Dou Chunting realized he’d made a mistake as soon as he spoke. His mouth was faster than his brain. Now, his smile was uglier than a cry. “What I mean is… uh, layered… chocolate… genuine dedication to acting…”
He started and stopped several sentences but couldn’t come up with a good excuse. He was despairing. He turned to Song Futan and said, “You can hit me.”
Song Futan: “…”
Song Qiyun looked at Lan He and Song Futan. “You two, explain.”
Lan He wasn’t sure when Dou Chunting had guessed and exposed them like this, but now wasn’t the time to question it. He tried to salvage the situation. “Director Song, actually…”
Song Qiyun raised his hand slightly, looking at Lan He with anticipation.
However, the more Lan He thought about it, the worse it seemed. After exchanging a glance with Song Futan to confirm, he apologized, “Sorry. We’ve lied so many times already. Lying to elders now would be truly disgraceful.”
Song Qiyun: “…”
Now you realize it’s disgraceful?!
Song Qiyun was hit hard, muttering repeatedly, “And you said you don’t practice witchcraft…”
Lan He, as always, was against stereotypes. “I really don’t. We just keep a couple of household spirits at home.”
Song Qiyun: “…”
Song Futan didn’t care much about coming out. He looked at Dou Chunting, more focused on another detail. “What did you just say about being genuine?”
Lan He was puzzled, too. Not to brag, but normally, if someone realized the relationship between him and Song Futan, wouldn’t they marvel at true love? What was his younger cousin even saying?
Dou Chunting looked horrified. What had he done?
Lan He remembered something. “Oh, is this related to how you always tell me not to believe in love?”
Song Futan: “…?”
Dou Chunting: “…”
Under his cousin’s gaze, Dou Chunting had no energy left to deny it. Pressing his palms together, he begged, “It’s all a misunderstanding! Really! I just overthought it. I saw that you used to avoid seeing ghosts, but my cousin, besides you, seemed to be quite close to a ghost. I thought you were a substitute for that ghost.”
Though Dou Chunting wasn’t entirely clear, Lan He and Song Futan pieced together his logic.
Lan He suddenly understood. No wonder Dou Chunting always looked at him with a mix of pity and affection. He even mentioned coming to him if he ever had a falling out with Song Futan. What a kind heart…
But Song Futan’s gaze was far less kind than Lan He’s.
Dou Chunting shuddered. Seeing how Lan He interacted with Old Bai, he’d already figured out the truth. Quick-witted though he was, his assumptions often went astray. Now he desperately pleaded, “I get it now. It’s true love! It’s true love!”
“…” Song Qiyun placed his hand over his heart without hesitation.
“Hey, Director Song,” Lan He supported Song Qiyun.
Amid the chaos, Old Bai tried to sneak away quietly.
“You’re not going anywhere!” Lan He called out to Old Bai.
Lan He wanted to storm into the Eastern Hell Bureau and demand to know why they chose him for a part-time role as a ghostly judge. Why him?
Since childhood, he had been an excellent actor and rarely broke character once he matured. Yet, ever since partnering with Old Bai, he’d constantly been exposed. Meeting Song Futan or Bai Wu was one thing, but with increasing involvement with the underworld, he could only accept his fate… Except just now, he had acted perfectly but still messed up because of Old Bai.
Watching Lan He scold a ghost, Song Qiyun, whose worldview was crumbling, rolled his eyes to the point of fainting.
Dou Chunting looked at Lan He with a mix of pity and guilt.
To be fair, both he and his uncle had been deceived by Lan He for quite some time. Lan He always claimed not to believe in the supernatural, but he was clearly terrified of ghosts. And yet, his uncle had taken an even heavier blow than he had.
Dou Chunting helped Song Qiyun to a room, and Lan He followed, saying it wasn’t ideal to talk in the hallway where someone might overhear.
As soon as Lan He entered the room, he noticed someone lying unconscious on the bed, covered with a seven-figure-value spirit banner. “What happened here?”
Dou Chunting recounted the events of the day.
Lan He finally understood why the two had ended up seeing ghosts together. Fearing Song Qiyun might suffer another shock, he carefully said, “Later, let’s see if we can help.”
Song Qiyun, slumped stiffly on the sofa, twitched slightly.
The Three of Them: “……”
Old Bai, though unfamiliar with Dou Chunting and having only encountered him in passing, knew he was Song Futan’s cousin. At this moment, he felt a strange sense of camaraderie with him. Exchanging a glance, he said, “Hey, I think you two should have a proper chat with Xiao Song’s dad. There’s no point in us sticking around. Let’s step out, and you can find me once you’re done.”
Dou Chunting quickly chimed in, “Exactly. I’ll take Wang Jin to the next room to rest.”
At this moment, Song Qiyun’s emotional state clearly needed attention. Song Futan said, “Go ahead.”
