Dead Broke Chapter 8

Chapter 08

*

Life settled.

I even went to the prison cells of the Underworld to see Lu Wei. For his sins, he was locked down a few more ghost years before reincarnation.

When he saw me, he wept like a child.
"Brother, forgive me. I was desperate. The debts, I couldn’t pay them back. Wang Quan promised money if I helped. I lost myself in greed."
"I wanted to kill him, but couldn’t. When you and Jiang hunted for the truth, I panicked. Wanted to protect you. Wanted to bury clues. I was torn both ways."
He sobbed and choked. "Do you still call me brother?"

I didn’t answer with bitterness. Only sighed and told him,
"When you’re free, come find me in Fengdu. We’ll let time heal it slowly."

Wang Quan? Cast into the hell pits, burned for eternity.
Wang Li? His soul torn beyond repair. Gone forever, not even allowed reincarnation.

I walked back in silence, heart heavy, wondering why fate was ever so pitiless.

On the way, I stumbled across a proud young tomcat in the road swagger, tail raised, strutting like it owned the underworld. Just like the vessel I once inhabited.

I bent down, nostalgic, tickling its rump only to be pummeled by furious Meow-Fists of Doom. Before I could grab it, the little bastard darted off.

Figures.


Settled in my guard job, I still picked up game grinding and account leveling on the side. A ghost needs hobbies and extra cash.

Half a year later, I managed it. Enough dream-visitation money.

The counter attendant, the same bright-eyed salesgirl, beamed when I asked for an extension package.
"Ooo, he’s adding extra minutes....Bless this loyal customer."

And then my dream world opened.

I blinked. Couldn’t even breathe before Bam. Jiang Yuyan grabbed me. Hugged me tight like his life depended on it.

Oh yes. I grinned like a thief. Passion this strong? Exactly my man.

"Don’t worry," I said proudly. "When you die and join me in the Underworld, I’ll be a boss by then. A whole big shot. You’ll be under my wing forever."

Suspicion flitted through his eyes briefly, but he nodded anyway.

Twenty minutes. That was our allotment. Too little. A single heartbeat.

When the countdown toll came, I couldn’t just leave. I lunged forward, planted a kiss on his cheek.

His face exploded red. The poker mask rolled away, and he turned into a blushing apple.

I nearly died laughing.

But he didn’t let me get away with it. One swift move, and he kissed me back. It was clumsy, raw, crashing teeth, splitting lips. Blood. Pain. Fire.

Two idiots. The world’s worst kiss.

And perfect anyway.

As suction dragged me back, I frantically touched every inch of his face, ears, lips, nose, eyes. Memorizing.

He whispered, trembling:
"I love you."

I opened my mouth to say it back, but then darkness.

And I was gone.

The clerk sneered when I blinked awake in the office. "Why are you grinning so grossly?"

I glared. "You wouldn’t understand."

She fumed, "Next time, no discounts."

I collapsed to my knees with a wail. Her discounts cut sharper than hellfire.

But still, I hadn’t told Jiang about the new currency reform. He kept burning fortunes. I quietly saved every bit. Someday, a house. Our home.

And until then, I scraped dream-visitation wages by working both the Hall and side jobs. He endured half-year waits between seeing me. Painful, but honest.

I didn’t want to go back to the shady life. I wanted a clean future. Even as a ghost.

My dream home goal? Five hundred square meters. A villa.
My salary reality? One hundred square meters. A modest apartment.

But hey, the location was perfect. Adjacent to Government Plaza. Couldn’t ask for better.

I chose furniture carefully. Heavy oak bed. Wide, grounded. A nest strong enough for two.

Life finally carried direction. Each morning, I ticked calendar days, waiting.

And then the day. The day Jiang Yuyan finally died. Freed from his debts. Ready to enter.

I stood outside the Gates of Hell, neck craned so long it nearly snapped. Dawn to dusk. And nothing.

My heart sank. What if he’d changed his mind? What if eternity with me wasn’t worth it?

But then a pulse of aura at my back. Warm. Familiar. Arms wrapped around me.

I didn’t need to turn. I knew.

"Idiot," he murmured against my ear, voice husky with joy. "I skipped the gates. Reported straight to the Emperor. Why waste time when I could come to you sooner?"

I clutched his sleeve with fury and relief. "Hmph. Thought you’d backed out."

He smiled softly. "Back out of what? My entire life, the only thing I’ll never regret is you."

He broke me with words like that, so I kissed him hard.



Epilogue
Jiang’s new position was already waiting. The Fengdu Emperor himself forced a contract under his hand a whopping three hundred years of service, penned in ghost-blood ink. Head Judge of the Netherworld.

I doubled over with laughter until the Emperor thrust one under my hand too. Same three hundred years. Guard Captain.

His salary? Five times mine.

My laughter died.

On the walk home, Jiang pinched my face. "What was so funny? Your husband here has just been enslaved for three centuries. You thought you’d outsmart fate?"

I rubbed my cheeks, grinned nervously. "Hold up. Husband? Who promoted you? We haven’t even tested the role."

His dark eyes gleamed. He didn’t answer, just smiled. My spine chilled.

I bolted. He caught me anyway, locked arms around me.

Leaning close, whispering heat into my ear,
"Let’s go home. And test."

The Underworld bathed in dusk the crimson light of hell’s sun painting the clouds.

And in that twilight, I knew the story of Lu Zhen and Jiang Yuyan was only just beginning.

 End 

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