When Ji Lianyun uttered these words, the breath that escaped his lips carried an eerie chill.
Then, the icy, slippery tongue brushed across Tang Ning's eyelids. Tang Ning's eyelashes trembled incessantly, and he even had the illusion of a pair of hands prying open his lips and forcibly probing into his eyes, licking his eyeballs.
Equally icy fingers traced leisurely along the contours of his jawline and neck. The neck, like the eyes, was a vulnerable part of the human body, especially when those cold fingers crawled along his nape like snakes. Tang Ning's scalp instantly tingled, as if a kitten had been seized by the nape, limbs stiffening. Not only that, his mind seemed to freeze in place, taking over ten seconds to slowly process Ji Lianyun's message—
"How, may I ask, can you sincerely become my bride?"
A malevolent ghost posed such a gentle question, as if asking Tang Ning how he could willingly surrender his life to him.
Tang Ning's teeth couldn't help but chatter. He had always been timid, easily getting goosebumps when he saw ghostly images online. And now, there was a living, breathing malevolent ghost, tearing off its seemingly gentle and amiable facade, asking this life-threatening question.
How could he sincerely become the bride of a ghost groom?
He was human. If the ghost groom could always masquerade as a living person, Tang Ning could overcome his fear and grow close to him. But now, the ghost groom was truly more akin to a malevolent ghost. How could he sincerely agree to be a wife to a ghost, unless that ghost was...
Tang Ning's eyelashes trembled slightly.
He absolutely couldn't risk stimulating the precarious rationality of the ghost groom now. Moreover, this statement from the ghost groom seemed like an excellent opportunity to probe what exactly the ghost groom wanted from him.
Many thoughts flashed through Tang Ning's mind. He felt as though he had become a master manipulator, playing with people's hearts. He raised his eyes and met Ji Lianyun's crimson eyes. His small face, which had barely maintained composure, was suddenly wet with tears. "P-please, don't have red eyes!"
It wasn't that Tang Ning was cowardly. Although he wasn't particularly brave, he had at least faced Uncle Wang.
However, Ji Lianyun's red pupils were different from those of ordinary ghosts. Each speck of crimson in his eyes seemed to harbor a chilling terror, as if countless grievances from a sea of blood had condensed into them. Just one glance made Tang Ning's scalp tingle and his whole body tremble.
Upon hearing Tang Ning's words, Ji Lianyun's crimson eyes seemed to tremble with countless tiny particles. Those grain-like red hues gradually changed, eerily turning into black and white.
Although this Ji Lianyun had the eyes of a normal person, there was no expression on his face. His coldness froze Tang Ning's fingertips as if they were turning to ice. Tang Ning dared not meet Ji Lianyun's gaze directly; instead, he looked at Ji Lianyun's nose and trembled, "You've been so kind to me, what exactly do you want?"
He was kind to the ghost groom, hoping to gain the ghost groom's protection. But what about the ghost groom? If he wanted Tang Ning's yang energy, wouldn't that mean he had to suck him dry to break even?
This was also a point of lingering fear and unease in Tang Ning's heart. He feared the irreversible consequences of bedding a malevolent ghost.
"Heart." Ji Lianyun's pale lips parted slightly, as cold as ice. "I want your sincerity."
Sincerity?
Tang Ning hesitated for a moment, his mind filled with a series of terrifying stories about monsters digging out hearts and consuming them. Trembling, he pointed to his left chest. "Are you going to dig it out and eat it?"
He saw a faint smirk curling on those thin lips, accompanied by a scoff.
Tang Ning felt extremely uneasy, subconsciously swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
He watched as the pale hand slowly reached towards him, with jet-black nails appearing before his eyes. The hand, gradually approaching, carried an unstoppable momentum, as if its fingertips turned into blades piercing through his flesh, through layers of encircling ribs, finally reaching his rapidly beating heart—
Ji Lianyun grabbed the hand Tang Ning had pointed to his chest.
