Although Lan Yu also wanted to simply throw the suspicious box away, he couldn’t help worrying that something valuable might be inside.
It was the weekend today. He had only worked the morning shift and gotten off early to have dinner with Zhou Hesheng.
Since it was still fairly early, Lan Yu decided to follow Landlord Zhang’s suggestion and take the box straight to the neighborhood police station.
Spring had fully arrived. As Lan Yu walked outside, he could feel that his thick jacket was already too warm. Thankfully, he had already ordered spring clothes online ahead of time and could finally pack the heavy ones away.
Standing at the entrance of the police post, Lan Yu lowered his head and looked at the box in his hands, then glanced again at the door of the station.
Now that he was actually here, he suddenly felt that making a special trip for a random box might be a bit too dramatic. Would he be bothering the officers over something so trivial?
After hesitating for a moment, he simply sat down by the entrance steps and pulled out his phone, searching up what might happen with an unclaimed suspicious box.
Phishing scams, fraud schemes, intimidation…
Dangerous items, virus carriers…
Lan Yu broke out in a cold sweat as he scrolled. His gaze slowly lifted from the phone screen to the box sitting beside him.
Just throw it away, he thought. The thing was practically a timed bomb.
Just when Lan Yu finally made up his mind, the door behind him suddenly swung open.
The door, pushed outward from the inside, bumped into the box resting on the step, knocking it off balance. The box tumbled forward and before anyone could react, an electric scooter coming down the path ran straight over it.
Lan Yu: “…”
“S.. Sorry! I didn’t mean to! Quick, check if anything inside is damaged, was it something expensive?”
The uniformed officer who had opened the door looked just as panicked.
The box was flattened instantly and its contents had been crushed right out of it. The person on the scooter also looked helpless, frozen in place and staring toward their direction.
Before Lan Yu could say anything, the officer had already crouched down, brushed aside the scraps of cardboard and fished out the items from the crushed mess: a single slip of paper and a key.
“Looks like it isn’t broken. Here, take a look.” He handed the items to Lan Yu.
Lan Yu stared at them in silence for several seconds before unfolding the note.
The note read: Baby, come home more often.
The other item was a key, its handle wrapped in delicate, black vine like engravings that twined and spiraled in intricate patterns.
Embedded in the deep red handle was a garnet colored stone, dark and glassy, glowing faintly like a drop of solidified blood under the police station’s overhead lights. It had a handle but no teeth, more like a blank key mold.
“Did you buy this as some kind of merchandise? Is it damaged?” the officer asked, tilting his head as he looked at the key.
“Ah, no. It’s not like that, officer. I came because… this isn’t mine…” Lan Yu quickly explained that he had received the strange package unexpectedly and since he felt uneasy about it, he decided to bring it to the station just in case.
“I see. Well, being cautious is the right instinct. Don’t hesitate to come to us if something like this happens again in the future.” Hearing the uncertainty in Lan Yu’s voice, the officer even patted him lightly on the shoulder in reassurance.
Lan Yu nodded but his eyes drifted back to the key, an odd, almost theatrical prop that seemed utterly out of place in the normal world around him. It felt heavy in his palm, though he couldn’t tell what kind of metal it was made from.
“This can’t be a real gemstone… right?” Lan Yu murmured. Something about the key radiated an unmistakably expensive aura.
In any case, he had already handed the entire thing over to the police. Whatever happened afterward had nothing to do with him anymore. Even if someone traced it back later and demanded compensation, that wouldn’t be his problem.
Eliminating trouble starts with the small things.
The restaurant had been booked for a wedding banquet and preparations had begun the afternoon before.
Lan Yu was wiping down the faux flowers stored in the warehouse, they were going to be moved to the event hall later to decorate the ceremony stage. His job tonight was to assemble the floral archway, the flower stands and the aisle decorations, all before the end of the evening.
“When I used to work at a big hotel, the wealthy clients would hire professional florists and have fresh flowers flown in,” Duan Gaozhi said as he directed the staff in moving items out of the warehouse.
Spotting Lan Yu quietly polishing the faux blooms, he struck up a conversation. “But ordinary folks aren’t that particular. As long as the flowers have good meaning, that’s what they choose. Except for the bouquet, everything else is usually artificial.”
“They’re very pretty,” Lan Yu replied sincerely. Even if they weren’t real flowers, they had been well cared for.
“I hired a florist to make these custom imitation arrangements,” Duan Gaozhi said proudly. “Of course they look good. Other venues just rent their flowers or use balloons. If our props look nice, more people will choose our restaurant for their weddings.”
Seeing Lan Yu finish wiping down the last batch, Duan Gaozhi stood up and waved, shouting to the others, “Come on, someone help Lan Yu carry the floral arch out!”
