Eliza stared at Edward Cullen in disbelief, a chill enveloping her entire body. He was a ghost, and she was a human—how could they perform the rites of matrimony? "I think theres some misunderstanding," she said, her legs straight with fear, slowly retreating. "Im not married, and theres no way I could be your wife."
Edward Cullens response was cold, his voice sending shivers down her spine. "You are mine, whether in life or death. Besides, without me, you wouldnt have lived this long."
"What do you mean?" Eliza asked, confusion and fear mingling in her voice.
With a flick of his wrist, Edward Cullen dressed himself neatly, donning his ghostly mask once more. "Remember this: I am your husband, Edward Cullen, and I am the sky above you for all eternity!"
The name resonated within Eliza, causing her heart to tremble.
"On the fourteenth of July, when the Ghost Gate opens, I will come for you. Prepare your affairs," Edward Cullen declared, his words striking like a bolt of lightning.
She was to die? Why, after taking her innocence, did he now want her life as well?
Tears streamed down Elizas cheeks unchecked. She was only twenty-one and wasnt ready to die. What was she to do?
Suddenly, she recalled the words of the fortune teller at the City God Temple—"You are playing both sides, one a ship of the living and one of the dead..."
With that thought, she quickly dressed and rushed out of the hotel. The sky was still dark, and as she called for a taxi, none seemed to arrive. "Miss, need a ride?" A green taxi pulled up beside her, the driver leaning out to ask.
Desperate to reach the City God Temple, Eliza climbed in without a second thought.
After she gave her destination, the driver inquired, "Its been unrestful lately, always picking up passengers for the City God Temple. Are you here to voice your grievances too?"
"Im here to see a fortune teller at the temple," Eliza replied absentmindedly.
"A fortune teller?" The drivers head turned a full 180 degrees, staring at Eliza with a sinister grin. "Are you alive?"
The cold, hollow voice sent a chill through the summer air, and the entire car felt icy.
He was a spirit! Elizas face turned pale in an instant.
She had barely escaped one danger only to fall into another. She tried to plead with the driver, "Sir, please let me go. I beg of you."
"No way!" The drivers sinister gaze fixed on Eliza, and he sped up the car.
"Once youre in the death car, youll join me in the underworld. Youll be the one to take my place."
The driver had died in a car accident on this very road, his life not yet fulfilled, thus he was trapped in this cycle until his time was up. But if he could find a replacement through a similar death, Eliza would be the one to cycle through this death.
And at this moment, it seemed unlikely that anyone would come to her rescue.
Eliza closed her eyes in despair, tears streaming down her face.
Just as the car was about to crash into the river railing, she was yanked out of the vehicle and pulled into a protective embrace.
Looking up, Eliza was shocked to see Edward Cullen. His masked face revealed no emotions, but his hands held her securely.
"Why are you here?" she asked, surprised.
Before he could answer, she saw the taxi that had been driving straight suddenly swerve towards them.
"Look out!" Eliza didnt know where she found the courage, but she turned and stood in front of Edward Cullen.
Edward Cullen looked at her action, touched for a moment.
He raised his hand, and the oncoming taxi slowly twisted and deformed, then shrank, along with the ghost inside, burned into dust by the blue flame in his palm.
He looked down at the person who had closed her eyes in fear and asked, "Why did you stand in front of me? Werent you afraid to die?"
Eliza quickly stepped out of Edward Cullens embrace. Of course, she was afraid of death; everyone who knew her was aware of how timid she was. But...
"Youve saved me before, and Im not the kind of person to forget a favor. This time, consider it repaid. But my life is my own, and I wont give it to you."
Edward Cullen listened to her words and couldnt help but curl his lips. "The sky is about to brighten, and you carry too much yin energy. Dont run around at night; the city of Jingyun is not peaceful lately."
Eliza didnt understand his meaning and was about to ask him when Edward Cullen had already left, and the sky had indeed begun to lighten.
Thinking about the events of the night, Eliza decided not to ponder further and continued on to the City God Temple. However, she did not find the fortune teller she was looking for there.
Tired from the day and night of turmoil, Eliza returned to her dorm, where her roommate Lucy Honeychurch happened to be.
"Eliza, youre back! I called you so many times, but you didnt answer," Lucy said with concern.
"My phone died," Eliza quickly plugged her phone into charge, and she saw that in addition to Lucys calls, there were also missed calls from Jamie Fraser, along with a text message: "Eliza, are you okay? I took people to the hotel to find you last night, but you were gone. Where are you? Please call me back."
Eliza clenched her phone so hard that her fingertips turned white.
Last night, Jamie Fraser had left her without a backward glance after seeing Edward Cullen. Now, he was concerned for her, which Eliza found ironically cruel.
"Eliza, theres something I think I must tell you. This morning when I came back, I saw your boyfriend Jamie Fraser hugging a woman, and I took a picture," Lucy said, showing Eliza her phone.
Eliza looked at the photo, feeling the image of Jamie Frasers intimate embrace with another woman pierce her eyes with pain.
Their two-year relationship, how could Jamie Fraser, in such a blatant manner, have an affair?
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she bit her lip hard to prevent the tears from falling.
Suddenly, the phone on the table rang.
It was Jamie Fraser.
Eliza took a deep breath, calmed herself, and then answered the call.
"Eliza, about last night, I know I was wrong. I was scared, which is why I ran away, but then I looked for you at the hotel with some people, and you were already gone," Jamie Fraser explained urgently over the phone.
"Where were you this morning, and who were you with?"
"Ive been in the dorm all morning, I didnt go anywhere."
Eliza tightened her grip on the phone, her throat choked and unable to speak.
He was still lying to her.
Did he really think she was that gullible?
Elizas tears fell silently, and she had to try hard not to let her voice tremble: "The woman you were hugging this morning, who is she?"
There was silence on the other end of the line, and his lack of response was like a knife stabbing Elizas heart.
"Eliza, Im at a critical point in my career right now, and she can help me," Jamie Frasers voice was weak as he explained.
A critical point in his career?
Elizas fingers holding the phone dug into her palm. They hadnt even graduated yet, and he was already talking about his career, wanting to rely on a woman to get ahead in life, yet he made it sound so justified.
"Since you think your career is more important, then were through."
After saying that, she hung up the phone and deleted him from her phone contacts completely.
Ending a two-year relationship, Eliza couldnt help but feel sad. Thinking about how he had justified his cheating with such high-sounding excuses, she couldnt help but feel that giving her first time to a ghost wasnt as hard to accept.
After lying in a daze for a day and a night, she finally pulled herself together.
It was Monday, and there was an exam.
Looking in the mirror, her eyes were swollen like grapes. Eliza quickly fixed herself up and went to the classroom with Lucy.
As the exam bell rang, the proctor entered the classroom.
Elizas gaze unconsciously looked over, and at the moment of eye contact, she almost stood up from her seat.
It was the fortune teller from the City God Temple!
He was a teacher at her school?
Lance, dressed casually, stood at the podium, put on his gold-rimmed glasses, and then gave Eliza a faint smile.
Next to her, Lucy was excited: "Eliza, hes smiling at you. It looks like spring is coming for you. Jamie Fraser is nothing. Look at this proctor, he looks refined and debonair, a top choice!"
Eliza didnt speak. She suddenly thought of Edward Cullen, whose face, if female, could be called stunning. Lance was just a star compared to the moon that was Edward C