TMBIABHL: Chapter 58

 Glossary

·Ye Chutang (叶初棠): The female protagonist, the Second Miss of the Ye family.

·Ye Mingze (叶明泽): Ye Heng's son.

·Ye Heng (叶恆): Ye Chutang's second uncle, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

·Lady Gao (高氏): Ye Heng's wife.

·Yu Hong (于洪): The steward of the Ye residence.

---

Chapter 58: A Ghost in the Ye Residence (First Update)

In the afternoon, Ye Chutang took A-Yan, A-Feng, and Little Five out to purchase new clothes and boots.

They had just returned to the residence when Yu Hong hurried over, looking anxious.

"Young Miss, you're finally back! The Madam's condition is still not good. The Master requests that you go and take a look!"

Ye Chutang's delicate eyebrows lifted slightly. "Naturally, I have no issue with that, but Second Aunt seems..."

What Lady Gao had said about her at the banquet had been heard clearly by everyone present. She had made it plain she didn't trust Ye Chutang's medical skills, and she probably wouldn't be willing to let her examine her now.

Yu Hong looked embarrassed. "The Master said, since you could even treat the heir, you might have a way to help the Madam with her illness!"

Ye Chutang smiled gently. "I am also very concerned that Second Aunt is ill. It would be no trouble at all to go see her."

A quarter of an hour later, Ye Chutang arrived outside Lady Gao's room. Yu Hong quickly announced, "Master! Madam! The Second Young Lady has returned!"

Lady Gao, who had been crying, immediately grabbed a vase from the table and hurled it out upon hearing this.

Crash—!

The vase shattered, fragments scattering across the floor.

"Who wants her to look at me!"

She might just drop dead at Ye Chutang's hands!

For some reason, Lady Gao was convinced that her current state was Ye Chutang's doing!

How could she possibly agree to let Ye Chutang treat her?

Ye Chutuan lowered her gaze slightly, looking at the scattered, sharp fragments on the floor, her eyes calm and unperturbed, as if she had long anticipated such a scene.

Ye Heng rushed over. Seeing this, he felt secretly annoyed.

He had already instructed Lady Gao to cooperate, to see if Ye Chutang had any tricks up her sleeve, but Lady Gao hadn't listened to a single word!

"Chutang." Ye Heng suppressed his anger, his expression earnest. "Your Second Aunt is emotionally agitated for the moment. Please don't take it to heart."

Ye Chutang's eyes and brows remained gentle. "I understand. It's just that with Second Aunt like this... I think we shouldn't force it."

"But—"

"Physician Zhang has already examined Second Aunt. Although I understand a little about medicine, I am utterly incomparable to Physician Zhang. Second Uncle, you don't need to worry excessively. Perhaps in a couple of days, Second Aunt will be better."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Ye Heng was still unwilling to give up. "That's not the way to put it. You even managed to treat the heir's injury—"

The corner of Ye Chutang's lips curved. "Actually, that was more by accident. The heir is blessed with great fortune; what illness or pain could he not overcome? I have never seen a case like Second Aunt's before. If I rashly attempted to treat her and something went wrong, that would be a truly grave sin."

Hearing this, Ye Heng knew his plan was unworkable and had to let Ye Chutang leave.

By now, it was late. They would see how Lady Gao was tomorrow. If she was still unwell, they would have to invite someone else to examine her.

……

In the evening, crow-black clouds swept across the sky.

A wild wind gusted, making the tree branches in the courtyard sway madly. The air was filled with the damp smell that precedes a heavy rain.

Ye Chutang stood by the window and closed it tightly.

Plip, plop.

Bean-sized raindrops fell rapidly, quickly wetting the ground.

Whoosh—!

The wind drove the rain down. Soon, a curtain of rain hung between heaven and earth, a faint mist of spray churning up from the ground.

……

The sky darkened completely. The rain did not cease, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder.

Ye Mingze didn't go to Spring Breeze Pavilion that night. He lay in bed, feeling deeply aggrieved and unable to sleep.

The mere thought that Ye Chutang and the others had taken over his old rooms filled him with immense displeasure!

In the past, when his father's official rank was lower than his uncle's, it was one thing for their family to be humble and submissive. But now things were different!

Ye Chutang and her siblings' parents and elder brother were all dead, with no one to protect them. He had thought they could finally hold their heads high, but who knew they'd still have to swallow this humiliation!

Just thinking about it depressed Ye Mingze to the extreme.

A strange sound suddenly came from outside the window, as if someone was knocking.

Ye Mingze snapped impatiently, "What's all the racket!"

No one answered from outside.

Yet after a moment, that strange sound came again.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Thump.

Thump, thump.

Ye Mingze, thoroughly irritated, threw off his covers and yelled in the direction of the door. "This Young Master is trying to sleep! Who's making that noise!"

If his father scolded him, that was one thing, but now even these lowly servants and maids dared to be so negligent!?

Furious,he strode over and yanked the door open. "What are you—"

There was no one outside.

The rain poured down, damp air hitting his face. A few cold droplets blown by the wind struck his cheeks, bringing a tingling chill.

Ye Mingze frowned. Had he misheard earlier?

He closed the door again,intending to go back to sleep. But after taking just two steps, he inadvertently glanced up and seemed to see a black shadow flash past the window.

What was that...

Ye Mingze shuddered inexplicably.

He swallowed hard and blustered angrily, "Who's there! Sneaking around! Have the guts to come out!"

A light laugh suddenly seemed to reach his ears, drifting from a far-off place, fragmented and blended with the sound of the heavy rain, both real and illusory.

"Returning to my own home—how can that be called sneaking around?"

Ye Mingze's eyes widened instantly, a deep horror flashing in their depths!

"Ye... Ye—Ye Xiting!?"

Boom—!

The wind and rain grew fierce,beating violently against the windows. A sudden clap of thunder arrived, its blinding light tearing through the darkness, outlining the lean, straight silhouette of a young man.

Through the window, his face couldn't be seen, only his ghostly shadow imprinted on the pane.

He seemed to laugh.

"Mingze, have you enjoyed living here these three years?"

Ye Mingze's mind went completely blank!

Intense fear surged up, making his whole body tremble.

Almost without thinking, he turned and ran for the door! But as soon as he opened it, he tripped over the threshold and fell flat on the ground.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Pain shot through him; it seemed a warm, coppery-sweet liquid was slowly trickling down from his head.

Ye Mingze couldn't care about that now. He screamed, scrambling to crawl out.

"A ghost! A ghost!"

Hearing the commotion, the night watchman who had dozed off woke with a start and rushed over.

Upon arriving, he saw Ye Mingze crawling out in a panic, his face covered in blood.

The servant was horrified. "Second Young Master!"

He hurried forward, about to help Ye Mingze up, but Ye Mingze slapped his hand away, screaming in terror.

"Don't touch me! Get away! Get away! All of you, get away! This is my home! This is my home!"

He repeated these phrases over and over, hugging his head, his whole body shrinking in fear. Rain mixed with blood, leaving him in an utterly wretched state.

The servant, noticing he was cowering and dared not look up, peered into the room but saw nothing.

"Second Young Master, what's wrong with you? What happened?"

Ye Mingze's eyes were vacant, his lips pale, as if his soul had been sucked out.

Then, his eyelids fluttered, and he fainted dead away.

The servant panicked immediately. "Second Young Master! Second Young Master! Someone, come quickly! Something's wrong with the Second Young Master!"

……

The next day, a piece of secret news spread through the streets and alleys of the capital, causing many to gossip.

—The Ye residence was haunted!

(End of Chapter)

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