Chapter 221
Chapter 221
On the way to the inner residence, Fu Yuan gave Ren Fengjue a general account of what had happened two hours earlier.
He and his wife, Zuihuan, had married only a month ago.
Their relationship, however, was nothing like the passionate devotion of many newlyweds.
Zuihuan was far too proud. She was accustomed to being admired and to Fu Yuan attending to her every whim.
Now that she had married into the Fu Family, she naturally expected everything to remain as before.
But the inner residence of a wealthy family was nothing like the pleasure quarters. Given her background, the elders openly disliked her, and even the servants obeyed her to her face while defying her behind her back.
In the single month since her marriage, she had suffered endless grievances. When her anger overflowed, she could only vent it all on Fu Yuan.
At first, Fu Yuan was willing to soothe her with a few gentle words. As it happened more often, he inevitably grew impatient.
Zuihuan was extremely sensitive. The instant she sensed Fu Yuan’s neglect, she began making barbed remarks and throwing tantrums.
How could Fu Yuan continue indulging her under those circumstances?
Thus, though they had been married for only a month, they had already quarreled several times.
Their first truly serious fight had occurred two hours earlier.
After rising that morning, Zuihuan accused the maid styling her hair of being slow-witted.
The maid was named Xiaoyao and was Fu Yuan’s most favored personal maid.
Xiaoyao was loyal to her young master and naturally assumed Fu Yuan would defend her.
Emboldened, she talked back.
After hearing this, Zuihuan drove her out and sulked alone in the room.
No one knew how much time passed before she suddenly began smashing things and loudly cursing Fu Yuan.
The commotion was so great that it directly alarmed Madam Fu.
After breakfast, Fu Yuan had intended to seek peace in his study.
When a maid came to report, another headache immediately seized him.
He ordered the servants to force the door open, only for Zuihuan to catch Xiaoyao and begin beating and scolding her again.
She behaved like a shrew from the marketplace, without the slightest bearing expected of a young mistress.
Amid the uproar, Fu Yuan could only step forward to restrain her, and he slapped her across the face.
After being struck, Zuihuan covered her cheek and smiled with eerie satisfaction. “Brother Fu, you went to such lengths to marry the woman you loved. Are you truly happy now?”
At that moment, Fu Yuan was startled.
In his wife’s eyes, he seemed to see another person, Wen Yu.
In the past, she had always carefully called him Brother Fu.
Fu Yuan’s heart churned, but he asked darkly, “What… did you call me?”
A smile curved Zuihuan’s lips. “I called you ‘Brother Fu.’ Could you not hear me?”
Fu Yuan shoved her away, flustered and at a loss. “Who… are you?”
Zuihuan’s eyes were cold, and an indescribable strangeness permeated her entire body. “Brother Fu, has your memory grown so poor that you no longer recognize me?”
“…”
Fu Yuan’s scalp prickled.
Zuihuan laughed coldly and surveyed the entire room. Then she walked to the bed and stroked its wooden frame…
“A month ago, you brought her into the Fu Family. On your wedding night, this was your bridal chamber.”
“I thought the two of you would live in perfect harmony like a loving married couple.”
“You have been married less than a month, yet resentment has already grown between you?”
“Brother Fu, do you regret it? Is marrying such a woman into the Fu Family what you wanted?”
Those words terrified the maids and servants at the door.
Even Old Madam Fu stood frozen in shock.
It was then that Ren Fengjue and Yu Lang arrived unexpectedly to visit the Fu Family’s eldest young master…
After hearing Fu Yuan’s account, Vice Minister Yu immediately assured Lord Ren, “That definitely sounds like possession by Miss Wen!”
Ren Fengjue understood and nodded slightly, but his thoughts remained on Xia Ximo and where she might be.
Fu Yuan had already led them to a courtyard in the inner residence.
The courtyard was filled with female relatives, all of whom turned toward the sound of their arrival.
They were slightly startled to see the eldest young master appear with two men.
Fu Yuan did not want his mother to worry. He hurried forward with a brief explanation, asked a maid to escort the old madam back to her room, and dismissed everyone uninvolved.
The main room’s door was tightly shut. After a moment’s hesitation, Fu Yuan stepped forward and pushed it open.
Inside, a woman sat beside the window with her back to them, slowly combing the hair draped before her.
Though she knew someone had entered, she did not turn. Instead, she asked softly, “Brother Fu, I still have so much to tell you. Why did you leave?”
Fu Yuan had no answer and glanced at Ren Fengjue and Yu Lang.
Yu Lang knew he would have to break the deadlock.
Though the scene from the dream still filled him with lingering fear, he gathered his courage, stepped forward, and called, “Miss Wen.”
At his voice, the woman by the window slowly turned and smiled. “I did not expect Young Master Yu to find his way here.”
Apparently bearing no grudge, she even teased him. “Have you reconsidered? Do you intend to become my companion in the afterlife?”
Yu Lang was speechless.
There was no longer any need to guess. Zuihuan was unquestionably possessed by Wen Yu.
Fu Yuan, however, looked confused.
He seemed unable to understand why Wen Yu would say such a thing to Yu Lang…
Holding the Soul-Ferrying Lantern, Ren Fengjue stepped steadily forward and addressed the “Wen Yu” possessing Zuihuan. “Miss Wen, humans and ghosts belong to separate paths. You said yourself that you had no obsessions left in the mortal realm. Why cause trouble for Young Master Fu?”
“Wen Yu” sensed the Pure Yang energy around him and was somewhat afraid.
She abandoned her teasing manner and asked coldly, “Do you intend to meddle too?”
Ren Fengjue quickly replied, “You merely wanted to know whether Young Master Fu would regret marrying Miss Zuihuan of Wangyou Tavern…”
“And whether the two of them would truly enjoy a happy marriage.”
“Now you have seen everything for yourself. Can you still not let go?”
“Wen Yu” paused, then glanced at Fu Yuan as her gaze abruptly chilled. “You are mistaken. I did not come merely to laugh at them.”
“I also came to claim a life!”
Fu Yuan involuntarily stumbled a large step backward.
Ren Fengjue said, “Miss Wen is an intelligent woman. You may have been obsessed while alive, but now you stand outside the affair and should see it more clearly than anyone. Why continue down the wrong path?”
“Wen Yu” laughed coldly again. The resentment she could not suppress began spilling steadily from within her.
Her voice seemed steeped in poison as she told Fu Yuan, “I sacrificed so much for you, yet this is how you treated me. If we could not be husband and wife in life, death will serve just as well…”