### Chapter 124: Where Did I Go Wrong?
Zhizi’s words left Lu Liangting in a deep silence, frowning hard. That bank card—he honestly hadn’t thought much of it just earlier.
His mother had always been a bit against him mingling with women outside, mainly due to some marriage arrangements. Recently, he just “happened” to be a bit closer to some girls, and news of that found its way to her ears, leading to some not-so-subtle surveillance.
The bank card already had over one and a half million on it, but after factoring in his luxurious car, he was down to just a hundred thousand. So, he really didn’t put much thought into giving the card to Zhao Mingyue.
Now, the problem was that he’d already given it away—there was no taking it back. That would be pretty awkward, especially since it was meant as a thank-you for Zhao Mingyue and Bai Yu. Who asks for their gifts back, right?
Thinking about it, Lu Liangting decided not to dwell on it too much.
After all, it was just a bank card. Worst case, he could explain it when he got home. His stepmother could be a bit prickly, but surely she wouldn’t make life difficult for Zhao Mingyue over a card. Plus, he had so many girls around him; nothing bad had ever come of it, right?
Still, a slight headache persisted.
With her watching him, he might not even get to choose his own wife! And what was even going on lately? So many odd girls were suddenly pursuing him, it felt like a bizarre game.
Lu Liangting could swear he hadn’t known any of them before!
Not a single encounter! So why were these girls acting like this?
In the past, there had been a few girls obsessed with his family wealth, thinking he was loaded, so they’d come sniffing around. But those were just a few.
Most of those girls gave up after he turned them down, while some gradually shifted their attention elsewhere, maybe to one of his friends.
It was all about the money, not the person behind it. Why chase after someone for him?
With that thought, Lu Liangting decided to take a moment to clear his head.
He truly felt cornered.
The girls around him recently were too numerous and weird, and all signs pointed to them genuinely liking him, not his cash.
Liking him? Not the money? A person they hadn’t even interacted with?
He couldn’t understand.
Was someone orchestrating this? Maybe his stepmother?
But looking at their tenacity and audacity, they didn’t seem like pawns she could easily control.
Peeking into the rearview mirror, Lu Liangting caught sight of the girl sitting in the back and found himself drifting off.
He thought of Bai Yu.
Noticing Lu Liangting’s unwavering gaze, Shen Shuyun felt a spark of surprise—he’d never kept his eyes on her for this long. Had he finally come around?
Then, noticing Lu Liangting looked dazed, Shen Shuyun hesitated, then had a sudden realization. A wave of inexplicable anger surged within her, and all she wanted was to stab him in the chest!
“Hey! Staring at one girl while thinking about another is pretty rude!”
Her anger quickly fizzled out. At the same time, Shen Shuyun sighed internally, feeling a pang of frustration.
What was with this infuriating lack of success?
She couldn’t even compete with Bai Yu; her strength had always put her at a disadvantage. Back in her previous life, she got beaten up on a daily basis, and now it was the same story. No big deal, though—after all, no one could take on a doctor, the ultimate boss lady.
But!
Just because she wasn’t as strong, couldn’t she at least shine in other areas?
Sure, the doctor was tough and crafty, but when it came to chasing men? Surely she could do better than a murderer?
But what was the result?
She was the one putting in all the effort, practically throwing herself onto him, teasing and flirting. The last time Lu Liangting had come to her house, she was almost totally undressed, wrapped in a towel, inviting him to join her for a bath.
What man could refuse that kind of offer?
Seriously, in her opinion, leaning against the bathroom door in just a towel, with her smooth, bare legs splayed, batting her eyelashes at a guy, was way more inviting than just flopping onto a bed with her legs wide open.
And what happened? Despite her blatant hints, Lu Liangting hadn’t even bothered to give her a second look!
Afterward, he said it was because she wasn’t wearing any black stockings.
How hurtful was that!
And now looking at Bai Yu, it seemed like she hadn’t done much—just helped Lu Liangting a little here and there.
And this guy was still stuck on her.
Totally infuriating!
This feeling of being obliterated everywhere—whether in battle or in attracting men—was just the worst.
‘Hmph, so you’re looking at me but thinking of other women, huh?’
‘One day, I’ll make sure you’ve got no heart left to think!’
