My Ghostly Darling Cuddles Me Every Day - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Ghost Face Suddenly Pressed Against Bo Yu’s Neck…

Bo Yu believed that her home security would never allow a living stranger to slip into the living room and then into her locked bedroom without a sound, let alone “land” on top of her like this.

Today was the 15th day of the seventh lunar month—the Ghost Festival. Bo Yu realized this with a jolt.

She closed her eyes and opened them again. It wasn’t a dream; it wasn’t a hallucination. She could still see the… female ghost pinned against her.

The female ghost, who had looked pleasantly surprised just a moment ago, suddenly withdrew her smile and stared at her coldly. Bo Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

The ghost floated up chillingly, drifting in the air with her robes fluttering. She stood upright with her hands behind her back, looking down at Bo Yu with an icy gaze. Bo Yu tried to sit up and stand, but she found she couldn’t move. It was as if she were being controlled by the ghost, forced to look up from a lying position.

A ghost could actually control her body.

Though the doors and windows were shut tight, the curtains were suddenly tossed about by a violent wind from nowhere. The ghost’s clothes billowed, and Bo Yu’s bangs and hair were blown into a mess. Bo Yu tried to raise a hand to brush the hair away from her eyes, but she still couldn’t move.

Finally, the ghostly wind ceased. Everything returned to a dead calm, as if the gale had never existed. But Bo Yu had felt the powerful “ghostly force” this entity possessed quite clearly.

“Why can you see me?” The female ghost’s voice was no longer full of surprise; it sounded as if it were echoing from the bottom of a deep well—eerie and terrifying.

“I,” Bo Yu struggled to remain calm. Looking up at the ghost, she said honestly, “I don’t know.”

“Useless!” the ghost barked.

“…”

Bo Yu, who had never been called “useless” once in her life, felt a flicker of annoyance. But she didn’t dare show it. This ghost was genuinely uncanny, and getting angry was pointless when she couldn’t even move.

Staring blankly, Bo Yu asked softly, “May I ask… who are you?”

Was this an ancestor of the Bo family, or just a ghost passing through?

“Useless thing. Can’t you tell? This Immortal is a deity.”

“…”

Bo Yu actually began to calm down. She didn’t sense any celestial aura—not that she knew what that felt like—but she felt a bone-chilling, creepy yin energy that made her skin crawl.

Besides, would a deity make an entrance by making curtains fly and paralyzing someone? Though she’d never seen a real ghost, ghosts in movies loved these dramatic displays of “yin winds.” It was as if the more terrified humans were, the happier the ghosts became. A deity’s entrance should have light, falling petals, and a sense of holiness that made humans feel awe and luck.

Therefore, this “Immortal” didn’t seem like a deity at all. She seemed like a ghost from the underworld—and a “deceitful ghost” who enjoyed scaring people at that.

The “Immortal” before her appeared to be an ancient person who had passed away centuries ago. She wore cross-collared ancient clothing with a slender frame, a cinched waist, and wide sleeves. The long, multi-layered skirt was heavily tattered at the hem and sleeves, clearly worn for many, many years.

Yet, she was a truly beautiful “Immortal.” Her eyebrows were as delicate and curved as willow leaves, her eyes were like shimmering autumn water, and her lips were like peach blossoms resting on spring water. She looked like a classical beauty from a misty Jiangnan painting, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

She was nothing like the terrifying ghosts Bo Yu had imagined—no bulging eyeballs, twisted noses, or long, lolling tongues. Even though she was looking at Bo Yu coldly, her features were so exquisite that the coldness and arrogance were softened. Her glare felt more like a beautiful woman’s playful pout.

So beautiful. A beautiful ghost is truly hard to fear, Bo Yu thought.

“Then… hello, Great Immortal. Could you please let me move a little?”

“…”

The female ghost narrowed her eyes and gave her sleeve a light flick.

Bo Yu felt the stiffness in her body fade. She tried to lift her wrist and found she could move. She breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed this ghost could be reasoned with. Unlike her dog, Feifei—no matter what she said to Feifei, the dog didn’t understand and only rubbed its head against her.

“Thank you, Great Immortal.”

Bo Yu thanked her and slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard. She glanced at the consecrated Buddhist beads on her left wrist and thought to herself that they clearly weren’t doing much for exorcism.

Bo Yu looked up. “Are you a deity from ancient times?”

The ghost said nothing.

Bo Yu understood. She must be from the past. She continued softly, “As an Immortal, surely there is nothing in this world you cannot do?”

“What do you think?”

“…”

Bo Yu was nervous. She didn’t know if the ghost could actually do many things, but she hoped she could. She said politely, “May I ask, Great Immortal, why have you sought me out? I will certainly help you. Even if it is something I cannot do, I will do my absolute best to assist you.”

One human, one ghost. One looking up, one looking down. As their eyes met, Bo Yu’s gaze remained gentle, while the ghost’s cold eyes slowly narrowed.

“I am an Immortal. Why would I need your help? Do not be so self-important.”

“…”

Was her motive too obvious?

