Ghost Bride 2

Chapter 38

"No, according to the original agreement, I should have gone to be with him as soon as I brought you and Mingyang back."

"Accompany him?" I didn't understand.

He smiled and said, "You forgot, Mingyang was once hypnotized by him. Although I also know hypnosis, everyone's hypnosis techniques are different, and besides, his skills are extraordinary. I was anxious at the time, so after negotiating with him, we made an agreement: as long as he helps Mingyang break the hypnosis and regain his memory so that you can go home smoothly, I am willing to stay by his side as Mingyang's replacement and serve him until the end of his life."

My heart was pounding like a little rabbit.

Great forest, you have countless shining qualities, but your only flaw is that you are too conservative, like a pitiful person trapped in their own cocoon, struggling and wandering in an invisible shackle. In fact, you can break free. The kindness of nurturing is greater than the heavens, but even the greatest kindness cannot stop a person's feelings and persistence.

You are yourself!

You are no one's shadow!

But I don't need to tell you any of this; you understand it all. You're such a smart person; you see through everything. Why force yourself to suffer?

Why?

Tears welled up in my eyes.

“I know what you want to say, so you don’t need to say anything.” He gently wiped them away with his palm. “You know, from the first time I saw you, I knew what kind of feeling it was…”

"The first time?" I searched my memory, trying to recall which time it truly was. Was it the sudden appearance when Yu Qing bullied me? No, it was earlier, when I saw the female ghost in the library, and you carried me out of that mental vortex. Or...?

"The first time, you were too young to remember anything. You were just over two months old then, such a beautiful baby, with rosy cheeks and dark, bright eyes like jewels. When I picked you up, it was like scooping up a handful of fresh snow from the snow, afraid you would melt away. I touched your lips, like cherry blossom petals, so small and soft, and you opened your mouth to babble, uttering murmurs that weren't words. Do you know how I felt then? I'll never forget it..."

My tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, and my heart ached with a painful ache.

Chapter 100: The Ball Horror (6)

He continued, “I was born in a small Middle Eastern country, a place ravaged by war. Boys started playing with guns at five, and if you didn’t know how to shoot, you were ridiculed. I killed someone before I was ten. Of course, in that chaotic country, death was commonplace; people died almost every day. Sometimes it was for water and moldy food, sometimes for scarce medicine. I gradually became indifferent. In my eyes, if you didn’t rob others, you would be robbed; if you didn’t kill, you would be killed. So I lost my heart a long time ago.” He pounded his chest. “This place has been empty for a long time, as cold as an icebox.”

So he was always different from others; he always looked at people coldly, rarely smiled, and spoke very little. But he was so good to me, really so good… I clasped my hands together and covered my nose, a wave of sadness washing over me…

"After the Di family adopted me, I was very grateful, not just for the sudden escape from poverty and the enjoyment of a comfortable life. I was truly grateful because the Di family gave me the warmth and trust of a family. They never treated me like an outsider; you could feel it in their eyes. The love my mother showed Mingyang was the same for me; she never compared herself to them. And when I first saw you, a warm current flowed into my cold heart. You know, I once had a little sister, about the same age as you were when I first met her. She died of illness. Not from gunfights, but from tuberculosis. There was no medicine, and I watched helplessly as her small body coughed endlessly, her coughs sounding like the clanging of scrap metal..." He cried, stubbornly tilting his head back, refusing to let the tears fall. "She died in my arms. I held her, her tiny body, and my fingers could clearly feel her slowly growing cold. I sat there from morning till dusk, without saying a word. I thought my heart was cold enough..."

I reached out and grabbed his hand, a broad, warm hand, and held it tightly: "Big Forest! People shouldn't hide their emotions. Expressing true feelings is a noble quality. If you want to cry, just cry..."

In a split second, he waved his hand and turned his head: "Give me two minutes, it'll be done in a minute."

I bit my lip, watching his strong shoulders tremble slightly, and my heart burned like it had been sprinkled with salt and pepper. He wasn't indifferent, really; in fact, all his passion was hidden deep inside, and he never easily revealed it.

When he turned back, he smiled tenderly: "I haven't talked about the past for a long time, and even the Di family doesn't know about it."

We continued walking slowly forward: "Then why tell me?"

"I want you to understand some things."

"What?"

"Mingyang truly loves you." He said these words again in a gentle tone, catching me off guard.

"Great forest! And you, what am I in your eyes?" I questioned him with my eyes.

He gently pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on my forehead: "You are my family, my dearest sister. I would do anything for you..."

I was speechless, unable to lift my head. Otherwise, I would have done the same, raising my head high to stop the tears from flowing.

“Your grandmother once predicted that I would die for a woman. My life has only existed for one woman, because my life has long been in her hands. Your grandmother was right. I have already given my life to you, and I am fearless even in death.”

