Chapter Forty-Five: The Ghostly Younger Sister

This…? What am I supposed to do about this?

Though Shangguan Wan’er was a ghost and not a living person, she was still a woman nonetheless. How could I possibly spend the night with her? Right now, Wang Ying’s soul hadn’t recovered—she was completely unconscious. The two of us, a man and a woman alone together—how could that be appropriate?

I started to regret my earlier decision—maybe I shouldn’t have meddled and brought her to the world of the living. This was only the first night, and the road ahead was so long. What was I supposed to do?

“Brother Wang, is something wrong?” Shangguan Wan’er stood there, her voice timid and soft.

She was a girl from ancient times, after all. Compared to modern women, she was different; she gave off an air of gentleness, patience, and a quiet acceptance of her place in the world. The more she acted this way, the more I felt the urge to protect her.

“Da Chuan, go ahead. It’s her first time in the mortal world—she’ll need your company,” Wei Qi said, smiling as he patted my shoulder.

At this point, there was nothing more to say. I returned with Shangguan Wan’er. As I closed the door behind us, I couldn’t shake an uncomfortable feeling. I felt anything but calm. Why was I so unsettled?

Forcing myself to steady my nerves, I chided myself—if I couldn’t stay calm sharing a room with a female ghost, how could I accomplish anything at all? Besides, Shangguan Wan’er had a purpose for coming to the living world: she was searching for her beloved.

In the room, the air felt curious and strange. I suggested she rest on the bed. Wan’er replied that she rarely slept at night and told me to sleep if I was tired—she would just sit for a while.

Having had some wine, I was indeed drowsy, so I lay down on the sofa, fully clothed. But to my surprise, Shangguan Wan’er came over and knelt beside me. “Brother Wang, how can you rest on the sofa? That’s not good for you! Come, get up and sleep on the bed,” she said, reaching out her delicate, boneless hand to help me up.

Startled, I quickly recoiled—not because I was being coy or anything else, but because I recalled from books that in ancient times, men and women were not to have physical contact unless married; not even a touch was permitted.

Noticing my anxious reaction, Shangguan Wan’er giggled. “Brother Wang, what’s the matter?”

I sat up. “No, it’s nothing.”

“Are you afraid of me? Is it because I’m a ghost?” Her elegant eyes gazed at me, clear as autumn water.

I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m used to dealing with corpses—my wife is a ghost, too!” As I said this, I glanced at Wang Ying’s body lying on the bed and silently reassured myself, “Wife, I haven’t done anything to wrong you.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Shangguan Wan’er teased.

“It’s just… isn’t it improper for men and women to touch? You’re a woman, I’m a man, so…” At that moment, I realized how ridiculous I sounded. She clearly didn’t care, so why was I tense?

Shangguan Wan’er laughed and stood up. “Brother Wang, you’re overthinking it. In the Han Dynasty, there wasn’t such a strict rule about men and women keeping their distance. Besides love, there was also friendship between men and women. Since you don’t want me to help you, I won’t insist. But you really should sleep on the bed—the sofa is uncomfortable.” She stood by my side, her white gauze robe faintly revealing a pink undershirt, exuding both warmth and allure.

“No need, I’ll sleep here. You go ahead and rest on the bed,” I replied. As a man, it was my duty to protect her—nowadays, men are expected to put women first.

“I don’t need to sleep. What would I do lying on the bed? Besides, you’re the man, so you should sleep on the bed. Go on. If you don’t, I’ll just keep standing here by your side,” she insisted.

It dawned on me then: in ancient Chinese feudal society, men were always put before women, even among the nobility. It wasn’t like now, where men and women are equals.

Since she didn’t need sleep and was adamant, I decided not to stand on ceremony and climbed onto the bed. No sooner had I lain down than Shangguan Wan’er brought in a basin of water from the large vat outside. “Brother Wang, wash your feet.”

I was truly taken aback. In modern society, which wife still brings her husband water to wash his feet? Perhaps only in remote rural areas; otherwise, it’s the men who fetch water for their wives. Flustered, I sat up quickly. “No, no, you don’t need to do that.”

