The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

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S T E L L A R C L O U D

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O R A N G E S T A R

[Alma S.] [Antonny C.] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]

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G O L D S T A R

[Anne C.] [Roxanne C.]

R A I N B O W S T A R

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T H E S U N

[Kiiayame]

C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R

[Ava C.] [kuroneko_chan] [Leeyue] [Manon] [Oushna] [Raquel G.] [Sophia W.] [Val Nes] [Woon Li Ying]

Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)

The ghost soldiers had returned from battle and laid down their armor.

The villagers had lit bonfires in the open space, with adults busying themselves with chores while children played joyfully nearby.

In stark contrast to the flames and destruction engulfing Pucheng, this place resembled a hidden paradise untouched by war.

Shangguan Qing said blandly, “They’re all common folk from cities ravaged by war, or villagers whose homes were burned to the ground. If the Jin army refuses to act like humans, then let them be ghosts instead.”

No wonder he fought the Jin soldiers so ruthlessly. It turns out he had witnessed their atrocities firsthand.

“Shangguan Qing,” Gu Jiao looked toward him.

“What?” he asked lazily.

Gu Jiao’s lips curved slightly. “I’m complimenting you.”

She had imagined countless versions of who Shangguan Qing might be, but she hadn’t expected him to be like this.

Though poisoned from a young age, leaving his body frail and not suited for strength, Shangguan Qing possessed a sharp mind and a kind, resilient heart.

Within a limited lifespan, he had carved out endless possibilities. He had saved countless lives with his actions.

“Wh-Who asked you to compliment me?!” Shangguan Qing turned his face away in a huff, the tips of his ears instantly flushed red.

Gu Jiao stared at his reddened ears and couldn’t help herself, she burst out laughing.

Just like Xiao Heng, he blushed when people praised him too!

“It’s His Highness the Ghost King. He’s back!” A villager, drawn by the sound of the youth’s cheerful laughter, looked over. Seeing Shangguan Qing returning with a stranger, he wasn’t surprised at all. Instead, he smiled and asked, “Do we have a new member joining us today?”

He looked genuinely welcoming.

Most of the people here had once been at the end of their rope, until the elders of the village had welcomed them in.

Now, they in turn welcomed newcomers.

Shangguan Qing clasped his hands behind his back, gave Gu Jiao a look, and then said to the man in his forties, “No, he just wandered into our forest by accident. He’s passing through and will be leaving tomorrow.”

The villager looked surprised. “Ah, that… but it’s not safe out there.”

His first instinct wasn’t to question whether Gu Jiao would reveal their hideout to the outside world, but rather to worry that Gu Jiao might encounter danger if he left.

These villagers were truly kind-hearted and unpretentious people.

“This big brother’s really powerful!”

The little Black Impermanence suddenly popped out from who-knew-where, still clutching that ghost claw in his hands.

“Where’s your tongue?” the villager asked him.

Aiya!

Ah no! I’ve lost it again!

Once more, the little Black Impermanence suffered the ultimate social death and fled the scene in utter humiliation!

Gu Jiao looked at Shangguan Qing with a faint smile, her eyes filled with quiet amusement.

Shangguan Qing, trying to maintain his stern demeanor despite his lack of true confidence, declared, “Humph! This king merely needs a few laborers for the time being. Once the war is over, I’ll send them all off to dig in the mines for me! Digging every day, every single day, without rest or sleep, just dig and dig! I’ll squeeze every last bit of value out of them!”

“Hug, hug.”

A little toddler girl, still unsteady on her feet, waddled over clumsily with her arms stretched out, clearly asking to be picked up for a hug.

Shangguan Qing let out a helpless sigh and lifted her into his arms. With a practiced hand, he wiped away a speck of black sesame stuck to the corner of her mouth. “Little Ying, you’ve been sneaking snacks again. No candy allowed after dinner, understood?”

One-and-a-half-year-old Little Ying nestled comfortably in the crook of Shangguan Qing’s arm, snuggling up against his chest.

She had lost her father in the chaos of war.

She was still too young to grasp what that loss truly meant. But every night, when she fell asleep curled up in Shangguan Qing’s arms, it was as though she had found that missing sense of safety again.

Little Ying soon dozed off soundly in Shangguan Qing’s embrace, her little breath even and soft.

Her ten-year-old brother came running over to gently take her from Shangguan Qing’s arms and carry her away.

Gu Jiao couldn’t help but admit. Her perception of Shangguan Qing had been completely overturned once again.

She had assumed he was just an unserious troublemaker, and when she saw how he dealt with the Jin army, those tactics certainly confirmed that impression.

Yet beneath all that unorthodox behavior, there lay a deep and quiet compassion for the common people, as well as a surprising gentleness.

Shangguan Yan had raised this son of hers exceedingly well.

Shangguan Qing added, “By the way, your companion fainted. Not because we frightened him, but because he ran straight into a wall of one of our traps and knocked himself out.”

Tang Yueshan, who had a fear of ghosts, panicked when he realized Gu Jiao had vanished, and in his hurry to find her, ended up crashing headfirst into a wall concealed by the illusion.

Shangguan Qing went on, “Our people carried him back. You can go see him in a bit. Tonight, just rest here in the village. I’ll send you both out of the city first thing tomorrow morning.”

So it really had been him this morning, the one who bought the candied hawthorn.

“Can I take a walk around the village?” Gu Jiao asked.

“Sure.” Shangguan Qing replied, glancing toward the northern part of the village, “Anywhere you like, except that mountain behind the village.”

“Why not?” Gu Jiao asked, puzzled.

A complicated look suddenly crossed Shangguan Qing’s face. “Because in there… lives the real Ghost King.”

“The real Ghost King…” Gu Jiao looked at Shangguan Qing with a puzzled expression, though she wasn’t entirely surprised either.

She had already suspected that his so-called identity as the Ghost King was fake, but what she hadn’t anticipated was that there might actually be a genuine one residing deep within Ghost Mountain.

Wait a moment.

This was his version of what constituted the “real” Ghost King. That didn’t necessarily mean it was the objective truth.

Everything still needed to be verified.

Gu Jiao asked, “So who is the real Ghost King?”

Shangguan Qing tilted up his chin proudly and replied, “I don’t know. A gentleman keeps his friendships as pure and subtle as water. I’m not the kind of person who pries into a friend’s private matters!”

Seriously? Can’t even drop the act for one minute, huh?

If the real Ghost King is really your friend, why didn’t he show up to help just now?

I bet a pack of spicy snacks that the Ghost King doesn’t even acknowledge you.

Gu Jiao folded her arms across her chest, looking at him with a solemn and serious face.

Shangguan Qing met her gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly had the absurd illusion that she could see straight through him, right down to the size of his underwear.

Raz P.'s Thoughts

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…