The blazing fire jumped from the black and white portrait to the black curtain with the word "葬" written on it. The flames devoured everything on the mourning table with their fangs and claws. Smoke filled the air in an instant. Some people shouted "Fire", some people took off their clothes and beat the flames. The whole mourning hall was in chaos.
Ji Lianyun was choked by the thick smoke and started coughing. He put his arm around Tang Ning's shoulders and walked out with Tang Ning.
Tang Ning was so shocked by this unexpected change that he didn't know what to do. He subconsciously turned his head to look at the place where the fire was spreading. The cold portrait was engulfed by the flames. A corner of the photo in the portrait was burned. The old man's sinister eyes were still staring at Tang Ning.
It was not known whether it was Tang Ning's illusion, but the portrait he saw through the flickering firelight also changed slightly as the firelight twisted. The eerie gaze shifted from directly facing Tang Ning to slightly tilted and fell on Ji Lianyun.
The white wreaths on both sides collapsed to the ground with a loud bang, and the pure white petals were scattered all over the ground and trampled by countless people.
Tang Ning once heard someone say that a fire in the mourning hall meant that the old man was filled with resentment. Was the fire this time a coincidence or something else
A cough drew Tang Ning's thoughts to the person next to him. Ji Lianyun seemed to be choked by the thick smoke and coughed weakly. Tang Ning was worried that Ji Lianyun might not be able to catch his breath, so he quickly reached out and patted Ji Lianyun's back. Ji Lianyun covered his mouth and nose with one hand and pressed his chest with the other. He coughed for a long time and even bent his waist before he stopped the aggressive cough.
"I'm sorry." Ji Lianyun's voice was hoarse as he looked at Tangning with regret, "I messed up Grandpa's funeral."
Tang Ning was overwhelmed. Facing Ji Lianyun, he just said, "This was an accident. You didn't mean to do it."
At that time, I got so angry for no apparent reason, it was weird and fierce.
Ji Lianyun felt even more guilty after hearing Tangning's words. He covered his chest with his hands, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if his heart was tortured by the strong guilt.
Tangning originally wanted to go to the funeral hall to check on the fire, but Ji Lianyun's expression made him unable to care about the situation in the funeral hall. "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ji Lianyun's face turned pale and he shook his head. He said intermittently: "I'm fine. You put out the fire. I can do it alone."
Every word seemed to be filled with suppressed pain, his brows were knitted tightly together, and he didn't look like nothing was wrong at all.
Tangning's heart began to tighten as well, "I'll help you get to the room and rest for a while!"
Ji Lianyun walked away and said softly, "I can handle myself." He staggered and would have fallen if Tang Ning hadn't caught him quickly.
Tang Ning put Ji Lianyun's arm around his neck, held Ji Lianyun's waist with his hand, and walked with difficulty towards the next room with Ji Lianyun.
Ji Lianyun's steps were weak and he had no strength. He coughed softly after taking each step. Tang Ning supported Ji Lianyun more carefully. He took a few steps and couldn't help but look back at the mourning hall. Wisps of black smoke floated out of it. People were coming and going at the door. Tang Ning felt inexplicably depressed. He seemed to have witnessed the beginning of a disaster, but he could only watch the fire get more and more intense without being able to stop it.
Why couldn’t he light the eternal lamp
A vague idea popped up in his mind. Tang Ning remembered that on the first day, the old man's eyes and mouth could not be closed. After he said that he had fulfilled the old man's last wish, the old man miraculously closed his eyes.
At the beginning of the game, when introducing the background, it was also said that it was Tang Xianheng's wish to let Sun and Ji Lianyun get married. Logically speaking, now that he is married to Ji Lianyun, Tang Xianheng's resentment should have subsided. Could it be that
Tang Ning looked at Ji Lianyun's pale profile. He looked shaky and extremely weak.
—Shouldn’t he marry Ji Lianyun, but the ghost groom
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that it was when Ji Lianyun introduced him as her husband that the portrait fell and knocked over the eternal lamp.
Tang Ning looked at Ji Lianyun again. Ji Lianyun was lying weakly on the bed with his eyes closed in discomfort. Tang Ning had had this experience before. When he was extremely unwell, he didn't want to say anything and didn't want to waste energy talking to others. Ji Lianyun must have felt similarly.
Tang Ning sat down quietly on the edge of the bed and took out his cell phone. This time there was a signal, but the battery was very low.
Players exchange information in the group.
Lin Yun: "What happened? Why did Han Yunian die of hanging? When did that Uncle Wang appear in the mourning hall?"
Han Ankang: "Last night, the three of us were at the funeral hall, and no one rested all night. In the morning, everyone was tired, and Han Yunian said he would keep vigil first, and let us rest in the room. We would take over after we rested. I didn't expect that after I took a nap, I saw him hanging himself in the funeral hall. Uncle Wang also appeared afterwards."
Lin Ankang: "Why did you wait until today to come? The NPC you brought with you actually set the mourning hall on fire!"
Lin Ankang: "Although the fire was put out in time, many things in the mourning hall were burned. Only half of the portrait was left, the eternal lamp was broken in two, and there were other messy things. I feel very uneasy now. Will the destruction of these things affect our vigil tonight?"
