Rumor had it that Lan Yu caught a cold.
The dorm wasn’t large. Lin Zixi lived there full time and slept opposite Lan Yu. No matter how careful they were, Lan Yu eventually got infected. On top of his fractured leg, now he had a heavy cold, truly terrible luck.
Duan Gaozhi’s cold was already at its final stage. After resting at home for a few days, he recovered nicely. When he heard that Lan Yu got sick and needed leave, he didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. In the end, he made time to drop by the dorm.
The moment Duan Gaozhi approached the door, he saw a round mirror taped to it with plastic tape. He blinked but didn’t comment.
Pushing the door open, he immediately noticed something resembling a talisman plastered boldly onto the wall beside the doorframe. His brows twitched slightly.
Taking another step inside, he spotted a strange handmade contraption by the sink, a plastic bottle filled with sand and stones, with a tuft of wild grass growing out of it. The sink’s drain was blocked, filled halfway with water and the bizarre object was sitting in the basin. Duan Gaozhi’s expression turned complicated.
Then, when he walked further in, he saw that both Lin Zixi’s and Lan Yu’s beds had a red string tied to each of their bedposts…
“What exactly… is going on?” Duan Gaozhi finally couldn’t ignore it anymore.
The dorm was small and everything was visible at a glance. Lin Zixi, who worked the night shift, hadn’t left yet. Lan Yu’s bed was immaculate, blankets folded neatly, everything in place. At a glance, it was clearly the tidiest bed in the room.
“Where’s Lan Yu?” Duan Gaozhi asked.
“He said he was going home this morning, so I let him,” Lin Zixi replied.
“His leg is still broken. Where is he running off to?” Duan Gaozhi casually pulled up a chair and sat down.
Lin Zixi answered honestly, “He had a fever last night. His cold is pretty bad. He said if he stayed here, he’d just keep passing it back and forth with us, so he went back to his rental.”
“You didn’t send him?” Duan Gaozhi raised a brow.
Lin Zixi looked helpless. “I wanted to but he moves faster than me even with a cast.”
Duan thought of how quickly Lan Yu had adapted to using a cane and a plastered leg. The kid was full of energy, most of the time you couldn’t even tell he was injured.
The thought almost made him laugh. Looking around the dorm, he asked, “What were you two doing in here? It’s a mess everywhere.”
“Well… the place felt gloomy, so we tried different ways to ward off ghosts. Lan Yu suggested it. He seems really scared of this stuff,” Lin Zixi said.
Duan Gaozhi remembered Lan Yu’s haunted incident claims and twitched his lips. “Where’d you find these methods?”
“Online.”
“And the talisman? Where’d you buy that?” Duan wondered if they had been scammed.
“Lan Yu searched up pictures online, bought yellow paper and cinnabar and drew them himself.” Lin Zixi recalled Lan Yu’s serious, devout expression while drawing. “He even took a careful bath beforehand, ate only vegetarian food for a whole day and started drawing exactly at midnight.”
Duan Gaozhi fell silent for a long moment. He sat down across from Lin Zixi and rubbed his forehead. “He cares that much?”
“He’s super paranoid,” Lin Zixi replied earnestly.
“Well… no wonder he’s on edge. To be honest, I also felt something strange before. When I was driving him back the other day, I think I saw something weird in the rear view mirror.”
“…You’re kidding. For real?” Lin Zixi took a while to react, goosebumps rising everywhere. “I knew this cold felt off. It wasn’t even cold outside.”
“After you set up all this stuff, no more ghosts?” Duan asked, tugging gently at the red string on their beds.
“I haven’t seen anything and Lan Yu hasn’t mentioned anything either. So maybe not?” Lin Zixi scratched his cheek. Honestly, he thought Lan Yu was overreacting. It might’ve been pure coincidence but since Lan Yu was terrified, he wasn’t going to argue.
“I see.” Duan looked around the room again, wondering if he should set something up at home just in case. “Alright. I’ll call Lan Yu. You’d better get to work soon, don’t be late.”
“Got it,” Lin Zixi replied.
“Learn from Lan Yu. Look at his habits. Your bed looks like a pigsty.” Duan made sure to complain before leaving.
