CH 18

Tang Tian hid her backpack in the cabinet, smoothed out the creases in her dress, and opened the door. “It’s quite late, Butler Chen. What’s the matter?”

Outside her room, the old man was hunched over his walking stick, his wizened face and grey hair half-obscured in the dark. He said in a rough, croaky voice, “I just wanted to ask you a question, Miss.”

“Sure. Go ahead.” Tang Tian gestured for the old man to enter her room, but he shook his head. 

“Let me tell you a story. It won’t take long.,,” he began. “Once, there were two young boys. The older boy did not know how to swim, while the younger was a regular water duck.” It was a phrase that the locals used to mean “good swimmer”. 

“One day, the two children went to play by a river, but the older boy returned in tears, claiming that the younger boy had drowned. Later, when the adults arrived by the river, they could not even find the younger boy’s corpse.”

Tang Tian’s expression became grimmer the longer she listened. She realised this was no random story. “What happened next?”

He had mentioned this story briefly before1Refer to Chapter 16. There must be a reason why he’s repeating it again now, thought Tang Tian. 

“Next?” The old man snickered, sounding as wheezy as a bellows. With a final chuckle, he said, “There is no ‘next’. I just wanted to ask your opinion. Could it be that the younger boy had drowned after preventing the older one from drowning as well? Could it be that the older boy was perhaps afraid of being punished, so he lied that the younger boy had drowned on his own? Why was he, the one who could not swim, safe and sound, while the other boy, the better swimmer between them, the one who died? Since he was much older, he could have saved the younger boy too!”

Tang Tian spent a few moments carefully deliberating what should she say to him. “I’ve heard it said that better swimmers are more likely to become overconfident in their skills and end up being careless, thus drowning by accident. The currents in the river can be rather unpredictable, after all. As someone who can’t swim myself, I’d hardly ever go play by a river. Even if I did, I would be too afraid to get close to the river itself. So I imagine, if the younger boy was in trouble, the older boy would not be able to save him even if he wanted to. It was right of him to go to the adults for help immediately. 

The old man fell silent. His grey, cloudy eyes continued to stare at her while his wizened face was unchanging, devoid of expression.

Tang Tian tensed. Her instincts screamed at her that this was a trick question. “If you’re still sceptical, try remembering how the older boy seemed when he came running back. Was his hair wet? That would tell you whether he’d been swimming in the river. If it was dry, it would be implausible to assume that the younger boy had died to save him from drowning. Besides, was it common for the older boy to lie? What kind of person was he, usually?”

“What kind of person…”

“In fact, you already know the answer. But you are merely reluctant to accept reality. As time passes, this reluctance grows into resentment.”

“Why do our loved ones have to die, while other children live happily with their families…?” Families of the bereaved commonly have such thoughts, don’t they? Tang Tian mused. As if, once they find someone to blame or resent, they would feel much better.

The old man’s expression wavered slightly. 

Tang Tian seized the opportunity and asked warily, “The older boy that you mentioned, is it Chen Xu?”

Butler Chen remained silent. 

Suddenly, a thought flickered in Tang Tian’s mind. She finally realised the true reason why Chen Bao’s ghost stayed behind in the human world. 

“Not only the dead are shackled by unresolved hatred, but the living are also burdened by it.”

Butler Chen’s words rang clear in her mind. 

How great must Chen Bao’s need for vengeance be, for him to be bound here for over a decade?

A piercing chill crept up her spine as a thought formed in her mind. Tang Tian struggled to choke out the words, “Were you involved in Chen Xu’s death, Old Chen?”

To Tang Tian’s surprise, the old man answered almost immediately. “No.”

Butler Chen paused, then added, “I never got the chance, since he rarely returned to the old estate once he grew older.”

It was now Tang Tian’s turn to fall silent. How she wished she could drag Chen Xu out of the shadows by his collar and demand to know just what sort of characters the Chen household cultivated! It was bad enough that his family harboured murderous intent towards him, but even his most loyal servant who raised and took care of him was not above such wicked thoughts!

Fury boiled within Tang Tian as she exclaimed, “If you had any doubts back then, you should have asked him directly! I’m surprised you could hold yourself back for more than twenty years. Aren’t you worried that you might be accusing an innocent?”

Butler Chen shook his head dejectedly. “My only grandson is dead, my daughter-in-law ran away and my only son was so devastated he wasted his days away, drinking alcohol. One day, he fell and was paralysed from the waist down. He was bedridden after that, and even needed help with defecating. My wife and I took care of him for twenty-odd years, but she passed away from sickness a few years ago, leaving us both to fend for ourselves.” 

