The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 15

Yu Ruoyin had no doubt—if Lu Qingzhen hadn’t patched up her wound in time, all the flesh, blood, and bone from her body would have spilled out through that gash, maybe even her internal organs.

Could she still be called alive?

What living person’s bones and flesh shattered like that? Even with just a small cut, her bones and flesh had poured out together in a horrifying stream.

When Lu Qingzhen didn’t answer, Yu Ruoyin asked again:
“Qingzhen, what am I now? A ghost? Or a zombie?”

“You’re not dead yet.” Lu Qingzhen looked at her with a complicated expression. “I can’t say exactly what you are right now. But your soul hasn’t left your body, your life signs haven’t disappeared. You’re still alive.”

“Oh. Is that so.”

Yu Ruoyin looked utterly unmotivated, clearly unconvinced.

Lu Qingzhen cut the tip of her finger again and let blood drip along Yu Ruoyin’s wound. This time, what flowed out was normal blood.

Lu Qingzhen let out a huge sigh of relief:
“See? You really aren’t dead.”

Yu Ruoyin stared at the vivid red liquid, dazed, unable to shake off the earlier sight from her mind.

Lu Qingzhen kept glancing upstairs, more and more flustered and uneasy.
“I’m serious—you really aren’t dead. Even though your tendons, bones, organs, even your flesh were crushed… Boss Jiang’s spiritual energy held your body together. As long as her spiritual energy doesn’t fade, you won’t die!”

“What if it does fade?”

“You…” Lu Qingzhen raked her fingers through her hair in despair. She wanted to lie but couldn’t.
“Then you’d really die. But… but don’t give up! If you can find something to repair your body before her spiritual energy runs out, you’ll be fine. I remember… the Ten-Thousand-Year Violet Spirit Ginseng can regenerate flesh and bone. Difficult to find, sure, but I can definitely get it for you. Something others can’t find, I can!”

Lu Qingzhen wasn’t a bad ghost. She just had too much curiosity, and when she caused trouble, she didn’t run—she tried her best to fix it.

But Yu Ruoyin found it hard to smile again because of her words. Looking around the empty Four Spirits Shop, she said quietly:
“I heard ghosts say this shop has existed for four thousand years. All sorts of powerful humans, demons, and spirits come here to trade. If something like the Ten-Thousand-Year Violet Spirit Ginseng really exists, the Four Spirits Shop should have it, right?”

“Yes, yes, the shop must have it!” Lu Qingzhen brightened—then deflated.

She understood Yu Ruoyin’s implication. If that ginseng were useful, Jiang Huaining would’ve given it to her long ago, instead of risking everything by pouring all her spiritual energy into her.

Lu Qingzhen slumped.
“This is too strange. With all the spiritual energy Boss Jiang gave you, even the worst wounds should have healed. How could it be…”

Yu Ruoyin no longer heard her.

She gazed at her palm—the color full and healthy, lines clear, bone solid beneath the skin.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never believe everything beneath the surface had been shattered.

No wonder Jiang Huaining never let her learn cultivation techniques against ghosts. Her difference from the dead was already minimal. If she turned into a ghost, she would be one of the most pitiful—lucky not to become an evil spirit hunted by exorcists. Yet she had dreamed of becoming a cultivator.

Lu Qingzhen said she was still alive, but Yu Ruoyin felt she had already died.

Jiang Huaining’s spiritual energy was powerful enough to save worlds, yet on her, it merely preserved the illusion of normalcy. What cure could exist for her body?

None.

There would be none.

Yu Ruoyin suddenly thought of the talismans, of that kiss… Jiang Huaining must have transferred her spiritual energy then.

But when had she actually died?

Her bones crushed inch by inch, her organs pierced and shredded, not a single piece of flesh left intact.

What killed her wasn’t human, was it?

A ghost? Or a zombie?

Why hadn’t Jiang Huaining stopped it? Surely not because she couldn’t…

Yu Ruoyin’s mind spun, but she never once suspected that Jiang Huaining—the one who made her sleep for two days and nights—had harmed her.

