Twenty-One

"You feel confused?" He asked as he continued to trace shapes on her skin. "Do not tell me your husband is the reason why you are confused over this. Does your husband have second thoughts when he brings women home? Just to disrespect you? You know deep down that this marriage is fake yet you spend so much trying to be a good person. Learn from my experience, little mortal. Being a good person does nothing."

Li Yuxi laid her head on his chest and stared off into the distance, mulling over what he had said. She remembered what she said to Zhao Ling about her husband and here she was, feeling bad about getting back at him.

"Since my mission is completely useless in this generation, I will focus on helping you with your marriage. The first plan is to attack him psychologically. Your husband thrives on bringing you down mentally and I will help you make him see that his words no longer affect you. But there's only one thing I want from you."

Li Yuxi perked her head up in interest and stared at his face, curious to hear what he had to say.

"You must stop being weak," he said, his tone hard and strict. "Being weak and someone that bows to pressure will get you nowhere. I trained all my life, while I was alive to be stone-hearted. Which was what made me slay hundreds of men as a warrior prince. Mortal, discard your weak hearted nature and become something that can crush anyone and anything that crosses your path."

The words from the ghost prince set her mood into one of determination. She could feel the upliftment of his words burning in her heart. Memories of the times Lee Qiang had lowered her into a weak mess, a crying mess, filled her head, and a form of hate formed in her heart for the man and her parents.

"That's good. Feel the hate, develop the hate, and use the hate to destroy and to control," Zhao Ling urged on.

"Feel the hate," she whispered absentmindedly. "I will feel the hate."

‡‡‡

Li Yuxi took a deep breath as she stood outside the house with Zhao Ling beside her. She stared at the front door, expecting anyone to walk out as she had seen Lee Qiang's car parked in the courtyard, making her believe he was still around. She shifted her gaze to his bedroom window.

"What are you here for again?" Zhao Ling asked.

"This is my house, Zhao Ling. I can freely return to it without his permission."

With that, she walked toward the front of the house, dragging Zhao Ling with her. Once she climbed the steps and stopped before the door, she sighed to gain enough courage to face Lee Qiang in case he tried to do anything. With a roll of her shoulders, she opened the door and stepped into the house.

The first thing she noticed was the smell of the house. It smelt like freshly cooked food and it surprised her as she had never thought Lee Qiang could eat without her. She continued to walk, only to stop in her tracks when Lee Qiang burst out of the kitchen, wearing the kitchen apron and holding a spatula in his right hand. The sight made her eyes expand in shock while he had the same expression on before it morphed into a scowl.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked in a loud tone, then cringed and spared the stairs a glance before approaching her. "Who gave you the right to come back? Get out!"

Li Yuxi grunted when he shoved her in the shoulder, almost making her fall back but Zhao Ling pressed his body close to hers to stop her fall. She gritted her teeth and stared at the floor for a few seconds before smirking and raising her head to look at Lee Qiang.

"Touch me again and you won't like what happens next," she said without the control of Zhao Ling.

"Excuse me?" Lee Qiang was stunned. "Listen to me, I am not interested in your stubbornness. Be a good wife and leave this house before you put me in trouble."

"Trouble?" She taunted. "I thought you were a big strong man who loves to prey on little women. What are you so afraid of? Oh… I know you're scared of my boss seeing me here. Tsk, let her see me then, maybe that'll make things easier for the both of you. Get out of the way, I miss my bed."

"Li Yuxi. Do not provoke me. I have never hit you before and I will not stop myself from doing so."

"Is he threatening you?" Zhao Ling asked in an angry tone.

"Threats get you nowhere, husband." Li Yuxi shoved him aside and started to make her way past him but she yelped when Lee Qiang grabbed her hair and tugged her backward.

She whined from the pain of his grip and looked up to find the hand that held the spatula raised to hit her. As it descended toward her, she saw Zhao Ling wrap his hand—which was covered in black and red smoke—around his throat. Lee Qiang left Li Yuxi's hair and the spatula to wrap his hand over Zhao Ling's hand.

"Give me the go-ahead and all I need to do is invoke my touch of death," Zhao Ling said in a dark tone. "He will wither and suffer for the rest of his life in his purgatory."

Li Yuxi watched as Lee Qiang's face began to turn red from the pressure around his neck. She loved the sight of him suffering as he had once strangled her before during one of his angry fits. She loved seeing him go through what he had put her through but she needed his punishments to be slow.

With a huff, she touched Zhao Ling's hand and exchanged a look with him. Zhao Ling rolled his eyes and released the man, who dropped to the floor and coughed hard.

"Try me again and I'll make sure you die," she said and walked past him to the stairs.

As she climbed the steps, she prayed that Wang Lifen did not show up. She had not summoned enough courage to face the woman. Once she climbed the rest of the steps and entered the hallway, she stared at the other side of the hallway where Lee Qiang's room was located, expecting to see Wang Lifen.

After some seconds, she shook her head and began walking in the direction of her room, only to freeze when Zhao Ling grunted and fell to the floor, holding his chest. She gasped and fell on his side. He had a pained look etched on his face while he dug his hand into his chest. He groaned and his breath hitched as he struggled on the floor.

"Zhao Ling… what's wrong?" She whispered in worry. "What happened?"

"Li… Li Yuxi…" He gasped and groaned. "I feel weak… I need… I need energy."

"Energy? But it's not even two days?"

Li Yuxi hissed when the copper rope zapped her wrist mildly. She glanced at it and saw it glowing before looking at Zhao Ling.

"The rope… It… It takes my energy."

"Oh." She said and cupped his cheek. "What do I do? I don't know what to do?"

Zhao Ling made eye contact with her and with little strength, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down on him. He groaned and cupped her cheek with his right hand, pushing away her hair from her face. Li Yuxi traced every part of his face with her eyes, waiting to see what he was going to do next.

"Place your mouth against mine," he said with struggle.

Li Yuxi swallowed and looked past his face for a second before looking back at his face. She licked her lips and leaned close to his face, parting her lips. She closed her eyes and pressed her mouth on his. She flinched when he cupped the back of her head and tilted it sideways before parting his mouth. She shuddered when his teeth brushed hers and his tongue touched her lower lip.

When he pressed his open mouth against hers harder, she relaxed on his body. The same feeling from when he did it came back again, a cold and burning sensation. The glow between their chest illuminated her face and beamed through her closed eyes.

Zhao Ling moved his lips against hers so tenderly that it could pass as a light kiss. He exhaled harshly into her mouth and the light died down, followed by his mouth leaving hers. She sighed and operated her eyes. She stared at his blank stare, waiting to see if he had gotten himself back.

"Who's there?"

Li Yuxi gasped and turned her head. Just a few feet away was Wang Lifen, in a robe and with shock on his face.

"Li Yuxi?!"