Lan Yu’s cold began to improve on the third day. In truth, the uncomfortable feeling had already completely disappeared, he felt clear-headed and refreshed. As soon as he could, he put on a mask and immediately returned to work at the restaurant.
Having taken leave twice in a row and for several days at that, Lan Yu was worried that being absent for too long might make the big boss displeased and put Duan Gaozhi in a difficult position.
Although he couldn’t sit at the front desk and had no way of entering the back kitchen, he could still do cleaning work and take out the trash.
The mop could even be used as a makeshift cane; walking with it actually felt quite easy. There was no longer any discomfort in his leg and Lan Yu was even starting to wonder whether he could take the plaster off already.
After working for a few days, he felt he had more or less adapted. As long as he wore his mask properly, Lan Yu could also help with collecting used dishes. Duan Gaozhi even praised him for being diligent, saying that he would take the initiative to look for work to do.
Lan Yu really liked being praised. Duan Gaozhi only said a couple of encouraging words yet they were enough to noticeably lift Lan Yu’s mood.
Dragging the mop as he cleaned the corridor, Lan Yu found himself thinking: if he managed to become familiar with all the work here, then when he had money in the future, might he also have a chance to open a small restaurant of his own?
But then he reconsidered. Everything he did now was miscellaneous work. Miscellaneous work could be done anywhere, there was no real skill involved.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion coming from the main hall. Lan Yu’s movements paused for a moment as he raised his head to look in the direction of the noise.
“Oh, it’s happening again,” the waiter responsible for receiving guests at the private rooms whispered quietly beside Lan Yu.
Lan Yu could already guess what had happened.
In a place like a restaurant, with people constantly coming and going, all kinds of people and incidents were inevitable. Running into noisy troublemakers every now and then was perfectly normal but recently, the frequency of such disturbances had been unusually high.
The employees here all had a pretty clear idea of what was really going on with these people who kept coming to cause trouble.
Some time ago, after the scalding incident, the main character of that event suddenly claimed that his arm had broken inside the restaurant and demanded compensation. That incident triggered a chain reaction.
It was said that because there were surveillance cameras everywhere in the restaurant, unlike Lin Zixi’s initial assumption that he had been bumped into, the footage very clearly showed that when Lin Zixi was carrying a tray into the room, he was deliberately pushed over by a child.
Moreover, many people at the scene had personally witnessed that no one touched the drunken man at all, his arm had broken for no apparent reason. The police speculated that the injury might have been caused when he smashed a liquor bottle.
After responsibility was determined, it turned out that the troublemaking child was the man’s own child, making it impossible to pursue liability. In the end, the restaurant paid a small amount of money on the grounds of failing to fully fulfill its safety obligations, just to settle the matter. Clearly, however, the man was not satisfied with that outcome.
And so, from that point on, the restaurant kept attracting all sorts of inexplicable people who came to find fault with them, endlessly and relentlessly. Each time, the people who showed up were different and they only made a scene in the crowded main hall. There was no way to deliberately accuse them of being part of the same group.
“So what is it this time?” Lan Yu said helplessly, leaning on the mop. “Hair found in the food? Or is the waiter’s attitude bad? Everyone’s been extremely careful when serving dishes lately. They look even more exhausted than usual.”
Because of his leg injury, Lan Yu had temporarily stopped doing waiter duties, which meant he had narrowly escaped this wave of trouble.
“Anyway, it’s always some unlucky scapegoat,” the private-room waiter muttered, unable to suppress a shiver. “Last night they even said a waiter sexually harassed someone.”
Lan Yu: “…How come I didn’t know about that?”
“You were probably out taking the trash,” the other person replied. “As soon as someone suggested checking the surveillance footage, they shut up. The matter ended very quickly.”
Lan Yu sighed. “Doesn’t Brother Duan have any solution at all?”
“The people who come are different every time and there’s no evidence. What can Brother Duan do?” the waiter said. “Lately, Brother Duan stays in the main hall every day and handles everything himself.”
Lan Yu understood this as well. Since there was no evidence, all they could do was be extra cautious. Duan Gaozhi, as a professional, took the initiative to patrol the hall and the atmosphere did improve somewhat but only somewhat.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just compensate them with more money?” another private-room waiter suggested. “Pay to avoid disaster.”
“But if you give in and let them think it works, what if they come back to cause trouble again later?” Lan Yu asked.
The waiter fell silent for two seconds. Hearing a customer call from inside the private room, he immediately headed back to the service area.
The only thing Lan Yu could do was clean even more carefully, doing his best not to give anyone an excuse to pick faults.
That evening, after the restaurant had finished cleaning and was about to close, Lan Yu pushed the trash cart toward the back door. He needed to dispose of the kitchen waste at the designated spot, where someone would later come to collect it.
