27. The Damp and Sinister Ghost

A blinding flash of light tore across the horizon, cleaving the clustered dark clouds asunder. The sudden brilliance flickered and vanished in an instant.

Shen Qinglu bit down with a heart full of fury, as if she meant to vent every ounce of her hatred and resentment. She bit so hard that the metallic tang of blood immediately bloomed in her mouth.

She was not pushed away. Just as the lightning struck, she loosened her grip, but as she looked up, she saw an expression on Mu Hanshi’s face that should not have been there. It was not quite bewilderment, nor was it shock; it was something profoundly difficult to define.

Seizing the fleeting opportunity, she pulled at him, using the momentum to scramble to her feet before shoving him away with all her might.

Mu Hanshi caught her arm and gave a gentle tug, but to her, it felt like being shackled in iron; she found she could not break free no matter how she struggled.

The drizzle thickened, weaving a weeping web that trapped them both. She was truly on the verge of tears.

"I have no grievance with you! What I do is none of your business. If you want to curry favor with Yu Liuzhu, go find her! Why are you hounding me? You are a grown man; if you like someone, say it boldly! Being so furtive is not honorable at all. You hypocrite, I despise you!"

Another flash of lightning blazed, bright as a reflective mirror, casting its glare upon Mu Hanshi’s face. His expression grew even more complex—mocking, cold, cynical, and tinged with the frantic intensity of someone caught in the act.

His eyes, unnervingly calm, stared straight into hers, gradually growing dark and distorted. It was as if a giant, venomous serpent were emerging from within, baring its blood-red maw and flicking its long tongue as it crept closer, inch by inch.

Shen Qinglu’s heart plummeted in terror; her exquisite face turned paper-white. "Why are you looking at me like that? If I were you, I wouldn't waste time pestering other girls—I'd just go find the one I truly fancy!"

"Then tell me: if I were to confess my feelings to her, would she accept me?"

So he really did like Yu Liuzhu! She spat internally.

"If you don't say it, how would she know? If she doesn't know, how can there be talk of acceptance? It’s a beautiful night; why don't you go tell her right now?"

Because they were so close, even in the murky night, she could vaguely discern his expression. The chill that had momentarily settled over him gave way to an indescribable sense of loneliness and desolation. In the blink of an eye, he had shifted from a ghostly, ominous presence to a figure of distant, icy isolation.

*Is this Mu Lao Jiu insane?*

She repeated her previous tactic, seizing another chance to shove him away.

This time, she succeeded.

Without looking back, she hiked her skirts high and fled. Her rapid gait was far from graceful; it lacked any semblance of poise, appearing frantic and unseemly.

The darkness masked everything, but she could clearly feel an inescapable gaze trailing her, as if she could never shake it off.

She did not know how much time had passed—long enough for that sensation to slowly fade—before she stopped to catch her breath.

"Miss." Xia Chan’s voice rose from behind a tree, and she hurried over to steady her. "Are you alright?"

Even though the night was pitch-black, Xia Chan could sense her panic.

"I'm fine," she said, still reeling. "I was running too fast and tripped."

She looked back at the path she had taken; it was empty. Surely that Mu Lao Jiu had left by now?

The drizzle continued, perhaps growing even finer. Xia Chan opened an oil-paper umbrella to shield her. Her clothes, her hair, and her face were all damp; when she touched her skin with her hand, it was ice-cold—much like the state of her heart.

"Did anyone see you when you came over?" she asked Xia Chan.

Xia Chan shook her head. "Don't worry, Miss, I was very careful."

She nodded and gazed toward the Liufang Pavilion in the distance, a slow smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

The brightly lit courtyard was half-reflected in the mist-veiled rain, appearing hazy and beautiful. From afar, it looked like a beacon in the darkness, a place that drew the heart toward it.

In the room, which felt as warm as spring, everyone in the Yu family was present, save for Yu Jingliang.

Yu Qingxue’s hair was dripping wet, the droplets falling onto her begonia-red cloak and spreading into clusters of water stains. The cloak belonged to Yu Liuzhu, a style newly made after the start of the year.

Yu Liuzhu held a dry, large cloth, preparing to wring the water from her aunt's hair herself. She was yearning and relieved, yet Yu Qingxue pushed her hand away. "Tang'er, I will do it myself."

"Aunt, you said someone pushed you into the water. Did you see who it was?" Yu Liuzhu knitted her brows, asking as she reached out again.

At these words, the others were startled. Xie Shi hurriedly asked, "Qingxue, who pushed you?"

Yu Qingxue hesitated. When she had first been rescued, she was in a state of extreme terror and panic, and in that moment of profound alarm, she had blurted out that someone had pushed her. Now, as reason overcame her unease, she began to waver and deliberate.

Seeing her remain silent, Yu Liuzhu assumed she hadn't seen the person clearly. "Aunt, if you didn't see clearly or aren't sure, I shall summon all the servants in the estate right now so you can identify them properly."

In the past, Shen Linlang would have considered her daughter steady and capable, but now, watching the child she had raised with her own hands grow close to others, she felt only a sense of unutterable fury, as if all her years of devotion had been in vain.

"Tang'er, do you think I am lax in my governance, or that I cannot tolerate your aunt?"

The words were harsh, and Yu Liuzhu’s eyes immediately reddened.

Although Yu Zhiheng and Yu Jingxian said nothing, they both frowned. It wasn't just the incident itself that troubled them, but Shen Linlang's attitude. It would be no exaggeration to say that Shen Linlang had pampered Yu Liuzhu excessively; she had never even raised her voice to her before, let alone spoken with such pointed questioning.

"Mother, what has gotten into you today? Tang'er said nothing wrong; why are you so angry?" Yu Jingxian asked, confused, yet clearly sensing the discord between his mother and sister. For years, Yu Jingliang had lived in the General's Mansion, and the family of four had lived in harmony, never like this.

Xie Shi, hoping to ease the tension, turned to Yu Qingxue. "Qingxue, you were frightened; could you have misremembered?"

Yu Qingxue lowered her gaze, her pupils constricting repeatedly. She, too, began to doubt whether her fear had played tricks on her eyes. If she had been mistaken, it would be a false alarm, but if it were truly that wretched girl…

No matter how she turned it over in her mind, she could not say.

As she lifted her eyelids, she suddenly met a pair of large, ink-black eyes. Within them, ghostly flames flickered in a chilling, icy depths. Paired with a wooden face, it was profoundly eerie.

Even more horrifying was the way that strange face tugged at its features, like a torn mask, revealing teeth and tongue in a twisted, mirthless grin—like a vengeful spirit from the underworld come to claim a life. The sight was enough to scatter one's soul.

"It was her!"