Lotus Born from a Corpse - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I didn’t cry from fear.

Liang Sanniang once said that I don’t have many skills, but I’m world-class at wanting to curse someone out the moment I hear bad news.

I stared at Gu Changheng.

“Is your Gu Family marrying a wife because sleeping alone in a coffin isn’t lively enough?”

He froze for a moment.

He probably hadn’t expected that to be the first thing out of my mouth.

I continued, “If you’re trying to scare me, come up with something more original.”

He said in a low voice, “I’m not trying to scare you.”

“Then explain yourself clearly.”

“If I explain it clearly, you’ll be even more afraid.”

“I’m not exactly calm right now either.”

His coughing grew more violent.

I stepped forward and pressed my fingers against his wrist.

This time, he didn’t pull away.

His pulse was strange.

Thump… thump… the beats were spaced very far apart.

It didn’t feel like a living person’s pulse.

Yet, he wasn’t dead either.

My fingers stilled.

Gu Changheng looked at me.

“Did you feel it?”

“Are you poisoned?”

“In a way.”

“What kind of poison?”

“Lotus Birth.”

I had never heard of it.

He lowered his head and pulled back his sleeve.

A patch of faint patterns had grown on the inside of his wrist.

They looked like the veins of a lotus leaf, surfacing from beneath the flesh.

I couldn’t help but reach out to touch them.

He suddenly grabbed my hand, pinning it down.

“Don’t touch it.”

His strength was suddenly terrifying.

I gasped in pain.

“Let go.”

As if he had been burned, he immediately released his grip.

“Sorry.”

I rubbed my wrist.

“That temper of yours is more annoying than your illness.”

He remained silent.

The candlelight flickered.

There were two lamps lit in the room.

One at the head of the bed, one on the table.

By the wall, there was also an unlit Bronze Lamp.

The body of the lamp was engraved with a Lotus Mark, and the wick was black.

I remembered Old Madam Gu’s words.

*Don’t light the third lamp.*

The more I was forbidden from lighting it, the more I wanted to know why.

Just as I glanced toward it, Gu Changheng spoke.

“Don’t touch that.”

“What is it?”

“A Life-Draining Lamp.”

“Whose life?”

“Yours.”

I let out a short laugh.

“Your Gu Family is truly interesting. You can’t even speak a sentence without mentioning death.”

He didn’t laugh.

“Jiang Zhaoying, I don’t want to hurt you.”

He said this very softly.

It was as if he didn’t quite believe it himself.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside.

Someone stopped outside the door.

It was the voice of a young girl.

“Young Master, the Old Madam sent me to deliver Calming Soup.”

Gu Changheng immediately replied, “No need.”

The girl didn’t leave.

“The Old Madam said the Young Mistress must drink it too.”

I walked to the door and pulled it open a crack.

A young maid of about sixteen or seventeen stood outside, holding a tray.

Her face was round, but her eyes were red.

Upon seeing me, she fell to her knees with a thud.

“Young Mistress, I beg of you, please drink it.”

I looked down at the soup.

It was dark red and had a faint, fishy smell.

“What’s in this soup?”

The young maid was shaking violently.

“I… I don’t know.”

“What’s your name?”

“Ah Dou.”

I said, “Ah Dou, you wouldn’t be shaking like this if you didn’t know.”

Her tears began to fall instantly.

“Young Mistress, I really don’t dare to say.”

Gu Changheng spoke from inside the room.

“Take the soup back.”

Ah Dou cried even harder.

“Young Master, if I take it back, I’ll be beaten to death!”

I looked at her.

“Then come inside.”

Gu Changheng snapped his head up.

“Jiang Zhaoying!”

“Shut up.”

I dragged Ah Dou into the room.

She knelt on the floor, her eyes constantly darting toward the third lamp.

I crouched down.

“Speak. Who is this soup for?”

Ah Dou bit her lip, not speaking until she drew blood.

“If the Young Mistress drinks it, she won’t wake up tonight.”

“If the Young Master drinks it… he won’t bite anyone tonight.”