That ghostly thing didn’t give Liang Ye any time to struggle at all, sleeping with him once and then leaving.

But it tormented His Highness the Crown Prince terribly.

In Liang Ye’s smooth-sailing life, according to his plans, he should have met a good girl, fallen mutually in love like his father and her mother, then expressed feelings while maintaining propriety, and after formal matchmaking, welcomed her into the Eastern Palace as his Crown Princess. Finally, the two of them would have several children together, and that would be perfect.

His martial uncle had calculated his fortune for him, saying his destined Crown Princess was a gentle and considerate young lady from a noble family. The two of them would be a match made in heaven, with children and grandchildren filling the halls.

With youthful thoughts, it wasn’t that he hadn’t dreamed of such things, but now what occupied his mind had become that blue-skinned fierce ghost. While reading the books of sages, his mind would uncontrollably flash with intimate scenes from the bedroom. That fierce ghost wore a face almost identical to his own, but his eyebrows and eyes always carried a hint of gentle smile. When leaning down, even his breath carried a cold and sinister scent.

‘Little Highness, call out for me to hear, won’t you?’

‘Open your mouth, let me kiss you.’

‘Don’t cry, does it hurt?’

‘…You little brat, be gentler!’

‘I think you want to die, die and come keep me company.’

‘Don’t bite my neck, you dog.’

“Your Highness… Your Highness!” Wen Zong suddenly slammed the table and shouted coldly.

Liang Ye immediately startled, straightened his posture, blushed and stood up to bow, “Imperial Preceptor.”

Wen Zong frowned and shook his head.

Liang Ye couldn’t say what kind of thoughts he harbored. He was extremely disgusted by that fierce ghost, but he also couldn’t deny that he very much wanted to see the other party again, even if just to ask for a name. After much inner struggle, he still did something bad.

He used some methods to conceal the fact of his intimate relations with that blue-skinned ghost, so that even his master and martial uncle didn’t discover it.

Two more years passed in the blink of an eye. Liang Hua finally felt it was about time to abdicate, so he prepared to pass the throne to him and take Wang Xusui away to live freely and happily. But there was a major problem standing before them: Liang Ye stubbornly refused to marry a Crown Princess.

“Son, you’re already of age this year. Jiao Yan and Qi Ming are about the same age as you, and now their children can already run around.” Wang Xusui looked at him worriedly, “There are so many young ladies from court officials’ families. At the flower-viewing banquet the other day, wasn’t there a single one that caught your eye?”

Liang Ye smiled and shook his head, “Hasn’t Cheng’an gotten married yet?”

“How can you compare with him?” Wang Xusui immediately became more worried, “When Cheng’an goes out, all the young ladies in the capital practically want to throw themselves at him. Yueli still thinks of him constantly after returning to Eastern Chen, and several princesses compete jealously over him every day. When you go out, even dogs don’t bother to acknowledge you. Son, wake up.”

“…” Liang Ye lowered his head and touched his nose.

“I’ve been too indulgent with him. In a few days, Zhen will arrange to select a Crown Princess for him.” Liang Hua, who couldn’t wait to lay down his burden, slammed the table and set a date for selecting a consort for Liang Ye.

A stream of portraits was sent into the Eastern Palace.

“Brother, why don’t you want a Crown Princess?” Chong Heng climbed onto the beam, eager to jump down.

Liang Ye had his two long legs propped against the bed post, lying on the bed with his arm as a pillow, reading a book. Hearing this, he replied listlessly, “What do you understand? I’m pure-hearted and have few desires.”

Chong Heng clapped his small hands, “I understand now.”

Liang Ye snorted with laughter, “You understand nothing.”

Chong Heng suddenly jumped down from the beam but was caught around the waist by the suddenly appearing Qiu Gan. Chong Heng immediately became unhappy, “I want brother to hold me!”

“His Highness is busy with the matter of selecting a consort.” Qiu Gan had obviously received Wang Xusui’s instructions and said to Liang Ye while holding Chong Heng, “Your Highness, the Empress said you must decide by the eighth day, otherwise His Majesty will make the decision for you.”

