The Beauty with Terrible Luck Falls in Love with a Ghost - Chapter 20

Han Hai’er glanced at Zuo Lihua with a faint, ambiguous smile and fell silent.

Zuo Lihua felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Her car had been driven to the company by Sun Xiaoyang, so she could head straight to the garage whenever she needed to go out, convenient for travel.

“Where to?” Zuo Lihua asked Han Hai’er, mentally debating whether she should visit a temple to acquire some blessed talismans or charms.

Han Hai’er thought for a moment. “Yi Xiang Alley.”

“Huh?”

Yi Xiang Alley was a commercial street designed to resemble traditional architecture, a tourist hotspot in S City. It was bustling year-round without a break, the kind of place locals would never set foot in, yet swarmed by out-of-towners.

“Why go there? Do ghosts hang out in such crowded places?” Zuo Lihua asked.

Yi Xiang Alley was packed with people, so if they went, she’d need to disguise herself. She’d left her hat at the studio, was there a spare sun hat in the car?

Han Hai’er licked her lips, a hint of excitement showing. “When I first came to S City, I wanted to see the old locust tree in Yi Xiang Alley. I never got the chance before I died. Today, no matter what, I’m going to see it, I want to rest in peace.”

Zuo Lihua’s eyes lit up. “After we go, will you be able to rest in peace and reincarnate?”

“No.”

Zuo Lihua: “…” She should’ve known!

She adjusted her seat and fastened her seatbelt. “Buckle up, we’re heading out!”

“Wait a moment.”

Han Hai’er set her jianbing guozi aside, turned, and fastened her own seatbelt as well. After making sure it was secure, she said with satisfaction, “Alright, now we can go.”

Zuo Lihua stepped on the gas, thinking to herself: Even ghosts follow traffic rules.

Halfway there, they came across a car accident.

A hearse had scraped against a sedan while turning, but it looked like there were no casualties.

Hearses weren’t a common sight, and Zuo Lihua couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.

“Pull over closer to that car.” Han Hai’er suddenly said.

Though puzzled, Zuo Lihua edged the car slightly closer.

Then she watched as Han Hai’er, the ghost who followed traffic rules, vanished with a whoosh. Half a second later, she reappeared out of thin air.

In her arms, she held a pale, stiff man who looked like an ice pop.

Most of the man’s body passed through the car door, with the other half still inside the vehicle. His hair nearly brushed against Zuo Lihua’s arm.

Zuo Lihua’s hands trembled, and she almost let go of the steering wheel.

“What is this?!” she shrieked.

Han Hai’er was thrilled. “A snack I picked up. Don’t make a fuss, you’re being loud.”

Zuo Lihua: “…”

She stared straight ahead, forcing herself not to turn her head, pretending not to hear the chewing and swallowing sounds beside her, frantically convincing herself that everything was fine.

This went on until Han Hai’er had finished nibbling away at the ghost she’d snatched.

Patting her stomach contentedly, Han Hai’er said, “Too bad he died accidentally. A suicide would’ve tasted better.”

Zuo Lihua: “…”

Her throat moved. She knew she shouldn’t ask, but after holding back several times, she couldn’t resist. “Do ghosts have flavors?”

Han Hai’er, in a good mood, explained, “The more tragic the death, the tastier they are.”

Zuo Lihua wanted to ask if that meant Han Hai’er herself would be delicious, but after her lips twitched, she held back the question.

Han Hai’er added, “But by the same token, the more tragic the death, the stronger the resentment, and the more powerful the ghost becomes after death. At my current level, the most I can handle is a suicide.”

Zuo Lihua didn’t know what to say. “…I see.”

Han Hai’er smiled slightly. “But with you around, I should be able to devour those female spirits from yesterday soon.” She seemed to recall something and added, “Let’s skip the commercial street for now. Let’s go to a hotel instead.”

Zuo Lihua immediately went on high alert, warily retorting, “How could a hotel be better than the commercial street!”

Han Hai’er gave her a peculiar look. “You prefer doing it outside? I never would’ve guessed you’re so open-minded. Is that how all celebrities are?”

Zuo Lihua instantly understood her implication.