Tang Ning's hand trembled slightly as it was held, his palm sweating. He had no strength to resist; his hand was pulled in another direction by Ji Lianyun.
Under Tang Ning's fearful gaze, Ji Lianyun pressed Tang Ning's hand against his own chest.
He whispered softly, "Truly understand how to hurt my heart."
What?
Tang Ning raised his eyes blankly, meeting Ji Lianyun's jet-black eyes. In the center of those pupils, there seemed to be a tiny red dot, shrinking continuously but never truly expanding. Ji Lianyun maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke slowly, "If I wanted to devour your heart, why bother pretending to be human and getting close?"
"We were husband and wife in our past lives. In this life, I continue our past connections. Everything I do is simply to have you sincerely become my bride. That's all."
Tang Ning's fingertips trembled slightly, as if they could touch Ji Lianyun's heartbeat. Did malevolent ghosts have heartbeats too?
"So, what's Ji Lianyun's situation? Why is he attached to him?" Tang Ning asked.
"He is a strand of soul separated from me. Although he has managed to reincarnate as a human, his soul is incomplete and he is frail and sickly. He cannot stray too far from my tomb." Ji Lianyun grabbed Tang Ning's hand and pressed his icy face against Tang Ning's palm. "I know I have changed a lot after becoming a ghost. Ji Lianyun is more like how I was in my lifetime. I prefer him, and it's only natural."
While saying it's only natural, his cold tone seemed to express a desire to tear his own soul apart.
Tang Ning was overwhelmed by this series of information from the other party. He asked in a daze, "Ji Lianyun is a strand of soul separated from you, what does that mean?"
"Gong Yun." A strange red light flickered in his eyes, and his handsome yet somewhat haggard face took on an indescribable allure in that moment. He spoke each word slowly, "My name is Gong Yun."
"Is it like the clouds dispersing?" Tang Ning asked subconsciously.
Gong Yun wrote his name in Tang Ning's palm, stroke by stroke. "Gong, as in harmonious sound, and Yun, as in gold."
As his icy fingertips slowly moved in Tang Ning's palm, the coldness seemed to turn into a hidden fire, igniting a string of heat.
"My bride, I want your sincerity," Gong Yun whispered. "Not just love for the strand of soul separated from me, but genuine sincerity towards me."
Tang Ning stared blankly at this person.
"What do I need to do to sincerely become your bride?" Gong Yun placed Tang Ning's hand on his chest. "If sincerity can be exchanged for sincerity, I would truly dig out my heart to show you."
"No need for that," Tang Ning said, genuinely afraid of what Gong Yun might suggest. "I'd be grateful if you could protect us during tomorrow's funeral."
Gong Yun kissed Tang Ning's hand back and whispered, "Alright."
Tang Ning watched Gong Yun cautiously. As long as his eyes didn't turn red and his nails didn't turn black, the level of terror was within his tolerance.
Gong Yun lifted the blanket, causing ripples in Tang Ning's just-settled mind. It seemed that Gong Yun had seen through Tang Ning's thoughts as he smiled teasingly. "I won't eat anymore."
As soon as he finished speaking, the light bulb suddenly went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
Tang Ning hurriedly curled up under the blanket. The bed was narrow, and he and Gong Yun were pressed close together. Gong Yun reached out and wrapped his arm around Tang Ning's waist, giving it a gentle squeeze. "My bride, are you afraid of me now?"
Tang Ning nodded honestly.
In the darkness, a deep, masculine laughter echoed. "You're really quite timid."
Regardless, when Gong Yun was willing to speak to him in a teasing tone, Tang Ning's tense nerves also eased. Tang Ning held Gong Yun's wandering hand and asked softly, "You mentioned we were husband and wife in our past life. What happened in our past life?"
"I don't remember," Gong Yun embraced Tang Ning. "I've been asleep for a long time, and upon waking up, I've forgotten many things. It's like there's a piece missing from my heart."
