Chapter 27: Soul-Snatching

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Soul-Snatching

Qiao Suluo didn’t want to stay with Tushan Feishang a moment longer.

The man was bizarre. Those fox-like eyes of his were incredibly bewitching, as if born with the ability to steal a person’s soul, exuding a dangerous aura. What was worse, he looked like he might attack her at any second.

Since she couldn’t redeem him right now, Qiao Suluo had no intention of wasting any more time. Picking up her dropped coin purse from the floor, she said, "Then I’ll be going back first."

She wished she could sprint out of there like a wisp of smoke. Having recovered her strength, Qiao Suluo grabbed her silver, stood up, and turned to leave. Her movements were decisive, without a shred of lingering attachment.

However, when she tried to open the door, it felt as though it had been locked.

Watching her, Tushan Feishang actually noticed the stark contrast in her behavior. He stepped forward, extended a long, slender arm, and slammed his hand flat against the door.

Now there was no way Qiao Suluo could open it.

At this close proximity, she could detect a faint, hidden fragrance emanating from him—extravagantly alluring yet sharply aggressive. With his tall stature and long legs, and his hand planted firmly against the door, he practically trapped her within his embrace.

Qiao Suluo’s entire body went rigid. She didn’t dare move a muscle, the hairs on her body standing on end. "Tushan... Tushan Feishang, did you come over to help me open the door? You really don’t need to go through the trouble. I can do it myself."

She deliberately deflected, terrified that he would suddenly recall the atrocities committed by the original owner of her body and decide to strangle her out of vengeance. People did impulsive things when consumed by rage. Beastmen, in particular, were prone to violent frenzies when emotionally unstable.

She certainly wasn’t narcissistic enough to believe that Tushan Feishang had taken an interest in her current appearance. The utter disgust and murderous intent in his eyes were crystal clear.

Looking down, Tushan Feishang easily took in her stiffness and fear.

"Miss Qiao, are you afraid of me now?"

How fascinating. Before, she had never feared him. She only ever thought of new ways to abuse and insult him. Granted, despite her disdain for his beastly nature, she had been quite satisfied with his face. She had tried every trick in the book to get close to him, demanding he serve her like a proper Beast Husband.

But how could he allow that? He wouldn’t even let her graze the hem of his sleeve.

If it were the past, she would have seized the opportunity to throw herself at him the moment he stepped this close. She wouldn’t be doing what she was doing now—flattening herself against the door, desperate to put as much distance between them as possible.

Had she truly changed? The more she shrank away, the more he wanted to tease and test her.

He lowered his voice into a husky, seductive drawl. "Miss Qiao used to want me to serve you well. Since Miss Qiao wishes to redeem me this time, is it because you still desire exactly that?"

As Tushan Feishang bowed his head to whisper in her ear, his warm breath brushed against her skin. His tone was lazy and loose, his final syllables dipping low. It was an ethereal, tantalizing sound that made a person’s heartstrings tremble uncontrollably.

While he spoke, he gently pulled back his wide sleeves to reveal his forearm right in front of her. His long fingers even hooked around his belt, striking a bewitching, provocative pose, looking as if he were ready to strip at any moment.

Qiao Suluo’s pupils violently contracted and her eyelashes fluttered frantically. She cursed inwardly, "What a demon."

Terrified he was actually going to do something, she shook her head vigorously. Having zero experience in this department, she stammered, "No, no, rest assured, I absolutely don’t have those intentions."

The original owner might have harbored those thoughts, but she certainly didn’t, heaven be her witness. Furthermore, she felt deeply that Tushan Feishang held absolutely no romantic interest in her. He was definitely just testing her, or suspecting her of some ulterior motive.

Because of this, Qiao Suluo tilted her head up to meet his gaze, her expression exceptionally resolute. She wanted him to believe that she harbored no dirty thoughts about him whatsoever.

Since Tushan Feishang was already looking down, their eyes locked the moment she looked up.