Lin Zixi only laughed it off.
In just a few days, Lan Yu had already grown skilled at walking with a cane. With the cast supporting his minor fracture, it wasn’t like he couldn’t move. As long as he controlled himself, he could walk just fine.
The reason he trained so hard to master walking with three legs was simple, next time he saw a ghost, if it happened in an open space, he wanted to be able to run.
Thinking about it made Lan Yu feel proud of himself. He was terrified of ghosts yet he would rather face them than go home. His determination and his longing for a better life even moved himself.
He wasn’t sure if his anti ghost methods were actually working but he really hadn’t encountered any ghosts for the past two days.
There wasn’t much planning in this urban village and even at this hour quite a few people were still setting up stalls along the roadside. Lan Yu bought some vegetables, then picked up twenty yuan’s worth of pork ribs and ten yuan of pork belly from the butcher. He decided to cook something nourishing for himself.
The restaurant did provide staff meals but because there were so many employees, everything was cooked in huge pots. The taste was nowhere near as good as the dishes made for customers and honestly, not even as good as what he made for himself.
Lan Yu genuinely enjoyed cooking. In his previous life, he had never gotten the chance. After transmigrating into the book, he started cooking in Zhou Hesheng’s home. Zhou Hesheng wasn’t very observant, so he never realized that in the beginning Lan Yu couldn’t even recognize all the seasonings.
He relied entirely on searching recipes on his phone. Only later did he secretly pick up a few tricks from the chefs in the back kitchen. Even so, he never expected Zhou Hesheng to praise him for it. To Lan Yu, that praise had been an unexpected surprise.
Finally making it back to his rented room, Lan Yu was sweating all over. A broken leg combined with a cold was definitely not something one could just push through so easily.
He took his temperature, 37.2°C. Not quite a fever.
Looking at the small but cozy rental room he had arranged for himself, barely a bit over ten square meters, Lan Yu still felt extremely satisfied.
“I’m back.” Lan Yu lit a stick of incense for the original owner of the body, not forgetting to speak to him as well. “Your parents weren’t good to you, so from now on, we’ll just live well on our own, okay? Don’t think about that Lingxi anymore. Even without us, he’ll manage just fine.”
“Your parents are a bit terrifying. Is your family perhaps a line of professional exorcists? How could they send a ghost to chase you back home? They shouldn’t be working normal jobs at all, they should switch careers and become debt collectors. They’d make a fortune and then they wouldn’t be eyeing the little bit of money in my hands.”
“And if you died… wouldn’t you also be a ghost now? Please, I’m begging you, watch over me a little. Let that ghostly thing stop showing up in front of me. My heart can’t take it.”
“Give me a little time. When I’m more financially stable, I’ll get you a proper, pretty altar table. Don’t say I don’t think of you.”
Muttering to the original owner, Lan Yu started washing the meat and vegetables. It was about time to cook. He only had a single induction cooker and a rice cooker. Since ribs and pork belly took longer to make, he needed to start early.
His phone suddenly rang. Lan Yu glanced at the screen and immediately picked up. “Hello? Brother Duan?”
“How are you doing now?” Duan Gaozhi’s voice came through the line.
“I’m doing pretty well. Why, is something the matter?” Lan Yu worried it might be a call asking him to return to work.
“No, nothing. Just checking on you. Your leg isn’t better yet and you’re still running around everywhere.” Duan Gaozhi’s voice wasn’t loud but it carried authority. Lan Yu felt a bit guilty listening to it.
“It’s fine, I’ve already reached home safely,” Lan Yu said quickly.
“All right, I just wanted to check. You sound energetic. Still young,” Duan Gaozhi laughed.
“This doesn’t count as anything,” Lan Yu replied. In his previous life, he had practically lived in hospitals, not for fun but because he truly suffered. Compared to that, this tiny cold wasn’t even a minor scuffle; it didn’t scare him at all.
“Handle things yourself, then. Call me if you need anything,” Duan Gaozhi said.
After hanging up, Lan Yu held his phone and wondered what kind of divine manager he had encountered, someone who actually cared about whether he had gotten home safely. It was a stark contrast to those parents who started talking about money within two sentences.
