The evil ghost paid no mind to the odd tone in her voice and even took the opportunity to grab twice more.
Zuo Zhu instantly slapped its claw away.
What an infuriating creature.
…
The next morning, Zuo Zhu set an especially early alarm. Contrary to her usual habit of sleeping in, she opened her eyes the moment it rang.
As soon as her eyes opened, her mind began working, and she immediately remembered why she had gotten up so early.
The evil ghost had never needed sleep at night, but ever since it started sleeping with Zuo Zhu, it had gradually grown used to dozing off while holding her. As a result, Huo Fu’s daytime spirits had improved as well.
When the alarm sounded, Huo Fu was naturally awakened too.
He slowly opened his eyes and found that Zuo Zhu, who usually slept like a log in his arms, was staring at him wide-eyed for the first time.
His body stiffened slightly. It was only because the evil ghost liked to hold this late-night snack while sleeping that every morning, after waking, he had to climb off Zuo Zhu’s bed without letting his gaze wander.
In the past, she had always been fast asleep, so they had never really locked eyes like this.
Today was the first time they were both awake.
Huo Fu calmly glanced at her, withdrew his arm, and prepared to get out of bed.
Zuo Zhu had not expected such a bland reaction. Unwilling to give up, she leaned closer. “About last night, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Huo Fu paused as memories from the previous night flooded his mind. Everything the evil ghost had seen replayed in his head.
“So what if I touched you?” he said lightly. “The feeling wasn’t that great anyway.”
Zuo Zhu was stunned.
Her competitive streak flared up at the worst possible moment. “Say that again?”
Huo Fu smiled. “Even if I touched you again, I’d say the same.”
Furious, Zuo Zhu puffed out her chest and leaned toward him. “Go on then, touch me again. How could it possibly not feel good?”
Huo Fu fell silent. “That’s really unnecessary.”
He cast a disdainful glance at her figure. “I prefer someone slimmer.”
Her overheated mind gradually cooled as she realized she was actually arguing about something like this.
With a scornful look, she shot back, “Fine, I’ll be considerate and assume you haven’t had much contact with women. You probably just don’t understand what straight men like.”
Throwing off the covers, she hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
Huo Fu’s gaze lingered for a moment on her long, fair legs before shifting away naturally.
He considered himself upright and clear-hearted. The evil ghost was the evil ghost. What did the evil ghost’s actions have to do with him, Huo Fu?
With a clear conscience, he opened the door, only to run straight into Uncle Zhang in the hallway.
Uncle Zhang looked at him stepping out of Zuo Zhu’s room and offered a meaningful, gratified smile.
In his imagination, the young master and Zuo Zhu were already a pair.
Otherwise, why would the young master have brought back only Miss Zuo and no one else?
Young people were shy, but he understood.
Huo Fu had felt nothing before, yet under Uncle Zhang’s gaze, an inexplicable irritation rose within him.
It was the evil ghost being shameless. What did that have to do with him?
…
Uncle Zhang worked efficiently. The very next day, he brought back a maid whose cooking was even better than his, and who was diligent with chores.
As the saying went, even a starving camel was bigger than a horse. When Huo Fu’s parents had been alive, their assets had been substantial. Even after being divided among various uncles, Uncle Zhang still retained enough wealth to ensure Huo Fu could live comfortably for a lifetime.
While it certainly was not the kind of fortune where one could casually invest a hundred million at the drop of a hat, it was more than enough to raise Zuo Zhu like a well-fed pig.
In the blink of an eye, several weeks passed.
Zuo Zhu had grown so comfortable here that she almost forgot Huo Fu was an evil ghost.
Being transported into a novel was not so bad. When she thought about how Brother Wei was probably still scrambling to meet deadlines while she enjoyed herself here, she felt no resentment at all about her situation.
Wearing a swimsuit, she soaked in the pool. When she spotted Huo Fu passing by, she swam to the edge and tugged at his trouser leg.
“Could you bring me some fruit?”
Huo Fu drew in a deep breath and stared at her waist. “Have you gained weight?”
“Have I?” Zuo Zhu lowered her head and pinched her waist. It seemed perfectly proportioned to her.
Unable to stand seeing her so carefree, Huo Fu said darkly, “If you don’t start dieting, I wouldn’t mind having pork belly at night.”
Her expression wilted instantly. She sank lower into the water, leaving only her head above the surface.
Only then did Huo Fu feel somewhat satisfied. Just as he was about to speak, the maid approached to inform him that guests had arrived, claiming to be his friends and currently waiting in the living room.
Zuo Zhu perked up at once.
A plot point at last!
Huo Fu glanced at her. “Go change.”
Zuo Zhu excitedly climbed out of the pool, only for Huo Fu to toss a towel over her.
She did not mind. Wrapping herself up, she went to the changing room in the backyard, changed her clothes, and headed to the first-floor living room.
When she appeared, Lin Tianming and Liu Minmin were already speaking with Huo Fu.
Both looked surprised.
Liu Minmin especially so.
At first, she had thought Huo Fu was merely a good-looking villager from that mountain village. Later, she assumed he was just a down-and-out but somewhat capable ghost catcher.
Only now, upon coming to his home, did she realize he lived quite well, complete with a housekeeper and maid.
It completely overturned her impression of him.
How could someone like this have taken a fancy to Zuo Zhu, who was all curves and no brains?
Was his experience truly so limited? Even Li Fang had not been bewitched by Zuo Zhu, yet he had?
To this day, Liu Minmin still carried her stereotype of Zuo Zhu. The original host’s entanglement with Li Fang had left too deep an impression on her, and after Zuo Zhu took over, that coquettish image had only grown stronger.
When Zuo Zhu walked in, Liu Minmin’s resentment peaked.
No wonder in the village, the moment Li Fang went missing, Zuo Zhu had latched onto Huo Fu and suddenly turned so affected. She must have known about his family background all along.
Zuo Zhu naturally sensed the inexplicable hostility but did not spare her even a sideways glance. She walked straight to Huo Fu’s side, wrapped her arms around his, and asked sweetly, “Brother Huo, what are they here for?”
Huo Fu paused, then looked at Lin Tianming. “You tell us.”
Lin Tianming sighed. Over the past few weeks, he seemed to have aged several years, exhausted in both body and mind.
He had only just graduated, yet because of that trip, he had become entangled in multiple cases involving lost lives.
So many people had disappeared, and only he and Liu Minmin had returned. Naturally, the families of the missing caused a scene or went to the police.
As one of the only two survivors, he had been sought out by both grieving families and investigators alike.
It was only after the investigations concluded, compensation paid, and the families appeased that the matter finally settled.
Throughout it all, he had kept Huo Fu’s existence tightly concealed, preventing anyone from tracing things back to him.
Huo Fu was willing to remain in contact partly for that reason.
Lin Tianming was indeed someone worth saving.
“There is something I need to discuss, which is why I came to find you, Brother Huo.”
He briefly described the situation.
Just as he had finally resolved the previous matter, he learned of another issue.
Li Fang’s disappearance had not caused much of a stir within the Li family. For one, his biological mother was already gone, and his father had numerous illegitimate children, several of whom were especially favored. After shedding a few symbolic tears, the matter was largely dismissed.
More importantly, the Li family was now haunted as well.