After hearing Chen Xingyang’s words, Lan He also smiled and said, “Your nephew was already crying nonstop. By scaring him, maybe he’ll even stop crying.”
Chen Xingyang: “Haha, then you’re mistaken. Whether I scare him or play with him, my nephew remains stubbornly committed to crying.”
“Pigeons?” Chen Xingyu was still unaware of the pigeon meme, slightly confused. Lan He, looking adorable, made her wonder what pigeons had to fear.
“It means even pigeons are afraid of him. That guy is too strange. Lan He, show Xingyu what ‘seeing a pigeon and feeling sorrow’ means.” Liu Chunyang eagerly requested Lan He to demonstrate.
Lan He: “……”
What’s with Director Liu’s weird request? He helplessly approached the pigeon cage on set, and as he neared, the pigeons retreated like the tide, clustering in the corner, shivering, creating quite the visual effect.
“It’s like something out of a cartoon.” Chen Xingyu found it interesting, “How magical. Did he offend pigeons somehow?”
This question remains an unsolved mystery for the “Chase” production team…
Suddenly excited, Liu Chunyang exclaimed, “And there’s more! Lan He, that thing!”
Chen Xingyu: “Are there other animals that are also afraid of him?”
It’s not about animals. Lan He completely got Liu Chunyang’s point and said in exasperation, “Director, it’s okay with the pigeons, but you can’t have me ‘die’ every time you meet someone familiar!”
Chen Xingyang recalled having seen Lan He showcasing his talents and couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “Hahahaha! Seriously, Director Liu, you’re like showing off your son. But even their son can’t pull off this trick.”
Director Liu grumpily responded, “What son? Alright… then if you have time, Xingyu, you should come to see him ‘collecting his meal box’ during the shoot. He’s practiced yoga, so his ‘playing dead’ is very convincing.”
“Yoga, huh.” Chen Xingyu nodded, looking towards Lan He, “Then…”
Lan He: “I can’t show my thigh bent behind my head.”
Chen Xingyu: “……”
Chen Xingyu: “I just wanted to say I’ve also been practicing yoga, and I’d like to learn from you next time.”
Lan He breathed a sigh of relief, having been questioned to the point of fear, “Oh, oh.”
Then he couldn’t help but ask again, “So, can you bend your thigh behind your head…?”
Chen Xingyu: “…………”
Everyone burst into laughter, and Chen Xingyu’s usually cold and stunning face broke into a helpless smile.
Chen Xingyu’s cameo role, consisting of only a few scenes, was quickly completed, and everyone headed back to the hotel together after wrapping up. Just as they reached the hallway, they heard the sound of a baby’s loud crying from a room with an open door.
“Miaomiao has woken up.” Recognizing the loud voice instantly, Chen Xingyu hurriedly walked in. Her husband was attempting to feed the baby with a bottle of previously expressed breast milk, but it was clear that hunger wasn’t the reason for the baby’s cries, as it kept turning its head away.
“Let Uncle try.” After washing his hands, Chen Xingyang took Miaomiao into his arms, but the baby’s crying didn’t improve at all, showing no interest in its uncle’s efforts.
Knowing he wasn’t cut out for amusing children, Liu Chunyang peeked in, “The child is still very good-looking. You can tell even before he’s fully grown, looks like you.” He glanced at the child’s father, “Not like Old Lin, who has a big face.”
Old Lin surrendered, “My face is big, my face is big.” As Chen Xingyu’s husband and manager, he was indeed handsome, but certainly not as exceptional as Chen Xingyu, and his “big face” was only relative. Yet, he was mercilessly teased by Liu Chunyang.
As the conversation turned to the child’s good looks, Liu Chunyang called Lan He over to take a look.
Lan He hesitated.
“Come on, take a look at my nephew.” Chen Xingyang also said, “Seriously, are you actually afraid of scaring my nephew?”
Lan He had no choice but to step forward, truly unsure in his heart. He had been hesitant to get too close just now. The heavy yin energy around him might be noticeable; children are sensitive and might indeed be scared just like the pigeons.
He cautiously leaned in from a distance of two steps to look, indeed seeing big eyes and a high nose, indicating superior genetics, but unfortunately, the child was in the midst of loud crying, with a wrinkled face and a red nose, looking rather pitiable.
Lan He had intended just to take a quick look, but as Miaomiao cried with eyes blurred by tears, completely lost in his crying, something happened in the two seconds after Lan He appeared. His eyes slowly widened a bit, staring at Lan He for a while, and the volume of his crying unconsciously began to decrease, gradually stopping.
