Yun Chun regretted her words the moment they left her lips.
What on earth had she just said!
Who was she talking to?!
A ghost!
If she annoyed her, couldn’t this ghost crush her like an ant with a single finger?
Sure, malevolent spirits hurt people… but a lustful one? What might an angry lust ghost do to her?
Yun Chun’s thoughts spiraled into wild fantasies.
A flood of indecent images assaulted her mind. Her ears burned faintly, and regret gnawed even deeper at her heart.
Her tongue was usually so silver with customers—why had it turned to lead before this ghost?
Did she think a ghost wouldn’t boost her sales figures?
She wasn’t that mercenary… was she?
As Yun Chun’s words hung in the air, a flicker of bewilderment crossed Lu Qingxue’s eyes. She couldn’t follow the Little One’s bizarre train of thought or how she had arrived at such a conclusion.
But Lu Qingxue offered no explanation, felt no anger. She merely let out a soft chuckle, the upturned corners of her eyes shimmering with allure. “Think whatever you like.”
Yun Chun’s concealed lashes quivered. This ghost… had quite the even temper.
If her temper was this good, perhaps she was easy to reason with?
Yun Chun ventured, “Then, about the question I asked you before—can you answer it now?”
Lu Qingxue replied, “What question? My memory’s poor. I’ve forgotten.”
Yun Chun pressed, “Shall I ask again?”
Lu Qingxue said, “If I didn’t answer then, it means your question didn’t interest me.”
“…”
Yun Chun cleared her throat and rephrased. “Fine, a new question it is.”
She grew serious. “What do you want from me?”
If she was clinging to her, there had to be something Yun Chun possessed that she desired.
Lu Qingxue pondered for a moment before countering with curiosity. “And what do you have that’s worth my taking?”
It was a dagger straight to the heart!
Yun Chun’s pearly teeth grazed her lip as she huffed. “Then why are you still clinging to me?”
Lu Qingxue burst into laughter at Yun Chun’s expense, her eyes curving into delighted crescents. She poked Yun Chun’s cheek again. “Come now. You’re a good person, all things considered. I like you quite a bit.”
Yun Chun thought to herself: Lust ghost confirmed!
She blinked again, as if her lashes might somehow brush away the lace covering her eyes. Alas, her lashes lacked the power, and the fabric proved stubbornly resilient.
She asked, “Could you take off the blindfold? I want to see you.”
The amusement in Lu Qingxue’s eyes faded. “No.”
Yun Chun didn’t press further. “Do we know each other?”
Lu Qingxue turned the question back. “What do you think?”
Yun Chun mulled it over. “I don’t have any friends who have passed away.”
Lu Qingxue’s breath hitched, ever so subtly. “Then we don’t know each other.”
“…”
Yun Chun’s bound hands had gone numb. She flexed her fingers, stretching them wide before clenching them tight, then spreading them again. Once the blood flowed freely, she said quietly, “Do you know a Master Xu here?”
Lu Qingxue had been about to massage Yun Chun’s arm. At the mention of that name, she paused for the space of a breath before her fingers made contact with Yun Chun’s skin. “Hm?”
Yun Chun felt the gentle pressure on her arm and marveled inwardly: Not only does this ghost have a good temper—she’s surprisingly tender, too.
Tender or not, Yun Chun refused to lose her wits. She reminded herself relentlessly: This is a ghost. A ghost that drains your vital energy.
After silently repeating the mantra, Yun Chun’s lips curved upward. In a perfectly casual tone, she said, “I ran into her this morning. She told me she could help me get rid of you.”
The words were mild, but the threat was unmistakable.
Only…
Things didn’t unfold as Yun Chun expected.
Lu Qingxue’s response was even flatter than Yun Chun’s tone—devoid of any inflection whatsoever. “Oh.”
Oh?
Just… oh?
Normally, upon hearing someone could banish you, wouldn’t you panic? Or at least bristle at the threat? How could this woman—this ghost—react like that?
Yun Chun was at a loss. “You’re not afraid?”
Lu Qingxue had already finished massaging one arm. Now she unbound the other, cradling Yun Chun’s hand against her chest and kneading it slowly.
Beneath her icy-pale skin, bluish veins stood out faintly under the pressure, eerie in the dim light.
The blindfold served partly to spare Yun Chun the sight of her like this.
Fortunately, Yun Chun had been well-behaved and made no attempt to remove it.
Lu Qingxue’s lips quirked as she laid bare Yun Chun’s intentions. “If you truly wanted Master Xu to get rid of me, you wouldn’t have said a word. You’d have gone straight to her and let her handle it.”
Yun Chun retorted, “…Not necessarily.”
Though in truth, she was only bluffing. She had no real intention of banishing her.
Lu Qingxue bore her no ill will, so Yun Chun harbored none in return.
She was simply laying the groundwork, building tension before the release.
Lu Qingxue laughed again, the sound as captivating as before—like fresh snow blanketing a garden in pristine white.
She asked, “Do you really want to get rid of me?”
Yun Chun didn’t hesitate. “Of course. Who would want to be haunted by a ghost?”
Lu Qingxue murmured softly, “Can you bear it?”
Yun Chun shot back, “Why couldn’t I? We’re not related. Banishing you wouldn’t break my heart.”
Perhaps lulled by Lu Qingxue’s gentleness, Yun Chun doubled down. But really, she was still just building her case.
