Because of the man who suddenly showed up crying and confessing, after some discussion, Duan Gaozhi ultimately had the man post a video. With concrete evidence now in hand, they directly reported the matter to the police, who would then step in to handle this whole slander farce.
With that, the restaurant finally shook off all the mud thrown at it and even gained a huge wave of traffic.
The restaurant had already been gradually recovering in customer flow after starting its public relations efforts. Now, boosted by the viral attention, business even surpassed its peak period. The full day shifts Lan Yu had been longing for could finally begin.
Lan Yu felt that his legs were completely healed but he still didn’t dare act recklessly. He didn’t continue working as a server or at the front desk. Instead, he transferred to the back kitchen as a kitchen assistant. Though he was still clumsy and getting used to things, Lan Yu was quite happy, working in the kitchen meant he could secretly learn from the chefs.
“It really feels like our restaurant has some luck on its side. In the end, we didn’t have to compensate anyone and we even turned danger into fortune. I’m starting to think those online claims about our restaurant having good feng shui might actually be true.”
“Exactly. I always thought it was pretty weird. I heard that no matter how they negotiated back then, the other side just stubbornly insisted they weren’t lying, super arrogant about it. How could they suddenly come crying and apologizing?”
“That was the first time I’d ever seen a grown man cry like that. We asked what happened and he couldn’t even explain it clearly.”
“Lan Yu really is a blessing to the restaurant too. If his photo hadn’t gone viral, we’d probably still be dealing with those awful issues every day. The constant nitpicking some time ago was disgusting, putting such a long hair in the food. As if our chef hats were just for show.”
Lan Yu quietly listened to the chefs chatting as he sat nearby peeling potatoes. His movements unconsciously slowed.
“Lan Yu, Lan Yu, come here for a moment.” Wang Xiaoran’s voice suddenly sounded from the kitchen doorway. Lan Yu looked back at the head chef, who nodded in approval. Only then did he put down the potato he was holding, wipe his hands and leave the back kitchen.
“What’s wrong, Sister Wang?” Had something gone wrong with the filming?
Wang Xiaoran looked excited, clearly very happy, not at all like there was a problem.
Lan Yu watched as she held up her oversized phone in her small hand. She showed him something. “Look, quick, take a look.”
Lan Yu lowered his head and saw a photo. It was different from the carefully staged ones, it looked like a screenshot taken from a video. The lighting at the time had been dim, so it wasn’t very clear.
Yet it was precisely this lack of clarity that gave the photo an even more mysterious, ghostly quality. In the image, the outline of Lan Yu’s side profile appeared faintly beneath the cover of a dark shadow.
The shadow cleverly concealed most of his facial features, leaving only those exceptionally beautiful eyes and a small patch of pale skin at his temple exposed.
Those eyes, revealed in the darkness, seemed to be thinking about something. Compared to an eerie atmosphere, they looked more like they carried loss and emptiness.
The black waiter’s uniform blended seamlessly into the blackness, making the photo’s unique focal points stand out even more. The entire image was filled with mystery and emotional tension.
“This is unbelievable. It only appeared for an instant in the video, the editor noticed it. He said it might have been captured suddenly when the lighting changed. It appeared for such a brief moment that he had to scrub back several times to screenshot it. This feels like it can rival Bai Yi’s photo,” Wang Xiaoran said excitedly to Lan Yu.
Lan Yu stared blankly at the photo.
It was the shadow.
“We’ll put together another set and use this photo as the main image when we post it. You’re really a treasure. I never thought we’d get another divine shot like this,” Wang Xiaoran said happily, repeatedly admiring the photo on her phone, her fondness obvious.
Lan Yu vaguely remembered the background of this photo, it was from before the unfamiliar man came crying and wailing.
What had he been thinking at that time? Why had he shown such an expression? Or was it simply an accidental capture?
But Lan Yu immediately remembered what he’d been thinking then. He hadn’t deliberately forgotten what he’d said.
His lips pressed together slightly, completely opposite to Wang Xiaoran’s excitement.
