The Beauty with Terrible Luck Falls in Love with a Ghost - Chapter 23

Zuo Lihua couldn’t quite describe how she felt. Even though she had mentally prepared herself and knew this moment would come sooner or later, she still felt awful.

Resentful, frustrated, humiliated, she wished she could vanish on the spot, find a crack in the ground to crawl into, or simply erase herself from their memories as if she had never existed.

“Lihua!” Madam Zuo called her.

As if startled awake, Zuo Lihua snapped her gaze over and quickly stood up, saying, “…That’s right. Han Youyou is my parents’ biological daughter.”

Han Youyou bit her lip lightly and reached out to take her hand. “Sister…”

Zuo Lihua’s body reacted faster than her mind, and she pulled away.

Zuo Jianyu’s expression instantly darkened.

Han Youyou forced a smile. “It’s alright. It’s only natural that Sister doesn’t like me. After all, she’s the one who’s lived in this family for so many years. I’m just an outsider who barged in halfway…”

Madam Zuo immediately wrapped an arm around her, her heart aching. “What are you talking about? This is your home! You’re my daughter, not an outsider!”

Han Youyou pressed her lips together and managed a strained smile.

Madam Zuo turned to Zuo Lihua, frowning. “Lihua!”

Zuo Lihua said, “I’m not used to others touching me. I didn’t mean to reject you.”

To show her sincerity, she took Han Youyou’s hand.

The moment their skin touched, Han Hai’er, who had been watching intently from the side, brightened. In the next instant, Han Youyou shuddered, let out a sharp cry, and jerked her hand away from Zuo Lihua’s grasp.

She stumbled back two steps, bumped into a stool, cried out again, and nearly fell.

She stared at Zuo Lihua with alarm and suspicion, her voice suddenly rising, completely devoid of its earlier meekness. “What’s in your hand?!”

Zuo Lihua was stunned. Not just her, everyone present was taken aback.

Then, understanding dawned in some people’s eyes as they glanced at Zuo Lihua’s slender figure and thought: She’s jealous.

Others held the opposite view, while some hesitated, their gazes shifting uncertainly between Zuo Lihua and Han Youyou.

Zuo Jianyu and his wife fell into the first category.

Zuo Jianyu’s face darkened as he scolded Zuo Lihua, “You’re a grown woman, how can you still be so immature? You’re the older sister!”

Madam Zuo hurriedly examined Han Youyou’s hand, her heart aching at the sight. “It’s all red! Lihua, if you’re upset, why take it out on Youyou? Your father and I never taught you to be intolerant!”

Zuo Lihua stared at her own rejected hand, clenching it into a fist. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Han Hai’er, who hadn’t had her fill of drama, shake her head regretfully.

“Lihua has always been willful since she was a child.”

“After all, she’s just an adopted daughter…”

The whispers around her pierced Zuo Lihua’s mind like poisoned needles.

“Alright, alright,” Uncle Zuo stood up, trying to smooth things over. “Youyou, where are you hurt? Let me see.”

Han Youyou extended her hand, showing her reddened palm.

“It was my carelessness. It’s not Sister’s fault…”

Uncle Zuo’s wife also came over, holding Han Youyou’s hand. “It’s so red. Does it hurt?”

Han Youyou didn’t speak, only nodded.

Aunt Zuo gently touched the spot, and Han Youyou flinched in pain. She remarked, “It looks like a burn. Last time I scalded myself with hot water, my hand looked like this too. Is there any ointment? Let’s apply some first.”

“Lihua,” Uncle Zuo said, “what did you have in your hand?”

Zuo Lihua raised her hand, opened it, and revealed nothing in her palm: “There’s nothing here.”

Those standing close to her instinctively glanced at her feet.

The marble floor was polished to a mirror-like shine, with no misplaced objects lying around.

Han Youyou’s expression darkened, and she quickly interjected, “It’s fine. I don’t need to go to the hospital. It’s not my sister’s fault.”

