Chapter 084: The Multitalented Mr. Chi Shen.

Chapter 084: The Multitalented Mr. Chi Shen.

Upon returning home, Chi Shen chatted with his housemates before starting preparations for the woman and boy's wishes.

While their wishes seemed somewhat complicated, Chi Shen believed they weren't impossible.

He browsed Taobao and ordered a series of funeral supplies. Afterward, he gazed up at the sky.

Every time he returned home after dinner, it was already dark. On his days off, it remained overcast. His dream of lounging in the sun hadn't been realized yet.

He must make time next weekend!

That night, before sleeping, he discussed the Bai family's affairs with Ji Xingchen.

"What would you do in my place?" Chi Shen asked, admiring the portrait of Ji Xingchen No. 2 on the wall. In the dim light of night, the portrait exuded a unique beauty.

Ji Xingchen, with a deep and intense gaze, looked at Chi Shen and Ji Xingchen No. 2, suggesting as he usually would, "We should notify the authorities and have the Special Security Bureau investigate."

Chi Shen shook his head, "That won't work. The Bai family's roots run too deep."

Ji Xingchen replied, "That would be the standard procedure."

Chi Shen leaned back, sprawling on the bed. He pulled over his small blanket and yawned, "I'm not talking about what the average person would do. I mean... if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

Ji Xingchen's glasses didn't reflect any light; Chi Shen hadn't turned on any lights, casting Ji Xingchen's entire specter into darkness.

"Then let me become you," Ji Xingchen's voice echoed from the shadows.

"Alright," Chi Shen wrapped himself in the blanket, closed his eyes, and said, "Feel free, make yourself at home while I'm asleep."

Half an hour later, Chi Shen, still on the bed, opened his eyes again.

On the ceiling were blood-red characters: Welcome to the Midnight Show.

The blood writhed and morphed, forming another line: You're still working for him?

Chi Shen sat up. The blood from the ceiling slid down like creeping creatures, converging on the opposite wall: Have you fallen for him?

The bloody message was grotesquely spread out, radiating malice. Chi Shen — or should we say Ji Xingchen — initially ignored it, but then coldly remarked, "Are you envious of me?"

The message, as if angered, dispersed instantly. Ji Xingchen rose from the bed, took out Chi Shen's reserved suit from the bottom of the wardrobe, and meticulously fastened every button in front of the dressing mirror. He paused briefly.

He raised a hand, lightly touching his pale lips, his eyes deep in thought. After a moment, he turned to leave.

The bloodied characters reformed at the bedroom door: You won't end well.

Ji Xingchen paid no heed to the message, stepping right over it, and exited the room.

The next morning, Chi Shen sat up in bed, feeling an unexplained soreness in his back and waist. He glanced at Ji Xingchen with a puzzled look, "How did you use my body last night? Did you overexert it?"

Suddenly, the wardrobe door creaked. A pale hand reached out, then swiftly retracted, clutching the clothes Chi Shen intended to wear that day. But it seemed the owner of the hand felt he shouldn't appear now; he should remain inside the closet, not outside.

Ji Xingchen, initially unfazed, paused at the noise from the wardrobe. Pushing up his glasses, his usually calm voice stumbled, "I didn't... I'll be more careful next time."

"Never mind. I need a shower first," Chi Shen rose from the bed, drawing out a wisp of dark energy from himself and dissipated it. He muttered, "Next time, you could help me shower too. That way, I can head straight to work."

The glasses perched on Ji Xingchen's nose slid slightly. He quickly stated, "One should handle their own affairs!"

Chi Shen smiled, "I always thought you were eternally composed. Seems like you have other emotions too."

The lady in red lingered outside the door with curiosity. Suddenly, she found herself forbidden to enter the room. To her, the distinction between entering or not wasn't significant, especially given the eerie sight of the suspended body inside. Yet, the restriction only heightened her curiosity.

Bai Wan noticed her peeking in and let out a soft sigh. Gently lifting her, she moved her away from the door, suggesting, "Let's go play elsewhere."

The lady in red was reluctantly pulled away. She felt the duo inside might be enjoying some fascinating game without her. But she was no match for Bai Wan, so she complied.

Chi Shen quickly showered, mainly to rid himself of the spectral aura. The night before, Ji Xingchen had been somewhere, bringing back an unclean scent. This was why he had suggested Ji Xingchen shower first. But since he refused, Chi Shen took the initiative.

Speaking of which, Ji Xingchen's shy demeanor was truly adorable.

As Chi Shen dried his hair and headed to the kitchen, he wondered if Ji Xingchen had used his body for other endeavors... Perhaps, when he's less tired, he'd investigate further.

In the kitchen, Ji Xingchen had prepared breakfast. This gesture greatly pleased Chi Shen. Ji Xingchen had made the meal for him yet did not partake, embodying the idea of giving happiness.

