Ghost Invasion

At night, my ward was very quiet. After sending away Huo Xiaojin, there was no one left here! But I couldn’t go to sleep, for nothing else, just because when I was saving Mu Ni, Huo Xiaoran did not appear! Such a thing never happened before! I remember that during the day, when that female ghost was threatening me, he appeared. Why was he gone during the night then?

I started to get fretful, his face keep appearing in my mind. I shook my head violently, trying to chase him out, but the results proved that I couldn’t do it! I started worrying for him. Did something happen?

After some more struggling, I finally gave up! I sat up in bed, and started calling his name nervously and quietly: “Huo Xiaoran? Huo Xiaoran?” After calling for a long time, the room was still silent enough to hear a needle falling to the ground.

“Did something really happen?” Subconsciously, I gripped the sheet on the bed tighter. Only when I felt my palms slightly cold, did I notice that they were covered in sweat.

“I won’t die!” Huo Xiaoran’s voice suddenly sounded by my bed. I was about to throw the pillow in my hands over to vent my annoyance, but when I raised my pillow, I saw an almost transparent face!

Not just his face, even his body was half transparent. I stared, looking him up and down.

“What are you looking at? Don’t tell me, you just noticed I’m handsome!” His voice was weak, even almost coughing.

I set the pillow down. I wanted to get up and look at him, but remembered the child in my belly. I don’t know why, but I was afraid to get close to him, because I was afraid he will know I’m pregnant.

I pulled my quilt up some, asking, “What happened to you?”

After looking at me a long time, he answered softly, “A person needs to eat to stay alive, and a ghost needs hatred to stay alive!”

I really wanted to slap him. What did this strange, random sentence mean? I glared at him, looking at the indifference on his face, and without hesitation, the pillow in my hands flew over. Watching the pillow fly through his body, I sighed. Really! Why could he, who couldn’t touch anything, actually touch me!

“Woman! Are you feeling very successful now that you saved a person?” He asked.

I was dumbfounded. I thought since he wasn’t there, he wouldn’t know what happened, but he did. I didn’t know how to explain, because when he previously rescued me, he had warned me to not meddle.

“Woman! Next time, if you continue to ignore my words, I really won’t save you!” He tone was very solemn.

I didn’t know what to do, but I was annoyed.

“Didn’t you also watch as I almost died?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I was scared by my own sentence. I was actually rebuking him!

As expected, when I looked towards him, his eyes were filled with astonishment! Suddenly, my face turned red. What is  wrong with me; why would I say such a thing. I lowered my head, afraid to look at him, repeating to myself that it was because he rescued me before so I was worried if something happened to him.

When he started chuckling, I was extremely ashamed, wishing I could dig a hole and disappear.

“You can leave now!” I yelled, then dove under the covers.

“I can leave now? Then why did you call me?”

I threw away the quilt and stared at him: “I called you just to thank you, thank you for rescuing me before! Is that enough!”

“Only that?”

“Of course only that. What did you think?” I snorted and returned to under the quilt.

“Okay then! Since you have nothing else to say, I have other stuff to do, so goodbye.”

“Wait!” Seeing him get up, I shouted. When he stopped, I sat up slowly, “Tell me about you and Yun Li!”

He looked at me, astonished, but didn’t answer. I explained: “Just like what you said, it seems like Yun Li really doesn’t want me to leave the Huo house alive, so…… I’ve decided to throw her off of me! I want to live, I want to live peacefully!”

Yes, not just I wanted to, I must live on for my baby! My hand subconsciously moved to my abdomen, trying to feel him. Maybe this was the supposed motherly love!

When I lifted my head to look at him, I realized he was looking out the window. I waited. Watching the aloof expression on his face, I don’t know why, but my heart ached for him a bit.

After waiting a long time, to the point where I thought he wouldn’t talk anymore, and I was about to give up, he started coldly, “If I said, my death was caused by her?”

I forgot to breath, just looking at him like that. I heard that it was an accident or something. Anyway, I have thought about many possibilities regarding his death, just not killed by someone else. In my twenty so years of life, I always believed that anyone who committed a crime wouldn’t be able to escape. But what about now? First, an unhappy spirit that’s tangled with An Ming, and now hearing such a thing from his mouth.

