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"My Tenant is a Female Ghost" features a female ghost.
"Great-Grandmother, is there something you need?"
"Oh, Zhuozi, you're here. Come, sit over here with Great-Grandmother, don't be shy."
Since saving Miao Long yesterday morning, Great-Grandmother's attitude towards Bai Zhuo had changed significantly, shifting from slight indifference to trust and warmth. This made Bai Zhuo somewhat uncomfortable, but he still held a deep respect for Great-Grandmother.
Bai Zhuo sat down beside Great-Grandmother, who tightly grasped his hands with her wrinkled ones. With heartfelt gratitude, she said, "Zhuozi, I truly thank you. You are a benefactor to our Miao Village."
Bai Zhuo scratched his head awkwardly. "Great-Grandmother, you're being too kind. I just did what I was supposed to do; it’s nothing special."
Great-Grandmother smiled with her eyes squinted and shook her head. "Zhuozi, you helped bury six of our sisters and safely brought Qiqi back to me. You even saved A Long. How can you not be considered a benefactor to our Miao Village? Hehe, don’t be modest. Today, you should go out with Qiqi; let her show you around the area. But don’t wander too far; there’s a banquet waiting for you tonight."
"A banquet?"
"Hehe, yes indeed! Don’t think about leaving in a hurry. Stay in the village for a few more days; Great-Grandmother won’t treat you poorly. Besides, the gift I promised you hasn’t been given yet. Since you’re here, stay a bit longer."
Bai Zhuo thought about it and realized he didn’t have anything pressing to attend to, so he agreed. After he left, Miao Xiaoqi's grandmother came out behind him and asked, "Mother, it's one thing to keep this from Zhuozi, but even Qiqi is kept in the dark. Is that really okay?"
"Sigh..." Great-Grandmother sighed. "What can we do? Qiqi is such an innocent child; if we told her the truth, she might not accept it. As elders, we are doing this for her own good... You all know how powerful emotional manipulation can be; the Emotional Cocoon Qiqi has formed is far more potent than any emotional insect."
"Mother, if... if Zhuozi catches on to something, will he turn against us?"
Great-Grandmother shook her head and fell silent, unsure of what to say.
Miao Xiaoqi's grandmother murmured to herself, "Zhuozi is so kind-hearted; if he knew the truth, he would surely compromise... But feelings are ultimately a matter between two people; they cannot be forced..."
The sun in Yun Province was different from that in Jiangnan, still slightly lingering with a time difference. In October, it was already past six in the evening, yet the sky remained dimly bright. If this were Ningcheng, it would have been dark by now.
"Hey? What's with all the decorations? What's going on?" Miao Xiaoqi asked herself in confusion as she returned to the Village and saw the scene before her. Suddenly, three elegantly dressed Miao Sisters rushed out from the side, grabbing Miao Xiaoqi and pulling her away. Miao Xiaoqi looked innocent and shouted, "Sister, Sister... what’s happening?"
The three Miao Sisters giggled as they held onto Miao Xiaoqi, saying as they walked, "Sister, you just need to come along; it's a good thing!"
"Hey, hey, Sister... what is going on..."
As Miao Xiaoqi was led further away, Bai Zhuo felt curious. He saw five or six more Miao Sisters approaching from the opposite direction. These five girls chattered excitedly in their hometown dialect and then grabbed Bai Zhuo's hand, pulling him into the Village, leaving Yang Liu and Ge Shui Lian exchanging puzzled glances.
"Um... Sisters, where are you taking me? Hey... speak Mandarin..." Bai Zhuo was dragged by the five girls into a room. They pulled at his clothes, hastily stripping him down to just his underwear.
With flushed cheeks, the five girls pushed Bai Zhuo into a bathtub filled with warm water. One of the older girls playfully touched Bai Zhuo's backside, startling him and filling him with embarrassment.
After pushing Bai Zhuo into the tub, the girls placed a set of their traditional clothing nearby and giggled as they closed the door behind them, leaving in a flurry of laughter.
Who can tell me what is happening here?
...
"Bai Zhuo! Bai Zhuo! Are you done yet?"
"Huh? Miao Long! I'm done; what on earth is going on?" Bai Zhuo hastily wiped himself off and put on the clothes from Miao Village before opening the door in a panic. "A Long, what is happening?"
Miao Long chuckled and said, "It's a banquet arranged by Great-Grandmother; you just relax."
But Bai Zhuo still felt confused and anxious. Miao Long adjusted Bai Zhuo's clothes and took his hand to lead him into the courtyard of Miao Village.
