The ring was found by my great-grandfather on the offering table in the ancestral hall the day I was born.

He speculated that it was a betrothal gift left by a ghost for me.

As a child, the ring was too big for me to wear on my finger so I wore it around my neck with a red string.

Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to it and never thought to wear it on my finger. After being warned, I tried putting the ring on my finger and it fit perfectly on the ring finger of my right hand. Snugly stuck at the joint and impossible to remove.

I’ve worn this ring since birth and even knowing it was left by him, I couldn’t bring myself to hate it.

The ring used to be a dark red all over but now it’s becoming brighter and more lustrous. The dark red fading and leaving behind vague blood-like patterns, though the design is too blurry to make out clearly.

The next day, my brother took me to school. He’s a fifth-year medical student, mainly focused on his internship this year.

He helps our dad with his business and has many connections. He managed to secure an internship at a major hospital through the hospital director and spends most of his time in the shop handling our mystical merchandise.

He went to the school because he heard about the falling incident from yesterday, and since I was involved, the police called him early this morning.

My brother has widespread connections, and the police officer is an acquaintance of his, waiting at the school to question me.

“If you ask me, your ghost husband did nothing wrong. If someone messes with my daughter-in-law, I’d kill them too,” my brother said, patting the steering wheel. “Of course, I’d be more elegant about it.”

“You have a wife?” I asked gloomily.

My brother shook his head and sighed deeply. “In our line of work, it’s too hard to get married. Women are naturally Yin and dealing with Yin entities all the time can lead to an early death. Look at our mom? I’m better off staying single.”

“Brother, I might die young too,” I reminded him. “If I die one day, take good care of dad.”

He frowned, messing up my hair with his hand. “Don’t talk nonsense. I’ve analyzed it, and if your ghost husband wanted to kill you, he would have done it two years ago to have you accompany him. He must have another purpose. Be patient, maybe once he achieves his goal, he’ll leave on his own.”

I gave a wry smile and shook my head. The male ghost had said it himself; I could only be with him until death.

“By the way, Xiao Qiao, what does your ghost husband look like? Is he handsome?”

I shook my head. “I haven’t seen him; he wears a ghost mask.”

“Tsks, all mysterious… So, does he have a nice voice?”

“His voice? What does that have to do with anything?” I asked curiously.

“You don’t know, huh? Usually, if a male god sounds heavenly, his real self is an extremely ugly shut-in!”

I froze, realizing the trouble I was in. His voice was clear and deep, quite pleasing if not for his cold tone.

He must be hideous, which is why he wears that ghost mask.

My brother is an optimist, cheerfully navigating life despite our family’s dark and heavy legacy.

Being with him, I managed to smile for a rare moment these days; my face had almost stiffened up.

As we passed a pharmacy near the school entrance, I hurriedly asked my brother to stop, then sneaked in to buy some emergency contraception.

In an area near a school, everyone understands; the best sellers are always condoms and emergency pills.

The salesperson handed me a box of pills with an expressionless face, his eyes numb.

It had been four days since the first time; I wondered if it was too late to take the emergency pill now.

My brother watched in shock as I stood by the car and swallowed a pill dry, then hurriedly tossed the box into a trash can.

He suddenly realized something and asked, “You didn’t use protection when you did it?

Ah!!”

My face turned red! Protection?!

You’re talking about protection with a man, no, a ghost known for being aggressive?!

Seeing me stumble into the car, my brother frowned and said, “You can’t keep taking emergency contraception every day! That stuff is really harmful to your body!”

After swallowing the pill, my throat felt uncomfortable, as if a hand was stuck in my neck, the pill lodged in my throat refusing to go down.

While heading to a small conference room, I saw a hot water dispenser next to the restroom and told my brother I’d go have some water.

He went straight into the small conference room to talk with the police officer. As I bent over to pour water, a cold body pressed against me from behind.

“You’re quite bold,” he said, his voice full of menace.

I turned around to see him standing behind me, radiating a cold fury.

He grabbed my collar and dragged me into the adjacent restroom.

“What are you doing…” I asked fearfully.

Without explanation, he threw me into a stall, his cold hand gripping the back of my neck, and forcefully shoved two fingers into my mouth—

“Mmm… Ugh…” A sharp pain shot through my throat as I spat out the pill that hadn’t gone down.

“You dared to take the pill?” he sneered as he slammed me against the stall door. “Lucky I’ve been following you, or you would have swallowed it.”

“You… you rape and now you won’t even let me take a pill?!” I was furious; his actions last night were appalling.

What does it mean to flay, disembowel, and devour?

Every day wasn’t I oppressed by him until I passed out, and he wouldn’t stop?!

“Rape?” His voice took on a chilling sharpness, then he scoffed sarcastically, “Fine, let’s call it rape.”

With that, he lifted my skirt and violently tore off my tights—

My sensitive skin was exposed to the air, breaking out in goosebumps, he, he wasn’t planning to do it here—

This was a conference area, usually empty, but still, this is a school!

“Don’t… Please don’t! I beg you—” I was truly scared now.

At home, no matter how he tormented me, it was in my own room, my own bed, where the shame and humiliation were known only to me.

But now, in a public place…

“I won’t take the pills anymore, I won’t… please…” My tears flowed freely as I trembled, pinned against the door.

His angry breathing gradually calmed, and eventually, he let me go.

In that moment, tears cascaded down my cheeks as I slumped against the door, shivering.

He also crouched down, cradling the back of my head, urging me to look up.

“Mu Xiao Qiao remember, you are my wife in a ghost marriage and you must fulfill a wife’s duties.”

I nodded resignedly, my eyes closed.

“I have many things to do in the world of the living, and you are my anchor. You cannot die. Live well, understand?”

I nodded again, tears wetting my cheeks.

He gripped my arm, helping me to stand.

“Lastly, take good care of… this,” he said, placing a hand over my lower abdomen.

I opened my eyes and looked at him, puzzled.

He let go of me, his voice returning to its usual cold and detached tone: “If you fulfill my request, I can promise you that once it’s accomplished, you can live out your days in peace, and I won’t appear before you again.”