The old man let out a heavy sigh. “But he’s gone now, too. We just held a funeral for him not long ago and now, my days are numbered. I’m old, and when you spend the last twenty-odd years pondering over the same thing, mere suspicions have a way of becoming fact.” He said sardonically, “He who bears the fate of Tiansha Guxing… truly brings misery and pain to those around him.”  

As an outsider, Tang Tian could not help but think that every person in the estate was unbelievably ludicrous. “Even the fact that this was a child you painstakingly raised was no match for the little doubt that you felt in your heart—” For a moment, she felt as if her voice was stuck in her throat, before murmuring in a softer, pained voice, “If he knew about this…” 

He would be beyond disappointed.

The old man’s eyes flitted over her shoulder, then he said, “He did.”

“What? He knew?!” Tang Tian widened her eyes in shock. Suddenly, she recalled one of the entries in Chen Xu’s diary, written when he was sixteen years old. 

A bowl of soup took away my dearest Da Huang, who accompanied me for more than a decade, and someone whom I once regarded as family. 

Realisation dawned on her. It all makes sense now! He went overseas at such a young age and never returned to the old estate not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t dare to do so!

The old man muttered, “When the Young Master was sixteen years old, I added rat poison to his longevity noodles2A birthday tradition in some parts of China, instead of birthday cake, which is a Western tradition.. He might have sensed something off about the taste, so he threw it away. But Da Huang, the dog they kept in the courtyard, ate it and died. The Young Master was kind enough not to question me about it, but he soon left the country. At the time, I even thought that he was feeling guilty for what happened in the past and was trying to run away.” 

He lowered his head. “But, after reading his diary, I realised I was in the wrong all these years.”

No wonder he said that it was all too late.

The old man’s words flipped a switch in Tang Tian’s mind and she cried out furiously, “This is ridiculous! To hell with the fate of Tiansha Guxing! He was the most miserable person out of all of you!”

Thanks to the feng shui master’s words, they all blamed him shamelessly for their own misfortunes, without feeling one ounce of guilt!

Tang Tian coldly sneered, “Well, he’s dead now. Drowned, like your grandson! I bet you’re satisfied now!”

The old man heaved another long, heavy sigh. “When I found out about it, the first thought that came to mind was perhaps this was his karma, since my grandson died in the river, and so did he.” 

Tang Tian watched as the old man hunched even lower, his gaunt, frail body shuddering slightly as he coughed a few times. It was a pitiful sight, but Tang Tian could not help but feel immensely frustrated as well. 

The old man continued to speak, his face etched with deep sorrow. “Nonetheless, soon after, I was overwhelmed by the same grief and sadness that I felt when my grandson drowned. All those years, I watched him grow up—Xiao Xu was truly a good boy. In the diary, I could see how much he cared for and loved Xiao Bao as well… There were times when I really did treat him like my own grandson.”

Suddenly, Butler Chen stepped to the side and gestured to Tang Tian. “You should leave now. I’ve hailed you a ride. The driver is waiting by the back door.” 

Tang Tian immediately grabbed her backpack and followed Butler Chen without hesitation. They walked through a few empty, narrow paths and arrived at the back door within minutes. 

Tang Tian saw a black car waiting by the roadside. After she got in, she turned and gazed through the window at Butler Chen, who was standing silently by the door. 

“Why are you helping me?” she asked.

A small, wan smile appeared on Butler Chen’s wrinkled face as he waved his hands. “Just go.”

With that, the car engine revved, and it promptly drove away from the Chen family estate. Even though Tang Tian did not get an answer from Butler Chen in the end, she still sighed in relief. Finally, this was her chance to relax after an entire night of constantly being restless and vigilant against anything unexpected. 

Tang Tian peered out the car window, watching countless houses blur together as the car sped past. Soon, the car drove onto the provincial highway, where the roads were bustling with various vehicles. 

Just in case, she proceeded to buy a few plane tickets and train tickets to several different destinations. Then, she plucked out her mobile phone sim card, pondering on what she should do next. 

The Chens might still try to look for me. Well, the most obvious place is the last place people think to look, after all. Why don’t I go back to the place where I came from? But not back to my hometown—I’ll go to a neighbouring province, where I can hide amongst the million other people who live there. A search for someone like me would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

Abruptly, the black mobile phone in her front pocket vibrated loudly. Tang Tian took it out and noticed that her mission progress was complete, along with a notification on the side, displaying her reward. 