He would be an idiot to leave a city with good colleagues and a good boss, a place where he could earn money and save it for himself, just to go back and make himself miserable.
Thinking about how he had blocked his parents, Lan Yu’s mood lifted.
In the small rental room of just over ten square meters, a simple cabinet sat in the corner. On top of it were the induction cooker and a pot. Lan Yu had covered the walls with protective film to keep oil splatter off. There was no range hood but the frying pan placed right next to the window allowed the smoke to escape.
The rib and corn soup simmered with bubbling heat, the sweetness of the corn blending with the aroma of the meat. By the time he took it off the stove, Lan Yu was already sneaking several sips. Then came the pork belly, melting fat sizzling as sugar caramelized into a glossy amber coat before simmering into a rich braise. The rice cooker finished steaming the rice just in time.
Lastly, he made a simple stir fry of baby bok choy. The bright green leaves danced quickly in hot oil and a pinch of salt brought out their freshness. Three dishes set on the table, all made for Lan Yu alone yet he felt so tense and hurried as he scooped rice, as if someone might rush in and fight him for his food.
He had never told Zhou Hesheng that every time he finished cooking and saw a full table of dishes, he had the overwhelming desire to eat it all by himself.
But when he turned around with his rice bowl in hand, Lan Yu froze.
In broad daylight, under the bright noon sun, even without turning on the lights, the room was well lit and right in that clear, bright interior, an ink black, layered shadow was condensing, slowly forming a towering human shape in his tiny rental room. In an instant, the cramped space felt suffocating, as the figure swallowed all light around it, radiating an impossible to ignore presence.
Lan Yu looked down at the table he had just set, then at the dark silhouette whose intentions he couldn’t decipher.
He forced a wobbly, tearful, almost laughing smile. “Would you… like to eat together?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm has many treasures. Coffee is currently its favourite.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Who wants to go back to be a minor plot device?Chapter 2 · StartChapter 3 · I’m terrified of ghostsChapter 4 · Do ghosts exist in this world?Chapter 5 · ShadowChapter 6 · There’s something wrong with how this book is dressedChapter 7 · The ghost drew a heart for himChapter 8 · Make troubleChapter 9 · Don’t scare me!Chapter 10 · I’d rather be scared to death than go backChapter 11 · Want to eat together?Chapter 12 · A cleaning ghostChapter 13 · Regret it now?Chapter 14 · ParentsChapter 15 · Find FaultChapter 16 · Ghostly photos?Chapter 17 · Nickname: White ShadowChapter 18 · A haunted taxi?Chapter 19 · Extreme fear turns to angerChapter 20 · I used to be a messChapter 21 · Best friendChapter 22 · Turning pointChapter 23 · The threat of ghostsChapter 24 · It’s not a ghost, it’s eerinessChapter 25 Part 1 · First time entering the eerie houseChapter 25 Part 2 · First time entering the eerie houseChapter 26 · Borrow moneyChapter 27 · He’s jealousChapter 28 · RetributionChapter 29 · Revenge from a Strange SourceChapter 30 Part 1 · How could you be so carelessChapter 30 Part 2 · How could you be so carelessChapter 31 Part 1 · What would happen if I ran away from home again?Chapter 31 Part 2 · What would happen if I ran away from home again?Chapter 32 Part 1 · Firmly uphold the right to privacyChapter 32 Part 2 · Firmly uphold the right to privacyChapter 33 Part 1 · The brother who brought down death to protect his belovedChapter 33 Part 2 · The brother who brought down death to protect his belovedChapter 34 Part 1 · Being secretly massaged by a shadowy figure in publicChapter 34 Part 2 · Being secretly massaged by a shadowy figure in publicChapter 35 Part 1 · Go to my dear older brother and sister’s bedroomChapter 35 Part 2 · Go to my dear older brother and sister’s bedroomChapter 36 Part 1 · Being favored by everyone in the eerie houseChapter 36 Part 2 · Being favored by everyone in the eerie houseChapter 37 · We must protect our precious childChapter 38 · It’s too tragic, I can’t bear to watch anymoreChapter 39 · Because of the unique companionshipChapter 40 · The first meeting with the admirer of the