For the past month, whispers have filled the streets and alleyways, discussing the gossip about Jiang Wanfu, the Commander of the Imperial Guard's son, being haunted by a ghost. The Jiang family had invited every deity imaginable, both from the heavens and the earth, but none could drive away the "ghost" that plagued the young master.
On the surface, people said that the Jiang mansion was too steeped in yin energy, thus attracting evil spirits to the eldest son. But privately, many whispered that it was probably retribution for the vast number of innocent souls Jiang Daren had wronged under his command. Yang Ruoning, overhearing their hushed conversations, couldn't help but curve her lips upward, while Luo Yuan cast her a meaningful glance.
On their way back to the mansion, Luo Yuan said, "From tomorrow onwards, don't go out at night. Stay in my study. You still owe me a lot of calligraphy practice sheets."
"Ahhhhhhh," Yang Ruoning let out a howl. Speaking of those calligraphy sheets, she found them incredibly difficult. She could barely recognize many simplified Chinese characters, let alone the complex strokes of traditional ones. She felt they weren't characters at all, but rather a series of small, differently styled paintings. She thought she'd rather learn rocket science than practice drawing those little pictures.
Moreover, she didn't know how to use a brush. What she often produced was a messy blob of ink, making it impossible to tell what character she had intended to write. For this, Luo Yuan had to teach her hand-in-hand more than once.
The only reason she persisted in practicing calligraphy every day was the opportunity to be held in Luo Yuan's arms, to have his slightly rough, large hands grasp hers, and then to slowly guide her stroke by stroke on the paper.
She loved the faint, elusive scent that emanated from him, loved to watch his long eyelashes, and to see her own reflection mirrored in his eyes.
Yang Ruoning took a deep breath, as if making a significant decision. "I'll do the calligraphy tonight when we get back. But I absolutely cannot be confined at night."
"Ruoning, it's best to know when to stop," he said.
Yang Ruoning looked at him, confused. His words held a deeper meaning, as if he knew what she was doing.
"He didn't consider knowing when to stop when he hit people," Yang Ruoning retorted.
He paused, walked closer to her, and gently brushed a leaf from her hair. "Give me some more time. I will avenge you."
"No, don't," Yang Ruoning refused. She thought, avenge her? She didn't want revenge at all. What she wanted was for that fellow to tremble at the very sound of the word "woman" from now on.
A few more days passed. After lunch one day, Uncle Zhong delivered an invitation. Luo Yuan opened it, took a look, and then looked up at Yang Ruoning, saying, "The Jiang mansion is holding a banquet in three days. This invitation is to ask me to attend."
Yang Ruoning's eyes lit up. Recently, Jiang Yuan had rarely left his residence, and she couldn't see that scoundrel. Furthermore, according to rumors, the Jiang family seemed to have sensed that the sedan chair was not ordinary and had already had a master perform rituals to burn it.
"No wonder they're holding a banquet," Yang Ruoning thought. "So they've gotten rid of the 'ghostly sounds'."
"Are you going?" Yang Ruoning asked.
"Do you want me to go?" Luo Yuan set aside the invitation in his hand and looked at her.
"Mmm, I think... since they've invited you, you should go," Yang Ruoning said.
"Alright, then we shall go," Luo Yuan replied. "But since I'm bringing you along, at least let me know what you intend to do."
Yang Ruoning blinked. She thought Luo Yuan had a point. If her plan failed and she got caught, she would have been brought there by Luo Yuan. Informing him in advance would prevent him from being put in a difficult position later.
So, Yang Ruoning told him her rough plan. Of course, she only mentioned that she wanted to play some tricks to scare that scoundrel while Jiang Yuan was asleep, and didn't go into specifics.
Luo Yuan simply nodded after listening, making no other comment. He probably thought Yang Ruoning's actions were just frivolous.
And so, on the evening three days later, Yang Ruoning accompanied Luo Yuan to the Jiang mansion's banquet. Naturally, Commander Jiang treated Luo Yuan as an honored guest and invited him to the main table.
That scoundrel Jiang Yuan, Yang Ruoning had expected him to show some changes after being tormented by "ghostly sounds" for over a month. To her surprise, the fellow was so full of vigor and rosy-cheeked, showing no signs of the supposed haggardness rumored in the streets.