The past is vivid in my mind. My grandmother was wise; she had long seen through all of fate. That's why the Great Forest was willing to die for me. When the bullet pierced his body, my heart bled as well.

“But Grandma’s prophecy has been broken,” I said, my heart pounding as I buried my face in his left chest, tears already soaking the front of my shirt. “We went through a life-or-death battle together in Myanmar. You risked your life to save me. You won’t die again, I know, you definitely won’t…”

He just chuckled: "Life is so long! No one knows where the next calamity will come from. But I know that no matter what calamity you face, I will stand in front of you."

But what about love? Why aren't you so brave when it comes to love? These words stuck in my chest, and I couldn't bring myself to say them.

The Great Forest, however, cut down a tree of affection when it was still a sapling: "I will be your closest family member, but Mingyang is your most beloved lover."

"Why?" I protested.

“Ruoxi, I’ve seen it all when you’re with Mingyang. You were happier then,” he said. “It’s true! Happiness lasts. My gloom will shroud you. Fresh flowers should bloom in the sunshine, but the plum rains will make them moldy. Even the most beautiful buds will gradually rot and decay from the roots. I want to see you smile. The more happy you are, the happier I am. But that kind of sunshine is something I can’t give you. Only Mingyang can.”

Section 101: Ball Horror (7)

Is that really the case?

You're so clever; you thought of everything except yourself.

"Great forest, I have one more wish." I looked up at him.

"Go ahead and say it!"

"Can I look into your eyes again?" I was once captivated by those deep, ocean-like eyes. They took root in my mind and sprouted, and I could never shake them off.

He didn't react as strongly as before, but simply said softly, "Okay."

I saw him calmly raise his hand and take off those gloomy sunglasses. Everything became clear, but I felt like fainting.

“The great forest…” I held him and cried, my heart filled with uncontrollable turmoil.

His forehead and temples looked as if they had been branded with a red-hot iron, and his left eye... was already blind, with marks around the eye socket from shrapnel. I can't imagine the unbearable pain that must have been when those wounds were inflicted.

I gently stroked his wound, tears streaming down my face: "Does it hurt?"

He said calmly, "Here, here, and here, the three fatal wounds on my chest have all healed, and the ones on my face won't hurt anymore. No matter how heart-wrenching it is, once the skin and flesh have healed, you'll forget the pain. A person's life isn't actually that fragile; it just needs stitches to heal."

"How did you leave Myanmar?" This is a regret that will always remain in my heart. Mingyang didn't take him with him back then.

“Life is full of miracles, isn’t it? Mingyang was seriously injured and fell into a coma in the Jinghong rainforest, almost losing his life, but how much did he tell you afterward? What man doesn’t get hurt? As long as he’s still standing in front of you unharmed, then everything is over. You should believe in finding a way out of a desperate situation, right?”

"Then... what about that old man at the river mouth? Why did he let you come back?"

“When I arrived, the old man was no longer in that room; it was empty.” He sighed softly, taking a deep breath with immense relief. “I waited there for a week, and someone sent me a photo—a recent picture of the old man in Shennongjia. Miraculously, his legs had come back up. I suddenly realized that he had begun to face life anew. His legs had become crippled due to the psychological impact of the severe life changes, but they weren’t truly useless. Now that he can stand up, life has regained its momentum, and he has gone to pursue a new life.”

Yes! We all need to be reborn! Even the phoenix must undergo nirvana, let alone humans.

On the lawn in front, Mingyang and his father, one young and one old, were chasing hedgehogs in circles, full of energy. We looked at the frail old man in his wheelchair, who had lost his beloved wife but still lived optimistically. Shouldn't we also look at life with optimism?

"Stop it! The hedgehog has run past!" Mingyang yelled at me.

I jumped up with a scream, honestly quite scared of this little spiky creature. As soon as it saw someone was afraid of it, it charged at me again, seemingly determined to keep going until it hit a brick wall. Just as I was wondering where I could escape, the Great Forest scooped me up in its arms.

"Brother!" Mingyang rushed up excitedly, and the three of them hugged each other tightly. "You're back! That's great!"

Oh! We're finally reunited. That's wonderful!

I can't stay here any longer! Otherwise, my studies will definitely fall behind. Mingyang joked, "Is it so overgrown with weeds?" I angrily urged him, "Please! Can you hurry up and process my visa?" Da Senlin got his visa in one day in Hekou, but this guy has been dragging his feet for five days, deliberately trying to keep me from leaving.

"Oh," he said smugly, "you finally begged me?"

"Yes! Young Master!" I tilted my head and circled around him, like he was blocking a hedgehog. "Young Master! Young Master? Young Master?!"