She gasped sharply. “What inside or outside?! Get a grip! Indulging in carnal pleasures in broad daylight is unacceptable! And I’m not open-minded at all, it has nothing to do with my profession. Celebrities are normal people too!”

“Is that so.”

Zuo Lihua: “…” What’s with that expression mixed with regret and pity?!

Zuo Lihua managed to dissuade Han Hai’er from their hotel rendezvous by claiming she hadn’t brought her ID card.

She received a thoroughly disdainful look in return.

At the commercial street, Zuo Lihua was fully armed, wrapping herself up tightly. Even her captivating pink eyes were hidden behind large black-framed sunglasses.

Han Hai’er was extremely picky, after glancing at most things, she lost interest in eating them. Zuo Lihua breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness she hadn’t been reduced to a pack mule, buried under bags of food reeking of grease.

She had mysophobia, particularly detesting any oil stains on her clothes. Because of this, she never slurped noodles and always ate handheld foods like pancakes or jianbing guozi with utensils from a bowl.

If she accidentally got any grease on her, the consequences were nearly fatal, she’d rather roll in dirt than let any oily smoke touch her clothes. Such was her selective mysophobia.

Under Han Hai’er’s lead, they entered a restaurant.

Zuo Lihua suggested getting takeout, but Han Hai’er insisted on dining in a private room on the second floor. She wanted to eat while watching the passersby below through the window. The area featured antique-style architecture with carved beams and upturned eaves. With the rain just ended and a misty haze lingering, the scene was quite poetic.

Zuo Lihua sighed and asked the restaurant for a large black trash bag.

The food Han Hai’er finished eating would turn into black, sticky substance. Leaving it unattended might land them on trending news, “Shameless! Woman dines at Zhenwei Fang in Yi Xiang Hutong, replaces all dishes with tar.” Accompanied by photos of her fully disguised.

If that happened, not only would Ning Dongbang find out she knew Han Hai’er, but every clothing item she was wearing, which she had previously worn in public, would be exposed. If someone dug that up, she’d definitely face a wave of backlash.

Sitting by the window, Zuo Lihua rested her cheek in her hand and heaved a heavy sigh.

With her other hand, she picked up a pale golden hair that had fallen on her clothes, feeling deeply troubled. Recently, her hair had been falling out more and more.

Would she go bald in a few years?

After the meal, Han Hai’er wanted to go shopping.

Zuo Lihua resignedly followed.

“What do you think of this?” Han Hai’er held up a pair of pink-and-white roller skates.

Zuo Lihua tilted her head. “Should I burn them as an offering to you?”

Han Hai’er didn’t answer immediately, instead asking, “Do you know how to roller skate?”

“Yes.” Zuo Lihua nodded.

“Buy these. Size 37, right?”

“For me?”

Han Hai’er glanced at her slender arms and legs. “Yes.”

“Alright.” Zuo Lihua obediently took them and placed them in the shopping cart.

When you’re under a ghost’s roof, you do whatever the ghost boss says.

When checking out, her slender fingers held the phone to scan the code, and the cashier couldn’t help but glance at her hands several times.

Zuo Lihua didn’t pay it any mind.

Han Hai’er gave a location, and Zuo Lihua drove straight to the neighboring H city with the navigation on.

They stopped for gas along the way. After arriving at the destination, Zuo Lihua got out of the car.

If it weren’t for Han Hai’er in the car, she would have thought anyone else intended to do her in right there.

It was an abandoned residential area, with unfinished, dilapidated buildings standing dark and hollow. Some windows even had paper bags or similar things hanging from them, swaying eerily in the wind.

It was the perfect setting for ghosts!

Han Hai’er rubbed her hands together excitedly. “I’ve wanted to come here for a long time, but my cultivation was too low before, so I didn’t dare.”

Zuo Lihua asked, “Is it high enough now?”

Han Hai’er replied, “Not really.”

Zuo Lihua: “…” Then what’s the point? Coming here to be served up on a platter?

Han Hai’er grabbed Zuo Lihua’s hand, leaning in close, her sapphire-blue eyes reflecting deep into Zuo Lihua’s heart.

Zuo Lihua’s alarm bells went off. “What are you doing?”

“To make sure neither of us dies here, let’s do it!”

Zuo Lihua: “???”

