Mu Bai hugged the bumper from the back of his mount and grieved for ten minutes.
His good mount had gone deep into enemy lines to lure them away and met a tragic end. He had to preserve a whole body for his loyal companion.
When Yan He, who had just run out of batteries, turned his head, he saw the little ghost clutching a bumper with a sorrowful face, refusing to let go.
Yan He: This robot vacuum kept drilling into all kinds of dirty corners every day. Who knew how much dust that back bumper had picked up? And the little ghost was still holding it tight against his chest.
Even though he clearly knew the boy in front of him was a ghost without a real body, the thought of that ghost sneaking into his bed again later still gave Yan He a headache.
It was the same feeling as when a little cat that had been playing outside all day, dirty and scruffy, insisted on climbing onto your bed at night.
So, while the little ghost was tugging at the robot vacuum’s head, Yan He threw the bumper into the trash can.
Mu Bai was pulling on his good mount’s body when he turned his head and saw that the bumper from his mount’s backside had been tossed into the trash.
He couldn’t bear it anymore. Overcome with grief, he seized the chance while the man’s back was turned and hurriedly stuffed the remains of his mount under the sofa to hide it.
Yan He stood there in silence, his eyelids twitching a few times. In the end, he thought, forget it.
It was just a robot vacuum anyway.
If the ghost wanted to hide it, let him.
It was better than finding the little ghost sneaking the vacuum into his bed at night to hug while sleeping.
Watching the ghost earnestly shove the vacuum under the sofa, Yan He turned away, deliberately letting his footsteps fall heavy, just to let the ghost know he had left, and not to keep pressing a machine worth a few thousand yuan against a sofa worth over a hundred thousand.
A few minutes later…
Yan He left the living room and entered his bedroom. When he bent down to pick up his pajamas, he noticed that the room was completely empty.
Normally, the clingy little ghost would already have followed him inside eagerly, but this time, he had been in the bedroom for several minutes and still hadn’t seen a trace of him.
Yan He paused, then walked toward the bathroom, his pace unhurried.
After all, the little pervert would sneak in sooner or later, just like the past few days, slipping into the bathroom while he showered.
The sound of running water echoed in the bathroom, steam gradually rising.
Meanwhile, in the living room, the little ghost sat on the sofa. Taking advantage of his host’s absence, he was bent over, fiddling earnestly with the bumper from his mount’s backside, trying to repair it.
Half an hour later.
Steam still lingered in the bathroom as the rainfall shower finally shut off. Standing beneath it, the man turned his head toward the glass door, only to find it empty.
The ghost, who normally sat on the glass door swinging his legs and staring at him while he showered, was nowhere to be seen.
Yan He reached for a towel, drying his hair as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
The bedroom was just as empty. The pale-gray bed was free of the ghost who usually busied himself there.
He tossed the towel aside, blow-dried his hair as usual, lit a sleep-inducing incense stick.
Dressed in black sleepwear, the man leaned half-reclined against the headboard. In one hand he held a book, in the other he turned the beads of a Buddhist bracelet with calm, deliberate motions. His expression was tranquil, no different from usual.
The clock ticked quietly. Suddenly, a faint noise stirred the silence.
Under the dim light, his fingers froze on the beads, his head lifting slightly.
The curtains rustled faintly in the night breeze.
Not the sound of a ghost sneaking in.
Yan He closed the book in his hand and set it aside, frowning as he pressed the remote to draw the curtains shut.
The clock crept toward ten o’clock, his usual bedtime.
But the little ghost outside still hadn’t come in.
Yan He turned off the light. In the darkness, he thought of how the ghost would usually crouch by the bed, bright-eyed, waiting for him to fall asleep.
He placed his hands over his stomach as usual, adjusted his breathing, and closed his eyes in the stillness.
In the living room, Mu Bai dragged the robot vacuum out from under the sofa. Sitting cross-legged on the couch, he tried again to repair his fallen mount.
Not long after, the living room lights flicked on. Mu Bai jumped in surprise, turning his head, only to see his new target, dressed in sleepwear, holding a glass of water as he came to the sink.
Mu Bai thought only of his loyal mount. After one glance, he quickly bent his head back down, focusing on fixing the vacuum.
