Chapter 23: The Ghost Marriage!

Inside the main hall, everyone except Madame Zhu kept their heads bowed low, trembling involuntarily as the chilling wind whispered past their ears.

No one had expected that what was supposed to be the young master of the Zhu family's grand wedding would turn out to be a marriage to the dead, a ghost wedding!

No wonder the young master disappeared for a month and returned only to be wed—what kind of marriage was this?

But the arrow had been loosed; there was no turning back. The Zhu family held overwhelming power in the household, and these people had no choice but to be forced to go through with the ceremony.

“Assassins! Protect Madame!”

The Zhu family’s covert guards were no ordinary men; sensing something amiss, they all emerged from the shadows, drawing their long blades and clashing fiercely with Xie Changzhi and his group.

Mo Bai and Mo Fei, the exiled guards who had followed all along, lived up to their reputation, each able to hold off five men. Xie Changzhi and Cheng Yuan, wielding their stun batons, swiftly incapacitated anyone attempting to get close. Panic and screams erupted, plunging the scene into chaos.

Guests seized the confusion to flee, while Cheng Yuan glanced back once before withdrawing her gaze.

She cared for no one else—only her mother.

In the main hall, only Madame Zhu remained kneeling, her head bowed low.

As Cheng Yuan approached the coffin, a dark premonition stirred in her heart.

Since their arrival, Madame Zhu had not once looked back, motionless as a statue.

Xie Changzhi stepped forward and gently tried to turn her, but Madame Zhu was as fragile as a wisp of paper; one touch and she collapsed.

The maids kneeling nearby trembled in terror and cried out.

“Madame! Someone, help! She’s been poisoned! Hurry and call Miss Biao!”

But Madame Zhu’s tightly shut eyes, bleeding from every orifice, grimly signaled that it was already too late.

Only the maids tried to support or drag her away.

Cheng Yuan, busy prying the coffin’s nails with a stolen knife, turned at the cries, her brow furrowing even tighter.

Mo Bai and Mo Fei silently blocked the maids’ path.

Exchanging glances, the maids had no choice but to set Madame Zhu down and flee.

Cheng Yuan’s chest tightened with anguish and panic; she felt as if she could barely breathe.

The coffin was secured with four thick, rough nails at its corners. It took all four of them working together to finally loosen one.

Biting her lip, Cheng Yuan drew a deep breath and summoned every ounce of strength to push the coffin lid aside.

Inside, Cheng Zhi lay with her eyes closed, her face serene and peaceful, hands folded gently over her abdomen.

Beside her was likely the young master Zhu—handsome but with a bluish pallor to his face.

“Cheng Yuan!” Xie Changzhi caught her as she swayed backward.

Dizzy and disoriented, Cheng Yuan felt as if the world had flipped upside down.

Did she... no longer have a mother?

She had rejected her mother’s apologies, and the last time she had seen her was when she left—was that truly the final farewell?

The crushing, brutal truth tore at her heart.

Pushing Xie Changzhi aside, Cheng Yuan steadied herself on the coffin, gritting her teeth as she slowly reached out to touch Cheng Zhi’s nostrils.

But the next moment, her whole body stiffened and collapsed beside the coffin, eyes vacant.

Overwhelmed by sorrow, guilt, and hatred, she was utterly immobilized.

Huang Xuqiu’s heart ached deeply upon seeing Cheng Zhi; his eyes instantly welled with tears.

He knelt beside Cheng Yuan and gently nudged Xie Changzhi aside.

“Sister Yuan, I know you’re heartbroken, but Aunt wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

“Sister Yuan, you still have me. I will always be by your side.”

Xie Changzhi, pushed to the back, was consumed by panic as he faced the harsh reality.

His mouth parted, but waves of regret crashed over him, nearly knocking him down.

Was he worthy? Was he worthy to comfort Cheng Yuan? Was he entitled to stay in this family and enjoy things that never belonged to him?

Why? Why hadn’t he pursued her then? Had he let a mere cold stop him?

If only he had tried harder, could he have saved Aunt?

He was too weak, all excuses.

His tall frame nearly stumbled. Slowly closing his eyes, his brows furrowed in deep sorrow, pale lips pressed tightly together. A fresh wound near his mouth bled vividly.

“Take Aunt... back first,” he murmured almost inaudibly, weighed down by exhaustion and sorrow.

“Hmph, how dare you speak! If not for you...” Huang Xuqiu stood and stepped close, voice low and full of hatred.

Xie Changzhi tilted his head slightly, lashes dampening, lips trembling silently.

“Changzhi, come help me,” Cheng Yuan’s hoarse voice shattered the tense moment between them.

Huang Xuqiu’s face darkened further.

“Miss Cheng Yuan, shall we assist?” Mo Bai and Mo Fei offered as they watched Cheng Yuan struggle to lift Cheng Zhi from the coffin.

Cheng Yuan shook her head, her eyes void of life. The two guards dared not insist and quietly stepped aside.

Xie Changzhi, strong and capable, lifted Cheng Zhi onto his back.

She was so thin he barely felt the weight.

Cheng Zhi’s hair hung in disarray, but her face remained gentle, as if merely asleep.

A sharp pain struck Cheng Yuan’s heart; she pressed her lips together and brushed the hair from Cheng Zhi’s temple.

As they stepped out of the hall, four maids suddenly appeared from nowhere, bowing respectfully.

“Five esteemed guests, the night is deep and the dew heavy. Miss Biao has prepared guest rooms for you. Please follow us.”

“No need,” Cheng Yuan replied coldly. “Besides, your household’s actions are inhumane. What’s the point of putting up this hypocritical act? If you fear this matter leaking out, rest assured.”

“I, Cheng Yuan, will pursue this to the very end!”

Yet the maids’ expressions remained unchanged; they lowered their heads even further.

“Miss, you misunderstand. Miss Biao has no such intentions and will not pursue those who intruded into the Zhu estate. But the curfew is upon us, and it would be inconvenient for you to leave now.”

“So you’re not letting us leave?”

Cheng Yuan sneered, one hand flickering with a stun baton, the other glowing faintly with golden light.

Huang Xuqiu, ever perceptive, caught the meaning behind the maids’ words and suggested, “Sister Yuan, why don’t we stay here tonight?”

Xie Changzhi grabbed her arm, shaking his head. This was no time for rashness.

Cheng Yuan clenched her back teeth several times.

“Lead the way!”

—

“Miss, this is the place.” The maid led them to a courtyard gate, bowed slightly, then stepped back.

They hurried toward the southeast corner of the estate.

Upon entering, a delicate fragrance floated through the air, intoxicating and soothing.

“Miss Biao.”

The maid held her breath and hastened inside, stopping before a pavilion. She bowed again, more cautiously than before.

“The guests have settled in. What would you have me do?”

“Mm, understood. You may leave. Have Xiaoxue and Xiaoyu watch carefully. If anything unusual occurs, inform me immediately.”

The pavilion was veiled by sheer curtains, revealing only a faint, azure silhouette within.

Pale as jade, with skin like ice and features as delicate as porcelain.

Before her lay a jade bottle.