Ji Ke: "What's Ji Lianyun's current situation, Tangning?"
Tangning looked at Ji Lianyun, who was still frowning and coughing softly from time to time.
Tangning: "He's not in good condition right now. I'm worried he might faint."
Lin Yun: "Have you tried the water-balancing plan I mentioned before?"
Tangning: "Not yet."
Lin Yun: "You try it now to see if it helps his condition. He is not fainting now. Ghosts kill people during the day. There is such a change in the funeral hall. I wonder if the dead Han Yunian will become a ghost."
Tangning tightened his grip on the phone and looked at Ji Lianyun. He looked at her pale face, which was the color of skin that had not seen the sun for a long time and was imprisoned in the house all day. The eyes and lips were slightly blue. He knew that Ji Lianyun's health had always been poor, but even now, Tangning still felt an indescribable sense of security sitting next to Ji Lianyun.
In fact, he didn't put out the fire in the funeral hall not because Ji Lianyun was so weak that he needed his care.
It was he who needed Ji Lianyun.
He needs Ji Lianyun.
Even hearing this person cough made him feel at ease.
The airtight room was filled with dust. Tang Ning lowered his head carefully, passed through the dust and humid air, and moved closer to Ji Lianyun's face.
Ji Lianyun's eyelashes are as long as Xiaoshan's, her nose is very high, and her lips are very pretty, so pretty that even with a hint of blue in them, it doesn't make people feel disgusted.
Tang Ning was very timid. He was so timid that he only dared to approach those who looked gentle. Ji Lianyun was gentle. This gentleness was not only in his words and deeds, but also came from his frail health. The always coughing and weak Ji Lianyun seemed to have no edges or corners, as if he would never be hurt.
A faint medicinal fragrance emanated from Ji Lianyun's body, lingering for a long time.
Tangning closed her eyes and kissed Ji Lianyun.
It's like a terminally ill person taking his only "medicine".
A pair of slender hands hugged Tang Ning's waist as she tried to retreat. Tang Ning opened her eyes and met Ji Lianyun's inky black eyes. There was no pain in those eyes, only clarity.
Tang Ning's heart trembled, as if he was a child who had done something bad and was caught.
The pale thin lips came up, and Ji Lianyun deepened the kiss.
He didn't look like a sickly person at all. His warm and cool hands blocked Tang Ning's way back. His frail body effortlessly got up from the bed and pinned the unstable Tang Ning under him.
Tangning wanted to push him away, but then she remembered the principle of keeping things balanced that Lin Yun had mentioned. That night, the ghost groom not only kissed her, but also sucked her.
Thinking of this, Tang Ning closed his eyes and let Ji Lianyun kiss him. Ji Lianyun's body completely enveloped him, and the faint medicinal fragrance enveloped him, reminding Tang Ning of the moist herbal scent in the forest after the rain.
The tingling sensation spread through his mouth like an electric current. Tang Ning's shoulders couldn't help but tremble, and his legs, which had slumped on the bed, also bent. He felt like he was crying, not because he was sad, nor because he was happy. He didn't know why he was crying.
The hands hooked around Ji Lianyun's neck like a drowning man holding onto a piece of driftwood.
Kiss me.
Be the ruler of my soul.
Dominate me, protect me, don't abandon me.
Tears continued to flow from the corners of his eyes, and Tang Ning's heart was filled with continuous pain, so dull that he couldn't breathe. He hugged Ji Lianyun tightly, as if some power was rapidly draining from his body, and his world fell into a chaotic vortex. Slightly rough hands wandered over his body, carrying some desires that were difficult to conceal, but only revealed a little bit so as not to make Tang Ning overly scared.
The slender fingers scratched a little mark on the broad back. Tang Ning was crying so hard that her whole body was shaking. Ji Lianyun stopped the kiss and leaned over to stare at the crying Tang Ning. Tang Ning closed her eyes and frowned while crying. Her nose and chin were all red. She looked miserable and cute.
He stretched out his hand and pushed the tears from Tang Ning's eyes to his mouth, wrapping his thin lips around his fingertips. His dark eyes turned blood red and the expression on his face was indescribably evil.
The moment Tangning opened her eyes, "Ji Lianyun" became Ji Lianyun again. She said gently, innocently, and politely, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself just now."
Tangning tried hard to stop crying and tried to get up from the bed. He had lost all his strength after the kiss. His hands and feet were weak, and with Ji Lianyun pressing on him, Tangning could only get up a little before falling back onto the bed. He looked at Ji Lianyun, who was filled with guilt, and couldn't help but say, "It was me—I kissed you."
Ji Lianyun lowered his head and put his nose against Tangning's. He asked softly, "Why did you kiss me secretly?"
The voice was gentle, the eyes were gentle, and it had the power to bewitch people. Tangning said dazedly, "I..."
Ji Lianyun waited patiently for an answer. Seeing that Tangning was unable to say anything, he continued to persuade her, "Do you like me?"
Tangning did not deny it.
He did have a good impression of Ji Lianyun.
Ji Lianyun held Tangning's face in his hands and gently pressed his fingers on her cheekbones. He continued gently, "So you like me when I'm sober—"
"Or me when I'm sick?"