Chapter 58 Part 1

Yun Chun couldn’t make out Lu Qingxue’s lip movements, so she had no idea what Lu Qingxue had said to her in the end.

Right before Lu Qingxue vanished completely, Yun Chun had clutched her hoarse throat and repeatedly urged her to wait for her return.

The instant Lu Qingxue disappeared for good, Yun Chun spun around without a second’s hesitation.

Just like that night when she had raced home without returning all night, she now sprinted toward Xu Lanmeng’s house with everything she had.

Meanwhile.

Xu Lanmeng stood facing Yun Yueqin.

The atmosphere between them was electric with tension, on the verge of explosion.

After a long silence, Xu Lanmeng broke it first. “What the hell were you running around for?”

Yun Yueqin pressed her lips together and said nothing. She knew full well that if it hadn’t been for Lu Qingxue, she would have been finished that day.

But this wasn’t how she wanted to leave—at the very least, she wanted to say goodbye to Xu Lanmeng first.

Her lips parted slightly, and Yun Yueqin murmured, “A Lan.”

That soft call hit Xu Lanmeng like the chime of childhood wind bells. Her taut nerves loosened at once, and the composure she had been forcing shattered. A trace of frustration crept into her voice as she demanded, “What did you go to Lu Qingxue for?”

Yun Yueqin fell silent.

Xu Lanmeng let out a cold laugh. “You don’t have to say it. I know—you were trying to convince Lu Qingxue to break up with Yun Chun.”

She fixed Yun Yueqin with a stare. “Can’t you stop being so selfish?”

Yun Yueqin shot back, “Selfish? I’m doing this for Little Yun’s sake.”

“For Yun Chun’s sake? They’re happy together as is, and you try to tear them apart—for her sake? You keep claiming it’s for her own good, but have you even considered what would actually make her happy?”

Xu Lanmeng advanced on Yun Yueqin step by step, her questions coming like blows.

“Can’t you stop forcing your stubborn, outdated notions onto Yun Chun? Can’t you stop assuming your way is the only right way?!

“Is that really for Yun Chun’s good? Have you even asked her what she wants? Can Yun Chun bear to part from Lu Qingxue? Can she?!

“Are you about to say humans and ghosts can’t be together, that staying with one too long will harm Yun Chun?”

Xu Lanmeng pressed, “Isn’t that it?”

Before Yun Yueqin could respond, Xu Lanmeng barreled on. “But have you ever stopped to think—you’re dead too! You’re a ghost too! You have no business meddling in Yun Chun’s life! Not even as her mother!”

Yun Yueqin reeled from that final shout. The woman standing before her bore no resemblance to the timid girl from her memories.

At the very least, Xu Lanmeng had never raised her voice to her before.

Not even on the day they had severed ties.

But Yun Yueqin couldn’t agree with Xu Lanmeng’s words. She countered, “Little Yun and Little Snow can’t be together. Humans and ghosts are worlds apart—they’d never find happiness that way!”

Xu Lanmeng barked a laugh, as if she’d heard the punchline to some cruel joke. Tears welled in her eyes as she chuckled bitterly. “Happiness? Tell me what happiness even means! Is it you ditching me to marry Lü Feng? Spending your whole life with some man? Or rotting away from late-stage cancer in a hospital bed while he won’t even spare you a glance? Forcing your underage daughter to work herself ragged for your medical bills? That husband of yours didn’t pony up a single cent for your hospital stay, did he? If Yanping hadn’t spilled all this to me, I never would have known how your ‘choices’ turned out! Don’t you dare tell me they were right! If this is your idea of happiness—if you want Yun Chun to spend the rest of her days just like you—then I have nothing left to say.”

Each accusation from Xu Lanmeng struck Yun Yueqin like an arrow. Yun Yueqin could only stand there, helpless, as they pierced her flesh.

Her body was riddled with wounds, yet she felt no pain.

These words had haunted her even in life, pricking like thorns on briars every waking moment—a constant reminder of the path she had chosen.

But Yun Yueqin never imagined that these long-forgotten agonies would be dredged up by Xu Lanmeng.

It was like a dagger twisting in her heart: Xu Lanmeng yanked it free, only to plunge it back in deeper.

She had no defense, no cry of pain to offer. Xu Lanmeng was right. These were her choices, and she bore the consequences alone.

But Yun Chun…

Gritting her teeth against the hurt, Yun Yueqin said, “Little Yun’s situation is nothing like mine.”

Xu Lanmeng regretted her outburst the moment the words left her mouth, but it was too late. She was desperate for Yun Yueqin to rethink everything.

She pressed on. “How is it different? Because you never loved me and it was all wishful thinking on my part? Because unlike your own mother, you won’t force Yun Chun to marry some man—you’d let her be with a woman instead? But do you really think it’s that easy to love someone… or to forget them?!”

“I spent my entire life unable to forget you, trapped in misery. Do you honestly believe your daughter is cold-blooded enough to walk away and erase it all at will? Is she? You know her better than I do—is that who she is?”

Xu Lanmeng thought back to Yun Chun’s early disdain for Lu Qingxue. “Yun Chun couldn’t stand Lu Qingxue at first, but even knowing she was a ghost, she fell head over heels anyway. Now you rip them apart—how’s she supposed to move on? How’s she supposed to find peace?”

Meeting Yun Yueqin’s gaze, Xu Lanmeng swallowed her own pain and laid it all bare. “Of course, you can blame me for this whole mess. Without my meddling, they never would have gotten together.”

Something flashed in Xu Lanmeng’s eyes—a wild, almost manic gleam. She arched a brow in a sardonic smile. “But Yun Yueqin, if you break these two up, have you considered that I’ll just arrange another ghost marriage for Yun Chun? What then? You’ll dismantle them one by one, talk them out of it one ghost at a time? Not everyone’s like Lu Qingxue—someone who’d defy punishment out of love for Yun Chun. And not every ghost will heed your words; they’re not exactly reasonable.”