“Hm?” Chen Xingyu and her husband looked down in surprise. It was one thing for the child to stop crying, but he even started to laugh. Still with tears in his eyes, he giggled.
“Is this the first time our son has laughed?” Old Lin couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Chen Xingyu was also puzzled, “Forget laughing, it’s the first time he’s not crying for no reason.”
Chen Xingyang quickly handed Miaomiao over to Chen Xingyu, “Maybe he suddenly got better. Grandma said that when we were kids, we would suddenly stop crying after a full hundred days. Maybe ‘a hundred days’ is a figurative term, and it’s just been a few days over.”
Before they could ponder the logic of that, once Miaomiao was back in Chen Xingyu’s arms, he started crying loudly again.
“Maybe he was just distracted before,” Old Lin commented sarcastically.
Chen Xingyu: “……”
Holding Miaomiao, she felt quite troubled and adjusted her position and angle slightly.
Surprisingly, with just a casual movement, Miaomiao’s crying stopped abruptly again, not gradually but suddenly, which made her suspicious, hmm?
Liu Chunyang stood aside, seeing things more clearly, and couldn’t help but direct, “Lan He, try coming closer again.”
“Me?” Lan He stepped forward in confusion. Upon seeing him approach, Miaomiao laughed even harder and even reached out trying to touch him.
A thought flashed through Chen Xingyu’s mind. When she adjusted her position earlier, Miaomiao was facing Lan He again. The previous cessation of crying was also…
Chen Xingyang’s mouth slowly dropped open: “What’s going on? Miaomiao stops crying when he sees you?!”
Chen Xingyu’s expression faltered as she said incoherently, “That… junior, could you, try holding…” She wanted Lan He to try holding Miaomiao.
“I don’t know how.” Lan He was also at a loss, unsure of the situation. Moreover, he had only held older children before, and holding an infant was different. However, under Chen Xingyu’s imploring look, he found it hard to refuse. The child’s parents had been troubled by their baby’s constant crying, feeling quite distressed.
With trembling hands and following Chen Xingyu’s guidance, he took Miaomiao, who smacked his lips but didn’t continue to laugh. Instead, he became quietly adorable, blinking his long eyelashes, for the first time not crying or fussing but looking at his parents and uncle as if observing the world.
Chen Xingyang was shocked, never expecting that not only did Lan He not scare his nephew, but he also achieved the opposite effect: his nephew stopped crying and even laughed!
“Eh? Let go for a moment and then take him back,” Liu Chunyang directed.
Lan He handed the child back, and Miaomiao immediately started crying again.
“Hold him, hold him,” Liu Chunyang continued.
Lan He took him back, and the child quieted down.
Chen Xingyang couldn’t help but exclaim loudly, “This scene looks so familiar!”
He wanted to report this; this was exactly like the experiment Liu Chunyang did with Lan He and the pigeons!
Liu Chunyang gave a sheepish smile, righteously saying, “It’s confirmed, Miaomiao has a ‘special fondness’ for Lan He!”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Chen Xingyang even muttered, “Is the antonym of ‘pigeon’ Miaomiao?”
He immediately got a stern look from Chen Xingyu. Is this even a real uncle?
Old Lin was a mix of surprised and delighted, saying involuntarily, “If it weren’t for the child also looking like me, and my wife also not being favored by the child, I’d suspect you were his real dad. When have we ever seen him this calm? No, I have to record a video for my parents to see; this is too rare.”
Lan He, having become the child’s favorite person quite inexplicably, held Miaomiao stiffly while Old Lin recorded a video.
Chen Xingyu played with Miaomiao in this position, and Miaomiao cooperated very well, even touching noses with her and then laughing happily a few times.
The reason was unknown for now, but looking at the presentโwhen had she ever experienced such a thing? Since giving birth, her child had never shown her this much respect as a mother. Finally, there was some parent-child interaction, and she was moved to tears.
“Useful person, thank you,” Liu Chunyang patted Lan He on the shoulder.
Lan He: “……”
He held the child like a stand, allowing Chen Xingyu and her husband to witness this rare sight for the first time.
Chen Xingyu reached out to adjust the child’s hat, revealing a brown spot on his forehead.
Lan He glanced at it, pausing, “Is that… a birthmark?”
