“Xiaozhou, don’t forget, you and I are already married.”
Upon hearing this, Song Xiaozhou’s ears slowly flushed. He vaguely recalled that day in the hall, which was decorated for a combination of happy and sad occasions, when he had bowed to the heavens and earth with Lu Heng’s memorial tablet.
The Lu family servants had played music in the hall. As soon as the ceremony was over, they rushed him to the bridal chamber and then scurried away. It was all absurd and eerie.
But according to custom, they were indeed married and were husband and wife. Song Xiaozhou looked at Lu Heng. Lu Heng possessed a good appearance, and perhaps because he was now a ghost, he showed no signs of his fatal illness. He appeared every inch the refined, aristocratic young master, yet for some reason, Song Xiaozhou couldn’t help but feel a trace of regret and pity.
“Could it be that Xiao Zhou dislikes me and doesn’t want to acknowledge this marriage?” Lu Heng asked again.
Feeling awkward, Song Xiaozhou rubbed his beet-red ears. Still a little afraid of the ghost, he went along with Lu Heng and said in a small voice, “How could I? Even in… that state, you’re still far above me.”
Lu Heng was amused by his words and was about to say something more when he suddenly glanced outside the door and said, “Someone’s coming.”
Song Xiaozhou looked up and saw the nanny standing by the door. “Young Madam.”
Lu Heng didn’t leave and stood in the shadows. Song Xiaozhou looked at the nanny, then subconsciously glanced at Lu Heng. The nanny, completely unaware of Lu Heng’s presence, brought Song Xiaozhou some mung bean cakes and a lotus seed soup with tremella. After she left, Song Xiaozhou said in surprise, “The nanny can’t see you?”
“I’m a ghost, so of course, others can’t see me,” Lu Heng replied calmly, without any emotion. “But you and I are married, and our relationship is extraordinary.”
Song Xiaozhou’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Lu Heng. “Does that mean only I can see you?”
Lu Heng did not confirm or deny it. Song Xiaozhou felt both surprised and a certain inexplicable excitement.
“Why didn’t I see you two days ago?”
Lu Heng smiled and said, “Why do you have so many questions, little one? Hurry up and eat.”
Lu Heng seemed to have an excellent temper, gentle and amiable. Song Xiaozhou even forgot his fear. He took a piece of mung bean cake and bit into it twice, then remembered the lotus seed soup. With the mung bean cake still in his mouth, he took a bowl of the soup and put it to the side. “The nanny said you like lotus seed soup with tremella,” Song Xiaozhou said. Lu Heng’s gaze fell on the white porcelain bowl, and a flicker of gloom crossed his face. He walked over, picked up the spoon, and stirred it. “I’m already dead,” he said. “I can’t eat things meant for the living.”
He said it so plainly that Song Xiaozhou felt a pang in his heart as if pricked by a needle. “I’m… I’m sorry.” He whispered.
Lu Heng smiled, wiping a crumb of mung bean cake from the corner of Song Xiaozhou’s mouth with his finger. “It’s not your fault. You don’t need to apologize.”
The finger was icy, yet its touch was gentle, almost as if it were unintentionally grazing the young man’s warm, smooth skin. Startled, Song Xiaozhou stepped back, his face tinged with a faint blush. Unlike that rainy day, when Lu Heng drew near and a piercing cold seemed to fill the air, now the chill was absent.
Since Lu Heng’s appearance, Song Xiaozhou had someone to talk to.
Lu Heng, who had been bedridden for many years, was well-read and highly knowledgeable, as if there was nothing in the world he didn’t know. Song Xiaozhou was very impressed and sincerely said, “If you had taken the imperial exams, you would definitely have been the top scholar.”
Lu Heng smiled, looking at his bright, clear eyes. Song Xiaozhou sat up straight and said, “Really! When I was a kid, my mother told me that my father was the third-place graduate, but later he offended someone and was banished to Lingnan. That’s how he met my mother.”
“Oh?” Lu Heng said.
Song Xiaozhou touched the beast tooth hanging around his neck. “When I was a kid, my father taught me literature and martial arts, but I didn’t want to learn. I found what he taught very boring, and then I didn’t have the chance to learn anymore.”
Lu Heng stroked his head. Song Xiaozhou looked up. His eyes were large, black and white, clear and pure like water. Lu Heng gazed into them for a few moments, and without any reason, a surge of hostility and a violent impulse began to rise within him. He immediately forced himself to look away.
In the following days, Lu Heng stayed in Jing’an Courtyard during the day, only leaving at night. The two spent so much time together that Song Xiaozhou almost forgot Lu Heng’s identity.