Stunned, Yun Yueqin stared at her. She never would have dreamed such unhinged words could come from Xu Lanmeng’s mouth.

Xu Lanmeng seemed to have hit on the perfect way to bind Yun Yueqin to her forever. A smile twisted her lips. “If one doesn’t work, I’ll find two. If two aren’t enough, I’ll find—”

Slap!

Yun Yueqin slapped her across the face, staring in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind?”

Xu Lanmeng’s head snapped to the side. She turned it back slowly, unfazed by the heavy blow. Instead of sobering her, she let out a hollow laugh, her obsession unyielding. “Only figured it out now? Too late.”

Ignoring the stinging fire on her cheek, Xu Lanmeng gave a broken laugh as she confronted Yun Yueqin. “You think I don’t get what you mean by ‘humans and ghosts can’t mix’? It’s not just a lecture for Yun Chun. It’s aimed at me, too.”

“In the end, you’re still hell-bent on leaving me.”

Xu Lanmeng’s eyes burned red, tears spilling freely down her face. It laid bare the truth: all her earlier barbs were just lashing out in pain. What she truly craved was for Yun Yueqin to stay.

But she had no idea how to make that happen.

Years ago, she had been the last to learn of Yun Yueqin’s marriage. She’d slaved away at odd jobs in the town diner day after day, saving every penny for a birthday gift—an expensive bracelet far beyond what a cash-strapped teenager could afford in those days. Cut off from the outside world, she’d finally scraped together enough to buy it, only to return to the village and hear the news of Yun Yueqin’s impending wedding.

Gathering her courage, she’d asked why. All she’d gotten was a quiet “I’m sorry” from Yun Yueqin.

So she’d said nothing.

She’d left the bracelet behind and left the village.

Back then, she hadn’t known how to beg Yun Yueqin to call off the wedding, to choose her instead. All she’d understood was that Yun Yueqin no longer wanted her.

Just like now. After all her efforts to track Yun Yueqin down, she was being rejected all over again.

The realization unleashed the love Xu Lanmeng had buried deep in her heart for so many years. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her once more.

Her mouth opened, her voice rasped raw from the tirade, but she pushed past the dryness in her throat and begged:

“Yun Yueqin, can’t you care about me? Just once?”

Xu Lanmeng debased herself utterly, a hollow shell without a spark of dignity.

All she received in return was silence.

A heavy, endless silence.

The room fell utterly still.

Only the incense burner’s smoke rose in lazy curls, its whisper deafening in the quiet.

That sound snapped the final thread holding Xu Lanmeng together.

Her eyes drifted to the pot of yellow flowers on the table. She strode over, shoved it to the floor, and sobbed, “Yun Yueqin! You’re nothing but a bastard!”

The plastic pot hit the ground with a thud.

Nutrient soil spilled across the floor.

It scattered right up to Yun Yueqin’s feet, every granule a shard of Xu Lanmeng’s broken heart.

The little yellow flower slammed down hard, its roots bared cruelly to the air.

Its fragile life teetered on the brink.

Yun Yueqin stared at the mess for a long moment, then slowly crouched down. She gathered the flower and pot.

Once reassembled, she set them aside, out of Xu Lanmeng’s reach in case of another outburst.

Then she rose and approached Xu Lanmeng.

“A Lan,” she said, her voice thick and low.

She laid her hand gently over Xu Lanmeng’s, which braced against the table. Xu Lanmeng’s skin was cooler even than her own ghostly chill, stirring an inevitable ache in Yun Yueqin’s chest—but it changed nothing.

Softening her tone, she coaxed like one would a child. “We’re not kids anymore. We both know the score. You call me stubborn, so you know once I’ve made up my mind, it’s nearly impossible to change course. I did apologize to you before, but all these years, I’ve carried the weight of a deeper ‘I’m sorry’ I owe you. But… please, don’t hurt Little Yun anymore. She’s innocent in all this.”

Xu Lanmeng certainly wouldn’t do anything to hurt Yun Chun anymore, but she didn’t say so. She simply wanted to use Yun Chun to keep Yun Yueqin around. After all, Yun Yueqin cared about Yun Chun more than anyone else. She was that despicable. If only Yun Yueqin cared about her… Xu Lanmeng sneered inwardly. How could Yun Yueqin ever care about her?

Xu Lanmeng let out a couple of cold snorts and pulled her hand free from Yun Yueqin’s grasp. Her movements were quick and decisive, though her gaze lingered on Yun Yueqin’s hand for a few seconds longer.

No matter how she spun it, this was the first time in ages that Yun Yueqin had initiated physical contact with her. With that thought, Xu Lanmeng inwardly cursed herself for being so shameless.

People had already made their stance crystal clear, and here she was, still clinging to that fleeting touch?

Yun Yueqin didn’t comment on Xu Lanmeng’s actions, and her expression barely changed. She offered a faint smile and asked, “What would you like for dinner tonight?”

Xu Lanmeng stayed silent. Yun Yueqin pursed her lips and continued, “This might be one of the last few meals I make for you, so you—”

Yun Yueqin’s words made Xu Lanmeng snap her head up, her glare fierce. “Get lost.”

Yun Yueqin acted as if she hadn’t heard, continuing on her own. “Then I’ll make some of your favorites.”

With that, Yun Yueqin turned toward the kitchen.

Seizing the moment while Yun Yueqin had her back turned, Xu Lanmeng caught her off guard and pulled her into the bracelet. Worried that Yun Yueqin might try to escape again, she slapped a sheet of talisman paper onto it.