"Oh dear! Okay!" Did you read that right? He blushes too?

“I already took care of it; it’s in my room.”

"Huh?" My voice, raised an octave, almost lifted the roof off. "Then you're not giving it to me?"

"I...no, it's because I don't want you to leave!" He scratched his head and reluctantly went to his room to get the green marriage certificate.

I treated him the same way I treated the apple, headbutting him squarely on the forehead with a loud "thud" like striking a bell. He rubbed his head, swayed, and then stared at me like I was an alien: "Come here! Let me see what your head is made of?"

Clutching my visa, I smiled and ran joyfully towards the courtyard. He chased after me, exasperated: "Don't run! Let me check! Let me see if you've been given an iron head, so airport security won't detain you... Don't run..."

My dearest apple! I'm coming back to you!

La la la! La la la! La la la la la!

Before I boarded the plane, Mingyang and Da Senlin came to the airport to see me off. Although Mingyang was extremely reluctant to let me go, he still gave me a small bear doll symbolizing Bern, but I thought the bear looked a bit like the Australian Kara bear. Just as I was burying my face in the bear's soft fur, secretly rejoicing, Da Senlin handed me a cell phone: "You've been out for so long, you should call Apple back!"

Section 102: Ball Horror (8)

"Yes! That's right!" I nodded emphatically, my heart pounding as I dialed that familiar number. Apple jumped up with a loud yelp as soon as she heard my voice, yelling, "You heartless little devil! Do you still consider me a friend? You left a piece of paper and ran off, without even considering my worries!"

I kept giggling into the phone: "My dear Apple! Do you know how happy I am right now? The two people I've been longing for have miraculously come back to me. I'm so happy! It's like walking on clouds."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then she said slowly, "Ruoxi, are you really happy? I really hope you are! Sigh!" She sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?" This made me worried too.

Apple said, "I've broken up with Jeep."

"Huh?" I exclaimed in surprise. "How could this be? You two made vows of eternal love when you came home with me to sweep the graves!"

"The most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart." She suddenly looked world-weary.

Oh, simple and happy apple, what's wrong with you?

"People change!" she told me, her sigh sounding aged and nothing like the cheerful person she used to be.

"A year ago, Big Jeep loved me; now, he probably loves power and money more. Although we're not even seniors yet, a sense of crisis has already permeated the student union. Everyone knows that entering society will mean facing a tough selection process, and perhaps what awaits us is more disappointment and frustration. Big Jeep succumbed. Faced with money, power, and love, he can decisively discard his possessions and seize new spoils. For men, women are like glamorous garments to wrap them up; they judge their worth by their weight, choosing and abandoning them..."

That's not fair!

Women's investment and devotion in love is far more rapid and passionate than men's. Their hearts swell like waterlogged sponges, leaving no room for anything else. Men, on the other hand, are preoccupied with power, status, ambition, and pride, dividing and occupying their hearts in fragments.

Suddenly, a hole opened up in my heart, and it kept widening, leaving me feeling utterly lost.

"Little Crow, what's wrong?" Mingyang squeezed my hand. "It's so cold! Are you feeling unwell?"

I shook my head, feeling like I was dreaming. My peers were still struggling, while I was so close to a fairytale. But… I looked up, my gaze filled with complex emotions as I looked at the two outstanding men before me: Could we live in a fairytale forever?

"Why aren't you saying anything?" He stared into my eyes, trying to find something within them. "What's wrong? I hope you never change! That you'll always be as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, Ruoxi."

Blank paper?!

Such a life is pale and powerless.

"I don't want you to change! I want you to live in a fairy tale." He kissed my eyes, as if facing a precious jade doll, delicate and valuable. But I felt that a person was like a leaf, light and frail, thin and fragile, even beyond their own control.

But the two of them came over and flanked me, leading me towards the gate. The Great Forest said to me, "Don't forget, the three of us are the closest and dearest people in the world! We are family without blood ties. Our lives are intertwined; none of us can escape."

Section 103: A Thick Fog of Mystery (1)

Fog

Hope the school is doing well.

When I saw Apple, she was furiously slamming the ball into the basket, her little face flushed, sweat dripping down her back, and her T-shirt clinging to her body, soaked with sweat. I tossed her a bottle of mineral water and laughed, "That basket didn't do anything to you, do you think smashing it will make you feel better?"

She ran over excitedly, hugged me, jumped and shouted, but after the excitement came depression.

"I'm not angry at others, I'm angry at myself for not seeing the selfishness of men."

"Everyone has desires, but men and women are different. Men want too many things, and women can't bear it, so they can only watch from afar as the world struggles and rises."

She said, "Women are not appendages of men, much less sacrifices for love. Selfish men will pay the price."