Outside the back door was a very secluded corner. One had to pass through a narrow alley to reach the garbage disposal area. From a distance, Lan Yu saw two people standing in the alley, smoking. The place was indeed quiet and out of the way and many people chose to smoke there.
Pulling the trash cart and leaning on his wooden stick-cane, he moved forward. Just as he was about to pass by the two men, he suddenly heard a noise behind him, the sound of a shoe kicking against a trash bin.
Lan Yu spun around sharply, only to see the bin teetering, actually on the verge of tipping over. Without hesitation, he threw aside his wooden cane and used both hands to steady the bin.
The bin was filled with all kinds of kitchen waste. If it spilled over here, who knew how long it would take to clean up.
A garbage bin full of kitchen scraps was already very heavy. Without someone kicking it hard, it couldn’t possibly shake this much. It was obvious the two men had done it on purpose.
The words “looking for trouble” popped into Lan Yu’s mind. He had thought that by not working as a waiter he would avoid disaster yet he never expected to be targeted here instead.
Suddenly, there was a sharp clicking sound, accompanied by a flash of light. Lan Yu immediately became alert, he had been photographed!
In the pitch-dark alley late at night, where the lighting was dim and silence reigned, Lan Yu couldn’t clearly see the faces behind the drifting smoke.
He only heard a voice filled with unmistakable malice say, “Disgusting. You’re actually using your hands to grab garbage. Is this restaurant really so unregulated? After grabbing trash, are you going to use those hands to cook for customers? What kind of grudge is this, making customers eat food contaminated by garbage?”
Should he argue back? Lan Yu chose not to.
Everyone knew this was deliberate provocation but even Duan Gaozhi would lower his posture to appease customers. Lan Yu couldn’t be the one to cause trouble for the restaurant.
“Look at how pathetic you are!” The man spat into the trash bin, the phlegm splashing past the back of Lan Yu’s hand. It was impossible to tell whether it was intentional or not. “Already in your twenties and still digging around in slop buckets, your parents must be unable to keep the lids on their coffins, huh?”
Lan Yu had died at seventeen in his previous life. After being reborn, he was nineteen. He was easily provoked and after regaining a healthy body, there was also that hot-blooded edge of youth.
Ever since entering this novel, he had mostly encountered good people. Suddenly running into someone like this, someone who clearly lived in the gutters of society, Lan Yu found it hard to suppress the urge to lash out.
“Hey, what the hell are you staring at?” The man in front of him seemed to be angered by Lan Yu’s gaze.
Lan Yu shot back coldly, “In my entire life, I’ve never seen a mental patient who smokes cheap cigarettes in a garbage passage and deliberately kicks over trash bins just to smear garbage all over himself. How could I not be curious?”
Although the place was secluded, the restaurant still had surveillance cameras installed. Lan Yu waited for the other party to make a move. Even if it ended in a fight and he got scolded by Duan Gaozhi afterward, he could still claim self-defense.
The man was clearly enraged and took a step toward Lan Yu. Lan Yu braced the trash bin slightly, easing the pressure on his injured leg while making sure he wouldn’t be knocked down by a single punch. He was fully mentally prepared.
“Hey, Fourth!” the man’s companion suddenly called out just as the man was about to get close to Lan Yu.
“What now?” The man flung his hand impatiently but he was stopped by his companion.
“No, look at this. What is this?” The companion handed his phone over. The man lowered his head and glanced at it. The arrogance on his face abruptly collapsed. Holding the phone, he looked up at Lan Yu.
Their expressions shifted in a strange way. Lan Yu clearly saw the transition, from arrogance to doubt.
Then the man took out his own phone and pointed the camera at Lan Yu.
“Are you sick or something?” Lan Yu reflexively raised his arm to block his face, not letting them take photos yet from the edge of his arm, he noticed how the two men’s faces, as they stared at the phone screen, gradually drained of color.
Lan Yu thought that if he ever ran into a ghost, he would probably look exactly like that.
“Ah, fuck, this is, fuck…” The man’s voice was far weaker than when he had been shouting earlier. As his companion dragged him, the two of them retreated together, then turned and ran off at top speed.
Lan Yu stood there, stunned. “……”
He really wanted to mutter “lunatics,” but their reaction was far too obvious, forcing him into silence.
Could it be that,
Was it possible?
That he had entered another ghost-encounter cycle?
Just now, what exactly had those two people seen on their phones?
A moment ago, Lan Yu had been perfectly fine, his blood even surging as he prepared to fight. Now it felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him from head to toe.
Should he take a look?
He had a phone too. Should he try pointing the camera at himself?
No, no, no. Lan Yu retrieved his mop-handle cane, grabbed the trash cart and ran off as fast as he could.
No. He didn’t dare to look.
Right now, this very second, he just wanted to return to the brightly lit restaurant, back into the safe presence of his coworkers.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Coffee is technically a form of emotional support.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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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?