TSWRLM -Chapter 4 Ahhh—A Ghost!

“Wei Lingze, you madman! Don’t try to pin this on me. I have nothing to do with this wretch! If you dare hurt me, my father won’t let you off—just you wait!”

Supported by his servant as he fled, Ye Er kept cursing.

With that, anyone who had suspected Wei Lingze of deliberately avoiding Chun Xi immediately dismissed the thought.

So it turned out Wei Lingze’s coldness toward Chun Xi was because he suspected her of colluding with outsiders to sow discord.

It made sense—how could a young master with such a beautiful and noble fiancée take a liking to a crude maid? Bringing her to banquets before must have been a deliberate attempt to provoke jealousy.

“Young Master Wei has misunderstood. This commoner has absolutely no connection with Young Master Ye. In the future, I will remain grateful to the Wei family and would never betray my former master.”

With the sword tip pressed to her throat, Chun Xi didn’t even have the chance to kowtow and beg.

After a brief stalemate, Xiao Qinghe spoke, “Lord Wei, I believe Miss Chun Xi is innocent.”

Wei Lingze withdrew his sword and coldly uttered a single word: “Scram.”

Chun Xi scrambled away, half crawling, half running.

Only after she had run far away did she dare stop to catch her breath.

The smell of blood still lingered in her nose, and it felt as if a blade still hovered at her throat. Her back was soaked in cold sweat. She wiped her face and found it damp.

Fortunately, she hadn’t cried in front of all those people.

She walked slowly, afraid of running into Wei Lingze and the others again on their way back to the city, so she chose a side path.

But she rarely left the city and wasn’t familiar with the roads. Before she knew it, she got lost. By the time she found her way back to the main road, night had completely fallen.

Though the weather had warmed, the night was still cold. Chun Xi rubbed her arms. Her stomach growled—she was both tired and hungry.

Her grievance spread silently in the endless darkness.

After Wei Lingze was injured, he had beaten several servants to death. No one in the residence dared serve in Lingfeng Courtyard. Chun Xi had handed all her wages to her family and had no money to bribe the steward—so she was assigned there.

On the very first night, Wei Lingze had smashed her head open. But she was lucky—she didn’t die—and so she continued serving him.

The Wei family didn’t lack maids. If Wei Lingze killed one, another would be brought in immediately. With enough compensation, no one would make trouble.

Chun Xi didn’t want to die, so she racked her brains to serve him well.

She had always remembered her status, never daring to hope for anything more—nor to compete with the future young madam.

But no one cared what she thought.

Her nose stung, her eyes grew hot, and she was about to cry again when a crisp jingling sound suddenly came from the darkness.

It was late at night. Fog blanketed everything. Two glowing lights drifted out of the mist, accompanied by the sound of bells—eerily chilling.

What on earth was that?

Chun Xi’s hair stood on end. Her sadness vanished instantly. She groped around on the ground and picked up a stone.

The lights quickly approached.

It was a carriage.

Chun Xi let out a sigh of relief and rushed forward to stop it. “Stop!”

“Ahhh—there’s a ghost!”

The coachman screamed in terror. Not only did he not stop, he whipped the horse harder and sped past. If Chun Xi hadn’t dodged in time, she would have been trampled to death.

The carriage came and went quickly. Chun Xi tossed away the stone and continued walking.

Before long, the carriage actually turned back.

Chun Xi’s eyes lit up. She hurried forward. “I’m not a ghost, I’m a person! I went out of the city with others and got lost. Could you give me a ride? I can pay.”

“How do you prove you’re not a ghost? And if you went out with others, why didn’t you come back with them?”

The coachman, still shaken, pointed a gleaming saber at Chun Xi, though his trembling hands gave him no real authority.

Chun Xi was about to explain when a steady, powerful voice came from inside the carriage: “Let her on.”

“Thank you, sir! Good people will be rewarded—you’ll surely enjoy long life and good fortune!”

Chun Xi spoke as she climbed up using both hands and feet.

She knew her place—she wouldn’t enter the carriage, just sit on the front shaft. But halfway up, she grabbed onto something cold.

There were two lanterns hanging from the carriage. In the dim, flickering light, Chun Xi saw a person lying on the shaft—her hand was gripping his ankle as she climbed.

The man lay flat, half his body outside, half inside behind the curtain. Even when she grabbed his ankle, he didn’t react at all.

And the skin beneath her palm was cold… and stiff.

There was a corpse on the carriage!

Ahhh!!!

Where was her stone?

The big, heavy stone she had just picked up?!

Chun Xi’s legs went weak. She slipped and hit her chin on the carriage shaft.

In the next moment, the curtain was lifted by a large, well-defined hand, revealing a square, imposing face.

His thick brows were sharp as blades, his nose straight, his lips thin and defined. Though his expression was stern, he gave off a sense of upright righteousness.

Clutching her chin, Chun Xi suddenly felt less afraid.

As she prepared to climb again, the man leaned down and extended his hand. Chun Xi quickly placed hers in his.

The next moment, she was lifted into the carriage like a chick.

The carriage was small, meant for a single passenger. Even with the corpse only half inside, it was already cramped—now it felt even more so.

Chun Xi silently recited “Amitabha” twice in her heart and sat down, stepping over the corpse.

Inside, it was dark. Only when the curtain swayed did faint yellow light seep in. Two people and a corpse sharing the space—it was indescribably eerie.

Chun Xi rubbed her arms. Just as she was about to thank him, the man spoke first: “Jingzhao Prefecture is handling a case. You need not be afraid.”

So he was an official—no wonder he exuded such righteousness.

Chun Xi immediately said, “Sir, you are full of integrity, working even late into the night for official duties—it is truly a blessing for the people and the nation. Being able to share a carriage with you is this commoner’s fortune. I’m not afraid at all.”

“…”

After walking most of the day, Chun Xi was exhausted. After flattering him, she relaxed completely.

Sleepiness washed over her. Soon, she leaned against the carriage wall and fell asleep… letting out soft snores.

Sitting opposite her, Shen Qingyuan rarely showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

She actually fell asleep just like that?

Before long, the carriage reached the city gate.

The heavy sound of the gates opening woke Chun Xi. She slapped her own face twice to wake herself up. “Thank you, sir. I can get off here.”

“There are patrol officers at night—you wouldn’t be able to deal with them. I’ll take you home.”

“That’s too much trouble for you, sir.”

Chun Xi quickly gave her address. After the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, the carriage stopped at the familiar alley.

Her family was already asleep. Chun Xi called out for a long time before Madam Wang came to open the door, wrapped in her clothes and holding an oil lamp—almost frightened to death by Chun Xi’s appearance. Chun Xi quickly covered her mouth.

Once inside, Chun Xi realized her hair was disheveled and her face still had smeared bloodstains—no wonder she looked like a female ghost.

Still shaken, Madam Wang scolded, “You wretched girl, where did you go? Looking like this—you nearly scared me to death! The curfew is so strict—aren’t you afraid of running into soldiers and losing your life?”

Chun Xi ignored her, her mind already racing.

That official from Jingzhao Prefecture was truly a good man… if only she could build a connection with him!