Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 37

Hearing a rustling sound, Shen Su glanced toward the yard.

Sister-in-law Lin’s yard was enclosed by a bamboo fence, forming a small courtyard. The yard wasn’t large, but along the edges, she had planted rows of tender, verdant vegetables that were thriving.

The rustling sounds came from outside the gate. The bamboo fence, barely reaching Shen Su’s shoulder, revealed a small, shuffling figure outside. She could only glimpse wisps of silver-white hair trembling in the sunlight, identifying the figure as an elderly woman.

The old woman moved slowly along the fence, gradually approaching the main gate. Her movements were sluggish and clumsy, the fabric of her clothes brushing against the bamboo with faint scraping sounds.

Shen Su quickly scanned the area outside the gate, but her gaze suddenly locked onto a pair of eyes, sending a chill straight to her scalp.

Hidden in the wide gap between the gate and the fence, the eyes were gray-white, filled with wariness and malice. They resembled those of a cold-blooded viper, coiled and waiting for the perfect moment to strike and sever her throat.

Frowning, Shen Su set down her needlework in Sister-in-law Lin’s small basket of sewing supplies. She strode to the table, scooped the rabbit into her arms, and mentally probed the thumb ring, searching for the Golden Sword.

Wei Nanyi was still pondering the Little Mountain Bandits and the strange aspects of the village when she was suddenly tucked back into Shen Su’s soft embrace. She immediately reacted, “Miss Shen, what’s wrong?”

“Someone’s outside!”

Shen Su didn’t deliberately lower her voice, so Wei Nanyi heard her, as did Sister-in-law Lin.

Wiping the lingering marks from her eyes, Sister-in-law Lin rose from her chair and smoothed the hem of her robe, her voice gentle and reassuring. “Don’t be afraid, Miss Shen. It’s probably just someone from the village. Our people are kind and warm-hearted. They’ll be happy to see you.”

Whether Sister-in-law Lin genuinely believed this or was simply brainwashed by the Immortal Fragrance, a faint smile bloomed on her face as she spoke of the villagers.

If Shen Su hadn’t overheard the village men gossiping about Sister-in-law Lin earlier, she might have taken her heartfelt praise at face value.

Still unfamiliar with the village’s secrets and the full effects of the Immortal Fragrance, Shen Su hesitated to warn Sister-in-law Lin about the men’s scheming. She doubted the woman would believe her anyway.

Glancing at the darkening sky, Shen Su decided to wait until nightfall to secretly investigate the village.

Her silence prompted Sister-in-law Lin to offer further reassurances.

“Miss Shen…” Sister-in-law Lin began, but Shen Su cut her off, pointing toward the courtyard gate. “Sister-in-law, why don’t you go see who’s there? They might have something important to tell you!”

Shen Su deliberately raised her voice, ensuring the person outside could hear.

Sister-in-law Lin twisted the hem of her robe. “You’re right, Miss Shen. I should go see. They might have something important to tell me!”

She smiled brightly in agreement, yet made no move to leave. When she glanced toward the gate, a flicker of confusion and resistance flashed in her eyes. Her grip on the robe hem tightened, nearly tearing the fabric, but she remained rooted in place, as if paralyzed by fear.

Shen Su noticed everything. She gently pressed Sister-in-law Lin’s arm. “Sister-in-law, let me go check for you.”

Sister-in-law Lin smiled and clasped Shen Su’s hand, pulling her back behind her. “Oh, no, that won’t do. They’re definitely here for me.”

Standing behind Sister-in-law Lin, Shen Su gazed at her slender back, at the slight tremor in her spine betraying her unease. Her gaze lowered slightly.

Sister-in-law Lin was truly kind. Though her memories were fragmented and incomplete, her subconscious fear of the villagers persisted. Yet when Shen Su offered to check for her, she refused, instinctively protecting Shen Su.

The person outside the courtyard gate, likely realizing they’d been discovered and fearing Sister-in-law Lin’s delay might arouse Shen Su’s suspicions, hurriedly called out, “Ruan… Xiao Lin, it’s your aunt! I’ve brought you Immortal Fragrance.”

“Immortal Fragrance?” Hearing the mention of incense, Sister-in-law Lin immediately went outside.

Her eyes were vacant, like those of a wooden puppet. As if her limbs were being manipulated, she passively reached for the so-called Immortal Fragrance.

Strange, so strange!