“Yes, my grandmother said that children with birthmarks on their heads shouldn’t have them removed with laser. A birthmark here means the child will be cheerful and have many friends, but look at this crybaby…” Chen Xingyu said helplessly, touching the spot of the birthmark.
Lan He found the location and shape of the birthmark increasingly familiar. As he locked eyes with Miaomiao’s clear ones, his mind raced with possibilities.
Chen Xingyu had visited Miao Gan Mountain to tie dolls three times, he suddenly remembered. He recalled picking up a chubby doll when he and Old Bai visited Miao Gan Mountain to give offerings. The doll had fallen and injured itself in the same spot, and Young Lady Hu Da had lamented that it would leave a scar.
What did Old Bai say again? Bixia Yuanjun would give children to believers to raise.
…Could it be?!
Lan He was shocked by this speculation, but his expression remained unchanged.
Gradually recovering from the shock, Chen Xingyang, rubbing his chin, sourly said, “This is too mystical. Why does my nephew like Lan He so much?”
Indeed, it was mysterious. Everyone watched as Lan He, without doing anything more than showing his face, managed to stop the child from crying. If it were said that the child liked handsome men, wouldn’t it mean his uncle wasn’t handsome enough, or his mother not beautiful enough?
Old Lin joked, “Could it be that they had a connection in a past life?”
Lan He thought, if Miaomiao really was that chubby doll, then this statement wouldn’t be wrong…
Liu Chunyang, selectively superstitious and a director, immediately concocted a complete story: “Let me tell you, our photographer used to experience sleep paralysis, and it was Lan He who woke him up. And when Xingyang and he found a grinding stone made from a gravestone, Xingyang said it creeped him out, but Lan He was unaffected. Some people just have a strong spirit and can calm others… Children, who easily get scared by what they see, might actually feel safer around Lan He, you get what I mean?”
Believe it or not, Liu Chunyang’s explanation seemed to make sense.
Chen Xingyang, having experienced it firsthand, immediately agreed, “Or, to use Mr. Wang’s words, it’s about the bioelectric current causing a magnetic field issue… It seems Lan He and Miaomiao’s magnetic fields match perfectly. Sis, why don’t you stay a few more days? Spend more time with Lan He, and maybe Miaomiao will get better and won’t be scared of anything.”
Chen Xingyu and her husband had no objections, whether it was a past life connection or Lan He’s righteous aura, the child was calm around him. They looked at Lan He, hesitantly asking, “Would it be too much trouble for you?”
Now strongly suspecting Miaomiao was indeed the chubby doll he had once held, which Chen Xingyu had somehow brought with her, Lan He thought and said, “It seems I and the young master are quite fated. If it helps, I’m willing to do my part.”
Liu Chunyang seized the opportunity, “As long as it doesn’t affect my actors’ shooting schedule.”
After all, he couldn’t just leave them to babysit, filming was exhausting enough!
As a result, Chen Xingyu even moved her room next to Lan He’s. At night, they even switched around, with Lan He and Old Lin sharing a room with Miaomiao. Chen Xingyu slept alone, and Chen Xingyang went to bunk with others.
Cheng Haidong, oblivious to everything, fell asleep as soon as he returned and woke up the next day thinking Lan He had left early.
…
The real drama unfolded in front of everyone the next day.
Chen Xingyu brought Miaomiao to the set. Considering the child’s weak immune system, they stayed in an open area, watching from a distance. Miaomiao was surprisingly well-behaved. As soon as Lan He finished his scene, they immediately went to greet him.
Lan He took Miaomiao, much more adeptly this time.
Chen Xingyu, eager to help, took out a tissue to wipe Lan He’s sweat, gently asking, “Tired?”
She really liked Lan He now! Forget about her usual demeanor; after months of her son crying, she found Lan He more dear than anyone!
“It’s nothing.” Lan He said bashfully, “Senior sister, you don’t have to…”
Seeing the motherly smile on Chen Xingyu’s usually cold face made him feel a bit uneasy.
Not just Lan He, the entire crew was flabbergasted.
They had no idea about the connection between Lan He and Miaomiao. This scene alone made it seem as if Chen Xingyu and Lan He were family.
What was going on? Chen Xingyu had only met Lan He through Chen Xingyang’s introduction yesterday! Chen Xingyu was known for her aloof and solitary demeanor. When had anyone seen her behave like this with anyone? Even her husband might not receive such treatment!
โSpeaking of the husband, Old Lin also arrived, bringing drinks and snacks for Lan He, only to be stopped by Director Liu. They exchanged words from a distance, one saying not to fatten up his actor, the other defending their excessive care for a weary Lan He.
