After Ghost Marriage with My Arch-Rival - Chapter 14

Late at night, silver moonlight filtered through the window and slanted across the bathroom. Liu Xiangyi stood before the mirror, which clearly reflected his sorry state.

The corner of his mouth was bitten, and his philtrum was slightly swollen—it was obvious he had been treated roughly. His entire mouth was so crimson it was almost indecent to look at.

That kid has truly lost his mind!

Liu Xiangyi’s eyes were dark with frustration. Catching a glimpse of the jade pendant around his neck, he lifted it to inspect it. The willow-leaf-shaped jade showed significantly more white than it had the last time he checked.

He took a deep breath. Tucking the pendant back into his pajamas against his skin, he hid it away and proceeded to double-lock the bedroom door.

It might not actually stop a ghost. But tonight, he was absolutely not going back to sleep in that coffin!

The late spring air was still a bit chilly. Liu Xiangyi burrowed into his blankets, wrapping himself up like a silkworm larva, and closed his eyes to force himself to sleep.

But his mind was troubled, and combined with his “Ultimate Yang” constitution, sleep remained elusive. Just then, he heard the faint creak of the mattress dipping. Simultaneously, a slight chill drifted over from the space beside him.

Liu Xiangyi bolted upright. “Zhong Qinhuai, what are you doing in here?”

In contrast to Liu Xiangyi’s exasperation, Zhong Qinhuai was lying on his side next to him, looking perfectly serene, as if nothing had happened at all.

His voice was languid and full of unearned confidence. “President Liu, we’re ghost-married. It’s perfectly normal to sleep together, isn’t it?”

Liu Xiangyi: “…”

Zhong Qinhuai slowly opened his eyes and looked at him. “Besides, wasn’t it President Liu’s own idea to sleep together every night?”

I only used that excuse to siphon yin energy! Liu Xiangyi grew even more dejected. He flopped back down, turned his back to the ghost, and closed his eyes. But feeling unsatisfied, he turned back around and asked coldly:

“What kind of madness possessed you tonight?”

Zhong Qinhuai blinked. A flicker of confusion crossed his features, tinged with a hint of innocence. “What? Is President Liu the only one allowed to decide when a contest starts and ends? Am I not allowed?”

Liu Xiangyi: “…”

He finally realized he had played with fire and gotten burned. Out of everyone he could have provoked, he had to pick this kid!

Just as Liu Xiangyi was about to roll over again, he saw Zhong Qinhuai reach out. He immediately blocked the hand. “If you dare continue, I’ll—”

Liu Xiangyi stared at him warily. Fortunately, Zhong Qinhuai didn’t seem angry; he withdrew his hand with total composure. However, his gaze remained fixed on Liu Xiangyi’s lips.

That thin, brilliant splash of red was the only thing drawing the eye in the pitch-black night. It was glaringly obvious, like a red fruit bitten until the juice ran, radiating a decadent, messy aura.

Zhong Qinhuai had intended to use his ghost energy to heal the bite and the scabbing, but halfway through the gesture—even before Liu Xiangyi could stop him he changed his mind.

I bit that. He wanted it to stay on Liu Xiangyi’s lips.

Before he could analyze the sudden shift in his thoughts, Zhong Qinhuai replied lazily, “You’ll what?”

Liu Xiangyi: “…”

He was genuinely spooked now. After that forced kiss in the car, he had finally developed a sliver of fear toward Zhong Qinhuai. The kid was eccentric while alive, and he was even worse now that he was dead—not to mention he was a ghost who could crush Liu Xiangyi effortlessly.

Liu Xiangyi truly had no way to deal with him. He could only be “furious for a moment,” which ultimately amounted to nothing but impotent rage.

The following evening, Liu Xiangyi accepted an invitation from Zhang Ruolan. Not long ago, Zhang Ruolan’s tech company had been sold to Liu Xiangyi, and a gala dinner was being held to celebrate the successful acquisition.

Liu Xiangyi went straight from the office. The moment he entered, Zhang Ruolan approached him. Glancing at Liu Xiangyi’s lips, he offered a deep, meaningful smile.

“I never would have guessed. I thought President Liu was a man of pure, ascetic desires, but it turns out you like the ‘feisty’ type.”

Liu Xiangyi: “…”

He knew exactly what Zhang Ruolan was misinterpreting, but he had no intention of explaining. He merely offered a slight smile.

Zhang Ruolan sighed. “Ah, back in the day, I actually planned to give my first kiss to Zhong Qinhuai. I even lunged at him for a forced kiss, but I was kicked across the room before I could even touch his clothes.”

To this day, Zhang Ruolan was still puzzled. “It makes no sense to reject something delivered to your door. My god, he was so aloof I actually started to suspect he might be impotent.”

Liu Xiangyi smiled. “No need to doubt it; he is.”

Zhang Ruolan: “!!!”

It was a low blow, but who told the kid to force a kiss on him last night? Spreading a little rumor to vent his frustration wasn’t asking too much, was it?

Zhang Ruolan was incredulous. He recalled their three years in high school; there had been pursuers of every kind—handsome, pure, seductive—but Zhong Qinhuai had looked at them all with the same cold eyes. It was like he was looking at a blade of grass or a stone on the ground—utterly indifferent, without a shred of emotion.

That was why they had speculated about his “problem.” How else could a man be so devoid of desire?

Zhang Ruolan sucked in a breath of cold air. “Re—Really?”

Liu Xiangyi gave a mysterious smile.

Just then, a guest approached, interrupting them. The guest extended a hand toward Liu Xiangyi. “President Liu.”

As Liu Xiangyi prepared to shake it, the guest’s hand suddenly twitched violently. Then, as if acting on its own accord, the hand stuffed itself back into the guest’s pocket.

The guest looked bewildered. “?”

Liu Xiangyi: “?”

Before Liu Xiangyi could think much of it, several more guests approached. Every single one followed the same pattern: they’d reach out to shake his hand, only for their arms to spasm and shake like they had Parkinson’s.

It continued like this the entire night.

Realizing something was wrong, Liu Xiangyi maintained his smile while weaving through the ballroom toward a private lounge. The moment the door closed behind him and he turned around, he saw Zhong Qinhuai.

The ghost was sitting comfortably on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine, looking as though he’d known Liu Xiangyi would come looking for him.

Liu Xiangyi walked over and stood over him. “Zhong Qinhuai, what kind of madness is it this time?”

Zhong Qinhuai swirled the wine in his glass. “President Liu probably doesn’t know, once a man becomes ‘impotent,’ he tends to lose his mind.”