62.2

Ji Yunhe sat down, feeling a bit out of her depth. The fish now seemed to somehow know her every move. Good thing she had not accidentally revealed her intentions, else it would become much more difficult. Apparently, she could not count on slow methods of death anymore.

Ji Yunhe rubbed her chin and breathed out in stress. She looked at the charcoal pot burning in the room. A fire would not work either. The iceberg would get here before the flames even start.

But...

Ji Yunhe looked at the fire and suddenly remembered a book she read while locked up in the Grand Master's prison. It documented many of the author's travels. Aside from astronomy and geography, it also contained some interesting encounters.

She vaguely recalled one of the chapters had written about a noble family in the north who used a special red charcoal for warmth. It was made of valuable wood and could burn for a very long time.

However, the author of the book later discovered that the tragedy was caused by the charcoal they were using and a lack of ventilation in the house. The author called it "charcoal poisoning".

The reason why Ji Yunhe remembered this so well was because she had a discussion with the Grand Master after reading the article.

Ji Yunhe said many people in the world did not understand demons so they were quick to place the blame, and how it was rare for someone to go to such lengths and uncover the truth.

The Grand Master smiled and said, "She was always very thorough."

At that time, Ji Yunhe felt great pity for him -- a man deep in love who did not end up with the woman he liked.

But now, as Ji Yunhe remembered this incident, she only felt joy and excitement. The windows in her room were always tightly shut during the day, she could not open them even if she wanted to.

Her weak body grew cold easily, so if she were to request some extra charcoal, including the valuable red ones, no one would suspect a thing. Not even Changyi. Add a few more pots of charcoal, choke on them for a day, and pass away peacefully…

No one would think there was any foul play. They would just think she died in her sleep. This was literally the best way to go. Ji Yunhe was delighted by the idea.

However, the young men of the family often died early, and the women did not live long either. They suffered numerous diseases and the head of the household even died together with his wife in their sleep.

It was said that their faces were peaceful as if they were still dreaming, and there were no signs of suffering and fear. The local people believed either the house had bad feng shui or they were haunted by demons.

She sat down enthusiastically at the table and waited until the maid brought her meal, then asked for her to stay a while. When Changyi came, she asked him, "My room is too cold, this pot of charcoal isn't enough to warm my hands and feet. Bring me some extra pots?"

Changyi did not suspect anything and granted her request with a "mhm". The maid received the order and was about to leave when Ji Yunhe stopped her.

"Do you have any red charcoal in the courtyard? I've heard that's the best kind."

The maid respectfully replied, "Yes." Ji Yunhe nodded. "Bring some over. It's getting colder and colder everyday."

The maid did not answer yes until Changyi nodded his head. Then she respectfully left.

Ji Yunhe looked at Changyi sitting across the table. He seemed busy with work today, and was frowning at a lengthy report in his hand.

Feeling her eyes on him, Changyi turned his head and saw her warm and gentle smile. His mood lightened a bit and his brows relaxed, setting the report aside.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone was still cold.

"Nothing," Ji Yunhe said.

"I just feel like you have become more and more authoritative. Compared to before, this is a significant growth."

Whenever Ji Yunhe mentioned the word "before", Changyi would instantly turn somber. He snorted coldly and picked up the report again.

"Thanks to you."

Ji Yunhe smiled and took a bite of rice, then continued as if chatting about family matters, "But your face looks as beautiful as always. It even matured a bit compared to before."