Chapter 5: Li Fan

Chapter 5: Li Fan

Everything happened so swiftly that I was left stunned. By the time I turned my head, I found him looking directly at me.

He was dressed just as he was the last time, exuding an air of nobility from head to toe. His silver-blonde short hair gave him an ethereal quality, though the bloodstain on his shoulder was gone, suggesting he had recovered.

With a hint of amusement in his voice, he smiled at the corner of his eyes and asked, "Why? Were you waiting here specifically for me?"

I nodded, feeling a little hesitant to meet his gaze.

Initially, I wasn't afraid of him at all. On top of that, he had saved my life, so I was grateful to him. But after listening to Grandma Qin and Grandma, I began to feel apprehensive again.

Perceiving my unease, he frowned and crouched down to look me in the eye. "Bai Ci, are you afraid of me?"

The room was dimly lit, and it might have been my imagination, but I thought I saw a fleeting hint of hurt in his eyes, which he quickly concealed.

Before I could respond, he continued, "There's no need for you to be afraid. I won't harm you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you, because..."

"Because what?" I instinctively probed further.

He chuckled softly and gently pulled up my wrist, revealing the tattoo to me. "Because we share the same life."

I was taken aback, not quite grasping his meaning.

"Bai Ci, you should know that your lifespan is only a few months long. Two decades ago, you should have passed away. Yet, you've managed to live until now. Can you guess whose lifespan you've been borrowing all these years?"

Speechless, I felt as if my years of education had been wasted, my worldview shattered into pieces.

According to him, I should have died a long time ago. My growth and survival were sustained by his life force.

So, the person who sent me the bracelet was actually him. He willingly shared his lifespan with me, which meant that I would die once the bracelet was removed.

But... why?

He spoke in a haunting tone, "Bai Ci, there's an old saying among humans – one must repay kindness. My lifespan wasn't given to you for free. You've grown using my life force, so now it's your turn to repay the favor."

My breaths grew heavy. As predicted by Grandma Qin, this was all tied back to my father's actions.

Back then, my father killed his wife, so naturally, he held a grudge against my family. It couldn't have been out of sheer benevolence that he offered me those extra years of life.

My heart was pounding wildly. What kind of repayment did he want? To become his wife or to use my body for his wife's resurrection? Frankly, I leaned more towards the first option, at least it guaranteed my survival.

Seeing my hesitation, he suddenly chuckled. "Bai Ci, you don't think that I came here today to ask for your hand in marriage or to resurrect my wife using your body, do you?"

I was speechless...

Damn!

Does he have mind-reading abilities? How could he guess so accurately?

Spotting my embarrassment, he wore a teasing smile. "Stop imagining things, young lady. Your beauty is but a fraction of hers. If I were to really use your body to revive her, she'd probably be angry with me."

I rolled my eyes at him. People had been praising my appearance since I was little; he was the first to say otherwise.

But his provocation lessened my fear significantly. At least, I now dared to look him in the eye.

Disregarding my dissatisfaction, he walked into the kitchen on his own accord. When he returned, he held a bowl of my failed attempt at cooking.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you prepare this for me?"

I covered my face, thinking that our plan was utterly ruined. Our lives were intertwined; if he were to die, I wouldn't be able to survive either. Then why would I poison him in the first place?

Upon this realization, I promptly snatched the bowl from his hand and promptly emptied its contents into the trash bin.

"What is this all about?" He gazed at me intently, as if eagerly awaiting my response.

At this point, I am but a lamb delivered to the tiger's jaws, utterly at his mercy. There is no use in protest; I resign myself and bow my head in acceptance.

He ruffled my hair, his voice softening. "Bai Ci, your elders have made mistakes, and thus the seeds of karmic retribution have been sown. It's only natural that you would repay the debts they owe."

Noticing my silence, he continued, "Your father took the life of my wife. In fairness, I could have slaughtered your entire family, but I don't wish to tarnish my path. Therefore, I offer to share my lifespan with you, allowing you to repay your debt."

His kindness moved me, and I immediately bestowed upon him a compliment, likening him to a noble fox.

Despite the loss of his wife, he remained composed and able to speak calmly with me. He was truly remarkable – the best fox I had ever encountered.

After some thought, I asked him, "If my lifespan is borrowed from you, where can I find another life to repay you?"

He patiently explained, "It's through virtue. You will need to accumulate virtue for me in the future. Once you've gathered enough virtue to equal the value of a life, your debt will be considered repaid."

I pondered for a moment before asking him, "Will you let me go when I've accumulated enough merit?"

"Of course," he replied. "Our debts will be settled by then, and there's no way you could cling to me."

I laughed. Where did he get such confidence?

Why would he assume that I would cling to him just because he was a fox spirit?

Staring at him for a while, something suddenly occurred to me. "Oh, right. A few days ago, did you manipulate things so that my mom called me back home to meet you? Otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed me to come back on my own."

He seemed puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

I reached for my phone, ready to show him the chat logs. All other records were there, but I couldn't find the two messages from my mother.

Anxious to prove my innocence, I called her. Upon hearing my explanation, she immediately denied it.

On the phone, my mother claimed that she had never sent me any message asking me to come home, nor did she receive any calls or messages from me during that period.

I was utterly confused. Had I returned home eagerly over a nonexistent message?

Observing me fiddle with my phone for a moment, he said, "I've always been by your side. There was no need for you to come back to the village just to see me."

I opened my mouth, unsure of how to respond.

He stepped around to face me and cupped my cheeks. "And, young lady, someone has their eyes on you. The fire at your aunt's and cousin's memorial hall wasn't arranged by me. Someone wants you dead."

"Ah?" This time, I was the one confused. "Who's watching me, and who wants me dead?"

He shook his head, uncertain. "It could be it, or it might not be."

I blinked, waiting for him to elaborate, but instead, he gently pushed me away.

"Return to school as soon as the day breaks, the sooner the better. In any case, you can't stay in this village."

"I see, but who is this 'he' you're talking about?" I had classes the day after tomorrow and couldn't afford to linger in my hometown anyway. Still, his words piqued my curiosity, leaving me eager to learn more.

He looked at me intently. "Bai Ci, there are some things it's better for you not to know. The more you know, the quicker your end may come."

I let out an 'oh', suddenly realizing that I still didn't know his name. Before I could ask, he anticipated my question.

"I am Li Fan, young lady. I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."