Ghost Bride 2

Chapter 46

Their movements froze in mid-air, like a film reel frozen in time, completely still.

"Hmph!" The woman didn't turn around, a cold laugh escaping from between her teeth. "So what? I can say you're my accomplice." She grinned maliciously, struggling to twist her wrist, and suddenly threw the syringe in her left hand to her right. Her right hand then snapped back and stabbed fiercely at Mingyang.

"No!" I screamed, my throat almost bursting.

However, this desperate move was so swift that it didn't even take a blink of an eye. Mingyang had already received a needle in his arm, and most of the transparent liquid was injected into his body.

I lunged forward and slapped the woman in black across the face, sending her flying a meter away.

She fell to the ground in surprise, looking back at me.

My right hand went numb from using too much force.

But Mingyang...

I grabbed his hand and started crying: "How are you?"

"It's nothing," he said, still smiling at me. "This is the first time I've ever seen my wife hit someone. She's really something!"

Section 120: Intrigue and Betrayal (6)

"You can still laugh? This is deadly poison!" My cries became urgent and distorted...

The woman on the ground laughed wildly: "You're finished! Who asked you to meddle? You brought this upon yourself to be buried with those two sluts! Hahaha..."

"Are you even human? You've done such cruel and heartless things time and time again!" I cried, completely helpless. I wanted to kick her to death! An infuriating anger, stronger than ever before, overwhelmed me. Then, fear washed over me. Mingyang, how can I save you?

He acted as if nothing had happened and coldly shouted at the woman lying on the ground, "You're the one who's truly finished. Look at the door! They're all living witnesses. Can you poison them all one by one?"

I was stunned.

Turn around.

When did a group of people gather at the entrance?!

Several men in suits rushed in, their voices filled with anxiety: "Young Master! Please allow us to administer an IV to detoxify you immediately; there's no time to lose. Thallium is a slow-acting poison, but its lethality is immense; every second it remains in the body can kill nerves..."

"Enough with the nonsense! Hurry up!" Mingyang rolled up his sleeves and readily cooperated.

Fortunately, the antidote arrived in time, which eased my anxiety slightly. Then, the person who brought the antidote quickly started an IV drip on Xiao Yuan.

The woman in black sneered like a madwoman: "You will all die a horrible death! Die a horrible death! Why is everyone on that bitch's side? Why does no one sympathize with me? Why?"

I was astonished!

"You murdered an innocent young life with deadly poison, and then killed your own boyfriend. Why should anyone sympathize with you? You are a vicious and venomous devil!" I was furious.

She was stunned. One moment she was laughing maniacally, the next she was crying and sobbing. To most people, she should have been treated in a mental hospital.

I scrutinized the woman before me. She was indeed unattractive; her dark skin was rough and ugly, her eyes drooped, her lips were thick, and the red pimples on her face were unsightly. But despite her physical limitations, compared to those with disabilities, she was a thousand times luckier. Yet, the ugliness of her soul was an incurable poison!

"You guys! Hahahaha..." She stammered, "My first love was with Ouyang... Do you know the pain of an ugly girl? Although I come from a wealthy family, my parents hold high positions, and people respect me to my face, behind my back they all laugh at me... laugh at me... Why? Why are other girls admired and cherished in their budding youth, while I? Nobody ever even glances at me. I know they discriminate against me... Ouyang... Finally, a man named Ouyang appeared, and he said..." He didn't care about looks; he was willing to marry me. I asked him if he liked me for who I am or for my wealthy family background. He said he only liked me! He answered without hesitation. My heart was filled with sweetness; I was willing to believe all sweet words, but I was also afraid he would leave me like everyone else. I hate betrayal! I told him that even if he deceived the whole world, I would help him, but he absolutely could not deceive me, absolutely not! Otherwise, I would make him regret it! Regret! Regret being alive…” She gritted her teeth, her lips raw with hatred, the flames in her eyes unquenchable.

This hatred is so hard to let go!

Jealousy is like a green devil hidden deep within the human heart; it blooms in the darkness, nourishing the heart with its poisonous sap.