Qiao Suluo’s gaze was incredibly clean and fresh, as pure and clear as spring bamboo shoots sprouting from barren earth.

Tushan Feishang’s lazy, exquisite fox eyes curled upward at the corners. His stare was coldly wicked and biting, laced with deep-seated suspicion. Although the pose appeared suggestive, neither of their gazes held even a sliver of romantic tenderness.

Upon seeing her eyes, a faint ripple seemed to spread across Tushan Feishang’s own, carrying a trace of surprise. It seemed he never expected her current gaze to be so clean, entirely devoid of impure thoughts. It was a look that didn’t inspire disgust.

In the past, he hadn’t wanted to spare her even a single glance.

His fox eyes turned increasingly bewitching and profound as he reached out a hand toward her eyes. Qiao Suluo quickly turned her head, dodging his touch.

"Heh, Miss Qiao used to crave my touch. Why despise it now?

"If Miss Qiao despises the fact that I’ve stayed in Nanfeng Building, why bother redeeming me... Sigh..." Tushan Feishang let out a lazy sigh, painting a picture of extreme sorrow.

Qiao Suluo’s eyelashes fluttered. She turned her head, wanting to explain, but taking in his languid posture, she knew he wasn’t sorrowful in the slightest.

She ground her teeth and said, "I don’t despise you.

"You’re the one who despises me. I was just afraid of dirtying your hand, saving you the trouble of scrubbing it clean," Qiao Suluo shot back sarcastically.

Tushan Feishang chuckled carelessly, his smile harboring a soul-stealing beauty. Without denying it, he replied, "It seems you have some self-awareness nowadays."

"I’ll go back first," Qiao Suluo said. "I still need to earn money to come back and redeem you. Time is precious."

Having finished his testing, Tushan Feishang didn’t make things difficult for her. He pressed a hidden mechanism and opened the door.

Qiao Suluo was rather astonished. This room actually had a hidden mechanism? But why would Tushan Feishang be living in a room like this? She couldn’t figure it out for the moment, but rather than dwell on it, she decided to let it go.

After exiting the second floor, she found Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo waiting for her on the street. The moment they saw her emerge, they hurried over to greet her.

However, upon spotting the red marks on Qiao Suluo’s neck, Que Hongjin’s picturesque gaze instantly darkened. "What happened here?

"Did he lay a hand on you?"

The red marks on her neck were far too obvious—they were quite alarming.

Qiao Suluo wasn’t a fragile or delicate person. Gently touching her neck, she said, "It’s fine. As long as I’m not dead, it’s nothing."

Hearing this, the gentle aura surrounding Que Hongjin turned icy. "I’m going to find him.

"My wife cannot suffer such treatment for no reason."

Qiao Suluo grabbed Que Hongjin and said, "Don’t, don’t go look for him.

"I’m perfectly fine. Let’s just go buy some glutinous rice and head home early."

She really didn’t want to waste any more time on Tushan Feishang. She had no choice when it came to her mission, but there was no need to drag Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo into it. The priority was to quickly earn some silver and scrape together fifty taels.

Just thinking about the price jumping by twenty taels made her furious.

Bai Qianluo, his eyes covered by a cloth, listened to their exchange and realized something was amiss. "Are you injured, wife?"

His cold, aloof tone seemed to carry an imperceptible trace of worry.

Qiao Suluo feigned a relaxed demeanor. "It’s nothing. Tushan Feishang just didn’t believe me and pinched my neck. It’s no big deal, the swelling will probably go down in a few days."

Both Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo knew exactly how much Tushan Feishang despised Qiao Suluo. They had originally wanted to follow her inside, but the servant boys only permitted Qiao Suluo to enter. Moreover, Qiao Suluo hadn’t wanted them to step foot into a place like Nanfeng Building, fearing it might leave them with psychological trauma. So, she had instructed them to wait for her outside.

Bai Qianluo sighed softly. "Does it hurt a lot?"

He reached out as if to comfort her, but as though a sudden thought crossed his mind, he inexplicably withdrew his hand.