Ghost Bride 2

Chapter 37

"What's wrong? You look so aggrieved." He mimicked my actions, frowning as he looked up at the sky and sighed.

"We don't speak the language!" I was afraid of making a fool of myself.

He smiled smugly: "You finally have a time when you need me." He grabbed my arm and tucked it under his armpit, then walked away. "Come on! I'll get you whatever you want to eat. I promise I'll be a good waiter and translator."

I suddenly remembered what Da Senlin said. He said that Yang needed me. Actually, I think that many times, it was I who needed him.

"This, this, and this... apple pie, have a taste!" As soon as I entered the hall, he grabbed a bunch of small plates for me. "And this, chocolate cake, it tastes different from Cuban dark chocolate, you try it..."

I think he's probably never been so enthusiastic towards a girl before, so when I saw Lewis's piercing gaze from behind Mingyang, I knew I was doomed; this woman probably wanted nothing more than to tear me apart.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." A man who seemed to be the emcee clapped his hands to signal everyone to be quiet, and all eyes turned to him. Since he was speaking German, which I couldn't understand, I started examining the chocolate bear in front of me. People here really love bears! Even the cakes have them made so lifelike.

Everyone applauded, but I didn't understand their intentions. Mingyang took the fruit plate from my hand and put his arm around my waist. "What are you doing?" I stared at him in surprise. He said nonchalantly, "I'm asking you to dance. Don't be so prickly. I won't hurt you until you're officially my wife."

I held it in for a long time, but I finally couldn't help but say to him, "Bullshit!"

Good heavens! I'm finally making some progress in swearing. I wonder if Apple would faint from excitement if she knew.

"Shh!" he whispered, "Be a lady! All the men are watching you, Oriental Doll!"

I glanced cautiously at the surrounding situation: "What are you afraid of? They don't understand Chinese anyway."

"What if you understand? Tomorrow you'll be on the front page of the morning paper: 'The lady of the business tycoon Di used Chinese to swear, an insult to culture.'"

"Bullshit!" I glared at him again. "Then if I speak in dialect, no one will understand."

He almost burst out laughing.

Our dance moves were perfectly synchronized. I never knew I had a talent for dancing; it was simply amazing.

Lewis was playing the piano. So the man in the tuxedo had drawn everyone's attention to show off Lewis's superb piano skills. Unfortunately, Mingyang's impromptu dance with me had ruined it; everyone's eyes had shifted from the piano to us. I gripped Mingyang's shoulder, a little uneasy: "Is this okay?" Lewis's limelight was completely stolen. Logically, she should be the hostess of the party, but…

"Never mind her." Mingyang winked at me. "It's her fault for knocking our sausages to the ground without even apologizing. She didn't even notice you back then! Now she's just experiencing being ignored occasionally, which is fine."

However, I could sense a strong sense of hostility, like a lit firecracker, hissing and smoking, as if a major storm was about to break out...

There were some light entertainment programs in the evening, and the guests were still engrossed; no one had left yet. I really don't understand Western stand-up comedy. Sigh! It's still a language barrier. Looks like I need to cram on my foreign languages. There was a very long rap performance, which reminded me a bit of Chinese crosstalk, the kind where you talk non-stop until you're almost breathless. Because I couldn't understand it, and I wanted to run away, I saw many exquisite oil paintings hanging in the second-floor corridor and unconsciously went up to admire them.

Downstairs, the place was bustling with activity, people clinking glasses and chatting. No one noticed me going upstairs alone. These paintings were wonderful, so lifelike, so vivid. I stopped in front of a painting called "Autumn" by Valenri Coccles, captivated by the beautiful scenery on the canvas. Just then, I heard soft voices coming from the corridor not far away, like a woman speaking.