Everyone: “???”
“Our Lan He?” What was this, had they entered some parallel universe?
Neither Liu Chunyang nor Chen Xingyang would gossip about this, so everyone could only watch in amazement as Lan He, aside from filming, spent his breaks sitting in a corner with the goddess Xingyu’s son either lying or sitting in his lap, reviewing his script or napping without much disturbance.
Indeed, with Chen Xingyu and Old Lin playing with the child nearby, they resembled a family of four, albeit a bit more bizarre.
Cheng Haidong, as Lan He’s roommate, was interrogated for information countless times by the crew, but he was clueless and even wondered if he had missed some plot twist during his sleepโhe was sure Chen Xingyu and Lan He were still strangers at the set yesterday.
But seeing the goddess couple treating Lan He like family, he couldn’t help but ask Lan He in private, “Teach me if we’re brothers.”
Lan He: “Teach what?”
Cheng Haidong: “Your Miao tribe’s Gu techniques.”
Lan He: “……”
Lan He: “Get lost!”
…
While Chen Xingyu let the child get close to Lan He, hoping to ‘absorb some positive energy’ as Liu Chunyang suggested, she also took the opportunity to return the remaining two dolls to Miao Gan Mountain. Yet, the child only improved when near Lan He.
“Could it be because we need to take Miaomiao there too?” Lan He asked, feeling his logic was sound.
“It’s impossible. I’ve asked about it. To return a vow, one must not bring children there,” Chen Xingyu said with a frown. The miraculous phenomenon brought about by Lan He’s presence had indeed made her hopeful for a metaphysical solution, but the outcome wasn’t as expected.
Lan He’s question only highlighted his lack of understanding about these matters, relying purely on his righteous energy to ward off evil.
Lan He genuinely didn’t understand why it was ineffective. He had thought it was just about fulfilling a vow, and now that the vow had been returned, why was it still useless? He even considered writing to Old Bai to ask if he knew what was going on.
While Lan He was pondering, Chen Xingyang came over and said, “I just heard Director Liu saying that we might have to take a two-day break before moving to the next location.”
Lan He’s scenes were mainly concentrated in the first half of the shooting schedule, and the crew was scheduled to film at a courtyard house in the suburbs of Beijing next. After completing this part, Lan He’s filming would be done.
But now, there seemed to be some issues with the filming location, preventing immediate shooting. The actors of Group A were given a two-day break, and they were to meet at the new location later.
Chen Xingyang joked, “Why not stay with us for these two days, Lan He?”
However, Chen Xingyu seriously declined, “We’ve already been imposing on Lan He’s rest these past days. It’s rare to get a two-day break. We don’t know when Miaomiao will get better; we can’t keep him from resting.”
Truth be told, she and Old Lin were discussing how to properly thank Lan He.
Knowing she was a parent and saying such considerate words, Lan He felt understood and hesitantly suggested, “Maybe recording some videos could help…”
Chen Xingyang couldn’t help but laugh.
Surprisingly, it was worth a try.
Old Lin took charge of filming while Lan He recorded a few soothing phrases for the child, like “Don’t cry, Miaomiao, good baby.”
Treating it like a role, Lan He quickly got into character. After recording those lines, Chen Xingyu requested, “Could you also record a lullaby? Or a children’s song?”
Indeed, music might be more enriching than words. Lan He’s parents were elementary school teachers, so he knew some children’s songs. However, the thought of children’s songs reminded him of that nameless soul he had tricked, who then rode away on a lame donkey.
Chuckling at the thought, he sang, “I have a little donkey I never ride. One day I took it to the market on a whim.”
This recording turned out to be somewhat effective. While not always successful, Miaomiao’s reaction to Lan He’s voice did offer some relief and reassurance to Chen Xingyu and her family, allowing them to part ways with Lan He for the time being.
—
Dragging his luggage back to his apartment, Lan He was thankful for the break before heading to the next filming location on the opposite end of Beijing. He was fortunate to get a couple of days to sleep in before resuming work.
Approaching the elevator, he saw a familiar figure and instinctively reached into his backpack for a yuanbao…
“I’m not here for money,” Old Bai said, coming over and taking the yuanbao.
Lan He: “??”
What are you talking about…
After securing the yuanbao, Old Bai grinned, “Hehe, you made quite the scene in the underworld recently, didn’t you?”