The yard was illuminated by the flames of the bonfire and torches, casting a warm glow over Miao Family Village. Miao Long had not yet stepped into the yard when he began to sing loudly!
Miao Long sang in his hometown dialect, his voice slightly youthful, and a beautiful melody echoed throughout the yard. Suddenly, a girl across the way joined in, harmonizing with him! After she finished, a group of Miao Family boys sang together, and once they were done, the Miao Family girls on the other side also chimed in. The scene was lively; although no one understood the lyrics, it was undeniably pleasant to hear.
Finally, Miao Xiaoqi, surrounded by a group of sisters, shyly approached the bonfire, her face flushed.
Miao Xiaoqi was already quite beautiful, even at just sixteen years old. With her careful grooming, the light makeup on her face and her vibrant attire made her look especially stunning under the firelight, exuding an exotic charm.
At that moment, she resembled a fairy who had descended to the mortal realm, feeling flustered and overwhelmed by all eyes on her. The fairy was extremely shy and lowered her head as if wanting to escape. Just then, her mother Alasha stepped forward to stop Miao Xiaoqi.
Seeing this, Miao Xiaoqi buried her face in Alasha's embrace, tears welling in her eyes.
After a moment of choking back sobs, she looked up and said, "Mom, Qiqi has grown up. Qiqi understands this is an engagement banquet, but... but Qiqi doesn’t want to get married yet..." Before Miao Xiaoqi could finish speaking, she suddenly gasped for breath as bright red blood trickled from her nose. Alasha was alarmed; she realized her daughter's emotions were overwhelming her. Quickly pulling out a handkerchief, she wiped away the blood and hurriedly explained, "Silly girl, don’t be so agitated! Look over there!"
Miao Xiaoqi didn’t notice the blood streaming from her nose. Following her mother’s point direction, she saw the person who had been on her mind...her Brother Bai, Bai Zhuo. Upon seeing Bai Zhuo's figure, Miao Xiaoqi's face broke into a radiant smile. But after a moment, she furrowed her brows and asked, "Mom, is Brother Bai also kept in the dark?"
"Ah, well..." Alasha stammered and couldn’t find the words. Just as Miao Xiaoqi was about to ask more questions, it was too late. Bai Zhuo was pushed forward by a group of girls surrounding him.
The girls held onto his hands and began dancing around the bonfire to their own songs. There were many dancers; judging by their numbers, it seemed that all the siblings from the village had come. They formed layers around Bai Zhuo and Miao Xiaoqi until they were pushed together.
The crowd sang and danced joyfully; Miao Xiaoqi's face turned crimson as if steam were rising from her head!
Bai Zhuo called out, "Qiqi, why are you bleeding? Are you okay?"
Miao Xiaoqi shook her head, speechless. Bai Zhuo asked again, "What's going on... why are they suddenly singing and dancing? Is it some kind of festival?"
Upon hearing this, Miao Xiaoqi's breath quickened again. "Bai, Brother Bai, they're welcoming you! You should go join them and dance! I... I'm feeling a bit unwell, so I'll head back first."
However, Bai Zhuo suddenly grabbed Miao Xiaoqi's wrist. "In that case, I won't dance alone. Qiqi, come dance with me!"
Miao Xiaoqi was led by Bai Zhuo, feeling lost and could only follow his lead as they jumped around in the crowd. When everyone saw Bai Zhuo being so proactive, they erupted in cheers, singing loudly, and the dancing became even more flirtatious. Miao Xiaoqi forced a smile as she held onto Bai Zhuo and began to dance the Miao Family dance.
Bai Zhuo was in high spirits, and as they danced, tears streamed down Miao Xiaoqi's face, but Bai Zhuo didn’t notice.
"Shui Lian, look at Bai Zhuo in the crowd! If I hadn't seen Qiqi, I wouldn't have recognized him in those Miao Family clothes!" Yang Liu pointed towards Bai Zhuo near the bonfire.
Ge Shui Lian looked over and noticed that Miao Xiaoqi and Bai Zhuo were holding hands tightly. A strange emotion rose within her as she muttered, "At this rate, are they getting married? What a jerk—Qiqi is only sixteen!"
...
The festivities continued with the Miao Family providing plenty of food and drink. Bai Zhuo had consumed a lot of alcohol; although his limbs felt sluggish, his mind was remarkably clear.
After a long night of revelry, everyone grew tired. Many elders took their leave from Miao Village. At this moment, Miao Long led a group of Miao Family members to carry the exhausted Bai Zhuo towards the loft and tossed him onto the bed.