I wanted to turn and leave, but then I heard Mingyang's voice. I walked softly towards a section of the corridor leading to the balcony. The white curtains fluttered in the wind, like a large fishing net spread out. My heart sank suddenly; how familiar this scene was! I remembered that dream, the white curtains in which were just as eerie. My heart pounded, but I couldn't help but move forward. It was a floor-to-ceiling window leading to the balcony, exactly the same as in my dream. I stood behind the curtains, the drapery fluttering, and the person standing on the balcony didn't see me. But I saw Lewis; she was smiling like a flower, her two white, lotus-like arms wrapped around Mingyang's neck, chatting and laughing. I froze. If this was what I had foreseen in my dream, then I should have backed away even more. I'm worst at arguing, and I didn't want to get involved in this pointless squabble. I turned and left. But why did I feel such a heavy, uneasy feeling in my heart…?

Section 97: The Ball Horror (3)

Back in the hall, everyone was chatting and laughing happily. I was an outsider, standing on the veranda watching the night sky. It was a pity there weren't the stars like at my grandmother's house; the sky abroad was different from my hometown. I missed the simple, honest land of my hometown. Even without any fancy banquets or pompous social engagements, the mountains and rivers of my hometown were peaceful and serene, possessing a tranquil beauty. A man in a suit asked me to dance, but I smiled and declined. Perhaps this kind of privileged life of light music and dancing wasn't for me.

"Girl, spacing out again?" Mingyang was already standing behind me. "Sigh! You sentimental little girl," he turned my shoulder and lifted my chin to face him. "Look into my eyes and promise me, think less about Diluo and more about me."

I escaped from his grasp. Strangely, I hadn't thought of the great forest just now; my desolate heart was slowly sinking into an abyss. I tried to escape, but he pulled me back: "Aren't you happy?"

"No." I gave him a bright smile on purpose. "I'm not Lin Daiyu, where would I get so many melancholy cells?"

But… I stared at his face, stunned, speechless with shock. Blood was trickling from his nose. I swayed, nearly falling. Mingyang reached out and supported my back: “What’s wrong? Is it tiring standing in high heels?”

I shook my head frantically. The blood from his nose was gone, but his entire face had changed color, as if frosted, gradually turning green, even darker than the color of green tea pastries. "Mingyang!" I grabbed his arm tightly, my emotions a jumble of complex feelings. In a flash, the terrifying green disappeared, and he was back to his original self, sunny and handsome. But I felt a deep sense of unease.

That was the change that was about to happen to him?

My premonition is that signs of danger are appearing.

The green color told me that he was about to be poisoned?

Just then, Lewis walked over, grabbed Mingyang, and tried to force him to drink. What was she doing? I nervously reached for the glass. Could there be poison in it? But she was drunk, swaying violently yet incredibly strong. As soon as I reached for it, she flung her hand, splashing the drink at me.

I closed my eyes, not feeling any wetness on my face. Opening them, I saw Mingyang's imposing figure blocking my view. He said sternly to Lewis, "If you don't welcome my friend, you don't welcome me. Farewell." He pulled me close, his hand gripping tightly. My heart pounded wildly.

Lewis took a step back in surprise, and said somewhat rudely in Chinese, "You care about this Chinese girl that much?"

Mingyang's eyes were piercing, and he looked at me again: "Of course, she's my wife." He still had that unruly and arrogant look on his face. He pulled me up and walked out with his head held high. I nervously looked at the red wine still dripping down his face. Was this liquid really not poisonous?

"Mingyang, your face?" My voice trembled, still shaken.

"It's nothing." He didn't care. "It's an honor to be able to protect the girl I like. It's a pity I only got splashed with wine today. If I had to take a knife for her, I would have done it without hesitation."

My heart was pounding so hard I felt like I was suffocating. I had a feeling he wasn't out of danger.

"Wait a minute!" The man who looked like the emcee blocked his way and offered him another glass of wine. "Lewis is drunk. I apologize on her behalf. Lewis is a hospitable person. How could she neglect her guests?"

Hmm, this person speaks Chinese quite well? Looks like he's no ordinary emcee.

The man smiled at me, offering a seemingly polite greeting: "Hello, beautiful Oriental girl, I'm Louis." He extended his hand as if to perform a European courtesy and kiss the back of my hand, but I quickly shrank behind Mingyang. For some reason, I sensed something strange in the man's subtle smile; I had a feeling something was amiss, something very wrong!

