Realizing this, Lu Chu’s hand was already gripping the pen shaft, while Zhang Qian’s hand was holding the pen holder. Due to the short length and limited touch range of the pen shaft, half of Zhang Qian’s hand was on the back of Lu Chu’s hand.
At this moment, Chen Hong and Gao Yong were about to reach for the pen.
“Wait,” Lu Chu suddenly stopped them.
Chen Hong and Gao Yong froze, their hands still extended, looking at Lu Chu with puzzled expressions.
Without explaining, Lu Chu swiftly took advantage of Zhang Qian’s moment of inattention, grabbed her hand, and in her stunned state, quickly twisted her arm and pinned her to the table.
Chen Hong frowned and shouted, “Lu Chu, what are you doing?!”
He moved to pull Lu Chu away and rescue Zhang Qian.
Tang Shizhe and the others were equally taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
Tang Shizhe’s instinct told him that Lu Chu had a reason for his actions. Subconsciously, he sided with Lu Chu, blocking Chen Hong from hitting him and said, “Chen Hong, wait. Lu Chu must have a reason for this. Let’s hear him out first.”
“A reason? What reason could justify holding my girlfriend hostage?!” Chen Hong was furious.
Du Yangnan and Gao Yong also stood by Lu Chu, together blocking the enraged Chen Hong.
Zhang Qian’s friend, Sun Qiao, ran over and grabbed Lu Chu’s arm, “Let go of Qian Qian! Let her go!”
The rest stood aside, watching silently.
Lu Chu didn’t let go of Zhang Qian but instead said to Chen Hong, “Sorry, I need to confirm something.”
Chen Hong yelled, “Confirm what?!”
“Confirm if—” Lu Chu looked at Zhang Qian, “she’s a ghost.”
Chen Hong was dumbfounded, “What?”
Tang Shizhe and the others were also stunned.
The bystanders immediately stepped back a few steps, looking at Zhang Qian in horror.
At this moment, Zhang Qian began to cry, pleading with Chen Hong, “I’m not. Chen Hong, save me…”
Hearing this, Chen Hong shouted at Lu Chu, “Are you blind? How could Qian Qian be a ghost?! Let her go!”
“Whether she is or not, we’ll find out soon.” Lu Chu said.
Then, he told Tang Shizhe and the others, “Hold back Chen Hong.”
With that, Lu Chu glanced at No. 7.
No. 7’s skeletal fingers were drawing strange symbols in the air. Lu Chu held Zhang Qian with one hand and bit his other index finger with his teeth, drawing blood. He used the blood to draw the same symbols on Zhang Qian’s forehead.
Zhang Qian, who had been weak and tearful, suddenly changed her expression, filled with disbelief and fear.
The blood-drawn symbols vanished from her forehead, replaced by the sizzling sound of something being burned. Zhang Qian began to struggle, trying to escape but was unable to move.
Her power came from resentment, which was rapidly disappearing, causing her intense fear.
The others watched in astonishment.
The burnt smell grew stronger, and Zhang Qian’s expression became twisted. Her face turned pale, and the skin on her cheeks began to peel off, revealing not pink flesh but decayed, blackened flesh beneath.
Her hideous visage gradually became visible to everyone. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Zhang Qian roared in fury, using all her resentment to push Lu Chu away. She leaped a few steps, kicking a boy into a wall, making him spit blood. Revealing her true form, Zhang Qian’s face was half-decayed, with completely black pupils, matching the ghostly figure that had appeared behind Cao Wenwen.
Chen Hong was completely shocked, “Why… why?”
More than fear, Chen Hong felt confusion.
Zhang Qian’s dark eyes stared at Chen Hong, and after a moment, she laughed mockingly, “It was almost over. Once they were all dead, you would join me down below, and we could be together forever.”
This meant she intended to kill everyone, including Chen Hong, to be together in the afterlife.
Lu Chu stated, “You do truly love Chen Hong.”
“Ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha—” Zhang Qian laughed, tears of black and red streaming down her face, falling on her pale cheeks, both terrifying and despairing.
Tang Shizhe, despite his fear, said, “If you love him, how could you plan to kill him in the end…”
Zhang Qian glared at him, “You don’t understand.”
She then lunged at them with her claws. The group was startled, but only Lu Chu reacted quickly, kicking her in the stomach to stop her. Enraged, Zhang Qian flew at Lu Chu, engaging in a fierce fight.