Her hatred could extinguish the light of the world and dim the sun and moon; her jealous heart is more terrifying than any weapon.

"He still lied to me... We were about to get married, but he was constantly distracted. I have money; I could use it to hire people to follow him. Finally, I caught him at the hospital. He had nothing to say. There was a pale-faced girl lying on the hospital bed. I asked him who the girl was, but he wouldn't answer. Seeing his furrowed brow and troubled expression, my heart ached more than if it were being pierced by a knife! I wish he had lied to me, saying he had nothing to do with that girl... I wish... even if it was a lie..." She leaned against the wall, exhausted. "But he didn't say anything, just pushed me away and left. I understood; the one he truly loved was... the girl who committed suicide for him with bandages wrapped around her hands. I stood outside the door, looking at her through the glass window... The girl was very beautiful, with a fair face, delicate features, and thin shoulders. Any man would probably feel pity for her if he saw her in such a frail state. But what about me? What about me? Where do I stand? I don't want to lose! I don't want to lose to anyone... Never!"

Looking at this desperate woman, a pang of pity welled up in my heart.

How pitiful! Love makes people so crazy that they lose their reason.

No! To be precise, you're not crazy in love, but rather hopelessly mired in a possessive desire, with no turning back. How pathetic!

Section 121: Intrigue and Betrayal (7)

“You injected thallium into Xiao Yuan’s IV drip. You knew it was a slow-acting poison and you knew its dangers. You premeditatedly tried to kill her.”

"Why not?" She raised an eyebrow and sneered. "She stole my man!"

A mournful wail echoed across the rooftop.

My scalp tingled instantly—it was Xiao Yuan… the voice of a ghost.

Her vengeful spirit still wanders in this room.

Is it weeping?

I looked at Xiao Yuan, who was being treated with an IV drip to detoxify, and there was no sign of her "coming back to life" on her face.

The doctor Mingyang invited secretly told him: Although the poison in Xiaoyuan's body could be neutralized, it delayed precious treatment time. Even if she woke up, she could only live like a living dead.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes wide with fear.

The doctor shook his head: "It's too late. The toxins have already invaded her internal organs. The greatest danger of this kind of poison is that it damages all the nerve centers, and the toxins in the patient's body have even killed the nerve endings. Even if she were alive, she would be a cripple. Her brain dementia is worse than that of a six-month-old child, her limbs are paralyzed, her spinal cord has failed, she is blind... even her liver is damaged..."

We looked helplessly at the withered life on the hospital bed.

She was so young, once blooming as passionately as a camellia, but now she withers and falls like a fallen leaf.

An overwhelming sadness permeated the room. Everyone was weeping, too grief-stricken to speak.

Except for her... her expression was as cold and gloomy as the black clothes she wore.

"My goal has been achieved... achieved."

I questioned her: "Since you already knew you were going to harm her like this, why did you poison her a second time?"

She raised an eyebrow and looked at the psychiatrist who had accepted the bribe by the crack in the door, her teeth clenched with resentment.

“You don’t need to hate him,” Mingyang said. “I made him do it. Since he likes money, let him do something good with it. I told him to tell the people you arranged to monitor this ward that the poison in Xiaoyuan’s body has miraculously disappeared and she is about to wake up. Are you in a hurry? Can’t wait to repeat the same trick and poison her again? Unfortunately, you can’t escape your sins.”

The woman sneered, dismissing Mingyang's words with disdain.

The last thing she shouted before the police took her away was, "That woman won't live. Even if she came back to life, she wouldn't be able to have Ouyang. Ouyang is dead... dead... dead, and he'll always be mine alone..."

The lingering notes echoed in the corridor, like a funeral dirge.

Xiao Yuan's wisp of soul hovered on the rooftop... then fell, slowly settling into the withered body on the bed. Where... should she go?

"Oh no!" shouted the doctor administering the IV drip. "Quick! Emergency measures!"

He called to the medical assistants who had followed him.

Mingyang pulled me aside, and the two of us, who knew nothing about medicine, stared in disbelief at the person bustling about.

