Chapter 21 Part 2

Worth celebrating!

Yun Chun’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she asked, “Sister Qingxue, can you eat?”

“How come?”

“I’ve made some money. I want to treat you to hot pot.” Yun Chun didn’t mention the pancakes.

“…I can watch you eat.”

“Sure! Whenever I wanted hot pot before, I was always alone, so I’d get too lazy to bother. It’s been years since I last had it. But with you here to keep me company, it’ll taste so much better.”

Lu Qingxue’s lips tugged up slightly, though a trace of heartache flickered in the depths of her eyes.

She said softly, “You’ve had a long day. Why don’t you take a shower and get some rest?”

If Lu Qingxue hadn’t pointed it out, Yun Chun wouldn’t have noticed at all. She glanced up at the time and saw that it was already midnight.

After the game, Mo Yue hadn’t let her go back to work. Instead, she’d told her to head home and wait for the dog to be delivered.

All that fussing around had taken far longer than expected.

She was used to staying up until four or five in the morning, but today’s exertion had exceeded her usual limits. Yun Chun really was tired.

She lifted her chin from Lu Qingxue’s shoulder. Her legs uncurled from their cross-legged position and stretched to the floor. Slipping into her slippers, she stood up. “Okay, I’ll go take a shower then.”

Seeing Yun Chun on her feet, the Golden Retriever stirred as well.

Yun Chun caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and bolted toward the bathroom, her feet fairly flying.

At the same time, she heard Lu Qingxue’s voice take on a slightly stern tone. “Merry, sit.”

Yun Chun turned at the bathroom door. Sure enough, the Golden Retriever was sitting straight-backed in place. Puzzled, she asked, “How did you know its name?”

It even listens to you so well?

Lu Qingxue raised her eyes to meet hers and pointed at the collar around Merry’s neck. Her tone was light and casual. “It’s on the collar.”

Yun Chun suddenly understood.

She hadn’t gotten close enough to see it before.

As for its obedience… well, the dog was so well-behaved and adorable. Of course it would listen.

Especially since Lu Qingxue was a ghost. Disobeying a ghost could bring trouble.

Lu Qingxue smiled at her. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll watch it for you.”

Yun Chun nodded. “Okay.”

Once Yun Chun had closed the bathroom door, Lu Qingxue raised her hand slightly toward the Golden Retriever from the sofa.

Merry immediately trotted over and sat down beside Lu Qingxue.

Satisfaction crossed Lu Qingxue’s face. Even after two years apart, it still remembered her hand signals for training dogs.

Lu Qingxue leaned forward a little and tapped her fingers twice against Merry’s damp nose. In a gentle voice, she said, “She’s not scared of you or dislikes you. She just has a childhood trauma from dogs. So you can’t tease her just because she’s afraid of you, got it?”

Merry barked: “Woof!”

Lu Qingxue flipped her hand over and scratched lightly under Merry’s chin. “Good dog.”

With Yun Chun gone from the sofa, Merry promptly jumped up. It rested its head on Lu Qingxue’s leg, staring up at her intently—as if afraid she might… vanish into thin air.

Lu Qingxue chuckled softly. “Did you miss me?”

Merry let out a low, rumbling whine from its throat: “Whine…”

Then it stuck out its tongue and licked Lu Qingxue’s hand.

Lu Qingxue let it. Once her hand was thoroughly slobbered, she waved it lightly, and the wetness vanished.

“Why did Mo Yue bring you here?”

Merry was the Golden Retriever she’d raised while she was still alive.

After her death, since Lu Wanyi was allergic to dog hair, the dog had been taken in by her good friend Mo Yue.

Merry gazed at her silently, without making a sound.

Looking at the dog, Lu Qingxue’s eyes curved in a smile, but the amusement in them faded slightly.

She had already guessed why Mo Yue would send Merry to Yun Chun. It was probably to let Yun Chun know… about her existence.

After all, Yun Chun hadn’t known about her before she died.

And Mo Yue back then hadn’t understood her either.

Though she hadn’t understood, she’d still respected her wishes.

