Chapter 45: The Husband-Prospering Fate

Perhaps it was because Chen Qing and the others had made such a ruckus with their shouting earlier that night, but after Tan Xueci lay back down, he found himself unable to sleep.

He opened one eye and peeked cautiously at He Xunye. Sensing the ghost was finally asleep, he wriggled out of his embrace and pulled out his phone to play with it secretly.

He had terrible habits. A child raised without supervision often grows up poorly; he would stay up all night endlessly, stuff his throat full of food just because it tasted good, and dress haphazardly until he caught a cold. Much of his frequent illness was linked to these behaviors.

Coupled with a serious case of heart failure he suffered as a child, he had always been frail, with an immune system weaker than that of a two-year-old.

Huddled under the covers, Tan Xueci scrolled through his phone. His favorite “relationship expert” had posted several new lessons he hadn’t watched yet. He felt he desperately needed some professional guidance right now.

In the dead of night, Tan Xueci bit his finger, his eyes fixed intently on the screen. The expert was still wearing a suit, looking high-class and educated.

“What kind of man is a red flag? A lecherous man,” the expert said. “Think carefully—have you felt weak in the knees lately? Physical discomfort? As if something has been… drained out of you?”

The glow of the screen lit up Tan Xueci’s serious little face. He hailed the man as a miracle doctor in his heart. Exactly! Something was drained! He Xunye even liked to bite and suck; it was truly disgusting.

The expert ranted passionately for ten minutes, gesturing wildly. “This kind of man is a jinx, a troublemaker! He harms your vital energy, which is equivalent to harming your wealth! But don’t panic, it’s not too late. As long as you take this…”

The expert whipped out a box of pills, claiming they would make anyone—man or woman—as vigorous as a tiger. Not 998, but only 98 yuan!

Tan Xueci’s finger hovered over the “Add to Cart” button, but he didn’t recognize many of the characters. He Xunye was still sleeping, so he had the volume on the lowest setting and couldn’t quite hear the purchase instructions.

He slowly moved his face closer to the screen to listen better, terrified of buying the wrong thing.

However, while the expert was still talking, the screen gradually darkened. As Tan Xueci leaned in, it turned completely black, reflecting a chilling, pale ghost-face right behind his own.

“What are you doing?”

A low, ethereal voice whispered at his back.

“Ah—!”

Caught completely off guard, Tan Xueci was scared out of his wits. He let out a muffled shriek under the covers, but then remembered the ghost was inside the covers with him. He scrambled out of the bedding, panting.

The other guests hadn’t been asleep for long. Hearing his scream, they turned on their lights and called out to ask what was wrong.

With tears in his eyes, Tan Xueci tremulously said it was nothing and told them not to come out. He then pulled the blanket tight around himself and glared at He Xunye. “What… what do you want?”

Initially, He Xunye had been tempted to drag Tan Xueci into his grave with him. But every time he held the boy, he felt it was better for Tan Xueci to stay alive.

Others living made him sick, but Tan Xueci’s heartbeat was lovely and pleasant. The thump-thump felt “obedient,” and the ghost found himself wishing it would keep beating forever.

The malevolent spirit frowned. He didn’t want to see Tan Xueci’s snowy, lustrous face turn a grayish-blue; that would be very unpleasant.

But if Tan Xueci were to die of illness, the ghost felt it would be better for the boy to die at his hands. At least he wouldn’t let Tan Xueci suffer too much, and he would carve out his heart beautifully.

“Xiao Xue,” the ghost raised his narrow black eyes, his tone tender. “Choose for yourself, okay? If you want to come with me now, I’ll try to be as gentle as possible. I can’t bear for you to hurt.”

What does he mean?!

Tan Xueci trembled. I just played on my phone for a bit and now he wants to dig out my heart? He gripped his phone stubbornly, unwilling to resign himself to fate, but the ghost’s gaze looked frighteningly sincere.

In the livestream, the “relationship expert” suddenly let out a scream of his own. He had intended to show the audience the pills, but when he opened the box, he pulled out a handful of cold, slimy eyeballs.

They were human eyeballs, with veins covering the spheres like nets, and they were still blinking.

“No… no, no, no,” Tan Xueci hurriedly threw the phone aside, sobbing as he buried himself in the blankets. “I won’t watch anymore.”

How can I live like this? I want a divorce!

Tearfully, Tan Xueci thought about divorce, but before he could figure out how to get one, he fell asleep.

