Chapter 2

The first time anyone encountered a ghost, how could they not be afraid?

Rong Li’s legs went weak, and she collapsed back onto her seat. Her hands clenched at her sides as she looked toward the ghostly figure, once again taking in the sight of the woman’s face streaked with bloody tears.

Those two streams of bloody tears were truly frightening, but apart from them and her excessively pale complexion, Second Madam looked exactly as she had when she was alive.

“Li’er, it’s Second Mother, Li’er.” Second Madam sobbed, gathering her sleeve and carefully wiping the corners of her eyes. The fabric was soon stained a deep crimson.

“I know.” Rong Li’s voice was soft as she raised her stiff arm and wiped her forehead.

She had heard strange tales and anecdotes in the past. It was said that if a spirit harbored unresolved grievances, it could linger in the mortal world for a long time.

Rong Li parted her lips slightly and cautiously glanced sideways at her, her shoulders and back stiff with tension. “You… why are you here?”

Hearing her question, Second Madam’s sobbing bailiantales.com abruptly stopped. “I thought you would ask how you could see ghosts.”

Even when she was alive, Second Madam had been indecisive by nature. She did everything slowly and seldom concerned herself with the affairs of the household. Now that she had become a ghost, she was still the same. Even when speaking, she hesitated as though afraid of offending someone.

Rong Li lowered her eyes and curled her fingers inward. Although her nails had been trimmed short and rounded, they could still dig painfully into her palms.

It hurt. This truly wasn’t a dream.

She breathed rapidly, looking terribly sickly, like a flower petal caught in a storm, so delicate that it needed to be sheltered between two cupped hands to keep it from being torn apart.

“It’s good that you can see me. I’ve been trapped in this Bamboo Courtyard for three years. Every single day, I’ve hoped you would be able to see me.” Second Madam’s face was almost entirely stained red with bloody tears. “I’ve heard that people nearing death can cross between the realms of the living and the dead. Li’er, you…”

Second Madam stopped speaking, seemingly unable to bring herself to finish.

“I’m not going to die just yet.” Rong Li dug her nails into her palm. Her breath was weak, but her words were spoken with absolute certainty.

Heartache appeared in Second Madam’s eyes, and she simply nodded. “Then Second Mother must have been mistaken.”

Rong Li released her clenched fingers and rubbed her fingertips together. With a tight throat, she asked, “Is there… something you still haven’t been able to let go of?”

“I wish I could cut Meng Yuan into a thousand pieces!” Second Madam gritted her teeth as she spoke, her face contorting so fiercely that she resembled a vicious ghost.

Rong Li kept her eyes lowered, but when she caught sight of Second Madam’s expression from the corner of her eye, she subtly leaned back a little.

Second Madam’s hair fluttered, and a chilling aura poured from her body. That sinister cold was even more terrifying than the wind outside.

Rong Li was already frail, and she couldn’t help shivering. She drew her neck in, burying her delicate, pointed chin in the fox fur lining her collar.

“If the Third Branch hadn’t lured the physician away that day, how could I have… how could I have…” Second Madam clutched her head in anguish. The nails on her ten fingers were extraordinarily long, sharper even than knife points.

“Second Mother, why haven’t you gone to seek revenge?” Rong Li steadied herself, her gaze wandering from side to side.

“Seek revenge?” Second Madam’s chest heaved violently as she lowered her hands from her head. “I can’t even leave this room. How am I supposed to seek revenge?” After speaking, she raised her eyes and noticed Rong Li trembling slightly. [bailiantales.com]As though suddenly coming to her senses, she hurriedly restrained some of the sinister aura surrounding her.

Rong Li’s eyes were tinged red as she said softly, “I thought this room was drafty. It’s always been so cold, even in spring and summer. Only now do I understand that it was because Second Mother was here.”

“Li’er, aren’t you afraid of me?” Second Madam asked sorrowfully.

Rong Li had originally wanted to nod, but after a moment’s hesitation, she shook her head instead.

She had already experienced death and resurrection. Why should she still fear ghosts? Perhaps every gain came with a loss. Heaven…

Heaven had allowed her to live again, yet now she could only keep company with ghosts. Having returned from the dead, couldn’t she herself be considered half human and half ghost?

