The Sickly Beauty Haunted by a Gloomy Male Ghost - Chapter 7

Wen Yu had been staring wide-eyed, watching Bai Weixue with anticipation.

That was until the village chief uttered the words: “This is His first child.”

He didn’t process it at first. His clear eyes held nothing but worry about how Bai Weixue would pull off such a lie. A few seconds later, his eyes bugged out, his expression turning to pure shock.

Meeting Wen Yu’s terrified gaze, Bai Weixue’s expression didn’t flicker. He took a casual half-step back, avoiding the chief’s touch. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

The chief nodded slowly, the withered skin on his neck bunching into dry folds as his Adam’s apple bobbed beneath the loose flesh. “This is a great joy for the village. There is a god-worshiping ceremony in three days, and you will attend it as well.”

At the mention of the ceremony, Bai Weixue’s mind raced.

The village worshiped the God of Procreation, he wanted to see exactly what this “god” really was. “I understand. I’ll be there.”

The chief looked satisfied, his gaze softening considerably. “Would you like to come in and sit for a while?”

Bai Weixue declined. “I’m a bit tired. I’ll be heading back now.”

The chief didn’t press him, though he didn’t pull back his burning gaze until Bai Weixue had disappeared into the distance.

Wen Yu followed closely at Bai Weixue’s heels, chattering incessantly. “Weixue, you’re too bold! You gave me such a heart attack just now, I almost believed it myself.”

Bai Weixue gave a faint smile. “How do you know it isn’t true?”

Wen Yu stumbled over his own feet. “What, what did you say?”

Bai Weixue ignored him.

Left hanging, Wen Yu felt an itch of curiosity all over his body. “Stop messing with me, tell me if it’s real or not.”

Suddenly, Bai Weixue stopped and turned to look at him, his expression very flat.

Wen Yu felt his skin crawl under the scrutiny. A second before he could open his mouth, the other man shifted his gaze away airily. “I’m not telling.”

Wen Yu: “…”

He trailed behind Bai Weixue looking wounded. By the time they reached their lodgings, he looked like a wilted eggplant, radiating dejection from every pore.

The house was warm. He took off his heavy coat and changed into a fleece sweatshirt. Wen Yu had a gentle face and a fit build, the sweatshirt made him look quite young.

Since they were both men, he didn’t bother hiding from Bai Weixue, and Bai Weixue took the opportunity to glance at his abdomen.

No black mole.

After changing, Wen Yu pushed his sleeves up to his wrists and asked, “Are you hungry? I’ll go make dinner.”

His tone was still sluggish, his head hanging low, looking remarkably like the big black guard dog.

Bai Weixue propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. “I’m a bit sleepy,” he said lazily.

“Alright then…” Wen Yu bit his lip, having lost his own appetite.

“It’s fake.”

It was just two words with no context, but the moment Wen Yu heard them, his appetite returned instantly. “See, I knew it! You get some sleep, and I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

Bai Weixue slept deeply, so much so that Wen Yu couldn’t wake him. By the time he opened his eyes, it was pitch black outside.

Wen Yu brought the reheated food to the table and added some water to his cup. “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

The warm water slid down his throat. Bai Weixue lowered his eyes and gave a quiet “Mm.” The mere thought of last night’s dream made him irritable.

After dinner, Bai Weixue told Wen Yu about the human skins in the chief’s house, including those of Jiang Hui, the neighbor, and the villager who had birthed the ghost infant.

Wen Yu was washing dishes. Hearing this, his chopsticks hit the floor with a loud clatter. He stared at Bai Weixue in a daze, his voice trembling. “Wh… what?”

Bai Weixue picked up the chopsticks and thoughtfully pressed them back into his hand, gesturing for him to continue.

Wen Yu’s lips were still shaking. “Weixue, this place is too dangerous. Let’s just get out of here. Xiaoyu definitely isn’t here. These ghost infants and human skins… they have nothing to do with us.”

Bai Weixue countered calmly, “How do we get out?”

 Wen Yu’s expression dimmed. His fingers rubbed the plate nervously as a layer of despair clouded his eyes.

Ever since they were knocked out at the village entrance, everything had spiraled beyond their control. If they were facing humans, there might be a slim chance, but now they were facing ghosts wearing human skins that could give birth to ghost infants. What could they do?

Wen Yu tried to untangle his messy thoughts. “So, what Jiang Hui said was half-true. The village does worship a god, but the curse of having no children doesn’t exist, at least, they can birth ghost infants, so that counts as having children. As for why they lied to us and played these supernatural tricks, they probably just want us to stay here quietly.”

Bai Weixue remained noncommittal. “And what about me?”

“You?” Wen Yu blinked. “Right. Logically, intruders like us should have been killed by the villagers immediately. Why were you chosen as the bride? Could it be…”

Wen Yu’s gaze drifted down toward Bai Weixue’s stomach, his expression hesitant.

Bai Weixue said, “Yeah. I suspect that’s the reason they kept us. But why me?”

Wen Yu said without thinking, “Because you’re beautiful.”

Bai Weixue: “…”

Wen Yu was still worried. “But they’ll find out it’s a lie sooner or later. What do we do then?”

Bai Weixue said expressionlessly, “We throw a grand funeral.”

Wen Yu: “…”

After finishing the dishes, Wen Yu was still in a trance, nearly trying to wipe the table with a kitchen knife. He went to fetch water, but Bai Weixue, fearing he’d fall into the well, took over the task.