The ghost reached out to pull him into his arms, leaning down to kiss his eyelashes and cheeks. He felt that his feelings for Tan Xueci were more than just lust; otherwise, he could have forced himself on him right now without the boy ever knowing. But more than opening Tan Xueci’s legs, he wanted to open his heart.

Tan Xueci slept fitfully. When he woke up the next morning at dawn, he heard voices in the courtyard.

He struggled to push He Xunye’s hand off his bottom, hurriedly put on a sweater and coat, and ran outside. He saw that the director had already invited Bo Shuizhang over.

Bo Shuizhang woke up early; being the village secretary was hard work.

“It’s not likely,” Bo Shuizhang said, scratching his head in confusion. “Could someone in the crew be sleepwalking? Are you sure that shadow was…”

The director showed him the footage again. Though it was just a dark shadow, one could see it was short in stature with bowed legs and long arms.

“Maybe it’s a ‘Water Monkey,'” Bo Shuizhang’s expression turned serious. “We’re right next to the Yan River. The elders say if you go near the river at night, you’ll be dragged down. Some Water Monkeys even sneak into the village to steal children. They’ve eaten several in the past.”

Water Monkeys, also known as water ghosts, look like apes. They are said to be the vengeful spirits of those who drowned. They love dragging people into the water, but theoretically, they shouldn’t be able to come onto land.

The director gave a forced laugh. “Secretary Bo, you’re a college student—you still believe in that?”

Bo Shuizhang smiled sheepishly. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

It was just after 5 AM. Though it was still dark, Chen Qing wasn’t as scared as he had been the night before. He rubbed his arms and asked, “Secretary Bo, how do we protect ourselves at night?”

“Just ignore it,” Bo Shuizhang said. “It hasn’t actually done anything. Besides, if you sleep soundly and don’t open your eyes, you won’t see it.”

Despite Bo Shuizhang’s words, the director wasn’t at ease. Having filmed rural variety shows for years, climbing cliffs and entering caves, he had survived solely on his alertness.

This place was closest to the Qingya Temple. Last night, he had arranged for staff to invite a Taoist master. By the time the guests were waking up for breakfast, the master had arrived.

He was a young Taoist, looking to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. His name was Yu He, and he was reportedly the disciple of Yu Qingxu.

Tan Xueci no longer trusted these Taoists. He turned to run back to the room to find his scarf, only to see He Xunye was already up and had placed his own spirit tablet on the table.

“Xiao Xue,” He Xunye turned his dark eyes toward him. “Will you light some incense for your husband?”

It had been over ten days since he’d last offered incense.

Tan Xueci shuffled over. It was cold on the mountain, so today he wore a down jacket with a hood. A ring of white faux-fur framed his small face, squeezing his soft cheeks slightly. “Why?”

The incense was right there; couldn’t the dead ghost just “eat” by himself?

“You are my family,” the ghost said, looking down and taking Tan Xueci’s cold hand. “Only things you burn for me can reach my hands.”

Tan Xueci sensed an underlying meaning: He Xunye had been dead for so long, yet no one in the He family had ever burned anything for him.

“I only have you,” the ghost said with a smile.

Tan Xueci bit his lip and finally stuck a large handful of incense into the burner. Fine, but I’m still divorcing him.

When the time comes, I’ll send him off to be reincarnated and burn several maid-outfits-wearing ‘old ladies’ for him as a final act of filial piety.

Earlier, while He Xunye was away, he had hidden outside and searched the internet for a long time. The web said the most effective way to break up with someone was “cold violence” (the silent treatment). But he was afraid the dead ghost would go crazy. What if he got angry and shoved a corn cob up his bottom?

Others suggested “hot violence”—clinging to the person so much that they got annoyed. But he couldn’t imagine how much more “clinging” he’d have to be to annoy He Xunye.

The dead ghost spent every day being mushy, calling him “Xiao Xue” or “Baby.” He didn’t think he could be more sickeningly sweet than He Xunye.

Tan Xueci’s serious little face crumpled. The only option left was to make He Xunye hate him—but not too much, or the ghost might just strangle him.

Unaware of his wife’s schemes, the ghost watched him obediently light the incense, his lips curling into a slight smile.

Then he saw Tan Xueci blink, tug on his sleeve, and whisper with tearful eyes, “Hubby, do you not love me anymore?”

“…” The ghost had a bad feeling. He took his hand and asked slowly, “Why do you say that?”

“The clothes I burned for you… you never wear them,” Tan Xueci’s eyes and nose were red as he whispered timidly. “Do you not like them? Then should we…” divorce?

The ghost’s forehead twitched. Tan Xueci had previously burned hundreds of outfits for him. Aside from the buttoned burial shrouds suitable for someone He Wuling’s age, they were all floral-patterned cotton padded pants.