Tang Ning didn't know how to comfort him. Awkwardly, he reached out to pat Gong Yun's back. Gong Yun didn't actually have any feelings of sadness, but he keenly sensed Tang Ning's change in attitude and immediately switched to a melancholic tone. "Even if I remembered, what good would it do? Time changes everything, people change, just like this moment. I'm continuing our past connection, but my bride fears me like a ferocious beast."
Tang Ning suddenly felt a sense of guilt. He whispered, "I'm not afraid now."
Gong Yun quietly curved his lips, his words tinged with sadness. "I don't believe you."
"I really am," Tang Ning said earnestly.
Gong Yun shifted slightly away, his voice tinged with loneliness. "There's no need to lie to me. I know."
In the darkness, Tang Ning couldn't see Gong Yun's expression. He could only hear those seemingly heart-wrenching words. He quickly moved closer to Gong Yun, almost like an embrace.
Gong Yun was enveloped by the fragrant and soft body, and he couldn't help but reveal a satisfied smile.
Unable to see anything, Tang Ning could only hear this person murmuring softly, "My heart is pleased, my bride."
So light, so low, like a person speaking candidly after drinking, like murmurs in a dream.
The next morning, Tang Ning ate the breakfast prepared by Gong Yun, tidied up a bit, and went to the funeral hall to help with the preparations.
The pallbearers couldn't be close relatives, so Tang Ning couldn't lift the coffin. Lin Guijing, Han Ankang, and Lin Yun, distant relatives, could lift the coffin. Originally, having just one person would have been safer, but no other villagers wanted to help, and the players didn't dare ask Gong Yun to help lift the coffin. In the end, two players carried the front, while the third player exerted more effort to lift the rear of the coffin.
At the moment of lifting the coffin, the three players' expressions were solemn. After all, it was taboo for the coffin to touch the ground after being lifted, and everyone was afraid of any mistakes leading to the coffin falling.
As Tang Ning, the eldest grandson of Tang Xianheng, he held the partially burnt photo of the deceased and walked at the front of the procession.
Gong Yun walked at the back of the procession.
As the day had yet to fully dawn, the funeral procession walked silently through the quiet village.
Tang Xianheng had already chosen his burial site before his passing, near the grave of Granny Gui, so Tang Ning didn't have to worry about getting lost.
Uncle Wang's body had been taken care of this morning, with Gong Yun promising to help. Everything that could be done had been done, so theoretically, Tang Ning should have been able to relax and focus solely on completing the funeral procession.
However, for some unknown reason, Tang Ning's heart was pounding fiercely, as if he had overlooked something important.
What could it be?
Tang Ning suspected it was just his own anxiety getting the better of him, as he always became extremely nervous before important tasks.
He considered calling out to Gong Yun, but Gong Yun was walking at the end of the procession. If he wanted to find Gong Yun, he would have to turn around, and it was important not to turn back during a funeral procession.
In the previous game, when Tang Ning attended Admiral Lu's funeral, he followed Elder Hao's instructions to turn back every seven steps. Later, he learned that turning back during a funeral procession could attract ghosts.
Various thoughts raced through his mind, but Tang Ning tried hard to calm himself, telling himself not to panic. He wasn't sure if it was his nervousness causing his hands to tremble, or if it was because Gong Yun had absorbed his yang energy yesterday, making his hands weak and unable to hold the photo of the deceased.
As he looked ahead at the approaching cemetery, Tang Ning took a deep breath, trying to encourage himself. However, the feeling of weakness only grew stronger...
Wait, this didn't seem like physical weakness; the photo of the deceased was actually getting heavier!
The photo, which should have been easy to lift, suddenly felt as heavy as a stone, and Tang Ning lowered his head to look at the partially burnt image, only to see the old man glaring at him with fury!
It was as if he were reprimanding him for something!!