Liang Ye covered his face with the book and let out a painful wail.

Qiu Gan suppressed his laughter and carried the struggling Chong Heng out of the hall.

Liang Ye lay there for a while, as if finally making up his mind. He got up and walked to the table where the portraits were placed, casually picking up a scroll.

As soon as he untied the rope, the scroll immediately turned into paper scraps that fluttered down from his palm.

A familiar yet strange cold aura struck from behind. Liang Ye was firmly embraced from behind. The other party unceremoniously rested his chin on his shoulder and intimately wrapped his arms around his waist, laughing, “Liang Ye, you seem to have grown taller.”

Liang Ye’s breathing suddenly stopped. His hands suspended in mid-air began to tremble uncontrollably. He clenched his fists and placed them on the table, then forcefully spread his five fingers and interlocked them with ten fingers. “Am I that frightening, hmm?”

The other party said this while turning his head to kiss his ear.

Liang Ye took a sharp breath and said through gritted teeth, “Didn’t you leave?”

“Who said I left?” The person said in shock, “Didn’t I just take a nap on your bed?”

Liang Ye suddenly turned around to glare at him, angrily saying, “Lies! You’ve obviously been gone for two years!”

The person’s originally bluish-white complexion looked much more normal now. Except for being somewhat pale, he looked almost no different from a living person. He blinked innocently and said as if suddenly understanding, “Really? I just felt like I went out for a stroll.”

Liang Ye stared at him coldly, “What did you come back to do?”

The other party’s face slowly revealed a sinister smile. He moved closer, rubbing against his nose tip, “I heard you’re going to take a Crown Princess?”

“Heh.” Liang Ye pulled up the corner of his mouth, “If I want to take a consort, what business is it of yours, a ghost creature?”

“It’s not entirely unrelated.” The other party pressed him against the table edge. With a wave of his long sleeve, all the portraits on the table turned to flying ash. He smiled, “I died without ever getting married, so don’t you think about having one either.”

He leaned too close. Liang Ye’s entire mind was buzzing, and everything the other party said automatically became background noise. He could only smell the faint floral fragrance on the other party, along with some cold and sinister ghost aura. He had grown much taller in these two years, almost the same height as the other party. If he wanted, he could probably very easily pull the person into his embrace.

Liang Ye lowered his eyes to stare at his pale opening and closing lips, sensing the other party’s suspicious tone but having no patience to listen to what the other party was saying.

That strange floral fragrance came from his neck. When the other party became emotional, a large blooming begonia flower would appear on the back of his neck. He had once tasted it petal by petal.

But too much time had passed, and those memories were pitifully few.

“You… destroyed all the scrolls. Who should I marry?” Liang Ye lowered his eyes and raised his arm, slowly placing his palm on the other party’s lower back, even clearly feeling the other party stiffen for a moment.

“You naturally cannot marry anyone.” The other party sneered and lowered his head to smell his neck, probably considering where to bite. “I suffered some injuries. Let me absorb some vital energy to replenish myself, won’t you?”

Two years ago, this ghost creature had done the same, almost draining all his vital energy. Before leaving, it had also consumed much of his blood. If it weren’t for his master being away at the time, Liang Ye would have certainly been scolded bloody.

Liang Ye finally belatedly realized what was happening. He raised his eyes to meet those eyes that looked no different from an ordinary person’s and said in a deep voice, “In these two years, you used my blood and vital energy to cultivate and became much stronger.”

The other party slowly curved his lips, “So clever.”

But Liang Ye’s expression became somewhat unpleasant, “Then when you said you were fond of me, so you willingly lay down and let me…”

The other party hugged him and laughed foolishly, looking at him with excitement and pity, “My little Highness, ghost creatures’ dual cultivation is either absorbing yin to supplement yang or absorbing yang to supplement yin. You and I are both men. I can’t absorb yin, so naturally I had to absorb your yang. I still prefer watching you cry and beg me to… hiss, you didn’t take what was said in bed seriously, did you?”

