Chapter 164: I live on the sixth floor, but my door number is 7-4. That’s not an issue, is it?

Chapter 164: I live on the sixth floor, but my door number is 7-4. That's not an issue, is it?

The plum blossoms on the terrace, recently transplanted, were already budding, swaying gently in the cold wind.

After dinner, Chi Shen hung up the decorative lights he bought online. With Spring Festival approaching, he wanted to add some festive ambiance to his home.

For the spots he couldn't reach, he directed Ji Xingchen to float up and hang them. Soon, a string of lights adorned the plum tree. Chi Shen turned them on to inspect; the simple design of warm yellow bulbs created a pleasant atmosphere without being too bright.

After hanging the bulbs, Chi Shen cleared out the dead chrysanthemums on the terrace. The flowers were previously cared for by Bai Wan and the red-dressed ghost. In their absence, he inadvertently neglected some plants to death, leaving him no choice but to dispose of them.

Ghost-face was still a bit apprehensive of the plum tree bathed in the Buddha's light, which shone golden in their spectral eyes. As Chi Shen worked, Ghost-face bubbled in a large tub on the terrace. Chi Shen had recently purchased it to raise fish after winter. Ghost-face took a liking to it, presumably because a child once drowned in such a tub.

As Chi Shen hung the lights, Ghost-face bubbled contentedly in the tub, and when Chi Shen discarded the chrysanthemums, he continued to do so.

It seemed that in its afterlife, the ghost had been reduced to mere gurgles, bereft of dreams.

A lost little spirit drifted between their buildings. The ghostly face's eyes followed its movement briefly, watching the small spirit get frightened away by the plum tree, before listlessly blowing a few more bubbles out of boredom.

When he blew who knows which hundredth bubble, the storage cabinet on the balcony shifted slightly. The aged, rotting door of the cabinet creaked open, and a pair of ghastly white hands reached out.

Those hands picked up the empty flower pot that Chi Shen couldn't manage, stretching out eerily long, and threw it into the living room's trash can.

Then, the same hands grabbed a broom from the balcony corner and swept the mud off the floor. After cleaning, it placed the broom back, but hesitated before closing the cabinet door. The door was pushed open again, revealing a ghostly pale face that stretched a hand towards the water tank and knocked on it.

"I'm pondering the afterlife; don't disturb me," the ghost face murmured, releasing more bubbles as it spoke.

The hands tapped on the water tank again, seemingly in a comforting gesture.

"Sigh, the auntie left, the dim-witted female ghost is gone too, even Huang LingLing departed. Bai Wan is also missing... It's so deserted here now. How dreadfully boring this house has become!" lamented the ghost face.

The cabinet ghost tapped the water tank twice in response.

Continuing its monologue, the ghost face added, "Do you think they disrupted the world shared by Chi Shen and Ji Xingchen? It's all fake. Trust me, I've observed them for so long. Every time they seem deeply in love, they eventually tell the deceived one it was all a ruse, merely a ploy. There's no love between them, just mutual exploitation."

The cabinet ghost shook its head.

"Brother Cabinet, you might not believe it, but it's because you never go out. If you did, you'd see that it's all an illusion..."

The cabinet ghost disregarded him, retreating into its cabinet and shutting the door firmly.

After a short while, Chi Shen returned, noticing the tidied balcony. He thanked the cabinet ghost with a smile and went back to his bedroom. It was late; time for bed.

The balcony fell silent again, with only the ghost face gazing up at the sky. Yet, the urban night held not even a star, only clouds tinted by the city lights.

For a moment, its pallid face contorted in anguish, then swiftly reverted to its usual expression.

"Where lies my salvation?"

The ghost face murmured to itself.

"Endlessly enduring the torment of drowning, despite despising water, I can't be apart from it... Even a fool could leave, so why not me?"

There was no human response, nor a ghostly one. Only the plum tree, quietly radiating its Buddhist aura in the depth of night, stood by his side.

He sank to the bottom of the vat.

The past few days have been relatively calm. Chishi goes to work as usual, but he hasn’t mentioned asking Jixing Chen for help at work. His colleagues' enthusiasm waned quickly. Sometimes they'd initiate friendly conversations with Chishi, but when met with his cold response, their interest in him seemed to fade. Some even began to avoid him.

“A building caught fire. They say two elderly people and a child died. The entire building was engulfed in black smoke; by the time the firefighters arrived, it had been burning for quite a while...”

In the evening, after dinner, Chishi continued to work on his little balcony garden, while Jixing Chen watched the news, specifically a video taken by a bystander.

