My Ghostly Darling Cuddles Me Every Day - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Lips Drawing Close: “It’s Interesting Here.”

Bo Jingxian was beyond furious. Her father and uncle were away and couldn’t speak up for her, leaving her at the mercy of this “fake priest” who looked nothing like a Taoist.

In the living room, Bo Jingxian stood in the center with her arms crossed, glaring coldly at the woman.

“Bo Jingxian,” Grandma Bo said sternly.

Bo Jingxian stole a glance at her grandmother and dropped her arms. “I know.” She became a bit more compliant.

Jin Xuan walked around the third young miss with her ritual device. Seeing no reaction from the tool, she realized the “unclean thing” had likely fled upon seeing things take a turn for the worse.

Had her master been here, he would have continued the performance even after the spirit was gone. Otherwise, if you just say it’s gone without doing anything, how do you justify the fee? Jin Xuan decided to imitate her master’s theatrical flair.

She pulled a yellow paper from her seemingly bottomless coat pocket, drew a talisman, and lit it. Once it was mostly burnt, she dropped it into a bowl of water. Then she took out some mugwort, stirred the “talisman water,” and finally began flicking the water onto Bo Jingxian’s face.

Bo Jingxian was pelted with droplets. She closed her eyes and tried to retreat, but the priest held her shoulder firmly. Bo Jingxian opened her eyes to snap—was this priest treating her like it was the Water Splashing Festival?!

“Jingxian,” the old lady warned again.

Bo Jingxian forced herself to stay still, cursing the priest in her mind. Jin Xuan, having grown up with her master, knew you shouldn’t bottle up frustration. Sensing the girl’s silent insults, she intentionally “cleaned” her harder, flicking massive amounts of water onto her face, hair, and clothes. After repeating the process three times and enjoying the sight of the fuming girl, Jin Xuan felt half-satisfied.

“Third Miss,” Jin Xuan handed the remaining water to her. “Hard work. Please take three sips.”

Bo Jingxian, now looking like a drowned rat: “…” I’m going to get diarrhea from this!

“It’s fine if you don’t drink,” Jin Xuan made a move to throw it away. “There are many sects in Taoism; mine doesn’t force people. If you feel unwell tomorrow, you can call me back to perform the exorcism again just like this.”

Bo Jingxian shut her eyes tight, grabbed the bowl, and took three sips, nearly gagging. She didn’t believe she brought anything back; if there was something, Bo Yu must have attracted it and blamed her!

Jin Xuan smiled, fully satisfied now. She turned to the old lady. “Old Madam, it is done. I will go to the kitchen now. Once the herbs I requested are bought, I will brew the decoction for the Second Miss. Once it cools, you can feed it to her.”

Grandma Bo hadn’t seen anything leave Bo Jingxian, but she assumed it was a special spirit she couldn’t see. She nodded, coaxed Bo Jingxian with a few words, and let the housekeeper take her to shower. She then followed Jin Xuan to the kitchen.

“Master,” the old lady whispered. “Talisman charms are buried in the soil all around this house—your master put them there years ago. Logically, nothing should be able to enter. Why was someone still able to bring something back?”

Jin Xuan, about to write a charm, looked back in surprise. “My master buried talismans? When?”

“A long time ago. Over ten years.”

Jin Xuan pondered. “The talismans might have lost their power over such a long time due to rain and snow. I’ll redo the perimeter tomorrow during the day.”

The old lady sighed in relief. “That would be wonderful. Thank you for the trouble.”

Jin Xuan added, “Last night was the Zhongyuan Festival; the streets were full of souls. Today the Ghost Gate is closed, so there won’t be as many. The Third Miss will be fine tomorrow, and the Second Miss will recover in a few days. Don’t worry, and feel free to contact me if anything happens.”

“Good, good,” Grandma Bo understood the hint. She presented a thick red envelope. “One more question… does Master Jin Xuan have a partner?”

“?”

The old lady chuckled. This was her first time meeting the disciple, and she was impressed by her beauty and steady manner. Knowing this sect allowed marriage, she had an idea. She didn’t know if Bo Yu liked men or women, but it didn’t hurt to prepare. Bo Yu was physically weak; wouldn’t a Taoist who could handle ghosts be the perfect partner?