Standing aside, Shangguan Wan’er said, “Brother Wang, you look so nervous. You brought me from the underworld to the living world, I must thank you. I originally intended to wash your feet myself, but since you’re concerned about propriety, I’ll refrain. I wouldn’t want your wife to get jealous.”

I had nothing left to say, so I just put my feet in the water and washed them, splashing about. When I finished, Shangguan Wan’er handed me a towel. After I dried my feet, she took it back, just like my mother used to do when I was a child.

This made me feel both embarrassed and rueful. Ancient Chinese men must have lived in comfort! If a girl admired by the Prince of Langya was this gentle, what about the daughters from common families? How would they treat their husbands? If only I could travel back in time!

After washing up, I wasn’t sleepy anymore. I sat and chatted with Shangguan Wan’er, learning more about ancient Langya and realizing that women in the past weren’t entirely without status—they just lived in a man’s world and naturally cared more for men.

I learned that Shangguan Wan’er’s fiancé, Ziyi, had a dragon-shaped birthmark on the inside of his right wrist, exactly three centimeters below the crease. She said that no matter how many times he reincarnated, the mark would never fade.

After hearing her description, I foolishly glanced at my own wrist. Of course there was no dragon-shaped birthmark; I came from humble origins—how could I be the reincarnation of the Prince of Langya? I couldn’t help but worry for Shangguan Wan’er. With 1.3 billion people in China, even if Ziyi had been reincarnated, how would she find him? What if he was reincarnated as a woman? Or… as something not human? What if he was now an old man—or an old woman?

Looking at my smooth wrist, I laughed at myself, feeling rather silly. I was born into poverty, raised in the countryside, and lost my father at five. My life was humble—how could I possibly be connected to a prince?

We talked for a long time. It was late when I finally fell asleep on the bed. When I awoke, Shangguan Wan’er was already up and had prepared breakfast for me: millet porridge, scrambled eggs with scallions, a plate of greens, and some pickles. The dishes were simple, but they tasted unique—I had no idea they were made in the Han Dynasty style.

“Brother Wang, wash your hands and eat,” Shangguan Wan’er said, bringing in a basin of water. I hurried to take it from her. “Don’t, don’t—let me do it myself!”

“What did you just call me?” She looked at me, smiling.

It was just a habit of mine; when I saw a woman I didn’t know well, I’d call her ‘miss,’ and if we became friendly, ‘little sister’—even if I wasn’t older. It makes women feel younger, doesn’t it?

“Sorry! I misspoke. You’re a few thousand years older than me—maybe I should call you…” I pondered what to call her. Even calling her ‘auntie’ would be calling her too young.

“Hehe, just call me ‘sister.’ It feels more familiar, and I’m relying on you to help me find Ziyi!”

So that’s what she thought. Fine, ‘sister’ it is. If I could marry a ghost wife, why care about having a ghostly little sister? Yet, in that moment, an indescribable sadness welled up. It was clear how deeply this girl cared for Ziyi. “Alright, from now on, I’m your brother. And as your brother, let me tell you this: from today on, I’ll be out searching for the Blood Ganoderma to save your sister-in-law’s soul. I’ll also keep an eye out for your Ziyi.”

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ve spent a night in the mortal world and it’s no big deal. I won’t be afraid. Go and do what you must,” Shangguan Wan’er replied, coming over and hugging my arm. I was still a little uncomfortable—she was dressed in ancient clothes, and probably wasn’t wearing any modern undergarments, so my arm felt an unusual softness and resilience.

It was then I realized she ought to change into modern clothes; it would be more convenient if she ever needed to go out. Otherwise, people would think she was an actress on a film shoot. So I took out some clothes I’d previously bought for Wang Ying from the suitcase. “These are your sister-in-law’s clothes. Go change into them—this is what people wear nowadays.”

Shangguan Wan’er happily took the clothes into the room to change while I waited in the yard.

“Brother, how do I wear this?” Soon, she called out from inside. I turned to see she’d already put on the dress, but she was holding the black bra in her hands, shaking it at me.