Chapter 5

    The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant.

    Shin Wang’s head in his hands was akin to clutching a burning hot yam—keeping it felt improper, yet discarding it seemed even worse. Mingzhe’s face bore a troubled expression as he struggled to decide what to do.

    Man and ghost stared at each other. Mingzhe waited for the ghostly prince to speak first, but before he could hear the opening sentence, he was awakened by Xinxin.

    Mingzhe, disoriented from being pulled out of his peculiar dream so suddenly, glanced down at Xinxin beside the bed. The little rabbit gestured in its way, informing him of a visitor at the consort’s courtyard.

    Rubbing his temples, Mingzhe glanced at the other side of the bed, where the disembodied left hand of Guo Yuexiang lay. He looked at it for a moment before speaking, “Sorry for forgetting to reattach your head.”

    The ghostly left hand. "…”

    Was that the issue here?!

    Now even the ghost hand felt wronged…

    Mingzhe was relieved after his apology. He thought carrying someone’s severed head without permission wasn’t the most courteous behavior.

    In truth, if he had been given more time, he might not only have heard the voice of Guo Yuexiang for the first time but also successfully reattached his head, ensuring it would never fall off again.

    The former Snow Deity didn’t rush to leave the bed. Even if visitors came to see him, they wouldn’t dare barge into the courtyard. At most, they would crane their necks and peek from a distance.

    It was evident they believed he wouldn’t survive his wedding night. It could be observed since the previous day. Even now, he hadn’t seen any servants around the Wang’s palace.

    It was as if he was alone here. Even a sane person would find this loneliness unbearable.

    After straightening his attire and ensuring he was presentable, Mingzhe stepped out of the room.

    Outside the courtyard, a group of servants clad in uniform waited with heads bowed low. Some young maids trembled visibly as though they were entering the gates of hell, struggling even to stand still.

    “Here already?” Mingzhe softened his tone, ensuring it didn’t sound like a clumsy imitation of a woman’s voice.

    At the sound of his voice, the servants jumped in fright, hastily dropping to their knees, placing their foreheads to the ground, apologizing and trembling as they pleaded for forgiveness.

    “No worries, I don’t mind. Stand up.”

    His composed demeanor allowed the terrified servants to regain a fraction of their composure. They introduced themselves one by one, then apologized again.

    “All right. Let’s not dwell on it. Now that you’re here, go about your duties.”

    Even though they were told to go their separate ways to work, none dared move. Whether they went left or right, they had to have an escort, and they hesitated endlessly at every corner.

    Mingzhe was annoyed by the sight of these people walking around, so he decided to dismiss everyone. This dismissal was received like a royal pardon, and the servants fled faster than Mingzhe had fled the female ghost from the night before.

    Mingzhe chuckled dryly. The people here made no effort to hide their secrets, as though they expected him to die soon enough. Once the consort perished alongside the late Shin Wang, the farce they were playing would become irrelevant.

    Even saying ‘See you tomorrow’ felt like a phrase they couldn’t bring themselves to utter. It seemed as if they believed this would be the first and only time they’d see him. In their minds, he’d surely be a corpse within three days. Why bother with etiquette or saving face? Survival today didn’t guarantee he’d live tomorrow. The Shin Wang’s palace was so strange that even ghosts wouldn’t want to stay.

    Fortunately, Mingzhe wasn’t one to dwell on such trivialities. Though a deity by origin, he had always relied solely on Xinxin for everything. The absence of these servants didn’t affect him much, so he felt no concern.

    In fact, deep down, it was more of a relief. He didn’t have to worry about which of these servants might become the first unlucky soul to end up as a corpse.

    He could take care of himself, but protecting everyone was another matter altogether.

    After waking up, Mingzhe found it impossible to fall back asleep. He lazed comfortably on the long imperial concubine chaise, gazing outside at the courtyard grounds, which were covered in nothing but Si Xuan flowers. Meanwhile, Xinxin was diligently digging up each flower by its roots, one at a time.

    The more Mingzhe looked at those blood-red Si Xuan flowers, the less he liked them…

    Xinxin worked tirelessly from afternoon until the sun began to set, at which point Mingzhe told the little rabbit to stop and rest.

    Paper lanterns were lit around the courtyard, their glow the only light piercing the eerie gloom of the surroundings. With everyone gathered in the courtyard, Xinxin took charge of preparing dinner while Mingzhe went to soak in a bath.