“Hurry, we don’t have much time. Let’s finish quickly and walk through the area before it gets dark!”

“No, you-” Her unfinished words were sealed by a pair of cold lips against her throat.

The car seat was reclined, forcing Zuo Lihua to lie back.

A chilling sensation traveled from her lips and teeth down to her esophagus. Zuo Lihua frowned uncomfortably as her clothes were tugged open.

Zuo Lihua didn’t know how a normal person would feel, but for her… it felt strangely wondrous.

Perhaps she had grown accustomed to it, or perhaps the ghostly energy Han Hai’er left in her body was gradually merging with her own. She found herself becoming more and more accepting of Han Hai’er. The cold touch felt tangible, and with each encounter, it grew increasingly pleasurable.

In the beginning, that chill had felt like knives, cutting into her painfully. Now, just the touch alone sent uncontrollable shivers through her body.

Her consciousness was slowly being pulled away. Lowering her gaze, she saw hair like seaweed and skin as pale as jade.

The cold suddenly deepened.

“Mmm…”

Her vision blurred as if behind a watery curtain. Zuo Lihua closed her eyes, letting go of all her tense defenses, tilting her head back to expose her vulnerable neck.

She surrendered herself completely to a ghost, finding unparalleled excitement within her embrace.

Fireworks seemed to explode in her ears, one after another. Zuo Lihua could no longer bear it and softly begged for mercy.

She opened her dazed eyes and unconsciously glanced out the car window, then froze in shock. The lingering tenderness that had enveloped her vanished instantly.

On every window of her car, horrifying ghostly faces were pressed against the glass!

Their turbid, lifeless, or shriveled, hollow eyes stared blankly at the absurd scene inside the car. Who knew how long they had been watching!

Zuo Lihua: “!!!” She shoved Han Hai’er away.

Han Hai’er tumbled off the car seat with a thud.

“Ouch!” She rubbed her forehead and stood up, glaring angrily at Zuo Lihua. “What was that for?”

Zuo Lihua clutched her crumpled clothes with one hand and shakily raised the other, pointing at the window, her voice trembling. “Th-this… look.”

Han Hai’er asked, “What’s wrong?”

“What is this?!” Zuo Lihua was on the verge of breaking down.

Although she wanted to be an actress, she was determined to be a serious one, she had no interest in performing in this kind of show! Even though she had been living with ghosts day and night, Han Hai’er was at least a somewhat decent-looking ghost. Even that little shadowy figure was just a blurry black mass. But now, it felt like she was completely surrounded by five or six corpses.

“Ghosts,” Han Hai’er said, “Isn’t it obvious?”

Zuo Lihua buried her head in her arms, pulling a pillow over it like an ostrich hiding from the world.

Han Hai’er frowned. “Are you bothered by them watching?”

Zuo Lihua’s voice was muffled. “Yes!”

“They’re just jealous.”

“Jealous of what?!” Zuo Lihua lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed. “You scared me to death, scared me to death…”

She knew Han Hai’er’s way of thinking was different from hers. When she had pushed Han Hai’er earlier, Han Hai’er had hit her head, which had already angered her. Moreover, Han Hai’er didn’t see being watched by ghosts as a big deal and couldn’t understand her feelings.

In other words, even if she did understand, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be angry.

To avoid putting herself in danger, Zuo Lihua had no choice but to find another way, showing weakness to Han Hai’er while expressing her own feelings.

Sure enough, when Han Hai’er saw the tears at the corners of her eyes, her anger subsided significantly.

“So troublesome.” Han Hai’er pinched her earlobe and, the next second, vanished from the car.

The moment she left, the ghosts surrounding the car suddenly erupted into chaos. Some widened their eyes, blackish-red blood trickling from the corners, while others opened their mouths wide, emitting incomprehensible roars. Some even began pounding on the doors.

Zuo Lihua realized these ghosts wanted to eat her.

They wanted to devour her alive, to kill her.

She clutched the pillow tightly, pulling the already scant fabric of her clothes even closer.

“Ah!” Suddenly, the ghost at the right window let out a hoarse cry as a pale hand grabbed its hair, yanking it backward. In the process, its neck was cleanly snapped.

Blood splattered across the glass.

