Chapter 34: The Elusive Vixen and an Unexpected Visit

But upon a second thought, this seemed like a rather good opportunity. Bai Hao offered a faint smile, then steadily advanced towards the alluring, mature beauty before him.

Xia Zhiquiu found herself pressed back against a tree trunk, cornered by the young man. She turned, intending to flee, only to be encircled by his hands.

“Auntie Xia, it’s not proper out here, but would it be alright once we’re home?”

Xia Zhiquiu’s delicate hands pushed against the young man’s chest, her face flushed with indignation and embarrassment.

“No, absolutely not!”

A smirk played on Bai Hao’s lips. ‘She’s clearly a mature woman, yet so innocent and shy in this regard,’ he mused. ‘Auntie Xia truly is a treasure.’

With that thought, Bai Hao slowly lowered his head.

Xia Zhiquiu watched the young man’s movements, convinced this little rascal was about to kiss her again.

In that instant, Bai Hao’s persistent teasing finally paid off; the stunning beauty’s first instinctive reaction was to close her eyes!

Of course, this was precisely the reaction Bai Hao had anticipated, for in the very next moment…

Whoosh!

Before Bai Hao could even lean in for a kiss, a formidable surge of eerie energy suddenly assailed the two of them from a distance!

No, to be precise, its target was Bai Hao!

Yet, with a mere wave of his hand, Bai Hao dispersed the attack. His expression turned cold as the eerie energy, at his command, coalesced into a crimson sword that shot like a stream of light towards a specific direction!

Boom!

In an instant, a red figure materialized in the previously empty space. When Xia Zhiquiu opened her eyes, she caught only a fleeting glimpse of a bridal gown-clad figure hastily retreating…

“What was that?”

Xia Zhiquiu immediately recalled that night two months ago; she had encountered this eerie bridal ghost then too!

“That thing has been following me!”

Upon hearing her, Bai Hao feigned confusion and inquired.

“Auntie Xia, what exactly is going on here?”

Xia Zhiquiu offered a brief explanation, then hunched her shoulders, a puzzled frown on her face.

“Why is this eerie bridal ghost fixated on me? I haven’t offended her in any way.”

The most crucial point was that the other party was incredibly formidable, and she couldn’t possibly defeat her…

A sudden realization struck her, and she fixed a scrutinizing gaze upon the young man before her.

“Bai Hao, tell me honestly, what level has your ability user strength reached? Why did that eerie bridal ghost manage to escape from you?”

Bai Hao’s eyelids twitched slightly at her question, and he countered with a question of his own.

“What do you think, Auntie Xia?”

Xia Zhiquiu tilted her head, letting out a soft huff.

“How would I know?”

Seeing her reaction, Bai Hao gently stroked her head and chuckled softly.

“Auntie Xia, don’t be so curious. Your husband is definitely stronger than you; otherwise, how could he protect you in the future? As for the specifics, I’ll tell you later.”

With that, Bai Hao directly planted a kiss on Auntie Xia’s cheek. It was fortunate that Xia Zhiquiu was naturally beautiful and didn’t wear makeup, or he would have ended up with a mouthful of cosmetic powder.

Xia Zhiquiu was rather vexed by this. After wiping her face, she shoved the young man away and stalked off.

Bai Hao merely raised an eyebrow, then shamelessly stepped forward, slinging an arm around Auntie Xia’s fragrant shoulder as he teased.

“Auntie Xia, you actually dislike me? How disheartening…”

His words, naturally, earned him another eye-roll from the beauty. Yet, Xia Zhiquiu’s heart was now in turmoil, for she had suddenly realized that the young man before her possessed unfathomable strength.

This was not merely a shock to her, but a profound headache, as it meant that extricating herself from the young man’s persistent entanglement would only become more arduous…

***

The following day, Bai Hao and Xia Zhiquiu, along with the siblings Gu Chen and Gu Xin, scoured numerous locations. They visited every place Gu Xin had been in the preceding days, yet still found no clues.

