My Dead Husband - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

From that day on, strange occurrences followed one after another.

First, the butler absconded with the family fortune, only to break his neck in the alleyway not even ten paces from the manor gates.

Officials from the Government Office scratched their heads in confusion during the investigation, repeatedly calling the incident bizarre before eventually closing the case as an accident.

I ordered the servants to carry the belongings from the carriage back into the manor, staring blankly at the flat, wide road.

Then, the Merchant Guild, which had been eyeing the Lin Family like a hawk, came to cause trouble.

But before they could finish their speech about carving up the Lin Family shops, their leader, the guild president, suddenly fainted at the entrance of the Lin Manor. When he woke up, he was witless and idiotic, stripped of all his former shrewdness and calculating nature.

Thus, even though the Lin Family was left with only me, a newly widowed Madam, to manage affairs, things gradually stabilized.

However, more and more rumors began to circulate.

“That Lin man had a cursed fate; he was never meant to live long. If Xin isn’t brought down by his bad luck, her fortune must be waiting for her later.”

“What fortune? Look at what’s happened these past few days. Who’s to say she isn’t next?”

I pushed these rumors to the back of my mind.

I was anxious about something far worse.

Last night, I dreamed that I was inside a book.

But the plot had completely changed.

In the original story, the female lead was sold into a Brothel by her family before she even reached adulthood. The male leads toyed with her and took what they wanted at will, tormenting her until she was physically and mentally exhausted.

But in my dream, the female lead’s identity shifted from a girl in a Brothel to a widow from a respectable family. Upon hearing the news of her husband’s death, the male leads, who had long lusted after her, seized this rare opportunity and flocked to her door.

I woke up in a cold sweat, yet I still felt as though Lin Lanci’s faint, lingering scent had been around me these past few days.

The night wind blew toward me, carrying the fragrance of locust flowers from the courtyard.

The layout of the Lin Manor was also a topic of local gossip-

It was said that one should never plant willows in the front or mulberries in the back, yet the Lin residence deliberately gathered yin energy and invited calamity. It didn’t miss a single taboo; there was even a scholar tree in the courtyard known for summoning souls and harboring yin spirits.

Yet, at this moment, I felt a sense of calm, my thoughts even drifting elsewhere.

Like a person dying of thirst, I grasped at that small bit of resolve and ran out of the bedroom barefoot.

Arriving at the main hall, I saw Lin Lanci’s Spirit Tablet, looking eerie and terrifying under the glow of the white candles.

I didn’t feel the slightest bit of fear. I even reached out and hugged the Spirit Tablet.

Then, my pent-up emotions suddenly came pouring out. I collapsed to the floor, weeping with grievance.

“Lin Lanci, what am I supposed to do…”

The sound of rain grew louder, and then came a knock at the door.

“Madam, I am passing through this area. Might I trouble you for a night’s lodging until the rain stops?”

Ah, how did he know that the person in charge here was a “Madam”?

My hands trembling as I held the Spirit Tablet, I suddenly remembered-

This was clearly a line spoken by the first male lead in my dream.

I looked toward the courtyard. I hadn’t noticed when the downpour had started.

The night sky had been clear when I ran barefoot to the hall just moments ago.

In the two years since I married into the Lin Family, regardless of what the neighbors said, I had always viewed Lin Lanci as my guardian deity. I never found him frightening, nor did I think the Lin residence was as sinister as the rumors suggested.

But at this moment, with the weather changing so abruptly and a visitor from my dream appearing, the shock of it all left me chilled to the bone.

“Madam, could you please grant me this favor?”

The voice outside pressed again.

I gradually regained my composure and climbed up from the floor.

As I stepped forward, a sigh seemed to drift past my ear.

It crawled coldly up my spine, mingling with the sound of the rain.

An inexplicable shiver ran through me, and I looked up at the Spirit Tablet in the hall.

It felt as if, just a moment before, something had been watching me.

I had no intention of opening the door; I couldn’t hide fast enough. I only hoped this person would leave quickly.

Withdrawing my gaze, I started walking back toward the bedroom.

That crushing pressure suddenly vanished.

No more sounds came from the door.

I took a deep breath and walked forward slowly.

Just then, the sound of a creaking door echoed.

I turned my head to see the newly appointed butler politely opening the gate to welcome a man inside.

As he led him in, the butler said, “Our Madam is kind-hearted and generous. Please, come in, sir.”

I was so furious I nearly fainted, pinching my philtrum to stay conscious.

Who! Who let him in?!