protagonistChapter 41 · It’s eerie, but they’re all real family members!Chapter 42 · Using the eerie house to get a cheat codeChapter 43 · The baby’s crying after getting drunk is so cute!Chapter 44 · A traitorChapter 45 · All family members can help the baby.Chapter 46 · When the family is happy, they will hug their waistChapter 47 · Ear piercings were adornedChapter 48 · Treasure are the most precious itemsChapter 49 · Revenge is not an easy thing to doChapter 50 · Because I couldn’t see his faceChapter 51 · One of his brothers is a continuous mountain rangeChapter 52 · How could we possibly run into characters from the original storyChapter 53 · The gems my brother gave me piled up into a small mountainChapter 54 · One can feel an overwhelming sense of superiority.Chapter 55 · Sleeping with a shadowy figure means you won’t be afraid of ghosts at allChapter 56 · The fireworks display to celebrate my baby was absolutely devastating!Chapter 57 · It wasn’t this restaurant that treated us; it was another oneChapter 58 · His super-rich older sister paid for his treat!Chapter 59 · He’s different from beforeChapter 60 · It’s all so weird, isn’t it normal for people to want to disappear?Chapter 61 · Wen JieChapter 62 · Has the identity of this strange child been discovered?Chapter 63 · Those who make their child angry are unforgivableChapter 64 · Being too inquisitive about other people’s private affairs will bring you troubleChapter 65 · A person not to be covetedChapter 66 · Can you bridge the racial divide by staying close to your family?Chapter 67 · What to do if my child doesn’t want to celebrate their birthday?Chapter 68 · The baby is also a second-generation, a bizarre second-generation!Chapter 69 · We are clearly each other’s only friendsChapter 70 · The House of Eeries really did throw a ridiculously huge birthday partyChapter 71 · Why would he feel competitive towards his friend?Chapter 72 · Try to appease the jealous shadow.Chapter 73 · If you’re going to take revenge, you should do it in front of him!Chapter 74 · Now that things have come to thisChapter 75 · My baby’s travel is strange and worryingChapter 76 · One of the older brothers who crawled into the suitcase and followedChapter 77 · He resolutely refused to leave his abandoned brotherChapter 78 · I don’t want my baby to see my terrifying true formChapter 79 · I love hugging you like this.Chapter 80 · It’s a good thing to know you.Chapter 81 · Does my brother also want to go out and have some fun?Chapter 82 · His Older brother?Chapter 83 · Xiao Ming!Chapter 84 · I’m doing great as long as the original text doesn’t go crazyChapter 85 · What’s there to be afraid of when everything’s shrouded in eeriness?Chapter 86 · Let’s have a fight for the sake of the original ownerChapter 87 · How did they know he wasn’t the original owner?Chapter 88 Part 1 · Was the shadowy figure injured?Chapter 88 Part 2 · Was the shadowy figure injured?Chapter 88 Part 3 · Was the shadowy figure injured?Chapter 89 Part 1 · To inflict countless severe emotional blows on someoneChapter 89 Part 2 · To inflict countless severe emotional blows on someoneChapter 91 Part 1 · He was like a human in a supernatural taleChapter 91 Part 2 · He was like a human in a supernatural taleChapter 92 · Someone is secretly using underhanded tacticsChapter 93 · The right people I once followedChapter 94 · Let go of your prejudices against the protagonist.Okay! How come on one complain that we can’t right click the link and open a it in a new webapge??Chapter 95 · Favoritism from his current friendsChapter 96 · The baby is going to marry into our familyChapter 97 · The idea of falling in loveChapter 98 · Want to replace your baby?Chapter 99 · What’s wrong with double happiness?!Chapter 100 · It’s just a matter of raceChapter 101 · I need to balance dating and studying!Chapter 102 · After the shadowy figure gained a physical bodyChapter 103 · Confess your love to the eerie house!Chapter 104 · Even with such pampering, your baby still lacks a sense of security.Chapter 105 · How much help did he receive that he didn’t know about?Chapter 106 · You are not worthy to be the middlemanChapter 107 · Is there anything wrong with me being petty?Chapter 108 · You can have both love and studies!Chapter 109 · Suppressed and restrained desiresChapter 110 · What does an unforgettable yet ordinary date need?