Lan He, however, knew Old Bai would definitely use this chance to escape. Coldly, he said, “If you leave, your money’s gone.”
“…” Old Bai hesitated before replying, “…Father, I’ll come back later to atone!”
Song Qiyun struggled to his feet, his tone filled with despair. “How do you even have a son this old?! You’ve been married twice?! What kind of creature are you?! Futan, you need to wake up! I won’t allow this!”
Lan He: “…”
Taking advantage of the commotion, Dou Chunting carried Wang Jin along with the painting and bolted, while Old Bai also made a hasty escape. On their way out, they exchanged a knowing smile.
Back inside, Song Qiyun stared at the closed door, his expression unaccepting. “The prototype for ‘Xiao Lai’ was him, wasn’t it? You two met in the underworld, right?”
He had overheard enough of Dou Chunting’s earlier comments to connect the dots. So the protagonist of *Ghostly Charm* was based on Lan He all along? Damn it… And he had even coached Lan He on being more adorable!
Song Futan nodded.
Song Qiyun then turned to Lan He. “So, are you a resurrected corpse, a possessed soul, or some kind of witchcraft user? Whatever it is, I don’t approve! You’ve lived for hundreds of years; can’t you let my son go? I’d tolerate almost anything else, but humans and demons don’t mix!”
Initially, Song Qiyun was simply shocked. Now that he’d overthought things, he was fiercely resisting. After all, if even the ghostly officials called Lan He “Father,” then what kind of high-level demon could enchant his son, who had such a resolute mind?
Lan He couldn’t help laughing. “Director Song, this is a misunderstanding. I’m human, and I really don’t practice witchcraft. Have you heard of walking as an *Impermanent*? It’s just a part-time job I do, and the one calling me ‘Father’ is my partner, not my biological son. He just says it casually because I often burn money for him. Let’s put it this way: as long as you give him money… anyone can be his ‘Father.’”
“What?! So you’re saying such a big demon is just working in showbiz?” Song Qiyun’s expression shifted from shock to delight, and his whole demeanor softened. “So you’re also clear-headed?”
The latter question was directed at Song Futan.
Song Futan replied, “Very clear-headed. Even Master Bu knows him.” This was to prove there was no deception involved. “Originally, I planned to talk to you and Mom about this later. After all, you’ve always said that, given my unique constitution, as long as I’m happy, it’s fine. I didn’t expect you to react so strongly.”
Song Qiyun’s lips twitched. “I didn’t expect you’d fall for a boy…”
His tone, however, was rather calm.
Truthfully, Song Qiyun was somewhat conservative. He liked Lan He as an actor but couldn’t help feeling resistant. Yet now, his energy seemed to have been completely drained earlier—from the shattering of his status as the last atheist in the entertainment industry to the blow of thinking Lan He wasn’t even human. Suddenly, the fact that Lan He was a boy felt almost insignificant…
After a long pause, Song Qiyun finally said, “Fine, fine. Let’s see how it goes for now. You’re both still young, so we’ll wait and see…” He consoled himself, thinking that at least Lan He was human. After all, marriages can end in divorce, and forbidding something only makes people rebel. It was better to keep an open mind and observe.
“Thank you, Director Song,” Lan He said. He didn’t have the heart to tell Song Qiyun that they had already tied the knot. Instead, he simply added, “You should rest.”
With that, Lan He and Song Futan left the room together.
Watching their intimate interaction, Song Qiyun felt a pang of sadness. His earlier self-consolation suddenly seemed hollow.
After sitting alone for a while, he reluctantly picked up his phone to call his wife. He had to discuss this matter with her. When the video call connected, Mother Song was lounging on a deck chair in Elder Dou’s small courtyard, enjoying the night breeze. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
Song Qiyun hurriedly explained the situation about their son being with another boy. Before he could get to the part about Lan He’s role as a ghostly judge, the phone was snatched away. Elder Dou’s face appeared on the screen. “Boy, I don’t like your tone. Back when you were with my daughter, I wasn’t thrilled either. Now you have the nerve to dislike Xiao Lan?”
Song Qiyun: “…”
He was speechless. “Dad, why aren’t you asleep? This isn’t the same thing, and I know Xiao Lan is a good person, but I just feel…”
Elder Dou cut him off impatiently. “Alright, alright, you’re just being narrow-minded.”
Song Qiyun: “…”
Elder Dou continued in a heavy tone, “Think about it. With Futan’s personality, would he choose someone lightly?”
Mother Song leaned closer. “I think so too…”
“Move aside. Let me finish scolding him first,” Elder Dou snapped.
Mother Song: “…”
For a moment, Song Qiyun was stunned. The earlier blows had indeed left him too rattled to think calmly. Under the twist of events from demon to human, he had begrudgingly compromised. But deep down, Elder Dou had a point.
