Chapter 11

Yu He must have come from a wealthy family in his lifetime, as he had high material demands. One could tell just by looking at his bed, without even considering the other decorations and furniture in his room. Xue Ming had only seen such a bed in short videos before; it was extravagantly expensive. This type of bed was called a Babu bed, a huge bed with a complete structure. Lying inside gives the illusion of being completely imprisoned. The bed frame was sturdy, carved with cranes and cloud patterns, with steps to reach the bed. Ancient people liked to make beds very narrow to gather energy, so Xue Ming could easily grip the edge of the bed. The bed frame was so solid that Xue Ming initially thought it wouldn’t make those creaking sounds when slept on. However, it turned out that as long as it was wooden furniture with mortise and tenon joints, it would make such sounds when shaken. The outer frame of the Babu bed was draped with black and white interwoven smoky gauze curtains. When fully lowered, they could obscure most of the view inside. There was a place to put a candle holder, and the small flame would cast intimate overlapping shadows on the curtains, with occasional small movements and sounds coming from within.

Xue Ming felt extremely hot, as if trapped in a furnace, sweating profusely like running a thousand meters, panting heavily. She regretted it the moment Yu He said to hold tight. She mustered the courage to struggle, shouting “wait, wait,” but was mercilessly flipped over by Yu He. Her back was pressed down by a hand, leaving her lying on the soft bed, unable to move.

At first, Xue Ming was filled with fear and struggled fiercely, trying multiple times to sit up from the bed. However, Yu He’s grip was very strong, holding her wrists together with just one hand. Although it was clearly fingers, they felt like iron chains locking her wrists. The more she twisted, the tighter it became, so Xue Ming had to try to relax as much as possible. The wide outer robe became loose and hung on the arms during the movement. When his palm touched her smooth back, the coolness made her tremble.

Yu He’s body was too cold. Perhaps all ghosts were like this. This coolness always made Xue Ming uncomfortable. Every time she touched it, she would subconsciously sweat. Such a temperature seemed to remind her that there was always a ghost around her.

Moreover, this dead ghost was very dissatisfied with Xue Ming’s chest band. He seemed to want to tear it apart with one claw. There was no underwear in this era. Xue Ming immediately shouted, “Don’t! This is the only underwear I have. Don’t touch it–“

Before she finished speaking, her mouth was covered by a cold hand. All the sounds were muffled between her lips and teeth, leaving only a humming sound.

Yu He felt that she was too noisy, like a frightened animal. Wherever his fingers landed, her body would tremble, and her reaction was extremely awkward. She struggled and screamed instinctively, which made Yu He even more naughty. The young and well-proportioned body under his palm exuded a sweet fragrance, and any slight movement was fatally attractive. He leaned down and moved closer to Xue Ming, pressing his chest down, and could feel her trembling. Although it was very weak, he could feel it and liked it very much. It was like a beast that hunted weak prey but was not in a hurry to kill it but watched the prey tremble under its palm. Although this kind of satisfaction was morbid, it was enjoyable.

“You just nodded, didn’t you?” Yu He’s voice whispered in her ear.

Xue Ming turned to look at him. Although her mouth was covered and she couldn’t speak, her eyes conveyed a mix of pleading and fear, hoping Yu He would understand. She had chosen Yu He over Nie Xiaoqian because she wanted him to treat her shoulder injury, so she nodded in agreement.

Firstly, Xue Ming didn’t fully trust Nie Xiaoqian, who was undeniably dangerous. Secondly, despite Yu He’s quiet and mysterious demeanor, he had saved her life. The exchange of yang energy allowed Xue Ming to spend three nights safely in the temple. However, this situation was entirely new to Xue Ming. She had never been so close to a man, and Yu He was too forceful. When he pressed down on her, he almost completely covered her, making it hard for her to breathe. Her heart raced wildly, and she felt suffocated.

Yu He’s expression remained unchanged. He lowered his eyes, looked at her for a moment, then released his hand from her mouth and began to bite her lips again.