Song Xiaozhou had spent many years in the slave market. He was merely a slave with a clear price, someone to be selected by anyone, humble and submissive. After his parents died, Song Xiaozhou had seen all the cold stares the world had to offer. Lu Heng was the first person to be kind to him, even though Lu Heng was a ghost.
Lu Heng withdrew his hand and said, “If you want to learn now, I can teach you.”
Song Xiaozhou was stunned. He glanced at Lu Heng, let out a sigh, and suddenly said, “I want to track down the person who writes those ghost stories and give them a proper beating.”
“Why?” Lu Heng asked.
Song Xiaozhou said, “They all write about how ferocious and evil ghosts are, killing people and doing bad things. It’s all nonsense and lies.”
“That’s because they haven’t met you,” Song Xiaozhou said seriously. “You’re so good.”
Lu Heng smiled, but in his heart, he thought, If they had met me, they would have died countless times by now.
Jing’an Courtyard was secluded, with all food and supplies provided by the Lu family. The deliveries were handled by a steward named Zheng.
On this particular day, Lu Heng was somewhere else. Song Xiaozhou told Nanny Lin to rest and handled Steward Zheng himself.
The man had a dirty mouth and was arrogant and overbearing. Song Xiaozhou endured it, looking straight ahead as if he hadn’t heard anything. Jing’an Courtyard was originally a place where Lu Heng’s mother went to escape the summer heat and recuperate. Lu Heng’s mother came from a prominent family, and it later became Lu Heng’s place to recover from his illness, so the items in the estate were naturally very valuable.
Steward Zheng had his sights set on the estate’s valuables. In his view, only an elderly woman on the brink of death and a single slave remained in this haunted house, making it a complete waste to leave anything behind.
He kept mentioning the “Second Young Master’s orders,” which made Song Xiaozhou mentally curse him. He thought unhappily, The person is already dead, and you’re still coveting their things. That’s utterly lacking in morals.
Seeing that the man was about to enter Lu Heng’s room, Song Xiaozhou’s brows furrowed. “Steward Zheng, this is the Eldest Young Master’s room. Everything inside was precious to him. Isn’t it against propriety for you to touch these things now?”
Steward Zheng shot him a contemptuous look. “What, just because you married a dead man, you think you’re important? You dare to meddle in the Second Young Master’s affairs?”
Song Xiaozhou gave a very innocent smile. “Of course, I wouldn’t dare meddle in the Second Young Master’s affairs. But the Eldest Young Master is the Second Young Master’s elder brother, after all. His body is barely cold, and if a steward does something like this and word gets out…”
“Are you threatening me?!” Steward Zheng’s face darkened.
Song Xiaozhou looked at the black memorial tablet directly facing the door. Steward Zheng followed his gaze. The black tablet with Lu Heng’s name inscribed in gold was standing straight on the table. He remembered the dozen or so servants who had died mysteriously in Jing’an Courtyard, and a chill ran down his spine. He felt a sense of dread for no reason.
Song Xiaozhou said, “Xiaozhou would not dare. Steward Zheng is only doing his best to serve the Second Young Master. However, the Second Young Master is a master, and the Eldest Young Master is also a master. Perhaps you should take those things back today to avoid offending the Eldest… his soul, and making him unhappy. Don’t you think so?”
Steward Zheng hesitated, then scoffed coldly. “He’s already dead, what does ‘happy’ or ‘unhappy’ even mean? Trying to scare me with ghosts.” His eyes lingered on the gold, silver, and jade objects in the room, showing his complete reluctance. Finally, he flicked his sleeve and said, “Fine, that’s enough for today.”
Song Xiaozhou breathed a sigh of relief. “Steward Zheng, take care.”
He saw Steward Zheng off. When he looked up, he saw Lu Heng leaning against the door, his expression unreadable.
Song Xiaozhou scratched his head and slowly walked over. He smiled at him and said, “Where did you go? What took you so long to come back?” Lu Heng raised his hand and touched his cheek without saying a word.
Song Xiaozhou shivered from the cold. He mumbled, “It’s so cold.”
“Next time they want to take something, let them have it,” Lu Heng said. “They are just worldly possessions.”
Song Xiaozhou knew he had seen everything. He said, “They’ve already left.”
Lu Heng smiled softly and touched his head as if in praise. “They will be back,” he said. He looked down at Song Xiaozhou’s wide eyes, and there was a chilling laugh in his voice. “Human hearts are greedy.”
