Chapter 55: Unveiling the Specter

Upon seeing the man approach her, Xia Zhiquiu hastily concealed herself amidst the nearby ivy.

Even after the middle-aged man had departed, the words he had uttered continued to echo in her mind.

Swiftly, Xia Zhiquiu approached the tomb, her gaze falling upon the inscription carved into the headstone, a pallor creeping onto her face as she murmured.

“If these two tombs belong to that guy’s parents, then could the one next to them be…”

The moment this thought surfaced, Xia Zhiquiu vehemently rejected it.

‘No, that’s impossible! If Bai Hao were truly dead, then who was the young man she had spent every day with? He couldn’t possibly be a specter, could he?’

Yet, the more she considered it, the more terrified Xia Zhiquiu became; the young man’s uncanny abilities and his peculiar behavior in their daily interactions were, upon closer reflection, utterly chilling.

“Auntie Xia, what are you doing here?”

Just as Xia Zhiquiu’s thoughts spiraled, the young man’s faint voice drifted from directly behind her.

Xia Zhiquiu whirled around, only to find Bai Hao standing there; who else could it have been?

At that moment, the young man stood bathed in sunlight, smiling at her, betraying not a hint of abnormality, yet Xia Zhiquiu recoiled two steps in fear.

“You, don’t come any closer!”

Observing Auntie Xia’s panicked expression, Bai Hao’s eyes flickered imperceptibly as he feigned confusion.

“Auntie Xia, what’s wrong?”

Xia Zhiquiu swallowed hard, then, pointing at the nearby tombstone, she forced herself to speak with a semblance of calm.

“Bai Hao, you’re not human, you’re a specter, aren’t you?”

No sooner had the words left her lips than the young man’s figure vanished from his spot in the blink of an eye, and in the very next moment, Xia Zhiquiu felt herself enveloped in someone’s embrace.

The young man, his breath warm against her, chuckled softly.

“Auntie Xia, now that you’ve discovered my secret, what do you suppose I should do with you?”

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiquiu’s beautiful eyes widened, and her entire delicate body froze.

‘He, he actually admitted it! He’s really a specter?!’

In that instant, any flicker of hope in Xia Zhiquiu’s heart was utterly extinguished; she stared blankly at the young man, then began to twist her body, struggling fiercely.

“Mmgh, let go of me!”

‘Heavens, she had actually been living with a specter for so long! And she had even married him!’

‘What Xia Zhiquiu found most unbearable was that she had even engaged in *those* intimate acts with a specter…’

Facing Auntie Xia’s violent struggles, Bai Hao showed no surprise; his pupils flashed with a rosy, blood-like hue, and the beautiful woman in his arms gradually quieted.

***

In the tranquil bedroom, sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft, hazy glow.

Xia Zhiquiu huddled in a corner by the bed, watching the young man with a mixture of wariness and helplessness.

Bai Hao understood that Auntie Xia needed time to calm down, so he refrained from provoking her further, instead settling down beside her to work on math problems, a headache brewing.

After a long while, Xia Zhiquiu finally parted her crimson lips, speaking softly.

“Are, are you alright?”

Bai Hao paused, surprised by her question, and it took him a moment to realize Xia Zhiquiu was likely inquiring about his “good uncle” hiring people to deal with him, a warmth spreading through his chest.

‘Despite her obvious distress, she still prioritized asking if he was hurt; Auntie Xia truly was gentle.’

“I’m fine, but I apologize for not replying to your messages these past two days, Auntie Xia.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s lips twitched upon hearing this; she wanted to say it was alright, but the words caught in her throat.

A tense silence descended between them once more, Xia Zhiquiu stealing glances at the young man, still unable to fully believe he was a specter…

After a long time, Xia Zhiquiu finally shifted, sliding off the bed, putting on her shoes, and standing up.

“I won’t tell anyone you’re a specter, but don’t bother me again.”

Logically, as an ability user, she should have sought a way to eliminate this young man, or at the very least, reported him.