The balcony already resembled a small garden. It used to look like a chrysanthemum plantation, but as winter drew to a close, the flowers withered. Due to Chishi's lack of gardening knowledge and the gloomy atmosphere of the place, many of the chrysanthemums died, making room for other plants.

The large plum tree on the balcony, while oversized compared to the space, added charm to the setting. Though the household ghosts might not be fond of it, it provided the garden look. With Chishi's new addition of a large water tank, it would be even more garden-like if he added a few fish.

Today, Chishi was modifying the tank, adding a small water channel for circulation. Guilian, the ghost, preferred moving water to stagnant water. As soon as Chishi set it up, Guilian began frolicking near the tank.

Annoyed by Guilian's antics, Chishi shooed him away. Guilian then joined Jixing Chen to watch the news. After a glance at the computer screen, he remarked, "This isn't just smoke from a fire, right? It looks more like dark energy, so thick that even humans can see it. Where's this happening? Are other places in such chaos?"

Jixing Chen glanced at the screen and replied, "Harbor City."

Guilian paused, thinking for a moment, then said, "The Special Security Bureau really isn't competent. Chishi should step in."

Jixing Chen didn't entertain the comment. He glanced at Chishi, who was still engrossed in his water circulation project, convinced there were issues with the instruction manual.

"The police can't convict someone before they commit a crime," Jixing Chen pointed out.

"What do you mean..." Guilian pondered for a moment, and as Jixing Chen closed his computer, realization hit. "You're saying I'm dumb!"

Jixing Chen checked the time, packed up his computer, and headed inside. "No, I was just stating a fact."

Watching Jixing Chen leave, Guilian sighed.

Why did he feel so alone even when surrounded by ghosts?

Just then, Chishi's phone rang. Guilian felt a strange sensation and turned to look. From the phone's speaker emanated a foreboding aura - it was a call from a ghost.

Chishi calmly answered the phone and after a brief conversation, signaled to Guilian, "We need to head out... Thankfully, tomorrow's Saturday. No work."

Guilian looked puzzled, "Are you taking me with you?"

"To meet a new friend. I hope you'll like them," Chishi replied with a smile.

Leaving his tools by the fish tank, Chishi washed his hands, put on his coat, and left.

"It was a call from Baiwan."

"Ji Xingchen entered his shadow," said Chi Shen.

"They've encountered a minor issue; we need to assist them."

An hour later, Chi Shen thanked the ghost driver, who had stitches of red thread on his neck, as he got out of the car in front of an old residential building.

The ghost driver didn't leave immediately but looked at Chi Shen after observing the building.

This unusual behavior caught Chi Shen's attention. Typically, after dropping him off, the ghost driver would speed away as if desperate to escape. His hesitation now meant he had something on his mind.

"Don't be shy; what's on your mind?"

The ghost driver adjusted the stitches on his neck uncomfortably and uttered in a hoarse voice, "This place is sinister. I had a colleague who brought a passenger here at midnight and subsequently disappeared."

Chi Shen nodded, "Was this colleague of yours human or ghost?"

Lifting his head, blood seeped from the stitched wound on the ghost driver's neck, staining his hands and dripping through his fingers, "He was the ghost who introduced me to this line of work."

It was 9 PM, the prime time when households were bustling with activity. This building was no exception. Warm lights glowed from windows, sounds of television, children playing, and even couples arguing filled the atmosphere, creating a lively ambiance.

However, through Ghost Face's perspective, the ambiance felt somewhat different.

Ghosts typically avoid crowded places, but for Ghost Face, it wasn't mere dislike; he wanted to flee immediately.

In this old building brimming with life, a palpable darkness lurked beyond the dim lights. It was an ominous shade even darker than the aura Chi Shen radiated the other night when confronting the special security officers.

A cold wind blew from the building. Commuters tightened their jackets as they entered, feeling the chill piercing their bones. Yet, once inside the building, warmth enveloped them.

"This is the 'minor issue' you mentioned?!" Ghost Face's face contorted in disbelief, "A place filled with such life energy, yet overshadowed by such a dark aura—it feels completely off!"

Chi Shen leisurely walked towards the building, "I wouldn't be here if it felt right—"

He suddenly halted and turned to Ji Xingchen.

Ji Xingchen stood at the entrance of the hallway, motionless, looking up at a dark window with no lights on.

"What's wrong?" Chi Shen inquired.

Ji Xingchen redirected his gaze to Chi Shen, "The sixth floor, apartment 7-4. That's my home."