Don’t worry about what the kitty does; let the kitty take whatever it wants!
Fu Lianxue provided some very important information, and even described the style of clothing worn by the Fingerless Madam, which matched Bu Yu’s description exactly.
Chu Zhaoqiu could be certain that the one Liu Guohui encountered was the Fingerless Madam.
But this was all the information Fu Lianxue could provide.
“The rest you’ll have to figure out and research yourself.”
All the questions bubbling up in Chu Zhaoqiu’s mind were blocked by this sentence.
To understand everything, she still needed to find the Fingerless Madam and try to communicate with her.
However, the information Fu Lianxue gave was also very important; though scant, it cleared up quite a few doubts.
Chu Zhaoqiu thought again of Fu Lianxue’s earlier manner, acting like there wasn’t three hundred taels of silver buried here, and couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank you, Lianxue, and thank your friend too. You’ve helped me a great deal.”
Fu Lianxue glanced at her, then quickly lowered her head and burrowed into the quilt, mumbling indistinctly: “It’s no big deal.”
Then she popped out from under the quilt again, looking at her: “If the female ghost you encountered is the Fingerless Madam, then she has killed many people.
“Will you demon hunters kill her? For you guys, isn’t a demon who has killed many people marked for certain death?”
If the Fingerless Madam had only taken revenge on her husband, everything would be straightforward.
But she had killed more than just one person.
Her anger had already implicated every man in the world similar to her husband. Although these men were morally flawed, they were ultimately strangers who had no direct grievance with her.
From the moment she laid hands on them, even if she held the moral high ground initially, she had placed herself completely in opposition to the demon hunters.
Yet Chu Zhaoqiu said, “I don’t know.”
Fu Lianxue noticed that flicker of pity in her and couldn’t resist teasing, “Isn’t it your duty to subdue demons, eliminate evil, and protect humanity, Heavenly Master Chu?”
Heavenly Master Chu smiled calmly and replied, “Subduing demons and eliminating evil also depends on the situation. Not every demon or ghost deserves to die, right?”
Fu Lianxue snorted softly.
She really wanted to ask: Then did I deserve to die back then?
But knowing she wouldn’t get an answer now, she simply shut her mouth.
This person before me definitely hasn’t recovered her memories yet.
Fu Lianxue pulled the quilt back up, shifted position in the comfortably air-conditioned room, and yawned, saying, “She’s killed so many people, she’s definitely not some ordinary little ghost or minor demon.”
Her words paused there; the following phrase, “You need to be careful,” just wouldn’t come out.
She was embarrassed; she wasn’t as honest as her.
But Chu Zhaoqiu actually understood.
She smiled and asked softly, “Lianxue, are you worried about me?”
Fu Lianxue instantly reacted like a cat whose fur stood on end, instantly provoked: “Who— Who’s worried about you!
“Which word I said indicated worry? Don’t be so self-absorbed!
“I never thought the esteemed Eldest Miss Chu would be such a narcissistic person. Worrying about you? That’s hilarious, hah!”
The amusement in Chu Zhaoqiu’s eyes deepened.
Unable to restrain herself, she moved forward and gave Fu Lianxue’s cheek an abrupt yet gentle kiss.
“Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll definitely protect myself.”
Fu Lianxue: “…”
Bang!
The bedroom door slammed shut.
Chu Zhaoqiu stood outside the door, blinking innocently.
At this very moment, Fu Lianxue’s earlier outburst was still replaying in her ears: “Who said you could kiss me!”
After Fu Lianxue’s furor, she had been kicked out to sleep on the sofa.
She met the gaze of the small cat that had padded over to her feet.
After a moment, she smiled helplessly, bent down, and gently and carefully picked up Baobao.
“I made Mama angry, so now I have to sleep on the sofa. Will Baobao sleep with me, okay?”
Baobao lay on her shoulder, flicking its tail.
The world of two-legged beasts was too complicated; the little kitty didn’t understand.
Chu Zhaoqiu lay down on the sofa holding Baobao. After pondering for a moment, she took out the phone she hadn’t yet placed on the bedside table and sent Fu Lianxue a message:
[Sorry Lianxue, I couldn’t help myself just now]
[It’s fine for me to sleep out here. I stayed up late yesterday and really need sleep now, so anywhere to sleep is good. Thank you for not kicking me out of the house]
[Good night, or maybe, good morning? Anyway, sweet dreams]
Occasionally playing pitiful1 with such shamelessness was quite necessary.
After sending them, she felt it wasn’t enough and scrolled through her chat history with Chu Sining.
She found a sticker of a little rabbit sitting down with a plop, holding its ears, looking wronged, sad, and pitiful.
She sent it to Fu Lianxue.
Then she put down her phone, hugged the cat, and closed her eyes.
Hopefully, my beloved Lianxue will see it.
Fu Lianxue was indeed looking at her phone.
Three messages, she hadn’t missed a single one.
After reading them, she couldn’t help narrowing her eyes.
Such a strong green tea flavor…2
Does Chu Zhaoqiu take me for a fool, thinking I can’t see through her?
She coolly tossed the phone aside and hugged her quilt to sleep.
Ten minutes later.
Chu Zhaoqiu heard the sound of the bedroom door opening.
Then footsteps.
And then, her shoulder was gently poked twice with a finger.
She opened her eyes.
Fu Lianxue was standing by the sofa, looking at her.
Their eyes met.
The next second, Fu Lianxue turned and walked back towards the bedroom without saying a word.
Chu Zhaoqiu understood, smiling as she got up and walked towards the door that was waiting for her to close it.