"Who is this person?" I tugged at Mingyang's sleeve and asked in a low voice.

He laughed, "A former classmate of mine, he's a loyal suitor of Lewis, he even followed his name. No matter how Lewis rejected him, he persisted. You should admire him!" He still had the mood to joke? He was clearly in deep trouble! I saw the murderous intent in Louis's eyes, which was already gleaming with a green light.

Mingyang reached out to take the cup, and in desperation, I shouted, "This wine is poisoned! Don't drink it!"

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

There are indeed people who understand Chinese, and they are spreading the phrase among themselves. It has traveled from one corner to another and has been translated into five or six languages.

Behind her came Lewis's provocative laughter. Fueled by alcohol, she lost her temper and lunged forward to pull him away, but was stopped by a waiter. Lewis yelled and tried to snatch the drink from Louis's hand. I noticed a subtle change in Louis's expression; his Adam's apple bobbed noticeably.

Section 98: The Ball Horror (4)

Mingyang was in an awkward position; the situation was getting increasingly tense and couldn't be salvaged for a while.

I pinched his tiger's mouth hard: "Mingyang, do you believe me?"

He stared straight at me: "Of course."

“Then thank you!” I said to Lewis and everyone present. “I will test this wine. If it is not poisoned, I am willing to accept the punishment; if it is poisoned, please handle it carefully, Lewis.”

Lewis said dismissively, "You verify it? Why should I believe you? Are you a pharmacist? Then drink it!"

I saw Mingyang's face turn pale with anxiety. He grabbed my hand and said, "What if something happens? I can't let you take that risk. If you're going to drink, I'd rather do it."

I smiled sweetly at him.

When Da Senlin left, she said that Mingyang needed me, and now I finally understand the meaning of those words. When we were young, Grandma once predicted that when Mingyang grew up, he would meet a woman who would help him overcome difficulties and dangers. I am that woman in Grandma's prophecy.

I stepped out from behind Mingyang, calmly facing Louis. I raised my wrist and gently pulled out the silver hairpin from my hair, quickly inserting it into the wine glass. Under the watchful eyes of countless people, the instant my black hair fell down, a noticeable change occurred in the wine glass. The pure silver turned black immediately upon contact with the poison, emitting a hissing sound, and a wisp of white smoke rose from the rim of the glass.

Lewis was stunned. She pointed a trembling finger at Louis: "You! You actually dared to poison me in my house?"

Louis's arrogance vanished completely. His hand trembled, and the glass fell to the ground. "Lewis, let me explain. I love you so much that... Just now, you were so passionately confessing your feelings to this kid, and he rejected you so mercilessly. I... I was so angry and wanted to vent my anger for you..."

"You don't need to say anything!" Lewis roared. "Butler! Someone in the house is trying to murder you, what are you standing there for? Go call the police!"

"No!" Louis wailed. "Lewis, listen to me, it's not like that! I did tamper with the wine, but... it's just a little bit of ordinary medicine, it'll only give you a stomachache and a slight discomfort. I just wanted to teach him a lesson for you, it's not poison! I swear! It really isn't!"

Lewis looked at Louis hesitantly: "You're not lying?"

"I swear!" Louis said eagerly, almost kneeling down.

“Alright!” Lewis raised his hand, preparing to let the butler hang up the phone…

Mingyang was quietly translating for me. Just then, unnoticed by anyone, a few whimpers came from Louis's feet. Everyone looked down and saw a small dog with a short tail licking the spilled wine, already whimpering and collapsed. The dog was convulsing, blood was flowing from its mouth and nose, its face was green, and after struggling for a few minutes, it became completely still.

Lewis was stunned when he saw it, and everyone else was stunned too. Louis turned to run, but the waiters at the door rushed in and blocked his way.