Yan He leaned against the counter, holding the glass in one hand. He gazed at the little ghost’s back as he sat on the sofa, cross-legged, still fiddling with the vacuum.
Taking a sip of water, he suddenly recalled his nephew, only a few years younger, when his toys were confiscated as a child.
Mu Bai fiddled for a long while, but couldn’t revive his loyal mount. Finally, he pushed it back under the sofa.
After properly laying his mount to rest, the ghost floated toward his new target’s bedroom. Peeking in, he found the man still awake.
Mu Bai turned to the clock, this was half an hour later than usual. Normally by now, his target would already be fast asleep, body exuding the sweet scent of slumber.
Mu Bai sniffed suspiciously. Perhaps he had missed it? He leaned closer to the man’s neck, yet still couldn’t smell the familiar sweetness.
Puzzled, he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he quickly kicked off his shoes and rolled onto the bed, yawning as he waited drowsily for the man to fall asleep.
After half an hour or so, the familiar enticing scent of sleep finally drifted through the room.
The ghost burrowed his head into the man’s chest, content and satisfied, and began to feed comfortably.
By the latter half of the night, once he had eaten his fill, he finally left in peace.
The next day.
Night fell once again. As Mu Bai sneaked into the villa like always, he found a robot vacuum in the living room, larger and rounder than yesterday’s.
It gleamed with newness, the instruction manual still lying beside it.
Mu Bai rushed over to the new vacuum, picked up the manual, and saw it diligently sweeping up mung beans scattered across the floor.
At the counter leaned his new target, dressed in a pristine white shirt, every button fastened up to the top. The cuffs were neatly folded, revealing strong, well-shaped forearms.
He leaned against the counter, a glass of water in one hand and a phone in the other, apparently in the middle of a call.
Mu Bai climbed onto the new vacuum, discovering that it was much faster than the old one.
Yan He leaned against the kitchen counter, phone in one hand, watching the little ghost crash around the living room atop the robot vacuum.
The light wood floor was covered with mung beans, and the new vacuum carried the little ghost zipping wildly around the house.
On the other end of the line, Hong Hui was still asking, “Those mung beans I told you to scatter, did they work on the ghost? Did he come back again?”
Come back? He’d more than come back.
He was playing happily, like it was the best game in the world.
Yan He took a sip of water and said, “No use. He still comes every single day.”
On the other end, Hong Hui sounded shocked, “You scatter mung beans all over the place every day, and the ghost still shows up every day?”
Yan He hummed in acknowledgment, then added, “He’s right in front of me now.”
Hong Hui clearly knew the kind of situation Yan He had been living with all these years. His voice grew slightly more serious, “And what is the ghost doing at your place right now?”
Yan He lifted his eyes to the little ghost riding the vacuum in circles through the living room. His tone was calm as he answered, “Parkour.”
Hong Hui: “???”
Baffled, he asked, “Parkour? Is that some new kind of spell?”
Yan He remembered that Hong Hui had gone up the mountain with his master for secluded training at the age of five, so he patiently explained. Only then did the man on the other end understand.
Hong Hui sighed softly, “If mung beans don’t work, that’s my failure, my training isn’t enough. But if even they can’t restrain this ghost, then he must have a very unusual origin. Tomorrow I’ll come down the mountain to see you. I’ll also bring back the jade pendant you sent the other day. That jade, my master said it’s far too precious.”
Yan He set down his cup, his voice low and steady, “It was just a token of respect. There’s no such thing as too precious.”
“The old one was broken. I had another one made to replace it.”
A gift of respect?
Mu Bai, hearing those words, lowered his head and looked at the big, shiny round robot vacuum. His eyes sparkled even brighter.
Because of that single word, respect, Mu Bai was exceptionally attentive to his new target that night, sticking close at his heels, hardly leaving his side.
Even when it came to pressing him down on the bed, he was so happy he pressed a little less forcefully than usual.
Inwardly, he was thrilled. A person like this, he wouldn’t be able to find another even if he searched the underworld by ghost lantern light!
The following night.
The villa’s lawn lights stretched out like a glowing path, garden lamps casting a dim and gentle glow, tree branches swaying low in the night breeze.
“You mean you can just casually feed on his yang energy?”
