"Wife, come on, you’re... kind of holding onto me here," he whispered again, giving her shoulder another gentle nudge.
Ruby finally opened her eyes, and for a moment, her gaze settled on the flawless skin just inches from her. She blinked, taking in every small detail.
His long lashes lowered slightly, hiding his pretty mossy-green eyes, which looked damp, like moss after a fresh rain. His thin brows framed his face naturally, and she could see a few small hairs around them—proof that he didn’t fuss with things like eyebrow grooming.
Her gaze dropped to his lips, noticing how full and soft they looked. His lips were slightly pink but dry, as if he’d felt the need to run his tongue over them to keep them moist.
"Wife..." Red clouds covered his cheeks and Ruby realised their position and untangled with him.
"Sorry," Ruby muttered, quickly standing up.
The sudden movement woke everyone else, and as they blinked the sleep away, they took in the sight of her standing there. Rubbing her temples, she mumbled, "Get ready soon, all of you. We’re going to check out a house, and then... pay off that debt." Her voice still held a trace of sleepiness, but there was a firmness in her tone.
She paused, hearing a series of sharp gasps. Looking up, she found her four husbands staring back at her, each with an expression of shock plastered on their faces.
They looked... well, unbelievable, shocked, as if they were dreaming.
"Wife... you’re telling the truth... or are you still drunk?" Milo asked, his brown honey eyes wide with disbelief.
"Don’t joke about such things," Adrian said, his face sour and serious.
"I told you not to do this. You’re just lying!" Karl muttered angrily.
"Wife, what are you really saying?" Julian asked, looking confused.
Ruby sighed, crossing her arms and giving each of them a firm look. "I’m serious," she said, voice steady. "We’re going to settle things today."
"Joke, nice joke," Karl said, rolling his eyes.
"Stop rolling your eyes, young ghost! I’ve had enough," Ruby shot him a look. Finally, she pulled the scarf from under her pillow and unwrapped it, revealing a stack of red notes.
Seeing this, everyone’s eyes widened.
Adrian: (・o・) I want to steal that money!
Karl: (@_@) Can I cry? I’ve never seen so much money!
Milo: ლ(^o^)ლ My wife is the best! I knew it!
Julian: (✿^‿^) I’m finally getting home...
"I am going to wash first," Julian announced, quickly grabbing his freshly washed robe and dashing off to the bathroom.
Milo happily took Ruby’s hand, nuzzling his head against her shoulder like a kitten.
"We’re also coming because we have to take care of Julian and Milo," Adrian said, a hint of worry in his voice, afraid she might not take him to see the house since he wasn’t her favorite.
"Yes, yes! Milo and Julian are like children; we have to look after them! What if they cry?" Karl chimed in, echoing Adrian’s concern, feeling anxious after offending Ruby last night.
Ruby’s lips twitched at their antics. They would cry? Nah, her real worry was if Karl started crying again! Milo and Julian were sweet and didn’t cause any trouble. They wouldn’t even speak up about how they were treated.
She thought about how adorable they were—her little cutie pies. The most troublesome were definitely those two, Adrian and Karl.
But what could she do? After all, they were her husbands...
However, maybe they wouldn’t be in the future.
And when did she say she wasn’t taking them with her?
Forget it! She wasn’t going to explain anything. Ruby just nodded.
Adrian and Karl exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with triumphant smiles as if they had succeeded in some grand plan.
Milo, with his shining brown eyes, looked up at her. Ruby couldn’t resist pinching his soft cheeks softly. "Happy?" she asked, a playful smile on her lips.
"Very happy," Milo replied, beaming. Ruby wrapped the scarf around money and secured it before placing it on the table.
Adrian felt the familiar urge to steal her money but controlled himself. They really needed to pay off their debt and buy a house. Once the monsoon started, they would face a lot of problems if they didn’t secure a proper place to live.
Julian came out after washing himself, his face glowing with freshness.
"Why are you looking so good? Did you wash your face multiple times with soap again?" Karl muttered, glancing back at him with disbelief.
Julian flushed under Karl’s scrutiny, quickly shifting his gaze to Ruby. But she didn’t seem to pay attention, sitting on the bed with Milo.
"I am next!" Karl declared, dashing off to wash himself, leaving Julian feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
Once everyone was refreshed, Ruby grabbed the money. She decided to take them all outside to the market to get breakfast.
As they started walking together, the dynamic was clear: Adrian and Karl, the two troublemakers, were paired up, while Milo and Julian, the peacekeepers, stuck together.
On the way, everyone was looking at them, and it was quite a sight—five of them together, which felt like a miracle. Ruby was rarely seen with all her husbands at once, and today, she looked perfectly normal, not the slightest bit drunk.
Among the crowd, a ghost with black-yellow cat-like eyes watched them with a frown. His gaze was fixed specifically on Julian and
Ruby, and his hands clenched tightly around his bag, knuckles turning white. He noticed that Julian looked happy, a stark contrast to the sadness he had seen in him before.
He bit his lip, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion. They had married Julian to Ruby simply because she was homeless, but why did he look so happy now? After a moment of hesitation, he stepped out of his hiding spot after they left.
Approaching one of the old ghost sitting near the twisted trees, he plastered on a fake smile. "Hey, uncle, do you know who they are? They look decent," he asked, trying to hide his true feelings.
The ghost let out a hearty laugh. "You’re joking... They don’t even have a proper home, and their wife was missing all day as usual..." he said.
The ghost with the cat-like eyes sighed in relief.
—To be continued...🪄