The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 25

On the way back to the Four Spirits Inn, because Lu Qingzhen was so gossipy, Yu Ruoyin ended up hearing the whole story between Zhuang Ciyue and Xing Ruoyan.

Zhuang Ciyue’s grandaunt was named Zhuang Huaishu. Among living spirit-painters, she could be considered the number one. If it hadn’t been for that boy at Pinghu Mountain offending Xia Yu, making Xia Yu so angry she cast barriers against them, Zhuang Huaishu should have been one of the main forces against the jade puppets.

Zhuang Huaishu was the younger sister of Zhuang Ciyue’s grandfather. When she was young, she once accidentally encountered a spirit. From then on, she opened her ghost-seeing eyes—without becoming a sorcerer she could hardly survive. Luckily she met a good spirit and so became a spirit-painter. She had no teacher; she figured it all out on her own.

She had never intended to take on a disciple. She was used to being alone, and as she grew older her temper worsened, unsuited for teaching. But three years ago, Zhuang Ciyue’s mother came to her. In truth, Zhuang’s mother hadn’t forbidden Ciyue from befriending Yu Ruoyin out of pettiness. She had originally sought Zhuang Huaishu to see if there was a way to change Yu Ruoyin’s fate.

When even Zhuang Huaishu could do nothing, she resolved to keep her daughter away from Yu Ruoyin.

After all, as a mother, she could not watch her own child die.

Yu Ruoyin’s destiny was simply too weighed down with calamity.

At first Zhuang Huaishu hadn’t wanted to personally teach Zhuang Ciyue either. She had been solitary too long, her temper too sour. But Zhuang Ciyue was the Zhuang family’s only seedling, blessed with great fortune. Such people had flames of life burning so strongly that they rarely saw spirits. To become a sorcerer she would have to take the most extreme path—binding directly with a spirit. Her only option was to learn spirit-painting from Zhuang Huaishu.

Thanks to her talent, Ciyue owed many favors to spirits. Xing Ruoyan was one of them.

Choosing Xing Ruoyan wasn’t just because she was among the top tier of spirit enforcers; it was also because she was beautiful, with soft and gentle features. Lies from her lips were easier to believe.

She was also rule-abiding, not sly. Though rigid and sometimes annoying, as a contracted spirit she was very reliable. Because they did not grow together emotionally, their bond wasn’t deep. Many spirit-painters’ spirits would exploit them whenever their bone brushes needed mending, demanding outrageous prices. Xing Ruoyan never did such a thing.

Zhuang Ciyue was ill-suited to be a shaman, so her bone brush broke frequently. Yet Xing Ruoyan never once blamed her.

And Zhuang Ciyue was the type who repaid kindness double.

Before discovering the deception, Xing Ruoyan often took time to personally instruct her, something Zhuang Huaishu never required.

Naturally, this made Ciyue depend all the more on Xing Ruoyan. That’s why, when she learned the truth, she couldn’t accept it. She had truly believed she and Xing Ruoyan would marry someday—even if they were both women. She had never cared about that.

Her constant barbs toward Xing Ruoyan weren’t hatred at all—they were proof that she still cared.

Yu Ruoyin could only sympathize. She didn’t know what else to say.

Lu Qingzhen, meanwhile, had been thinking the whole way. When they arrived at the inn, she suddenly brightened with an idea. Turning to Zhuang Ciyue, who was supporting the frail Zhuang Huaishu, she said:

“Why don’t you bribe me? I’ll help you reconcile with Ruoyan. She and I get along really well! If I put in a few good words for you, it’s bound to work!”

“You?” Zhuang Ciyue shot her a withering look. “Not long ago you made her storm off.”

“You little brat, still holding grudges.”

Lu Qingzhen muttered under her breath and tried to defend herself—when suddenly Jiang Huaining asked her:

“Ah Zhen, was it true what you said this morning—that you want to stay at the Four Spirits Inn?”

