The River Gods Bridegroom

I followed Xie Yu to see his grandfather.

The old man looked rosy and healthy, and no illness could be detected.

Yet, a mass of gray-black energy hovered between his brows.

I looked up at the ceiling.

A cloud of black mist was circling above the room.

I took two steps back, instinctively grabbing Xie Yu’s sleeve out of fear.

He tilted his head to look at me. “Don’t be afraid.

“Elderly people are like this sometimes.”

I didn’t say anything.

I wasn’t afraid of the person; I was afraid of the hideous, malevolent ghost on the ceiling, dear!

If I had known I’d run into such filth, I would have gone to a friend’s place to borrow some ghost-repelling treasures first.

After the doctor finished the check-up, Xie Yu’s grandfather seemed to have recovered a bit.

Xie Yu brought me to his grandfather, squatted down, and held the old man’s hand while saying something.

When Xie Yu’s grandfather saw me,

a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in his cloudy eyes. He patted the back of Xie Yu’s hand and, with a trembling voice, said a few words of approval.

I don’t know if it was because of my arrival, but Xie Yu’s grandfather’s body seemed to have truly improved quite a bit.

He even had the strength to get out of bed and walk a few steps.

It was raining that day, and I was watching the scenery from a pavilion in the garden.

The butler pushed Xie Yu’s grandfather over in a wheelchair, then left at the old man’s request.

The garden was quiet, save for the sound of the rain.

Xie Yu’s grandfather looked at me for a while, his eyes filled with reminiscence and a sigh: “You haven’t changed at all.”

I was a bit surprised: “You still remember?”

Xie Yu’s grandfather chuckled, his face full of kindness: “The grace of saving a life is never forgotten.

“I had someone paint a portrait of you. That painting was taken by that boy A-Yu and hung in his room like a treasure; he doesn’t let anyone touch it.

“A-Yu is a lucky boy to be able to marry you, Goddess.

“It is also the good fortune of the Xie family.”

I felt a bit emotional. If he knew I was brought back by Xie Yu to trick him,

he might get sick from anger again.

That night, I was lying on the bed watching the giant TV in Xie Yu’s house, and I asked him: “Xie Yu, do you want to try some other way to treat your grandfather’s illness?”

I couldn’t tell him directly about the ghost.

If I leaked any more secrets of heaven and defied the natural order, perhaps my term as River God would truly be extended indefinitely.

Xie Yu was replying to emails on his laptop. Hearing me speak, he took off his glasses and walked over.

“For example?”