Zuo Jianyu fell silent, averted his gaze, and his face grew even more somber.

Madam Zuo lowered her eyes and said, “Let’s drop the matter. Everyone, please continue your meal. I’ll take Youyou to the hospital.”

With that, she led Han Youyou away.

After she left, the dining table buzzed with activity again.

Everyone tacitly set aside the earlier incident, avoiding any mention of it, and shifted the conversation to other topics.

Zuo Lihua remained as popular as ever, though there was now something else mixed into people’s attitudes toward her.

Zuo Lihua smiled and responded amiably on the surface, but secretly, she used her chopsticks to pass food under the table when no one was paying attention.

Hidden beneath the table was Han Hai’er. As a ghost, she had fully embraced her new identity, completely abandoning the dignity she had in life. She saw no issue with crouching under the table, inhaling the scent of others’ shoes.

In fact, she even found inspiration in the situation, thinking that after returning, she and Zuo Lihua could try something in this very position.

Unaware of these thoughts, Zuo Lihua pulled a trash can closer, wrapped the black residue left by Han Hai’er’s meal in a tissue, and tossed it into the bin.

After the meal, as everyone dispersed, Zuo Lihua was asked to stay behind by Zuo Jianyu.

Her uncle had spoken with Zuo Jianyu in the study, and when they emerged, Zuo Jianyu’s expression had softened considerably. Her uncle waved at Zuo Lihua with a smile. “No matter what, you’ll always be my dear niece. If you ever need help, just let your uncle know. I’ll do everything in my power to assist you.”

Zuo Lihua was deeply moved. “Thank you, Uncle!”

“Take care on your way!”

“Uncle, travel safely!”

After seeing her uncle off, Zuo Lihua’s mood lifted considerably.

Turning around, she found Zuo Jianyu standing behind her.

“Lihua, come, I have something to discuss with you.”

He gestured for her to sit opposite him.

“You’re a sensible girl. Your mother and I have always trusted you, and you’ve never given us any reason to worry. You’ve done exceptionally well in that regard.”

Zuo Lihua listened in silence.

“But Youyou is different. As you’ve seen, she had a difficult childhood, living in poor conditions. Her parents likely never taught her properly, which is why she developed such a withdrawn and insecure personality. I know it’s hard for you to adjust, and there’s a sense of disparity, but what can we do? She is our biological daughter.”

Zuo Lihua nodded. “I don’t resent her. At the company yesterday, first, I didn’t know she was your daughter, and second, Huang Gu broke up with me because of her, so I…”

“You’re mistaken, Lihua,” Zuo Jianyu interrupted. “The engagement partner for Huang Gu, the young master of Huang Enterprises, is the daughter of Zuo Jianyu.”

Zuo Lihua lowered her gaze.

“It may sound harsh, but the truth is, Lihua, Youyou is the one truly engaged to Huang Gu. She is the rightful future wife of the Huang Group’s president. Of course, I’m not blaming you. We all know it’s not your fault.”

“I see…” Zuo Lihua murmured, then suddenly lifted her eyes with determination. “I understand!”

Her candid reaction took Zuo Jianyu by surprise.

“Good that you understand. Don’t dwell on yesterday’s incident either. Youyou is kind-hearted and won’t hold your outburst against you. She adores you, she became a celebrity for your sake. Unlike you, her personality isn’t suited for the entertainment industry. It’s a treacherous world, and since you’re close by, keep an eye on her and make sure no one takes advantage of her.”

Zuo Lihua replied, “Although we’re in the same company, we probably won’t cross paths much. I’ve decided to cut back on variety shows, but my agent, Ning Dongbang, looks out for her. They seem to have a good relationship.”

Zuo Jianyu said, “I heard from Youyou that they attended the same high school. Keep an eye on your agent too, make sure he doesn’t have any ulterior motives toward Youyou.”