Lu Liangting shook himself out of his thoughts, suddenly feeling a chill running down his spine, sensing an inexplicable killing intent.
Turning his head, he saw Zhizi was staring at him intently. With a slam of her foot on the accelerator, the car roared to life, and that outrageous burst of power pushed Lu Liangting so far back into his seat he could barely breathe.
“Zhizi, there’s a turn ahead!”
Just as his words left his mouth, the sound of screeching tires filled the air, and the car swerved with a drift.
The music inside blared a song titled “Towards the North.”
At that moment, Lu Liangting had completely forgotten about Bai Yu; all he could think of was the girl running ahead and his spirit chasing after her.
Little did he know, the very person he was just pondering was in the middle of enjoying a bath with someone else.
·
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“Looks like even ghosts need a good wash now and then.”
In the bathroom, water was flowing softly. Zhao Mingyue lounged in the bathtub, almost cradling Bai Yu, whose back was turned to her.
With delicate fingers, she splashed some water playfully, drenching Bai Yu’s hair. Gently, she massaged Bai Yu’s back, and the suds from the shampoo mixed in, filling the air with a captivating fragrance.
The tips of her fingers occasionally brushed against Bai Yu’s silky skin, making ripples in the water.
“You smell even better! By the way, Yu-jie, I feel like you’re becoming more and more human-like. At least your state seems so. I can clearly feel your skin, and it’s indistinguishable from that of a living person. No, it’s even better than living flesh!”
Zhao Mingyue rinsed the foam off Bai Yu’s head. The bubbles spilled over the brim of the bathtub, drifting away with the water.
Setting the showerhead aside, she pressed her hands on Bai Yu’s shoulders, gently kneading her neck, all while feeling immensely emotional.
This touch, this sensation—it was something else entirely!
It was still that pleasantly cool feeling. To Zhao Mingyue, that chill was actually a plus.
After absorbing a lot of the red clothes, Bai Yu’s state was inching closer to that of a human. From the touch of her skin, it was incredibly delicate and smooth. Zhao Mingyue finally understood what it meant for a person’s skin to be “as delicate as a flower petal”—it wasn’t weak skin, just Bai Yu’s exquisite touch and fairness.
Gently massaging her, she felt like she was holding a pudding; but unlike pudding, Bai Yu’s skin wasn’t soft and mushy—her body had a smoothness that still held firmness.
The key point was that Bai Yu was a ghost; she had no bones.
Her “bones” were made up of that bl**d thread she used for fighting, which meant her body didn’t suffer from the deformities that lack of bones would entail. Instead, she was soft and pliable, making one want to hold her close forever.
Her bl**d thread bone structure maintained a perfectly proportioned figure.
There’s a saying: beauty lies in the bones, not just the skin.
Bai Yu was the perfect blend of form and features.
And let’s not forget, she was young! At just fifteen, her body was still petite, straddling that line between loli and teenage girl; you could say she was a loli or a blossoming youth, and it would fit.
“Ah~”
Zhao Mingyue suddenly hugged Bai Yu from behind, letting out a curious sound, like a creepy uncle embracing his adorable loli.
“I don’t know why, but holding you like this feels amazing.”
As Zhao Mingyue relished the moment, Bai Yu’s previously indifferent expression became serious.
After Zhao Mingyue absorbed the corpse of the evil spirit, the dormant evil god within her was becoming increasingly uncontrollable. However, while Zhao Mingyue hugged her, absorbing her powers—essentially the purified resentment—it seemed to stabilize the waves of the evil god within her.
Bai Yu pondered deeply.
If the evil spirit’s corpse stimulated the evil god within her, maybe her own evil ghost powers could help regulate that stimulation for a while.
‘The resentment of the evil ghost, huh…’
This was just a guess. Regardless of the exact cause, it was clear that Zhao Mingyue’s evil god could indeed be suppressed by her own ghostly resentment.
At first glance, that seemed beneficial. But Bai Yu wasn’t willing to let Zhao Mingyue absorb too much of that resentment.
Resentment power was toxic for humans—depending on the amount.
When absorbed in small amounts, it might not have any effect—or even be beneficial. But when the quantity reached a certain level, humans struggled to expel those resentments because they attacked the psyche.
This was precisely why she had constantly refused Zhao Mingyue’s offers to sleep together.
