Oh my god, she was nearly dying. If the wedding night actually happened, it probably would've confirmed everyone's guesses that she wouldn't survive it.
Despite her worries, Jin Zijin eventually came.
The man was tall and imposing, dressed in simple coarse clothes, with stubble covering his face and somewhat dark skin, the spitting image of a rugged man.
Yet his eyes were deep and bright, shining with a mysterious light like stars in the vast universe, elusive and intriguing.
He just stood by the bed, staring at her, wordless.
Gu Youyou was actually very tired; on a normal day, it took a great deal of effort just for her to sit up. But today she not only sat for half an hour in a sedan chair but also managed to complete the wedding ceremony with the help of others. She had used up all the strength she'd accumulated over several days in just one day.
However, she couldn't sleep. She had forced herself to stay alert all day, listening to the noises outside, and now, she had to muster the energy to prevent whatever was supposed to happen next.
She only wanted to use the marriage as a way to escape that haunted house; she never intended to actually become wife and husband with this man.
Jin Zijin didn't speak, and Gu Youyou didn't know what to say.
She had been holding herself taut like a tightly wound string as they looked at each other. Just when she felt she could no longer hold on, Jin Zijin made a move.
But his movement might as well have been stillness because he began quickly stripping off his own clothes and shoes.
His actions were swift, smoothly executed in a few seconds.
Gu Youyou's heart rose to her throat; the string inside her finally snapped, and she fainted.
As Jin Zijin took off his clothes and saw that Gu Youyou had passed out, he was actually relieved and confidently removed his inner garment as well.
It was better for her to faint; it spared them both the awkwardness.
The skin on his body, below the neck, was white and delicate, completely at odds with his face, as if he had the wrong head attached.
He drew a small knife and cut a slit on his left wrist, then pried open Gu Youyou's mouth to let her drink his blood.
His right hand gently touched her neck to feel her pulse, his brow furrowing slightly.
After a moment of hesitation, as if making up his mind, he slid under her blankets, stripped her, and held her icy body tightly against his.
…
The next day, Gu Youyou was awakened by sunlight shining through the window. She could finally see the sun properly, no easy feat indeed.
The sunlight fell on her blanket, making her feel an unprecedented warmth, and even her spirits seemed much uplifted.
She knew it; as long as she stopped taking those medicines and got more sunlight, she'd be able to heal herself with her knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine.
Gu Youyou tried to sit up, supporting her body, but found that her whole body ached terribly, the bed board knocking with a hollow sound.
This bed board was really hard; even just a layer of grass beneath it instead of a blanket would have been something. Seriously.
Then she jolted, suddenly remembering that she was no longer in her haunted house. This was Jin Zijin's home, she was in Jin Zijin's bed—where was he then?
There was no sound from outside; he wasn't at home.
She recalled last night, Jin Zijin stripping off his clothes in haste. A man undressing hastily in front of a woman—one didn't need to think too hard to figure out what he intended.
Then she looked at herself under the blanket, oh heavens, aside from her belly band and underpants, she was bare.
In a daze, in the sunlight streaming through the window, she saw a few spots of blood on the blanket. The blood had dried to a deep brown color, but it buzzed alarmingly loud in Gu Youyou's head.
The beast, he was an absolute beast.