walked to his side, her eyes reddening again. Finally, she sniffled and explained, “Mu Lan, I really am your wife.”
She bit her lip, seeming a bit embarrassed.
Her face flushed as her eyes darted sideways. Only after a long while did she manage to say haltingly, “I know you have a pretty red mole on your lower back, and I know your original form is a white vine—the most powerful kind among them, a Strangling Vine.”
Wei Sheng Lan was indeed a Strangling Vine among white vines. When he entered the immortal path and cultivated the Heartless Dao, it was to suppress his killing nature.
The original host had not known this secret until her death, and not even Azure Cloud Sect’s master, Qing Heng, knew.
This was likely Wei Sheng Lan’s biggest secret. Revealing it proved their relationship was far from ordinary.
Of course, the most important part was thanking the system for giving her this golden finger.
Sure enough, the doubt faded from Wei Sheng Lan’s face after he heard this.
In its place was a faint bewilderment: Could this girl before him truly be his wife? Why else would she suddenly appear to save him, know his name, and all his secrets?
On the jade pendant he wore close to his body, there was indeed a small engraved “Lan” character. After his heavy injury and amnesia, he had wondered if it related to his name.
But was it Zhang Lan, Li Lan, or Xie Lan… He had not known. Unexpectedly, he was actually Mu Lan.
And most importantly, she knew his original form was a Strangling Vine.
If not the most intimate relationship, he certainly would not have told her this secret.
After the bewilderment, Wei Sheng Lan took out the jade pendant hidden in his bosom.
Staring into her eyes, he asked, “So, did you give me this jade pendant?”
Xin Yi leaned over to look and saw not only the “Lan” character engraved on it but also tassels in an apricot-pink color that clashed utterly with him.
She remembered!
This seemed to be the birthday gift Qiong Yan had given Wei Sheng Lan—the only gift. She had wanted to win him over, to hear him sincerely call her Master’s Wife. Unexpectedly, times had changed, and it had benefited Xin Yi instead.
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. “Yes, that’s right—this is the token of affection I gave you!”
She even took the jade pendant in her hand to look at it, her pink lips curving slightly, her face full of genuine delight. “I never thought you’d keep it close to your body even after losing your memory. I’m so touched, Brother Mu Lan!”
Seeing the youth gradually lower his guard and hostility, Xin Yi struck while the iron was hot and told him about their love story’s origins.
In her telling, Wei Sheng Lan was a formidable sword cultivator who encountered her while traveling and saved her. She fell for her benefactor at first sight and insisted on accompanying him.
The youth had been unwilling at first but relented seeing her all alone. Later, after spending time together, he even taught her some sword techniques and immortal arts in his spare time.
Until affection grew with time, and they became dao companions.
After Xin Yi finished, her sparkling almond eyes brimmed with splendor, as if immersed in those memories. But when she glanced at the youth’s blank expression, her excited tone instantly turned sentimental.
Still, she forced herself to rally and comforted him. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t believe I’m your wife for now. But one thing is certain: I’m definitely not a bad person. Otherwise, there’d be no need to risk helping you. You’re still badly injured and need someone by your side to care for you. How about we agree on three rules? Until you recover your memories, neither of us will do anything improper. Does that work for you?”
She had been so sincere; Wei Sheng Lan had no reason not to nod.
He let out a soft “Mm,” his gaze sweeping over her face. “I will remember as soon as possible. But if you fall for someone else midway, we can divorce anytime.”
He had only temporarily accepted her as his wife; he felt no affection for her.
So even if she wanted to leave, he would not care.
Wei Sheng Lan was badly injured and weak; bathing and changing clothes were inconvenient.
And Xin Yi had just agreed on those three rules with him, so no intimate contact was suitable. Thus, she cast a cleaning spell on him and mended the tears in his white robe.
After finishing, she picked up the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ginseng he had dug up, preparing to light a fire and brew medicine for him.
Fortunately, though the thatched hut was crude and dilapidated, it had a clay stove and sand pot. They were just covered in dust from disuse—perfect to wash and use as a temporary medicine furnace.
As Xin Yi brewed the medicine, she began to scheme.
She was poor enough to jingle now; everything she had could not even make up a few spirit stones. To support a heavily injured, amnesiac sword cultivator, she needed to be self-reliant.
Perhaps later she could go dig more spirit plants and herbs, then sell them at the market.
Moreover, since Wei Sheng Lan had found a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ginseng, this divine mountain must be rich in resources. She just needed to search more—diligence led to wealth, always a safe bet!
Xin Yi was brimming with energy in her thoughts when suddenly, a gurgling rumble sounded in the quiet thatched hut.
Not from the medicine on the stove, but from her stomach.
“…”
The sound was so loud that even the youth leaning against the bedrest could hear it.
Xin Yi immediately felt his stunned gaze turn toward her, and her face flushed with embarrassment.
Though immortal cultivators disdained bodily appetites and practiced fasting after foundation establishment, most no longer ate.
But the original host had not. Back then, half her immortal bone had been dug out, her spiritual power scattered, her body as frail as a mortal’s. Without eating, she would have only awaited death. Even after falling into the Demon Grotto and gaining fortune by a fluke, her constitution remained weak inside.
So Xin Yi now needed to eat like an ordinary person.
She thought this habit was good to keep, but this body had not eaten in who knew how long, and her stomach would not stop rumbling.
To cover her embarrassment, Xin Yi coughed dryly twice and stood, pouring the medicine from the stove into a rough tea bowl, pretending nothing had happened.
Then, during the time to let the medicine cool, she went to the yard and picked a few wild fruits from the tree. Without washing them, she stuffed them into her mouth. Though the taste was poor and the skin sour, they at least filled her belly temporarily.
She wiped the fruit bits from her lips, smoothed her hair, and returned to the hut.
Perhaps due to the biting cold, the medicine had cooled unusually fast. When she touched the porcelain bowl again, it was no longer scalding.
She carried it over and handed it to Wei Sheng Lan, watching him slowly drink the medicine.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense; the youth felt somewhat uneasy.
Wei Sheng Lan even grew inexplicably tense. He wondered inwardly: Was it the whip wounds on his face too ugly, making her disgusted? Or had she realized her feelings for him were not that deep and regretted staying to care for this burden?
In the end, after staring for a long time, the girl said, “Is it bitter?”
Admiration lingered faintly in her gaze, still bright and spirited. “I think it must be very bitter, yet you didn’t even frown. Could your sense of taste be gone too?”
As she spoke, she tilted her head and reached to touch his forehead. Because she leaned close, he could smell the sour-sweet fruit scent on her.