I remained silent, then heard him lower his voice and say: “We will get married.”
Among the few people participating, Huahua was the most normal and genuine one. Qingyuan was like an ice block, and I didn’t even have the energy to mock him; I bet he would look the same way even when marrying Huahua. Shaoyao was forced to be the host, and seeing her face about to twist into a knot, I felt secretly pleased.
In the corridor of the pear garden, large red lanterns hung everywhere, red silk intertwined, and when a breeze passed, a sea of flying red appeared. Walking under this red sea, I felt an inexplicable stirring in my heart.
I covered my chest, having lost nine drops of blood. In four more days, I could leave the ghost realm. When I return, even if the high god scolds me, I’ll definitely request a job that doesn’t require me to show my face in the human or ghost realms. While each reincarnation mission is fascinating, and I’m reluctant to give them up, I no longer want to live in fear in the ghost realm.
I took a light breath, with pear blossoms everywhere, and my mood gradually calmed.
Mu Yin had not appeared again. He probably knew about my supposed marriage to Mu Chuan and wondered how things were. I shook my head and smiled, thinking to myself that I wouldn’t actually marry.
“Sister! Sister!
I turned around, and Huahua was rushing towards me, holding Yaya, almost crashing into me. I reached out to steady her, saying, “Don’t rush, speak slowly.”
Huahua’s eyes were clear and bright: “The wedding dress is ready!”
I paused, smiling softly: “Is it beautiful?”
“Yes!”
Yaya stretched its neck, its little eyes as clear as Huahua’s: “Ga.”
I laughed helplessly, picking it up and stroking its increasingly smooth fur.
“Sister, aren’t you going to look at the wedding dress?”
“No need.” I pursed my lips and looked at her, “Huahua, what do you think of Qingyuan?”
Huahua didn’t hesitate: “Brother Qingyuan is very nice.”
“How is he nice?”
Huahua scratched her head, her pretty face scrunching: “I don’t know.”
I laughed involuntarily, reaching out to pat her head: “Is that kind of niceness similar to how your Brother Chen is with Sister Yu?”
Huahua blinked, her face suddenly turning red, stammering: “Sister, you can’t tease Huahua like that.”
“Hehe.” I laughed, but suddenly felt there were many things I couldn’t let go of. Like what if Huahua gets bullied by Qingyuan or if Yaya gets hurt.
“Sister,” Huahua called me, “why are your eyes red?”
I rubbed my eyes, saying: “It’s windy.”
Huahua looked at the flying red silk and nodded: “Yes, the wind is indeed strong.”
Around midnight, three more drops of my heart’s blood were taken, and I lay on the bed, lacking even the strength to speak. Peony put away the jade bottle in her hand and said, “I heard that the Prince went to see you today. He didn’t discover anything wrong, right? You’d better not see him again, nor let him see you; otherwise, the matter of taking your heart’s blood will definitely not be hidden from him, and our agreement will be nullified.”
I didn’t answer her, nor did I want to. After she left, I prepared to sit in meditation, hoping to hold on until the twenty-first drop of heart’s blood was taken. But before long, another figure flashed into the room. Before she could speak, someone covered her mouth: “Shh, be quiet, don’t let my royal brother hear.”
As the hand released, I scolded, “You’re not afraid your brother will kill you, but I’m afraid he’ll kill me! Go back quickly!” Seeing him not move, I added, “Don’t forget, I’m about to become your sister-in-law.”
Mu Yin said hatefully, “You said the same thing before, but you still broke up in the end. Until you’re married, you’re not my sister-in-law!”
He had me cornered; this fact could not be denied. Before marriage, I was not Mu Chuan’s wife, nor his sister-in-law, so there was no issue of overstepping propriety.
Mu Yin sat beside the bed, shaking my hand and saying, “Suo Suo, you love to play so much. Do you really want to stay in this Pear Garden forever? Let me take you to play, okay? If you don’t like the Ghost Realm, we’ll go to the human world.” His eyes brightened, “Or I’ll turn into a duck and follow you back to the Divine Realm, okay?”
“No, go back quickly. I will marry your brother and be your sister-in-law.”
Having lost the heart qi that protected me for a thousand years, I suddenly feel my cultivation greatly reduced, and I’m afraid I can’t even defeat Hua Hua.
As my strength gradually returned, seeing that he had not yet awakened, it was the perfect time to escape. I slowly stood up and walked out step by step.
The path through the pear garden was no longer winding and tortuous. Fireflies drifted on both sides of the road, a scenery rarely seen before. But now, I had no time to appreciate it. Passing through a patch of luminescence, the fragrance of flowers had almost disappeared.
I looked up and could no longer see a single pear tree – I had finally gotten out.
Before I could even smile, a cold wind swept over, making me shiver violently.
When I saw Qing Yuan’s icy cold face, I could not find words to describe my current emotions. It must be that my escape method was wrong!
Qing Yuan said, “The gate to the afterlife is now closed. Even if you escape from the pear garden, you cannot get out. I’m afraid before the gate opens, the King will have already awakened.”
I watched him warily, knowing that even if I fought with all my might, I was no match for him.
“So, I’ll take you through another passage,” he said.
What? I perked up, staring wide-eyed: “Did I hear that right? You’re going to help me escape? Aren’t you betraying Mu Chuan?”
Qing Yuan glanced at me indifferently, with an expression that said he wouldn’t explain further even if I didn’t want to go.
I quickly raised a white flag: “I trust you.”
After all, no matter how I might be trapped, I would only be sent back to Mu Chuan, with only the process being different.
Qing Yuan flicked a finger, and mist instantly wrapped around me. Before I could show surprise, he said, “Concealing immortal qi.”
I followed behind him for a long time, feeling somewhat puzzled. That day, I had entered the palace from his home, winding through many turns into the pear garden. Now I couldn’t distinguish how far this was from the ghost gate. Even though I feared Mu Chuan would pursue me, I patiently followed him.
He let out a light chuckle, got up, and continued to carry me back: “No matter what you do, I won’t kill you, so go ahead and cause trouble.”
“Just make sure to heal your injuries before running next time, so you can run further. Don’t let me catch you before you even leave the door.”
Voice slightly angry: “If you don’t open your eyes, I’ll tear your clothes off.”
I angrily opened my eyes, then thought something was wrong, looking at him in surprise, almost falling out of his arms.
Mu Chuan lowered his head to look at me, stopping his steps, the heaviness in his eyes slightly rippling with a hint of unease. I instinctively reached out to touch his eye corner, trembling: “Can you already see so clearly?”
Tightening his hold, he responded: “Mm.”
I stared at him for a long time, asking: “You’ve always known that heart qi can condense your life force, that power is enough to help you be reborn and control resentful spirits?”
He didn’t answer, just standing silently. I bit my lip, “Why didn’t you take the heart qi from my body at the beginning? It clearly belongs to you!”
He finally spoke: “Don’t you understand? Or are you pretending not to?”
I was stunned, withdrawing my gaze. I understand, you want to tell me how much you love me, right? Complex emotions surged, my mind instantly exploding.
I writhed in pain in his arms, hearing his urgent voice: “Suo Suo!”
This pain seemed familiar from long ago.