Liang Ye looked at him as if wanting to kill a ghost.

“Oh my.” The other party said in delight, “Then haven’t you been thinking of me constantly these two years? Have you been going crazy missing me? Were you asking that question earlier because you wanted to marry me?”

The other party seemed to have heard some enormous joke and laughed earth-shakingly while supporting his shoulders.

Liang Ye’s face darkened, but his hands never let go.

“Fool.” The ghost creature suddenly stopped laughing and looked at him with contempt and disdain, “How boring. I should find someone else instead.”

“Who will you find?” Liang Ye’s arms suddenly tightened, pulling him firmly into his embrace and staring at him intensely.

“Of course, someone who isn’t stupid.” The other party sneered lightly and tried to shake him off, but unexpectedly, Liang Ye didn’t budge at all. He was stunned for a moment, then tried again in disbelief, but still couldn’t break free.

“For these two years, I’ve been thinking every day about what method to use to catch you.” Liang Ye said dejectedly, lowering his eyes and resting his head in the crook of his neck. “For this, I was scolded by my master for practicing heretical ways. I don’t know how much suffering I endured, and it turns out you were just toying with me.”

The ghost creature reached out in disgust to push away his head, “Get away, you smell bad.”

Liang Ye followed his force and raised his head, glaring at him with red eyes, “You’re still lying to me. You obviously are fond of me. Even your face was drawn to look like mine.”

“…I originally had this face.” The ghost creature’s face turned blue from being strangled by him, “You bastard, let go!”

“I don’t believe it.” Liang Ye murmured, “You didn’t come early or late, but just when I’m about to take a consort, you came. You also said not to let me marry someone else, and said you’d find someone else to provoke me—”

“Wait a minute.” The ghost creature frowned in confusion, “I came to find you because I was injured and needed to replenish myself.”

Liang Ye smiled happily and nodded, “See, you obviously have me in your heart.”

The ghost creature looked shocked, “Liang Ye, has your brain been broken?”

Liang Ye’s smile faded slightly, but the arm strangling him tightened more and more. He carefully felt the restless ghost aura on the other party and raised his other arm to show him, saying pitifully, “This is a ghost-binding spell I carved on myself, carved bit by bit. It hurt terribly, and I hid and cried secretly in the middle of the night.”

“…” The ghost creature looked at him speechlessly, “This kind of low-level— ugh!”

Liang Ye’s eyes lit up as he stared at the bloody hole burned through his arm, “Not low-level. I used forbidden arts. My master almost beat me to death, but I never revealed you.”

The ghost creature stared at him with a fierce expression and smiled sinisterly, “Little brat, you dare to scheme against me?”

“I didn’t plan to use it on you, but you just said you didn’t want me anymore.” Liang Ye looked at him in distress and reached out to grab his wound, “You seduced me into doing those things with you, making it so my heart can no longer hold anyone else. I finally decided to take a consort, but you came back to provoke me. After provoking me halfway, when I don’t suit your taste, you want to find someone else… Why should I allow that?”

The ghost creature sneered lightly, “Little brat, do you know who you’re talking to?”

“I don’t know, because you’ve never been willing to tell me your name.” Liang Ye grinned and bit through his lip to lean forward, “Don’t you want to replenish yourself?”

The ghost creature stared at the blood on his lips with eyes almost going straight. His Adam’s apple swallowed hard twice before those blood-stained lips pressed against his. The warm sensation flowed all the way down his throat.

Then it became unstoppable.

After a chaotic and frenzied night passed, Liang Ye held the cold ghost creature, staring obsessively at the begonia flower on his neck. He wanted to reach out and touch it but was grabbed by the wrist.

“Don’t bother me.” The other party looked very unhappy.

But Liang Ye was very happy. He didn’t try to touch with his hand again, instead leaning over to kiss the faint, almost invisible suture marks on his shoulder, “Have I become more skilled?”

“…Get lost.” The other party looked like he wanted to crush his head.