“You know about that?” Lan He was a bit worried, “I had a few words with the gatekeeper. It’s not going to cause any trouble, is it? Have I caused any problems for you?”
“What trouble? We at the Eastern Peak argue with them all the time. The news from the underworld spreads fast. You’ve become quite famous there, known for your sharp tongue,” Old Bai seemed to admire Lan He’s actions.
Lan He was amazed; he was virtually unknown in the living world but had become a somewhat famous ghost in the underworld…
Unaware of his thoughts, Old Bai continued, “Yan San is grateful to you. He couldn’t come in person this time. He said that gatekeeper tried to trip you up later? He made amends by breaking that guy’s teeth. Also, Young Lady Hu Da has come down from the mountain on an errand and wants to meet you.”
Setting aside the issue of fame, Lan He asked, “What does Young Lady Hu Da want with me? Can I not meet her?”
He wanted to ask about Miaomiao but thought it best to inquire with Old Bai rather than meet Young Lady Hu Da.
“…The Hu family holds grudges well. Are you sure you want to skip this?” Old Bai implied it was better for Lan He to meet her.
Lan He: “Oh, she doesn’t know who I am. She can only take it out on you.”
This was akin to the son paying for the father’s debts.
Old Bai: “…………”
Lan He: “Alright, alright, I’ll meet her. Where is she?”
Old Bai: “In the garage. I didn’t tell her where you live.”
Not planning to leave his body, Lan He only took a mask to wear and went down with Old Bai. Young Lady Hu Da was sitting cross-legged on a car but jumped down and approached them with a smile, “I was here on business and thought I’d catch up with an old friend.”
Although they had met only once, Young Lady Hu Da seemed to consider Lan He a close confidant, for reasons well understood by all.
Lan He also very sensibly handed over a handful of incense, which Miss Hu eagerly sniffed a few times, seeming somewhat cultured as she wiped her nose. She then pocketed the incense and said with a smile that was not quite a smile, “You really won’t take me home with you?”
Old Bai stepped in front of Lan He, willing to stand up for him since he had been paid. “Miss, this person is from our Eastern Peak Underworld.”
“Tehe, I know, helping build the road to the underworld… I’ve heard all about it, truly a fine Impermanence from the Eastern Peak. We are all from Eastern Peak, always our own people. I’m also worried, Xiao Lai is a living Impermanence, and recently, the capital has not been peaceful. What if he gets involved?” Miss Hu’s eyes narrowed with a gleam as she laughed.
“How is the capital not peaceful?” Lan He was puzzled, “Didn’t Qingming just pass?”
Miss Hu’s gaze swept over him several times before she asked, “You don’t know? Do you know about the capital’s guardian artifacts?”
In Chinese geomancy, there are methods and items used for suppression, commonly seen ones include peach wood charms, stone lions, and terracotta warriors, used for warding off evil spirits.
However, those are for protecting houses, while cities also need guardian artifacts, like how many cities build towers as the guardian artifact for the entire city.
For a capital, the guardian artifacts need to be even more powerful. The capital, being a critical location, has had royal geomancy masters throughout the ages establishing guardian artifacts, like the old and new Five Guardians, using the Five Elements to protect the five directions of east, south, west, north, and center.
For example, the big bell in Juehui Temple is said to be the western guardian artifact from the new Five Guardians, belonging to Metal.
Lan He said, “I vaguely heard about the big bell in Juehui Temple. I don’t remember the others, and it seems there are different versions of both the old and new Five Guardians. It’s hard to know which one is real… Oh, right, I heard that the golden summit of Miaogan Mountain is actually a metal guardian artifact? Is that true?”
“Some are real, some are fake, as for which is real…” Miss Hu pressed her lips, indicating it shouldn’t be spoken aloud. “Aside from these openly known geomancy masters setting up the Five Guardians, there are also the Dark Five Guardians, set up by the immortals of the capital, with a history of a thousand years. In my opinion, without the Dark Five Guardians, neither the new nor old Five Guardians could have been established so smoothly. So recently, there have been some problems with the Dark Five Guardians, even affecting the Five Guardians… The demons have become restless.”
But she couldn’t just reveal what the problems were, or where they occurred.
Lan He carefully recalled previous discussions about the season being wrong, and ghosts like little red and little green causing trouble, perhaps referring to this. Even why Old Bai needed to borrow human help might also be due to this.
“Miss, are you busy with this matter? Brother Yan said the capital is where the most skilled people are gathered. I think I shouldn’t be involved,” Lan He half-jokingly said.