Due to the symbols drawn by Lu Chu, Zhang Qian’s powers were limited. She could only fight Lu Chu with her physical strength and was gradually losing. In desperation, she turned her attention to the others, aiming to kill someone to gain resentment and boost her power.
Thinking this, she struck at Lu Chu, who easily blocked her, but she quickly turned and aimed her claws at Tang Shizhe, who was caught off guard.
Seeing Zhang Qian’s claws about to pierce Tang Shizhe’s heart, Lu Chu prepared for a lethal strike to stop her.
Just as Lu Chu was about to deliver the fatal blow, Chen Hong suddenly appeared, pushing Lu Chu aside and shielding Zhang Qian with his body.
“Thud—”
Zhang Qian’s claws went through Chen Hong’s body. She froze.
“If I’m the last one you need to kill, then kill me, and I’ll go with you. This should end it,” Chen Hong said, blood dripping from his mouth.
Zhang Qian retracted her hand, and Chen Hong’s body wavered. Zhang Qian caught him, using her dark resentment to plug his wound, keeping him alive.
One drop, two drops…
Zhang Qian regained her human form, her face pure and tear-streaked, her tears falling on Chen Hong’s face.
Tang Shizhe, though shocked, was deeply pained seeing his friend injured. He realized Zhang Qian seemed even more heartbroken.
He couldn’t understand Zhang Qian’s feelings for Chen Hong.
Lu Chu, observing the scene, asked calmly, “Why?”
Zhang Qian traced Chen Hong’s face, speaking with a touch of nostalgia, “Do you believe in past lives?”
Lu Chu replied, “I do.”
Zhang Qian smiled, “In a past life, we were a couple, but he betrayed me. I hung myself in the wedding room wearing the red cheongsam he gave me.”
Lu Chu listened silently as Zhang Qian recounted their story.
Tragic love stories are often the same.
During the war-torn Republican era, a wealthy young lady fell in love with Chen Hong’s past self, a fellow merchant’s son. They quickly fell in love and their families arranged their marriage. However, before the wedding, she discovered his infidelity. After several arguments, she, defending her pure love, died the day before the wedding.
Her family insisted on holding the wedding to ensure her spirit would rest, as the custom required. His family initially refused, but he soon fell ill and died, leading both families to bury them together in a bone union.
In reality, he reincarnated, but her soul remained, wandering due to her suicide.
That young man was Chen Hong.
“I wanted to live this life well with him,” Zhang Qian gazed at Chen Hong with deep affection, “but why did he betray me again?”
Hearing the word ‘betray,’ Lu Chu thought of someone and asked, “Cao Wenwen?”
Zhang Qian’s hatred was evident, “Yes, her.”
Lu Chu finally understood why he had always felt something off between Cao Wenwen and Chen Hong.
“During the winter break,” Zhang Qian said, “I found out they had slept together.”
Tang Shizhe, hearing this, asked, “Was it you who did the Pen Spirit ritual?”
Zhang Qian looked at him, causing him to shudder, then nodded.
“I saw it,” Zhang Qian said.
Lu Chu asked, “Saw what?”
Zhang Qian replied, “During their game, they held the same pen, looked at each other, and that bitch’s hand flirted with his fingers. He didn’t resist.”
In Zhang Qian’s arms, Chen Hong, still conscious due to her resentment, wept, “Qian Qian, I’m sorry… I truly love you…”
Hearing this, Zhang Qian laughed bitterly, her eyes dark red, “In the past life, he said the same: ‘Qian Qian, I love you. Men make mistakes, but no matter what I did, I love you the most.’ Look, he’s saying it again.”
Undoubtedly, Zhang Qian loved Chen Hong but also hated him.
Chen Hong probably truly loved Zhang Qian, or he wouldn’t have protected her, but his betrayals were real in both lives.
Lu Chu recalled No. 7’s words that Cao Wenwen’s early death was unnecessary, implying Zhang Qian would have dealt with her harshly, destroying her soul completely. This suggested everything happening was due to Chen Hong’s infidelity and deceit across lives, driving Zhang Qian mad. She decided to kill everyone, die with Chen Hong, and be buried together like in the past.
This was the real bone union.
The dead would be their guides, leading them like wedding guests to a new home.
Except this was a bloody ghost marriage.
And they would be led into eternal darkness.
