“What did you say!?” The hotel manager’s violence vanished in an instant, replaced by confusion and helplessness. “He wanted to marry me? How is that possible? Didn’t he…want me dead…”

Yu Sen felt that something seemed off. “Why do you think he killed you? Did he do it himself? Did you see it with your own eyes?”

The hotel manager was stunned by his questions for a few seconds, blankly staring at the floor, mumbling to herself, “He hired an assassin to kill me… That’s what the assassin told me…”

Yu Sen and Si Xuanyang exchanged a glance, sighed, and said slowly, “Last night, we eavesdropped on Mr. Li and…that Zhao Yue girl’s conversation at the Li residence. We think that Mr. Li sincerely wanted to marry you, and he did, didn’t he? Judging by your appearance, since you loved him, why did you let Zhao Yue marry him in your place? Was it you who made her do that?”

“It was me…” Her expression turned bewildered. “At that time, I was traveling in Jiangnan. When I saw him from the boat, I decided at first sight that I would marry him someday. But I didn’t know his identity, nor had I had time to find out. Later, there was a sudden change at home, and I rushed back to Huai’an City, only to learn that the newly appointed top scholar, Li Xiao, had already proposed. Three days later, I was to marry into the Li family…”

Yu Sen lowered his eyes. “You didn’t know Li Xiao was the person you fell for at first sight in Jiangnan, so you didn’t want to marry him.”

He noticed a name badge slowly appearing on the hotel manager’s chest—Song Ningxiu.

“Yes,” a circle of gray-black mist coiled around her, making her appear gloomy and frightening, though her expression was bitter and sad. “The only solution I could think of was to escape.”

Song Ningxiu gave a bitter smile. “Zhao Yue was my maid. She always wanted to marry into a wealthy family. I was also worried that eloping would implicate my parents. I thought the bridal veil would cover my face during the wedding, and since I was usually kept indoors, few people had seen me. I figured I wouldn’t be recognized. Even if my parents found out the truth later, for the sake of the Song family, they wouldn’t expose me. So…”

“So Zhao Yue married Li Xiao, and you ran away. When did you learn about Li Xiao’s identity?” Yu Sen asked.

“On the day of the wedding,” recalling the past, the black mist around her grew denser. “I saw a portrait of the top scholar and was ecstatic. I even wondered if he had also fallen in love with me in Jiangnan and learned my identity from the salt factory, which led him to propose to the Song family as soon as he returned to Huai’an City.”

“Where were you then?” Yu Sen asked softly.

“I was already outside the city, but not far away,” Song Ningxiu said. “I was overjoyed and wanted to return immediately, but I hadn’t expected… Before I could enter the city, a man in black intercepted me and slit my throat. Before he did, he told me it was Li Xiao who didn’t want me to return, who didn’t want me to reclaim my identity as the salt merchant’s daughter from Zhao Yue!”

Yu Sen was speechless. “So all these hundreds or thousands of years, you’ve believed that Li Xiao hired someone to kill you so he could stay with Zhao Yue forever?”

Was that even necessary? What was going on in this lady’s mind? How could they torment each other like this for so many years?

Song Ningxiu lowered her head and said, “I misunderstood him. When I woke up in the wilderness, my resentment had already turned me into a vengeful ghost. Later, Li Xiao’s father committed a crime, and the entire Li family was executed. I stole their heads one by one and used dark magic to preserve them. My resentment also became a curse, trapping their souls forever, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

“That’s really cruel,” Yu Sen, no longer as afraid of her, muttered under his breath. “Li Xiao is almost driven insane, smashing things every night like some kind of rage maniac.”

After saying this, he glanced sideways at Si Xuanyang, implying, “Yep, another rage maniac just like him.”

Song Ningxiu’s lips trembled slightly.

Si Xuanyang, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, “The person who hired an assassin to kill you must be Zhao Yue, right? She’s the only one with that motive. Besides, on the day of the wedding, not many people would have known she was impersonating you.”

“I underestimated her,” Song Ningxiu’s tone was thick with repressed hatred. “She was sold to my Song family when she was a child, and I didn’t treat her poorly. But I could tell she was petty, jealous, and scheming. I just didn’t expect her to be so bold and ruthless as to hire someone to kill me!”

Yu Sen looked at the resentment surrounding her and tilted his head, asking, “So what do you want to do now? We can help you fulfill your wish.”

Their mission was to dispel the resentment of Song Ningxiu, the daughter of a salt merchant, and the most direct way to do that was to help her fulfill her heart’s desire.

Song Ningxiu’s eyes trembled, “It’s simple. You just need to take my body back to the Li family estate. I will handle the rest myself.”

Yu Sen was a bit surprised, “We still have to dig up a body?”

“Due to some restrictions of the Li family’s curse, I can’t see them. The only way is to bring my body inside, then my spirit might be able to break through this restriction.”

