Chapter 8 Chapter 8

Chapter 8

1

The following two days, Lin Chenxin spent some time putting the front yard in order.

She could have planted flowers in season on either side, but looking at this barren, lifeless patch of land, she somehow felt it would be best to let seeds sprout here again.

The servants had delivered many types of flower seeds. Lin Chenxin wasn't picky; she planted them all.

By the time she finished, dusk was falling. Perhaps because summer was approaching, the sunset was exceptionally brilliant.

After dinner, sitting in the hanging basket swing, Lin Chenxin enjoyed a rare moment of leisure.

Watching the evening glow sink below the horizon, she felt particularly relaxed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

A cool breeze stirred her hair. With her eyes closed in deep sleep, her face looked especially serene.

The sky gradually darkened, and shadows slowly enveloped this secluded, quiet little courtyard.

A pair of eyes watched Lin Chenxin silently from not far away.

Time passed quietly as darkness completely descended. The four red lanterns on the long corridor all lit up at once, swaying in the gentle breeze and casting a bright light over Lin Chenxin.

Before long, Lin Chenxin's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, looking ahead.

The corridor was empty.

She stared at the spot for a moment, then yawned and walked sleepily toward her room.

The shadows of tree branches lay quietly on the ground. The swing under the moonlight swayed gently in the wind. The four red lanterns glowed silently.

Deep within the dim corridor, a corner of elegant, plain clothing was gently lifted by the breeze.

—

Weeding the backyard was no small task.

Strangely, though the backyard was overgrown with weeds, they all had a parched, withered look, as if they had died as soon as they sprouted.

Besides the weeds, a few peach trees were planted in the backyard. This should have been the season for peach blossoms to carpet the ground, but here, there were no blossoms to speak of—the tree trunks were bare, without even a few leaves.

Even though spring hadn't yet passed, no signs of fresh, vibrant life could be seen here.

This sent a chill down Lin Chenxin's spine.

In fact, one of the bedroom windows faced the backyard. If peach blossoms bloomed here, petals stirred by the wind would likely drift down like snowflakes, a beautiful sight.

But that window was sealed shut, the nails rusted, clearly having been sealed for many years.

Everything within sight here was filled with years of dryness and decay, as if all the vitality that once belonged to this place had been drained away.

Lin Chenxin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled herself together.

She didn't want to cut down those peach trees; what if they might still bloom someday?

Rolling up her sleeves, she picked up a sickle and first cut down the taller weeds.

Over the years, Lin Chenxin had done plenty of rough work, but weeding was a first. Doing it now, she realized it was incredibly tiring.

Before long, Lin Chenxin was drenched in sweat, her hair damp and sticking to her neck.

Straightening up, she tossed the sickle aside and switched to the lawnmower.

But the uneven, bumpy dirt ground made it hard to control the increasingly willful machine.

After managing to clear a few square meters, she was even more worn out than when using the sickle.

She let the lawnmower drop to the ground, placed her hands on her hips, and panted, sweat pouring down her face.

Perhaps she was so tired she wasn't thinking straight, because at that moment, she actually wondered if Eldest Young Master Chen might possess some divine power to help her with the weeding.

Once this thought emerged, it became uncontrollable.

And the bright sunshine easily emboldened her.

By the time Lin Chenxin came to her senses, she was already standing at the study door.

She knocked, cleared her throat, and said, "Are you in there?"

There was no response from inside.

Pressing against the door, she peeked through the carved gaps above, venturing, "I'm coming in."

With that, she reached out and pulled the door open.

The sunlight behind her immediately streamed past her body, spreading into the room.

No one was inside, but the book left open on the desk hadn't been closed.

Lin Chenxin circled the bookshelves a few times. Then, an idea struck her. She retreated, closed the study door properly, tiptoed toward the bedroom, swiftly pulled the door open, and immediately stuck her head in—only to see nothing inside.

She frowned.

Where did he go?

She stepped back and began searching around the courtyard.

Standing on the rooftop, Chen Gujun watched Lin Chenxin's actions—circling around, even crouching to peer into cracks in the ground—with an indifferent expression, no emotion in his eyes.

Having found no one anywhere, Lin Chenxin straightened up, brushed the dust off her hands, and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Suddenly, Lin Chenxin seemed to sense something and looked up toward the rooftop shaded by the old tree.

