Chapter 217
Chapter 217
“You cannot?”
Wen Yu’s voice abruptly turned cold, and anger filled her gaze as she looked at Yu Lang.
Under that stare, Yu Lang’s mind cleared somewhat.
He began to wonder how he had appeared in such a place for no reason.
Was he dreaming?
But if this was a dream, the woman before him felt far too real.
Even as he speculated, he did not forget to soothe Wen Yu. He explained, “What you proposed concerns the rest of our lives. Even if we set aside parental orders and a matchmaker’s word, should there not at least be mutual affection?”
His tone was firm. “I believe it would be far too rash to proceed like this.”
Wen Yu smiled again. “But there is only you and me here. We need not care what the world thinks. You need only answer whether you are willing.”
For some reason, the words sent a chill down Yu Lang’s back.
He instinctively bit the tip of his tongue but felt no pain.
Was this truly a dream?
Whenever he had nightmares in the past, they ended quickly once he realized he was dreaming.
Yu Lang simply closed his eyes and repeatedly urged himself to wake…
Yet when he opened them, Wen Yu remained beside him.
She even gave a cold laugh. “Young Master Yu, do you know where you are now?”
Yu Lang was horrified. “Am I not dreaming?”
Wen Yu replied, “You are indeed dreaming, but this is a dream from which you cannot wake.”
“…”
Yu Lang shot to his feet and instinctively headed outside.
But after pushing aside the beaded curtain, he found himself in the same bedchamber.
He tried several times, with the same result.
Wen Yu watched him rush in and out like an ant on a hot pan, then smiled. “Do not waste your effort. You cannot leave.”
Realizing something was wrong, Yu Lang’s mind grew increasingly clear.
His gaze suddenly fell upon the familiar sachet hanging at her waist.
It was the very sachet that had fallen from his clothes when he entered his room that night…
Then he remembered that her surname was Wen.
“The young lady of the Wen Family died tragically young…”
The stall owner’s words echoed in Yu Lang’s ears.
His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the couch beside him.
“Are you… the deceased Miss Wen?”
She was a female ghost!
Wen Yu rose gracefully and took several steps toward him.
“Young Master Yu is a handsome, distinguished man, and you happened to appear along the route of my funeral procession. One glance was enough to make me like you very much.
“So I came directly into your dream to meet you.”
Yu Lang almost cursed aloud.
But he understood that he absolutely could not anger her in this situation.
If he could delay long enough, those outside would notice something was wrong and naturally come to save him.
With Daoist Yan there, they would surely find a way.
“For Miss Wen to favor me is a rare honor. What… what virtue could I, Yu Lang, possibly possess to deserve it?”
Cold sweat trickled down Vice Minister Yu’s forehead, but he deliberately sighed and probed, “Anyone would grieve to hear of Miss Wen’s experience. Falling ill from anger over such a heartless man and meeting this end was truly not worth it.”
Wen Yu gave him a faint, inscrutable look. “I did not die of illness.”
“I was murdered.”
Yu Lang remained stunned for a long while before remembering to ask, “Were you killed by someone?”
“Who was the murderer? Tell me. Perhaps I can help you.”
Wen Yu curled her lips in a mocking smile. “It no longer matters. I did not want to live in the first place. Now that I am a ghost, I am happier and freer instead.”
She added, “Young Master Yu, do you not find this dream pleasant? Anything that does not exist outside can exist here.”
Yu Lang shook his head and tried to persuade her. “Even so, none of it is real.”
“A person who remains immersed in an illusion may feel happy and satisfied for a time, but it is ultimately meaningless.”
Wen Yu scoffed and asked, “How do you know everything outside is real?”
“Truth and falsehood depend entirely on how you distinguish them.”
Knowing he could not argue with her, Yu Lang simply followed her reasoning.
“Miss Wen is an insightful woman. If that is so, why would you remain trapped by love? There must be another reason.”
As expected, Wen Yu was moved by these words.
She stroked the sachet at her waist. “When I was alive, I was consumed by obsession. Only after dying and losing everything did I finally understand.”
“For example… I hated Fu Yuan with all my heart while I was alive, but the instant I died, I let go.”
“Perhaps it is for the best that I did not marry him. Had I forced him to marry me, it would only have been the beginning of my suffering…”
Yu Lang immediately said, “Then who murdered you? A killer must pay with his life. The murderer should be brought to justice!”
Wen Yu looked at him without hatred in her eyes, then quietly sat beside him.
“In truth, even I cannot clearly say who my murderer was…”
Yu Lang froze.
Wen Yu began telling him the story of herself and her fiancé, Fu Yuan…
The Wen Family and Fu Family had been close for generations. Both ranked among the foremost wealthy households in Beiding County.
Because the two families were close, Wen Yu’s marriage had been arranged before she was even born.
Her father had once declared that if the child was a daughter, she would marry the Fu Family’s young master.
Madam Wen’s first child was a son. Only with her second pregnancy did she give birth to Wen Yu.
Thus, from childhood, Wen Yu knew her future husband would be the Fu Family’s eldest young master, Fu Yuan.
Fu Yuan was tall and handsome, with a steady temperament and a keen mind. By sixteen, he already managed the family businesses in perfect order.
Though Wen Yu grew up secluded in the women’s quarters and rarely left home, servants specially reported every piece of news concerning her fiancé, Fu Yuan.
To satisfy the Fu Family and Fu Yuan, Wen Yu was made to study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from the time she learned to read, in addition to thoroughly memorizing books such as Admonitions for Women and Instructions for Women.
She was also required to master every form of needlework and women’s handicraft.
She grew up under constant “discipline.” Over time, only two questions remained in her mind: what could she do to satisfy the Fu Family, and what could she do to make her fiancé like her?
At the age of Thirteen, Wen Yu met Fu Yuan for the first time.
It happened at a family banquet. Once the wine had begun to flow, her father summoned her to play the zither.
Though a screen separated her from the guests, she was extremely nervous.
When the piece ended, the entire hall applauded.
Unable to resist, she looked through the screen and saw her fiancé wearing an indifferent, distracted expression.
Clearly, her music had never earned his appreciation.
Their second meeting came two years later.
That day, she dressed with meticulous care and finally spoke with Fu Yuan in the Fu Family garden.
Yet although he was courteous on the surface, he exchanged only a few words before making an excuse to leave.
Before walking away, he suddenly looked back and criticized her. “Green does not suit you. You should wear it less often in the future.”
Those words took root in Wen Yu’s heart. After returning home, she discarded every green garment she owned and grew even more preoccupied with her appearance.
When she heard that Fu Yuan liked fair, slender women, she deliberately began eating less to keep her figure thin.
She searched everywhere for methods and put herself through countless ordeals merely to make her skin paler…
Yet despite all her efforts, she still failed to win Fu Yuan’s heart.
He said, “My fiancée is excellent in every way, but her personality is simply too dull…”