The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 21

The first time He Meijie mentioned Sang Qian, Yu Ruoyin instinctively followed her train of thought and imagined a stereotypical vicious stepmother. But as the story unfolded again and again, that image was overturned each time, until Sang Qian’s silhouette grew vaguer and vaguer.

When she finally saw Sang Qian in person, Yu Ruoyin realized she was nothing like any of her imaginings.

Her features bore some resemblance to He Meijie’s—especially the eyes.

But Sang Qian’s eyes carried the pain of years, while He Meijie’s eyes remained sharp and cutting.

Tears blurred Sang Qian’s gaze with a dull, hopeless despair. In that moment, she resembled a withered lotus—yellowing leaves drooping askew, as if at any moment they would be dragged into the mud by rotting roots, to decompose completely.

Yu Ruoyin found herself feeling a pang of sympathy.

She stared at Sang Qian, and the longer she looked, the stranger it seemed.

There was a haunting sense of familiarity about Sang Qian. Though it was their first meeting, Yu Ruoyin not only pitied her but also wanted to console her pain. Even her instinct to run away began to weaken.

This was wrong.

After all, Sang Qian was a married woman.

Jiang Huaining hadn’t paid Yu Ruoyin any attention; instead, she simply gazed at Sang Qian and asked softly:
“Do you want to live?”

Sang Qian didn’t respond. She remained limp in Lu Qingzhen’s arms, her hollow eyes unable to take in anyone.
“I’ve lost.”

Yu Ruoyin almost felt the illusion that Jiang Huaining and Sang Qian already knew each other—yet only moments ago, Jiang Huaining had asked who Sang Qian was.

Too strange.

Yu Ruoyin recalled Jiang Huaining’s earlier instructions, ready to ask about them, when suddenly He Meijie slipped out from beneath the black umbrella.

He Meijie had done much thinking recently—suspecting again and again that Sang Qian and Tong Sangqian were connected, only to deny it again and again.

She was no longer as extreme as before. Seeing Sang Qian on the brink of death, the first thing to flood her chest was pain.

“Mom.”

The familiar voice rekindled light in Sang Qian’s dim eyes. Her lashes quivered rapidly; her gaze shifted to He Meijie, and the instant she recognized her, it was as if fresh water had been poured into her veins—her whole being came alive again. Sang Qian clawed and strained, dragging herself out of Lu Qingzhen’s arms.

Her fingers, mangled and bent from brutal injury, nonetheless reached with clear intent.

She struggled toward He Meijie, hand outstretched:
“Missy.”

Her hand was crooked, twisted, the bones unable to straighten.

“Mom!” He Meijie no longer cared about questioning her. Her soul knelt at Sang Qian’s side, pressing her face into Sang Qian’s palm.
“Mom, how… how did you end up like this?”

Pain had long numbed Sang Qian’s hand; her palm was caked in blood and stank of iron.

Though He Meijie was only a soul and no scarlet trace could stain her face, Sang Qian still dragged her sleeve—still barely clean enough—to cover the mangled flesh before pressing her palm fully against the soul, stroking the obvious scar there.

She didn’t answer. She only kept touching the scar etched into the soul, breaking into sobs:
“Missy, how much you must have suffered.”

Sang Qian truly didn’t seem like someone who would hurt He Meijie.

She ignored her own battered body, yet wept over He Meijie’s wounds.

“I…” He Meijie had so much to say, but when the words reached her lips, nothing came out.

Regret weighed on her. Why had she ever doubted Sang Qian?

Anything could be faked—except twelve years of careful tenderness.

But Sang Qian didn’t need her guilt.

She just kept stroking those scars, foolishly hoping she could soothe them away.
“Missy, where did you go? We searched so long—summoning souls, every method we tried, but you never came. I thought… I thought you hated me, hated me for failing to protect you, so you refused to see me… Missy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I don’t know how… how it came to this. I… I couldn’t protect your mother. I couldn’t protect you.”

Her injuries were too grave. Each urgent word only made her bleed faster.

Her body was beginning to stiffen, her raised hand falling powerless.

She could barely stay upright, but He Meijie caught her, holding her close.
“Mom, it’s me who should apologize.”

She knew she was wrong. She never should have suspected Sang Qian.

No one could care more about her.

Not Sang Qian. Not Tong Sangqian either.

