My Evil Wife Is a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 220 – Su Daji’s Choice (1)

The following days, Su Daji remained in her tent. She had been burning with fever ever since she met the ninth prince at the clearing. Her fever refused to break, aided by the nightmares she was suffering from time to time. 

Not only her maidservants had grown worried about her condition, but also Jiang Mo. He refused to leave the camp, knowing that she was sick and unwell. No matter what kind of medicinal herb they used, it seemed to be not working against the young lady's sickness. 

Her fever started just one day after she went missing that night. Jiang Mo had this feeling that something happened by then that Su Daji wasn't telling him. He found it odd that his adopted sister would keep her silence about it, considering how she used to tell him everything that worried her when they were younger.

When Jiang Mo entered the tent, he saw how the gas lamp warmly illuminated the spot where his sister was sleeping. The huge white fox curled at the foot of her bed, not leaving the place since Su Daji had fallen sick yet again.

As he sat next to her bed, he replaced the washcloth on her forehead with a damp one. For some reason, he wondered where he went wrong. They hadn't seen nor talked to each other for almost one and a half years, and he couldn't blame her for distancing herself from him. 

'Perhaps this is for the better,' Jiang Mo told himself as he looked at Su Daji's reddened face. 

He thought that since the fox had been accompanying his sister for years now, Daji must have confided something in her. Alas, even if his sister did, there was no way this fox would be able to share that knowledge with him. 

He and Su Daji weren't blood-related. In fact, his real parents were retainers of the Su family. When he was five, his parents were killed in an ambush. Since then, Minister Su took it upon himself to raise Jiang Mo like his own son. 

A year later, Su Daji was born, but Su Furen tragically lost her life due to the complications of childbirth. It broke the heart of Minister Su, but he instantly fell in love with how beautiful the child was. 

Because Minister Su hadn't taken in any concubines nor remarried, it was only natural that everyone in the household treated Su Daji like a treasure. From delicious food to clothes and even education, her father would only want to provide the best for her. 

While Su Daji was growing up, Jiang Mo could only watch from the sidelines. Although Minister Su was raising Jiang Mo like his own child, it still wouldn't change the fact that the boy was a stranger to the Su family. 

When he heard that the little miss was born, he became curious. However, he didn't dare to see the girl. Instead, he spent most of his time helping Minister Su's manservant with mundane work. 

Every time that there was an occasion at the Su household, Jiang Mo would rather choose to stay inside his quarters, refusing to meet anyone. Ever since his parents' death, he had grown suspicious of the adults he encountered, except for Master Su.

Alas, he could not avoid the impending meeting with their young miss. When Jiang Mo saw the child for the first time, Su Daji was already four years old, playing in the garden with her Gu Momo and her maidservants. She was the most beautiful child Jiang Mo had ever seen. 

Paired with round, clear eyes that remind him of the finest crystals, Su Daji's pale skin was smooth and plump. She gleefully played with her maidservants as she ran after butterflies that wandered the garden of her courtyard. 

Jiang Mo was hiding at one of the branches up above the tree, watching the young girl. When Su Daji tripped on her own foot, her eyes widened as she realized she was falling. By then, the young boy hurriedly left his hiding place to save the girl. 

The girl's round eyes blinked when someone held onto her. She was surprised to find another child in their household, instead of meeting the hard ground. She beamed him a bright, wide smile and then asked him to play with her. 

Because of her status, the young Su Daji didn't have anyone to play with, except for her maidservants. She yearned for others' company, and it was Jiang Mo who became her unwilling companion. 

Although he was deemed to be the adoptive son of the Su family, Jiang Mo's relationship with Su Daji was more like a personal guard than a brother to her. Growing up, he was the one who made sure that she wouldn't miss her classes, dragging her from the comfort of her bed to the quarters where her tutors were waiting. He also ascertained that none of her classmates in the academy would bully her when they started attending it. 

The Su province was close to two neighboring nations, so it was important to keep their military troops ready at any given moment. When she grew older, Su Daji also trained to protect herself. She learned how to wield swords and bow and arrows properly. She might not be as proficient as Jiang Mo, but it was proven that she's way better than other young women. 

Jiang Mo found it suspicious. He'd been with her for most of her life, and yet she was having recurring nightmares about someone. She was mumbling incoherent words in her sleep. It didn't make any sense to him. 

As he thought about this, one of his subordinates announced his presence to deliver a report. 

"Enter." Jiang Mo said, and the man stepped inside at once, refusing to glance at Su Daji's form. He could sense that his commander was very frightened at the moment, that even a slight mistake might cause someone's death in an instant. 

"Master, there are traces of the ninth prince's troop on the other side of the mountain. Should we evacuate our troops and the rest of the villagers?" 

"These traces… can you tell how long they have been there?" Jiang Mo asked in return. He didn't know why, but he felt that Daji's current condition had something to do with the ninth prince's sudden appearance. 

"Not so recent. About five to seven days if you were to see it." 

Jiang Mo's expression worsened upon hearing that. What were the odds that Su Daji had met Xuan Yanrui during her short walk? 

"Alright. Tell the rest that we are going to scout the mountain tomorrow morning. If Xuan Yanrui is nearby, we can't allow him to get closer to the camp," he told his subordinate before dismissing him.

"Daji, did he do something to you?" He asked, after a moment of silence.

Still, the young lady remained asleep on her bed. He really wasn't comfortable seeing Su Daji like this, even when they were younger. Su Daji rarely got sick, but when she did, it was always a serious one, leaving everyone in the Su household in great panic.

As they grew up, his feelings towards her gradually changed until it bothered him. At first, he was in denial, but as months went by, his feelings remained. Soon, he could only be slapped by the reality that they could never be. 

Society would never accept it, knowing that they grew up as siblings. He felt that he needed to prove something first before asking for her hand in marriage. Perhaps, by then, they would lead a peaceful and simple life, away from judgmental eyes. 

The fox cracked her eyes open and stared at Jiang Mo with her clear, mysterious eyes. Even if the ninth prince had done something, would he be able to save Su Daji from the further despair she was in? 

Right now, the reason for Su Daji's sickness was the black magic cast on her body. The longer she resisted Xuan Yanrui, the more pain she would be subjected to… until she had no other choice but to surrender. 

Such an odd human, the fox thought. She had never scented any humans as wicked and vicious as the ninth prince. While Su Daji's soul was untainted, Xuan Yanrui's was as black as the crows. They were the exact opposites, and the fox wondered if this was the reason why Xuan Yanrui took a liking to this young woman. 

Did he want to know how much she could take before she broke down? The fox decided to watch the events unravel in front of her eyes, not daring to lend a hand to save Su Daji. Her fate was in her own hands. 

Whether she failed or not, the fox would see the end of her. 

In the end, would Su Daji sacrifice herself, or would she and Jiang Mo find a way to completely obliterate Xuan Yanrui once and for all?