Lan Yu had been sitting by the roadside for quite a while. Now that it was already past midnight, it was actually not easy for a taxi to appear so coincidentally beside him. The only thing was that its lights were off and Lan Yu wasn’t sure whether the driver was still taking passengers.
As he moved closer to the taxi, Lan Yu noticed that the window was cracked open slightly. Under the streetlamp, he could vaguely make out the figure of a man sitting in the driver’s seat.
He seemed to be wearing black clothes with indistinct patterns on them. The outfit was close fitting, which made it easy to tell that the driver had a rather tall and sturdy build.
Lan Yu tentatively knocked on the window. “Hello, can I get in?”
He heard a coarse, rough voice reply, “Get in.”
So lucky.
Lan Yu opened the rear door and got inside, only to discover that the taxi was surprisingly new. The seats were clean and soft, without the usual wear, tear or footprints common to taxis that had been sat in for long periods. The space was neither too large nor too cramped but just right, comfortable. Inside the car lingered a faint fragrance, impossible to describe.
The driver must really cherish this car.
“North Gate of Zhouhe Fourth Hospital,” Lan Yu said.
Leaning back against the soft seat, Lan Yu felt the ride was exceptionally smooth. This was the most comfortable taxi ride he had ever taken. It seemed the driver not only cared for the car but also had excellent driving skills.
He stole a glance at the driver. The interior was very dark and Lan Yu couldn’t clearly see the driver’s face, only a vague outline.
Lan Yu narrowed his eyes. Was it really this dark? Even when the streetlights shone brightly into the car, he still couldn’t make out the driver’s features very well.
The job Lan Yu had found was quite close to the Panlong Residential Complex where Zhou Hesheng lived but it was relatively far from Zhouhe Fourth Hospital.
Still, the fare would only be the starting price. Although staying in the dormitory would save money, Lan Yu was very attached to the cozy little nest he had painstakingly organized for himself.
“Which building number?” the driver suddenly asked, pulling Lan Yu out of his wandering thoughts.
“No need, just stop at the entrance,” Lan Yu replied immediately. However, the driver didn’t stop. Instead, he drove straight into the hospital grounds. Lan Yu frowned. “I didn’t say to go inside. I’m only paying the starting fare.”
As long as the taxi went inside, it would just exceed the starting fare. After getting burned once before, Lan Yu had never allowed taxis to drive in again.
“Starting fare is fine,” the driver replied readily.
Lan Yu was a little surprised. Looking at the meter, which had clearly already begun ticking upward, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, are you doing charity?”
The driver’s low, coarse voice responded and for some reason, to Lan Yu at that moment, it sounded rather pleasant. “Your leg is injured.”
“Th… thank you,” Lan Yu said, deeply moved. Was his luck especially good today?
After the car stopped, Lan Yu heard that strange voice say to him, “Go home.”
“Okay, thank you,” Lan Yu replied.
Lan Yu paid with his phone and got out of the car. As he watched the clean, comfortable taxi driven by such a kind driver pull away into the distance, he subconsciously glanced at the license plate,
S·40404.
What an unlucky number.
Lan Yu lowered his head again, then froze.
Payment failed? Had he run out of money?
He immediately checked his account. There was money everywhere. Then why did the payment fail? If he could pay, that meant the scan had worked, right?
Standing there, Lan Yu wondered if the driver would notice and come back to ask for the money. Then suddenly, a possibility flashed through his mind.
A driver whose face he couldn’t see. A strange voice. A strange license plate number. Money that couldn’t be paid…
Goosebumps rose layer after layer across his back. Lan Yu didn’t dare stay there any longer.
There was a very high chance that he had run into a ghost again.
Lan Yu rushed back to his room as fast as he could. He had been feeling down emotionally but now his mind was filled with nothing but fear.
How could the ghost he encountered this time be so kind? That wasn’t right. That wasn’t normal. That driver had told him to go home and he had even responded. Could it be that if he didn’t go home at the right time, something terrible would happen? Some kind of curse?
