Becoming the Cannon Fodder Wife of Crazy and Powerful Official - Chapter 44

Xin Dabao could even say with certainty that this woman was definitely not his sister.

Others might not see it, but he knew all too well. Having grown up together, he understood his sister inside out.

If Xin Dabao was a scoundrel, then his sister was nothing but a worthless good-for-nothing.

Xin Siniang was selfish, greedy, lazy, and gluttonous. There was no way she would willingly take care of a paralyzed man.

The fact that she hadn’t cuckolded the cripple already meant she was giving him face.

How could she possibly be so obedient, kneeling on the ground to serve this man?! Absolutely impossible.

Xin Dabao stared in utter shock.

His mind raced, frantically trying to figure out what was going on. Could she have been a twin? Impossible. When Xin Siniang was born, he was already old enough to remember. The midwife had hastily brought a baby girl out of the room, saying their mother had suffered a fatal hemorrhage. He had gone in too; there was no other child.

Could it be a ghost possession?

The thought sent a chill down Xin Dabao’s spine.

Spirits, demons, and wild beasts loved to dwell deep in the mountains to cultivate. No wonder, no wonder they lived in these mysterious hills.

Xin Dabao’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

Shen Qingqi shifted his gaze to Xin Dabao, his eyes gradually darkening. He silently bent down, picked up a shard of broken porcelain, and fixed his sharp eyes on Xin Dabao.

His gaze was filled with murderous intent. He tilted his head slightly, a sinister smile etched on his lips as he stared intently at Xin Dabao.

“You’re not my… AHH!!!”

Just as Xin Dabao began to speak, Shen Qingqi flicked his fingers. The porcelain shard shot straight into Xin Dabao’s throat.

Xin Yueying turned around in horror to see a bloody hole torn open in Xin Dabao’s throat. Blood gushed out like a fountain, spraying several feet away.

Instinctively, Xin Yueying looked at Shen Qingqi, only to find him leaning slightly to the side, calmly observing Xin Dabao’s death throes. Shen Qingqi’s long fingers tapped idly on his wheelchair armrest.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered on his lips.

Xin Dabao’s windpipe must have been severed. Hot blood spurted erratically as he convulsed and trembled. His eyes bulged in agony, gasping for air like a fish out of water. His face quickly turned red, then gradually paled, turning bluish. Finally, the frequency of his convulsions slowed. His head lolled to the side, and he moved no more.

Even though he had stopped moving, blood still trickled out, though with much less force.

Xin Yueying stood up in shock, staring at the bleeding Xin Dabao, then shifted her gaze to Shen Qingqi. “Why did you kill him?”

Shen Qingqi lifted his lips into a soft smile. “He was too noisy.”

“…”

The moonlight was clear and bright, washing over the towering mountains and ridges. The night was deep, and the quiet mountain village had fallen into slumber.

As expected, Xin Yueying found herself once again in this familiar spot with Huo Qi, digging a hole to bury the body.

Xin Yueying stood on the hillside, leaning on her shovel, her back straight. She smiled triumphantly. “Bury him over there! This one doesn’t count towards my tally!”

She pointed towards the right.

Huo Qi, for once, was cooperative and went to dig a hole further away.

Xin Yueying grinned widely. “Well, well, someone’s being awfully quiet today!”

She poked her ears and continued with her sarcastic tone, “I see how it is now. So, if I accidentally kill someone, I get scolded. But if Shen Qingqi kills someone on purpose, certain people just play deaf and dumb.

Tsk tsk, playing favorites—some people have really mastered that.

Tsk tsk, how pathetic.”

Huo Qi looked up at Xin Yueying on the higher ground and retorted defiantly, “Taoist Xin, it seems your cultivation runs deep. You can laugh so merrily even after your own brother died.”

“He was a scumbag; good riddance,” she replied with a cheeky grin.

