The summer night was hot, and even after the rain, by midnight the air was still stuffy. Half-asleep, Song Xiaozhou unconsciously leaned toward the cool spot beside him, even draping an arm over it.
Lu Heng opened his eyes. Song Xiaozhou’s breathing rose and fell, warm and full of life. Clinging so close, he was like a ripe, tender fruit, unknowingly tempting him, stirring up the bloodthirsty instinct that came naturally to a vengeful ghost.
Lu Heng’s eyes faintly reddened as he stared at Song Xiaozhou for a long while. He was a fierce ghost, his resentment deeply rooted after years of being unable to reincarnate, his unwillingness unspent. He had crawled out of his coffin with great effort and slaughtered every last person in Jing’an Courtyard.
He knew Lu Xuan had been frightened and, believing some nonsense, had sent this person here for an absurd ghost marriage trying to appease a vengeful ghost with such a method.
Foolish wishful thinking.
The corner of Lu Heng’s mouth curved slightly. He reached out and touched Song Xiaozhou’s cheek. His hand was cold, and Song Xiaozhou instinctively nuzzled against his palm, mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. Lu Heng traced over his lips. They were soft, slightly parted as he breathed, carrying the warmth of a living person. Suddenly, Lu Heng remembered Song Xiaozhou smiling and saying, ‘You look so nice like this.’ His gaze lowered, and he withdrew his hand.
That night, Song Xiaozhou slept without dreams. The coolness through the night allowed him to rest more soundly than he had in a long time.
But when he opened his eyes, he nearly jumped in fright.
He was holding Lu Heng, his whole body pressed into the other party’s embrace, hands and feet clinging to him, their closeness more than intimate. Song Xiaozhou’s face turned crimson, his eyes widening in shock. Cautiously, he lifted his head, his gaze moving from Lu Heng’s pale neck to his chin, then his brows and eyes.
Lu Heng’s eyes were closed, his sleeping posture neat and composed. So clean and proper, he looked every bit like a living, breathing man.
A pang of regret welled up in Song Xiaozhou’s heart; such a pity, Lu Heng was still so young. Before he knew it, his hand had reached out. He gently poked Lu Heng’s cheek, it was cold. Unable to resist, he poked again, he was full of curious and amazed.
A ghost.
A real ghost he could see and touch!
Song Xiaozhou was still young, his eyes bright and glimmering, carrying a hint of unspoken excitement as he reached out and touched Lu Heng’s cheek.
Caught off guard, Lu Heng suddenly opened his eyes.
Their gazes met. Song Xiaozhou let out a startled yelp and scrambled away on both hands and feet, his face flushed scarlet. Looking as though he wanted to hide but had nowhere to go, he stammered, “I… I—I didn’t mean to!”
Lu Heng sat up slowly, watching Song Xiaozhou press back against the wall in utter embarrassment. A faint smile tugged at his lips. He raised his hand to touch the spot where the boy’s fingers had just been and said, “Pretty bold of you, little slave, to wake up and sneak a feel of me.”
Seeing the gesture, Song Xiaozhou’s cheeks burned even hotter. He swallowed and mumbled an apology.
“Not very sincere.” Lu Heng remarked.
Song Xiaozhou blinked at him.
“The mark from yesterday,” Lu Heng said, “I didn’t get a clear look. Let me see it.”
Song Xiaozhou hesitated. “…What’s there to see about something like that?”
“I want to see it.”
Meeting Lu Heng’s gaze, Song Xiaozhou slowly crawled over. Kneeling, he tilted his chin slightly and loosened his collar, revealing the brand on his collarbone in full. The mark was ugly against the delicate bone, the character for “slave” starkly visible.
When Lu Heng’s fingers brushed over it, Song Xiaozhou flinched as though scalded.
It was something left on him when he was thirteen. He remembered being dazed and exhausted back then, forced down and spread like livestock. The branding iron glowed red-hot, and before he could even react, the stench of burning flesh had filled his nose.
His lips were pressed together, brows knitted tightly, his expression a blend of embarrassment and restraint. Seeing this, Lu Heng felt a subtle tug in his chest, he had intended only to tease the boy, yet this little slave proved far more compliant than he had expected.
Perhaps because Lu Heng stared at him too long without speaking, Song Xiaozhou’s ears grew hot. He turned his head to glare at him. “Have you seen enough?!”
“This ugly thing,” Song Xiaozhou snapped, “who would keep staring at it?”
Lu Heng drawled, “I’m a ghost[mfn]Here SXZ speaks from the perspective of a human, while LH was a ghost, he said “I’m a ghost” cuz he wasn’t bound by the human rules[/mfn].”
Song Xiaozhou was momentarily speechless.
Lu Heng smiled faintly. “Xiaozhou, you’re no longer a slave of the West Market. You’ll never go back there. This little mark… there’s no need to keep it in your heart all the time.”
Song Xiaozhou froze and lowered his head. All he could see were Lu Heng’s pale, strong fingers, and he heard Lu Heng’s voice turn gentle: “In fact… it’s better-looking than you think.” Then he added, “On you.”
Song Xiaozhou was in the prime of youth with dark skin, his body was firm and smooth, brimming with the heat and vigor unique to a young man. On him, the slave brand at the collarbone instead stirred a hidden, possessive desire.
Caught completely off guard by Lu Heng’s words, half praise, half laced with something more, Song Xiaozhou panicked. He leapt off the bed, fumbling to pull his clothes on, and glared at Lu Heng warily, his cheeks still red. “Nonsense. You’re just trying to sweet-talk me.”
Lu Heng said nothing and learned lazily against the bedhead while smiling.
Song Xiaozhou almost turned his back to him. He had heard of demons who could seduce with their words, but never ghosts who could make one’s heart pound in just a few sentences.
…How shameless of him!
He was trying to calm himself when suddenly a voice called from outside the door: “Young Madam, are you awake?”
It was Nanny Lin’s voice.
Song Xiaozhou steadied himself and answered. Nanny Lin asked, “Young Madam… who were you speaking with just now?”
Song Xiaozhou almost blurted it out but instinctively glanced at Lu Heng, swallowed his words, he said, “Nanny, I was having a nightmare and just talking to myself.”
Lu Heng’s eyes deepened as he looked at him. Song Xiaozhou asked softly, “She really can’t see you?”
Lu Heng nodded.
Song Xiaozhou let out a breath of relief.
Then Lu Heng suddenly said, “Don’t trust Nanny Lin too much.”
Song Xiaozhou was startled. “Why? She treats me well… and she cares about you too.”
But Lu Heng didn’t answer. He simply vanished from sight.
Baffled, Song Xiaozhou stared at the empty bed and muttered under his breath, “Hmph, acting all high and mighty… disappearing without a word…”
I also thought from the beginning that Nanny Lin wasn’t that nice.