Previously, Song Qiyun had been too overwhelmed to process everything, but now he began to reflect on whether his views were outdated.
Elder Dou continued to lecture, “Look at yourself. Let me tell you, you should thank your son. Do you know how skilled Xiao Lan is at training birds? If it weren’t for my grandson successfully pursuing Xiao Lan, do you think you’d have it so easy? I, along with your Uncle Wang, Uncle Li, and Uncle Zhao, all want to apprentice under Xiao Lan. Even your Uncle Zhong, who’s a bit prideful, would settle for being sworn brothers.”
Song Qiyun: “…?!”
For nearly half an hour, Elder Dou berated him. By the time he hung up, Song Qiyun was fully brainwashed into believing not only that his views were wrong, but that their union was an extraordinary blessing.
.
.
After Lan He and Song Futan stepped out, Old Bai had unsurprisingly vanished, and Dou Chunting had also called someone else to watch over Wang Jin before disappearing himself. Smart moves—it seemed they wouldn’t be found anytime soon.
“I wonder if Director Song will regret it later. He looked pretty reluctant just now,” Lan He commented.
“Don’t worry; he’s afraid of my grandpa,” Song Futan casually revealed. “Back when he wanted to marry my mom, he braved rain or shine to curry favor with Grandpa for a whole year. Left him traumatized.”
Lan He laughed. “So it’s a family tradition—taking marriage seriously.”
Song Futan replied, “I’ve been careful for a long time.”
Their relationship had crossed life and death, the realms of yin and yang. Could they have been any less cautious?
“Let’s check on the person your cousin saved.” They examined Wang Jin’s hands and feet carefully, recalling what Dou Chunting had said earlier. That sacrificial ghost had mentioned that Mount Tai was home to many mountain spirits and demons, and it wasn’t unusual for ancient trees to gain sentience.
According to Dou Chunting, the assistant director was already trying to see if the situation could be salvaged. Song Futan called to inquire.
The assistant director, thinking Song Qiyun had instructed the call, stammered nervously, “It’s too late. They’ve already cut the tree trunk open. Uh… how’s the situation on your end?”
“He’s woken up a few times. Should recover slowly,” Song Futan replied. Seeing Lan He motioning to him, he leaned in to listen to Lan He’s whisper.
Lan He said, “Tell them to see if there are any seeds or if they can replant some branches. Plants are incredibly resilient; it might survive…”
“Got it.” Song Futan gave Lan He a quick kiss before passing on the suggestion to the assistant director.
Lan He: “…”
Since they couldn’t get much sleep on set anyway, Lan He and Song Futan decided to stay in Wang Jin’s room. It was a standard double room, with one taking the bed and the other the sofa.
.
.
The next morning, Lan He was woken by the alarm. Groggily, he got up and noticed that Wang Jin was awake but looked extremely weak. When Wang Jin saw him, his eyes lit up with joy. “Water… water…”
His voice was faint. Lan He quickly fetched some water. There were two unopened bottles of mineral water in the room. Wang Jin drank one as if he hadn’t had water in ages, gulping it down in seconds.
When Lan He offered the second bottle, he called Song Futan to bring over more water from the set.
Wang Jin ended up drinking twenty bottles of water in one go!
By the end, Lan He even considered using a watering can to douse him directly…
However, after drinking, Wang Jin’s complexion improved significantly. He raised a hand.
His cracked skin seemed to peel off on its own. As he tugged at it, large pieces of dead, dry skin came off with a crackling sound, revealing tender, reddish skin underneath. The combination of sights and sounds was enough to give anyone goosebumps.
Lan He suppressed his discomfort and helped peel off the skin in places Wang Jin couldn’t reach.
As the skin came off, Wang Jin felt as though a heavy shroud had been lifted. He could breathe freely and even muster the strength to stand.
“Th-thank you,” Wang Jin stammered, recognizing Lan He as the lead actor of the production. Although they were from different filming units, Lan He’s photos had been all over the news before the crew arrived at Dai’an. He hadn’t expected Lan He to sleep in his room, let alone help peel his skin. He felt awkward.
“No problem. Feeling better? Do you need to go to the hospital? That skin condition is way too severe,” Lan He said.
“Uh, sure.” Wang Jin didn’t dare scare the fair-skinned star and agreed, “I’ll go get checked.”
—
Dou Chunting remained in hiding for three days, nowhere to be found. Even Song Qiyun called Dou Qishan to ask if he knew where the kid had run off to and whether he was planning to return to the set.
Dou Qishan immediately declared he’d send Dou Chunting back.
This made Song Qiyun feel much better. In truth, he was somewhat annoyed at his foolish nephew…
That evening, after the crew wrapped up for the day, Yu Mengmeng treated everyone to a late-night snack. A variety of dishes were ordered, and the crew gathered to eat and drink together.