Jin Xuan nearly broke into a cold sweat. “I don’t, and I don’t plan to. Please don’t ask again, Old Madam.” She certainly didn’t like that arrogant third miss. But the second miss… she was quite easy on the eyes.

At 10:00 PM, the herbal medicine—spiced with burnt charms—had cooled. Bo Mi knocked on Bo Yu’s door to feed it to her. Bo Yu, groggy and feverish, let her in.

Bo Mi sat her up and prepared a cup of sugar water and a jar of sugar. She brought the bowl to Bo Yu’s lips. Bo Yu took one sip and immediately spat it back out into the waste cup, the taste was so foul.

“It’s awful,” Bo Yu grimaced.

“You have to drink it,” Bo Mi said firmly. “Don’t breathe, just chug it. Quickly.”

It took Bo Yu ten agonizing minutes to finish the bowl, tears actually streaming down her face from the bitterness. Once the housekeeper left, Bo Mi wiped her sister’s face and laughed about Bo Jingxian’s “water-flicking” ordeal.

Bo Yu smiled weakly. She wondered: If the ghost on Bo Jingxian only left today, is it possible the one I saw last night is still here? If I drink this medicine, will she be unable to come near me?

After Bo Mi left, Bo Yu brushed her teeth to get rid of the taste. She took Xiexie out of the quilt and changed the doll’s clothes, selecting a pink Polo-collared sleeper and a rabbit-ear hat. She sprayed the doll with perfume and kissed it several times before placing it on the sewing machine and drifting off.

In the dead of night, the doll—now in the pink outfit—floated up. Xie Yinwan looked in the mirror, tilting her head left and right. She even turned around to wiggle her bottom, satisfied with how flexible the body was becoming.

Bo Yu’s sleep was restless. She dreamed of a dark riverbank where ghostly figures emerged from the water. Suddenly, she felt her neck itching. A voice, familiar yet eerie, whispered in her ear:

“Are you called ‘Little Fish’ (Xiao Yu)?”

Bo Yu woke up with a start. There she was—the female ghost from last night! Tonight, the ghost looked even more beautiful. Her eyes were full of a playful, classic elegance. Even with her deathly pale skin, her smile made her look incredibly vivid.

Bo Yu’s heart raced with joy. She didn’t have to wait until next year to see her!

“I’ve come, and you’re happy?” The ghost hovered over her, arching an eyebrow.

“Happy,” Bo Yu whispered sincerely. She tried to sit up, but realized she was paralyzed again. The ghost gave a slightly chilling smile.

“I… you,” Bo Yu began, then asked softly, “How come you didn’t go back? Did you miss the deadline?”

A phantom wind blew through the room. The ghost’s hair brushed Bo Yu’s chin. “Go back where?”

“To… heaven or something.”

“Heaven is boring,” the ghost leaned down, her lips brushing Bo Yu’s ear. “It’s interesting here.”

Bo Yu held her breath. Her neck and side felt numb from the cold. She realized the Taoists were clearly hacks—her charms and medicine hadn’t stopped the ghost at all.

“Will you… come often?” Bo Yu asked.

“You want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Not afraid of me?”

“I am, but I… like making friends.”

A strange silence followed. “You want to be friends with this Immortal?”

“Yes. Can I not?”

“Then tell me the truth: do you think I am a deity or a ghost? If you are honest, I will consider it.”

Bo Yu thought carefully. “I’ve never seen a deity, but you look like one. However, since you only appear at night… I think you might be a ghost.”

The wind rose again. The ghost stood upright in the air. “Xiao Yu, you truly have guts.”

“But in my eyes, you are a deity,” Bo Yu added quickly.

“Mmh. You have good taste. I am indeed a deity.” The ghost clearly cared about her pride.

“Immortal,” Bo Yu pleaded, “Can you help me find my mother?”