Her head spun, but she could only accept these Yin-Yang Eyes bestowed upon her by Heaven. She raised a hand to press her forehead and seemed to have finally gathered the courage to meet Second Madam’s gaze. After pondering for a moment, she carefully asked, “How do you want to take revenge?”

“I want her dead!” Second Madam said through gritted teeth. “Why should I be bound here, unable even to reincarnate, while she gets to live so freely and comfortably?”

Rong Li nodded slightly and covered her mouth as she coughed softly twice.

Footsteps sounded outside. Xiao Fu pushed open the door and placed the warm purple clay teapot on the table. She turned to close the door, clearly unable to see Second Madam’s ghost.

Once the door was securely shut, she walked over to Rong Li, turned over a teacup resting upside down on the table, and poured a steaming cup of light tea. “Young Miss, the Master really has returned. But I clearly didn’t hear any hoofbeats earlier. How did Young Miss know?”

The half-filled cup of tea was placed beside Rong Li’s hand. Without looking sideways, Rong Li pretended not to see the ghost in the room and replied slowly, “I guessed.”

“Young Miss certainly guessed correctly.” Xiao Fu frowned. “It’s just that the Master has clearly returned, yet he still hasn’t come to see Young Miss. Who knows when you’ll finally have a chance to tell him about the grievances you’ve suffered?”

Rong Li shook her head. She wrapped both hands around the teacup, warming her fingers before lifting it to her lips and blowing gently twice. She took a sip of tea. From the corner of her eye, she saw Second Madam sitting motionless before her, her collar stained with blood dripping from her chin.

After drinking some hot tea, she let out a long breath. Her tense shoulders and neck relaxed slightly, and even her wildly pounding heart gradually calmed.

Setting down the teacup, Rong Li said, “There’s no hurry. Help me to bed.”

“Is Young Miss tired?” Xiao Fu froze for a moment before quickly bailiantales.com reaching out to support her.

Rong Li stood and walked toward the cold wooden bed. After sitting down, she said, “If I don’t show myself for too long, Father will surely become suspicious. If he goes to Orchid Courtyard and doesn’t find me there, he may ask Third Mother about it.”

“Aren’t we going to welcome the Master home?” Xiao Fu asked hesitantly.

“No.” Rong Li took off her fox-fur cloak, her fingers hooked around its ties. After thinking for a moment, she added, “If Father comes later, tell him I’m ill.”

Xiao Fu was so accustomed to seeing her young lady behave timidly and submissively that she didn’t know what to say for a moment. She could only crouch down and remove her young lady’s shoes and socks.

Once her white socks were removed, Rong Li lifted her legs, and her fair feet disappeared beneath the brocade quilt.

“What if Third Madam comes with the Master…” Xiao Fu asked worriedly.

“Why should I be afraid of her?” Rong Li looked toward Second Madam, who was sitting beside the table, and said softly, “She’s the one who should be afraid.”

Xiao Fu had no idea what her young lady was planning. She [unauthorized copy]only felt that the slap earlier seemed to have knocked some sense into her young lady, who was no longer keeping her head lowered and obediently accepting everything.

“Is the handprint still on my face?” Rong Li raised her hand and gently touched her cheek. The small mole beneath her eye was hidden beneath her fingertip. Although there was hardly any color in her complexion, her beauty could rival the loveliest peach and apricot blossoms. And yet…

She was also like the moon reflected in water, so terribly fragile that no one dared touch her, lest the slightest contact shatter her.

Xiao Fu’s heart ached at the sight. “It’s still there, and it’s quite noticeable. Shall I fetch some scented face powder to cover it?”

“There’s no need.” Rong Li removed the intricately carved hair comb from her hair and placed it in Xiao Fu’s palm. “This is fine. Why bother hiding it? Father ought to see it for himself.”

“But didn’t Young Miss promise Third Madam earlier that you would cover it?” Xiao Fu asked, holding the hair comb nervously.

Rong Li lowered her eyes and smiled softly. “Some things are merely said in passing.”

She lay down, her jet-black hair spilling across the pillow and making her face appear even paler. “Perhaps we’ll be able to move back to Orchid Courtyard tomorrow. Go and pack our belongings first so we won’t have to rush around tomorrow.”

In her previous life, she had lived in this Bamboo Courtyard until the day she died. It had been cold, lonely, and truly pitiful. Now, it was time for her to live differently.