Lu Qingxue was clever and knew Mo Yue well. She quickly pieced together why Mo Yue had waited two years before making a move. It must be because Mo Yue had learned about the ghost marriage between her and Yun Chun. Otherwise, Mo Yue would have continued doing nothing, just as before.

The ghost marriage had bound the two of them together, creating a connection. Yun Chun was no longer just an outsider; she was involved now. Given Mo Yue’s personality, she would tell Yun Chun about the past.

Truth be told, though, Lu Qingxue didn’t want Yun Chun to know anything about her real-life affairs.

It wouldn’t do Yun Chun any good.

Besides, she’d been dead in the real world for two years already.

There was no need to dredge up the past.

But she’d forgotten—what did death matter? As long as love and hate lingered in someone’s heart, and as long as someone still remembered her, she lived on… until the last person forgot her.

For now, Lu Qingxue stroked the dog’s head, lost in thought.

She couldn’t interfere directly with what the living chose to do. She could only take things one step at a time.

~~~

After her shower, Yun Chun stood in front of the mirror.

She reached for the comb on the rack, intending to brush her hair, but froze when she looked into the glass.

She always showered with slightly hot water, even in summer. The temperature filled the narrow bathroom with steam. The mist had crept across the mirror, turning it into a foggy haze.

The bathroom light flickered on and off, and right then it began strobing again. Under that eerie illumination, the vague outline in the mirror looked utterly horrifying no matter how she squinted at it.

It felt like if she stood there too long, a hand would emerge from the mirror—pale as death, without a drop of blood, glowing with a sinister blue tint, veins oozing black fluid. It would seize her throat. Even if she flailed her limbs, pounded on the door and walls, her cries would come out as mere whispers, unheard by neighbors. With her neck crushed tight, she couldn’t scream for help. And when she was on the brink of suffocation, that hand wouldn’t release her. Instead, it would drag her inch by inch into the mirror, trapping her forever in its world… until the next tenant moved in.

Yun Chun shuddered and gave the mirror a quick glance before twisting the bathroom door open in a hurry. She stepped onto the rug outside and looked toward the sofa.

Lu Qingxue was still sitting in the same spot, a fashion magazine from Yun Chun’s collection open on her lap. One hand turned the pages while the other gently patted the Golden Retriever beside her. The big dog lay contentedly at her side, sleeping soundly, its tail swaying lazily in comfort.

The scene was so idyllic that the horrific images flooding Yun Chun’s mind dissipated a little. Her tense heart eased.

Hearing the noise, Lu Qingxue lifted her eyes from the magazine and let them settle on the figure at the bathroom door.

Yun Chun wore a spaghetti-strap nightgown. She’d wiped the water from her upper body cleanly, but a few droplets still clung below her knees, trickling down her smooth, pale legs.

The trails of water gleamed like liquid crystal in the light.

They were so beautiful that Lu Qingxue was reminded of the texture she’d once felt—soft and dense, like coffee laced with cubed sugar. One taste, and the flavor lingered endlessly.

Her fingers rubbed together unconsciously, savoring the memory of that silken smoothness.

But seeing Yun Chun’s dripping wet hair, Lu Qingxue’s smile faded, and her fine brows furrowed slightly.

All Yun Chun registered was that Lu Qingxue, who had been on the sofa, suddenly vanished. The magazine tumbled from midair to the floor. In the next blink, Lu Qingxue was right in front of her.

Yun Chun’s heart skipped a beat.

Not from fear.

But from the sheer beauty of Lu Qingxue’s face suddenly filling her vision—a natural reaction to being stunned.

Yun Chun held her breath shallowly.

Lu Qingxue smoothed her brows. “Why didn’t you dry your hair?”

Yun Chun: “…No time.”

“Want me to help?”

“No… that’s okay.” Yun Chun turned to go back into the bathroom but paused and looked back at Lu Qingxue. “Just stay here and watch me. That’s fine.”

Lu Qingxue: ?

She didn’t understand, but she complied.

Lu Qingxue hovered in the empty space above the rug, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. She stood utterly still, watching Yun Chun.

With Lu Qingxue right there beside her, even if her mind conjured up all sorts of supernatural horrors, Yun Chun wasn’t afraid anymore.

Lu Qingxue was there!

Lu Qingxue would protect her!

For some reason, she felt utterly certain of it.

Yun Chun hummed a cheerful tune as she picked up a towel and wiped the steam from the mirror. After combing her hair in front of it, she rummaged in the cabinet and pulled out a hairdryer.

Just before turning it on, she glanced sideways at Lu Qingxue. “Will this breeze blow you away?”

“…” Lu Qingxue humored Yun Chun’s odd flight of fancy. “You can give it a try.”

Yun Chun actually did, watching as Lu Qingxue leaned against the wall without so much as twitching. Not a single strand of her hair lifted in the gust…

“Nope,” Yun Chun announced, her experiment complete.

Physical attacks clearly had no effect on Lu Qingxue.

Those eyes Yun Chun had once imagined summoning rain now crinkled in amusement at her words, the gentle curve sending Yun Chun’s heart into an unexpected flutter.

It felt like a whirlwind kicking up out of nowhere on level ground—indescribable, fleeting, and gone in an instant.