The hall was in an uproar. As Mingyang pulled me away, I caught a glimpse of Lewis collapsing limply to the ground, her butler shouting something anxiously…

Mingyang drove silently, then stopped halfway, got out, and leaned against the car door to smoke. I sat in the car without moving; through the convertible, I could see the vast starry sky. So the nights here are beautiful too! A strange feeling welled up inside me; perhaps the lights from Lewis's house had been too bright, obscuring the sky's dazzling brilliance.

Mingyang exhaled a smoke ring, looked down and asked me, "Little Crow, how many times have you saved me?" Of course I knew what he was implying; I had already taken a bullet for him on my shoulder.

"Hmm?" I reached out and tried to grab at the air. "The stars are so bright and beautiful, everyone wants to possess them, but they don't know that they only shine beautifully when they are hanging in the sky."

He turned around and brushed my hair: "Greed and possessiveness can kill you!"

"Wow—" I clapped my hands and exclaimed, "That's so philosophical!"

He chuckled and said, "Little girl, you're quite cunning!" Then he pinched my cheeks like dough.

"That hurts!" I slapped his hand away and glared at him fiercely.

"This is the first time I've seen you have such a commanding presence when dealing with those merchants!" he said. "With proper training, it won't be long before you become one of Bern's most formidable negotiators!"

"Dream on!" I wouldn't do that. "Want to be a mouthpiece for your Di family? I don't do that kind of thing," people always say. Fighting with others is endlessly entertaining. But why do I always want to live a life of peace and quiet?

He said to me very seriously, "You're not allowed to say things like that again. The Di family is your family too. What 'yours' and 'mine'? If you say that again, I'll..."

Section 99: The Ball Horror (5)

"What?" I glared at him, oblivious to the danger.

"Then I'm going to spank your little bottom until it's swollen and you're crying your eyes out..."

I raised my chin and snorted, "Who's afraid of you?"

"Then……"

"How about it?" I continued to hum, oblivious to my impending doom.

"Kiss away your tears..." he said, his voice deepening. As he drew closer, I could clearly hear his breathing, and a refreshing champagne scent brushed against my face. His eyes, shining like stars in the night sky, were truly mesmerizing. I suddenly realized that a feeling called ambiguity had grown between us, a sticky, lingering affection, and these sweet nothings alone were enough to make me sick of it.

I quickly reached out to cover his mouth: "Stop talking, young master, it looks like you've eaten two pounds of pork fat!" I held onto the car door and pretended to vomit, deliberately trying to annoy him. He pounced on me like an eagle grabbing a chick and grabbed my neck...

Good heavens, do you really want to twist yourself into a pretzel?

It's over! We're doomed again!

A week later, somewhat unexpectedly, the great forest returned.

On a pale purple evening, deep red maple leaves fell on the slightly damp, bluish-gray stone steps. A dark gray trench coat stood in the wind, and a suitcase sat at the foot of the great forest, smiling as it looked at me, who was standing there in a daze in the hall.

Wow—am I dreaming?

I practically sprinted over and threw myself into his arms. He gently patted my head and said calmly, "I'm back." How wonderful! I could smell the subtle minty scent emanating from his sleeve again, and I felt as if a real, vast forest was standing before me.

The housekeeper came over and took the suitcase away. Big Forest asked me, "Where are those two old men in the house?" I chuckled at him, "They're studying the little hedgehog in the backyard! The little hedgehog I found in the yard last time has reappeared. Those two are more like children than I am."

He put his arm around my shoulder and said softly, "Let's take a walk in the yard too!"

"Okay!" I replied, and suddenly I noticed that he seemed much more at ease this time, and his speech and steps were lighter.

The soft, warm sunset cast a lingering orange glow, its light slanting and illuminating our eyelashes, bathing them in a golden hue. I asked him, "Now can you tell me what we went to the river mouth for?"

He said slowly, "Do you remember the old man who gave me the Buddhist prayer beads when we met at the river mouth last time?"

"Of course I remember." I touched the beads on my wrist, feeling grateful.

"I returned to Hekou this time to see him."

"You're going to thank him?"