“Understood.”

“As for those variety shows, if they involve Youyou, you should participate in a few as well.”

Zuo Lihua: “I’ll do my best.”

She didn’t linger any longer. Given her cooperative attitude, Zuo Jianyu didn’t press further. His goal had been achieved, so he let her go without fuss.

Under a sky of blue and white clouds, amid the bustling traffic, a white sedan drove smoothly along the road.

The driver was a woman wearing sunglasses, her light golden curls cascading down, half of her delicate face visible, as exquisite as a doll’s.

The passenger seat was empty, but the seatbelt was fastened. Upon closer inspection, one could see a bulge in the seatbelt, as if it had lost its elasticity and gone slack.

Inside the car were Zuo Lihua and Han Hai’er.

Han Hai’er remarked, “So you’re not their biological child after all. That’s quite surprising.”

Zuo Lihua sighed, “Yes, I was surprised too.”

Han Hai’er said, “It’s been a while since we went shopping. Let’s buy some snacks and pick up some finger cots while we’re at it.”

“?” Zuo Lihua was puzzled. “What do you need finger cots for?”

Han Hai’er chuckled mischievously, “What do you think?”

Her gaze was intense, as if she wanted to devour Zuo Lihua whole.

Zuo Lihua: “…”

My mistake. She had assumed they were transparent gloves, the kind used for eating sushi.

So, the human and the ghost made a detour to the supermarket.

Zuo Lihua pushed the cart while Han Hai’er navigated, unhesitatingly tossing in whatever snacks caught her eye. Eventually, she even climbed into the cart herself.

The cart was piled high with goods, fuller than even the restocking carts used by supermarket staff.

Passersby frequently glanced over, seeing only a tall, well-built woman with her face concealed, pushing an overloaded cart. They couldn’t see that, aside from the groceries, a ghost was sitting in the cart.

In the end, it took the help of a staff member for Zuo Lihua to fit everything into the car.

Han Hai’er wasn’t pleased and wanted to pile the items in the passenger seat so she could snack freely during the ride.

Zuo Lihua held her restless hand and shook her head, “Go to the back seat. It’s more spacious, and you won’t be interrupted while eating.”

Han Hai’er tilted her head, thought for three seconds, and agreed, “Fine!”

“Your parents really aren’t great, raising a child for over twenty years and still having no real affection,” Han Hai’er mumbled through a mouthful of beef jerky.

Zuo Lihua replied, “It is what it is.”

Han Hai’er spat out the beef jerky with a “ptui, ptui” and obediently absorbed spiritual energy instead.

“I can sense your resentment, it’s quite strong. So why did you agree to help Han Youyou?”

Zuo Lihua glanced at her in the rearview mirror and asked, “If I help you fulfill your wish, will you move on to your next life?”

Han Hai’er thought for a moment, “Well… who knows? Maybe?”

Zuo Lihua sighed, “Han Youyou and Ning Dongbang met in high school. Ning Dongbang was one of the people who killed you, and combined with the scenes from my dreams, I suspect Han Youyou might very well be the other person. Do you really have no memory of it at all?”

Han Hai’er replied, “How could I possibly know?”

This was perfectly normal. Not all ghosts remember their murderers. Some killers, fearing retaliation, deliberately tamper with the bodies to conceal their identities, like the once-popular practice of gouging out and burning the victim’s eyes after killing them.

Zuo Lihua had only asked casually, not really expecting an answer from her. “I was thinking, since we have to interact with them anyway, we might as well go with the flow. Do you remember which high school you attended?”

“I’m dead, not senile. I was still young when I died, okay? My high school was…”

Halfway through her sentence, Han Hai’er suddenly stopped. Her expression shifted from confident to incredulous, then to one as if she’d just eaten something disgusting.

Zuo Lihua watched the entire transformation in the rearview mirror and thought to herself: Hah! Senile after all.