Chapter 2

 

Lingzhou, Shiqiao Town, Chen house.

The night was deep and cold, and Chen Jingzong suddenly opened his eyes.

In the Babu bed where even needle falling could be heard, there were indeed thin and weak sobs coming from the bed.

Chen Jingzong frowned irritably.

He admitted that it was wrong for a noble princess to follow them all the way to their hometown for mourning. Even he, a rough martial artist, felt he wronged her. But she had begun putting on a face from the day they left the capital, and she had been sulking for more than two months now. After struggling for so long, no matter how squeamish you are, you should admit it, but why are you so aggrieved that you cry secretly in the middle of the night?

Chen Jingzong couldn’t understand.

When the emperor conferred the marriage, the Chen family didn’t hide anything from her. She had seen him with her own eyes.

When they went home to mourn this time, the old man suggested that she stay in the capital, he didn’t what she thought, she took the initiative to follow them.

Coming by herself, feeling wronged by herself…

Chen Jingzong sat up.

She was a princess, and everyone in the Chen family wanted to care for her. Before returning, her mother wrote a letter to the second aunt to let her prepare a luxurious and expensive Babu bed for her on this side in advance.

Inside the Babu frame was a canopy bed, which was spacious enough for four adults to lie down comfortably.

The outer part of the bed was the ground level which was quite wide, with her small dressing table at one end and two golden nanmu boxes on the other, containing the gold and silver jewelry she had brought with her.

Logically speaking, he as the prince consort could enjoy this bed with her.

But she didn’t want to see him. It had been twenty days since they came here, and Chen Jingzong actually spent most of the time sleeping on the ground level.

Fortunately, it was almost summer, and he was strong and not afraid of the cold.

“Why are you crying?”

The room was also dark, and Chen Jingzong couldn’t see her face clearly, only a vague outline.

She didn’t respond, either because she was too lazy to pay attention to him or because she deliberately wanted him to listen to her cry.

The cry was delicate and weak, hitting his heart again and again.

Like the gentle water waves on the lake on a calm day, the dark roots of the old trees on the shore were washed away in circles.

Chen Jingzong couldn’t help remembered how beautiful she was when they were intimate in the past.

Her temperament was really not cute at all, but at that time it drove him crazy with affection.

Sighing, Chen Jingzong walked out of the Babu bed, found the place where the fire matches was set, and lit a lamp.

The lights were flickering and dim, and not even the darkness by the window could be dispelled.

There was a basin of water on the washstand. Chen Jingzong was about to wet the towel directly with cold water, but remembered her delicateness, he picked up the warm copper pot and poured half a pot of hot water into the cold water.

When it was ready, Chen Jingzong entered the bed again with a lamp in one hand and a towel that had been twisted so it was no longer dripping in the other.

The Babu bed was like a small room, with soft lighting trapped inside.

Chen Jingzong put down the lamp and turned to look at bed.

He thought he would see a beautiful face full of resentment, but he was surprised to find that she was still asleep. Her crying had subsided, and there was a teardrop that had not yet rolled down on her fair and delicate face.

So, she just had a dream that made her sad?

After standing silently for a while, making sure that she was still sleeping soundly again, Chen Jingzong looked at the towel in his hand. Not wanting to work in vain, he quietly sat by the bed and leaned over to help her wipe away the tears.

No one knew better than him how tender her fairy-like skin was, so Chen Jingzong subconsciously moved lightly.

Hua Yang felt that someone was touching her, but her head was dizzy and she had no strength in her body.

She knew she was sick.

The day after everyone in the Chen family was escorted out of the capital, she fell ill.

The imperial doctor said she contracted the cold from going out on a snowy day, but Hua Yang knew that she was sick in the heart.

She wanted to save the Chen family. Hua Yang had been to the palace as early as when she heard that her brother was going to raid the Chen family.

And the result?

Her younger brother, who had just grown up and had hardened wings, actually said coldly that this was a state matter and told her not to interfere.

Hua Yang went to seek help from her mother, who, like her, had a problem with her younger brother.

The two blood relatives’ pleas for mercy were in vain, and those ministers who intended to help the Chen family were directly punished by her younger brother.

