Sheng Weiqiao and Sheng Weiwu didn"t know that they were going to be in big trouble. After eating, they negotiated to copy the book, "Although grandfather will not be pitiless to lock us here for a month, if we didn"t copy the book even once, it would make him embarra.s.sed. Should we do it?"

They routed out Four Self-accomplishment Cla.s.sics for Women, ground the ink, laid out the paper, and began to copy.

At dinner time, the servant sent vegetable and tofu dishes with rice again. This time, they didn"t taste the food as delicious as last time, so they were careless when copying the book in candlelight after dinner.

"What are you here again?" they asked. Seeing Sheng Shuihe coming with a food container, they put down the writing brush and said simultaneously, "We have told you that we will not eat anything sent by you!"

"My sisters, relax!" Sheng Shuihe said pleasantly, "This is not prepared for you. I have nothing to do, so I intend to have a drink alone!"

Listening to what he said, Sheng Weiqiao clenched the mouse fur writing brush in his hand and said angrily, "You could"ve eaten somewhere else. Why did you come here?"

"Here"s the thing. Since there is candlelight here, I don"t need to go back to the room and waste more candles." Sheng Shuihe a.s.serted eloquently, "After all, this is a large room and here are my lovely sisters with good virtue. You definitely will not me taking up the little s.p.a.ce, right?"

"We do care about that!" Sheng Weiwu thumped the table angrily, "If you don"t leave, I will spit into the dishes you eat and the wine you drink! See how you will eat then!"

They knew the sinister intention of the son of a mistress.

He wanted to seduce and torture them with delicious food and drinks. No way!

Hearing that, Sheng Shuihe paused and put them back into the food container, saying, "Since you are dissatisfied with my behavior, I will not continue against your will!"

Seeing that he had put them in the food container and went out, she suddenly realized one thing and said, "He will not spit, or put sand, c.o.c.kroaches or laxative into his own food, right?"

Sheng Weiwu"s eyes lightened, "Quickly, let"s chase him!"

They had no mood to copy the book. Throwing aside the writing brush, they stood up and ran after him, lifting their trains!

Getting out of the door, by the storm lantern, they saw his tall back nearly disappearing at the end of the corridor. They shouted and chased. Maybe, Sheng Shuihe knew their purpose and pretended to be unaware of their call. He walked quickly and disappeared behind the thicket.

"Can you escape from us?!" they were annoyed and followed him away from the corridor without hesitation. However, there was nothing but darkness, no trace of him.

"He must be hiding somewhere!" Sheng Weiqiao said. Sheng Weiwu often played hide-and-seek with maids, so she responded quickly and said, "I didn"t hear the sound of sprinting. He is not far from here. Since we cannot see him, he must be hiding... Ahhhhhh!!!"

Before Sheng Weiwu finished her confident a.n.a.lysis, she pointed to one direction and was too scared to scream out!

Sheng Weiqiao was frightened by her sister and looked subconsciously to the direction she was pointing. In the chaotic darkness, a weird small green fire suspended not far away!

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!" Sheng Weiqiao felt like a bucket of ice water was pouring down on her head. They hugged each other and screamed hysterically!

With eyes closed and arms around each other, they didn"t know how long they had been screaming. When they were more and more scared, they felt that someone was gently stroking their heads. He asked with concern, "What happened? Why are you screaming here?"

"It"s you?!" The voice was familiar to them, so they boosted their courage to slowly open their eyes with fear. It turned out to be Sheng Shuihe. Turning around, the small green fire was still floating there. Eyes contacted, they screamed loudly, "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!"

After a long while, they were pulled and dragged with much effort by Sheng Shuihe to go back into the room. With the warm candlelight, closed doors and windows, and most importantly, a living Sheng Shuihe, they were bold enough to part with each other and asked, "What… what… was… was… that?!"

Sheng Shuihe replied innocently "What?"

"Hadn"t you seen anything just now?!" The sisters looked at him with astonishment, "That thing... in the courtyard. It was so dark outside. How couldn"t you see it?"

"What did you see?" It seemed that Sheng Shuihe knew nothing about that, "I just wanted to leave, but suddenly I heard you screaming. Throwing away the food container, I ran back in a hurry. By the way, my fine wine and dishes! When I got back, I saw you hugging each other. What happened?

