Chapter 1: Rebirth
Today is the funeral of Su Mu, the young mistress of the Yan family.
White banners hang in the Yan family mansion. In the darkness, the streets are silent, as if immersed in an inexplicable sorrow. Inside the courtyard, from masters to servants, all are dressed in mourning clothes with sorrowful expressions.
Suddenly, a commotion of cries erupts from the main hall. Servants tumble out running: "The young master has thrown himself at the coffin to die with her, quickly call for a doctor!" "Jiyue, you fool, how could you throw yourself at the coffin?" An elderly man with graying temples holds a beautiful young man, his expression grief-stricken.
"Su Mu is dead, what meaning is there left in my life?" Yan Jiyue looks haggard and withered, his lips pale and colorless. Fresh red blood flows from his forehead to the corner of his eye. His gaze is empty as he says: "Father, tell me, how am I supposed to restrain my grief? I regret it so much. For ten years, it seems I never really spoke properly with her. The last thing I said to her before she died was that I hated her." The elderly man holds Yan Jiyue and weeps loudly. The kneeling servants around them also begin to cry crocodile tears.
The scene becomes heart-wrenching for a moment. Who wouldn't say this couple had deep affection?
Su Mu's transparent soul leans lazily against the coffin, watching Yan Jiyue's performance.
Act! Keep acting!
Yan Jiyue may fool everyone else, but he can't fool her.
Now that she's dead, he must be so happy he wants to set off firecrackers.
Making such a scene at the funeral is just for show, to gain a reputation as a virtuous husband so he can remarry Shen Yuxue, the second daughter of the Shen family whom he's been longing for.
Su Mu's head is bright green. Damn it, even in death he still wants to use her one last time.
Poisonous husband! Poisonous husband!
The doctor hurries over with his medicine box and takes Yan Jiyue away from the mourning hall.
The show is over. Yan Jiyue has gained his good reputation, so naturally there's no need to continue keeping vigil in the mourning hall.
As soon as he leaves, the crowd of servants also departs in a flurry.
The mourning hall that was so lively just moments ago is now left with only Su Mu and ghost Su Mu.
She lies bored on the coffin, swinging her legs. She had thought that after death she would transmigrate back to modern times, but it seems she still can't return.
Does this mean she'll have to live on as a ghost from now on?
Or perhaps cultivate for a few hundred years and then embark on the path of immortality? Su Mu's imagination runs wild.
Suddenly the tightly closed doors of the mourning hall creak open, and a gust of chilly wind blows in.
Su Mu shudders. This scene is quite eerie.
But then she realizes she's a ghost herself, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
Su Mu sits up straight, waiting to make a good impression on the ghost friend who's about to enter.
But the one who walks in is Xie Yi.
Xie Yi is of mixed Central Plains and Western Regions descent. He was kidnapped by human traffickers and brought to Juancheng. Feeling pity for him, she bought him back to be her attendant.
At first, Xie Yi couldn't speak the Central Plains language well. It was Su Mu who taught him bit by bit.
For ten years, Xie Yi has stayed by her side. Gentle and understanding in nature, he was always there to comfort Su Mu whenever she was rebuffed by Yan Jiyue.
Back when she had just married Yan Jiyue and was ridiculed by the whole city, with servants bullying and making things difficult for her at every turn, only Xie Yi stood firmly by her side.
"Didn't I leave you money and tear up your slave contract? Why did you come back? Hurry and leave, don't let Yan Jiyue see you." Su Mu blurts out, only then realizing she's now a ghost.
Humans can't hear ghost talk.
Su Mu feels regretful, hoping he won't be discovered by Yan Jiyue.
Speaking of which, this Yan Jiyue is truly a poisonous husband. It's bad enough that he hates her, but at least he doesn't raise a hand against her.
But whenever Yan Jiyue and Xie Yi cross paths, Xie Yi would get slapped at the very least. Sometimes he would be punished with starvation, forced to kneel, or beaten with a rod.
As for the reason, there is no reason. Yan Jiyue arrogantly states that he simply can't stand the sight of him.
It's that kind of unbridled arrogance of "Do I need a special day to beat you? I'll beat you whenever I want."
To protect Xie Yi from being abused by this poisonous husband, Su Mu would take Xie Yi with her everywhere she went.
She had thought that if the two never saw each other, things would get better. But who knew Yan Jiyue's temper would only worsen. He would barge into her courtyard every other day, with the air of someone who wouldn't rest until he had flayed Xie Yi alive.
Just thinking about those scenes still gives Su Mu a headache. What a shrew of a husband.
While Su Mu is reminiscing about the past, Xie Yi, dressed all in white, has already walked up to her coffin. His face is pale and colorless, with red bloodshot eyes, looking as if he has been crying for a long time.
His hand gently caresses her coffin, his dry and bleeding lips murmuring softly.
Su Mu floats to his side, listening carefully to what he's saying.
Xie Yi's voice is thin and trembling: "Winter nights, summer days, after a hundred years return to this chamber."
Su Mu's eyes widen slightly in surprise. This was a phrase she had casually mentioned years ago when teaching him the Central Plains language.
She never expected that after so many years, he would still remember it.
Xie Yi's pale, almost translucent fingertips trail over her coffin. He pushes it open forcefully, revealing Su Mu's pale, lifeless body.
The corpse has been laying there for two days already. Although the weather isn't hot, it has already started to emit a foul odor. Even Su Mu herself finds it unpleasant and purses her lips, holding her breath.
But Xie Yi smiles. A tear rolls from his eye as he says: "Sister Mu, I can't wait a hundred years."
Su Mu is shocked, finally understanding what he intends to do. She calls out to stop him.
But he can't hear her, and she's too late.
Xie Yi takes out a small bottle from his robes and drinks it all in one gulp. The poison takes effect quickly. Xie Yi's expression becomes pained, but his reddened eyes reveal a hint of manic joy.
He supports himself as he lies down in her coffin, nestling into her embrace. A mouthful of deep red blood spills from his lips. Xie Yi smiles as he closes his eyes.
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"The young master is resting now. Young mistress, please return." Outside the tightly closed door, the servant Xiao Ping lifts his chin slightly, his eyes revealing undisguised disdain and a sense of superiority.
Su Mu's head aches a bit. Just now, when she tried to stop Xie Yi from taking poison, she was suddenly blinded by a dazzling white light.