Yet there was nothing there, only the gently swaying leaves of the old tree.

She watched for a moment, then walked toward the backyard, sighing in resignation.

—

She worked until dark.

Perhaps she was too exhausted, so tired that she couldn't muster any fear toward this eerie backyard, even finding the chilly wind merely refreshing.

Looking up at the few scattered stars in the sky, Lin Chenxin began to reflect: why was she even doing all this?

Wouldn't it be better to just muddle through, taking each day as it comes?

What did it matter to her how desolate this place was?

But she couldn't forget the deep, lifeless eyes of Eldest Young Master Chen, like a pool of stagnant water, as if they might be swallowed by darkness at any moment.

She couldn't tell if she was afraid, felt a twinge of pity for Eldest Young Master Chen, or if it was for her own sake.

In any case, she understood clearly that a person could lose their vitality in a depressing and oppressive environment.

And she still held onto a lingering wariness in her heart.

This place was too dead; she feared that before she ever got to leave, she would wither away like the trees and grass here, unnoticed.

People give up and accept their fate more easily than they think.

She might not be as tough and stubborn as she thought.

So she needed to do something.

After giving herself a pep talk, Lin Chenxin picked up the hoe again and marched over with purpose.

Most of the weeds in the backyard had been cleared, leaving behind a patch of dry, barren land, making the well stand out even more.

Lin Chenxin kept glancing at it over and over. The narrow mouth of the well seemed to have a strange draw in the dim night, drawing her closer.

During the day, she hadn't dared to approach it, but now that it was dark, it nagged at her more and more.

Without realizing it, she moved closer to the well. The closer she got, the more mysterious and eerie the dark opening seemed, giving off a creepy allure that made her want to see what was inside.

Before she knew it, she peered into the well.

It was pitch black inside, and a chill instantly washed over her.

She swallowed hard, her eyes locked on the depths of the well. A powerful urge drove her to see it clearly.

On instinct, she took a step forward, leaning her upper body over.

Just then, a cold, hoarse voice sounded behind her.

"Don't go near that well."

She startled, immediately stumbling back a few steps, gasping.

The wind dried the sweat on her body, raising goosebumps.

For a moment, she had felt a strong urge to jump in.

After coming to her senses, the chill seeped deep into her bones, and her heart hammered wildly.

She turned around and looked at Eldest Young Master Chen standing under the moonlight.

His tall, slender figure on the rooftop stood like a straight flag, his hair fluttering in the wind behind him.

She couldn't see his face clearly, but the red sigils on him appeared uniquely mysterious and magnificent under the cold moonlight.

She gazed at that silhouette for a long moment before suddenly speaking, "You..."

But in the blink of an eye, the figure vanished.

Lin Chenxin: "..."

Could you help me clear the weeds in the backyard...

—

Early the next morning, Lin Chenxin's back ached so badly she could barely straighten up.

She'd been a young mistress for over a decade, and even during the hardest and most exhausting times, she'd never felt anything like it.

After sitting on the bed for a while, she still went out to toil.

Spring was almost over, and she wanted to see the seeds sprout here before summer arrived.

Another busy day passed.

As the sun set, Lin Chenxin dropped the hoe and went back to chewing over yesterday's unfinished thoughts.

Why was she working alone here?

She wasn't the only one living here.

Eldest Young Master Chen was the master of this place; he should pitch in.

Besides, finding something to do was better than lurking around mysteriously and scaring people all day!

All it took was a little courage to talk yourself into something.

The more she thought about it, the more impulsive she became. Lin Chenxin turned and headed straight for the study.

Opening the door, she found no one inside.

She then went to the bedroom.

Still no one.

She lifted the carpet, pulled back the tablecloth, and stepped outside to look at the rooftop.

No one, no one, still no one.

She darted over to lift a potted plant in the courtyard and looked underneath, like someone could be hiding under it.

Just then, a thought struck her, and she suddenly looked up at the rooftop.

"Got you!"

Chen Gujun: "..."

He was half-hidden under the dense old tree, pausing almost imperceptibly.

Lin Chenxin flashed a triumphant smile.

But the moment she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light, the figure on the rooftop vanished again.

Lin Chenxin: "..."

Her smile immediately disappeared.

"You're cheating! I already found you!"

The girl's clear voice echoed throughout the mansion.

Servants in another courtyard looked up toward Junzi Courtyard.