Lan Yu and a few other servers lifted the arch together. It had a good amount of weight to it and needed careful handling. Lan Yu was particularly cautious, he gripped only the metal frame to avoid touching the delicate faux flowers, which made lifting it even harder.
He kept his eyes on the path ahead as they moved slowly. When suddenly, an enormous force slammed into him from behind.
Something crashed into him hard. His body, which had been balanced just moments ago, lurched sideways violently. Instinctively, Lan Yu let go of the floral arch but when he fell, the heavy arch toppled over as well, slamming directly onto his lower leg.
Pain exploded up his leg. Lan Yu immediately bit down hard, clamping his jaw tight as he swallowed back the groan that almost tore from his throat.
“Lan Yu! Lan Yu!”
Duan Gaozhi rushed over in alarm.
“Lan Yu, are you alright?”
“I’m so sorry, I slipped just now, are you okay?”
Voices of concern filled his ears. The floral arch that had smashed onto his shin had already been lifted away. The stabbing, searing pain gradually faded to a dull throb and Lan Yu tentatively moved his leg, feeling that it might not be as bad as it seemed.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. I… I think it’s fine,” Lan Yu said, gently shaking his lower leg.
Everyone finally let out a breath of relief, everyone except Duan Gaozhi, whose expression remained unusually serious.
Then, without warning, he turned to the others and said, “Keep organizing things. I’m taking Lan Yu to the hospital.”
The moment Lan Yu heard the word hospital, his whole body stiffened. “Brother Duan, it doesn’t hurt anymore. We don’t have to go to the hospital,” he said quickly, nervousness creeping into his voice.
“You might not feel it now but by tomorrow morning, it could be a different story. Don’t put any weight on that leg. Lean on me.” Supporting Lan Yu by the arm, Duan Gaozhi helped him up and led him toward his car.
The hospital lobby was bright with overhead lights, bustling with people hurrying in different directions. The consultation desk to the side, the sharp scent of disinfectant lingering in the air, every piece of the scene felt uncomfortably familiar.
So familiar, in fact, that Lan Yu felt agitated just standing there.
He hated hospitals.
In his last life, the hospital had practically been his second home. In this life, his body was finally healthy and he had thought he could go at least a few decades without stepping foot into one again. Yet here he was, how could fate be this coincidental? Lan Yu let out a quiet sigh.
“Sit here first.” When Duan Gaozhi returned, he brought a wheelchair and pushed it in front of Lan Yu. “Does it hurt now?”
“A little?” To Lan Yu, it was merely a muted ache, dull, muffled, more of a heaviness than sharp pain.
“Good thing we came.” Duan Gaozhi began pushing Lan Yu toward the registration desk.
Although he was attentive, it was obvious he wasn’t familiar with hospital procedures or layout. His sense of direction was almost chaotic, while Lan Yu, who had once navigated hospitals far too often, ended up guiding him with quiet observations.
After a series of examinations, it was Duan Gaozhi who looked far more exhausted than Lan Yu.
“You sure seem familiar with hospitals,” Duan Gaozhi commented during the wait. He glanced down at Lan Yu, who was sitting calmly in the wheelchair.
Just earlier, even without help, Lan Yu had maneuvered the wheelchair smoothly and with practiced ease.
“I used to get sick a lot, was always running to hospitals,” Lan Yu replied lightly, not offering any more detail.
“You’re so healthy now, I’d never have guessed,” Duan Gaozhi said with genuine surprise.
Lan Yu didn’t know how to explain but fortunately, Duan Gaozhi didn’t pry further.
When the doctor returned with the results, he said, “It’s a slight fracture. We’ll need to apply a cast. No need for hospitalization, just rest at home. Keep activity to a minimum, avoid putting weight on it, elevate the leg…”
A fracture?
This counts as a fracture?
Lan Yu was still dazed while they applied the cast.
“Do you want to contact your family?” Duan Gaozhi asked gently.
Lan Yu opened his mouth but only stammered out a few vague sounds before dropping his head, unable to answer.
“What’s wrong?” Duan Gaozhi bent slightly to look at him.
“My family… There are some issues. It’s not convenient to contact them.” Lan Yu’s head lowered even further, almost touching his chest.
Duan Gaozhi stared at him for a moment, clearly having countless assumptions but choosing not to voice any of them. Eventually, he simply asked, “Are you living alone right now? Will you manage like that?”
“…Yes.”
Lan Yu nodded but when he saw Duan Gaozhi frown, he immediately added, “It’s okay. It’s only a small fracture. I can take care of myself. I’ll get better soon. I can still work.”
To Lan Yu, this job was exceptionally precious. The work environment was good, the manager treated him well and he had only just started blending in with the rest of the staff. He really didn’t want to lose the job because of an injury.
Duan Gaozhi gently patted his shoulder, soothing him. “I’m not telling you to leave and it’s not like we don’t have jobs that don’t require you to use your legs. You’ll stay in the staff dormitory for now, having people around will be safer for you. Rest for two days and then switch to front desk or customer service tasks.”
