Chapter 6

Zhuning furrowed her brows. “No way. I’ve been holding my breath for this moment and even turned into a monster. If I don’t do anything at all, then what was the point of me waking up at all?”

Sixteen’s grip tightened, his expression turning helpless. “I, always thought…”

Zhuning pried herself loose from his grip, finger after finger. “If we wait any longer, it’ll be daylight. There’s no time to lose. Sixteen, you’ll be free as soon as I turn my betrothed into a zombie. You won’t need to waste any more of your life by my side.”

Sixteen’s face turned ashen. His grip increased in strength as his fingers wrapped around Zhuning’s wrist. He was strong to begin with, so his true power made even a zombie like Zhuning helpless before his might. Stubbornly, he said, “I’m not going, I’ll buy things, to grind your teeth.”

Zhuning was starting to lose her temper as she raised her voice. “There’s no need for you to buy them. I can just gnaw on my betrothed.”

“I’m not going. You can’t go, either.”

Zhuning smacked him upside the head. “Have you lost your mind!?” Sixteen lowered his head and allowed himself to be beaten without a word. All he did was hold onto Zhuning’s wrist without a mind to let her go. By the time Zhuning tired herself out, she asked him helplessly, “Just what do you want to do?”

“If you don’t want me, I don’t know, where to go,” Sixteen finally lifted his head to look at Zhuning, the helplessness in his eyes making her heart inexplicably ache. She suddenly felt like a remorseful criminal. She wanted to lift her hand and comfort Sixteen with a rub on his head, but didn’t know where the urge came from. It was obvious Sixteen who was getting in her way, but she was the one feeling regret.

She sighed, before she heard someone knock on the door twice. The master of the house asked worriedly from outside, “Is anything the matter?”

At the sound of his voice, Sixteen grew anxious. With a tug, he pulled Zhuning towards him before wrapping his arms around her. Then he said, “No nothing you can leave!”

He had spoken so smoothly that Zhuning looked at him in astonishment. Then she heard the person outside turning to leave, and cried out in alarm, “Hold it! Get back here!” The tone of voice was identical to her early days as a princess.

Sixteen panicked, and held her even tighter.

The door opened as the master of the house entered with a lantern in hand. When he saw Sixteen and the woman in his arms both glaring his way, he scratched his head. How did I offend these two. “This is…?”

“Husband? What is it?” the mistress of the house had been jolted awake by the noise as well. Now she entered the room with a set of robes draped over her shoulders.

Zhuning seemed to grow possessed as she struggled free and hopped out of Sixteen’s shackles. With two great leaps, she threw herself at the woman. Alarmed, the man quickly drew his wife into his arms and backed into the courtyard to avoid the attack. Furious, he cried, “What do you want to do?!”

His wife was frightened as well, and hastened to ask, “Miss, what’s happened to you?”

Sixteen hurried out after them. He stepped forward to stop Zhuning, but she simply avoided him to pounce at the woman again, her eyes bloodshot. Her mouth opened wide and shouted, “Betrothed! Return my life to me!”

Sixteen gave a start and staggered, nearly tumbling to the ground. The mistress of the house was even more surprised. “Be…betrothed?”