Lan He and Song Qiyun were seated at different tables. Over the past few days, Director Song had been trying his best to act normal, though there was still a touch of awkwardness. Lan He understood and didn’t mind. Meanwhile, someone jokingly remarked that Director Song hadn’t been obsessing over how “adorable” Xiao Lai was anymore.
“Director, have a drink?” Yu Mengmeng handed a can of beer to Song Qiyun.
“No, thanks,” Song Qiyun waved it off.
Although Lan He was at the neighboring table, the conversation was loud enough for everyone to hear. Someone brought up, “I heard that during filming a few days ago, a worker got possessed on another set.”
Song Qiyun stayed silent. He had initially ordered the news to be suppressed, but given the number of witnesses and the fact that the issue had been resolved, the secrecy wasn’t as strict anymore.
Seeing that Song Qiyun didn’t respond, the group grew bolder and began discussing it. “They sent him over here afterward, so he’s fine now. We’ve got a spirit medium holding down the fort, after all.”
“Tsk tsk, Young Master Dou’s money wasn’t wasted!”
“Exactly. For the wealthy, totally worth it.”
“I heard his hands peeled like snake skin!”
“Snake skin? There’s an old saying: ‘If you encounter a snake shedding its skin, you’ll either die or shed a layer yourself.’ Wonder what he ran into?”
Clearly, there had been some distortion in the story as it spread.
Xiao Yuqian turned to Lan He. “Do you believe it?”
Lan He replied solemnly, “I saw the worker. He went to the hospital afterward. It was just a severe case of dermatitis.”
Xiao Yuqian: “Oh…”
Just as he was about to comment further, the director suddenly shouted, “Give me a beer!”
Lan He: “…”
He glanced over discreetly. Director Song was now gulping down beer, looking as if he was wrestling with the absurdity of this world.
Song Futan turned back and said, “Did you clear that with my mom before drinking?”
Song Qiyun froze mid-sip and retorted, “Can I at least have some peanuts?!”
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
—
After eating, Lan He grabbed some fruit to snack on. He noticed a figure sneaking around. “Isn’t that my little brother?”
It turned out Dou Chunting had finally returned after being scolded by his father over the phone.
Dou Chunting locked eyes with Lan He and gave a sheepish grin. He walked over, rubbing his hands nervously. “Brother.”
“Sit. Where’ve you been?” Lan He, looking quite amicable as he peeled an orange, gestured for him to sit. Dou Chunting, emboldened by Lan He’s kindness, took a seat. Lan He even handed him half of the orange.
Feeling relieved, Dou Chunting thought to himself, *This is the Lan He I know—kind-hearted and understanding.* Seeing Lan He here made him feel safe enough to show up.
“I’ve been in a quiet place reflecting—repenting for my impulsiveness and lack of caution,” Dou Chunting muttered, glancing around. “Where’s my cousin?”
“Director Song overate on peanuts, so your cousin took him back first,” Lan He replied.
Dou Chunting hesitated. He didn’t recall his uncle having a fondness for peanuts, but it seemed plausible. After all, his uncle likely wouldn’t win an argument against his cousin. “Oh… right. By the way, I brought a gift.” He pulled out a box containing a string of copper coins tied with red thread. They were of varying sizes. “Look.”
Lan He examined them. “Five Emperor Coins?”
The Five Emperor Coins refer to coins minted during the reigns of five emperors. They are divided into two types: the Great Five Emperors and the Small Five Emperors. The Great Five Emperors include coins from the Qin Dynasty’s Ban Liang, Han Dynasty’s Wu Zhu, Tang Dynasty’s Kaiyuan Tongbao, Song Dynasty’s Songyuan Tongbao, and Ming Dynasty’s Yongle Tongbao—each from a famous emperor’s reign.
The Small Five Emperors refer to coins from the reigns of Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing from the Qing Dynasty, said to align with the five elements.
Together, these coins are believed to ward off evil spirits and provide protection. Due to popular folklore, such items are widely available in the market, with varying degrees of authenticity, including counterfeits and mixed sets.
The coins Dou Chunting brought appeared to belong to the Great Five Emperors, judging by the inscriptions.
“I asked a friend to gather these over the past couple of days. I thought I’d give them to you as a peace offering,” Dou Chunting said humbly. “My eye for this stuff isn’t great, so I’m not sure if they’re real. Brother, you should take a look.”
Lan He, though familiar with the concept, wasn’t an expert on coin authenticity. Smiling, he said, “Just leave them here. When Old Bai shows up, we can test them by chucking them at him.”
Dou Chunting suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. “…”
Author’s Note:
Old Bai: A ghost who is rumored to call anyone “Father” as long as money is involved.
Song Qiyun: If they’re not together, I’m a fool. If they are together, I get more grandchildren. Is that the logic here?
Thank you for the chapter!
Truly rattled the father’s entire worldview 🤣