Gu Chen, too, spent half the day searching for clues online, but his efforts yielded nothing.

Gu Xin felt a profound sense of guilt over the situation. She hadn’t anticipated that her predicament would cause so many people to worry, especially her brother, who hadn’t slept properly in days…

Fortunately, there was no need to rush, as the Echoing Vengeful Spirit didn’t inflict substantial harm on its ensnarers. Therefore, Gu Chen suggested Xia Zhiquiu and Bai Hao return home first.

After all, they were merely newly acquainted friends, and Gu Chen felt uncomfortable imposing further on Xia Zhiquiu and Bai Hao’s time and effort.

Xia Zhiquiu and Bai Hao agreed, assuring him they would continue their search for clues.

As for further assistance, even if Xia Zhiquiu wished to help, she was powerless. Moreover, everyone had their own lives to lead, and she still had to look after Xia Wei…

***

That day, just as Xia Zhiquiu returned from grocery shopping and began putting items into the refrigerator, Xia Wei approached her, offering eager assistance.

Xia Zhiquiu immediately discerned that her daughter was hiding something, and she crossed her arms, stating.

“Xia Wei, is there something you need to tell your dad?”

Xia Wei, hearing this, corrected her.

“It’s Mom now, right? Mom, Bai Hao and two friends are coming over to visit later, please don’t be angry, okay?”

Xia Zhiquiu stiffened at her words, an instant wave of unease washing over her as her expression grew flustered.

Xia Wei, assuming her mother was still dwelling on her previous involvement with Bai Hao, hurriedly explained.

“Mom, I’ve already broken up with Bai Hao. We’re just friends now, and there will absolutely be nothing else, I promise!”

Xia Zhiquiu, upon hearing this, sighed internally. ‘Silly girl,’ she thought, ‘while he might no longer be involved with you, he’s set his sights on your mother!’

With that realization, Xia Zhiquiu’s face turned serious as she placed her hands on her hips, declaring sternly.

“No, he absolutely cannot come over! Tell him to leave immediately!”

No sooner had Xia Zhiquiu’s words faded than a knock sounded at the door.

A sudden idea struck Xia Wei, and she quickly dashed to open the door.

Seeing this, Xia Zhiquiu had no choice but to follow. As Xia Wei opened the door, indeed, her daughter’s friends stood outside: two young women and a young man.

The young man, it went without saying, was Bai Hao.

At that moment, he looked at Auntie Xia standing behind the door, waved a hand, and greeted her along with the others.

“Hello, Auntie Xia.”

Faced with this, Xia Zhiquiu naturally couldn’t tell Bai Hao to leave in front of everyone, so she could only force a smile.

“Come in, all of you. I’ll go wash some fruit for you.”

With that, Xia Zhiquiu deliberately avoided looking at Bai Hao, turning to retreat into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, one of the young women, Lin Xue, exclaimed with a touch of excitement.

“Xia Wei, is this your mom? She’s absolutely stunning, isn’t she?”

Zhou Ting, standing nearby, also nodded in agreement.

“She’s even prettier than a celebrity, almost like a vixen from a movie…”

As she spoke, Zhou Ting realized her mistake and quickly apologized.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I just… I just…”

For a moment, the young woman couldn’t find the words to explain herself, growing so flustered she was almost on the verge of tears.

Bai Hao, however, found his mind drifting to Auntie Xia’s alluring appearance when he had teased her at his home. Indeed, wasn’t she just a captivating vixen…

Xia Wei, hearing her friends’ words, waved her hand dismissively.

“It’s alright, Xiao Ting. I know you meant to compliment how beautiful my mom is. But my mom isn’t just pretty; she’s also very loyal and kind-hearted in love, and she would never seduce men like a vixen.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Hao stood up and addressed Xia Wei.

“I’ll go help out in the kitchen and try to earn some goodwill with your mom, otherwise she’s going to kick me out.”

With that, he headed towards the kitchen…

The girls naturally understood the reason behind his words, nodding in agreement. However, they remained oblivious to the young man’s true ulterior motives at that moment.