My Ghostly Darling Cuddles Me Every Day - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: “Why Are You Shaking?”

Bo Yu could not control her body. She was unable to move a single muscle, forced to face Xie Yinwan in a stiff, frozen posture.

She didn’t know what Xie Yinwan intended to do. One moment they were chatting amicably, and the next, the ghost’s temperament had shifted, pulling her out of the water to endure this form of torment.

Xie Yinwan squinted her cold eyes, scanning Bo Yu from head to toe.

Under the female ghost’s scrutiny, Bo Yu’s cheeks burned and her entire body turned a deep crimson. She had never even been to a public bathhouse, let alone been stared at like this. Furthermore, the one staring at her now was a ghost. Bo Yu’s water-beaded skin fluctuated between hot and cold. She slowly closed her eyes, attempting to escape the helplessness and humiliation of her current, powerless state.

But this is a ghost, not a human, Bo Yu tried to convince herself. Perhaps she has no sense of morality or shame. She tried to stop viewing the ghost through a human lens, forcing herself to stay calm.

Xie Yinwan floated slowly around Bo Yu’s exposed body, admiring it with meticulous detail. This was a human body—breathing, translucent, with blood flowing through it—a vibrant, graceful form like fine mutton-fat jade. The tiny droplets of water reflected the bathroom lights, sparkling like crystal. The body, rising and falling rapidly with shallow breaths, was exquisite.

Xie Yinwan drifted behind Bo Yu. Her ethereal robes brushed against Bo Yu’s skin with the weight of a whisper. She rested her chin lightly on Bo Yu’s shoulder and pressed her forehead against the side of Bo Yu’s face. Simultaneously, she circled her hands around Bo Yu’s waist.

“You smell very sweet.”

Bo Yu’s entire body stiffened even further. She had experience being hugged from behind by people like Bo Mi or Bo Jingxian, but she was currently unclothed, and the entity behind her was not human. It was a ghost.

Before Bo Yu could process the shame, she was overwhelmed by a bone-chilling cold. The frost was most intense at her shoulders and back, followed by the ghost’s hands across her waist; it felt as if a ring of ice had been clamped around her. Though the ghost was wearing clothes, the fabric felt like nothing at all to Bo Yu. This eerie frigidness seeped directly through her skin and into her bloodstream, chilling her to the bone. It was so bizarre and unsettling that her shame vanished, replaced by an intense, uncanny discomfort that made her body tremble uncontrollably.

“Why are you shaking?”

“…”

“I… I’m excited.”

“Heh.”

“…”

Bo Yu dared not move, even though she physically couldn’t.

“I like the scent on you very much,” Xie Yinwan said softly and slowly, her voice carrying a cruel warning that traveled through the icy ghostly aura. “At the same time, I dislike the scent of other humans. So, Little Fish, do not engage in any intimacy with any human. Do not let your body be tainted by any other human scent. Otherwise, I will kill you both. I will tear you limb from limb and cut you into a thousand pieces. Do you understand?”

As a ghost, she didn’t care who this sister married, but she cared about her purity. From the moment she first landed on Bo Yu, she had smelled a cleanliness that included both her soul and her body. A soul without stray thoughts and a body without greed—she found it fascinating and delightful.

Therefore, she would not allow Bo Yu to be tainted by the likes of Zhu Ying or Jin Xuan. If she became “uninteresting,” Xie Yinwan would kill them all, making them die over and over again in the underworld to pay for ruining her entertainment. She hadn’t found anything interesting in countless years; she wouldn’t let anyone take this rare spark away.

A cold wave surged through Bo Yu, and she shuddered violently. “I understand. I swear, I will never let myself be tainted by the scent of any other human. Please rest assured, Immortal.”

She had never planned on dating or marriage, so this vow came from her heart. It was neither a lie nor a perfunctory answer.

Xie Yinwan smiled silently, sensing the sincerity in the vow. She withdrew, waving a hand to let Bo Yu sink back into the bathtub. She began to float away toward the door. “Wash up. When you are finished, come out. Take your time.”

As her body settled back into the warm water, Bo Yu found she could move her limbs again. Her blood warmed up, and her entire being relaxed. She took soft, deep gasps of air. She had actually just been held from behind by a ghost. It was so surreal she didn’t dare think back on it too closely.

Though the ghost told her to take her time, Bo Yu didn’t dare make the fickle entity wait long. She rinsed off quickly, wrapped her hair in a towel, put on a bathrobe, and stepped out.

Xie Yinwan had swept the cushion off the table and was currently sitting there, playing with the Xiexie doll. It seemed that to Xie Yinwan, everything on the table was an eyesore except for the doll. Bo Yu silently picked up the cushion and placed it on the small sofa.

