Qin Guan had always heeded her father's teachings, believing that death was like a lamp extinguished—utterly devoid of any supernatural notions. Yet even someone as steadfast as her felt her scalp prickle and hairs stand on end in that instant—
"Miss, that's... wuwuwu..."
Fuling stumbled backward in terror, collapsing to the ground before scrambling toward Qin Guan in panic. Before she could crawl more than a few steps, she burst into tears. Qin Guan instinctively leaned forward to pull her up, but when she looked up again, the crimson figure outside the window had vanished!
Frowning deeply, Qin Guan instinctively moved to investigate, but Fuling grabbed her arm desperately. "Miss! Don't go! Don't—"
Tears streamed down Fuling's face as she trembled uncontrollably. All she wanted now was to take Qin Guan away from Marquis Anyang Manor. Song Rou had died horribly at the manor's gates, and now her ghost had returned—she had to get her mistress out of here!
With her skirt clutched tightly in Fuling's grip, Qin Guan stared fixedly at the rear window. Outside, there was only an expanse of darkness; the eerie, terrifying figure did not reappear. She almost wondered if she had imagined it—yet the cold sweat on her palms and her wildly pounding heart left no doubt. What she had seen outside the window was indeed Song Rou, clad in a fiery Wedding Gown...
No—to be precise, it was a headless female corpse identical to Song Rou.
"Miss, let's leave quickly... Miss Song... Miss Song has come back..."
Though Fuling had endured hardships serving Qin Guan, she had rarely encountered the dead. That day, she had only glimpsed Song Rou from afar—but this time, she had seen her clearly, even the gruesomely mangled stump of her neck...
She clutched her own head, as if it might be severed the next moment.
"Miss, miss, let's return to Qin Manor, let's go—"
Even knowing that tales of ghosts were mostly superstition, the sheer visual horror struck a primal fear. Fuling's hysterical sobbing only deepened Qin Guan's unease, yet outwardly, she remained composed. Gritting her teeth, she crouched to soothe Fuling. "Don’t be afraid, Fuling. I'm here. Calm down first..."
Fuling shook her head violently, shrinking closer to Qin Guan while casting terrified glances around the room, as though Song Rou might materialize behind her at any second. "Miss, let’s leave this place... We can come back tomorrow for the consultation..."
"Miss, I'm scared... wuwu..."
Seeing Fuling truly paralyzed by fear, Qin Guan glanced at her needle kit. Drawing out a long needle, she lifted Fuling’s arm. Too distraught to notice, Fuling only flinched when the needle pricked her Supreme Spring Acupoint.
A shiver ran through her, followed by a numbing ache that spread through her body. Strangely, the terror that had seized her limbs began to ebb. Soon, her gaze cleared, though she still hiccuped with residual sobs.
"Ninth Miss, what happened?!"
Just as Fuling steadied slightly, a maid outside, hearing the commotion, hurried to the door.
Qin Guan’s expression darkened. "Fetch the Marquis and his wife. There’s trouble."
As an honored guest of the manor, the maid dared not delay and scurried off at once.
Qin Guan withdrew the needle and helped Fuling to her feet. "Don’t be afraid. Sit down first..."
Drenched in cold sweat, Fuling’s face was deathly pale, her body quaking so violently her legs barely held her. Clutching Qin Guan’s hand, she wept silently. "Miss... once the Madam arrives... let’s go back to Qin Manor..."Qin Guan tightly held her hand without answering, her gaze still fixed on the rear window. Another moment passed, and the area outside the window remained undisturbed, with only the faint whispers of the early autumn breeze. Qin Guan narrowed her eyes slightly, placing a teacup into Fuling's trembling hands. Fuling clutched the cup shakily, taking a small sip between sniffles.
"Fuling, what did you see just now?"
Fuling's eyes flickered with fear. "It was Miss Song... Miss Song's ghost..."
"No."
Qin Guan swiftly dismissed Fuling's words. Fuling looked up at her in surprise. "Then what was it?"
Qin Guan's lips pressed into a thin line. "It was someone with ill intentions."
Fuling opened her mouth to argue, but Qin Guan lowered her head, her gaze sharp and penetrating, as if imprinting her words forcefully into Fuling's mind. "Remember this—there are no ghosts in this world, only people with ghosts in their hearts."
Fuling was momentarily stunned by Qin Guan's piercing stare, but strangely, her heart steadied. As she silently repeated those words, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed outside the door. Qin Guan straightened up—Jiang Shi and Yue Qiong had arrived!
