Chapter 5: Li Fan
1179 Words
Everything happened so swiftly that I was left stunned. When I turned my head, I found him gazing at me.
His attire was the same as before, exuding an air of nobility. His silver-white short hair made him look like a celestial being, and the bloodstains on his shoulder were gone, seemingly healed.
He looked at me with a hint of amusement in his eyes and teased, "What? Did you stay here specifically to wait for me?"
I nodded, feeling a bit too shy to meet his gaze.
Initially, I wasn’t afraid of him at all, especially since he had saved me. I was grateful to him. However, after what Grandma and Mrs. Qin said today, fear started creeping into my heart.
He noticed my emotions, furrowed his brows, and squatted down to look me in the eye. "Bai Ci, are you afraid of me?"
In the dim light of the room, I thought I saw a flash of hurt in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
Before I could answer, he continued, "You shouldn't fear me. I would never harm you, nor let you come to harm, because..."
"Because of what?" I instinctively asked.
He chuckled softly, took my wrist, and revealed a tattoo. "Because we share one life."
I was taken aback, not quite understanding what he meant.
"Bai Ci, you should know, your life expectancy is only a few months. Twenty years ago, you should have died. Yet, you’ve lived until now. Guess whose life you’ve been using all these years?"
I was speechless, feeling as though my years of learning were wasted, my worldview shattered.
According to him, I should have died long ago. The reason I’ve grown up is because I’ve been living on his life.
So, the person who gave me the bracelet back then was him. He willingly shared his life with me, which means if the bracelet is removed, I would die.
But... why?
He spoke softly, "Bai Ci, humans have a saying: 'Gratitude should be repaid.' My life wasn’t given to you for nothing. You’ve grown up using my life, and now it’s time for you to repay that debt."
My breathing grew heavy, and I realized Mrs. Qin was right.
My father killed his wife, so naturally, he bore a grudge against my family. He wouldn’t just give me so many years of life for no reason.
Panic surged within me. How was I supposed to repay him? Marry him or let him use my body for his wife’s rebirth? I’d rather marry him; at least I’d survive.
Seeing my hesitation, he suddenly laughed. "Bai Ci, you don’t think I’m here to ask you to marry me or to use your body to resurrect my wife, do you?"
Me: ...
Damn! Can he read minds? How did he guess so accurately?
He found my reaction amusing. "Don’t overthink it, little girl. Your beauty is not even a fraction of hers. If I really resurrected her using your body, she’d probably be furious with me."
I rolled my eyes. Throughout my life, people have praised my beauty, but he’s the first to say I’m not good enough.
However, his teasing reduced my fear, making me dare to look him in the eye.
Ignoring my displeasure, he walked into the kitchen and returned with the failed dish I had made.
He raised an eyebrow. "Is this prepared for me?"
I covered my face, thinking our plan was ruined. Our lives were linked; if he died, I wouldn't survive either. So why poison him?
Realizing this, I quickly grabbed the bowl from him and dumped its contents into the trash.
“What’s this all about?” His gaze was intense, as if awaiting my explanation.
Resigned to my fate, I lowered my head like a lamb to the s*******r.
He gently tousled my hair and softened his voice. "Bai Ci, your elders have committed wrongs, and this karma has been sown. The debts they owe, it’s only right you repay them."
Seeing my silence, he continued, "Your father killed my wife. By rights, I could have slaughtered your entire family, but I didn’t want to ruin my cultivation. So, I chose to share my life with you, letting you repay the debt."
I was moved, awarding him an imaginary 'Good Fox' card.
He lost his wife and yet remained calm and willing to talk with me. He was indeed a kind-hearted fox, the likes of which I had never seen before.
After pondering, I asked, "Since my life is borrowed from you, how can I find another life to repay you?"
Patiently, he explained, "It’s about merit. You’ll need to accumulate merit for me. Once you’ve gathered enough merit equivalent to a life, your debt will be repaid."
I thought for a moment and asked, "Once I’ve earned enough merit, will you let me go?"
“Of course,” he said. “Our grievances will be settled, and you won’t have any reason to stay by my side.”
I chuckled. Who gave him such confidence?
Why would I want to stay with him just because he’s a fox spirit?
Watching him for a while, I suddenly recalled something. “A few days ago, did you do something to make my mom call me home to meet you? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have let me come back alone.”
He seemed puzzled. “What?”
I took out my phone to show him the chat history. Every message was there, except the two from my mom telling me to come home.
Frantic to prove myself, I called my mom, who denied ever sending those messages or receiving any from me during that time.
I was utterly bewildered. Did I return home because of a message that never existed?
Seeing my confusion, he said, "I’ve always been by your side. I didn’t need to trick you into coming home to see me."
I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say.
He walked over, cradling my face. “And, little girl, you’ve been marked. The fire at your aunt and cousin’s memorial wasn’t my doing. Someone wants you dead.”
“What?” This time, I was the one who didn’t understand. “Who’s after me? Who wants me dead?”
He shook his head uncertainly. “It might be him, or it might not.”
I blinked, waiting for him to elaborate, but he just pushed me towards the door.
“Leave for school at first light and don’t stay in this village any longer.”
“Alright, but who is this 'he'?” I had classes the day after tomorrow and couldn’t stay home much longer, but my curiosity was piqued. I needed to know.
He looked at me sternly. “Bai Ci, there are things better left unknown. The more you know, the quicker you’ll die.”
I murmured assent, suddenly realizing I didn’t even know his name. Before I could ask, he told me.
“My name is Li Fan. Little girl, I hope we can work well together.”
- Writer