Liang Ye took it as praise and clung to him affectionately. Yellow talisman paper twisted into chains wound from the ghost creature’s neck all the way down to encircle his slender ankle, with the end firmly wrapped and embedded into the flesh under Liang Ye’s wrist, flashing twice before disappearing again.

“You can’t run away anymore.” Liang Ye sighed with satisfaction and stickily kissed his neck, “Be my Crown Princess. I’ll build you the most beautiful palace, with plenty of vital energy and blood. I’ll take care of you.”

The ghost creature looked at him with an indescribable expression, “You’re crazy, not living a peaceful life.”

Liang Ye reached out to touch his flat abdomen, “Can you bear me many children?”

Then he was almost bitten on the neck by the furious ghost creature.

****

His Highness the Crown Prince had been in very good spirits lately. Everyone in the palace unanimously believed he had selected a Crown Princess to his liking.

Liang Ye had indeed chosen a Crown Princess he was fond of and had locked her up in the Eastern Palace.

To say “locked up” wasn’t entirely accurate. That ghost creature did have some ability. If he really tried hard, he could still escape. But Liang Ye would drag the other party into intimate activities as soon as he returned to the palace. When the other party wanted vital energy, he gave vital energy; when he wanted blood, he gave blood. Obviously, he was being served quite satisfactorily.

Finally, while dragging him to bathe, Liang Ye asked for the other party’s name.

“What did you say?” Liang Ye was stunned.

“Zhen… is also called Liang Ye…” The ghost creature leaned against the edge of the bath with disheveled long hair, his pale face bloodless, but his eyes were tinged with red, “Give it to me!”

Liang Ye suppressed the stormy waves in his heart and pressed him into his own embrace.

After the ghost creature had absorbed enough yang energy from his body, he would find various ways to get it back. Liang Ye bit his shoulder where the suture marks could no longer be seen and groaned, then was grabbed by the neck and forced to raise his head.

“The discussion hall is right next door, Your Highness. Would you like to take a look?” The ghost creature smiled wickedly and maliciously.

“No.” He refused curtly through gritted teeth, “You dare!”

But the other party was very skillful, most enjoying challenging his sense of shame. There probably wasn’t anywhere in the entire imperial palace he wouldn’t dare to fool around.

“I’m going to kill you!”

When Liang Ye got angry, he would tug at those talisman chains. The ghost creature would get angry too, using despicable methods endlessly. Even if Liang Ye vengefully retaliated next time, he would still be tormented thoroughly each time.

Such disgrace to his dignity, his face completely lost.

****

“Your Highness, congratulations!” Jiao Yan laughed, “What kind of divine being is Miss Tan Jiu to win your favor?”

Liang Ye’s shoulder, which he had pounded, suddenly ached. His face turned pale as he said, “He is very good.”

That ghostly thing had thrown a tantrum last night and almost bit through his shoulder, yet showed not the slightest consideration for how much effort he had put in to marry him legitimately.

“But you’ve been looking a bit weak lately.” Jiao Yan tilted his head suspiciously, “Are you ill?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well recently.” Liang Ye awkwardly forced a smile.

Not just poor sleep—he was dragged into intimate activities by the other party almost every night. Even his meditation and cultivation would be forcibly interrupted. That thing had already entangled him to the point of depleting his vital essence and blood. Jiao Yan could see it, and even his father had tactfully reminded him to exercise restraint. Fortunately, his master and martial uncle had gone traveling these past few years. If his master were here—

Liang Ye immediately felt a chill down his back.

When he returned to the Eastern Palace that evening, the ghost creature appeared silently behind him and scooped him up in his arms, “Why did Your Highness return so late today?”

“I was delayed by important matters.” Liang Ye touched his pale cheek, “You look the same as a living person now.”

The other party chuckled softly, “It’s all thanks to Your Highness.”

He carried Liang Ye to the mirror and lifted his chin, making him look at the two nearly identical faces in the mirror, “Look at us two now… who looks more like a ghost?”

Liang Ye stared at his own pale face and dark circles under his eyes in the mirror and forced a smile, “Do you want to leave?”

