I found it a bit strange. We had only interacted briefly for a single day. Why was he so agitated?
He must have had too much to drink, I thought, without dwelling on it further.
I gently patted his back and explained, "Mr. Lu, about what happened before..."
The man lying on top of me propped his upper body up with his arms. He studied me intently, his gaze finally settling on the spot between my eyebrows. The sorrow in his eyes vanished completely in an instant.
In that short time, his eyes regained their coldness, even carrying a trace of disappointment and loneliness.
"Sorry." His tone was icy as he moved off me without any hesitation.
He slumped on the floor, his legs straight and long. Gone was the former imposing aura; instead, he was enveloped in an unshakeable desolation.
In my impression, even with his disability, Lu Yanchen had always been like a war god—mature, steady, aloof, and proud. Never had he shown such vulnerability, even wretchedness.
He paid no mind to how others might see him, just sitting there blankly, not thinking of getting up, not wanting to do anything else.
In this quiet, eerie atmosphere, I didn't know what to say either.
"Um..."
"You..."
Suddenly, we spoke at the same time. I quickly closed my mouth, waiting for him to continue.
He paused for a moment before speaking again. "You saw her?"
I tilted my head, trying to understand who 'her' referred to...
Lu Yanchen casually picked up a wine bottle, his fingers slowly stroking the surface. He kept his head down, his voice terribly hoarse. "How did you know the secret of the statue?"
After all, this was a major plot hole. With Lu Yanchen's intelligent mind, it was hard not to be suspicious.
Fortunately, the matter itself was fantastical and couldn't be analyzed with ordinary logic or reasoning.
"Yes. Yesterday, as soon as I saw that statue, I felt something was strange. It was as if some force was pulling me towards the past. Before I knew it, I saw a woman in a white dress inside the statue. She looked very much like me, except she didn't have this cinnabar dot between her eyebrows."
Lu Yanchen clenched the wine bottle, the veins on the back of his hand prominent. His long, lowered eyelashes hid the emotions in his eyes, his voice low.
"And then?"
"Somehow, I suddenly fainted. During that time, I heard a gentle voice. She said her name was Su Wan and asked me to help her."
Hearing this, Lu Yanchen looked up sharply and grabbed my uninjured hand. His grip was strong. This body was not only younger than my original one but also much more delicate.
The skin was like ice and jade, easily bruising with the slightest touch.
I bore the pain, looking at him with confusion.
Lu Yanchen's Adam's apple bobbed. He seemed somewhat anxious. "What did she say to you?"
I didn't quite understand why he seemed to care so much about this. After all, we hadn't had much interaction in the past.
The only reason I could think of was that he also pitied my tragic fate.
"She said she was trapped inside the statue, couldn't get out, and no one knew. She wanted to leave... Mr. Lu, I remember Lu Shiyan's wife was named Su Wan, right? Could the woman in the statue be his wife?"
Lu Yanchen closed his eyes, as if struggling to accept this fact. "Yes."
I seized the moment to sigh. "How tragic! To be made into a statue after death and placed at the entrance of her own marital home... Who could harbor such hatred for her? The method is simply too cruel!"
Even now, I only suspected Su Ning'an without concrete evidence. Upon returning, besides my death, I also needed to investigate Su Ning'an's true motives.
If she only wanted Lu Shiyan, she could have stopped after my death.
In the years since her return, the Su family had already given her considerable wealth. Why did she still pressure Grandma to transfer the shares to her?
And those words she said to Grandma... it seemed that besides hating me, she harbored an even deeper hatred for Grandma.
There must be a bigger conspiracy here!
A flash of hatred passed through Lu Yanchen's pupils. "The police have started investigating. I believe there will be results soon."
Finally, he let out a sigh. "It's just a pity... even if the real culprit is found, the dead won't come back to life. It's meaningless."
"How can it be meaningless? Miss Su was dismembered and brutally murdered. If the real culprit isn't found, she won't rest in peace! Finding the true murderer will allow her to be at peace in the afterlife."
Perhaps my emotions were too intense. Lu Yanchen's gaze fell on my face, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. "You and Su Wan never knew each other. It seems... you care a lot about this matter?"
See, this man, except for that brief moment of confusion earlier, maintained a clear and rational mind at all times. Unlike that idiot Lu Shiyan.
No matter what nonsense Su Ning'an concocted, Lu Shiyan believed it without a second thought.
Being stared at by Lu Yanchen sent a chill through my heart. For a moment, I almost blurted out the truth that I was Su Wan.
I forced the words back just as they reached my lips.
Although my rebirth could be considered a 'golden finger,' putting me in the shadows while Su Ning'an was in the open...
Even though Lu Yanchen had never harmed me in the past, he was, after all, an outsider. If my secret leaked, my entire plan would fail.
I couldn't tell him!
Keeping my expression unchanged, I spoke with even more indignation. "Miss Su died so tragically. I also want to help find her real murderer."
Lu Yanchen seemed about to say something more when a knock sounded at the door. Shen Ji's voice came through. "Sir, the butler is here."
Seeing Lu Yanchen's current disheveled state, I figured he wouldn't want to be seen. I proactively said, "I'll see to it."
Lu Yanchen initially seemed to want to refuse, but I held his hand and said, "From now on, I am your wife. Leave these matters to me."
He looked at me deeply, then finally nodded in compromise. "Alright."
I stood up, straightened my clothes, and then opened the door with a smile.
Facing the stern butler, I said, "Brother Yanchen is freshening up. If there's something, I can relay it to him."
"Tonight is Miss Su Wan's funeral. After all, she was also a member of the Lu family. Young Master Yanchen has a cold nature and didn't interact much with Miss Su. The Old Master hopes he can attend to avoid gossip."
To outsiders, Lu Yanchen appeared aloof and rarely socialized, so it was expected he wouldn't attend the funeral. I quickly nodded. "Okay, I will make sure Brother Yanchen and I arrive on time to pay our respects to Miss Su."
"Thank you."
The butler turned and left. I closed the door, my heart racing excitedly.
I looked at the man still on the floor. "You heard that, right?"
The man hung his head, lost in thought. Finally, he said faintly, "Don't worry, I'll go... to see her off on her final journey..."
I wasn't sure if I misheard, but I felt his voice trembled on those last few words.
And I couldn't wait to see the Su family's reaction.
Hadn't they often said it would be better if I were dead? Now that I was truly dead, would they really be happy?
I gripped Lu Yanchen's hand tightly. "I'll attend Miss Su's funeral with you, okay?"