Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 282 - 165: Pursuit and Kill

Chapter 282: Chapter 165: Pursuit and Kill

Perhaps it was Jiang Shouzhong’s overly indifferent and perfunctory demeanor that caused Jin Ao’s attempt to pry into his family background and intentions to fall through. Dejectedly, Jin Ao retreated to his own campfire, sighing repeatedly.

Jin Ao was very frustrated.

This was his first time facilitating a match, and it had been a setback, a blow to his confidence.

The woman in the conical bamboo hat saw Jin Ao’s defeated look and chuckled, "Jin, who has ever seen you match-making for your master like this?"

Poking at the fire with a stick, Jin Ao replied helplessly:

"Long, I was already being very polite, alright? Our Sect Master is truly beautiful, marrying her would be a blessing that this fool could accumulate over several lifetimes; how could he not be interested?"

The woman known as "Long" laughed:

"The gentleman hasn’t even seen your Sect Master, how can he believe what you say is true? Besides, you came up with matchmaking right off the bat, any normal person would’ve been scared off by now, surely thinking you have an ulterior motive."

"Do I look like a bad person?" Jin Ao said discontentedly.

Looking at the rugged man, Long tried to hold back her laughter and nodded very seriously, "Very much so."

Jin Ao’s face was filled with frustration.

Long’s smile faded into a gentle expression, and she spoke softly:

"People often say kind faces indicate kind hearts, and fierce faces indicate cruel hearts. Little do they know, some people may appear gentle and refined on the outside but harbor venomous and ugly intentions within; while others may seem fierce and daunting but actually have kind hearts. In my eyes, Jin is the kindest person in the world."

Jin Ao sighed, touching the beard on his face, "I really am ugly, aren’t I." He then corrected himself: "You’re wrong though, I’m not human, I’m from the Demon Clan."

Long Er replied softly, "What difference is there truly between humans and demons? The only distinction lies in goodness and evil."

...

Elsewhere, Jiang Shouzhong built a campfire, staring blankly at the ceaseless dance of the flames, lost in thought.

At this moment, he harbored a slight worry and confusion within his heart.

His worry was for Zhang Que’er.

He didn’t know whether that girl would be able to live safely after going to the Demon Clan.

The confusion was about his own personality.

Was he not "domineering" enough in matters of affection?

Sometimes, he respected others’ choices very much, feeling that what others choose might be what they desire. He had no right to interfere, no right to impose his own ideas on others.

He had been this way with Hong’er before and was now the same with Zhang Que’er.

But the outcome was often unsatisfactory.

Jiang Shouzhong couldn’t help wondering if it would have been better to forcibly keep them by his side from the beginning.

Yet, after all, people are emotional creatures; who could guarantee that the choice made at that time was definitively the right one?

If a relationship is centered around only one person, could the outcome truly be good?

Jiang Shouzhong rubbed his face, feeling increasingly conflicted within.

Unlike solving cases, when it came to feelings, he was always sluggish, unable to keenly grasp a girl’s true thoughts and make the best decision.

All he could do was to simplify everything.

If I like you, I will pursue you; if you don’t like me, then I won’t cling to you. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you; if you wish to stay, I will cherish you well.

But is that really good?

The campfire crackled, his thoughts drifting with the flickering flames.

Jiang Shouzhong’s inner confusion grew denser, like fog over the river, lingering without dissipating.

Unwittingly, rain had begun to fall outside the cave.

The rain poured down like a torrent, creating a mist of splashing droplets that resembled the billowing dust kicked up by a galloping army.

It was then that two figures appeared in the downpour.

A man and a woman, both staggering along.

The man was pale, obviously badly injured. His body wavered on the brink of collapse, only remaining upright with the woman’s staunch support, barely managing to move forward.

Under the assault of the rain, blood slowly oozed from his abdomen, spattered and soaked. His eyes too seemed to be injured, barely able to squint open.

The woman, in a light green long dress, was tall in stature.

Upon seeing someone in the cave, both their expressions tightened instantly.

However, seeing that the person in the cave was not those pursuing them but seemed also to be a traveler seeking shelter from the rain, they heaved a sigh of relief.

Still, their expressions remained filled with vigilance.

Due to limited vision, the man’s lips moved slightly as he whispered something to the woman.

The woman, with gracefully arched eyebrows, held the man’s hand tightly, feigning composure. After glancing at the heavy rain behind them and the man’s injuries, she whispered a few words and helped him to a clear space near the mouth of the cave.

Jin Ao frowned slightly but did not pay attention to the pair.

Though he was kind-hearted, he still observed beforehand to know what he was dealing with, to avoid hastily helping the wrong sort of people out of a momentary act of kindness.

After all, being a good person in this world also required brains.

And Jiang Shouzhong, who never meddled in other people’s affairs, was even less inclined to care.

He took the dry food handed to him by Er Liang, eating while contemplating the route ahead—whether to take the official road or the more secluded mountain path.

After carefully propping the man up against the cave wall, the woman in the green dress tore off a strip of her skirt without regard for the wetness, wrapping it around his abdomen, attempting to stop the relentless flow of red.

The man closed his eyes slightly, allowing his companion to tend to him with great care.

In his hand, he clutched a knife—only half of the blade remained, battered, with an irregular edge, clearly having gone through a fierce struggle.

Gazing at the man’s pale and haggard cheeks, a pang of sorrow struck the woman’s heart, tears shimmering in her eyes, threatening to overflow. Yet, she steeled herself against the grief, not allowing the tears to fall.

She scavenged some dry branches nearby, trying to start a fire, but alas, neither of them had brought a firestarter.