Playing pitiful is quite useful after all, at least it can soften the heart of a powerful great demon.
Inside the bedroom, Fu Lianxue tucked herself into the quilt, thinking quite coldly: I let her come back to sleep not because I like her, but just because I pitied her!
That’s right, exactly. Chu Zhaoqiu should thank me for my mercy!
Guo Qin went out again to set up her stall.
Expenses had been a bit high these past few days, and the family depended entirely on her income. She couldn’t afford to stay home indefinitely without earning money.
Liu Guohui had also somewhat recovered from the severed finger incident these past few days; he could manage on his own.
Niu Niu again proposed going out with her mother to the stall.
Compared to her alcoholic, abusive, and currently somewhat mentally unstable father, she preferred to stay by her mother’s side.
This time, Guo Qin took her along without hesitation.
Liu Guohui might cut his own finger when drunk; who knew what else he might do?
Niu Niu was her everything; she couldn’t leave her child alone with such a person.
Once they left, the house instantly felt empty, leaving only Liu Guohui sitting alone in the living room watching TV.
The people in the opposite building were also gradually withdrawing.
Under the cover of night, the room quickly emptied. Even the Little Heaven’s Eye perched on Liu Guohui’s window fluttered its wings and left.
The Chu Family seemed to have given up their stakeout.
Fu Lianxue was at home, strumming her guitar and writing music.
Baobao came into the music room carrying its little toy to keep her company.
Such a clingy little cat; even when Mama was working, it had to stay nearby.
One moment it brought a small stuffed doll, the next a cat teaser wand. After a while, it even dragged in its favorite cat bed, like it was moving house.
Seeing this, Fu Lianxue put down her guitar and smilingly designated an empty space for its things.
She pointed at the cat bed and asked, “Why did our Baobao even bring this in?”
Baobao stood at the doorway and meowed at her, as if saying: Don’t worry about what the kitty does; let the kitty take whatever it wants!
Then it turned and ran out again, seemingly not finished fetching things.
Fu Lianxue simply sat and watched it run back and forth.
She suddenly thought her next album should include a song for her little cat.
As she was thinking, she saw her little cat walk in carrying something wooden.
It looked very familiar, a thin strip, just like… a hairpin.
Realizing this, she snatched the hairpin from the cat’s mouth and took a look—it really was Chu Zhaoqiu’s hairpin.
“Ya, Fu Baobao,” she poked Baobao’s nose in surprise, “Why did you secretly snatch Elder Sister’s hairpin? Are you a little rascal3?”
Then she looked at the wooden hairpin in her hand again.
“This Chu surname is such an idiot4, forgetting to take her hairpin.”
What to do? Should she send it over to her?
As she pondered, Baobao jumped onto her lap, snatched the hairpin back, and tucked it into its cat bed.
The bright moon hung high, clouds drifting gently across the sea of sky.
Time crept silently towards midnight. The lights of countless homes5 extinguished one by one; it was time to sleep.
Liu Guohui grew bored watching TV.
He yawned, reached out to turn off the television, and prepared to get up and go to bed.
The living room connected to the kitchen, and his gaze deliberately avoided the kitchen, just as he forced himself not to look at the empty space on his left hand.
Even if some things were in the past, fear still lingered in his heart.
However, this didn’t stop his hands from itching.
He scratched his neck idly.
Being stuck at home for so many days, unable to do anything, was about to make him sick from boredom.
Tomorrow, tomorrow he absolutely had to go out and have some fun!
Having planned his activities for tomorrow, he even looked forward to sleeping.
But on the rooftop of the tall building opposite his home, a solitary, cold red figure stood in a place he couldn’t see.
—She had arrived.
The red-clothed female ghost stood under the moon, black hair, red robes, a severed finger on her left hand, her expression icy cold.
Her eyes, hidden behind strands of black hair, slowly turned, looking towards the room where the Chu disciples had previously stayed.
Then, they slowly shifted towards Liu Guohui’s home.
That man, that detestable thing who had luckily survived her grasp, was currently yawning and leisurely walking towards his room.
How carefree he is.
No matter, she would soon send him into eternal sleep.
Let him sleep his fill.
This time, absolutely no one would come to save him—he must die!
The icy night wind scraped past her ears; intense hatred blinded her eyes. Her red robes rustled; every step taken was laden with countless drops of blood and tears.
She hated that face.
She wanted to tear him apart, she wanted him dead… She wanted him dead!!!
Overwhelming killing intent6 made her eager to take a step forward.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew fiercely past the hem of her robes, as if trying to stop her advance.
She suddenly sensed another power clearly within the wind. As if sensing something, she turned around—
A long-haired woman who had appeared out of thin air stood under the moonlight, gazing at her.
A hairpin was tucked diagonally into the woman’s mass of black hair, its white tassels swaying gently, like silver threads transformed from moonlight.
Under the bright white moonlight, the woman’s skin was as white as snow.
“You’re very patient,” the woman’s lips parted and closed, “and also very impatient.”
The red-clothed female ghost’s expression tightened; she suddenly understood.
“You withdrew deliberately to lure me out.”
Chu Zhaoqiu smiled faintly, not denying it.
She looked at the vicious ghost before her, whose red robes fluttered, feeling neither surprise nor fear.
“We finally meet, Fingerless Madam.”
The author has something to say:
Baobao: It’s all mine! Meow meow meow meow! Meow!
Saw comments praising me, so happy =v=
LP: I noticed earlier that I mistranslated the red ghost’s title. It should have been ‘Severed Finger Lady/Madam’. I’ll stick to ‘Fingerless Madam’ for now and edit this in the future.
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