Lan Yu finally released a breath of relief. “Thank you, Brother Duan.”
“What’s there to thank? This counts as a workplace injury, you’re covered by insurance. Besides, you work seriously and do a good job. I like employees like you.”
Duan Gaozhi’s tone loosened into a teasing one. “And you’re good looking. You make a great face of the restaurant. There aren’t many young men these days who look clean and energetic like you.”
Lan Yu froze for half a second at the unexpected compliment. He knew he looked better now, he wasn’t blind but he wasn’t used to being praised for his appearance.
His facial features were exactly the same as before. It seemed that simply gaining weight had made him look good. After getting used to seeing his own fuller cheeks in the mirror, he finally realized that in his past life, he really must have looked like a walking skeleton.
Probably scary to children…
No wonder they cried when they saw him.
With Duan Gaozhi’s help, Lan Yu climbed into the back seat of the car. Following Duan Gaozhi’s plan, they would head back to the staff dormitory together.
The silence in the car stretched on for a while, turning faintly awkward. It was Duan Gaozhi who casually reopened the conversation. “You’re still so young,” he said, glancing his way, “have you ever thought about furthering your education?”
The sudden, out of nowhere question startled Lan Yu.
School…?
He had spent so long focused entirely on survival, on making money, on getting through the next day, that he had never allowed himself to think about something so detailed and long term.
“Isn’t it still possible to get a self study bachelor’s degree these days?” Duan Gaozhi added.
Lan Yu blinked. The idea made his heart flutter just a little. “Maybe… when I save a bit more money, I could try,” he murmured.
From the rearview mirror, Duan Gaozhi glanced at him again. He had originally wanted to say something fatherly, something like, A child this young wandering out in the world alone… if he were mine, I’d never want him to go through all that.
But in the instant his eyes met the mirror, a jolt shot through him. His breath hitched and he instinctively snapped his gaze forward.
Just now…
What did he just see?
Was it a hallucination?
Duan Gaozhi swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. With mental preparation this time, he lifted his eyes to the mirror again but even with all the bracing in the world, the moment he saw the enormous black shadow filling almost the entire backseat, his hands jerked violently on the steering wheel. The car swerved sharply before he forced it back under control.
Lan Yu, thrown off balance by the sudden jolt, let out a startled gasp and grabbed onto whatever he could reach. “Duan ge?”
Cold sweat broke across Duan Gaozhi’s back. Terrified by the near loss of control, he immediately slowed down, pulling the car over to the side. His breathing came fast and shallow. It took him a long moment, long enough for his pounding heart to settle somewhat, before he dared to lift his gaze toward the mirror again.
But this time, the rearview mirror reflected nothing unusual. Only Lan Yu’s worried face, leaning forward slightly, his expression puzzled and anxious.
“Duan ge… what’s wrong?” He asked when he stayed silent for too long.
He hesitated, then finally asked, “Just now… in the back, did you see anything strange? Something black? Anything like that?”
The question made Lan Yu’s heart leap painfully. “Huh? Something black? You mean, a ghost?”
“No, no, nothing, forget it. Don’t talk nonsense,” Duan Gaozhi said quickly, shaking his head so hard it looked almost forced. “There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world.”
But his denial did nothing to reassure him. Instead, Lan Yu’s skin prickled with goosebumps. What on earth did he see? Saying only half of it, leaving the rest hanging, was even more terrifying.
Still, he was his manager. Lan Yu didn’t dare pry further but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the temperature in the previously warm car had begun slipping lower and lower. His mind buzzed with unease as he looked around, his eyes darting suspiciously to every corner of the dim cabin.
Duan Gaozhi checked the mirror several more times. Nothing. Not even a shadow. Was it just the lighting…?
But he couldn’t shake the memory, just a fleeting glance yet vivid enough to make his scalp go numb. A massive black silhouette crouched across the entire backseat, swallowing the light from the rear window.
He could almost make out a shape, as though something was curled there, looming, its weight pressing onto Lan Yu’s legs, like it was enveloping him, trapping him in that tiny section of the backseat, wrapping around his in a way that made its intention unmistakable.
It looked too real. Horrifyingly real.
And yet Lan Yu’s calmness wasn’t fake either. The contradiction twisted in his chest, leaving him both chilled and unsettled. The more he thought about it, the more the fear crept upward, making sweat trickle down his spine.
But now there was nothing, no shadow, no outline, nothing besides Lan Yu’s innocent, anxious face as he peered around.
Deciding that saying anything more would only frighten him, especially someone with mobility issues who couldn’t easily flee even if something did happen, Duan Gaozhi swallowed his lingering dread and forced the topic to die where it was.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator humbly requests tribute in coffee form. (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ ☕
☕ 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?