Ghost Invasion

An Tingren suggested the break up of the meeting. Unexpected by me, I thought Yun Li would have many supporters in the company, but with An Tingren present, everyone unanimously turned this way. Walking out the door, I saw Yun Li still sitting there with a lost expression on her face. I know that my turning and An Tingren’s cold blade behind her back was unacceptable to her.

But what could be done? You were never willing to give me a chance to live, yet I must live! Looking at her, I shook my head and left.

“She won’t give up so easily, so it’s best to be careful.” Huo Xiaoran was still following behind me. I catched up with An Tingren and said, “Mr. An, regarding An Ming, I’m really sorry! Is Mu Ni and your grandson okay?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but the time has not yet come!” An Tingren sighed in a low voice, his expression sorrowful as he answered, “Mu Ni is burned badly and upset, but with the child with her, she still has some hope.”

After patting my shoulder, An Tingren shook his head and left. I bowed slightly, watching him leave. Huo Xiaoran, who had been beside me the whole time, remarked, “So you’re not stupid?” He pointed at the gazes centered on me.

I glanced around, and the people around me dispersed hurriedly. I chuckled quietly, and answered, “Innocent doesn’t equal stupid, right?”

When I saw the mountain pile of doc.u.ments in my office, I almost fainted right then and there. But today, I finally experienced that with a ghost husband at your side, it was like cheating on a computer game, extremely enjoyable.

Using back pain as an excuse, Huo Xiaojin as a threat, I sat on the sofa, sipping tea leisurely while watching Huo Xiaoran look through the doc.u.ments at the desk carefully. He only needed to move his fingers, and the pen would start dancing on it’s own.

Regarding the end of the work day, just like school, I wasn’t going to stay another minute! After stretching lazily, I was about to exit the company when a familiar voice called out behind me.

“Mo Xiaoya!”

I turned around, smiling coldly. It was Yun Li, and she marched toward me furiously. I stood there, waiting.

“You shameless little b*tch, actually daring to bite back at me. Are you still human? If not for me, how can you live so luxuriously and get the t.i.tle of Mistress Huo!” She pointed at me and shouted furiously.

Looking at her slightly twisted face, I replied calmly, “Yun Li, you forced me into this! Before, my thoughts were simple: I just wanted to leave the Huo family alive! But what did you do?”

“What, what did I do?” Yun Li was so nervous she was stuttering.

I chuckled: “You planted yin gu on me, and every night of the full moon, I would slowly lose my life. Didn’t you do this? From when you bought me into the Huo family, you never planned to let me leave alive!”

She looked at me incredulously. I guess she couldn’t fathom how I knew. But that was understandable; if not for experiencing that fear and pain from being so close to death myself, I wouldn’t believe in yin gu and stuff like that either.

“What, what are you talking about, what yin gu, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” She tried to use detest to cover up the panic in her heart.

I shook my head, leaned in to her, and whispered three words at her ear: “Huo Xiaoran!”

Abruptly, she sucked in a breath, and looked at me fearfully. But I laughed. This was excellent, very excellent! I raised my brows and then turned around to leave.

But I only walked a step when someone patted my shoulder. When I turned around, a loud slap sounded, and my face burned and ears buzzed! I glared at Yun Li, raising my hand, but before I could make contact, I saw Yun Li fly backwards abruptly, screaming in fear, until she hit the gla.s.s wall behind her and slumped to the ground.

“Does it hurt?”

It was Huo Xiaoran’s voice. I turned and looked at him, admiring him for reacting so quickly. Even though my face still hurt like it was on fire, at least seeing Yun Li frowning, trying to stand up yet unable to, I shook my head with a smile: “No!”

“Yun Li! Even rabbits bite when they’re pushed!” I yelled, hoping she could understand to not annoy me again. I never wanted to take anything from her; all I did was to try to open the cage she imprisoned me in.

On the way back to the Huo house, Huo Xiaoran’s brows were tightly knit. He didn’t speak, but kept glancing at my red, swollen cheek, so I could only keep repeating, it doesn’t hurt. Don’t know why, Huo Xiaoran was different from before. Before, he was always indifferent.

I didn’t dare think more on the topic, instead walking directly into the Huo house. Uncle was sitting on the sofa in the living room. Seeing me come in, he stood up and smiled broadly: “You’re back! I never expected Xiaoran to have hidden this card. We’ll depend on you for the return of the Huo Corporation!”

Uncle’s att.i.tude change confused me. After blanking for a few seconds, I was pulled by him into the dining room. There, a table full of dishes surprised me. Grandfather, as usual, sat and ate quietly, but Huo Xiaojin didn’t come home today! I felt slightly guilty, because doing all this to Yun Li, probably hurt Huo Xiaojin’s heart.