Xie Yinwan looked down at her with cold, narrowing eyes. Bo Yu didn’t flinch. The ghost thought to herself: This sister is a pitiful soul. But also a foolish one. When a person dies, the ties to the living world are severed; why be so obsessed?

Finally, the ghost said coldly, “I am an Immortal. It is but a matter of a single word.”

Bo Yu was overjoyed but cautious. “Why can you find her with just a word? Can every deity command spirits?”

The ghost laughed chillingly. “You are free to disbelieve.” She turned to fly toward the window.

“Don’t go! I believe you!” Bo Yu scrambled out of bed to catch her, but her hands passed right through the ghost’s legs. “I believe you! I’m sorry! Please don’t go!”

Whether the ghost was lying or not, this was Bo Yu’s only chance. “I beg of you. If you let me see my mother and say a few words to her, I will do anything for you.”

Xie Yinwan stared at her. The temperature dropped. “Stupid. You just exposed your weakness to me. You’ll become my puppet. Aren’t you afraid?”

“…I am.”

“I could threaten you to do things you hate, and in the end, you might never see her. You are walking into an abyss. Do you still dare to beg me?”

Bo Yu’s body was stiff. An abyss? If it meant seeing her mother again, she would walk into it a thousand times. “I beg of you.”

“You miss her that much?”

“Yes,” Bo Yu’s eyes shimmered with tears. “I miss her. So much.”

“Good daughter.”

“?” Was that a compliment or was she taking advantage of her?

Xie Yinwan leaned in and whispered into her left ear: “I’ll help you, but never expose your weakness to any other spirit or deity again. Understood?”

Relief washed over Bo Yu, and her body went limp. A hand caught her—firm and cold. Bo Yu couldn’t touch the ghost, but the ghost could touch her.

“Thank you. I’ll remember,” Bo Yu said.

“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t officially agreed.” Xie Yinwan floated over to the sewing machine. She swept the needles and fabric onto the floor with a wave of her hand.

“Don’t! I’ll move it!” Bo Yu rushed to save her equipment. When she returned to pick up her doll, she saw the ghost was already holding it, tugging on its rabbit ears.

“Why did you say it’s interesting here?” Bo Yu asked tentatively. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Xie Yinwan scanned Bo Yu from head to toe, making her uncomfortable. “If you need essence, my dad—”

“I don’t need it.”

“My uncle—”

“Shut up! I don’t need men! They smell bad!”

Bo Yu shut her mouth. If the ghost didn’t want “essence” or money, how could she win her over?

“There is one thing,” Xie Yinwan said slowly. She drifted into the walk-in closet. Bo Yu followed and saw all the cabinet doors had been flung open. A white dress floated toward her.

“I want this. Burn it for me.”

Bo Yu realized: This ghost just wants to play dress-up?

“I don’t have a burner here, and it’s unsafe to burn things in the room,” Bo Yu explained. “Can I do it outside tomorrow? I can burn ten, a hundred dresses for you.”

The dress fell to the floor. The ghost looked angry. Bo Yu quickly promised, “I’m not refusing! I just don’t have the tools right now.”

Xie Yinwan floated close. A strand of Bo Yu’s hair rose. A pair of scissors flew from the desk and snipped off a small lock. The hair floated over an incense burner, and a lighter ignited it.

The smoke from the hair swirled around Bo Yu before drifting to the ghost. Xie Yinwan raised her wrist, and the smoke transformed into a thin, dark thread that wrapped around her slender wrist like a bracelet.

“What does this mean?” Bo Yu asked, wide-eyed.

“Guess?” Xie Yinwan smirked.

“…A contract?”

“Heh.”

Xie Yinwan looked at her. “Xie Yinwan. That is my name.”

She gave a cold command: “When you burn the clothes tomorrow, write ‘For Xie Yinwan.’ This thread will ensure I receive them. If I don’t get them by tomorrow night, I will turn you into a living corpse who can do nothing but blink.”

Bo Yu nodded frantically. She was about to ask which character “Wan” was, but several versions of the character appeared in the air before her eyes.

Then, with a flash, the ghost vanished.

“Wait! I didn’t get the other characters!” Bo Yu called out. But the room was empty.

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