Was it because the shadow had heard what he said at that time that it suddenly stepped in to help?
Lan Yu felt unusually restless at work that day. Perhaps because he had to fulfill a promise he’d made, having something weighing on his heart made it impossible for him to focus properly.
“Why do you look so out of it?” Lin Zixi asked when the restaurant finished operations, noticing Lan Yu’s distracted state.
“I…” He clearly felt that since he’d already decided to do it, it would be better to resolve things sooner rather than later yet now that the moment had arrived, he found himself hesitating. Lan Yu’s mood was low as he answered Lin Zixi, “I decided I’m going to apologize… to someone.”
Lin Zixi leaned on his mop, looked at Lan Yu and suddenly said, “Apologizing, huh. That’s pretty impressive.”
“Impressive?” Lan Yu was taken aback.
“Getting an apology out of someone is harder than climbing to the sky. When I was little, my house got robbed and money was stolen. My dad insisted I’d taken it. He nearly broke my legs beating me. Later, it turned out there really had been a thief. He never apologized to me, just let it pass like nothing happened. I waited a whole week. Forget an apology, there wasn’t even a fart,” Lin Zixi said as he resumed mopping, his tone faintly revealing the frustration of recalling an unpleasant memory.
Waited a whole week… Lan Yu’s attention was inexplicably drawn to that point.
Back then, Lin Zixi, who’d been wrongly accused, must have really hoped his father would properly apologize to him. Did those ghosts also want an apology from him? How long had they been waiting?
As Lan Yu wiped down the tables, his previously hesitant attitude finally hardened into resolve.
When Lan Yu left the restaurant to head back to his rental place, Lin Zixi told him to be careful on the way.
Now that the cast had been removed from his leg and he’d adapted for so long without any pain, Lan Yu gave up on taking a taxi and chose to walk back.
Though this city was quite remote compared to his original one, it was still a second tier city. Bright lights could be seen everywhere along the roads. There weren’t many cars but there were no pedestrians to be seen.
Lan Yu kept watching the passing taxis, always paying attention to their license plates.
Every time he passed under a streetlight, he looked to see if there was any strange figure beneath it.
He kept checking whether he was walking the same road repeatedly.
He pushed aside the bushes by the roadside.
He craned his neck to scrutinize empty alleys.
He braced himself against a wall, trembling in fear.
He was reaching his limit.
Since he was going to apologize, he should at least see the ghost first yet he never imagined that, someone as afraid of ghosts as him, would one day actively go looking for one. This was basically courting death in the most extreme way.
Because he didn’t know when the ghost might suddenly appear, his nerves were stretched tight and now he’d even wandered into deserted places, the surroundings so quiet that his stomach began to ache from stress.
Compared to facing a ghost head on, what was even more terrifying was not knowing when the ghost would appear.
Lan Yu found a spot beneath a very bright streetlight and sat down. If he walked any farther, he’d be home. Could it be that the ghost wouldn’t come out at all?
He took out his phone and started searching online for ways to see ghosts.
The spirit writing game, the Four Corners Game, Bloody Mary, asking ghosts with a bowl of rice at midnight…
The more he read, the colder his back felt, until even his hair seemed to stand on end.
A silent alley. A single streetlight illuminating the entire narrow road. He sat alone on the icy ground, his calves trembling.
Just as Lan Yu’s scalp was tingling and he could no longer read a single word, several characters suddenly appeared on their own in the search bar on his phone.
We are not ghosts. To you, we are merely strange existences.
Lan Yu clutched his phone, his heart pounding wildly. He could even hear the faint, rapid sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears.
An immense black shadow, vast enough to devour light itself, enveloped him. Pitch black darkness, its volume impossible to discern with the naked eye, coiled incessantly around his body. There was no temperature, no sound.
Only a suffocating pressure, thick and viscous to the point of near materiality, crushed every inch of the air, swallowing his light and erasing his very existence.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Statistically speaking, coffee would be appreciated.
☕ 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?