    Soon, the rain began to fall…

    After his bath, Mingzhe donned a thin sleeping robe. He had never feared the cold, his body being as naturally frigid as a block of ice.

    His bare white feet stepped onto the carpet that Xinxin had thoughtfully laid out, and he made his way to the front of the courtyard to eat dinner quietly by himself.

    At first, the rain fell gently, its sound almost soothing. Mingzhe found himself enjoying his meal immensely. No longer possessing the divine body of a deity, he ate with even greater care, savoring every bite. Once finished, he picked up a book to read.

    Nearby, the ghostly left hand and Xinxin rested peacefully. The little rabbit twitched its ears in contentment as it napped.

    Amidst the sound of falling rain and howling winds, Mingzhe turned the pages of his book calmly. He focused intently on learning ancient Chinese language, studying each character meticulously. By the time he glanced up, he realized the time had already passed into the hour of Xu.

    In his former world, this time wouldn’t have been considered very late. But here, when the sun was set, everyone would already have retreated indoors for the night.

    Still adjusting to this new world, Mingzhe decided not to push his body to continue reading the book.

    The sound of rain outside grew louder and louder. The window, which had been left open to let in the refreshing mist, now allowed rainwater to spray inside.

    Not wanting to disturb the sleeping little rabbit, Mingzhe rose and went to close the window himself.

    Both hands reached for the window frame. Thanks to his keen eyesight, Mingzhe spotted a faint figure amidst the rain.

    It approached closer and closer until, at last, amidst the heavy downpour, Mingzhe could see its form clearly.

    A woman walked through the rain, holding a large red umbrella that completely obscured her head. Her attire was identical to that of the servants and maids Mingzhe had seen during the day.

    Mingzhe observed her while pondering. Despite the heavy rain and strong winds, the red umbrella appeared unaffected. The woman, too, walked steadily under the pouring rain. The gusts of wind did not so much as ruffle a strand of her hair.

    Slowly, Mingzhe closed the window. He had no intention of waiting for whatever it was to come close enough to close it for him. Judging by the direction she was heading, she would undoubtedly visit his courtyard sooner or later.

    For now, Mingzhe set aside the matter of the woman with the red umbrella. He grabbed the ghostly left hand and carried the little rabbit, Xinxin, to the bed. Moving swiftly, he froze the entire room, just as he had done on the first night. Once everything was prepared, he was ready to sleep.

    However, just as his head hit the pillow and he reached out to extinguish the candle, his hand paused mid-air. A knock at the door interrupted him.

    "Your Highness, have you retired for the night? I noticed the candlelight is still burning. Do you require anything?"

    The voice sounded perfectly normal. Had Mingzhe not seen the woman earlier through the window, he might have instinctively answered her call.

    When Mingzhe remained silent, the knocking resumed.

    "Your Highness, it is my duty to serve you tonight. The weather is cold and rainy. Is your room warm enough?"

    Mingzhe's memory was sharp. He vividly recalled how this place was feared and loathed by ordinary people, so much so that no one would dare set foot here.

    They had fled faster than mice in daylight—there was no need to consider how they might react now, during the hour of Xu. Whatever stood at the door, Mingzhe resolved not to acknowledge it and ignore it.

    "Your Highness, it is my mistake for not washing your feet. May I come in?"

    The woman’s questions came with a pause, as if awaiting a response. Then, she would knock again and ask the new question.

    Initially, Mingzhe intended to feign death until she left, but her persistence was remarkable. Her inquiries continued incessantly, like a recording on an endless loop.

    Yet, as long as he did not respond, she seemed powerless to do anything but knock and speak. Annoying as the sound was, she posed no real threat.

    "Your Highness, are you still awake? I noticed the candle in your room is still…"

    Before the sentence could be completed for the third time, Mingzhe extinguished the candle. He burrowed into his blanket, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.

    As soon as the light was snuffed out, the knocking and the voice disappeared entirely.

    The former Snow Deity felt a sense of satisfaction. At least this woman understood unspoken signals and refrained from causing further disturbances. Truly courteous.

    The unspoken signal being…

    ‘The master of the courtyard has turned off the light. Do not disturb or seek their opinion further!’

    And so, Mingzhe slept soundly through another night, undisturbed by dreams.