“Does this doll have a name?” Xie Yinwan asked, glancing up.

Bo Yu answered immediately, “Xiexie.”

“Hmm?”

“Her name is Xiexie.”

Xie Yinwan gave Bo Yu a strange look. “You think of me that much?”

Bo Yu: “…”

Oh no, the arrogant ghost misunderstood the name. (Note: In Chinese, “Xie” is also the ghost’s surname).

However, Bo Yu didn’t dare explain. “Yes… yes,” she said, nodding through the lie.

“Heh.”

Standing before Xie Yinwan, Bo Yu noticed that the ghost seemed to be in a good mood and really liked the doll. Afraid that the ghost might ask for it, Bo Yu decided to test the waters. “Immortal, if you like dolls like this, I can make one as beautiful as you and burn it for you.”

Xie Yinwan looked over with a half-smile. “Afraid I’ll take her?”

“No, it’s just that this doll’s appearance doesn’t match yours. I simply want to give you one that suits your beauty to please you.”

“No need,” Xie Yinwan said, seeing right through her.

Bo Yu felt a slight relief; at least she wouldn’t lose the doll.

“Do you take her with you when you go out?”

“Occasionally.”

“From now on, take her whenever you go out during the day. No matter where you go, at every moment, bring her with you. It makes it easier for me to collect energy. Can you do that?”

In reality, “collecting energy” was a lie. She simply wanted to use the doll’s eyes to see the world and the scenery during the day.

Bo Yu agreed joyfully, “I can. I definitely will.”

If Xie Yinwan was making demands, it meant she might be willing to help find her mother. Bo Yu was starting to feel excited.

“If you fail, I will kill you.”

“…”

“I can do it. I will bring her every single moment I am out.”

“Good.”

“That is all for tonight.” Xie Yinwan tossed the doll into Bo Yu’s arms. Bo Yu caught it instinctively, hugging it tight.

Xie Yinwan floated into the air. A ghostly wind rose in the bedroom, blowing the towel off Bo Yu’s head. As it hit the floor, her damp, unbrushed hair fell over her shoulders.

Xie Yinwan looked down at the beautiful, damp-haired Bo Yu and gave a cold reminder: “Your sister will invite you to go fishing today. She intends to push you into the water. Do not agree to go with her.”

With that, the wind vanished, and Xie Yinwan disappeared as if she had never been there.

Bo Yu stood alone, clutching Xiexie and looking up at the empty air. After a long moment, she smiled and whispered to herself, “She really is a good Immortal.”

The silver-white moon hid its right edge, adding a touch of misty poetry to the night. The floating clouds surrounding it were like Xie Yinwan’s light veil, moving slowly with the moon and the night.

Under the clear, cool moonlight, all things were peaceful. Xie Yinwan silently slipped into Bo Yu’s embrace, pressed her face against Bo Yu’s fragrant collarbone, and fell asleep contentedly.

After a night of good dreams, Bo Yu woke up in the morning to find Xiexie in her arms again. She was so baffled she considered installing a security camera to see if she was reaching out for the doll in her sleep or sleepwalking to get it. But then she thought: if the footage were leaked, people would see her talking to the air and a doll floating while being manipulated by an “invisible ghost.” She decided against it.

At breakfast, Bo Jingxian suddenly showed concern for Bo Yu. “Sis, today is Friday. Tomorrow is the weekend anyway, so don’t go to work. Rest well at home and go back on Monday.”

Bo Yu had to bury the talismans today anyway, so she had no plans to go in. She nodded. “Mhm.”

Bo Jingxian smiled, then a moment later, acted as if she had just remembered something. “Oh! I just remembered a friend invited me to go fishing. Sis, are you bored at home? Why don’t you come with me? It’s just a group of girls—I’m not trying to set you up this time! I just feel bad that you’ve been cooped up all week.”

The invitation sounded sincere enough that Grandma Bo encouraged her. “That’s a good idea. You and Jingxian should go out. Fishing isn’t tiring and it’ll improve your mood.”

Bo Yu didn’t know if Xie Yinwan truly had the power to see the future or if she had simply floated into Bo Jingxian’s room and overheard a phone call. Either way, she felt a small thrill, like having a “system” or a “cheat code” in a story.

“I already have plans with Zhu Ying. She’s been in a bad mood lately, and I promised to pick her up from work and go to her place to talk.”

Bo Jingxian was about to suggest bringing Zhu Ying along, but hearing that they wanted to talk privately at her house, she couldn’t say more. She sighed and said, “Fine, next time then.”

Bo Yu’s lips curved slightly. “Yes. Next time.”

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