The Crazy Fox Demon Devours My Heart - Chapter 5
The group followed Hu Yan to the resting place. Along the way, several demons stirred restlessly.
But once they saw the person walking at his side, it was as if mice had spotted a cat. They scattered in panic, all their earlier arrogance vanishing without a trace.
Qingyu was puzzled. Fuyin leaned closer and whispered,
“Princess, Aunt Lin said this Young Master Hu is a cultivator. No wonder he’s so powerful… and so handsome.”
A cultivator… no wonder the demons feared him.
Seeing Fuyin’s expression, Qingyu curved her lips in amusement.
“He is handsome. Don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to him?”
Fuyin stamped her foot, blushing.
“Princess, you’re teasing me!”
Hu Yan’s ears were sharp—he naturally heard every word.
She praised my looks… surely that means she likes me…
At last, they arrived at the inn. It looked nothing like an ordinary inn—lavish and grand, even the servants were dressed more finely than young noblemen in the human world.
As soon as Hu Yan stepped inside, a servant came hurrying up.
“Young Master, what are your orders?”
“For the next two days, no other guests are to be received. These here are my honored guests. Treat them well.”
The servant bowed repeatedly, promising to obey.
Qingyu found it strange how these people listened to him so obediently.
Hu Yan caught the doubt in her eyes and explained,
“This inn belongs to my family. You may rest here without worry.”
So it was his family’s business—no wonder.
Once inside her room, a sharp pain prickled in Qingyu’s palm. She hadn’t noticed it earlier in the chaos, but now in the stillness, it became unbearable.
A knock sounded on the door. When she opened it, it was him.
“Young Master, what is it?”
Hu Yan held medicine and bandages in his hands.
“You’re injured.”
Qingyu glanced at the wound in her palm and shook her head.
“A small cut, it’s nothing. You needn’t trouble yourself.”
“No. It must be treated.”
Hu Yan walked straight in, placed the items on the table, and sat down. He stared at her intently, waiting for her to come over.
Qingyu had no choice but to sit.
When he reached for her hand to apply medicine, she quickly drew back.
“Thank you for your kindness, Young Master. Just leave it there—I’ll have someone tend to it later.”
Before she could finish, Hu Yan seized her wrist, pulling her hand toward him.
A flicker of pain crossed his eyes as he studied the wound.
Lowering his head, he blew gently over the cut.
Qingyu’s palm tingled, a mix of soreness and itchiness—like countless tiny ants crawling across her skin.
That familiar, refreshing lotus fragrance drifted once again.
The more she inhaled, the dizzier she felt, as though she’d drunk fine wine.
Her vision blurred; his flawless, alluring face drew nearer, long lashes casting shadows.
In a haze, his features leaned close. A faint, cool touch brushed her forehead, light as a dragonfly’s wings.
Qingyu instinctively touched her brow—it tickled.
But when she blinked again, everything was as before. Nothing had happened. Perhaps it was only an illusion.
Hu Yan lifted his gaze, his eyes deep and vast like the night sky.
Without pause, his fingers took a bit of ointment and gently spread it over her delicate skin, carefully tracing the wound.
At the first touch, Qingyu let out a soft gasp.
Her body trembled, her mind snapping clear. She tried to withdraw her hand, but his grip was iron-strong.
“The medicine isn’t done yet.”
Not until the salve was evenly applied and the wound neatly bandaged did he finally let go.
By then, a fine sheen of sweat had formed on Qingyu’s brow.
“Why are you sweating so much?” Hu Yan reached to wipe it away.
Qingyu flinched back, uneasy.
“Thank you, Young Master. You may leave now.”
After he left, Qingyu pressed her forehead. She felt as if she had lost herself, as if bewitched.
What is wrong with me?
Her behavior just now was far too out of character.
Thinking back, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this Young Master Hu was too strange.
Shaking her head, she tried to convince herself it was only her imagination.
Next door—
“Have you found out?”
A man’s voice, cool and sharp like a spring deep within a frozen forest, made one’s back go cold just to hear it.
Cang Ya replied,
“The demons who caused trouble today seemed to be targeting the princess. But I still don’t know who sent them.”