A headless ghost, clutching his own severed head in his arms, spoke in a soft, envious tone from a streetlamp in the courtyard. He was addressing the boy sitting on top of the lamp pole, legs swinging.
“He doesn’t try to exorcise you?”
Overhead, a flock of little ghosts pressed in close, crowding around curiously to hear.
They’d all heard the man in this villa was fiercer than an evil spirit, but having seen Mu Bai slipping in and out these past few days, they couldn’t help but swarm the gate, eager to question him.
Sitting on the streetlamp, Mu Bai dangled his legs and replied solemnly, wide-eyed, “Of course not. He’s terrified of me.”
“He obediently lies down in bed every day, just to let me feed on his yang energy.”
Inside the villa, the man pouring tea in the living room suddenly paused. The faintest curve tugged at his lips as he turned his head toward the courtyard lamps.
The little ghosts huddled outside all sucked in a collective breath of cold air. The long-tongued ghost was so envious he couldn’t even reel his tongue back, edging closer and closer to Mu Bai.
Once upon a time, Mu Bai had been the worst off of them all.
Unlike the others, he hadn’t been born with a monstrous, terrifying appearance.
Most ghosts had fangs, claws, fierce and hideous faces, at the very least, they might be missing a limb or an eyeball, enough to scare a living person pale and win themselves incense offerings.
But Mu Bai looked entirely human.
His hair was soft and black, falling neatly over his brow; his skin pale as snow; his round almond eyes clear and dark.
His head stayed firmly attached, no way to pop it off and frighten anyone. His slender arms and legs carried no trace of gore.
As a ghost born this way, with no frightening features, he couldn’t scare people at all. Which meant he couldn’t earn any offerings.
In the past, Mu Bai had gone hungry night after night, pitifully trailing behind the others, begging for scraps.
But now, look at him. His face glowed with color, his eyes sparkled, his whole spirit was vibrant.
And the reason?
The once most useless ghost had found himself a human who feared him, one who obediently let him feed on yang energy every night, and even offered him fine gifts.
The headless ghost could barely contain his envy, “I told you, being a bed-pressing ghost is the best! Not like us! we get called brainless all the time because we’ve got no heads…”
Mu Bai felt a surge of smug joy. He pressed his lips together, trying hard to hide the upward curve, his expression deliberately stern.
After all, the other little ghosts had always mocked him, saying a bed-pressing ghost was weak, that he looked too docile, that he couldn’t frighten a soul.
Seeing the headless ghost’s envy, Mu Bai thought for a moment, then offered consolingly, “Being headless has its benefits. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘No head, no worries’?”
“…I think you’re just fine the way you are.”
The headless ghost was so flattered he brightened at once, trying to shove his severed head into Mu Bai’s arms.
The other ghosts crowded closer, too, each thrusting their broken limbs or loose eyeballs toward him, clamoring for him to teach them how to scare humans into letting them feed on yang energy.
Mu Bai’s heart pounded with guilt. He picked up an eyeball nearest to him and stuffed it back into the eyeless ghost’s socket, then forced a stern look onto his face.
“I have my ways of making myself seem terrifying in his eyes. Of course he fears me.”
He spoke so convincingly that the others only grew more admiring, swarming closer, praising his prowess.
Mu Bai barely managed to extricate himself from the pile of ghosts, finally pulling free of the long-tongued ghost’s wrapping tongue, “Ah! nine o’clock. I’ve got to go. If I don’t show up soon, he’ll be waiting impatiently.”
Under the awed gazes of the gathered ghosts, Mu Bai drifted upward, taking care to smooth his clothes, his posture proud and dignified as he floated toward one of the villa’s windows.
Inside the villa’s living room, a monk-like man sat on the sofa, glancing at Yan He, who was looking sidelong out the window in amusement.
“Mr. Yan, what are you looking at?” he asked curiously.
Unlike Yan He, he hadn’t been born with yin-yang eyes, though his unusual constitution made him sensitive to spirits.
Dressed in a black shirt, Yan He lazily drew back his gaze from the cluster of little ghosts outside. His lips curved in a half-smile, his tone both amused and mocking, “Nothing.”