"You really didn"t see it?!" The sisters looked at each other, feeling more and more scared. They did not doubt his words because of his confused and calm facial expressions at the moment. They thought that only the blind could ignore that small green fire, and anyone seeing the fire would not be as calm as he was now!

Sheng Shuihe looked peaceful. The sisters wondered if the small green fire could only be seen by them? What did that mean? It targeted at them?!

Simply thinking about that, their hair stood up!

With hope, they gave Sheng Shuihe a detailed description, "A big and green fire! Didn"t you see it? Was it that you called us with full attention regardless of looking toward the direction?"

"I"ve looked toward the direction!" he replied. The dim light made his pale face indistinct, and his beautiful face with a smile looked so gentle. He said with a peaceful tone, "I was wondering why you screamed in the courtyard, and you are not timid girls. While comforting you, I looked around, but I saw nothing."

Sheng Weiqiao and Sheng Weiwu looked at each other with fear in their eyes.

"When it came to the green fire, I remembered something I had heard in the early years!" Sheng Shuihe looked at them with a smile, "One year, a war started at sea and a sea lord was defeated and he died. His family members, as well as subordinates, were slaughtered by the victor on a deserted island far from the land. The war ended, while a storm came up at sea. It was bad weather for a voyage, so the winning side decided to stay temporarily on the island and set sail after the storm. However, they were in trouble!"

The sisters felt they shouldn"t continue to ask, but they wanted to know the origin of the green fire. They asked, "What trouble?"

"Oh, in fact, it was no big deal." Sheng Shuihe said peacefully, "Some people died somehow; some people went crazy somehow. Some people even said that they saw ghosts transformed from those who were killed!"

"Ah!!!" When the sisters heard "it"s no big deal", they felt a little relaxed, while the following he said made them so afraid that they nearly lost their breath. They screamed with arms around each other and asked with panic, "You… you… you… meant… that… that… that…the green… green… green fire was… was… actually a ghost?!"

"How could it be possible?" Sheng Shuihe laughed loudly. He said righteously, "We, scholars, shouldn"t believe in the existence of ghosts and G.o.ds like those ignorant people. They must result from evil people who killed each other!"

Speaking of this, it seemed that he just noticed the uneasiness of the sisters and started comforting all of a sudden, "Are you worrying that it will do harm to you? That is impossible! Think about it. Where it is? It is the ancestral hall of the Sheng Family. Our ancestors are all in the main hall. Even if there were ghosts, how dare they do evil things here?!"

They thought it reasonable and felt a little relieved, while what he said later poured cold water on them, "Even if our ancestors cannot handle these, you were educated by the family moral standards to stand dead rather than kneeling alive. The worst result is death. Is it that scary?!"

Sheng Weiqiao, "... No! I don"t want to die until you are driven out?!"

Sheng Weiwu, "... I don"t want to die either! I haven"t helped the second sister to lock you up in the ancestral hall without food for a few days and then drive you out!!"

The sisters were in silence. Seeing Sheng Shuihe standing up, they asked, "What are you doing?"

"It was so late. According to the custom, men and women would not sit together over the age of seven," He said, "Although you are still young, you are more than seven years old. For the sake of your reputation, I will not stay longer. Since you have calmed down, I think you will not be afraid of whatever ghosts you will meet."

Are you serious? Do you really think we will not be afraid?!!

They looked at him dumbfounded and said simultaneously, "No!!!"

"You have come back and we are not strangers. "Sheng Weiqiao said. She composed herself and tried to bear him for one night. She planned to take her revenge after tonight. She said slowly, "Then, why not stay here and have a talk with us? OK?"

Sheng Weiwu had already stepped forward and pulled Sheng Shuihe"s sleeves. If she didn"t hate the son of a mistress, she would probably hug his legs directly. She nodded eagerly, "Let"s have a talk. Don"t leave!"

"That was inappropriate," Sheng Shuihe sighed, "After all, I know very well that I haven"t been fully recognized by you because of my origin. Otherwise, why did that happen at grandfather"s birthday party? In your view, I am not actually your family member. It is improper for me to stay with you in one room at night."

As he spoke, he shook off Sheng Weiwu, and walked quickly away, saying, "So, for your reputation, I must leave now!"

"No!!!" the sisters ran and caught him with tears. One pulling his arms and one hugging his legs, they twined round him and begged, "Now, we recognize that you are our brother, OK? Dear brother! We are of the same blood, and there is no problem for us to stay in one room. Anyway, please don"t leave!!!"