That place was clearly the most remote and secluded spot in the entire Chen estate, yet it had grown increasingly lively these past few days.

Inside the room, Ms. Liang raised an eyebrow slightly, then calmly took a sip of tea.

The Second Young Lady beside her sneered.

"She sure is making a fuss."

Ms. Liang said coolly, "No matter how much she stirs, she's still a trapped rat."

Hearing this, the Second Young Lady smiled.

Ms. Liang turned to her and said, "Your birthday banquet is coming up soon. Go take a look at the drafted invitations."

"Yes." The Second Young Lady lifted her chin, revealing a confident and arrogant smile.

That night, as she lay in bed, Lin Chenxin still felt a surge of indignation.

It wasn't as if she was doing this only for her own sake.

Besides, in a marriage, it shouldn't be just one person putting in all the effort.

This place was gloomy and eerie all day long—even the servants didn't dare come. A normal person living here for too long would develop problems, let alone someone surnamed Chen, who was already shrouded in an aura of gloom.

Seething, she finally closed her eyes and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

In her dream, she was still toiling away, digging in the backyard.

Meanwhile, in the actual backyard, a figure with waist-length hair stood atop the rim of the well.

He looked at the uneven, dug-up ground, his face showing no discernible emotion.

Then he lifted a fingertip, and with a sharp, black nail, he gave a slight, effortless flick. A gust of wind swept through, smoothing the soil into clear furrows.

After finishing this, he impassively lowered his lashes and folded his hands behind his back.

A moment later, he glanced toward the sealed window of the master bedroom that faced the backyard, but only briefly, before his figure vanished.

The deserted backyard held only the lonely moon shining upon the dark well.

Lin Chenxin dreamed all night. When she woke, she was still in a bit of a mood, but as soon as she stepped into the backyard, she froze in place, her eyes wide as she stared at the leveled ground ahead.

Not a single weed remained; even the soil had been turned.

Standing there, Lin Chenxin murmured to herself, "Indeed, whether human or ghost, if used well, they can become immortals who benefit the world."

Her eyes lit up, and her spirits lifted. Turning toward the roof, she called out, "Thank you, Charitable Master Chen!"

Her bargain of a husband really wasn't bad!

In the study, Chen Gujun paused in his movements, then nonchalantly opened the book on the desk, though his fingertips tightened almost imperceptibly.

Sunlight from outside filtered through the latticework, spreading across the ink-scented table.

A moment later, the hand holding the book gently set it down.

Lin Chenxin planted all the flower seeds.

Looking at the orderly backyard, she swelled with pride.

Just as she turned to leave, a packet of seeds fell from her pocket.

She picked it up, unable to remember where it came from or that she had missed planting a packet.

There was no label on it—she couldn't tell if they were flower seeds or something else. The seeds themselves looked rather shriveled.

She turned back, glanced at the well, thought for a moment, then walked over and scattered the seeds around the edge of the well opening.

She didn't dare get too close, afraid that if there really was a ghost inside, it might pull her in.

Last time, she had nearly fallen in. Even now, in broad daylight, the sight of that dark, narrow well still felt exceptionally frightening.

She scattered the seeds in a circle around the well opening, unsure if they would ever bloom.

Leave it to fate.

She brushed the dirt from her hands, hoisted the hoe onto her shoulder, and headed back.

—

The cut flowers in the vase had withered days ago.

To be precise, they hadn't even lasted a single night, wilting at a terrifying speed.

Now, the elegant vase held only a few brittle, dead stems, and the withered petals would fall at the slightest touch.

Sitting in the courtyard, Lin Chenxin used the last of the twilight to continue making her artificial flowers.

As night fell, the four red lanterns along the corridor lit up in unison.

Lin Chenxin gathered her things from the stone table, picked up the vase, and headed back.

During her first couple of days here, the red lantern light spreading across the ground had felt eerily sinister.

But perhaps because the twilight hadn't fully faded yet, under the gentle glow of the setting sun, the light enveloping the space overhead had a certain unique charm to it.

Before returning to the bedroom, she walked to the study door, knocked softly, left something there, then turned and left in good spirits.

The master bedroom door creaked shut. Not long after, the study door opened from within.

A tall, slender figure stood in the doorway, long hair cascading over his shoulders. A slender, pale hand reached out and plucked the flower from the door latch.

It was a pristine white orchid.