“Are you not afraid of me?” The ghost’s voice was low and slow, even more chilling than before.

Bo Yu thought to herself: I’m not. Truly.

Aside from the fact that she had a clear conscience, she was generally quite brave. Since the ghost wasn’t scary to look at—she was a pretty ghost—Bo Yu really wasn’t afraid. Moreover, if ghosts really existed, then her ancestors and her mother should also exist and protect her. That made her even less afraid.

However, Bo Yu didn’t shake her head. She said softly, “I am.”

She felt she should give the ghost proper respect, as this ghost seemed to care quite a bit about her “face.”

Suddenly, a violent wind rose again. The female ghost lunged toward Bo Yu. In an instant, the temperature in the room plummeted, as if ice shards had suddenly formed in the air.

Even though Bo Yu was brave, this was too sudden! She instinctively grabbed her quilt to block her face and shut her eyes.

“Heh.” The ghost actually laughed.

It was a very pleasant laugh, yet terrifying. Bo Yu shrank her shoulders involuntarily from the cold.

“You had best truly be afraid of this Immortal.”

The eerie ghostly words whispered right into Bo Yu’s left ear. Bo Yu’s entire body went numb and stiff from the creepy yin energy; she broke into a violent shiver. It felt like walking through a cemetery at night when a sudden cold wind blows—even with a clear conscience, the body would reflexively shudder and the heart would race.

“I,” Bo Yu said softly, “I am afraid. Please, Great Immortal, do not scare me, okay?”

“Heh. At least you know your place.”

The ghost moved away from her ear. The freezing pressure vanished instantly. Bo Yu relaxed her tense shoulders and took a deep breath. It wasn’t just that she was afraid of a ghost whispering in her ear; she was uncomfortable even when a human stood that close.

But then, the ghost’s face suddenly pressed against Bo Yu’s neck.

Bo Yu jerked her head up, her hair standing on end. Why did this ghost go back on her word!

But gradually, she realized the ghost seemed to be… smelling her. The ghost’s face moved slowly up her neck, her nose stopping at Bo Yu’s lips.

“You smell very good.”

“…”

Bo Yu’s heart stopped for a few seconds. She was surprised a ghost could smell anything, but then a realization hit her. This ghost seemed to have been touching her neck, ears, and face while she was sleeping. Now she was saying she “smelled good.” Could this be… a lecherous ghost?

Bo Yu remembered a plot from a movie where a female ghost would suck the essence of humans until they slowly withered and died. Was this “lecherous ghost” here to suck her essence?

Bo Yu tried to move, but failed. She was controlled by the ghost again.

“What is your name?” the ghost asked, her nose pressed against Bo Yu’s cheek.

This time, Bo Yu clamped her mouth shut and didn’t answer. When she was little, she heard her grandmother say that if a ghost calls your name, you must never answer, or your soul will be taken away. Now that her materialistic worldview had collapsed, she immediately recalled these warnings.

“You dare not say?”

The ghost’s voice was soft—an unnerving, eerie softness that sounded like it came from hell itself. Bo Yu’s left ear and the left side of her face felt intensely numb. By now, Bo Yu was 100% certain this was a ghost, not a deity. If she were a deity, she would already know her name. This ghost must have just wandered in.

Bo Yu whispered: “You…”

“Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

Sudden, loud barking came from outside the door. It was Hanhan. There were also sounds of talking, footsteps, and a door closing. It seemed Bo Jingxian and the others were back. Bo Jingxian was shouting at Hanhan to stop barking.

Bo Yu glanced at the bedroom door and then back at the female ghost, but in the blink of an eye, the ghost was already drifting by the window.

“Don’t go!” Bo Yu scrambled off the bed and looked up at the high-floating ghost.

The ghost looked down at her. Bo Yu pleaded urgently, “You are a ghost… if you are an Immortal, can you help me find out where my mother is?”

The ghost tilted her head slightly. Her half-tied long hair fell over her shoulder, strands floating softly in the air. “You just said you would do your absolute best to help me. So this was your intention.”

“…”

This ghost is so quick and clever.

“What is your mother’s name? Do you dare say it?”

Bo Yu answered immediately, “Her name is Jiang Wei. She passed away sixteen years ago at Lingren Mountain. She saved many children; she was very kind. She definitely won’t be an evil ghost. Can you… can you come back here next year? Can you come tell me? Or… can you bring her back to see me?”

The ghost suddenly descended. Her cold face was almost touching Bo Yu’s. Bo Yu forced herself not to blink, meeting the ghost’s gaze at close range. She didn’t even flinch. She stared at the ghost with eyes full of sincerity, longing, hope, and anxiety.

“I beg of you. I am requesting this of you.”

“You actually dare to command this Immortal to do work for you? To find a ghost for you?”

Bo Yu struggled to endure the close-range yin aura, her voice trembling uncontrollably. “It’s not a command. It’s a plea. I miss her so much. I want to see her. I can give you money, silver…”

“This Immortal has no need for money.”

“Then do you need a temple? I can build one for you!”

“I do not need that either.”

