"..."

"Then, he raised his hand and took away that thing inside me."

"..."

"Moreover, when they left, I heard that person mumbling, saying that after checking the birth dates and eight characters, there was no conflict, and the name also included ’Ming Yue’, yet pinched the pinky without any reaction, it should’ve been possible to borrow. Unexpectedly, in such a small river, we bumped into two."

Yu Wenye took a deep breath.

Although he doesn’t believe in the God Buddha, he has mingled within the military since young, encountering all sorts of people, and hearing many strange tales. He quickly understood, "From what you said, these seem like people, resembling the legendary ghost messengers."

Shang Ruyi nodded: "After waking up, I secretly read some storybooks. Indeed, in some tales, ghost messengers help those who shouldn’t die borrow corpses to reincarnate. For borrowing a corpse, the most crucial is that the eight characters must not conflict. After identifying the person, one also has to check if they’ve truly died. As per that person’s implication, he determined the death by pinching the pinky to see if there’s any reaction."

Yu Wenye lifted his hand encircling her waist, gently caressing Shang Ruyi’s hand.

His fingertips lightly pinched Shang Ruyi’s pinky finger.

She had no reaction indeed, for Shang Ruyi once told him that during her days of wandering after being expelled from home, her pinky bone was broken in a fight with beggars.

Hence, a misunderstanding indeed occurred.

Yu Wenye said, "Then, that soul trying to reincarnate entering your body is Yu Mingyue?"

Shang Ruyi nodded: "At the time, I didn’t know her identity, but thinking back now, it should be her."

Yu Wenye exhaled heavily, pondering deeply, then realized, "Meaning, that person intended to lend that soul for reincarnation into Yu Mingyue, but you both were on the river at the foot of Ban Yan Temple, leading to mistakenly targeting you."

"..."

"You’re not in conflict with her eight characters, and your physiques are similar; furthermore, your nickname was Ming Yue Nu, also containing ’Ming Yue’; besides, your pinky is already broken, rendering it numb even when pinched, thus misidentified as a suitable corpse to borrow."

"..."

"But you resisted fiercely, fell ill for days without yielding, disturbing the soul, eventually attracting the ghost messenger, who clarified everything and took that soul away."

Shang Ruyi considered his words, almost identical to her conclusion over these days, nodding: "It should be like this."

Yu Wenye furrowed his brow, speaking solemnly, "What an ignorant ghost messenger!"

Shang Ruyi internally let out a soft laugh, saying, "I thought the same at that moment, that person kept bowing to me repeatedly, while I kept scolding him. He dared not retort, only said he had just taken over, mistakenly took the soul, further switching the body incorrectly, deserving absolute death."

Yu Wenye ground his teeth: "Indeed deserving death."

"..."

"Unfortunately, he’s already dead."

"..."

"Anyway, let’s not discuss that. Ultimately, that soul should have—"

Shang Ruyi interrupted: "Should have reincarnated into the real Yu Mingyue’s body."

Yu Wenye deeply inhaled, stating, "Hence, the Yu Mingyue we are facing now—"

Shang Ruyi explained: "Physically, she’s Yu Dingxing’s daughter, but her soul is a wandering ghost from an unknown place."

"..."

This time, the matter was finally clarified.

Yet Yu Wenye fell silent.

Shang Ruyi raised her head to look at him. Although silent, she sensed Yu Wenye’s heart racing, tranquillity merely an instinctive restraint. After all, her narration, her experience had overturned Yu Wenye’s understanding of the worldly matters over the past decades.

Ordinary people would have been utterly confused.

Even though Yu Wenye’s gaze appeared turbulent, he remained composed, only after a long time did he look at Shang Ruyi, sighing as if: "Such things indeed happen."

Shang Ruyi widened her eyes at him: "Do you still not believe?"

Yu Wenye’s eyes flickered, silent for a long while, finally saying: "If it weren’t you, I certainly wouldn’t believe."

"..."

"But I trust your words."

With that, he gave a warning squeeze on Shang Ruyi’s waist again, saying, "From now on, you must tell me everything honestly, no deceiving or hiding."

Shang Ruyi caught her breath due to the squeeze, grinned: "I know."