“Taoist Xin! Next time, if you’re not planning to help, don’t put on a show by bringing a shovel and wandering out here with me!!!” Huo Qi shot her an angry glare.

Xin Yueying bared her teeth in a mischievous laugh, still showing no intention of going over to help.

She asked Huo Qi, “But Huo Qi, don’t you think it’s strange? Shen Qingqi originally said he’d keep him to build our house. Why did he suddenly kill him?”

Huo Qi kept digging, head down. “How would I know? The Second Master has his reasons for everything he does.”

Xin Yueying rubbed her chin. No, something felt off.

Sure, Shen Qingqi was a dark and crazy guy, but he wouldn’t kill someone just for being noisy—that was clearly an excuse.

Xin Yueying replayed the scene in her mind.

She went over Xin Dabao’s last words again and again in her heart:

You’re not my… AHH!!

You’re not my…

Of course, she wasn’t his…

What was Xin Dabao about to say? His tone had been so terrified and agitated. You’re not my… You’re not my…

A thought struck Xin Yueying. You’re not my sister?

Xin Dabao had realized she wasn’t Xin Siniang!

Yes! That had to be it.

But why didn’t Shen Qingqi let him finish?

Could it be that he had also noticed???

A cold chill ran down Xin Yueying’s spine, wave after wave.

She grabbed her shovel and ran back, ignoring Huo Qi’s shouts behind her. She rushed all the way home. Through the window, she could see Shen Qingqi’s silhouette.

He was reading that book again under the lamp.

Xin Yueying propped the shovel against the wall and walked inside, pretending everything was normal. When she lifted the curtain and entered, Shen Qingqi’s book had already vanished.

“You’re back so soon?” Shen Qingqi looked at her, puzzled.

Xin Yueying forced a smile. “I’m a bit hungry. Could you cook me a bowl of noodles? I bet Huo Qi will be hungry when he gets back too. But I’m too scared; I don’t dare go to the kitchen. Can you cook for me?” Xin Yueying clasped her hands helplessly over her abdomen, looking at Shen Qingqi with a trembling, fearful expression.

“……” Shen Qingqi turned to stare at Xin Yueying, his face expressionless.

He really wanted to ask her, It’s not like this is your first time burying a body, why are you so scared now?

Shen Qingqi studied Xin Yueying’s expression closely. She seemed distraught, nervously wringing her fingers.

She did seem genuinely frightened. Shen Qingqi frowned slightly and asked gently, “Are you alright?”

“I’m not alright.” Xin Yueying looked at him as if on the verge of tears. “Wuwuwu, burying someone in the middle of the night really gives me the creeps. I just want something hot to eat to calm my nerves, okay?”

She clenched her hands into fists and held them between her lips and chin.

She looked small and helpless.

“Alright.” Shen Qingqi used his hands to support himself off the kang, grabbed the rope Xin Yueying had made for him, and laboriously seated himself in the wheelchair. He wheeled himself out.

Xin Yueying scrambled onto the kang on her knees and pushed open the window to look. She saw Shen Qingqi already wheeling himself toward the kitchen.

She quickly began her search.

Sure enough, under the pillow was that book, Further Records of an Inquest into the Spirit Realm.

She opened it, and it fell open to a specific page.

Unlike the other pristine pages, this one was slightly worn, showing that Shen Qingqi had been focusing on this particular page all this time.

She hurriedly read,

“Xie Duan was a man of Houguan in Jin’an. He lost his parents young and was raised by his neighbors.”

Due to the traditional characters, classical language, and vertical lines, she read very slowly. She had only managed this one sentence when the sound of the wheelchair came from outside.

Xin Yueying hastily stuffed the book back where she found it.

Shen Qingqi wheeled himself in and looked up at her. “Eggs. Are two enough?”

Xin Yueying smiled awkwardly. “Better make it three.”

Shen Qingqi nodded. His gaze inadvertently fell on the pillow, and he paused, his hand on the wheelchair halting. He shifted his eyes to look at Xin Yueying.