On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2151 Are they husband and wife?

The incense ash remaining on the altar was blown around by the night wind, swirling and falling onto the bluestone slab, intertwining with the black marks of burned paper.

The courtyard was so quiet that one could hear the occasional soft ringing of the copper bells on the eaves in the distance, the sound delicate and ethereal, making the surroundings even more tranquil.

Governor Ding huddled in the corner of the room, his back pressed against the cold wall.

His shoulders trembled slightly, and low sobs escaped intermittently from his throat, like a broken bellows being choked, each sob carrying an indescribable weariness.

The scene from the altar was still lingering in his mind's eye. The grayish-blue phantom of the wronged soul stared straight at him, its silent accusation more chilling than any roar.

He never imagined that one day he would be terrified by these illusory things.

At this moment, the dual exhaustion of his mind and body made his eyelids feel as heavy as lead, and his consciousness was repeatedly pulled between clarity and confusion, gradually falling into a drowsy state.

Just as his head was nodding and he was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly heard a soft creak.

The sound was extremely faint, yet exceptionally clear in the deathly still night.

Governor Ding opened his eyes groggily, his vision blurred, and he could only see a figure slowly walking in from outside the door.

Moonlight streamed into the room through the cracks in the window lattice, casting dappled silver light on the floor.

The figure was dressed in a plain-colored dress, the hem of which swayed gently with each step, without making a sound, as if walking on clouds.

She seemed to be carrying something in her hand, square in shape, wrapped in a blue cloth, and it looked like a food box.

Governor Ding breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it must be someone from the Su family bringing him some food.

He had no appetite at the moment, and felt weak all over, not even having the strength to lift his hand. He said in a hoarse voice, "Leave the things there, I will use them later."

His tone still carried a trace of the arrogance he had once held when he was an official.

However, the woman did not respond or stop, and continued to walk slowly and steadily toward him.

Governor Ding frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart.

This woman is extremely rude. Even if she is just a servant, she should know the proper order of respect and hierarchy. How could she ignore his words like this?

He was about to reprimand them, but he swallowed the words back down.

He suddenly realized that he was no longer the powerful Prefect Ding, but a prisoner awaiting death. What right did he have to put on airs?

The thought crossed his mind, and he pursed his lips, suppressing the rebuke that was about to come out of his throat, but his eyes showed a hint of impatience and dejection.

The woman had already walked up to him, no more than three feet away.

She bent down slightly, placed the food box on the ground, and then slowly lifted the blue cloth covering it.

There were no lights in the room, only sparse moonlight illuminating a corner. Governor Ding's gaze inadvertently swept over the food box, and his previously unfocused eyes suddenly sharpened, widening in an instant.

What was in that food box? It was clearly a bloody human head!

His hair was disheveled and stuck to his cheeks, his eyes were wide open, and there was still a trace of congealed blood at the corner of his mouth. His appearance was ferocious and terrifying.

Governor Ding was instantly awakened, all sleepiness vanished, and his mind became incredibly clear.

He stared intently at the food box, his heart pounding wildly as if it were about to burst out of his chest.

That's right, it's heads!

It's still a woman's head.

That's...that's it!

"Ah—!" A short and shrill scream burst from his throat. Governor Ding stumbled backward, his back slamming heavily against the wall with a dull thud.

He raised his head and looked at the woman in front of him with trembling eyes. The moonlight fell on her face, which was fair and pale, with a hint of sorrow in her eyes. She looked exactly like the human head in the food box!

Another scream rang out, this time louder than before, filled with extreme fear.

Governor Ding's face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color. His lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word. He just kept shrinking into the corner.

The woman gazed at him silently for a long time before letting out a low sob, her voice trembling noticeably: "Ding Hengshou..."

These three words alone made Governor Ding's hair stand on end, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him shudder.

He kept his head down, not daring to look into the woman's eyes, as if they held an abyss that could devour him.

The woman looked down at him, her voice, which had been trembling with tears, suddenly turning icy cold, like a knife chilled to the bone, as she said, word by word, "Do you deserve to use that name?"

Governor Ding shuddered, his teeth chattered uncontrollably, his breathing became rapid and heavy, and his chest heaved violently.

He shook his head violently, his voice trembling with tears as he protested, "I don't know what you're talking about, I am Ding Hengshou... I am..."

The woman suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh that was light and airy, yet carried an unspeakable mockery and sorrow: "Then, who am I?"

These words were like a needle, piercing Governor Ding's heart.

He glanced instinctively at the ground, and in the moonlight, a very faint shadow was cast at the woman's feet. Though blurry, it was undeniably real.

A strange emotion welled up in his heart—she had a shadow, so she wasn't a ghost!

This discovery eased his tense nerves slightly; the fear remained, but he felt a strange sense of calm.

Two figures were hidden among the dense foliage in the trees outside the house, their presence perfectly concealed, as if they had blended into the night.

It was Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe.

Huo Changhe stared intently at the movements inside the room, his brows furrowed slightly. He turned his head and asked softly in a voice only the two of them could hear, "What did you say to that woman earlier? Did it give her the audacity to barge in alone and scare Ding Hengshou?"

Yan Ruyu smiled faintly, turned her head slightly, leaned close to Huo Changhe's ear, and whispered a few words in an almost inaudible voice.

Upon hearing this, Huo Changhe's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Yan Ruyu with a hint of surprise.

Inside the room, Governor Ding caught his breath. Although he was still afraid, he felt more confident knowing that the other party was not the Ghost Queen.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to remain calm. He raised his head, his eyes darting away, not daring to look the woman in the eye. He shouted, "I don't care who you are, don't try to scare me with your ghostly tricks!"

"I, Ding Hengshou, have seen all sorts of storms; I'm not afraid of you!"

Looking at his blustering yet cowardly demeanor, the woman let out a cold laugh, full of sarcasm: "Is that so?"

She paused, then her voice suddenly rose several decibels, filled with barely suppressed grief and hatred: "With so many lives on your hands, haven't you ever felt guilty or afraid?"

Governor Ding's body stiffened abruptly, and he looked up at her: "You shameless woman! How dare you come looking for me!"

The woman stared at him: "Why don't you dare? You're the one with a guilty conscience."

"I am Mrs. Ding."

The woman asked, word by word, "Who are you?"