“Then do you need essence? I’ll give it to you! I can introduce you to someone—my dad lives on the third floor. He has plenty of essence. It doesn’t matter how you torment him. Go find him…”

Before Bo Yu could finish, the temperature plummeted. Bo Yu grew nervous. Why was the ghost angry? Was she not a lecherous ghost after all?

“Sis?” Bo Jingxian’s knock came from outside the door.

In that split second, the ghostly figure before Bo Yu vanished.

“Wait!” Bo Yu reached out desperately, but caught nothing. She pushed open the window and looked out anxiously, but there was nothing except the garden lights. No ghost, no protecting ancestors, and no mother.

“Sis? Are you asleep?”

Bo Yu took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and calmed her emotions. She turned on the light and opened the door. “What is it?”

Hanhan was gone, likely lured away by Bo Jingxian.

Bo Jingxian was surprised. “Sis, why are your eyes so red? Have you been crying? No way… are you crying in secret because we all went out?” She started laughing as she spoke.

Bo Yu: “…”

Hardly. Bo Jingxian wasn’t that important to her. Like her father, Bo Qin, she was just an insignificant person. Bo Yu would rather spend time loving herself than wasting time hating others.

“No, I’m just tired.” Bo Yu gave a small smile and yawned, which made the tears in her eyes look more prominent.

A disappointed Bo Jingxian: “…” Fine.

She still wanted to dig for gossip and asked mysteriously, “Sis, I thought I heard you on the phone. It’s so late and you’re not asleep—you usually sleep so early. Who were you talking to? Are you in a relationship? Do you have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend?” Her sister was usually so quiet that she didn’t even know what she liked.

Bo Jingxian smelled of alcohol and the messy, chaotic perfume of a bar. It didn’t smell good; it was almost foul. There was also a distinct human warmth—the heat of a living person.

Bo Yu suddenly couldn’t tell if the scene she just experienced was a hallucination or reality. She leaned against the doorframe, speaking slowly and softly in her usual dismissive tone. “I was on the phone with Zhu Ying. She couldn’t sleep, so I stayed up to chat with her.”

Bo Jingxian didn’t quite believe her and tried to peer inside. Bo Yu blocked her view and asked calmly, “Is there anything else?”

Bo Jingxian curled her lip and nodded, saying intentionally, “How about I sleep in your room tonight, Sis?”

“It’s inconvenient. I’m not finished talking to Zhu Ying. Go back and sleep early if you have nothing else. Goodnight,” Bo Yu said gently. Then she shut the door.

Rejected, Bo Jingxian stood outside. “…” Fine.

Bo Yu returned to the room and looked at the bedroom disarrayed by the ghostly wind. She was certain it hadn’t been a dream. She picked up the items that had been blown down, including “Xiexie” (a doll) that had somehow landed on the floor. Bo Yu rubbed the doll affectionately and comforted it in her heart.

She found it hard to sleep after that. At 1:00 AM, the insomniac Bo Yu turned on the bedside lamp, holding Xiexie in her arms. She searched for keywords like “ghosts,” “souls,” and “Zhongyuan Festival.” She clicked through various posts and answers for a long time.

She now believed that ghosts really existed. Looking at these ghost stories made her scalp tingle a bit, but she felt more joy than anything. If ghosts were real, then her mother hadn’t truly disappeared. She might have a chance to see her again.

Next year… next year on the night of the Ghost Festival, would she see that beautiful female ghost again? Would the ghost keep her word? No, it wasn’t a promise; the ghost hadn’t agreed. She probably wouldn’t see that ghost again.

Bo Yu felt a sense of regret. That “lecherous ghost” was… truly beautiful. Her personality was interesting, too—prone to boasting, concerned with “face,” a bit proud and temperamental, and fond of scaring humans. If people still had personalities after they died and weren’t just mindless zombies, would her mother still recognize her? Would she see her mother next Ghost Festival?

At 4:00 AM, Bo Yu finally drifted off with a sense of anticipation.

At that moment, the ghost returned. She drifted through the window and landed on Bo Yu, smelling, kissing, touching, and hugging her. She had none of her previous eerie coldness; on the contrary, she seemed obsessed with Bo Yu.

Xie Yinwan played around on Bo Yu for a long while, smelling every inch of her fragrant body and carefully memorizing Bo Yu’s beautiful appearance. Then, her gaze shifted and she saw a doll that looked like a suitable vessel for possession.

Xie Yinwan examined the doll with interest. It was pretty enough to be worthy of her. She arched an eyebrow and drifted gracefully into the doll’s body.

After a moment of adjustment, Xie Yinwan used the doll’s feet to walk wobbly over to the bed. She squeezed into the quilt and lay down on Bo Yu’s chest.

She was a soul drawn by a fragrance. She had passed through the walls and landed on this human. This human smelled wonderful—her neck, her hands, her feet, everywhere. Smelling her and holding her felt so comfortable and wonderful.

Xie Yinwan curled her lips into a smile and fell asleep on Bo Yu’s chest, alongside her.

Support My Ghostly Darling Cuddles Me Every Day