Xiao Yuan's breathing became erratic, and she was in increasing pain...

The people in the room gradually stopped their busy work when the radio wave display on the ventilator became a straight line, and everything came to an abrupt end.

It was so quiet, as if life had never come or gone.

I buried my face in Mingyang's shoulder and cried; my tears never dried.

Xiao Yuan died of respiratory and circulatory failure. She was only twenty-two years old.

She was conscious as she died. I understood the meaning of that final glance from her soul.

Yes.

She wanted to die.

She wanted to die.

Perhaps in another world, she will be reunited with Ouyang and will never repeat the same mistakes...

The doctor who accepted the bribe had his license revoked and was expelled from the hospital. Mingyang said that someone without medical ethics like that shouldn't be kept in a position that saves lives. But who can stop this phenomenon? It's like a poisonous mushroom spore that's infested with mold; perhaps tomorrow a whole bunch more will sprout up.

We returned from the mountain with heavy hearts.

Section 122: Love and Friendship (1)

Love and Friendship

When we returned to the hospital in the city, Apple's bed was empty, the IV bottle was still dangling on the pole, half a bottle of medicine was left, and the bed sheet was soaked with the medicine left by the needle.

I stood there on the edge of the bed, stunned, the back of my head feeling cold.

"Where did she go?" Mingyang asked.

"Something's wrong! Something terrible is going to happen!" I grabbed him and ran outside. "We have to get back to school!"

The night was exceptionally dark tonight. A lot of the streetlights on Jiujiang Road were out of order, and cars moved through the darkness like dark beetles. The traffic was terrible, and my mind was in turmoil, unable to make sense of anything.

"Stop biting!" Mingyang tenderly pried my fingers open; all ten fingernails had been bitten off.

“I’m very worried about her.” I know Apple’s personality; once she decides to do something with all her might, nothing can stop her.

"I know, I'm trying my best." He kept honking his horn. But one person's efforts are simply not enough to deal with traffic jams.

I finally couldn't hold back any longer, jumped out of the car and ran: "I'm going back to school to check things out."

He didn't call me, but when I looked back, he was right beside me, running very fast with me.

"That car..."

“Cars are inanimate, but people are alive.” He grabbed my hand and we ran wildly down Jiujiang Road. At that moment, it felt like we were back in our childhood. The surroundings suddenly became empty, the vehicles and pedestrians disappeared, and there were only the two of us, our breathing in unison.

I looked at the sweat on his forehead and temples. The boy's running figure no longer resembled a vast forest. This wild passion was unique to this sunny boy. He stirred up a girl's heart, making her leap, tumble, and soar into the sky.

Apple's words echoed in my ears again: people should live freely, even if they are heartless and reckless, even if they indulge in debauchery, as long as they do what they want and love what they love, they should not regret it. Don't bother trying to figure out whether the person you love loves you back. The person who doesn't love you will eventually leave, and the person who loves you can't be driven away.

But my dear apple, you showed such beautiful magnanimity to love, yet you yourself couldn't escape that dead end. We can never go back to the past; you spent a youthful, innocent time with Jeep, the imprint of which is deeply rooted in your memory, impossible to erase.

As I rushed into the school gate, I suddenly stopped, having lost my sense of direction.

"What's wrong?" Mingyang stopped with me.

My mind is a mess: "Stop for a minute! Let me think!"

"You don't know where she is, do you?"

"Yes." I said anxiously, and unconsciously bit my nails again.

He grabbed my hand and held it tightly: "Don't rush, think carefully about the places she usually goes."

But now… the place she's going to isn't a place she usually goes. I'm wondering, is she going to find the Jeep, or is she going to find Agate?

What's the place on campus where the most couples are hiding?

That must be the grove of trees by East Lake, a place with lush green grass and towering pines and cypresses, a popular dating spot for boys and girls. Without turning my head, I ran straight towards the grove. Mingyang followed closely behind.

It was pitch black in the woods, and you couldn't see anything. It had just rained, and the grassy slope was still slippery; every step you took would kick up half a pound of mud.

"Will it be here?" he asked me.