Shen Su quickly followed Sister-in-law Lin, deliberately staying a few steps behind. She waited until Sister-in-law Lin reached the gate, pulled it open, and only then did Shen Su see the elderly couple standing outside.

The old woman had snow-white hair, a petite frame, and a face etched with wrinkles. Her lips were pale, and though she called out to Sister-in-law Lin, her eyes were as hollow as the younger woman’s, her lips moving as if controlled by silver threads. She carried a bamboo basket filled with incense sticks and candles.

The old man appeared even more gaunt and shorter. His face was covered in wrinkles like dried tree bark, and dark circles ringed his eyes. Unlike the old woman, his gaze was not vacant but venomous, filled with malice. These were the snake-like eyes Shen Su had glimpsed earlier.

Sister-in-law Lin opened the door, and Old Madam counted out three sticks of Immortal Fragrance from her basket, handing them to her with earnest instructions: “Xiao Lin, this is your share of the incense. Remember to burn it, or the gods will be displeased.”

How strange!

Old Madam’s tone had clearly changed, yet her eyes remained vacant and lifeless, like those of a puppet.

Sister-in-law Lin, equally wooden, accepted the incense with sluggish movements, mechanically replying, “Auntie, I understand.”

Having delivered the incense, Old Madam turned to leave, but the old man quickly grabbed her arm.

Though gaunt and frail, he possessed an unnerving strength.

Sister-in-law Lin stared blankly at him. “Seventh Uncle, is there something else?”

The old man’s malevolent gaze locked onto Shen Su, his pupils flickering with a faint green light. “Xiao Lin, who is this?”

Her mind clouded, Sister-in-law Lin instinctively shielded Shen Su slightly with her body as she passively answered, “Seventh Uncle, this is Miss Shen Su. She’s passing through and stopped to rest for a few days.”

Seventh Uncle’s expression suddenly turned peculiar. He pushed Sister-in-law Lin aside and scrutinized Shen Su, his long tongue licking his parched lips. “Young lady, you’re quite the beauty.”

Shen Su shuddered with disgust.

A faint purple light flickered in her eyes as her hand, hidden beneath her sleeve, twitched upward. Before she could act, the rabbit in her arms nudged her chest. “Miss Shen, I smell a snake demon. There might be a powerful demon here. We shouldn’t alert it yet.”

A powerful demon.

Given Wei Nanyi’s former strength, anything she considered “powerful” must be truly formidable.

Shen Su withdrew her hand as Wei Nanyi advised, but she didn’t dispel her cultivation technique. The jade pendant she wore concealed her aura, ensuring that even a great demon couldn’t detect her Cultivator status unless she engaged in direct combat. She merely lowered her gaze slightly, concealing her purple-tinged eyes.

Taking two steps forward, she deliberately moved closer to Seventh Uncle.

With the aid of her cultivation technique, she could see a dense black mist coiling around Seventh Uncle’s body, solidifying into strands resembling black ropes binding him. Shifting her stance slightly, she glanced at the Old Madam. No black mist clung to her, but… Shen Su’s lowered head limited her view, preventing her from ruling out the possibility of something else lurking beneath the surface.

Shen Su withdrew her cultivation technique and finally raised her head, taking the initiative to address Seventh Uncle. “Thank you for your praise, Seventh Uncle. You are also quite the handsome and refined gentleman.”

As she spoke these insincere words, Seventh Uncle’s face immediately lit up with a grin, revealing his yellowed, foul-smelling teeth. “The young lady has good taste.”

Seventh Uncle reached out to touch the back of Shen Su’s hand, but Sister-in-law Lin, who was usually slow and clumsy, moved faster. She pulled Shen Su behind her, evading Seventh Uncle’s outstretched hand. Seventh Uncle’s eyes darkened, and his voice turned hoarse and cold. “Xiao Lin, your devotion to the Divine Being is lacking. You’ll need to kowtow several extra times tonight, or the Divine Being will be displeased.”

Warned, Sister-in-law Lin shrank back and quickly agreed. “Seventh Uncle, I understand.”

Seventh Uncle snorted coldly and moved to drag the Old Madam away, but she suddenly gripped the bamboo fence. A flicker of light momentarily pierced her gray, lifeless eyes as she turned to Sister-in-law Lin and urged, “Ruan Yao, after you light the incense, don’t rest in the main hall, do you hear me?”

Hearing the Old Madam’s words, Seventh Uncle’s gaze turned even more venomous. “Shut your mouth!”