Why would she? Someone who gave up half her spiritual energy to save her wouldn’t do that.

It hurt.

She couldn’t feel real pain, but she felt it anyway.

Looking at her unharmed palm, all she could picture was shredded flesh.

She bent over and dry heaved twice.

When the wave of nausea passed, she stood abruptly.

Startled, Lu Qingzhen grabbed her.
“Where are you going?”

“To thank her.” Yu Ruoyin hung her head, whispering, “I… I should thank her.”

“Are you crazy!” Lu Qingzhen panicked, then lowered her voice after glancing nervously at the stairs. “What are you going to say to Boss Jiang?”

“I…”

What she really wanted was to ask why Jiang Huaining hid the truth from her, why she treated her so well.

But she knew Jiang Huaining would never answer.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have lied so many times. Jiang Huaining wanted her to stay ignorant, sheltered in her protection.

Yu Ruoyin sighed in defeat.
“I don’t know.”

Lu Qingzhen seized the chance to persuade her.
“She’s your wife. You’re her little wife. It’s natural she treats you well. Even if she gave you all her spiritual energy, you don’t need to thank her—it’s what she wants to do.”

“Qingzhen-jie, that’s not what you said earlier.”

Yu Ruoyin hadn’t forgotten how desperate Lu Qingzhen had been for her to return the spiritual energy.

“Ah!” Lu Qingzhen pointed at her finger, winking.
“If Boss Jiang finds out I spilled her secret, she’ll never let me off.”

Yu Ruoyin had wanted to know the truth herself. She didn’t mean to drag Lu Qingzhen into it. So when asked for secrecy, she couldn’t refuse.
“Alright.”

“Good child.”

Relieved, Lu Qingzhen beamed.

But Yu Ruoyin only grew gloomier.
“Qingzhen, if I willingly give my spiritual energy back to Auntie Ning, would it be easier for her to use her full power?”

“Of course!” Lu Qingzhen whispered.
“Not only your willingness—your distance matters too. If you ever face a powerful demon, just cling to her and keep chanting ‘I’m willing’!”

Only after blurting everything out did she realize her mistake.
“Ahem. Don’t say I told you that.”

“Okay.” Yu Ruoyin agreed meekly.

Thanks to Lu Qingzhen’s chatter and warmth, she now found her more approachable in hours than Xia Yu had been in days.

What she couldn’t ask Xia Yu, she dared ask Lu Qingzhen.

Hesitantly, she said:
“Qingzhen, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead. We’re friends now. You can ask me anything.”

As if to thank her for her secrecy, Lu Qingzhen granted her that title.

Yu Ruoyin exhaled softly.
“Auntie Ning… what exactly is she? Is she also a spirit?”

“Probably.” Lu Qingzhen scratched her ear.
“I don’t know the details. I only know she can control the Four Spirits, even forcibly summon them all at once, in the same season.”

She chuckled.
“You have no idea how ridiculous it looks—sunshine in one corner, snow in another, a warm breeze here, icy wind there…”

Half-laughing, she suddenly stopped.

She squinted at Yu Ruoyin, serious.
“Have I seen you before?”

“Of course. We met three days ago—you scared me half to death.”

Lu Qingzhen rubbed her nose, embarrassed.
“Don’t hold grudges. I’ll make it up to you. By the way… why do you keep calling Boss Jiang ‘auntie’? Shouldn’t you be saying ‘pretty wife’? Or at least ‘baby,’ ‘darling’…”

The more outrageous she got, the less chance Yu Ruoyin had to stop her—until Jiang Huaining and Xia Yu descended the stairs.

Lu Qingzhen jumped guiltily, the chair clattering as she shot to her feet.

Xia Yu’s eyes narrowed.
“Lu Qingzhen, did you do something shady?”

“You… you’re talking nonsense!”

Clutching her palm, Lu Qingzhen’s denial was weak, her eyes flicking nervously toward Jiang Huaining.