~~~

With her hair dry, the rest of Yun Chun’s body felt fresh and comfortable too.

She switched off the flickering bathroom light and stepped into the bedroom, settling in front of the vanity mirror to apply her skincare routine.

Lu Qingxue remained nearby, watching her.

Yun Chun had already steeled herself, but under that steady gaze, she said, “Sister Qingxue, you don’t have to keep watching me.”

For a split second after the words left her mouth, Yun Chun felt a pang of guilt.

It was like she’d used someone up and then turned cold on them.

But that wasn’t it—what she really meant was the second part: “You can go back to your book if you want to read.”

Lu Qingxue didn’t nod right away. Instead, she asked, “All done?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“What was that about just now?”

Lu Qingxue always spotted Yun Chun’s little tells with ease.

Yun Chun paused, then answered truthfully. “I thought of a horror story.”

Lu Qingxue pondered for a moment. “Because of me?”

“Of course not,” Yun Chun said immediately.

She hurried to explain. “My mind just jumps around. I’ve got a vivid imagination.”

The last thing Yun Chun wanted was for Lu Qingxue to misunderstand.

There shouldn’t be any rifts between them. She dreaded the thought of Lu Qingxue harboring resentment.

Lu Qingxue smiled softly. She rested a hand on the back of Yun Chun’s head and gave it a gentle press. “Have I had any bad effect on you? Feel free to say it—some details might slip past me.”

Like scaring her into nightmares?

Or something frightening popping into her head, like earlier.

Yun Chun looked up at Lu Qingxue for a few seconds. Then she turned to the mirror, studying the shadows around her eyes in the reflection before glancing back. Honestly, she asked, “Do dark circles count?”

Lu Qingxue blinked in surprise. The hand that had been stroking Yun Chun’s head shifted to her face.

Her fingertip pressed lightly beneath Yun Chun’s eye.

Yun Chun savored the cool touch as it traced her dark circle—a silky chill, like the soothing press of an ice pack.

It felt wonderful.

“I can explain this,” Lu Qingxue said.

Yun Chun shook her head. “No need. They’ve improved a lot these past couple of days without… those dreams.”

Lu Qingxue: “…”

She withdrew her finger. Faintly, she said, “It’s not actually related to the dreams.”

Yun Chun arched a brow. “Really? I don’t buy it.”

Her dark circles always darkened after one of those dreams, leaving her looking wretched, like blotchy corpse spots.

Lu Qingxue explained patiently. “They were bad at first because we were new to each other—your body hadn’t adapted to me yet. But now our energies are nearly in sync. Your body has adjusted.”

Yun Chun blinked, caught off guard. Was she overthinking it? Though that last bit did sound… suggestive.

“From now on, whether in reality or your dreams, you won’t get severe dark circles anymore,” Lu Qingxue added.

Yun Chun tamped down her stray thoughts and replied on reflex. “Really? I don—”

Lu Qingxue cut in gently. “If you don’t believe me, we can try it tonight.”