“Staying with me will kill you.” The other party had him sit on his lap and held him while laughing, “Your Highness, do you know what a fierce ghost is? I will entangle you to death. Initially, you thought it was your own unwillingness to let me go, but actually, I was bewitching you… it was all fake.”

“Then why are you telling me the truth now?” Liang Ye obsessively touched his lips.

“For the sake of us both once being Liang Ye.” The fierce ghost lazily leaned against the chair back, but his hands were already dishonestly reaching through his clothes to touch Liang Ye’s spine, settling lightly on his slightly warm nape, “While I don’t want your life yet.”

“But you obviously can’t bear to leave.” Liang Ye followed his movement and lowered his eyes to stare at him, raising his hand to press the other’s palm firmly against his own nape, grinning, “Do you want my cervical vertebrae? You’ve wanted to bite several times, and last time you almost bit through my neck. Now you’re talking nonsense… you just want to trick me into giving it to you willingly.”

“Mm.” The other party rubbed his nape and narrowed his eyes, “So sometimes I really hate smart people.”

“Give up that thought.” Liang Ye grabbed his hand and pulled it away, “I’ve raised you to be so beautiful to be my Crown Princess. In the future, you’ll be my Empress. If I die, wouldn’t you have to remain a widow?”

“I’m already dead.” The ghost creature licked his sharp canine teeth.

“Oh.” Liang Ye reached out to grab his chin and touched his bloodied teeth with his finger, his expression displeased, “What did you eat again?”

“I ate a tiger. I’ll still be hungry if I only drink your blood.” The other party irritably tilted his head as his mouth was held, “Just give me that small piece of bone, and I won’t be hungry anymore.”

“Dream on. If you can’t eat enough, then stay hungry.” Liang Ye frowned, “You’re not allowed to touch anyone except me, not even animals.”

The ghost creature’s flower roots had already pierced his nape but were expressionlessly pulled out entirely by Liang Ye, “Drink less. I still have to attend court tomorrow.”

The other party hummed in displeasure and went to untie his belt, only to be refused again.

“I—” Liang Ye said with heartache, “have decided to be pure-hearted and have few desires for a while.”

The other party looked at him in shock, “Are you crazy? Do you want to starve me to death?”

“Stop pretending.” Liang Ye pinched his soft, pale cheek, “Look at yourself now—you look more human than humans do. Don’t push your luck.”

The fierce ghost’s face immediately broke into a brilliant smile.

Liang Ye used his deceptive strategy very smoothly. The mysterious Miss Tan Jiu was married into the Eastern Palace by him. Transforming into a woman was child’s play for the fierce ghost.

After bowing to heaven and earth, Liang Ye came before his new bride, somewhat nervously lifting the red veil.

That face identical to his own was even made up, making Liang Ye’s heart pound like drums.

“What are you doing?” Liang Ye asked with a wooden expression as he watched him take scissors and dishevel his own hair.

The ghost creature smiled at him with red lips and powdered face, his expression sinister, “Your Highness, even after bowing to heaven and earth, the red threads between you and those destined women still haven’t been severed.”

Liang Ye was slightly shocked, “Several?”

“Six.” The ghost creature grinned fiercely and seemed to grab something in the void. With one snip of the scissors, a bright red mist instantly exploded.

Liang Ye instinctively covered his heart, as if something had truly been severed, lost forever and never to return, leaving him dazed for a long time.

“It’s too late for regrets.” The fierce ghost casually threw away the scissors. When they hit the ground, they turned into a puddle of bloody water with a fishy smell. He looked at Liang Ye with a half-smile, “Those red threads have been an eyesore for a long time. If you hadn’t married me, I really would have had no way to cut them.”

Liang Ye vaguely felt something was wrong. A chill suddenly rose on his back as he frowned and stared at him, “You—”

“Now we have red threads between us. Finally, I can touch you without obstruction.” The other party’s mouth curved into a strange arc. His blue-black fingernails suddenly grew long and latched onto his nape, piercing through flesh to directly touch that section of bone. The fierce ghost smiled with the satisfaction of a successful scheme.

“Your Crown Princess wants half of your immortal bone. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”