Just then, the little ghost, Mu Bai, floated proudly through the villa’s window. Looking up and catching sight of the two men inside, he skidded to an abrupt stop, eyes wide with alarm.
His new target, the one he couldn’t have found even by searching the underworld with a ghost lantern… why was he sitting there with a bald monk?
And worse, why was his new target pouring tea for that bald monk?
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ChaptersChapter 1 · New TargetChapter 2 · Pervert Little Ghost?Chapter 3 · Little one is MischievousChapter 4 · New MountChapter 5 · Fake Master?Chapter 6 · Blanket StolenChapter 7 · A presentChapter 8 · Rhino HornChapter 9 · Clinging like body PillowChapter 9 · Meeting Old FriendChapter 11 · Just like ChildChapter 12 · New AddictionsChapter 13 · Jinxed StarChapter 14 · Creeping out the old IdiotChapter 14 · Creeping out the old IdiotChapter 15 · New Set of ClothesChapter 16 · Big Wife, Little WifeChapter 17 · Chapter SE 17: Raising as A SonChapter 18 · Another Ghost?!Chapter 19 · Scared away the Evil ghostChapter 20 · NingNing’s SoulChapter 20 · Chapter SE 20: NingNing’s SoulChapter 21 · Green TeaChapter 22 · VisitChapter 23 · Turned into DollChapter 24 · Reunited with Yan HeChapter 25 · I’m UglyChapter 26 · I will stomp youChapter 27 · Ghost AgainChapter 28 · Looking for new HostChapter 29 · Just a BiteChapter 30 · Chapter SE 30: BurnChapter 31 · Trapped Again!Chapter 32 · Call me Lord Official….Chapter 33 · I devote myself to you completely…Chapter 34 · Husband or son?Chapter 35 · Ghost sleep during Day time….Chapter 36 · You could buy more than four thousand sticksChapter 37 · Gu TingChapter 38 · Looks familiarChapter 39 · You’re sleeping with my ancestor?!Chapter 40 · Great great great great GrandsonChapter 41 · We can afford itChapter 42 · HotpotChapter 43 · New StoryChapter 44 · Past Memories…Chapter 45 · Kidnapping Ancestor!Chapter 46 · Copy Buddhist scripturesChapter 47 · Ancestor Flew away…Chapter 48 · Xiao He might not be spending his birthday aloneChapter 49 · May everything go as you wishChapter 50 · I lied…Chapter 51 · Young Master turned into half humanChapter 52 · LettersChapter 53 · Lord OxChapter 54 · Male… destined love???Chapter 55 · A kindred spiritChapter 56 · Chapter SE 56: I like YouChapter 57 · Yan ZhangChapter 58 · Is two hours a bit too short?Chapter 59 · Going down the middle is indeed the correct choiceChapter 60 · Excel spreadsheetsChapter 61 · He had forgotten to tell A’Sheng.Chapter 62 · The person he disliked most had become the young mistress?Chapter 63 · Rip him to shredsChapter 64 · I was wrongChapter 65 · Lord Mu is very happyChapter 66 · I’m about to get marriedChapter 67 · I want to go on a date with youChapter 68 · You’d probably overturn the entire underworldChapter 69 · Head tableChapter 70 · It was meChapter 71 · Junior King of HellChapter 72 · His wife is a little ghost who lies on the bedChapter 73 · Chen LanChapter 74 · Sister in LawChapter 75 · Chapter SE 75: Pick up my boyfriend from workChapter 75 · Extra 1Chapter 76 · Can you still talkChapter 77 · Aren’t you going to ask about yourselfChapter 77 · Extra 3Chapter 77 · Extra 2Chapter 78 · How many ordinary little spirits dare fall in love with the Yan King?Chapter 78 · Extra 4Chapter 79 · I never realized that the bird man’s status was so high… Yan KingChapter 79 · Extra 5Chapter 80 · I’ve ridden on the little Yan King’s headChapter 80 · Extra 6Chapter 81 · Is… this very important?Chapter 81 · Extra 7Chapter 82 · Young master… will you marry me?Chapter 82 · Extra 8Chapter 83 · He’s just a stubborn little old manChapter 84 · End of Main StoryChapter 93 · Extra 9Chapter 94 · Extra 10