The bright moon hung in the sky, and the pond with swaying lotus flowers remained quiet and peaceful under the night sky. The night wind would occasionally pass by, causing the flowers to ripple and the lotus leaves to rustle against each other. The doors and windows of the house were closed, and the weak lights provided a dim illumination. Everything in the room was bathed in an ambiguous light. The layered gauze curtains blocked the spring light, and the bed shook gently, accompanied by a rhythmic creaking sound.

Xue Ming’s strength quickly waned. Exhausted from struggling, Yu He let go of her hand, which fell weakly onto the bed. Despite being shrouded in coldness, her body radiated intense heat. Sweat beads formed on her forehead and nose, but she couldn’t wipe them away. All her energy was focused on breathing, leaving no room for other concerns. After a day of running and walking, her legs cramped with the slightest exertion, causing her to scream in pain.

When it was over, Xue Ming lay on the bed, her eyes blank, not wanting to move a finger. Her robe was still on but crumpled like a ball, and her entire body was sweat-drenched. It felt like she had been in a fierce fight and had come out badly beaten.

Yu He got up from the bed and seemed to walk around the room.

Overwhelmed by fatigue, Xue Ming felt sleepiness take over. She tried to open her eyes twice but couldn’t.

Xue Ming felt that the ghost had absorbed too much of her yang energy, leaving her so exhausted that her consciousness became blurry. Finally, she turned over and fell asleep without warning. She was genuinely exhausted. It seemed that ever since she had arrived in this place, she hadn’t had a proper rest. She was more tired than after a week of staying up late and working overtime, and she just wanted to sleep for three days and nights. She slept deeply and had a strange dream. Her legs scolded her harshly in the dream, berating her until she was drenched in shame. They grabbed her by the neck and demanded to know why she didn’t take good care of them, overworking them and even using them for strange things.

Xue Ming was deeply ashamed and remained silent under the scolding. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself back in her tiny room. She seemed to have slept well, as she felt refreshed and immediately sat up. She noticed that her clothes had been changed. The ill-fitting black robe she had worn before had been torn to shreds, and now she was wearing a white garment that was still too large but only loose at the shoulders. After rolling up the long sleeves, it was barely wearable. She felt as if she had been cleaned, as her entire body was dry, and there was no sticky feeling from sweat. However, when she checked inside her clothes, she found that her inner garments and chest wrap were still as she had worn them, leaving her puzzled about the source of this clean feeling.

Moreover, she noticed a red pattern drawn on her left shoulder with some unknown substance. The original claw marks had faded significantly and no longer emitted black energy, showing signs of healing. Yu He seemed to have kept his promise and treated the wound on her shoulder. However, that ghost still had some conscience. After tearing her clothes to shreds, he gave her a new set so she wouldn’t be lying on the hard bed half-naked.

Xue Ming climbed out of bed and nearly collapsed to the ground as soon as she took a step. Her legs had been tortured terribly. They were already sore and difficult to walk on, and after being bullied by Yu He for so long, they felt utterly useless. Any slight exertion caused immediate cramping.
There was still a strange sensation lingering between her legs. Just thinking about it made her ears turn red, and she couldn’t stop swallowing. Recalling her absurd dream, Xue Ming felt guilty and weirded out. Her legs had grown mouths and were scolding her, which was terrifying.

Xue Ming climbed back onto the bed and massaged her legs, giving them some much-needed care. Only then did she have the strength to get up and walk. She was starving and thirsty, so she put on her shoes and shamelessly looked for Ning Caichen to ask for food. Upon stepping outside, she found the courtyard bustling. Ning Caichen was standing with two servants at the opposite door, talking to someone. Soon, she saw two of Zhao Sheng’s servants carrying out a pale corpse from the house with a hole in the sole of its foot, still bleeding.

Xue Ming wasn’t surprised; she had already guessed that more people would die. The two servants went back inside and quickly carried out another corpse, which looked exactly the same, and placed it side by side under the eaves.