He soon regretted it.

It was freezing in the courtyard. His breath condensed into white mist the moment it left his mouth. Wearing only a black cashmere sweater, he crouched by the well, staring at the bucket bobbing in the dark water with an annoyed expression.

He had never drawn water before. His strength and angle were all wrong. After a great deal of effort, he managed to haul the bucket up, only to find a shallow layer of water at the bottom.

He looked at his palms, they were already rubbed raw by the hemp rope.

Wen Yu’s voice drifted from the house: “Need some help?”

Bai Weixue stubbornly replied, “No.”

“Oh,” Wen Yu called back. “Good luck then!”

The cold seeped into his skin, turning his face red. He gripped the rope again, adjusted his angle, and threw the bucket back into the well.

He leaned over the edge, watching the bucket. Without realizing it, most of his body was exposed over the shimmering light of the well, his slender frame reflected on the water’s surface.

His fine blonde hair fell forward, partially blocking his view. Bai Weixue tilted his face up to brush the hair aside. In that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his shadow.

Thin and long, crouching by the well like a perfectly proportioned statue.

Behind his shadow, there was another.

Dangerous and oily, a mass of black mist surged into a tall figure standing right behind his shadow, reaching out both hands,

It was going to push him in!

Realizing this, every hair on Bai Weixue’s body stood on end. The cold wind bit at his stiff joints, and his hands and feet were like ice, but his survival instinct kicked in. He let go of the rope with lightning speed, twisted his torso, and dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the push. He scrambled back several feet until he was far from the well’s reflection, his back pressing hard against the trunk of a jujube tree.

No matter how slow he might be, he had to realize something was wrong now.

Once or twice could be dismissed as jumpiness or paranoia, but this was the third time. He could no longer lie to himself.

It was out of the coffin.

The sound of splashing water echoed in the air. Bai Weixue’s back was rigid, his amber eyes fixed on the well, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

He wasn’t carrying any talismans, he had no way to fight back against a malevolent spirit. If he hadn’t reacted so quickly, he would likely be a corpse at the bottom of the well by now.

He glanced toward the lit room, then quickly looked away. No, if Wen Yu came out, he’d just be sent to his death. He couldn’t drag him down too.

Splash—Thud!

Something burst out of the water with a loud noise. Bai Weixue looked closely, it was the bucket tied to the rope.

Guided by a wisp of black mist, the bucket landed steadily on the ground.

Inside was a bucket of water so full it was nearly overflowing.

Bai Weixue: He felt insulted.

The wisp of black mist drifted slowly toward the well, and the frozen shadow jumped down. The gaunt, skeletal shadows of the trees moved with the wind. Then, a mass of black mist radiating infinite malice crawled out of the well, writhing as it surged toward Bai Weixue.

He watched as the pitch-like mist churned. White bone began to grow from the depressions, accompanied by the jarring sound of friction—creak, creak… each sound closer than the last.

A sweet, cloying scent of blood reached his nose, like moss growing in a well or dried gore. Bai Weixue couldn’t help but shiver. He stared at the spirit, whose facial features were now coalescing, and felt a chill crawl up his spine.

The bright moonlight fell, casting a deep shadow across the spirit’s profile. His silhouette was sharp, his lines smooth, with a high bridge to his nose. The face formed from black mist was as pale as a corpse. It was a cold, handsome face, yet one look into those eyes left only trembling terror.

Beneath a prominent brow sat a pair of highly aggressive eyes.

His pupils were incredibly dark, like two pools of frozen ink. His gaze held no warmth, making one’s spine tingle.

The pitch-black pupils shifted, settling on Bai Weixue.

Suddenly, those thin lips curled into a faint arc.

Like a venomous snake hiding in the dark, appearing harmless on the surface while brimming with lethal intent.

“We meet again,” the spirit said with a faint, phantom smile, walking toward him with leisurely steps. His tall frame was about to envelop Bai Weixue. “My bride.”

A moist, sticky sensation brushed against Bai Weixue’s chin, forcing him to look up at the spirit.

The spirit studied Bai Weixue’s weak, pale face, asking with a smile, “Is that enough water? If not, I can help you.”

The touch was as light as a spider’s silk. Last time by the well, Bai Weixue had felt that same sticky, web-like sensation of being watched. So He had been hiding here, spying on him all along.

One thing of note: although the spirit had formed clear features, he still lacked a physical body.

How exactly did he get out? Did he use some other method?

Bai Weixue turned his face away in disgust, avoiding the touch. A scent of decaying perfume drifted from the spirit. He furrowed his brows in distaste and scoffed, “No thanks. I don’t care for drinking someone else’s bathwater.”

The spirit raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You seemed to enjoy drinking it quite a bit during dinner.”

The corners of Bai Weixue’s eyes were flushed, as were his lips. He looked the spirit in the eye, unable to bear it any longer, and said coldly, “What exactly do you want?”

As the words left his mouth, Bai Weixue’s entire body gave a violent shudder. His eyes flew wide, his face flushing and then turning pale.

The icy, frigid black mist flicked up the hem of his sweater and slipped inside with ease. A slimy sensation glided past his navel, leaving a winding trail of moisture. The mist began to swirl gently around his stomach.

The spirit stroked Bai Weixue’s abdomen with elegant, pale fingers. He smiled faintly, but the malice beneath the smile was bone-chilling. “I should be the one asking you that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that we have a child?”

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