Yet, Xia Zhiquiu’s inherent compassion prevailed, prompting her to speak thus.

Entangled with a specter, Xia Zhiquiu now felt that everything that had transpired recently was merely him toying with her, amusing himself; if that were the case, she had no desire to continue playing along.

With this thought, Xia Zhiquiu turned, preparing to leave.

Seeing this, Bai Hao naturally couldn’t allow her to depart so easily; he simply raised a hand and waved, and the room’s door slammed shut, refusing to open no matter how Xia Zhiquiu tried.

At this, she turned back to face the young man, her face flushed with anger and humiliation.

“What exactly do you want?”

Hearing her, Bai Hao instantly appeared close to her, speaking gently.

“Auntie Xia, don’t be like this. Weren’t we perfectly fine before? Why speak as if we’re never to see each other again?”

Xia Zhiquiu turned her head slightly away, her voice chilling.

“But you’re a specter.”

The young man’s brow furrowed slightly at her words, but the frown quickly vanished; he reached out, gently lifted Xia Zhiquiu’s chin, and smiled faintly.

“So what if I’m a specter? That doesn’t stop me from liking you, Auntie Xia. I’ll protect you; I won’t hurt you.”

Xia Zhiquiu froze for a moment upon hearing his words, then scoffed softly.

“Do you know the phrase ‘demonic lies’ (TL Note: A phrase meaning ‘deceptive words’ or ‘lies,’ literally ‘ghostly words in succession,’ often implying manipulation by a malevolent being.)? Do you think I’d believe you?”

Bai Hao, unable to listen any longer, pressed down on Auntie Xia’s delicate shoulders and directly kissed her vibrant red lips.

“Mmgh mmgh…”

Xia Zhiquiu’s beautiful eyes widened in shock; she hadn’t expected the young man to simply kiss her without a word, and she immediately began to push him away.

However, her resistance was clearly negligible to Bai Hao, and soon Xia Zhiquiu’s legs grew weak beneath her from his relentless advances.

Seeing her state, Bai Hao then spoke in a gentle tone.

“Auntie Xia, you’re unwilling to expose me because, deep down, you have feelings for me, don’t you?”

“Besides, human-specter romance is actually quite cool, isn’t it? Legends of such love have been passed down since ancient times, like that scholar Ning Caichen from antiquity… *Slap!*”

However, before the young man could finish his sentence, a moderate slap landed squarely on his face.

Xia Zhiquiu, her delicate body trembling slightly, declared.

“Shut up! You’ve become a specter, and you’re still talking about feelings with me? Don’t you find that laughable?”

‘She now felt like an utter fool, having been spun around like a clown by this scoundrel, and even after being exposed, he still treated her like an idiot, attempting to deceive her further.’

Upon hearing these words, Bai Hao’s expression darkened considerably.

He had already been vexed and restless for the past two days due to various matters, yet despite his troubles, he had still spoken to Auntie Xia with gentle, coaxing words.

Yet, she repeatedly emphasized his identity as a specter. So what if he was a specter?

‘It was precisely because he was a specter that he now possessed the power to protect her, unlike when he faced his parents before…’

‘Moreover, becoming a specter wasn’t the outcome he desired…’

At this thought, Bai Hao’s gaze sharpened, and he spoke in a low, ominous tone.

“Very well, since Auntie Xia doesn’t believe I love you, I’ll simply have to try a different approach.”

Xia Zhiquiu trembled at his words, speaking with a hint of fear.

“Wh-what do you intend to do?”

Bai Hao tilted his head slightly upon hearing her, a faint laugh escaping him.

“Auntie Xia, since you’re so eager to get rid of me, I’ll just have to refuse your wish. How about I hide you away? That way, you’ll belong to me forever.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s pupils contracted at his words, and she immediately shook her head, unable to help herself.

“No, you can’t do that!”

Bai Hao scoffed softly in response, then countered.

“Why not? After all, I am a specter, and I’m not above using any means to achieve my goals…”