“…Don’t talk for now, let me catch my breath,” Tao Yu gasped, pressing her forehead, unable to think clearly for a long time. Being shot in the head was quick, without feeling pain before being ejected from the world, but it didn’t mean she was psychologically unaffected by such a death.
The butler stood nearby, worried. Fortunately, Tao Yu professionally managed her emotions, quickly overcoming the fear of death, and calmly looked at the butler: “This alternate personality is somewhat awakened. Those alternate personalities were also killed by him. Now he’s discovered that I might harm him, so I was ejected from the world.”
As a professional, she refused to describe the undignified method of her ejection.
The butler frowned: “What should we do?”
“Since he’s the murderer, his safety is not a concern, and there’s no longer such time pressure. He hasn’t fully awakened. As long as we ensure Mr. Yue remains sufficiently sedated and doesn’t wake up before I resolve him, he won’t be able to compete for control of the body,” Tao Yu explained.
The butler slightly relaxed: “So there’s still a way?”
Tao Yu recalled the river lantern she left him, and a slight smile formed: “Of course. At least I now know all his cards. Next time I enter his world, I’ll be the one in control.
What’s wrong with me, an old lady? Our granddaughter is absolutely stunning. If we introduce her to the city lord, he will definitely like her and might even marry her as a concubine!” the old lady said indignantly.
Tao Yu blinked, somewhat curious about how Yue Linze would explain her disappearance. It should be a disappearance, right? She had entered the spiritual world through brainwaves, and was only a spiritual body. After being shot dead, her body would not remain for long and would likely disappear quickly.
The city lord’s wife was neither alive nor dead. She wondered how the city lord had handled it – whether he had set up a memorial tablet or used some other excuse.
The two people under the roof beam started talking again. Tao Yu quickly pulled back her wandering thoughts and listened carefully—
“Why can’t you let it go? If our granddaughter is so wonderful, what kind of son-in-law can’t we find? Why must it be the city lord? You don’t even know his current situation,” the old man said anxiously.
The old lady glared at him: “What are you shouting about? Do you think all men in the world are as good as the city lord? His wife has been gone for almost four years, and he hasn’t remarried. This shows he’s sensible and kind, just unlucky to have encountered someone of poor character.”
Tao Yu raised an eyebrow, not expecting Yue Linze to use such a reason. So she was shot in the head, and on top of that, labeled as a fickle woman? This kid is quite vicious!
“Shh!” the old man suddenly said sternly, “If others hear this, what would people think! The city lord most hates people talking about his family’s private matters.”
The old lady pursed her wrinkled lips, lowering her voice: “She’s already gone, so she’s no longer part of the family. You know how much people in Wuhuan City hate her. If she appeared in front of me, I would definitely hit her with my walking stick!”
The old lady waved her walking stick, and Tao Yu involuntarily shrank her neck. She didn’t expect Yue Linze to have stirred up such hatred among the people. It seemed she needed to be careful this time. If even an old lady was so furious, what would happen if she met a young supporter of the city lord?
“Anyway, don’t interfere. I must see the city lord today and help arrange a match for our granddaughter,” the old lady said, supporting herself with her walking stick and wobbling outside.
The old man, seeing her stubbornness, snorted and followed her, saying, “You know what the city lord is like now. Besides, he already has Miss Niannian. How could he have any thoughts of remarrying?”
“What about Miss Niannian? I don’t believe she would object to the city lord remarrying!” the old lady retorted.
The old man grew increasingly angry and stopped trying to persuade her, following her out with grumbling sounds. The temple was left with only Tao Yu.
She hugged the roof beam in a daze for a while before suddenly coming to her senses, with her first thought being: Who is Miss Niannian? Does he have a new love?!
After the shock, she thought it might be possible. This alternate personality wasn’t one to follow conventional paths. Maybe after killing her, he found someone new… But wait, if he had a new love, why would the old lady still want to introduce him to someone? Perhaps Miss Niannian’s relationship with him wasn’t what she initially thought.
Tao Yu’s eyes gradually narrowed. It better not be what she was thinking. Although healing his resentment was her ultimate goal, she didn’t take that bullet for nothing. He should pay some price.
Since nothing could threaten the alternate personality’s life, and he showed no signs of awakening, she would seek revenge first and then return to her work.
With this plan taking shape in her mind, Tao Yu collected her thoughts and looked at the ground still some distance away, seriously considering how to get down from here.
After thinking for a long time without a solution, she finally untied her waistband and tied it to the roof beam, sliding down. However, halfway through, her arm strength failed, and she fell, hitting the ground with her bottom. The moment she landed, she felt a pain that seemed to shatter her entire body, involuntarily letting out a pitiful ‘ji’ cry.
Before she could recover, footsteps came from outside. Remembering the image of the “city lord’s wife” as a despised outcast, she panicked and quickly crawled under the offering table, using the hanging tablecloth to hide herself completely, listening carefully to the sounds outside.
Soon, the footsteps stopped in front of the offering table. Tao Yu held her breath, watching the blurry silhouette reflected on the tablecloth, momentarily forgetting the pain in her bottom.
Fortunately, the person only lit an incense stick and then returned to the meditation cushion to knock on the wooden fish. Tao Yu sighed in relief, silently hoping he would leave quickly.
However, after a while, not only did he not leave, but another person entered, with a voice that sounded quite young: “Abbot, I’ve sent those two elderly people home and just returned.”
The wooden fish sound stopped, and the person said: “We will be more vigilant in the future and not let these idle people disturb the peace of the Buddhist temple.”
Tao Yu saw through the tablecloth that the person nodded, and the young man turned and left. The wooden fish sound resumed, accompanied by a deep, far-reaching incense that made one feel calm.
Tao Yu, however, felt anything but calm, hoping the person outside would leave quickly so she could escape. Unfortunately, after a long time, the person showed no intention of leaving. If she weren’t afraid of causing public outrage, she would have rushed out immediately.
Fortunately, after a while, the young man ran back, urgently saying: “Abbot, someone from the city lord’s mansion has come. Miss Niannian has a high fever and refuses to take medicine, crying non-stop at home. The steward requests you to return immediately.”
Miss Niannian again? Tao Yu raised an eyebrow.
The wooden fish sound stopped once more, and then the person left. The temple was left with only Tao Yu. She dared not delay, enduring the pain in her bottom, and quietly left the temple, making her way to an uninhabited guest room according to her memory.
Only her waistband remained in the temple, hanging lonely from the beam.
