The sound of the plates shattering made Lan Yu, already under scrutiny, the immediate center of attention.
He landed on one knee, supporting himself with a hand on the floor, his heart racing. After a moment, he checked his injured leg, it didn’t hurt. Relieved but now furious, he turned around, only to find the other person frozen, one hand still suspended in the air, completely at a loss.
“S… sorry! I didn’t mean to,” the person said, though the other hand holding the phone for recording hadn’t lowered it.
“What’s going on?” The restaurant owner emerged from the kitchen and immediately bent down to help Lan Yu.
“Don’t be ridiculous! I didn’t give you permission to film me. I was peacefully eating and you came to bother me and I didn’t say anything but grabbing my cane, what do you think that’s for?!” Lan Yu had been eagerly waiting to have his cast removed and he couldn’t even imagine what would happen if he accidentally injured his leg further.
“I didn’t mean to!” the person insisted.
“Just because you didn’t mean to doesn’t give you the right to take someone else’s cane! If I get injured a second time, how do you plan to compensate me?!” Lan Yu straightened up, holding onto the table for support.
His anger surged and just as he was about to continue scolding, he noticed the previously cocky and annoying person lowering the phone slightly, their expression uneasy as they glanced around.
“Shameless, who even are you?”
“People nowadays have no sense of shame, didn’t they see I didn’t want this?”
“This is illegal, you should be arrested.”
Suddenly, several cold, emotionless voices came from nearby, capturing Lan Yu’s attention. The atmosphere shifted.
“If you film others, you should experience being filmed yourself.”
The voices were devoid of curse words but the tone was flat, unyielding and emitted from the mouths of countless other customers nearby. Lan Yu had initially thought they were defending him but instead, it sent chills down his spine.
It was as if, in a world full of mundane life, he had been turned to stone under the gaze of Medusa, the world around him frozen into a sculpture.
“How ugly! How can someone be this ugly?”
“Is it insecurity that makes them so hostile toward good looking people? Of course ugly people always cause trouble.”
“People like this are wasting food just by existing. Why are they even eating? Shouldn’t they be too ashamed to eat?”
Boundless malice suddenly surged from all directions toward the person holding the phone. Lan Yu glanced around and saw that everyone was unabashedly staring at them, each holding up their own phone to record.
Looking back, Lan Yu realized that not only inside the restaurant but also outside, more and more people had gathered, tightly packed at the door, filming through the glass.
“What… what are you all doing? I didn’t.. ” The annoying person tried to defend themselves but the stares were so strange, as if no one was listening to any words at all.
“Shouldn’t you try being dragged and injured yourself?”
“Yeah, if you haven’t experienced it firsthand, you can’t truly empathize with others.”
“Ten lectures aren’t as effective as one experience. We’re doing this for this big kid’s own good.”
To Lan Yu’s astonishment, someone holding a phone approached from behind and yanked the annoying person’s ankle so hard that they collapsed to the ground.
“You’re all crazy! What did I even do?!”
When a person’s fear reaches its extreme, it turns to anger but as the annoying person tried to resist, countless hands pinned them down to the floor.
Lan Yu felt as if the warm, cozy restaurant had been instantly filled with an unexplainable icy chill, suffocating and deadening the air. He instinctively took a few steps back.
The annoying person’s phone had fallen to the ground, its screen now dark.
The scene was completely off. This was not how a normal human would react.
Although people were criticizing the annoying person, none of them spoke with expression or emotion. It was as if they were being controlled by something unseen.
Even in broad daylight… a place could still be haunted.
It wasn’t just the annoying person who was afraid, Lan Yu’s scalp tingled, his anger extinguished by fear. All he wanted now was to escape this suffocating place, even though it wasn’t directed at him.
If he stayed any longer, things could become complicated. He picked up his cane again, ready to leave. Once he was gone, this strange and eerie scene would likely dissipate.
As he stepped outside, the crowd blocking the glass door parted abruptly.
“A child alone must feel so helpless. If this were my child being mistreated outside, I would be devastated,” said a woman nearby, standing next to Lan Yu. “Children should come home often. That way, when they feel wronged, they can be comforted by their family.”
The words “come home” struck Lan Yu like a spell, his body tensing. His intended stride faltered.
Now he was one hundred percent certain: he had run into a ghost.
Lan Yu planted himself on the spot and looked up at the sky. It was morning, though not bright; the clouds were dense and heavy. In the narrow alley of a bustling city village, he could faintly hear the chatter of passersby.
Perhaps it was this ordinary, comfortable atmosphere that gave him the courage, for the first time, to confront the existence of ghosts.
Lan Yu tapped his cane twice against the ground, facing the woman who had spoken to him earlier. She stood quietly, watching him. Slightly plump, with curly hair, wearing a plain white jacket and wide legged pants, completely ordinary. She must be someone’s mother.
Lan Yu suddenly spoke, his voice sharp: “I don’t want to go home! Why must you force me? You’re coercing me into doing something I don’t want to do! Whether I’m wronged, injured, mocked or in danger, that’s all my own business! You have no right to interfere! Who do you think you are?”
After saying this, he dragged his cane and ran.
He had spoken harshly to a ghost!
Bolstered by daytime courage, he was doing what he normally wouldn’t dare to. He felt invincible!
“Why don’t you want to go home?” Just as Lan Yu moved forward, a passerby brushed past him and asked this. Startled, Lan Yu looked over but the person looked confused too, glanced around and continued walking in another direction.
“Why are you asking me why? Whether I go home or not is my own choice.” Lan Yu was terrified yet the crowd around him was so numerous that he felt a sense of invisibility within them, which made him increasingly reckless.
“If it were my family, they would respect my wishes, right? I feel like my life now is amazing!”
Lan Yu didn’t know whether the ghost, appearing in broad daylight, could hear him but since they had asked, why shouldn’t he respond?
“Do you want me to go home? What would I even do there? Are you really worried about me? Or is it my money you care about? I want to earn money for myself, not for you! Talking about brothers and sisters, am I obligated to support siblings? Those are your children, not mine! I don’t want brothers or sisters at all!”
“If you’re really worried about me, then you shouldn’t make my life harder! Do you know how difficult it’s been for me because of the photos you let be taken?!”
“I’ve been doing just fine on my own. Why do you have to cause trouble? Did you have anything to do with the guest’s broken arm before? Just now, did I ask you to step in for me? Did I ask you to take care of me? Did I ask you to worry about me? I intended to live my own life, I never wanted family involvement again! Don’t presume my feelings!”
“You are… so annoying, so troublesome and so scary!”
He was afraid of ghosts! Do you hear me? He’s scared of ghosts!!!
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator has entered their coffee-deprived final form. (╥﹏╥)
☕ 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?