Grabbing his hair, Lan Yu rolled around on the bed. Why was he so careless? He should have found it strange the moment the taxi was parked there. Had he already been cursed? Ahhh!
He couldn’t sleep.
Yet nothing happened for a long time.
Curled up under the blanket, enduring until the sky began to lighten, Lan Yu thought, “?”
Lan Yu found a small restaurant and sat down. The lunch here was cheap, filling and tasted pretty good. He liked coming here a lot. Even though he had work meals, who didn’t enjoy eating out?
If it weren’t for getting home so late, he probably would have bought groceries and cooked lunch himself. A few days ago, he had even made a meal specifically for the shadow, leaving it out.
When he came back in the evening, the bowls and plates had been licked completely clean, without a single trace of food residue. Lan Yu once again wondered if the shadow might actually be a cleaning ghost.
Looking at the heaping bowl of dishes and rice, Lan Yu broke into a smile. If he ate the dishes slowly, he could get unlimited rice refills. To Lan Yu, this place was one of heaven’s dining spots.
Tomato and egg stir fry, mapo tofu, shredded pork with green peppers and to give himself a bit of encouragement, Lan Yu also bought braised pork. The glossy, glistening chunks of braised pork were irresistibly tempting to a nineteen year old young man. Rice drenched in sauce was even more of a human delicacy. Every time Lan Yu ate here, he was extremely happy.
Until a sharp click sounded beside him.
Lan Yu blinked, his cheeks still stuffed with braised pork. Lost in the rich, savory juices, he unconsciously looked up,
And suddenly found himself staring straight into a camera lens.
Lan Yu: “…?”
“Hey, hi! You’re Bai Yi, right?” The person suddenly greeted him with a bright, cheerful tone.
Lan Yu frowned. Being interrupted while eating made him feel a bit irritated. He chewed a few times, trying to focus on his food and kept his head down, avoiding eye contact.
“You must be Bai Yi, you’re good looking and your leg’s broken too.”
Without hesitation, the person slid onto the seat next to Lan Yu. Lan Yu kept his head down, silently eating.
“Is it true that your restaurant is haunted? Have you actually experienced it yourselves?”
Lan Yu could clearly feel that curious gazes had begun to converge around him. He didn’t enjoy being the center of attention and what had been a pleasant lunchtime was quickly turning uncomfortable.
“You’re really handsome! I thought those photos online must have been filtered. Did you edit them? Is your restaurant doing marketing stunts?”
The person didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care, that Lan Yu was silent. If anything, their curiosity intensified. Lan Yu realized that the person had even taken out their phone and was pointing it at him to record.
Lan Yu’s heart jumped. “Don’t film me without my permission! I didn’t agree to be filmed!”
Just yesterday, Duan Gaozhi had reminded them to be cautious. Lan Yu hadn’t expected to be put in a situation where the rules were being bent just for him.
“You’re so popular now. Have you thought about doing live streams to sell things?” the person asked, eyes glued to the phone.
Noticing that the person wasn’t intimidated by the phone, Lan Yu guessed that the shadow wasn’t with him at the moment. He quickly stuffed a few more bites of rice into his mouth, determined to finish as fast as possible. He didn’t even bother adding more rice, he just wanted to leave.
“Talk to me! We’re all really curious! Just the other day, people online said your company’s boss keeps some kind of gu, some jar at the front desk…”
Lan Yu’s anger flared.
Duan Gaozhi had said not to start conflicts with others. If anything happened, just claim ignorance and they would figure out a public relations solution later. Even if he was upset, he had to endure it. The boss already had a grudge; he couldn’t make matters worse.
“Please pay more attention to our restaurant’s information in the future,” Lan Yu said, his mouth still glistening with food, looking a little odd.
“What information?” the other person feigned ignorance.
Lan Yu didn’t continue speaking. He got up and grabbed his wooden cane, intending to leave.
But as he stepped forward, his cane was suddenly seized. Caught completely off guard, Lan Yu stumbled forward, instinctively flailing, knocking several plates off the table, which crashed onto the floor with a harsh, piercing sound.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A coffee offering has been placed before the translator altar. ✧
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
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?