Lu Qingxue gazed at Yun Chun.
The Little One was ruthless.
Her finger drifted toward Yun Chun’s forehead.
The cool tip grazed her skin, startling Yun Chun into a shiver. Lu Qingxue noticed and stole a quiet smile, saying nothing of it. Instead, she brushed aside the stray locks veiling Yun Chun’s brow.
Her voice rose lightly. “What I meant was… it would cost you at least tens of thousands to hire her.”
Yun Chun froze.
Tens of thousands?
No—why did it sound like Lu Qingxue knew more about Master Xu than she did?
Lu Qingxue pressed her advantage. “Can you bear to part with your money? Hm? Little miser.”
Yun Chun fell silent.
Not only did this ghost know of Master Xu, she knew the exorcist charged a fortune—and that Yun Chun couldn’t bear to pay it!
Tens of thousands? That was her life savings!
Called out on the truth, Yun Chun refused to admit it. She feigned nonchalance with a lazy smile. “What a joke. With a ghost haunting me, even if I’m reluctant to spend, am I supposed to wait until you’ve drained my vital energy dry? Then go chasing after you in death, money in hand?”
“That’s not impossible,” Lu Qingxue replied smoothly. “But you’d best convert it to hell money first and burn it for yourself.”
Yun Chun: “…”
Thanks for the tip.
She stated plainly, “What I’m saying is, I can afford to pay Master Xu to banish you.”
Several seconds ticked by.
No response.
Unable to see Lu Qingxue’s expression, Yun Chun assumed fear had struck and offered an out. “Don’t worry. As long as you stop haunting me from now on, I’ll let you off the hook.”
That was the point of all her earlier groundwork. She had no desire to truly banish her—she just wanted the ghost to leave her alone.
Harmless or not, having one draped over her was increasingly unnerving.
Lu Qingxue considered her words at length before asking once more, slowly, “Can you bear it?”
The same question.
Yun Chun answered without much thought. “Life matters more than money.”
In other words, yes, she could.
Lu Qingxue lowered her gaze. She unbound the cloth securing Yun Chun’s remaining arm and drew both of Yun Chun’s wrists slowly up above her head.
She leaned down, pressing close to Yun Chun’s body, her voice a husky murmur. “This time, I mean… can you bear to part with me?”
Lu Qingxue toyed freely with her arms. Yun Chun’s brows furrowed slightly. She considered struggling but, mindful of her opponent’s nature, merely shifted once before settling into a more comfortable position. “I think I already answered that the first time. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten again.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Lu Qingxue said. “But that wasn’t the answer I wanted.”
Yun Chun fell silent once more.
So if it’s not what you want to hear, you just ignore it? She began to suspect that Lu Qingxue’s earlier “forgetfulness” was no such thing—merely an excuse to dodge questions she disliked.
Her legs shifted, inadvertently brushing against Lu Qingxue’s form. Feeling the solid presence sent a sudden wave of reassurance through her.
So what if she was a ghost?
Even after death, one became a ghost.
Rebelling against the pressure, Yun Chun refused to yield. She answered firmly, “Yes, I can bear it.”
A glint of amusement danced in Lu Qingxue’s eyes.
She said nothing more.
In truth, she wasn’t much for words. She preferred actions—and watching others prove their own contradictions through theirs.
Lu Qingxue pinned both of Yun Chun’s wrists with one hand. With the other, she tilted Yun Chun’s chin upward. Her bloodless lips brushed ever so lightly against Yun Chun’s.
In Yun Chun’s dreams, they had kissed countless times.
Instinctively, Yun Chun parted her lips, ready to return the kiss.
But after the barest graze, Lu Qingxue pulled back into the air.
Yun Chun’s lips remained parted for several seconds, her tongue hovering timidly between her teeth, awaiting the warmth she remembered.
Yet seconds passed, and the anticipated heat never came.
Instead, Lu Qingxue’s voice broke the moment. “If you can bear it, then what are you waiting for now?”
Yun Chun froze. Her mouth snapped shut.
She wanted to explain it away as mere instinct, something that didn’t count. But the words wouldn’t come…
Because she had waited so long without the other woman kissing her, Yun Chun actually frowned, inwardly grumbling about what she was doing—why was she moving so slowly? Why hadn’t she kissed her yet…
Yun Chun’s reaction made Lu Qingxue’s eyes curve in another smile. This time, she lowered her head and pressed her lips to Yun Chun’s.
Yun Chun was still sulking to herself inside, frustrated at why she had even anticipated the kiss. But the moment Lu Qingxue’s lips met hers, all that escaped from her blocked mouth were two muffled sounds before she began to respond unconsciously.
The kiss came to an end.
Yun Chun heard her murmur softly, “Little liar.”
Yun Chun: “…”
She had no strength to argue back.
Lu Qingxue leaned close to Yun Chun’s flushed ear and whispered, “But your words don’t threaten me at all, because… she can’t deal with me.”
Yun Chun pursed her lips.
She didn’t believe it.
As if reading Yun Chun’s thoughts, Lu Qingxue’s lips brushed her ear like a feather as she murmured, “You can go ahead and try.”
She pulled Yun Chun into an embrace, her cool body pressing against Yun Chun’s feverishly hot skin, savoring the vibrant warmth of her breath. In a soft voice, she added, “If you can really bring yourself to let me go.”