Zuo Lihua shuddered.

Two seconds later, the bloodstains vanished.

The ghost had been destroyed, or eaten, by Han Hai’er.

Then, one by one, like dominoes, they were all violently eliminated.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the car window. Zuo Lihua wiped her face and began to dress.

She moved slowly, her fingers trembling and uncooperative.

Han Hai’er leaned against the driver’s side door and tapped on the glass.

Zuo Lihua paused halfway through dressing and rolled down the window.

Han Hai’er’s azure eyes seemed to hold a glow, sparkling brightly, and her complexion was unusually vibrant.

“Hurry up and get out once you’re done.” she urged, though her tone lacked any impatience.

Zuo Lihua guessed that Han Hai’er must have eaten all those ghosts, because only when she was full and satisfied would this ghost be so agreeable.

So Zuo Lihua stretched out her still-trembling hand. “I’m afraid I can’t. I’m still shaking, and my legs feel weak.”

Han Hai’er instantly performed an expression-vanishing act.

She even furrowed her brow. “How can you be this pathetic?”

Zuo Lihua lowered her gaze. “It’s been too many times, and I was scared again.”

“How long until you recover?”

“I don’t know.”

“…Tch.” Han Hai’er glanced irritably at the sky.

It was 4 p.m., and the sun was about to set.

“Fine.”

As if she had made a decision, she turned back to the passenger seat, opened the door, and got in.

While fastening her seatbelt, she said, “Let’s head back first and come again tomorrow.”

Zuo Lihua remained silent and nodded.

Han Hai’er was the type of ghost who acted tough when things were easy but cowered when faced with adversity. If even she was being this cautious, it could only mean the ghosts after dark were truly not to be trifled with.

“Let’s go?” After waiting a moment without hearing the car start, Han Hai’er frowned and looked at Zuo Lihua.

Zuo Lihua kept her eyes downcast, focusing on her own thoughts. “My legs feel weak, I can’t muster any strength.”

Han Hai’er: “…”

After another moment, Han Hai’er said, “Move the seat back a bit.”

“Why?” Zuo Lihua was confused but obediently adjusted the seat.

Han Hai’er unfastened her seatbelt and began climbing onto Zuo Lihua.

Zuo Lihua’s eyes widened slightly: “?!”

Han Hai’er sat on Zuo Lihua’s lap, making the driver’s seat instantly cramped. She frowned and said, “Move your legs aside.”

“…” Zuo Lihua leaned back and obediently shifted her legs outward, attempting to let Han Hai’er slide from her lap onto the seat.

Smack!

Han Hai’er slapped her on the buttocks.

Zuo Lihua froze instantly.

“Behave! Spread your legs! Don’t block the brake. Or do you want me to break your legs off?”

Zuo Lihua shuddered, quickly drawing her legs in and pressing them trembling against the seatback.

Han Hai’er placed her hands on the steering wheel and said, “Put your arms here too.”

Zuo Lihua didn’t dare disobey. Assuming a hugging posture, she wrapped her arms around Han Hai’er from behind.

Pressing against the fabric of Han Hai’er’s back, she mumbled, “I can’t see the road.”

“You don’t need to see.”

With that, Han Hai’er started the car.

They set off in this awkward position.

To an outsider, it looked as though Zuo Lihua was driving in a bizarre posture, but in reality, she was merely posing as the driver.

It never crossed Zuo Lihua’s mind that Han Hai’er knew how to drive.

“You have a driver’s license?” Zuo Lihua blinked, her eyelashes brushing against Han Hai’er’s clothing.

Han Hai’er replied, “Nope.”

Zuo Lihua stiffened, her expression shifting from casual to disbelief.

“You’re driving without one? Stop the car right now! Let’s switch places!”

Han Hai’er scoffed, “Why are you so timid? What’s so hard about driving? With me here, are you still afraid of getting into an accident?”

“It’s not just about us causing an accident, others could get hurt too!”

“Shut up. If you keep complaining, I’ll throw you in the trunk and let the cameras catch a driverless car.”

“No, please! I’ll drive. My legs aren’t weak anymore, really! I was wrong, I was being unreasonable. How could I let you drive? Please, get down! I’m begging you!” Zuo Lihua pleaded desperately.