He wasn’t sure if it was intentional or an accident.

The ghost paused, his dark phoenix eyes curving into a gentle smile. “Alright. Then I want to wear a couple’s outfit with Xiao Xue. Why don’t you go change into a pair of those pants too?”

Tan Xueci: “…”

“Or do you not love me anymore?” the ghost asked with a half-smile.

Tan Xueci sputtered for a long while before finally squeezing out, “You’re truly wicked.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” the ghost said. “We’re a perfect match.”

Tan Xueci was speechless. He Xunye reached out, grabbed his scarf, and pulled him forward. When Tan Xueci looked up, he met the ghost’s deep gaze, and his face felt a bit flushed.

He Xunye re-tied the messy scarf for him and fixed the buttons he’d done up incorrectly. Then he knelt to feel Tan Xueci’s feet. Seeing he was still wearing thin summer socks, he went to get a pair of cashmere ones.

“Lift your foot,” He Xunye said.

Tan Xueci watched blankly. His long lashes cast shadows on his snowy cheeks as he obediently lifted his foot to let He Xunye change his sock.

“The other one,” He Xunye said.

Tan Xueci hurriedly switched feet.

He didn’t know that the livestream cameras in the courtyard were already on, capturing everything from He Xunye fixing his scarf onward.

When they went to join the other guests for breakfast, Tan Xueci started acting up. He wanted a blanket one moment, said he was hungry the next, and was picky about his food. For the lamb noodle soup served that morning, he made He Xunye add two extra spoonfuls of cilantro for him.

He acted out with his heart in his mouth, terrified he’d go too far and truly enrage He Xunye. The others were also walking on eggshells.

Especially Zhang Chengfa; looking at He Xunye’s thick ghostly aura, he didn’t dare breathe too loudly.

He had originally wanted to ask He Xunye about last night. With He Xunye there, he felt they didn’t need a Taoist at all, but looking at the ghost’s face, he felt he was even scarier than a vengeful spirit.

The ghost’s pale, handsome face looked dark and unpredictable under the morning light, but he still took the bowl Tan Xueci handed him and went to add cilantro for the tenth time.

[Wait?? How did it turn into this?] [Not kidding, I need a ‘dog training’ tutorial. #doge] [I can’t imagine if I had this ability back in school, how great my life would have been. #crying]

Halfway through their meal, an older woman carrying a bamboo basket knocked on the Zhang family’s door. She beamingly handed Auntie Zhang a dozen red eggs, saying, “Xiao Feng just ‘tethered’ a baby. I’m giving out red eggs to everyone. Your Xiao Cai should be next in a few years, right?”

Auntie Zhang used a blue cloth to hold the eggs and chatted with the woman for a bit before rushing back into the hall. She smiled at the guests and said, “They’re still warm. Please, help yourselves.”

“Do people here celebrate ‘tethering’ babies?” Qin Shuyao struggled to find the right way to ask.

She had seen people giving red eggs after a birth to share the joy, but this was the first time she’d seen someone so eager to distribute them just because a baby was “tethered.”

Auntie Zhang gave her a strange look. “Once a baby is tethered, there’s a baby in the belly. It’ll be born in a few months.”

She was only in her fifties, but her eyes were so cloudy you could barely distinguish the pupils. At first glance, they looked all white. Qin Shuyao shuddered and didn’t dare ask more, nor did she take an egg.

Xiao Cai was holding a red string and measuring it against Zhang Chengfa’s stomach, as if trying to “tether” something. Zhang Chengfa broke into a cold sweat but didn’t dare scold her in front of the cameras.

Only He Xunye remained composed in this eerie environment. He reached for an egg, his lips curled in a constant smile as he peeled it and held it to Tan Xueci’s lips. “Baby, have one. Eat more so you don’t get sick.”

Tan Xueci didn’t like eggs; he found them too dry. He was about to shake his head, but seeing the ghost’s smile fade and his face turn pale, he quickly said with teary eyes, “I’ll eat, I’ll eat.”

He Xunye took a small saucer, added some chopped chili sauce, and let him dip the egg in it. It was the first time Tan Xueci had tried it this way; it really wasn’t as dry, and the reluctant look on his face vanished.

He ate with his head down, occasionally peeking at He Xunye. The ghost’s long lashes hid those deep, dark phoenix eyes as he patiently held the saucer for him.

He didn’t find the boy troublesome, nor did he mind that he ate slowly.

Can a ghost fall in love with someone?

