The sudden brightness made Dou Qitong instinctively close his eyes. When he reopened them, he found someone standing before him.
No, not someone—a ghost. The female ghost he had encountered in the garden earlier that day!
Dou Qitong was now convinced he had met a ghost. As for how he could encounter a ghost during the day? Well, it had been snowing, with no sun in sight. What was so strange about a powerful female ghost coming out to harm people?
Because of this, his face had turned ashen, his legs were shaking, and cold sweat was pouring down his body.
He wanted to run but couldn’t move. For some reason, he was suddenly paralyzed, only able to produce a weak sound from his mouth: “He-help…”
Such a feeble cry had no hope of summoning anyone. Dou Qitong immediately abandoned this idea and turned to begging: “Please let me go, I was just confused for a moment—”
Seeing the female ghost approach, Dou Qitong was on the verge of wetting himself. He cried out, “This isn’t right! I haven’t killed anyone or set fires. I didn’t even get to touch your little hand. How can you just take my life like this? I’ll become a vengeful ghost too. Let me tell you, I’m a man. If I become a ghost, I’ll be a male ghost. Male ghosts are more powerful than female ghosts. I’ll seek revenge then…”
Dou Qitong closed his eyes and shouted, “So you can’t kill me! Otherwise, you’ll be the one who suffers—”
A light laugh interrupted Dou Qitong’s nonsense: “Killing someone would certainly cause trouble, so I won’t kill you.”
Dou Qitong’s eyes flew open, staring unblinkingly at the “female ghost” before him.
Perhaps it was because she was closer now, or perhaps it was that mocking laugh, but Dou Qitong suddenly realized something and lowered his gaze.
The lamplight stretched the young woman’s shadow on the gauze window, slender and graceful.
Dou Qitong heaved a great sigh of relief.
Thank heavens, it wasn’t a ghost!
Since it wasn’t a ghost, but a young lady—and a stunning one at that—Dou Qitong’s courage suddenly swelled. He even dared to ask about Jiang Si’s identity: “Who exactly are you?”
Jiang Si raised an eyebrow.
This must be what they call “lust makes one fearless.” Despite being unable to move, with a strange woman with unclear intentions appearing before him in the dead of night, he still had the energy to be curious.
She smiled.
In the dim lamplight, that smile held an eerie brilliance, causing a cold sweat to suddenly break out on Dou Qitong’s back.
The young woman said softly, “I’m here to castrate you.”
“Wh-wh-what?” Dou Qitong thought he had misheard and stammered.
A shining pair of scissors appeared in the young woman’s hand. She even moved the handles, producing a faint clinking sound.
Dou Qitong was completely terrified, his teeth chattering audibly.
Jiang Si nodded to A’man.
A’man quickly walked over, looking down at the man with contempt on her pretty face.
With a ripping sound, Dou Qitong’s pants were torn off.
“M-men and women shouldn’t be in close contact…”
“Pah!” The little maid spat at Dou Qitong, putting her hands on her hips and scolding, “Now you talk about men and women not being in close contact? Where was that boldness of yours in the garden earlier today?”
Looking down at his exposed thighs, then back at the gleaming scissors, if Dou Qitong could move, he would have been on his knees begging for mercy. As it was, he could only plead with his mouth: “Spare me! I lost my head earlier today. I’ve truly never seen such a beautiful woman before…”
A’man pursed her lips.
That was the truth. Her young miss was indeed beautiful.
She couldn’t help but look at Jiang Si.
Jiang Si remained expressionless, her voice colder than the winter wind outside: “I’ve also never seen such a lustfully bold man, so we might as well cut it off to prevent you from harming others in the future.”
“No, please don’t—” Dou Qitong watched helplessly as the scissors approached. He tried to roll his eyes back several times, hoping to faint, but unfortunately remained painfully conscious.
It turns out that people don’t faint from extreme fear.
“A’man, hold down that troublesome root of his. I’m going to use the scissors now.”
Though the young woman’s voice was sweet and delicate, to Dou Qitong’s ears it sounded sinister, more terrifying than any vengeful ghost.
He was wrong—humans were scarier than ghosts!
“Big sister, please don’t touch my manhood! I just urinated and haven’t bathed. It would be terrible to dirty your hands…”
A man took out a handkerchief and shook it, smirking: “Who said I’d use my hands? I have a handkerchief to cover it.”
Dou Qitong let out a cry of despair.
Who were these mistresses and maids? One holding scissors to a man’s privates without batting an eye, the other planning to use a handkerchief to touch it!
The young woman’s voice sounded again: “Don’t blame me. I’ve thought it over, and this method is the most efficient. Otherwise, I may have escaped today, but what if you encounter other young ladies and continue to harm people in the future?”
Dou Qitong felt as if he could sense the cold emanating from the scissors. Terrified, he began to cry and snivel: “I won’t, I’ll never dare again. I’d rather die than dare to do such a thing again…”
Jiang Si withdrew the scissors, toying with them in her hand: “But a man’s promise is the least reliable. As long as you stay here for one more day, I won’t feel at ease—”
Dou Qitong hastily promised: “I’ll leave, I’ll leave!”
“You’ll leave?” Jiang Si finally heard what she wanted to hear, a smile appearing on her face.
This man was truly foolish. If he had said this earlier, he wouldn’t have had to endure such a fright.
Dou Qitong’s reaction was quicker than usual. Seeing the change in Jiang Si’s expression, he quickly grasped at this lifeline, repeatedly saying: “I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I won’t stay a minute longer.”
He never wanted to stay in this terrifying place again, with its ghosts and women scarier than ghosts.
Jiang Si furrowed her brow: “But if you leave without reason, what will the Old Madam and the Earl think? Won’t they feel they’ve been remiss in their hospitality?”
Dou Qitong wiped away his tears and hurriedly said: “I’ll just say that as a grown man, I shouldn’t impose on others for too long. I want to be self-reliant…”
Seeing the young woman nod, Dou Qitong smiled ingratiatingly: “How does that sound?”
“Then tomorrow morning, when you pay your respects to the Old Madam, bid her farewell. But let me be clear—”
“Please, go on.”
“If you’re still here tomorrow, I’ll come again at night.” At this, Jiang Si smiled coldly, “Don’t think that having servants will protect you. Just as I was able to make your manservant sleep deeply, I can do the same to others. Ah, and that includes you. Next time, I might not bother talking to you. When you wake up the next day, you’ll find yourself fit to serve the nobles in the palace.”
Dou Qitong burst into tears: “Don’t worry, I’ll leave.”
Jiang Si put away the scissors: “A’man, let’s go.”
A’man cast a somewhat regretful glance at the man’s lower region and shook her head.
With each shake of her head, Dou Qitong shuddered. Even after they had left, he continued to tremble like chaff in the wind.
After a sleepless night, the day finally broke.
The manservant, who had slept soundly, rubbed his eyes as he entered: “Young Master—”
Dou Qitong suddenly leaped from the bed, grabbing the servant’s collar: “Were you dead last night?”
“Y-Young Master…”
“Did you not hear anything last night?”
The servant shook his head in confusion.
Dou Qitong released him and staggered out.
“Young Master, you haven’t washed up yet!”
In Cixin Hall, upon hearing that Young Master Dou had come to pay his respects, Old Madam Feng instructed A’fu to invite him in.