“I’m worried about you too,” Miss Hu’s eyes darted between Lan He and Old Bai, “Look at you, not even knowing about this matter, clearly happening within the capital’s boundaries. Old Bai too, not giving you a heads-up.”
Old Bai smiled sheepishly; having been paid, he naturally didn’t need to specifically inform Lan He about these matters. But previously, he used being busy in the Underworld as an excuse to Miss Hu, now caught by her, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Thank you for the reminder, Miss Hu. I will offer more incense to you in the future,” Lan He cleverly said, immediately changing the subject. Miss Hu showed a smile, then he continued, “By the way, I… know a family’s child, brought from Miao Gan Mountain, with a brown birthmark on his forehead. He always cries incessantly, but stops whenever he sees me…”
“Oh, you’ve seen Miaomiao?” Miss Hu said casually.
She even knew the child’s name? Lan He thought for a moment, realizing it wasn’t strange for Miss Hu to know, as the names were given by the priests in the goddess’ palace, and she stayed on the mountain.
Miss Hu laughed, “You were destined to meet. You saved him once on the mountain. Though he has no memory, he was born with that fate and stops crying upon seeing you.”
So it was truly about fate! Lan He asked further, “Do you know why he cries incessantly after birth? At first, I thought it was about fulfilling a vow. Recently, his mother went to fulfill a vow too, but he still cries. Is there something missing?”
“Crying has nothing to do with fulfilling vows,” Miss Hu pondered. “Before Miaomiao was born, he was the most spiritual in the palace. The goddess chose him for Chen Xingyu because she looked pretty…”
Lan He almost exclaimed in disbelief; the goddess judged by appearances?
He held back from speaking.
Miss Hu said, “…Probably because his eyes are too perceptive, seeing unclean things, especially since the capital is already rife with evil spirits. If it weren’t for ‘knowing’ Miaomiao early, he would cry upon seeing you too.”
That was fortunate, and it half-matched the explanation given by Liu Chunyang, except Lan He didn’t have righteous qi but yin qi.
Lan He inquired, “Is there a way to solve this?”
“Of course, there isโ” Miss Hu smiled, “I also want to thank you. Offer food in exchange, stretch out your hand.”
Lan He glanced at Old Bai, who nodded, then extended his hand.
Miss Hu reached out with her right hand, mysteriously producing a nail clipper, and clipped a piece of her long index fingernail, which fell into Lan He’s palm.
Lan He: “…”
He almost dropped the fingernail, feeling it was somewhat unhygienic.
“You were advising me to trim my nails, right? Now I’ve trimmed them for you,” Miss Hu said. “This fingernail is like my avatar, carrying a fraction of my power. When you need to use it, scrape a bit off, burn it, and you can use my power. After using it, you’ll naturally know how to cover Miaomiao’s eyes from seeing ghosts. If you encounter danger, you can do the same.”
Old Bai glanced at Miss Hu, scoffing, “Miss, is this a way of thanking? It’s like you’re letting Xiao Lai try before buying, to try your powers, and later take you back. Really knows how to do business.”
Lan He was speechless.
Miss Hu covered her mouth and laughed, “Try it, everyone who uses it says it’s good!”
“…” Lan He could only summon souls, unsure how to help Miaomiao. Even if it was a trial product, he figured he’d just try without buying, carefully wrapping the fingernail in paper and tucking it away, “Thank you, Miss.”
He and Old Bai, along with Miss Hu, parted ways, heading directly from the garage up the elevator. As soon as they exited, they ran into Ying Shao and his two junior brothers.
…
Ying Shao had bought a bunch of ritual supplies, speaking solemnly to his junior brothers, “The person we’ve offended this time is not simple. If you two are scared, there’s still a chance to back out now. You can buy a ticket and head back to your hometown right away.”
The junior brothers shook their heads, “No, we absolutely won’t go back. We’re in this against that guy to the end! Why should we? They break the rules, acting as witches and deceiving employers for money, while we only spoke the truth.”
“Cutting off someone’s means of livelihood is akin to killing their parents,” Ying Shao sighed. “You were too impulsive at the time, speaking out directly. I had intended to reveal it gradually to the employer.”
One junior brother said weakly, “I’m sorry, big brother. I was foolish. That’s all the more reason I can’t leave. I’m not going.”