At this moment, Ning Caichen returned with two servants. His face looked unwell, and he had stopped fanning himself, appearing weak and unsteady. When he reached the eaves, he suddenly noticed Xue Ming and looked up in surprise. Seeing it was Xue Ming, he forced a smile and greeted her weakly, “Brother, you’re awake?”

Xue Ming, hoping to get some food from him, showed concern: “Brother, you don’t look well. You didn’t rest properly?”

Ning Caichen furrowed his brows and glanced furtively at the opposite eaves before lowering his voice to Xue Ming, “Earlier, you told me there were ghosts in the temple. Were you joking?”

“Of course not,” Xue Ming replied. “To be honest, there are many ghosts in this temple. I almost lost my life a few nights ago.”

Ning Caichen asked nervously, “Then why did you return after leaving?”

Xue Ming answered truthfully, “This place is very strange. No matter how far I go, I end up back here as soon as I close my eyes. I can’t leave at all.”

Hearing this, Ning Caichen’s face turned ashen, and his legs gave out, causing him to collapse into a chair. The two servants quickly supported him from either side.

“Go, bring me a pot of wine,” Ning Caichen said, trembling.

“At a time like this, you’re still drinking? Aren’t you afraid, brother?”

Ning Caichen replied sheepishly, “Don’t laugh at me, brother. My legs are shaking badly. A couple of drinks will give me some courage.”

“Don’t worry, those ghosts can’t come out during the day. Besides, you’ve been safe the past few nights, which means your body is full of yang energy, and those little ghosts don’t dare to come near you.” Xue Ming patted his shoulder to comfort him, then added, “I’m starving. Do you have any food, brother?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Ning Caichen turned and called to a servant, “Prepare some food.”

Xue Ming’s legs were almost useless, so she asked Qiu Sheng to bring water for washing. She sat under the eaves, basking in the sun and eating. Ning Caichen sat with her, not minding the sun, drinking wine and chatting, “Brother, have you seen the ghosts in this temple? What do they look like?”

Xue Ming was gnawing on a braised chicken leg, her hands and mouth greasy, reflecting the sunlight. She said, “They are as beautiful as celestial beings, clearly not human. But don’t be fooled by their beauty. If they try to seduce you, it means you’re not far from death.”

Ning Caichen asked in surprise, “Then how did you escape from them?”

Xue Ming thought momentarily and decided not to boast, “I ran fast. That’s why my legs are almost useless now.”

Ning Caichen glanced at her legs and then noticed her clothes looked odd. He asked, “Your clothes don’t fit well. They seem too big. Are they yours?”

Xue Ming lied casually, “My clothes were torn, so I picked up a random set from an empty room in the temple.”

Ning Caichen was easily convinced and didn’t ask further. After a few sips of wine, he suddenly suggested, “Since this temple is strange, why don’t we sleep in the same room at night to look out for each other?”

Xue Ming almost choked, quickly chewing and swallowing before saying, “A female ghost has already entangled me. Sleeping with me would only bring trouble to you. You’ve been safe these past few nights because those ghosts don’t dare to bother you. Just act like nothing happened.”

Ning Caichen gripped the wine pot tightly, indignantly saying, “How can that be! If those ghosts fear me, I should stay with you even more. I can’t just sit by while your life is in danger.”

Xue Ming was stunned, not expecting Ning Caichen to be so kind-hearted. She thought: indeed, the protagonist is like this—righteous, kind, and upright—no wonder he could improve Nie Xiaoqian in the original story. She waved her hand, declining Ning Caichen’s offer, “Thank you for your kindness, brother, but there’s no need. I have my ways to protect myself.”

Nie Xiaoqian was injured and furious yesterday, and she would definitely seek revenge tonight. Ning Caichen, a young master with no fighting skills, couldn’t protect her. What if Nie Xiaoqian went crazy and tore them both apart?

Ning Caichen refused to give up, persistently persuading her and determined to stay with her.

Xue Ming kept stuffing food into her mouth, pretending to be too busy eating to talk. While debating, the temple door suddenly opened, and someone walked in.

Xue Ming looked up and found the person very familiar!