【Well done! Nice try! 

Basic Reward: 480 hours to live

Additional Reward: A chance to pick a Treasure Chest! You might just win something special!】

Three treasure chests appeared on the phone screen. All of them were black and ominous-looking. Tang Tian hesitated for a few seconds before tapping the chest on the far right. 

“As the old saying goes, left is for men while the right is for women… Here goes nothing,” she mumbled. 

【Congratulations on winning the “Bloodied Wedding Gown”

“That day, I wore it as I married my husband. Did you see it? The crimson-red colour within the coffin?”】

Tang Tian raised an eyebrow. “What?”

She instinctively glanced at the backpack next to her. It seemed to have expanded a little, as if something big had just been stuffed into it. With one wary eye on the driver, Tang Tian discreetly reached a hand towards the bag and unzipped it. 

Reaching inside, her fingers came in contact with something silky-smooth. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed the bright crimson-red fabric and the eerily familiar brocade by the edge. 

It’s the wedding gown I wore during the ghost marriage!

Tang Tian was speechless. 

Are we not over this yet? 

I already fulfilled Chen Xu’s dying wish! He should be able to rest in peace now, shouldn’t he? Tang Tian wondered.

There can’t be anything he would need from me now, with his wish fulfilled. Hang on… there’s something else in the bag…

Tang Tian pushed the wedding gown to the side and pulled out something else that caused her to widen her eyes in shock. 

It was a red packet, containing the wedding invitation that detailed Chen Xu’s date of death, and strands of hair that were tied together. The longer strands belonged to her, while the shorter strands…

Tang Tian jerked back her hands as if she’d touched a hot stove and dropped the red packet. 

This was what they called the “wedding red packet”! I clearly remember ditching this in the cabinet back at the estate! I never brought it with me!

Tang Tian turned to the other side, peering at the utility poles that flitted past quickly. From the reflection in the car window, she seemed to notice a figure sitting beside her. She immediately swivelled around to check, only to find an empty leather seat with a slightly damp surface. 

She picked up the red packet again, the auspicious shade of bright red contrasting against her pale white skin. A rather exasperating thought formed in her mind. 

The elders always said it’s easier to invite a spirit over than to ask it to leave3This is a direct translation of a Chinese saying which means that it easy to get involved in something troublesome, but difficult to resolve it entirely. The word “spirit” often refers to something or someone that is problematic.. I guess ghost marriages are not as simple as just burying two bodies together after death.

After Tang Tian got into the car, Butler Chen remained by the door, staring pensively at the car as it sped away. Suddenly, he noticed there seemed to be another person sitting beside Tang Tian in the backseat. He squinted his eyes, trying to see if it was just a trick of the light caused by his blurry vision. 

But there he was, a man wearing a white collared shirt with crisp, short dark hair, sitting upright beside Tang Tian. 

Although Butler Chen could only vaguely see the upper silhouette of the man, a familiar figure came to mind, and the old man instantly teared up. 

As the car gradually disappeared in the dark, the man never once looked back. 

“He does resent me after all…” The old man mumbled under his breath and smiled in relief. 

He was such a good person when he was alive, and still is after death, thought Butler Chen. 

“If you cannot bear to do it, let me.” The old man muttered to himself, his low, raspy voice almost unintelligible. 

He slowly locked the door and walked down the empty courtyard. As he turned a corner, he was met by a young, business-like man dressed in an expensive tailored suit and a pair of newly-shined leather shoes. 

“Butler Chen.” Secretary Chen peered at him disparagingly. “You have acted without permission and allowed that woman to escape. How am I supposed to tell Boss Chen about this?”

“Previously, back in the hall, Boss Chen had agreed to Xiao Tang’s terms. I am merely acting upon his wishes. Besides,” The hunched old man lifted his head, his murky, grey eyes glinted in the dark, and stared unwaveringly at Secretary Chen, “You are the Third Young Master of the Chen family after all. You don’t need to answer to anyone.”

TL note: Dun dun dun~ Plot twist! Here’s the end of Volume One: The Haunted Old Estate that introduces everyone to how the FL got “married” to the ML from the start, and the mystery surrounding the ML’s death! I had to publish this out in one, whole chapter because of the feels. QAQ Please give hugs to our poor ML QAQ Just a gentle reminder that this is a slow burn romance and more plot twist awaits! 

Next arc coming up very soon! I promise 〉〈