"Guan'er?!" Jiang Shi called out even before entering. She pushed the door open swiftly, relief washing over her when she saw Qin Guan and Fuling standing unharmed. However, noticing Fuling's reddened eyes and terrified expression, she frowned and hurried over. "What happened? What's wrong with this girl?"
Jiang Shi entered first, followed closely by Yue Qiong and the Yue siblings. Qin Guan had assumed that was all, but then a dark figure slipped in last—Yan Chi had come too!
Qin Guan felt the weight of her needle kit in her hand. Glancing past the Yue family, she met Yan Chi's eyes briefly before discreetly tucking the kit away. She then addressed them solemnly, "Madam, a quarter of an hour ago, Fuling and I saw someone standing outside our window."
Qin Guan gestured toward the rear window, and Jiang Shi followed her gaze, her frown deepening. She had always prided herself on running the household with strict discipline—how could someone dare to lurk outside Qin Guan's room at night?!
Jiang Shi grew anxious and grasped Qin Guan's hands. "Who would be so bold? Did you see their face?"
Realizing Jiang Shi had misunderstood, Qin Guan quickly clarified, "It wasn't anyone from the household."
Everyone frowned in confusion. Fuling suddenly burst into tears again, wailing, "Madam, it was Miss Song..."
The door was wide open, and the chilly autumn wind slithered into the room like a snake, sending shivers down the spines of the Yue family. Jiang Shi paled. "What? Miss... Miss Song...?"
Qin Guan's expression hardened. "To be precise, someone was pretending to be Miss Song outside the window."
Jiang Shi's lips trembled, and when she looked back at the window, fear crept into her eyes. Realizing this wasn't just an internal household matter, Yue Qiong stepped forward. "Ninth Miss, are you certain of what you saw?"
Qin Guan nodded. "There are no ghosts or spirits in this world, so I concluded it was done deliberately."
She swept her gaze over the group. "I would have gone to investigate immediately, but given the circumstances, Fuling and I didn't dare act alone. Now that the Marquis and Madam are here, may I ask you to accompany me to check the area?"
First, both she and Fuling had been frightened—especially Fuling. Second, without knowing the intruder's intentions, it was unwise for a young woman like her to venture out alone. Yue Qiong's expression turned grave. "Of course!"
Yue Qiong then glanced at Yue Jia, who immediately turned and strode out.Jiang Shi's face paled slightly. "Guan'er, how... how could this be..."
Jiang Shi and the others hadn't witnessed it firsthand. Hearing Qin Guan's account, though they weren't as terrified as Fuling, they still felt a creeping dread and were even more puzzled. "Miss Song... if someone was truly impersonating her as you say, what could their intention be? This case has nothing to do with you. If there's any scheme, it should be directed at me or the Marquis..."
Qin Guan frowned slightly. "That, I don't know."
Just then, Yue Jia appeared at the door holding a bright lamp. "Ninth Miss, we can proceed to the back now."
Qin Guan nodded and was about to step out when Fuling grabbed her arm. Qin Guan clasped Fuling's hand in return. "If you think it's a ghost, then come with me to see for yourself. If it's someone deliberately causing this, you have nothing to fear."
Inspired by Qin Guan's resolute gaze, Fuling hesitated for a moment, wiped away her tears, and stood up with a courage akin to marching to one's doom. "Alright, I'll listen to you, miss!"
Holding Fuling's hand, Qin Guan stepped outside where three servants were already waiting with lamps. Led by Yue Jia and Yue Qing, the group followed the veranda toward the rear of the house.
Plum Garden was a single courtyard with three spacious main rooms. Behind them lay a flowerbed about ten feet wide, planted with several plum trees and a garden full of roses. At the end of their blooming season, the roses blazed like fire, their crimson petals glowing under the lamplight with an eerie, ghastly hue, reminiscent of blood...
Yue Qing, having heard Qin Guan's account, was both angered by her fright and curious to investigate. A military man trained in martial arts since childhood, he naturally had no fear of ghosts or vengeful spirits. As they reached the small corridor behind the house, he strode ahead. After a few steps, his gaze fixed abruptly. "Look—what's that?!"
Everyone turned to see a glaringly red object lying on the ground right beneath the rear window of Qin Guan's room. Yue Qing quickened his pace, picked it up, and held it aloft.
Instantly, everyone gasped in shock.
What Yue Qing held in his hand was a crimson Wedding Gown embroidered with pomegranates bursting with hundreds of seeds and blossoming flowers bringing wealth and status.
The Yue family members who had stood closest to the bridal sedan that day remembered clearly—Song Rou had been wearing an identical gown. A sinister chill gripped their hearts. Could it truly be that Song Rou had returned?
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