Yu Ruoyin was watching in a daze when Jiang Huaining suddenly squeezed her arm. Quick to catch on, Yu Ruoyin echoed Sang Qian’s words:
“The Slave Seal! Her soul bears the Ghost Slave Seal. Her master must not have wanted you two to meet.”

Sang Qian was startled, instinctively reaching for the back of He Meijie’s neck. But her dying body was too weak—her hand fell again and again.

He Meijie caught her arm, guiding it to the back of her neck.
“Mom, don’t worry. I already struck a deal with them. They lifted the Slave Seal for me, and they promised to help me get revenge. Tell me who hurt you. Your enemy is my enemy. I’m sure that’s part of their business too.”

She looked expectantly at Jiang Huaining, but Jiang only yanked Yu Ruoyin forward.

Yu Ruoyin avoided He Meijie’s hopeful gaze and cautiously asked Sang Qian:
“Your… your final wish—what is it?”

“Yu Ruoyin! Don’t you dare make a deal with her!” Lu Qingzhen blocked Yu Ruoyin. “She’s a criminal of the underworld!”

“Qingzhen, weren’t you just trying to save her?”

“Her soul’s unstable—if she dies, it’ll completely collapse. If I don’t keep her alive, how can I bring her back to the Underworld to report?”

Zhuang Ciyue and Xing Ruoyan rushed over then.

Zhuang Ciyue hurried into the toppled crowd, lifting an elderly woman with graying hair.

Xing Ruoyan started to follow, but at Lu Qingzhen’s words, she stopped and shot Sang Qian a strange look.
“Report back?”

“Yes!” Lu Qingzhen snapped, clearly irritated. “She raised Jade Puppets, but both collapsed—now none obey her. She’s nothing but trouble!”

“You…” Xing Ruoyan stared at Sang Qian in disbelief. “How did you even manage that?”

“Xing Ruoyan, that’s not the point! The point is how hateful she is!” Lu Qingzhen glared furiously. If not for the setting, she’d have beaten her right there. “Look at what she’s done to those people! If I weren’t strong, I’d be lying with them too!”

Sang Qian leaned against He Meijie, already frail beyond words.
“You saw… the one controlling the puppets just now wasn’t me.”

“I saw. Xia Yu’s already chasing him. He won’t get away. And neither will you.”

Ignoring Lu Qingzhen’s threat, Sang Qian turned her dim gaze to Yu Ruoyin.
“Who are you people? What deal did Missy make with you?”

Yu Ruoyin hesitated.

Sang Qian cared so much for He Meijie—if she found out He Meijie had sold her soul to them, who knew what her reaction would be?

But if Yu Ruoyin stayed silent, Xing Ruoyan would speak eventually.

“They’re from the Four Spirits Shop,” Xing Ruoyan said flatly. “Your niece traded her soul for vengeance. She asked them to avenge both her and her mother.”

“…Niece?” Sang Qian blinked, then turned to He Meijie. “You know?”

“Yes!” He Meijie nodded hard.

Sang Qian dazedly looked ahead—where two Jade Puppets fought each other.

He Meijie followed her gaze.

Even at a distance, something about them felt familiar.
“That’s… Father. And my… little sister?”

Sang Qian nodded heavily.
“Qianqian wanted revenge for you. It was my… my fault, I…”

Her words faltered. Yu Ruoyin couldn’t bear to watch. Then Sang Qian suddenly leaned toward her, teeth sinking into Yu Ruoyin’s trouser leg:
“Please… cancel Missy’s deal. Let me take it instead. I know the Four Spirits Shop only serves those fated, but my sister cared for Missy most of all. She can’t die. She must live—she must…”

He Meijie steadied her, interrupting her desperate plea.
“Mom, I’m already dead.”

Sang Qian’s eyes went blank, unable to accept the truth.

For once, He Meijie wasn’t silent. She clutched Sang Qian tightly, whispering into her ear:
“If I reincarnate, I’ll forget you, forget Mom, even forget my sister. I don’t want to forget.”

Sang Qian froze. Tears of blood welled in her hollow eyes.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”

The raw guilt only deepened He Meijie’s tenderness.
“Mom, don’t be like this. Let’s not talk about it, okay? They said my mother’s grave is empty. Do you know where her body is? You must know, right?”

At the mention of Tong Weixue, Sang Qian broke.

Her eyes bled tears, gaze sharp as blades.
“Sister… Sister was eaten. He Fengxi… he ate my sister!”

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