He dragged the Old Madam away, but Sister-in-law Lin took a few steps after them. “Auntie,” she called out, “who is Ruan Yao?”

Shen Su watched as Seventh Uncle patted the back of the Old Madam’s hand. The Old Madam’s eyes went blank again, and she murmured, “Ruan Yao… Yes, who is Ruan Yao?”

Even while Sister-in-law Lin had been hesitating in the room, Shen Su had sensed that the Immortal Fragrance couldn’t completely suppress human instincts. That’s why she had deliberately praised the snake-like old man. She could see that despite his age, Seventh Uncle still looked at her with intense greed.

Even if Sister-in-law Lin hadn’t pulled her away, escaping wouldn’t have been difficult.

Having a fallback plan, she had decided to test the waters. The results didn’t disappoint. Not only did it confirm that Sister-in-law Lin was being controlled, but it also revealed that she retained some vestige of her own consciousness. Moreover, the Old Madam’s memories seemed to have been tampered with, her descent into the abyss even deeper than Sister-in-law Lin’s.

What kind of cursed place was this village? What was the Immortal Fragrance? What Divine Being were they referring to? And who was Ruan Yao? Could that be Sister-in-law Lin’s real name?

Wei Nanyi had just been about to mention that she had detected the scent of a snake demon.

Speaking of which, ever since Wei Nanyi had revealed the presence of a powerful snake demon in this place, she hadn’t uttered another word or even moved a muscle. If it weren’t for the weight on her chest and the warmth of the rabbit’s body, Shen Su would have suspected she had suffocated the creature.

Through her clothes, Shen Su gently nudged the little rabbit. Startled, the rabbit instinctively kicked several times against her chest. It didn’t hurt, but… Shen Su carefully extracted the rabbit from her embrace.

She wanted to say to Wei Nanyi, “That was my chest, you know!”

Even though her br3asts weren’t large, they weren’t completely imperceptible, were they? Was this little rabbit doing it on purpose?

Based on her memories from her previous life, she knew some kittens had a habit of kneading their paws against soft surfaces, but she’d never seen a rabbit do it before.

Shen Su was about to scold the rabbit, but when she pulled it out of her arms, she noticed its red eyes were already veiled in a misty haze. The little head was tilted slightly upward, as if trying to hold back tears, looking both stubborn and pitiful.

She deserved to die for even thinking the little rabbit had kicked her on purpose. It was clear the rabbit was upset.

Shen Su stroked the rabbit with one hand and gently rubbed the soft fur on its head with the other, asking softly, “What’s wrong?”

Hearing Shen Su’s voice, full of concern, the little rabbit could no longer hold back its tears. It awkwardly turned its head away, trying to avoid appearing too pathetic in front of Shen Su.

The rabbit’s tears dripped onto the back of Shen Su’s hand, and its beautiful fur flushed red with emotion, making Shen Su’s heart soften even more.

Tilting her head slightly, Shen Su gazed into the rabbit’s crimson eyes and repeated, “What’s wrong?”

“I smell the snake demon’s scent! But that’s impossible—she’s dead!”

“Miss Shen, do you know? I killed her with my own hands! So why is her scent here? Why is this happening?”

“……”

Wei Nanyi had never explicitly told Shen Su about her feud with Jiang An, nor did she expect Shen Su to understand. But Shen Su had read the entire novel; she knew the snake demon Wei Nanyi spoke of was Jiang An’s beloved.

The snake demon’s death had been the catalyst that drove Wei Nanyi to her current predicament. Yet now, Wei Nanyi could smell that very snake demon’s scent in this place.

If the snake demon’s death was a lie, and the Goddess’s fall was real, it would be a devastating truth.

Wei Nanyi wept so violently that her voice trembled, barely coherent. But Shen Su heard her grievances, her anger, and her helplessness. She cradled the rabbit against her chest, her warm embrace offering solace for its pain.

Suddenly, Shen Su chuckled softly, lowering her voice. “Madam, if she’s still alive, we’ll just kill her again, won’t we?”

Shen Su knew her words might sound reckless, but she wasn’t speaking idly. If she dared to say it, she would strive to make it happen, fighting to the death!

Hearing Shen Su’s increasingly irrational words, Wei Nanyi’s tears abruptly stopped. The rabbit’s lips trembled. “No! If she’s truly alive, we must leave immediately! Miss Shen, you’re no match for her. You’re still young, with a long future ahead. You mustn’t die here because of me.”