Hu Yan stared into his cup of amber tea. Though the surface was still, ripples spread wildly without cause.
If he hadn’t arrived in time today, she might have been hurt.
A sharp crack split the air—the teacup shattered, fragments scattering across the table, scalding tea spilling everywhere.
Cang Ya’s breath caught. He glanced up at Hu Yan’s darkened expression.
The Young Master is angry…
“Find out.”
Cang Ya pulled a face. I’d like to—but you killed all the demons yourself. Not a single one left alive. How am I supposed to find clues?
Of course, he dared not say this aloud. He could only bow his head.
“Yes, Young Master. But please, make it easier on me this time.”
He rubbed his sore backside, grumbling,
“My rear was nearly beaten raw by the elders. They were furious when they found out you snuck out again. Many demons were punished. We all know you miss the princess, but isn’t she coming to the demon realm in just a few days? Why are you in such a rush to guard her?”
Cang Ya eyed Hu Yan’s attire, rolling his eyes silently.
“And to dress yourself up so extravagantly…”
One glance from Hu Yan silenced him instantly.
“The books say mortal women like this kind of appearance. I only wanted her to think better of me.”
His voice dropped, almost a whisper.
“That way… she’ll like me a little more.”
Cang Ya nearly dropped his jaw. He had never seen the Young Master like this before.
“Heavens above… My lord, women across the demon realm already swoon over you. You’re always untouchable, above them all. But in front of the princess—you’re like a different person.”
“Still, I must admit, after seeing the princess today… the two of you do look well-matched.”
Hu Yan’s eyes lit up, brimming with laughter.
“We are naturally a perfect match.”
Late at night, the moon shone bright and the stars sparse.
Moonlight filtered through the small window, illuminating the beautiful yet demonic face hidden in the shadows.
The dark figure lingered at the bedside, unwilling to leave, gaze clinging with obsession.
Cool fingers stroked again and again over the sleeping girl’s furrowed brows.
On the bed, the beauty’s brows knit tightly, lips pressed thin, hands clutching the blanket as if in fear.
Qingyu tossed uneasily in her sleep, plagued by endless nightmares.
In her dreams, hideous demons with gaping maws chased her relentlessly, eager to flay her and tear her apart, to swallow her whole.
She ran and ran—until a familiar fragrance wafted through the dream.
That scent soothed her heart. She turned her head, and the monsters were gone.
At dawn, Qingyu awoke, half reclining on the bed. The fragrance from her dream seemed to linger faintly in the air.
She massaged her temples. Am I going mad…?
The bandages on her hand had somehow loosened.
The wound, which had been bleeding only yesterday, was completely healed—her palm smooth, unmarked.
Such miraculous medicine…
After breakfast, Qingyu decided to take a walk through Fuguang Town.
But before she could step outside, Aunt Lin blocked her way.
“The demon clan will come to fetch the bride the day after tomorrow. Please remain in the inn, Princess, lest anything happen. I could never bear the responsibility.”
Qingyu studied her coldly, mind racing. She had to leave today.
If she didn’t, how could she pass on her message?
They wanted her to sit and wait for her fate. She would never let them have their way.
She knew better than anyone what the people in the palace were like.
There was no way she believed that once she entered the demon realm, they would release her nurse.
Most likely, the moment she stepped inside, her nurse would be executed.
Determined, Qingyu tried to push past. Aunt Lin and her attendants blocked the doorway, refusing to yield.
Just as the standoff grew tense, Hu Yan approached with unhurried steps, Cang Ya at his side with a blade in hand.
“If the lady wishes to take a walk, I can accompany her. I know this town well. With me, no harm will come to her.”
Qingyu cast him a glance, then turned to Aunt Lin.
“I am going out today. You may try to stop me if you can.”
Aunt Lin’s face twisted with difficulty. After a long pause, she relented.
This princess had always been full of tricks. If they forced her to stay, there would be no peace.
Besides—her nurse was still in their hands. She wouldn’t dare truly run.
After Qingyu and Hu Yan left, Aunt Lin, still uneasy, ordered a team to follow closely behind.