“Of course!” Lu Qingzhen placed Sang Xi onto the sofa and dusted her hands. “As soon as the King of the Underworld approves, I’ll move right in. I can’t rest easy leaving Xia Yu here!”

“Then stay tonight. I’ll inform the King on your behalf.”

Lu Qingzhen’s eyes lit up. She nodded rapidly. “Yes, yes! I didn’t think Boss Jiang was this eager to have me move in!”

Jiang Huaining circled behind the counter, glanced at Yu Ruoyin who was giving Sang Xi water, and said calmly:

“Ah Zhen, while I recover, I’ll ask you to take good care of Ah Yin.”

“Ah?” Lu Qingzhen pouted, clearly unhappy. But after a beat she sighed and agreed. “Fine. I don’t much like the little girl right now, but I’ll still treat her well.”

She crowded in beside Yu Ruoyin, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Little girl, be nicer to Boss Jiang. As long as you treat her well, I can keep liking you! We can even be best friends again—we already have a foundation, after all.”

Lu Qingzhen had no idea that Jiang Huaining already knew about their earlier conversation. Yu Ruoyin was debating whether to tell her when Zhuang Ciyue cut in:

“I’m Little Fish’s best friend. You’re not needed.”

“Then I’ll take second place!”

Lu Qingzhen kept coaxing Yu Ruoyin. “Little Fish, look at how much Boss Jiang cares about you. You can’t just be heartless. You—”

Yu Ruoyin gently moved her hand away. “Sister Qingzhen, I will.”

“Good, good! As long as you treat Boss Jiang well, then I’ll be your second-best friend. I’ll take good care of you!”

Xia Yu sneered at her. “Lu Qingzhen, you really do change fast.”

“What do you know!” Lu Qingzhen always clashed with Xia Yu, especially after learning Jiang Huaining only had half her spiritual energy left. Whenever she ran into Xia Yu, she instantly turned into a bristling hedgehog. “I’m nothing like you. Boss Jiang and I are of one heart. Whoever Boss Jiang likes, I’ll like. Whoever she hates, I’ll hate too!”

“Ah Zhen,” Jiang Huaining said coolly, “I don’t hate Xia Yu.”

“Ah?” Lu Qingzhen fidgeted, clutching her clothes. “Boss Jiang, can we… renegotiate that? Couldn’t you just hate her?”

Jiang Huaining ignored her, lowering her head to fuss with jars and bottles. Lu Qingzhen’s face scrunched into a bitter gourd. She sighed endlessly. “My life is so hard.”

She shot Xia Yu a resentful glare. Xia Yu slipped behind the counter, placing her hand on Jiang Huaining’s shoulder. A pale red flame flowed from her palm into Jiang’s arm, then trickled down her glowing fingertip into a paper cup, softening the ingredients inside. Jiang Huaining looked up in surprise. Xia Yu’s face remained cold as she said quietly:

“With my help, you can recover in fewer days.”

Jiang Huaining said nothing, her shoulder twitching faintly.

Xia Yu refused to withdraw her hand. “What? Afraid I’ll sabotage you? Didn’t you just say you didn’t hate me?”

“Xia Yu, I know you better than you think.” Jiang Huaining slowly raised her gaze. “I can tell whether you’re trying to help me—or make me sleep longer.”

“See! I knew you wanted to hurt Boss Jiang!” Lu Qingzhen shrieked, hopping mad as she rushed to the counter.

Yu Ruoyin startled, hastily passing the frail Sang Xi to the He sisters before running to the counter as well. She didn’t know what she could do, but she knew she shouldn’t stand by.

Xia Yu ignored their anger. In silence she locked eyes with Jiang Huaining. The pale flames turned a deeper orange, radiating warmth like the sun.

“Thank you,” Jiang Huaining said at last, no longer resisting. She even turned to smile at Yu Ruoyin. “Ah Yin, it’s all right now.”

Yu Ruoyin let out a breath of relief.

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