After a while, just as Bai Zhuo was starting to settle into the mattress, a commotion erupted outside the door.
"Mom! Don't pull me! I won't go in! I won't!"
"Silly girl, I'm doing this for your own good. Stop resisting and go inside."
"No! I don't want to! Mom, Grandma, Qiqi won’t go in. Brother Bai has been kept in the dark... Great-Grandmother, why are you here?"
"Go on, Qiqi. This is my promise to Zhuo... consider it my indulgence as an elder."
"Great-Grandmother..."
"Good child, go inside."
...
Creak... The door opened, and a cool breeze swept in, carrying the faint fragrance of Miao Xiaoqi, which made Bai Zhuo feel more awake.
As the door closed, the room was shrouded in darkness. Moonlight spilled in through the window, and Bai Zhuo turned to see Miao Xiaoqi's delicate figure faintly illuminated. Suddenly, Bai Zhuo understood something and murmured softly, "Oh... is this the great gift from Great-Grandmother?"
Miao Xiaoqi walked to the bed and stood there for a long time. Finally, as if making up her mind, she took off her shoes and quietly climbed onto the bed. Using the moonlight as her guide, she cautiously crawled next to Bai Zhuo.
"Qiqi."
Miao Xiaoqi jumped in surprise and stammered, "Ah, Bai... Brother Bai."
"Qiqi, let's be honest. The banquet tonight was peculiar; it must be your engagement with me..."
In the darkness, Miao Xiaoqi's face turned pale, her hands and feet cold as ice. She lowered her head, trembling, "Brother Bai, you... you already know... Actually, tonight was... was an engagement banquet for you and me. I will talk to Great-Grandmother right away and have her cancel this decision. Great-Grandmother must be troubling you with this, right..." At this point, Miao Xiaoqi felt a pang in her heart; tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. She wiped at her tears but found they wouldn't stop flowing. Covering her face with her hands, she said, "I'm... I'm sorry, Brother Bai..."
At that moment, a warm hand gently pressed down on Miao Xiaoqi's head. "Qiqi, you look truly beautiful tonight... But Qiqi, your age is really too much for me. You know that I'm twenty-six this year while you're only sixteen. In ten years, I'll be thirty-six and you'll be twenty-six. It may not sound like much now, but what about in another ten years? In another twenty years? At that time..."
"I don't care..." Miao Xiaoqi suddenly interrupted Bai Zhuo but realized she had spoken out of turn and quickly covered her mouth.
Bai Zhuo stared at Miao Xiaoqi in shock for a moment before regaining his composure and asking, "Qiqi... when did you..."
Breaking through that layer of hesitation, Miao Xiaoqi grew bolder. She bit her lip and said, "I... I don't know... Anyway, I think Brother Bai is the most special person in Qi's life."
Bai Zhuo let out a bitter laugh. "Me? Heh, Qi actually likes someone like me? I really can't understand what Qi sees in me..." Before he could finish his sentence, Miao Xiaoqi interrupted him, shouting, "I like Brother Bai's gentleness, I like Brother Bai's bravery, I like Brother Bai's kindness! I... I like it when Brother Bai pats my head..."
Bai Zhuo furrowed his brow and asked, "Qi... do you really understand the meaning of love?"
"I... I..."
Miao Xiaoqi couldn't find an answer. Bai Zhuo softened his tone. "Qi, it's not that Brother Bai wants to stop you from liking me; I'm just worried that your feelings are too hasty, you know? You're only sixteen years old. Before this, you haven't stepped out of the village even once, right?"
Bai Zhuo genuinely liked Miao Xiaoqi. Taking advantage of the alcohol, he gently pulled her closer. "Aside from the boys in the village, you haven't interacted with any other boys. Plus, you've been away from home for over two months now in Ningcheng. You've been alone, and Brother Bai has been taking care of you. It's only natural that you would develop feelings for me, isn't it?"
Miao Xiaoqi shook her head vigorously against Bai Zhuo's chest. "No, that's not how it is..."
Bai Zhuo lifted Miao Xiaoqi's chin and wiped away her tears seriously. "How about this, Qi? This year you're sixteen. When you turn eighteen, if you still remember my words, come find me. I'll wait for you, okay?"
Miao Xiaoqi paused for a moment and suddenly thought of something. "But... but Sister Shirei..."
Bai Zhuo pressed a finger to Miao Xiaoqi's lips. "Sister Shirei... she has someone she likes too, just like you do. For your growth, Brother Bai is willing to wait for you for two years!"
Two years should be enough time to fade someone from memory, right? Bai Zhuo thought to himself. (To be continued.)
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