After tidying up, Chi Shen left for work, immersing himself in his ordinary day-to-day.

The weekend arrived swiftly. Chi Shen's recent days had been fairly good; he hadn't encountered any members from the Bai family. While he hadn't heard from Wei Zhuo either, he understood that compiling a list wasn't a straightforward task. He anticipated a bit of a wait.

Glancing at the weather, a persistent autumn rain had set in. The rain, which had been pouring for a while, shattered his dreams of basking in the sun on his terrace.

Yet, Chi Shen's disappointment was brief, as other tasks awaited.

His parcel had arrived.

It contained the myriad of funeral supplies he had purchased.

Joss paper, incense sticks, yellow and white paper, along with some bamboo slats and paints.

Both the lady in red and Bai Wan were drawn in by the sight of the large box. The lady in red, elated, exclaimed, "Food!"

A tad exasperated, Chi Shen first took out a stack of white paper, commencing the folding of paper candies. Everyone gathered around him, watching intently. The ghostly face even abandoned his spiritual duties to join, eagerly pointing out, "I want banana flavor! No, also corn flavor – soft gummy ones. Corn tastes so good!"

The lady in red chimed in, "Strawberry! Orange! And milk candies! All milk candies!"

Attracted by the lively scene in the living room, a woman and a boy emerged from their quarters. Upon spotting the boy, the woman hesitated, wishing to retreat. However, the boy vanished back into their room first, preventing her from following.

The woman lingered at the doorway briefly before succumbing to her curiosity, approaching the group.

"Ma'am, what candy flavor would you like?" As Chi Shen opened the paint jars, he colored the candy paper, even gleefully painting patterns of oranges, strawberries, and more on them.

The woman seemed slightly embarrassed, holding a kitchen knife, unsure where to place her hands and feet.

Chi Shen didn’t make it difficult for her, continuing to fold the paper candies, crafting many flavors.

After a while, she cautiously asked, "Could you make some dried tangerine peel candies? Junjun really likes those."

Chi Shen nodded, folding a generous amount of dried tangerine peel candies and painting the paper yellow. Junjun was the boy's name. From the woman's memories, Chi Shen knew the boy was named Du Jun. The woman's name was more challenging since she had forgotten it herself. However, it didn’t matter. After a deal with Du Jun, Chi Shen had also learned the woman's name: Sheng Yulan.

They had both forgotten their own names but remembered each other’s.

Only when the coffee table's fruit dish was full did Chi Shen stop his craft. He took the candies to the terrace and burnt them. As the last paper candy turned to ash, a dish full of candies appeared on the coffee table. The red-dressed ghost and Ghost Face cheered and tried to grab it, but Jixing Chen was faster. He gave each of them a handful before sharing with the rest.

—— Had it been a free-for-all, those two ghosts would have claimed the entire dish.

Jixing Chen swiftly made his rounds, giving candies to the boy in the room and the ghost in the cupboard. His dish was empty when he returned. He had given all the candies away, keeping none for himself.

The red-dressed ghost, having finished her candies, rushed to Jixing Chen, searching his pockets and the dish. Finding none, she reluctantly gave up.

Chi Shen watched the scene amusedly, placing a finger on his lips, signaling to Jixing Chen: "Shh."

Jixing Chen glanced at him, feeling a weight in his pocket now full of candies.

"They're milk candies," Chi Shen mouthed silently.

Jixing Chen looked at him, stating calmly, "I need to rest for a bit."

Without further ado, he quickly dissolved into a shadow, merging with Chi Shen's.

Chi Shen chuckled joyfully. Amidst the cheerful atmosphere of candy eating, he pulled out the bamboo splints and the rice paper from the bottom of the box.

With practiced ease, he bent the bamboo into a circle the size of a head. After adjusting its size, comparing it to Sheng Yulan’s likeness, he wrapped it in cotton thread, picking up another bamboo splint.

Of course, Chi Shen didn't believe that Du Jun's wish for his mother to 'step outside' was just about her leaving the door. If so, it seemed too simple a wish.

Du Jun undoubtedly wished for Sheng Yulan to have her life and live it fully. His mother stepping outside was merely symbolic.

Given this, allowing Sheng Yulan, a ghost, to step outside became a challenge.

No worries, Chi Shen had many skills. He could help Du Jun, not by bringing Sheng Yulan back to life but by allowing her to move like the living for a while.

All he needed was a suitable human-like vessel for Sheng Yulan. With a bit of his assistance, it wouldn't be a problem.

Chi Shen had fashioned an oval shape with the bamboo strips in his hand. He slightly adjusted its form, making it less oval and more reminiscent of a human skull.

In the game of death, one always experiences various facets of life and acquires diverse knowledge.

So, it's not surprising he's skilled in crafting paper figures, is it?