Tan Xueci had never seen it. Usually, once a person becomes a ghost, their humanity disappears, and they stop caring even for their parents and family.

He had once seen a teenage ghost in the hospital. At first, the boy had bloody tears and was very attached to his parents, but his resentment grew stronger.

One night, a nurse on her rounds was so frightened she ran out, not even having time to close the door.

Tan Xueci had peeked through the crack in his own hospital room door. Two corpses lay on the floor of the room opposite.

The boy was squatting between his parents, pulling out their intestines like noodles and slurping them down.

He felt He Xunye just wanted to “play” with him, but since the ghost didn’t like forcing people and preferred them to be “active,” he was being nice for now.

He Sui didn’t even have time to deal with He Xunye anymore. Since the ghost appeared two nights ago, the show’s popularity had skyrocketed, even reaching many people outside the fan circles.

His phone had been ringing all morning with terrified calls from home urging him to return. He even received a message from Tan Yanning asking where he was.

Tan Yanning’s hands shook with rage. When Tan Mother had “released” Tan Xueci back then, it was effectively kicking him out—giving him no money and leaving him to fend for himself.

His “active suggestion” for Tan Xueci to enter the entertainment industry was only intended to destroy him. He had to admit Tan Xueci was beautiful, but in this industry, beauty wasn’t always a good thing.

The chances were high that Tan Xueci would be used and discarded.

He Sui would never understand.

He felt that Gao Ying actually still loved Tan Xueci very much. He had seen her many times, while Tan Xueci was asleep, sitting by his side and looking at his face with a tender, mournful expression—a look she had never shown him.

As long as Tan Xueci returned to normal, he would still be the most favored child of the Tan parents, while he himself would have nothing.

He had never expected Tan Xueci to become famous.

Tan Yanning’s lips were deathly pale. He stared intensely at the livestream. Although he hadn’t seen clearly that day, he could recognize that He Xunye was the ghost that caused his car accident.

Watching He Xunye being ordered around by Tan Xueci, his eyes were bloodshot with envy. It seemed that no matter what he stole, Tan Xueci still had so much.

Does this make sense?!

He’s clearly a ghost, yet he’s acting like a dog.

Even He Sui hadn’t replied to his messages, but Tan Chongchuan had sent him one, asking if he’d seen the stream.

Tan Chongchuan was full of suspicion. He felt He Xunye might not even be dead. Maybe he had just been sick back then, and the He family hadn’t held a ghost marriage but a “healing marriage” to drive away the bad luck.

He deeply regretted his past actions. If that were the case, he should have sent Tan Yanning instead.

He wasn’t as stubborn as Gao Ying; he didn’t care as much about Tan Yanning and the others having children. He cared more about the Tan family business.

If it had been Tan Yanning, he would surely be more likable than Tan Xueci and have more in common with He Xunye.

Tan Xueci had no idea what the Tan family was thinking. The newly arrived Taoist, Yu He, was currently reading the guests’ fortunes.

“Boss Zhang,” Yu He said, shaking his head after some calculations. “You’re facing a ‘blood calamity’ soon.”

Zhang Chengfa was startled. “How do I fix it?”

Yu He didn’t answer but moved to the next person. He looked at He Sui and said, “Sir, you are destined to have no offspring.”

He Sui sneered. Is that all? He was gay; was it not normal to not have children?

He wasn’t like that “feudal brat” Tan Xueci, who probably looked for a partner based on who had wide hips for childbearing.

Finally, Yu He turned to He Xunye and Tan Xueci. His expression suddenly grew much more solemn. He first looked at Tan Xueci, clicking his tongue in wonder. “I actually cannot see your destiny.”

Tan Xueci’s fate was like it had been forcibly blurred; he could see it vaguely, but could not distinguish any details.

As for He Xunye, Yu He turned and gave a dark smile. “Sir, you are destined to bring ruin to your kin, especially your wife.”

With every sentence, he offended someone. After the readings, most of the guests looked displeased.

Tan Xueci: “…”

Either ruinous to his wife or destined to have no heirs. What kind of family is the He family? Are they cursed?

[His mouth is like it’s dipped in poison.] [Wait, never mind the others—why isn’t He Xunye angry? I thought with this guy’s temper he definitely wouldn’t stand for this. Has his personality improved after marriage?]

“You…” Tan Xueci whispered. “Aren’t you angry?”

“Why should I be angry?” The ghost’s cold, desolate phoenix eyes glanced at him affectionately, as if he found himself beyond reproach. “I can ‘prosper’ my husband and have children with you. Isn’t that enough?”

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