The remains of her parents-in-law and eldest brother had not yet cold, and the bodies of the sisters-in-law and nephews were weak. How could they endure the hardship of being exiled?

Thinking of this, tears fell from the corners of Hua Yang’s eyes again.

In terms of feelings, Hua Yang didn’t have much connection with them. She just felt that they were innocent and couldn’t bear it in her heart.

Chen Jingzong looked at her moist and dense eyelashes and forgot to move.

In fact, except for now, he had never seen her cry before.

No matter what grievances she suffered in the Chen family, all she showed towards him was arrogance and disgust, as if looking at him one more time would make her eyes dirty.

Crying is more or less a sign of weakness. As arrogant as she was, she only seized other people’s shortcomings and made sarcastic remarks. How could she show weakness to others?

Seeing the tears flowing continuously and unable to be wiped away, Chen Jingzong tried to call: “Princess?”

After calling three times, the sleeping beauty finally woke up and looked at him with tearful eyes.

No matter how hard Chen Jingzong’s heart was, it softened a little, and he asked in a low voice: “What did you dream about?”

Hua Yang stared blankly at the person in front of her.

Even though they had been separated for three years, of course she still recognized her husband.

He was wearing a white middle coat. Maybe all dead people wear this in the underworld?

When he was alive, he always had a stern face, as if everyone owed him money, but at this time he looked much gentler.

After all, he was a person who had died once. No matter how strong his anger was, it must have dissipated.

They were a couple who once only looked at each other with resentment, but now Hua Yang actually found that feeling of dependence in him.

She had relied on her father, but her father was busy having fun with his concubines.

She had relied on her mother, but her mother was more concerned about whether her younger brother could securely sit in the East Palace and the Dragon Throne, full of worries and troubled.

From the moment she got married, as a married woman, she was expected to be grown up, and even acting coquettishly towards her mother became insensible.

Hua Yang didn’t like this at all. She wanted to continue to be the carefree little princess, pampered and cherished by her father emperor and mother empress.

If Chen Jingzong was still alive, Hua Yang would not show this side of her in front of him, but he was dead and might leave at dawn, so why she still care?

She threw herself into Chen Jingzong’s arms, pressed her face against his chest, and wrapped her hands tightly around his waist.

Chen Jingzong’s whole body froze.

No woman had ever hugged him like this. In the past six months after their marriage, apart from putting on face, the most she did was push him away.

Hot tears wetted the thin shirt, and the chest felt cold.

Chen Jingzong suppressed the weirdness for the time being, hugged her and gently touched her head: “What on earth were you dreaming?”

Hua Yang responded absently: “I didn’t dream.”

Chen Jingzong: “Then why are you crying?”

Hua Yang was startled, then slowly raised her head, looked at him and asked, “You don’t know?”

Chen Jingzong looked confused: “Know what?”

Hua Yang looked at his confuse but calm eyes and felt sad.

Although he always quarreled with father-in-law, but the father and son were in the same boat. While he treated other family members coldly and indifferently, but they were close relative of his own flesh and blood. If she tell him the great changes in the Chen family, how sad and angry he would be?

After being a peaceful ghost for so many years, why let him suffer in vain again?

Hua Yang shook her head, hugged him tightly again, and changed the subject: “Why are you here?”

Because seeing someone that was impossible to see, Hua Yang thought she was still dreaming.

Chen Jingzong was confused and was about to ask clearly, but she suddenly raised her hand and touched his face with a slight trembling.

Chen Jingzong took a deep breath.

The Hua Yang in his eyes had messy black hair, with tears like hanging dew on white-petaled peonies, and eyes brimmed with water. His desire to speak was gone.

Chen Jingzong vaguely saw a trace of affection, as precious and rare as the last drop of nectar from Guanyin Bodhisattva’s Jade Pure Bottle that had tilted for a long time.

A fire suddenly burst in his heart.

Reason told him that he shouldn’t have such thoughts, but he was just a young and vigorous man who had to mourn after only three months of marriage.

The body that had been vegetarian for so long had its own reaction.

