Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Xu Zhixia and the others in the dormitory were still uneasy. Lin Miaomiao was especially worried about her friend Cao Yun's situation. When Shen Jingshu returned, everyone's hearts were finally at ease.

Previously, Shen Jingshu had instructed the female ghost Luo Yurou to secretly monitor Cao Yun's movements. As night fell, the dormitory lights were turned off on time. Following her instructions, Cao Yun placed the amulet under his pillow and lay down to rest.

For the past few days, she had been plagued by nightmares every night, filled with fear and unable to fall asleep for a long time, often only managing to drift off to sleep in the early hours of the morning. But tonight was unusual; not long after she lay down, drowsiness overwhelmed her, and she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The familiar dream returned, and this time Cao Yun finally saw the other person's appearance clearly. The man was wearing a white tracksuit, his features clearly visible, and he softly called Cao Yun's name.

"Cao Yun, will you marry me?"

In the past, Cao Yun was unable to speak in her dreams as if she were imprisoned, but now, protected by the amulet, she was no longer suppressed by the yin energy and immediately refused loudly: "I refuse!"

The sudden sound startled the male ghost, leaving him frozen in place.

Cao Yun spoke repeatedly, his tone resolute: "I absolutely disagree with this marriage. I have never agreed to a ghost marriage with you. Go find someone else. If you continue to insist, I will ask a master to subdue you!"

"This matter is not up to you to decide. Our birth dates and times are already compatible, and our marriage is a match made in heaven. I will come to marry you in three days."

The male ghost showed no sign of backing down, ignoring Cao Yun's resistance, and vanished into the dream in a flash.

The next morning, Cao Yun sat bolt upright in bed, the scene from the previous night still vivid in her mind. Even though she had clearly refused, the other party still wouldn't give up; the thought filled her with anxiety.

As soon as it was light, Cao Yun rushed to Shen Jingshu's dormitory and recounted in detail everything that had happened in his dream the night before.

In fact, Shen Jingshu already knew the male ghost's origins. When the male ghost appeared last night, Luo Yurou, who was in charge of monitoring him, noticed his presence.

As a centuries-old female ghost who had cultivated for many years, this newly deceased soul had no way to hide from her. Luo Yurou followed her all the way and found out where the other party was staying.

"We don't have classes today, so we might as well go and find out what's going on and meet this ghost that's been haunting you."

Cao Yun was both surprised and delighted: "Master, you've already found out his identity?"

"That's right, let's set off now."

After quickly getting ready and having breakfast, the group got into the car and headed towards the scouted location.

As the vehicle drove out of the city and along the country roads, the sound of gongs and drums and mournful music reached our ears as we approached our destination.

Hearing the mournful sounds, Lin Miaomiao looked puzzled: "It looks like someone is holding a funeral up ahead. I wonder whose family has suffered a tragedy."

Shen Jingshu smiled knowingly: "Why don't you take a guess?"

Cao Yun's heart skipped a beat, and her tone was filled with surprise and doubt: "Could it be the man who plans to have a ghost marriage with me?"

"You guessed right, but there's no reward."

The group got out of the car and walked quickly forward. The courtyard ahead was covered with white banners and wreaths, and mournful music filled the air. The courtyard was crowded with relatives and friends who had come to pay their respects, and it was clear at a glance that a funeral was being held. The group walked straight into the courtyard. The middle-aged woman who was guarding the courtyard was a little surprised to see several young girls barge in. She asked them where they came from.

"Are you all my son's classmates or friends? Did you come here specifically to offer your condolences?"

But when the woman's gaze fell on Cao Yun in the crowd, her body trembled violently, her expression instantly became flustered, and a trace of fear flashed in her eyes. This strange expression was noticed by everyone.

Seeing this, Cao Yun stepped forward and asked, "Auntie, do you know me?"

The woman hurriedly composed herself and waved her hands repeatedly to cover up her misunderstanding: "No, I don't know you. I just thought you were my son's friends and came to see him off."

"Your son?"

Mentioning this, the woman's eyes reddened, and she raised her hand to wipe her eyes, her face full of sorrow: "It was my Xiaoqiang, who was in a car accident a few days ago and unfortunately passed away."

Shen Jingshu remained calm and stated directly, "We are indeed here for your son."

The woman looked bewildered: "My son is no longer alive. What good will it do you to find him?"

"To put it bluntly, we're looking for the spirit of your son."

These words struck her like a thunderbolt. The woman's face turned deathly pale, filled with shock and anger. She immediately raised her hand to shoo the group away, shouting, "You little girl, stop spouting nonsense! Get out of here right now, you're not welcome in my house!"

"Why rush to send us away? Could it be that you have something to hide and are afraid of retribution?" Shen Jingshu's tone was calm, but her words hit the nail on the head.

The woman, her secret exposed, became increasingly flustered, but she forced herself to remain calm and rebuked, "Don't spout nonsense here!"

"Let's speak frankly. Since we've found this place, we naturally know the whole story." Shen Jingshu's gaze fell on the woman, her tone carrying a hint of authority. "Having entered into a ghost marriage contract, do you intend to dissolve it voluntarily, or do you want me to personally intervene?"

"If you take the initiative to back down, this matter can be resolved peacefully. But if you insist on not backing down and forcibly maintain the ghost marriage, the contract will backfire, and your son's spirit may not be able to bear the consequences."

Shen Jingshu's confident words made the middle-aged woman panic. She dared not continue the confrontation and quickly rushed into the house to look for the person.

A moment later, a middle-aged man came out with an elderly woman with gray hair. The middle-aged woman leaned close to the old woman and whispered the whole story that had just happened.

The old lady raised her eyes and scrutinized Shen Jingshu, her gaze sharp: "Young lady, I can see that you practice mystical arts. Since we are fellow practitioners, you should understand the rules of the trade and not meddle in other people's affairs."

Shen Jingshu sneered, her expression cold: "It seems the old man is determined not to wake up. I understand your grief over losing your grandson, and I understand your sorrow at your child's unfulfilled marriage. But a ghost marriage should have been arranged with the other party's consent, yet you secretly plotted to arrange a marriage for Cao Yun without her knowledge, attempting to take her life for a ghost marriage. Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

The old woman showed no remorse, her aged eyes filled with obsession: "I only had this one grandson in my life. He died young in an accident, without being able to marry or have children. All I wanted was for him to pass away peacefully and completely."

"So you're willing to sacrifice other people's lives to fulfill your selfish desires?"

The old woman slightly raised her chin, her tone stubborn and ruthless: "As long as my grandson can rest in peace underground, what does sacrificing an outsider matter? I'm not young anymore, I'm fearless, and even if I have to suffer the consequences later, I must complete this task."

The middle-aged man beside him chimed in, "We went to great lengths to arrange this ghost marriage, and we certainly won't easily break off the contract. We advise you not to meddle in other people's business and to leave here as soon as possible."

Upon hearing these words, Cao Yun felt both angry and fearful. She had never imagined that the other family would be so selfish and tyrannical, willing to take her life without hesitation for their own obsession.