"Say that again!"
Si Jiangchen suddenly turned around. Leaning his elbow on the wall covered with ivory - white wallpaper, he trapped me in the small space in front of him. "Du Xinghe, it's still the same old saying..."
His head hung right in front of me, and his thin lips were just touching the tip of my ear. "You're mine when you're alive, and you'll still be mine when you're dead! Give you up? Not even in the next life!!"
The warmth from his lips made my ears turn red. I pressed my hands against his chest to keep a bit of distance from him.
"Aren't you trying to kill me? Why are you clinging to me so tightly now?!"
I still remembered that when he first met me, he wanted to use the spell of the Six Ding and Six Jia to imprison and kill me!
"I've changed my mind!"
Si Jiangchen twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. "Neither you nor I will die. I want to see with you that peaceful and prosperous world you described, a world where there are no man - eaters or murderers, a world where people live and work in peace and contentment."
I was slightly surprised and looked up at him.
It was when I first clearly felt myself craving human flesh that Si Jiangchen had already considered letting me live on human flesh... because there were too many villains in this world, and just them would be enough for me to recover my strength!
Naturally, I couldn't let myself really turn into an evil ghost. I once told him that the world wouldn't be in chaos forever, and there would surely be a peaceful and prosperous era when everyone was happy.
I didn't expect he had always remembered it...
Si Jiangchen took me straight to the first floor. There was a ball in the hall. Many people came to greet Si Jiangchen. I was dragged around by him, and everyone's eyes fell on me intentionally or unintentionally.
Now I finally understood why Granny Bai had told me to eat something to fill my stomach first.
Even though I had that bowl of porridge and two pastries, my stomach was already growling with hunger.
Si Jiangchen was a very busy man. Countless people were waiting to meet and chat with him.
I found it extremely boring. I didn't know anyone here, nor did I feel any kindness. This magnificent place was not as interesting as sharing a picked - up steamed bun with A Wen in the dilapidated temple.
I could hardly maintain the fake smile on my face.
"If you're tired, go and eat something."
Si Jiangchen also noticed my absent - mindedness. He led me to the buffet table on one side of the hall, picked up a small piece of pan - fried steak for me, and then let me find a seat to sit down.
I had just taken two bites when someone came to bother Si Jiangchen again. So I waved my hand and told him to go and attend to his business.
I wasn't a three - year - old kid. I didn't need someone to watch over me all the time.
"Then sit here obediently and wait for me. I'll be back soon."
Si Jiangchen stood up. His thumb casually brushed across my lips, wiping off a bit of sauce on the corner of my mouth.
I curved my eyes and gave him a smile.
...
Si Jiangchen was really great...
I didn't know how to describe him. He was like a shining diamond. Even when he casually stood in the crowd, I could spot him at a glance.
"Hey, Du... Du Xinghe."
I was boredly taking a piece of pastry and cutting it bit by bit with a silver spoon and stuffing it into my mouth when I heard someone calling my name behind me. When I turned around, I saw Si Xirui walking over stiffly with a reluctant look on her face.
I immediately turned my head back, not bothering to pay attention to her.
The more than half - year of wandering had made me develop a habit of completely ignoring those who were malicious towards me.
"Are you really going to marry into our Si family?"
She came over and sat on the chair next to me.
"Yeah."
I liked to annoy people and liked to see them jump in anger but unable to do anything to me.
Sure enough, Si Xirui was so angry that she gritted her back teeth hard and stared at me with wide eyes. "Do you know how much Sister Mingyue likes my brother?"
I scooped up a spoonful of pastry and put it into my mouth. The sweet taste made me feel good.
"Why should I know that?"
I turned my head and glanced at her. "If she likes your brother, let her tell him. Let him break our engagement and marry her."
"You're so excessive! Why don't you withdraw voluntarily?"
Si Xirui leaned closer to me. "You're just clinging to my brother for money, aren't you? Sister Mingyue and I have a lot of money!! We'll give it to you. You just get out of Jinling quickly!"
"..."
My silence made Si Xirui think that I was seriously considering her suggestion. "Come with me. Our money is far more than you can imagine!"
Saying that, she pointed to a private room on one side. "My aunt and cousin are waiting for you there."
"No way."
I wasn't a fool. Would I go wherever someone told me to?
"You!!" Si Xirui had never met someone like me. She angrily pounded the table hard. "We not only have legal tender but also gold bars. It'll be enough for you to spend your whole life. As you can see, none of the people in our family likes you. If you marry into our family, you'll suffer for a lifetime."
"Okay!"
I finally finished the piece of pastry on the plate.
Before, Granny Bai had told me not to eat food given by others and not to leave any food I had started eating.
I carried it out very seriously. Even if she hadn't said it, I didn't like wasting food. The feeling of going hungry for several days during the refugee - fleeing days made me cherish every grain of food.
Unexpectedly, my action attracted Si Xirui's ridicule. "Country bumpkin. Who eats so cleanly? Are you a starving ghost?"
"No. It's just a habit I developed during the famine."
I smiled.
Sure enough, I saw extreme shock on Si Xirui's face again. She exaggeratedly exclaimed, "You've even fled from a famine?! What is my brother thinking? You're simply not worthy of our Si family... Oh! I get it. Those dirty diseases on you were probably caught during the famine, right?"
"What dirty diseases are you talking about?!"
Even when I was a refugee, I would deliberately keep a distance from the beggars who were also wandering.
I was afraid they would know I was a woman.
"Humph! This is it!"
Si Xirui suddenly stood up, reached out, and grabbed the collar of my velvet evening dress. With a "rip" sound, a large area of the skin on my neck and shoulders was exposed.
By now, some people had noticed our little dispute.
I didn't expect Si Xirui to suddenly tear my clothes in public. I was stunned for a moment and then quickly pulled at my collar.
"How disgusting!!"
Si Xirui quickly covered her mouth and nose.
Actually, Si Xirui had noticed the tree - bark - like scars on my body in the car when we were on our way back. She did this just to make me look bad and to make me have no face to stay in Jinling!
"Monster!!"
Suddenly, there was a faint flash of lightning beside me.
A light - blue talisman attacked me from behind.
I was startled. I grabbed Si Xirui, who was full of disgust, and threw her in the direction where the talisman came from. Since Si Xirui was a human, those spells targeting ghosts would naturally have no effect on her!
Si Xirui let out a scream and then fell to the ground.
In front of me, there appeared a young Taoist priest in his thirties with his hair in a bun on top of his head. His long almond - shaped eyes were looking at me warily!