The other junior brother also said, “We won’t leave. We’ll see who’s more formidable, their dark sorcerers or our ferocious Gu spirits. Let’s consume their ghosts to refine our Gu!”
Ying Shao saw their fierce determination and couldn’t help but show a wry smile. This was going to be a tough fight.
As he was thinking, the elevator door opened, and his attractive neighbor stepped out, facing them directly.
Ying Shao was startled, not expecting him to return.
Lan He was unaware of what Ying Shao and his group were discussing. He merely glanced at Ying Shao’s bag, feeling a bit regretful that there wasn’t any roasted chicken. He still hadn’t figured out what was going on with the roasted gluten they had behind his back last time.
“Ah… Mr. Lan,” Ying Shao managed to regain his voice after a moment, stopping Lan He who was heading to his own home, “I saw your news online. I didn’t know you were an actor, and that you’re filming with Liu Chunyang. That’s amazing!”
“Thank you,” Lan He smiled. “Yes, I’m just back for two days, then off to the set.”
“Oh, so you’re home tonight. Then, you must give me an autograph,” Ying Shao approached proactively. “I can go out and brag that I know a celebrity.”
“Not at all, just a nobody,” Lan He amiably signed for him. As a nobody, aside from company-arranged signings, Lan He had only ever signed for two people, Ying Shao being one, and the other was Officer Wang…
Just as Lan He finished signing, he looked up to see Ying Shao snap his fingers at him, sprinkling a few drops of water on his face.
Lan He: ??
WTF.
Ying Shao declared, “From my mouth to your heart, the golden silkworm binds the soul, follow my will!”
There’s a term called “Gu” manipulation, which confuses and bewilders the mind.
Ying Shao intended to hypnotize his neighbor, to prevent any disturbance from him calling property management if they made noise tonight.
Lan He: “………”
…So tired, having to act even after getting home.
Luckily, Lan He was an actor, accustomed to maintaining composure. He stood still, watching Ying Shao finish his chant, staring straight at him, and commanded, “Tonight, no matter what sounds you hear, don’t pay any attention. Just sleep in your room.”
Lan He: “……Okay.”
After Ying Shao gave his instructions, about to dismiss the spell, he suddenly remembered something, “Right, do you know any entertainment industry secrets? Is Chen Xingyang’s ex-girlfriend really Li Qian?”
Lan He: “………………”
Lan He: “I don’t know, I’m too clueless.”
Ying Shao looked at him pityingly, then felt why he should sympathize, saying with a hint of jealousy, “You’ll be famous. Alright, go back now.”
Ah, the disparity in fate. His neighbor, with such looks, could live off his appearance alone. Unlike them, providers of religious services from household sects, competing fiercely in the capital against monks, Taoists, lamas, yin-yang masters, and even witches for business… struggling even for rent and meal expenses.
Watching his neighbor unaffected by the Gu spell, entering his home, Ying Shao then signaled his junior brothers to return and prepare their ritual array for the upcoming challenges.
…
Upon closing his door, Lan He wiped his face with a tissue, wondering about the cleanliness of the water splashed on him and what his neighbor intended to do tonight. Walking barefoot to the kitchen, he pondered why the Gu spell didn’t affect him.
It took him a while to realize that Ying Shao’s spell didn’t work not because of his lack of skill or Lan He’s status as an Impermanence – being an Impermanence didn’t mean immunity to Gu poison.
He guessed it was because he still had the fingernail given by Miss Hu. Confusing the heart is an old Hu family skill, which is why he wasn’t bewitched.
After some thought, he didn’t take it to heart, got a bottle of water, and decided to make do with some takeout fruit for the night.
After eating the fruit, Lan He lay in bed reading the script and fell asleep thinking about the plot, only to be woken up by the cold in the middle of the night. He found Old Bai sitting at the head of his bed, eerily asking, “Do you still have money?”
Lan He: “……”
Lan He collapsed and said, “How long has it been, and you’re already out of money? Not even five hours?”
Feeding off one’s parents is one thing, but this is just too diligent.
Old Bai rubbed his hands together, “It’s all Miss Hu’s fault. She blamed me for hiding your residence from herโI was blocking her search for you. She got angry, dragged me into gambling, and won all my money.”
“I’m broke, totally broke. I don’t have a single one left! Come back in a few days!” Lan He tried to get up weakly, intending to close the window.
A chilly breeze kept blowing in from outside, making it feel like the underworld even though it was already summer. He thought it was because of Old Bai, but when he looked outside, he saw more than a dozen wronged souls floating around.