Jiang Huaining looked worse than before—maybe she’d argued with Xia Yu.

Xia Yu sneered.
“Take me to the Jade Puppet. I’ll deal with it.”

“You? Being nice?” Lu Qingzhen stared in disbelief, turning to Jiang Huaining.
“Boss Jiang, what did you tell her?”

Xia Yu’s hand shot to her throat, dragging her close.
“Mind your own business.”

Clutch tightening into a chokehold, Xia Yu hauled her out of the shop.

Only long after Lu Qingzhen vanished did Yu Ruoyin remember the real question.
“Auntie Ning, we still haven’t asked about the guardian soul spirit.”

“She’s too noisy. We’ll ask someone else.”

“Okay.”

Yu Ruoyin shuffled behind Jiang Huaining, then suddenly grabbed her hand.
“I’m willing.”

The words she was supposed to keep in her heart slipped out aloud.

Flustered, she shrank. Jiang Huaining asked:
“Willing for what?”

“Qingzhen said… if I stay close to you and say I’m willing, it’ll make it easier for you to use your strength.”

Her voice was tiny, trembling, ready to swallow the words back as if unsaid.

But Jiang Huaining only asked softly:
“Ah Yin, didn’t she also say you should cling to me?”

“?”

Yu Ruoyin froze. She hadn’t had time to slip up—how did Jiang Huaining know what she and Lu Qingzhen had discussed?

If she knew this, then she must also know Yu Ruoyin had discovered the secret.

“The Scarlet Jade holds my spiritual energy. Through it, I can hear what you say. I wasn’t comfortable leaving you alone with her. Qingzhen’s too curious, talks too much. That’s probably why Xia Yu dragged her here.” Jiang Huaining’s finger gently traced the red jade fruit, voice tender.
“Ah Yin, you shouldn’t be as curious as her. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to burden you.”

True enough.

Yu Ruoyin’s mind was still full of the gruesome image of her own flesh spilling out.

Was this Xia Yu’s way of pressuring her?

If so, it worked.

She didn’t want to blame Xia Yu—without her scheme, she would never have known the truth.

Drawing a shaky breath, Yu Ruoyin finally asked:
“When did I die?”

“On your birthday.”

“Why? Why did I die?”

Jiang Huaining fell silent, her fingertip brushing Yu Ruoyin’s cheek.

Her gaze was full of warmth, her pupils reflecting only Yu Ruoyin’s outline.
“Ah Yin, I can’t tell you.”

She couldn’t.

Not even lies this time.

That was fine.

Yu Ruoyin didn’t want to watch her cough blood again.

“Who killed me? Was it a ghost?”

“There was no killer.” Jiang Huaining’s fingertip slid over her lips, faintly cool, scented enough to calm her unease.
“Ah Yin, you’re not dead. As long as your body is restored, you won’t die.”

“Is that possible?”

For a flicker, Jiang Huaining’s eyes dimmed.
“There will be a way, as long as…”

But she couldn’t finish. Secrets always chained her tongue.

Yu Ruoyin no longer wanted to push. If she pressed too hard, Jiang Huaining might lie again.

She didn’t want to see her cough blood.

She didn’t know many things—but one truth was clear.

Jiang Huaining truly wanted to be her wife.

Even if it had started with fate from a divination, her sincerity was real. Jiang Huaining had given so much, earnestly embracing the role of wife. Yu Ruoyin couldn’t just ignore it. She had few strengths, but at least she could try not to drag her down.

She liked seeing Jiang Huaining smile.

With that thought, she turned Jiang Huaining’s body, hugged her waist from behind, and whispered with a smile:
“Pretty wife, I don’t want to know anymore. Let’s just find an underworld official and ask about the guardian soul spirit.”

Burying her face against Jiang Huaining’s back, she hid her tear-filled eyes.

Warm droplets seeped through the fabric onto her back. Jiang Huaining’s heart ached, but she didn’t expose Yu Ruoyin’s pretense of strength.

She simply answered softly:
“Alright…”

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