When My Older Husband Saw the Comments - Chapter 2

I spun around almost at once, hiding the scroll behind my back.

“Weren’t you asleep?”

He caught the guilty look on my face.

“A nightmare woke me. I dreamed you’d fallen for someone else.”

“Xiaoling, that isn’t true, is it?”

I quickly stuffed the scroll into our bundle.

“Of course not… Dreams are the opposite of reality.”

“I’m a little dizzy. I’ll go outside and sober up.”

[Our girl really has fallen in love with Su Qing. She looks so guilty.]

[Could she be planning to use this chance to run away?]

Wen Wuchen suddenly caught hold of me. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

“People come and go from the inn even late at night. There might be someone dangerous.”

As he spoke, his fingertip traced a linking talisman on my palm.

“This way, I’ll know where you are and can keep you safe.”

[He’s clearly afraid she’ll leave him. Listen to him talking about protection with a straight face.]

[Would a stubborn fraud like this fall apart if she dumped him?]

I nodded. “Don’t wait up for me. Get some rest.”

He agreed as though nothing were wrong.

Then he turned and pulled the scroll from our bundle.

At the sight of the young man who looked so much like him, his fingers tightened sharply, nearly shattering the painting with their force.

[Have you finally accepted it, Master Taoist? She really doesn’t like you anymore.]

[Well, who kept pushing her away? Now it’s coming back to bite you. Serves you right!]

[Wait until she takes your brother’s arm and calls you “brother-in-law.” That’ll shut you up.]

“No!”

Wen Wuchen’s voice rose sharply, almost cutting.

“She can’t love someone else!”

Even I, outside the door, jumped.

Wen Wuchen was always calm and sparing with words. I’d never seen him this furious.

[He can actually see us? That’s ridiculous!]

[You always pushed her away when she liked you. Now she’s realized she loves your brother. Isn’t that what you wanted? Why are you panicking?]

Wen Wuchen’s face was pale, his fists clenched.

“I had my reasons…”

Before I could hear the rest, my hand accidentally knocked against the door with a small tap.

A cold voice came from inside. “Who’s there?”

Thinking quickly, I simply pushed the door open.

“It’s me. There was no one outside, so I came back.”

His expression changed. “Did you hear anything just now?”

“No. Why?”

Seeing nothing unusual in my behavior, he relaxed.

“Nothing. We’ll leave Qingzhou tomorrow.”

“We’ll stop in Quzhou. There’s a dragon boat race in a few days; we can stay for a while.”

I nodded eagerly. “Wonderful! I’ve been wanting to see Quzhou’s lovely sights.”

[Lovely sights? More like a lovely man!]

[Old age really does affect the memory. Has he forgotten his brother’s taken up a post in Quzhou? He’s practically delivering his romantic rival to his wife!]

[Once she sees Su Qing, what chance will he have?]

Wen Wuchen immediately changed his tune.

“I’ve just remembered. Quzhou has a water-spirit infestation. We shouldn’t stay there.”

“We’ll take the road to Xuzhou instead.”

But I shook my head.

“You’re a Taoist who slays demons and upholds the Way. If a few evil spirits stop you, wouldn’t that make your reputation an empty boast?”

“It’s settled. Quzhou!”

He watched my excitement, his gaze darkening.

His hand pressed unconsciously harder against the corner of the table. A crack split the tabletop.

It betrayed a madness slipping free of his control.

Quzhou was thriving in the fifth month.

The streets bustled with people.

For a while, I thought the reports of water spirits must have been exaggerated—until I saw the black miasma rising skyward from the river.

Ever since the heavenly dragon clan had opened the Heaven-Reaching Well in the underworld in pursuit of love, evil spirits had grown more numerous over the past two years.

Had I still been the mountain goddess of Mount Fengming, perhaps I could have dealt with them.

But now…

A sudden scream from the bridge brought me back to the present. The townspeople scattered.

“A water spirit! Run!”

A nine-headed serpent burst from the river and lunged toward the end of the bridge.

It snatched up the townspeople and stuffed them into its insatiable, cavernous maw.

Wen Wuchen pressed a hand over mine, his expression grave. “Xiaoling, wait here. I’ll be right back!”

Gripping his wooden sword, he rushed to the bridge in a few swift strides.

The water spirit this time was a nine-headed serpent.

I knew how difficult these creatures were to fight. Wen Wuchen couldn’t subdue it alone. His life would be in danger.

I sprinted to a stall and bought a mirror.

While Wen Wuchen struggled to hold off the black serpent’s fangs, I scrambled onto the bridge railing and leaped.

Light reflected from the mirror stabbed into its principal eye.

“Cut off this head!”

Wen Wuchen was horrified to see me. “It’s dangerous here! Why didn’t you listen—”

The next instant, the enraged serpent gave a furious hiss. Its enormous body began to thrash.

“Quick!” I shouted desperately. “Cut off its main head now! It’ll be too late!”

Behind me, a young man wearing a veiled bamboo hat threw me a sword.

“You do it!”

I struck the nine-headed serpent straight on, splitting its main head in two.

The creature shuddered violently and crashed down.

I fell into the river too.

Splash!

Wen Wuchen immediately jumped in after me, but the remaining heads, writhing in their death throes, entangled him. His brow darkened.

He pulled the gourd from his waist. Golden light blazed from its talismans.

“By the sacred command—be captured!”

Meanwhile, the young man pulled me out.

I coughed up water, opened my eyes, and saw a handsome, familiar face.

I stared.

At last, he coughed, his ears reddening. “You’re on dry land now, miss. You needn’t hold on quite so tightly. I can’t breathe.”

Only then did I awkwardly jump down and thank him.

“I’m sorry. I’m afraid of water.”

Admiration filled his eyes. He brushed the dust from his fallen hat and put it back on.

“Afraid of water, yet willing to risk yourself to rid the people of a menace. What courage!”

“I’m of the Su family of Quzhou. May I ask your surname?”

“Cui, of Jizhou,” I said.

Having captured the water spirit, Wen Wuchen flew to my side.

At the sight of the man in the bamboo hat, he frowned with instinctive dislike, though he still thanked him.

Then he saw the comments.