These souls had silk threads tied around their wrists, hovering in the air, trying to find their way.
Lan He sighed, “Ah…”
So tired. Can I just ignore it?
But the appearance of these souls, it seemed like they were being detained… To ignore them seemed too cruel.
The doors and windows of Ying Shao’s house were all sealed with talismans. These souls were enslaved as servants, but because they were wronged souls, their minds were not very clear. Seeing Lan He’s wide-open window, they thought of entering from there.
As a result, they queued up to enter through the window, only to find not one, but two Underworld Officers inside, fully equipped.
One of the Underworld Officers glanced at them wearily and said, “Since you’re here, follow me.”
The ghosts: “…………”
Before the ghosts were dealt with, the two Underworld Officers began to discuss:
“Do we have to send them off? Sigh, for your sake, let’s take them to Juehui Temple.”
Lan He was surprised, “You’re also sending them to Juehui Temple? Shouldn’t we find a Taoist temple?”
Old Bai: “What do you know? Spending their money for our own affairs, after the salvation ceremony, I’ll take them to Eastern Peak.”
Lan He: “……”
…
Next door.
Ying Shao sat upright, ready to face a formidable enemy.
His two junior brothers stomped their feet, “Senior brother, when will they come? My feet are getting numb.”
Ying Shao checked the time, it was already the hour of the rat, and confidently said, “They should be here soon!”
ใใ.
At Juehui Temple.
Bathed in moonlight, Song Futan and Si Kong were playing chess in the courtyard, while Dou Chunting, utterly bored, propped his chin up to watch.
Since Song Futan’s soul had ventured to the underworld for a long time during their last encounter, causing some discomfort in his body, he decided to rest at Juehui Temple for a few days. Dou Chunting was sent to keep his cousin company.
Si Kong placed a piece on the board and smiled slightly, “You seem a bit restless.”
Although Song Futan appeared as composed as ever, Si Kong could tell from his way of playing chess that his thoughts were in disarray.
Dou Chunting was still confused. What was he talking about? His aunt had asked him to keep an eye on his cousin’s condition, but he hadn’t noticed any restlessness in his cousin, who seemed calm and quiet, either reading or writing.
Having been seen through by Si Kong, Song Futan simply put down the chess pieces and generously admitted, “Let’s stop here. I’m not in the mood.”
Si Kong nodded and stood up.
“Si Kong.” Song Futan suddenly called out to him, “Do you know the Golden Wheel Curse? Can you teach me?”
Si Kong looked at him in surprise. This was the first time Song Futan had ever asked to learn something from them, “Yes, if you want to learn, you’ll surely pick it up quickly.”
Song Futan is what his master called “The Sickly Red Lotus,” with Buddhism venerating the lotus. The Sickly Red Lotus refers to someone who, despite facing tribulations, remains as resolute and pure as a red lotus, unshakeable. For this reason, those demonic beings have never been able to penetrate his mind, leaving them powerless against him.
Therefore, learning the Golden Wheel Curse should be no challenge for Song Futan.
“What is the Golden Wheel Curse?” Dou Chunting asked, clueless.
Si Kong smiled meaningfully and said, “With this curse, one can see the person they think of in their dreams.”
Song Futan tapped his fingers on the stone table a few times, as if to agree.
From the very first moment, he had taken a liking to Xiao Lai, a feeling he had never experienced in either the underworld or the living world. He had never thought he would find a creature from the underworld adorable.
Beautiful appearances are dime a dozen, interesting souls have been dead for over two hundred years. Also, because the other party came from the underworld, Song Futan didn’t even know his full name, let alone where to find him.
Eager to try, yet hesitating to proceed… Now, after a long time without seeing him, he thought, maybe he could see him in a dream?
Dou Chunting exclaimed, “Cousin, are you in love? No, wait, if you’re in love, you can see the person for real, right? Is it unrequited love?”
Song Futan stood up, not intending to share his thoughts with Dou Chunting, “You can go back to sleep.”
“I won’t. I want to learn the curse too. Cousin, who do you want to see? Tell me, I promise not to tell aunt and uncle,” Dou Chunting clung to the table, refusing to leave.
Unfortunately, Song Futan was adamant,
Dou Chunting grumbled resentfully, “Fine, don’t tell me who your dream girl is, but to not even let me learn the curse, bro, you’re too stingy!”
Song Futan: “……”
He kicked Dou Chunting.
He is developing an actual crush ๐ญ