At the table, my seat changed. Uncle sat at the head of the table, while I sat beside him. Although I was uncomfortable with his sudden hospitality, I didn’t know what to do.

“Xiaoya?” He called softly. I looked at him, puzzled. His expression was a little awkward, and after some time, finally pulled his head closer and whispered at my ear, “I heard Yun Li say that you and Huo Xiaoran got a ghost marriage, so can you, uh, him…… ” He stopped and pointed at his eyes.

I understood what he meant; he wanted to know if I could see Huo Xiaoran. I smiled and shook my head: “Uncle, what year is this, that there are still ghosts! Stepmom was tricked by someone.” Of course I wouldn’t tell him I really did see Huo Xiaoran, and was pregnant with his child!

Uncle nodded. I suddenly remembered that creepy old lady. Maybe Uncle knew where to find her! Before leaving the Huo family, I must get rid of the red string between me and Huo Xiaoran first!

“Uncle! Don’t know where Stepmom heard about ghost marriages, but have you seen that creepy old lady that went to my house to fetch me that day?” I gave it a try.

Uncle nodded, answering in a small voice, “Before you married in, strange things kept happening in the house. So Yun Li went to Hundred Years Mountain, and not long after returning, married you in. It’s strange to say, but once you married in, this house became peaceful again!”

Good, at least I know where to go find that creepy old lady, and getting rid of the connection will only be a matter of time.

While I was conversing with Uncle, Matron w.a.n.g was beside, helping Grandfather eat. She would glance at us now and then, but I didn’t think much about it; Matron w.a.n.g took care of all the daily needs of Grandfather.

We didn’t say anything else during dinner. Don’t know if it’s because I’m pregnant, but I ate a lot more than before, and didn’t feel full! I began to get worried.

At night in my room, Huo Xiaoran sat in the air with nothing better to do, floating around aimlessly. When someone knocked on my door, I glanced at him and opened the door, only to see Matron w.a.n.g outside: “Matron w.a.n.g? Is there something?”

Matron w.a.n.g looked a little nervous. After checking to make sure there wasn’t anyone else around, she put the plate of fruit into my hands and said, “Mistress looked tired, so I brought some fruit.”

I was a little confused. I accepted the plate, but Matron w.a.n.g moved the plate a little, revealing the piece of paper tucked underneath. Matron w.a.n.g then left hastily. In my room, Huo Xiaoran still sat there. Using it was getting late as an excuse, I shooed him away, and only took out the note after I was sure he was gone.

There were only a few words scrawled on the paper: Hundred Years Mountain, dragon lady, living in room 201 in the West City Hotel right now.

I recalled that during supper, Matron w.a.n.g overheard me asking Uncle about the Hundred Years Mountain. I just didn’t understand why Matron w.a.n.g would give me this. In my opinion, Matron w.a.n.g was a kind person, because last time when I got sick because of the yin gu, Matron w.a.n.g truly wanted to help me.

I really was grateful toward Matron w.a.n.g for this. I found a fire lighter and burned the note to ashes. I cannot let Huo Xiaoran know about me trying to find the dragon lady. Even though we were working together, the child in my belly…… I didn’t want him to know.

I can’t just keep using Huo Xiaoran as the cure on nights of the full moon. Tomorrow, I was going to go find this dragon lady, and make her get rid of this yin gu!

Early next morning, I sent Huo Xiaoran to check on Yun Li, then told the driver to bring me to the West City Hotel. When I walked into the foyer, I happened to see the man walking out the elevator, and it scared me so much I darted behind a pillar.

Huo Xiaojin! Why was he here? Poking out my head, I saw that the woman beside him was no other than Yun Li, who didn’t come home yesterday! Apart from my surprise, I immediately thought about the information Matron w.a.n.g gave me yesterday. The dragon lady; could it be that Yun Li came to find the dragon lady to use some dark and poisonous method to get rid of me?

Taking the opportunity while they were checking out at the receptionist, I quietly made my way to the elevator, and went up to the second floor without hesitation. With the room number 203, it should most likely be on the second floor.

Without spending much time, I found room 203, and knocked on the door. But the door swung open quietly! Maybe Yun Li didn’t close it properly when she left. Pushing open the door, I walked in. The room was very clean. It seemed like a suite, with the living room in the front. But there was no one there!

“h.e.l.lo? Is anyone here?” I called in a small voice, walking towards the bedroom. When I saw the lump under the quilt, I felt a little uneasy. When my hand almost touched the quilt, a piercing iciness rose up from my finger abruptly…… I withdrew my hand immediately! This feeling! To me, who had already been through two supernatural matters, this icy cold wasn’t strange anymore.