His arm hugged her waist and forced her towards him, then Chen Jingzong lowered his head.

As soon as he came closer, Hua Yang’s body went limp.

Some things could only be understood by tasting the essence, not to mention that she had been a widow for three years.

For many long nights, Hua Yang, who had difficulty sleeping from loneliness, would be immersed in the memories of Chen Jingzong.

Now that the couple had reunited, Hua Yang just wishes she could keep him for a long time.

She was like a delicate vine, trying its best to wrap around him. No matter how he galloped on the battlefield, she would never fall off.

She forgot everything until Chen Jingzong suddenly covered her mouth with his hand.

Hua Yang looked over in confusion.

Chen Jingzong’s breath was heavy, and beads of sweat slid down his handsome and sharp face. His dark eyes were deep, burning with blazing fire.

“Don’t make a sound, otherwise the old man will scold me again.”

During the mourning period, it was forbidden to marry, eat meat or drink alcohol, and it was also forbidden for couples to have sex.

Somethings he dares to do then dare to take responsibility for it, but it was better that only the husband and wife know about such things.

Hua Yang looked at him blankly.

Old man?

Chen Jingzong would only call father-in-law “old man”.

But they met in her dream. Why was Chen Jingzong afraid of father-in-law?

As soon as her doubts arose, the next moment she was smashed into pieces by Chen Jingzong.

The light shone from outside, casting the figures of the two people inside of bed.

Hua Yang was lying down, her shadow was not obvious, but Chen Jingzong looked like a galloping cheetah.

Hua Yang closed her eyes in shame.

But soon, she opened her eyes again and stared at the shadow belonging to Chen Jingzong in disbelief.

Ghosts also have shadows?

Can a ghost’s body be as hot as fire?

And how can everything in the dream seems so real?

With more and more doubts, Hua Yang looked at the man above her again.

When their eyes met, Chen Jingzong let go of his hand, his handsome face quickly approached, and he roughly blocked her lips, chewing peony as he always did.

Hua Yang didn’t like such a kiss, but he was as strong as an ox, and Hua Yang couldn’t push him away, so she helplessly continued to observe her surroundings.

The bed curtain was white, not the bed in her princess mansion.

The middle coat that Chen Jingzong threw aside was also white, not the one she wore last night.

What the hell is going on?

Hua Yang was so confused but she didn’t have time to think about it carefully. It wasn’t until the sky outside the window turned bright that Chen Jingzong finally stopped.

He rolled up his middle coat into a ball and threw it outside, then he turned around and hugged Hua Yang, kissing the side of her neck with lingering emotions.

Hua Yang, who had been stiff for a long time, suddenly grabbed his arm and dug her nails deeply into it.

Chen Jingzong took a deep breath and was about to ask her why she hurt people. Then he remembered the good deeds he had done. He smiled lowly, hugged her and apologized: “It’s just this time, I won’t do it next time.”

Hua Yang became more and more stiff and this time pinched herself, it hurt.

Both of them were in pain, could it still be a dream?

Chen Jingzong comforted her: “Don’t worry, I’ve spent outside. I guarantee you won’t get pregnant.”

Hua Yang:…

She pushed away the sticky man, grabbed a thin quilt and wrapped it around her body, and got out of bed barefoot.

After getting out of the Babu bed, Hua Yang found that this was a rather sparsely furnished room, which seemed a bit familiar.

Coming to the window, Hua Yang gently opened the window.

A small yard appeared in front of her. In the flower bed under the window, there were a row of peonies in bud.

“Why don’t you sleep more?”

Chen Jingzong’s low and hoarse voice sounded behind her, and Hua Yang slowly turned around.

The first ray of morning light passed by her and fell on Chen Jingzong.

He only wore a pair of inner pants, revealing his strong chest, broad shoulders, and thin waist.

Having just a feast, he looked satiated. He stood nonchalantly within the halo, without any shame.

Hua Yang looked at him three times from head to toe and from toe to head, she didn’t see any ghostly look.

The author have something to say:

Fourth master Chen: If ghosts are capable of this, you don’t have to sleep alone every night.

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