Chapter 19 A Self-Proclaimed Romantic Jerk

Chapter 19 The Self-Righteous, 'Deeply Devoted' Jerk

For some inexplicable reason, Gu Xifeng actually paid an additional fee and followed them into the villa.

Gu Qingyin mused to herself—dumb and loaded, a potential long-term client.

The moment the three stepped inside, the villa door abruptly slammed shut behind them.

Gu Xifeng startled, turning to stare at the door for a few seconds before tensely facing forward again. He said nothing but instinctively quickened his pace, pressing up against Priest Liu.

Gu Qingyin, bumped by him, grumbled irritably, "If you're this scared, why even come in?"

Gu Xifeng heard her and replied dryly, "I *paid*."

Gu Qingyin considered this and, with dutiful professionalism, rummaged through her satchel before pulling out two talismans and handing them over. "Here, for protection."

Gu Xifeng clutched one in each hand, feeling a wave of relief—only then realizing his back felt cold.

He had sweated from fear, his clothes damp.

Priest Liu cautiously unwrapped the cloth bundle on his back, revealing a sword made of copper coins.

Gu Xifeng kept sneaking glances, finding it weirdly familiar. It took him a moment to recall—he had seen something similar in zombie movies as a child.

Weren’t such things in movies purely fictional? Could there actually be the real thing?

Gu Xifeng then turned to Gu Qingyin. "What about yours?"

"What?" She blinked in confusion.

"For catching ghosts, fighting them—your weapon?"

"Oh, I focus on talismans. No specific ritual tool."

Gu Xifeng mentally labeled them in his mind: Priest Liu was the warrior, Gu Qingyin the mage...

Priest Liu couldn’t help but grin. Gu Qingyin didn’t need a ritual tool—her fists were far more effective, capable of physically purging ghosts with a single punch.

Before Gu Xifeng could say more, a sudden whirlwind erupted in the room, an icy chill instantly engulfing them all. He snapped his mouth shut, pressing closer to Priest Liu while subtly adjusting his position to keep Gu Qingyin behind him.

"What’s her name?" Gu Qingyin asked.

Gu Xifeng hesitated, then choked out the name. "Dai Jingyan."

The moment the name left his lips, the eerie wind in the room intensified, accompanied by shrill wails from all directions. The three were buffeted so fiercely they couldn’t keep their eyes open—missing the sight of the surrounding Yin energy surging backward, revealing a scene that had no right being inside the villa.

When the wind ceased, Gu Xifeng opened his eyes and froze. Staring at the eerily familiar sight before him, his lips trembled as he whispered, "The Dai family courtyard..."

Gu Qingyin and Priest Liu also scanned the area. Ghost domains were common, but one this detailed was rare.

Children chasing and playing in the yard, adults chatting under the trees, the aroma of food wafting from the house—every detail felt chillingly real.

This must have been one of Dai Jingyan’s core memories.

Neither of them made a move. The more they understood about her past, the easier it would be to find the root of her grudge—and ultimately, dispel it.

"Ah!"

A shrill scream drew their attention. Following the sound, they saw a little girl, about four or five years old, sat on the ground, staring up at a slightly older boy.

Gu Xifeng stood frozen.

Gu Qingyin and Liu Ergou immediately recognized that the boy was a young Gu Xifeng. To put it simply, he had grown up in perfect proportion—not a single feature out of place.

The little girl who had fallen was most likely the ruler of this ghost realm, Dai Jingyan.

"I'm sorry..." The little girl picked herself up, her face flushed as she apologized timidly.

Young Gu Xifeng gave a cold snort, glanced down at her, and walked away.

Gu Qingyin: ...What a rude kid!

The next moment, the scene changed. Young Gu Xifeng and little Dai Jingyan had grown slightly older, and their relationship seemed to have improved a bit.

The pair walked toward the courtyard gate with backpacks. Young Gu Xifeng wore a stern expression, while little Jingyan had a beaming smile on her face. She even turned back to wave at her parents standing by the door and cheerfully called out, "Brother Gu agreed to go to school with me!"

Hearing this, young Gu Xifeng, walking ahead, allowed himself a small smile—appearing happy as well.

Through middle school and high school, they grew closer. But just before high school graduation, Gu Xifeng was taken away by several men in suits.

Thus, the childhood sweethearts were torn apart.

On the day Gu Xifeng left, Dai Jingyan stood where they had first met, gazing at the moon and murmuring to herself, "We'll meet again in college..."

But Fate had other plans. When Dai Jingyan arrived at university, she discovered Gu Xifeng had never registered.

Two years later, they met again by chance—only for Dai Jingyan to learn that Gu Xifeng already had a fiancée.

Dai Jingyan put on a brave face, but that night, she drenched her pillow with tears. She wanted to demand answers from Gu Xifeng, but she had no right—they'd never officially been together.

Even though they both knew, deep down, they had once loved each other.

Dai Jingyan resolved to forget Gu Xifeng. She immersed herself in her studies, took on part-time jobs, expanded her social circle... refusing to let herself pause for even a minute.

It worked—she thought about Gu Xifeng less often.

Until the second half of her senior year, when she agreed to go out with an underclassman.

But before she could even enjoy the relationship, on the second day of their time together, she collapsed on the street and was abducted.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in this villa.

And after that came three years of captivity.

Dai Jingyan cried, raged, begged, even attempted suicide... but nothing worked. Gu Xifeng would never let her go.

"Jingyan, I love you. Please, just wait a little longer. Once things stabilize, I’ll divorce her—I’ll marry you."

Gu Xifeng always acted so tender and sorrowful.

Eventually, Dai Jingyan grew quiet. She stopped crying, stopped resisting.

When Gu Xifeng visited, she played the part of a dutiful wife awaiting her husband’s return, attending to his every need.

When he wasn’t around, she would sit in one spot, staring out the window—sometimes for an entire day without realizing it.

That period became their most peaceful time together.

Grown complacent, Gu Xifeng let his guard down. And finally, Dai Jingyan found her chance—she ended her life with poison.

Dai Jingyan was seeking release, but before she could even reincarnate, she was captured by the Celestial Master hired by Gu Xifeng and imprisoned once again.

Dai Jingyan was going insane, and she couldn’t help but begin to resent everything.

She resented their childhood encounter, the young infatuation of their youth, her own inability to let go—but most of all, she resented Gu Xifeng’s self-righteous devotion.

Dai Jingyan had known for a long time.

Gu Xifeng didn’t truly love her. What he loved was the version of himself who had pined for her helplessly in his youth, the version humiliated by an arranged marriage, the version whose ambitions grew after tasting wealth and power.

To put it bluntly, Dai Jingyan was just a prop—a means for Gu Xifeng’s defiance and self-validation.

Then came the sight of Dai Jingyan, her eyes crimson, completely consumed by resentment.

The villa returned to normal, and Dai Jingyan’s figure slowly took shape, her emotionless red eyes fixed unwaveringly on Gu Xifeng.

By now, Gu Xifeng was weeping openly.

Only upon looking back did he realize just how cruel he had been.