“Fine…” Yu Sen sighed. After all these years, can they even find the body? Or would they end up digging out some grayish, dusty bones?

“Where is your body?”

Song Ningxiu glanced at Lin Jianchuan with a half-smile, “Your companion found it once, in the mass grave.”

---

Coming out of the storage room, Yu Sen seemed a bit disheartened, “I never thought I’d have to go dig up a body in a mass grave. It’s so disgusting, I feel like throwing up just thinking about it. Well, guess I won’t need dinner.”

“Then why don’t you just stay in your room and take a nap? We have enough people anyway; we don’t really need you,” Si Xuanyang said sincerely, and Yu Sen couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic.

“No way,” Yu Sen dragged his feet, walking behind the group. Estimating that Si Nan and the others couldn’t hear him, he shook his head dejectedly.

“If I don’t go, you two will end up being snatched away. Luo Yu will take Si Nan, and Lin Jianchuan will take you. Then I’ll be all alone—how pitiful.”

“…,” Si Xuanyang instantly fumed, feeling an overwhelming sense of anger, but couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Yu Sen, there must be something wrong with your brain! We only talked for a few minutes, and you think I’m involved with Lin Jianchuan?!”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean ‘involved’? Aren’t you embarrassed with so many people around?” Yu Sen widened his innocent eyes. “I’m talking about being snatched away as good friends. You’d get upset if your good friends were taken too, wouldn’t you? What are you thinking?”

“Heh, keep pretending!” Si Xuanyang rolled his eyes so hard they almost turned up to the sky.

Feeling annoyed, he spat out angrily, “If you can see there’s something between Luo Yu and my brother, why don’t you do something about it? Instead, you’re just leisurely standing around here!”

But after he said that, he felt a bit regretful.

For him, if Yu Sen was unwilling to face the fact that his boyfriend was flirting with another man, he certainly didn’t want to forcefully remind him in such a blunt way.

He thought, if he wants to play dumb, let him play dumb. He felt that pretending not to know might be better—happier.

Sure enough, Yu Sen gave him a big smile, but his eyes were filled with unhappiness, “Mind your own business!”

---

Although they hadn’t used it many times, they always thought the hoe from the clock was a self-defense tool, but they never expected it to be for digging up bodies.

Before they left, while Si Nan and Luo Yu were looking for things in the hotel’s utility room, Yu Sen took the opportunity to pin Si Xuanyang in the room.

“What are you doing?” Si Xuanyang sat on the edge of the bed, watching him warily.

“Hmph, there you go again with the same old question. Can’t you be a little more creative?”

Yu Sen sighed, crouching down in front of him.

“What the hell! What are you trying to do?!” Si Xuanyang panicked a little, almost jumping up.

Yu Sen couldn’t take it anymore and took out a roll of bandages, shoving it in his face. “I just want to change the bandage on your injured foot! Si Xuanyang, could you please stop imagining all sorts of inappropriate things every time you look at me?”

“…I wasn’t!” Si Xuanyang awkwardly squeezed out two words, his face turning bright red.

“Alright, alright, I believe you. Just don’t describe your dirty fantasies to me,” Yu Sen calmly started unwrapping the thin sheet wrapped around his ankle.

“…What’s with the way you’re talking—ugh!” Si Xuanyang sighed helplessly, feeling a cool sensation on his ankle. He quickly lowered his head and bent over, “Let me do it myself!”

“Don’t move! The bandage I just wrapped is coming loose,” Yu Sen snapped.

“And what’s wrong with the way I talk? Haven’t you talked like this with your male classmates at school? Are you even a man?”

Si Xuanyang shifted uncomfortably, his gaze falling on the soft black hair on Yu Sen’s head.

He thought about it, and yes, guys often joke around like this with each other. But the problem is… he’s in a relationship with his brother right now.

Yu Sen’s technique for wrapping the bandage was gentle, and he even sprayed some medicine before wrapping it, so it felt cool and didn’t hurt at all. Suddenly, Si Xuanyang felt a growing sense of helplessness, mixed with a bit of bitterness, washing over him like a tide. He didn’t even have the strength to lift his head; he just stared blankly at the top of Yu Sen’s head.

“OK, perfect!” Yu Sen snapped his fingers and looked up, meeting Si Xuanyang’s somewhat bewildered eyes directly.

Those eyes were so pure and clear that they made his heart tremble.

“…What’s wrong with you? Got dumb?”

“Huh? No.” Si Xuanyang’s gaze fell on the bandage tied in a bow around his ankle. He smiled slightly, a smile so faint it was almost imperceptible.

“A girly-style bandage, I won’t charge you this time.” Yu Sen patted his shoulder and stood up.

From outside, Si Nan’s voice called out urgently, “Are you two done yet? We’ve packed everything, and it’s time to go. It won’t be safe if we’re late.”

“Alright, coming!”