“How, how did you die?” I asked carefully. I only dared to ask him this because I was wasn’t afraid of him anymore. Before, even if you beat me to death, I still wouldn’t ask him this face to face.

After sighing lowly, he recounted the story: “After Yun Li married into the Huo family, many strange things happened. Until my father got admitted to the hospital because of her pregnant child, then died mysteriously! I started to suspect her, and after many troubles, I finally found a bit of evidence linking her to the death of my father.”

“Did she also kill your father?” I covered my mouth in shock. Yun Li was only three years older than me; how could she do so many frightening things?

“There’s not enough evidence, so I can’t be sure either!” He shook his head, seeming disappointed.

My brain was in a fog, so I asked in confusion, “But she harmed you because of those evidences! Right?”

“When I got the evidence, I set up my will, as the habit of the Huo family. So I don’t know if it’s because she wants the Huo Corporation, or if my father’s death is really because of her! So I can’t leave, I need to know the truth!”

Yes! If I were him, I also wouldn’t be peaceful. Wanting to know the truth, is not because still wanting to live, but because your closest family member just passed away like that; it was a knot in the heart!

“Huo Xiaoran!” I called his name out loud. Although it still sounded strange, I suddenly felt pity for him. He was at the peak of his life, yet he was harmed and killed, not to mention the mysterious death of his father.

He turned his head slightly towards me. The first time, I smiled at him.

“I agreed to team up with An Qiang! Even though I just want to throw off Yun Li, maybe I can help you! Is this okay?” I asked carefully, hoping he could understand the meaning in my words. Because after leaving the Huo family, I thought perhaps he could find peace and leave, and perhaps I could find the the creepy old lady to cut the red string that tied me and him together.

I wanted to put it nicely, but seeing the puzzlement on his face, I swallowed hard and explained, “You know, you’re already a dead person, and shouldn’t have too much connections with me, right? So…… ” I paused, looking at him cautiously. Don’t know why, but I was afraid that after I said these, he would get mad.

But I had to say these words, not just for me, but for my baby. Even though I know for sure this child must be his, even though I was baffled at how a dead person could impregnate me, right now, I could only do what benefited my child the most. As a mother, how would I explain to my child he had a ghost for his father?

“I hope that after I help you, there would be nothing more between us.”

Watching him, I studied his expression carefully. I thought he would be angry, but he was unexpectedly calm. After a long time, he finally answered calmly, “Yes, as long as you help me find the cause of my father’s death.”

“No problem!” Before he could finish, I cut him off, afraid he would regret. Although after I spoke I saw his puzzled gaze, I could only give his a silly smile, “Don’t think too much of it. I just want to repay you for saving my life twice. As the saying goes, the reason why humans are human is because they know to give thanks and pay it back.”

Of course, this was a random excuse I just found, but wanting to repay him was the truth! But when I saw the confusion still in his eyes, I added hurriedly, “Also! I wish that you can protect my safety, because you know, I’m up against Yun Li, the Yun Li in your and An     Qiang’s mouths, a savage woman who would do anything to reach her goal. And you said before I couldn’t trust An Qiang! You know, I don’t want to die yet!”

After thinking for a while, the confusion on his face disappeared, and he nodded. My tense heart finally relaxed. Honestly, most of what I said was the truth, so it’s not lying to him, I comforted myself.

“Don’t worry! I will!”

So rare, he actually didn’t make fun of me or anything, but agreed directly. I nodded, satisfied. No matter what, my chances of survival were much higher than Yun Li thought. I only needed to wait for Mu Ni to wake up and tell what happened today, and An Tingren will become a strong backup behind me.

Adding in An Qiang and Huo Xiaoran, I believed I could survive. But before I could rejoice, his voice sounded in my ear.

“Remember, on today of every month, try to stay away from danger.”

I looked at him, puzzled, “Today? Why?” I suddenly remembered while saving Mu Ni, what that female ghost said, that Huo Xiaoran didn’t even count as a ghost! At most an…… unhappy spirit! Were these two related?