As the banquet was drawing to a close, Yang Ruoning, seizing an opportune moment when no one was paying attention, found Luo Yuan and told him that he could return to the mansion first and didn't need to wait for her.
Unexpectedly, Luo Yuan pointed her in the direction of Jiang Yuan's bedroom and told her that she could slip out through the small door in the northeast corner of the back courtyard afterward.
"Wow, this guy is even more meticulous than I am," Yang Ruoning thought. "He's even told me the escape route."
Yang Ruoning crouched beneath Jiang Yuan's bed. After waiting for a while, she finally heard Jiang Yuan being helped back to his room, clearly drunk, followed by his thunderous snores. She waited until he woke up around one in the morning, demanding water from the maid outside and asking for the fourth concubine to sleep with him. Only when the room was finally quiet with just Jiang Yuan in it did Yang Ruoning find her opportunity.
She projected a short video of a female ghost, prepared beforehand, onto the white wall opposite the bed. The sounds from above the bed stopped. The room became eerily silent, filled only with eerie music and the chilling laughter of the female ghost. She presumed Jiang Yuan was now frozen in fear. At this moment, in the projection on the wall, the female ghost let out a piercing scream, her disheveled long hair appearing to crawl out of the wall. Yang Ruoning suppressed her laughter from under the bed, anticipating the expected reaction. But instead of what she expected, she suddenly felt water dripping from above. At first, she wondered where the water was coming from, but then she suddenly realized what it was. Damn it, the guy had peed himself out of fear. Yang Ruoning was instantly disgusted and immediately crawled out from under the bed.
As Yang Ruoning, dressed in a white gown and with her hair disheveled, slowly emerged from under the bed, she saw the light in Jiang Yuan's pupils had faded. She looked at the scoundrel, recalling the viciousness on his face that day when he had beaten Susu, and felt an urge to kill him on the spot. But she suppressed the impulse. She crushed the red dye she held in her hand, and with fingers dripping fake blood, she pointed at the petrified Jiang Yuan. She deliberately paused for a few seconds to create a more eerie atmosphere. Then, she slowly approached him and, on his crotch, wrote "die" with her bloody finger.
She had intended to say something more, to warn Jiang Yuan that if he continued to bully others, the female ghost would crawl out from under the bed again. But the little chicken-hearted scoundrel had already fainted. Yang Ruoning had no choice but to give up.
Everything had gone so smoothly. Yang Ruoning escaped through the back door following the route Luo Yuan had indicated. She was so excited along the way that she wanted to scream. But as soon as she stepped out the door, before she could let out a joyous cry, she was grabbed and pulled to the side.
Yang Ruoning startled. Before she could react, her entire body was pressed tightly by someone, hidden in the darkness by the wall. The person was dressed in a black, form-fitting night suit, wearing a mask that only revealed a pair of bright, lustrous eyes. One hand covered Yang Ruoning's almost-uttered gasp, while the index finger of the other hand was raised to his lips, signaling silence.
He carried a faint, calming scent.
It was Luo Yuan.
The next second, a squad of Jiang mansion guards rushed out from the door. Yang Ruoning pressed quietly against Luo Yuan, looking up at him, feeling a profound sense of gratitude. He had been waiting for her all along.
When the sound of footsteps receded, Luo Yuan slowly removed his hand from her mouth. For a moment, they gazed at each other in silence. Yang Ruoning felt something within her heart quietly shift at that moment. But she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or misfortune for her.
Realizing their awkward proximity, Yang Ruoning lowered her head, avoiding his intense gaze. She gently reminded him that those people had already gone far away.
"Not yet," he said.
"Hmm? I can't hear any footsteps anymore," she asked.
"Not yet. We should wait a little longer."
"Oh," Yang Ruoning replied. She felt that at such close distance, Luo Yuan must have sensed her already accelerated heartbeat.
"Why is your heart beating so fast?" As if on cue, Luo Yuan asked.
"That's... that's because I ran too fast just now..." she said guiltily, keeping her head down.
He chuckled softly. "Ruoning..."
As if sensing what he was about to say, Yang Ruoning abruptly looked up and interrupted him. "I think I scared that guy quite badly. He shouldn't do anything for a long time. Luo Yuan, thank you for helping me."