“But Third Madam is still living in Orchid Courtyard.” Xiao Fu was young and couldn’t hide her thoughts. Everything she felt was written plainly on her face. “And it’s not just Third Madam. Fourth Madam lives there too.”

“Isn’t that perfect?” Rong Li closed her eyes, concealing their luminous gleam. Lying there so quietly, she looked almost as though she had been placed inside a coffin. In a faint voice, she said, “The more people there are, the livelier it will be.”

Xiao Fu was dumbfounded. “Young Miss used to avoid those two Madams whenever possible. Why… why do you suddenly want to move there today?”

“Didn’t I already tell you?” Rong Li opened her eyes and looked at her. “It’s livelier with more people around. I don’t have much time left to live. That way, even if I die of illness, at least there’ll be someone around to look after me.”

Xiao Fu immediately spat several times to ward off the ill omen. “Young Miss, you mustn’t say such things! Even if the Master and the Madams don’t care about you, how could Xiao Fu ever abandon Young Miss?”

Rong Li waved her hand. “Go wait outside. Someone will probably be coming soon.”

Xiao Fu kicked the bed leg lightly, lowered her eyes, and snorted. “It’s so cold outside. Who knows whether the Master will even come?”

“Just go when I tell you to,” Rong Li said softly.

Only then did Xiao Fu reluctantly leave. Before going out, she even muttered, “If only Second Madam were still alive.”

The door creaked shut. Rong Li opened her eyes and turned to look at Second Madam.

Second Madam’s eyes were bloodred, while her entire body was so pale and translucent that she seemed little more than a shadow. She stared steadily toward the bed. There was no hatred on her face, only a trace of unwillingness. Her pale lips moved as she said, “If you move away, Second Mother won’t be able to see you anymore.”

“I’ll come back to see you.” Rong Li remained lying down, her appearance delicate and breathtakingly beautiful. There was no fear on her face now, and an inexplicable hint of bewitching charm had emerged. Yet she was so pale and frail that anyone who saw her would want to protect her carefully.

“You seem to have…” Second Madam pressed her lips together and raised a hand to wipe the bloody tears from beneath her eyes. “Changed a little.”

“Even Second Mother can misjudge someone sometimes,” Rong Li replied slowly, refusing to admit anything.

Outside, Xiao Fu leaned against the door and asked in confusion, “Young Miss, what are you saying?”

“Nothing.” Rong Li had barely raised [bailiantales.com]her voice to answer when she began coughing again. Her cheeks turned pink from the effort, and her hair fell messily around her face.

Second Madam knew that only Rong Li could hear her voice. After remaining silent for a long while, she said, “Since you can see me, you must also be able to see other ghosts. If you encounter any, don’t be afraid. Just come find me. Although I can’t leave this room, I should still be capable of frightening away a few lesser ghosts.”

“I’ll do as Second Mother says.” Rong Li had been about to close her eyes, but hearing those words instantly chased away all thoughts of sleep. If that was the case, didn’t it mean there might be other, even more powerful ghosts in this world?

It made sense. Since she could see Second Mother, she would surely be able to see other ghosts as well. Second Mother wouldn’t harm her, but the same couldn’t necessarily be said of other ghosts.

Thinking about it carefully, perhaps the reason these eyes could see ghosts was precisely because she had died and come back to life.

After a while, the sound of footsteps crunching through fallen leaves came from outside. The footsteps were hurried and disorderly, suggesting that quite a few people had arrived.

Rong Li didn’t dare close her eyes. She lay motionless, staring at the gauze canopy above her bed while listening carefully to the sounds outside.

“She’s been frail since childhood! How could you let her move to a place like this?” Rong Changting demanded, breathing heavily. He continued, “Have you all forgotten what happened in this Bamboo Courtyard? Could it be that you’re trying to—”

His voice abruptly stopped, and his eyes reddened with fury. “I told you stolen content to clean up this courtyard before, but that wasn’t so you could clear out this wretched place and make Li’er live here!”

“Master!” Xiao Fu hurriedly curtsied.

“Is Eldest Young Miss inside?” Rong Changting asked coldly.

Xiao Fu’s eyes darted nervously as she answered in a trembling voice, “Reporting to Master, Young Miss has fallen ill and is still lying in bed.”