If they really did sleep together, there was a good chance Zhao Mingyue would find her mental state deteriorating over time, risking a series of mental health issues.
This was also why many people tormented by evil spirits often showed signs of abnormal mental states.
‘No, it must also be seen relatively. A smaller cost in exchange for a bigger benefit.’
‘If a small impact on Mingyue’s mental state could suppress the evil god within her body, then that cost is absolutely worth it.’
‘Once this evil god erupts, the worst-case scenario is that Mingyue would temporarily lose consciousness and her body would be controlled by the evil god, or worse, her entire consciousness could be wiped out.’
‘The former could be tested; the impact of resentment on her mental capacity isn’t trivial, and it wouldn’t be difficult to resolve. The latter, however, if an accident occurs, might lead to possession and a fight for the body with that evil god.’
‘That risk is the highest. To minimize risks, I’d need to eliminate this guy entirely.’
‘If the evil god proves to be too powerful, then I’ll team up with the Dragon Lady.’
‘Eternal Life Village is crucial.’
‘For now, I should try having Mingyue absorb more resentment and see her reactions.’
Bai Yu’s thoughts raced as she weighed the pros and cons and considered future actions.
This ghost had a habit of listing all possible outcomes she could think of and plotting against them, ensuring that whenever anything came up, she would at least be mentally prepared.
And while she was deep in thought, she felt an inappropriate hand wandering from her abdomen, slowly making its way up.
“Mingyue!”
Bai Yu’s tone shifted slightly.
·
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Moments later, the girl and the ghost emerged from the bathroom. Bai Yu was clad in a rabbit-themed sleep outfit, the one Zhao Mingyue had bought her during their shopping trip. But it was too cutesy for her taste, so she had relented after a barrage of Zhao Mingyue’s pitiful pleas.
After Zhao Mingyue dried her hair, she gleefully tied up Bai Yu’s hair into twin buns, sticking on rabbit ear hairpins, then pulled out her phone to snap picture after picture.
Watching Bai Yu’s expression—a mix of reluctant elegance and high-handedness—Zhao Mingyue took more pictures, and Bai Yu’s amused yet annoyed smile only grew more pronounced.
This expression suited Bai Yu perfectly!
That night, after all the fuss, Zhao Mingyue finally settled down to sleep.
“Bai Yu, how do you think I did at that hospital tonight?” she asked, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.
“A bit rash; it was quite different from your usual style,” Bai Yu replied.
“Very different?” Zhao Mingyue’s tone was calm, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Truthfully, I just felt a lot of pressure and wanted to make some changes.”
“I’ve noticed more and more old friends are surrounding you. They seem a bit dangerous; they appear to be afraid of you but are also eager to make a move against you.”
“I thought if I kept going like this, I’d surely hold you back.”
“The only way for me to not drag you down is to become stronger—even if it’s not much, at least I can lessen some of your burdens.”
“But you don’t have to worry! My adaptability is quite strong.”
“Just don’t mind if I seem too aggressive or if I don’t act like a girl at all.”
“My sister used to say that about me, claiming I was nothing like a girl, acting crazier than a little boy.”
Zhao Mingyue rambled on, her voice growing softer and harder to hear, until gradually, her breathing became steady, and she fell asleep.
She was utterly exhausted today, all in an effort to make some changes.
Just like she said, while Bai Yu was considering her, she should also consider Bai Yu.
Now that she was staying with Bai Yu, she didn’t want to hold her back.
Was she really not scared at all tonight?
Of course, she was, but she just didn’t show it.
Often, the more boldly she acted, the more frightened she felt—like shouting at the top of her lungs to give herself courage.
Bai Yu quietly watched, saying nothing.
Zhao Mingyue was the female protagonist of this world’s original plot, endowed with many of the traits and personality of a lead character. Looking at it now, compared to the typical female protagonist, Zhao Mingyue felt much more like a real, living person.
When her life became difficult, she would seek solace by Wang Xinxin’s side, turning to self-mockery.
When she felt the need to sincerely connect with another person, she was boldly willing to change herself, even in a ghost’s lair.
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In the afternoon, just like always, from 5:00 to 5:30.
I’m begging for votes, sob sob! I want to make a sneak attack on the tenth spot on the monthly vote board (whisper).
