Chapter 215

Chapter 215

After dinner that evening, following Xie Yinxue's instructions, Liu Buhua called Zhu Yikun, asking him to come over precisely at five o'clock the next afternoon.

Zhu Yikun readily agreed, mentioning that it would be around dinnertime. He recently got to know an extraordinary seafood chef. He suggested having the chef and fresh ingredients come early and treat Xie Yinxue to the chef's signature dishes.

Xie Yinxue happily accepted.

It didn't matter what kind of seafood he ate. What mattered was that the chef brought by Zhu Yikun wouldn't make him that medicinal chicken soup.

However, this timely "gesture" by Zhu Yikun indicated he was well-informed about the recent happenings at Mingyue Cliff. After all, it was always Madam Chen who cooked in the past, and Xie Yinxue wouldn't have let any other chefs use his kitchen when she was around.

After hanging up, Xie Yinxue muttered, "Sly old fox," referring to Zhu Yikun.

The next day, precisely at 2 p.m., the seafood chef hired by Zhu Yikun and the purchased Australian king crab, Chinese mitten lobster, and bluefin tuna arrived at Mingyue Cliff.

By 6:30 p.m., these delights had been devoured by Xie Yinxue, Liu Buhua, and Shen Qiuji, all of whom unanimously agreed: truly impressive.

By 8 p.m., after Shen Qiuji had finished his reading assignments set by Xie Yinxue, Zhu Yikun, who had promised to arrive at Mingyue Cliff by 5 p.m., was still nowhere to be seen.

Shen Qiuji, a young lad accustomed to sleeping at 9 p.m., started yawning, puzzled, "It's so late. How could anyone dare to stand you up?"

Xie Yinxue said to Liu Buhua, "Buhua, try calling Zhu Yikun again."

Holding his phone, Liu Buhua was also baffled, "I've called several times, but each call goes unanswered, showing that he's on another call."

Shen Qiuji teased, "Did he block you?"

"It doesn't make sense. I posted a picture of my pink hair on my social media feed just yesterday, and he even liked it and commented that I looked good," Liu Buhua defended, showing off the post to back up his claim.

"Try calling from my phone."

Xie Yinxue fetched his phone from the bedroom, but upon dialing, the same voice echoed: "The number you have dialed is currently in use. Please call back later."

Shen Qiuji wondered, "Has he been on a call from five to eight? A three-hour call? Is that normal?"

Liu Buhua remarked, "It doesn't seem typical to me."

There must be an issue. No matter whom Zhu Yikun might block, he wouldn't block Xie Yinxue.

A sudden thought struck Xie Yinxue, raising an eyebrow, "I hope he hasn't been hexed again."

Liu Buhua was puzzled, "But didn't you give him an amulet to ward off evil the last time we met?"

"If he's lost the amulet, then there's a possibility of being cursed."

After saying this, Xie Yinxue drew a symbol on his phone screen to break the hex. When he dialed again, the line was finally free.

Yet, after a few rings, Zhu Yikun declined Xie Yinxue's call.

Listening to the busy tone emanating from the phone's speaker, Liu Buhua was in disbelief, "... Did he just hang up on you?"

Xie Yinxue redialed, and again Zhu Yikun declined. This pattern repeated several times, prompting Shen Qiuji to comment, "This is really mysterious."

One could claim mistakenly pressing the wrong button the first time, but after several times? That couldn't be accidental.

Xie Yinxue browsed through his contacts, deciding to give Zhu Yikun one last chance: "I'll try one more time. If he doesn't answer, we'll deal with it tomorrow. I can't be bothered tonight."

Had Xie Yinxue not been so pleased with the seafood meal earlier that day, he would've given up on Zhu Yikun after the third declined call, regardless of whether he was cursed.

After all, they hadn't yet entirely dealt with the immortality quest. Even if Zhu Yikun was cursed, he wouldn't die. Letting him interact more with the spirits might even make him more compliant in future negotiations.

But before Xie Yinxue could redial, Zhu Yikun's call came through.

Xie Yinxue answered, his voice chilly, "Zhu Yikun, what—"

"Waaaah... Master Xie, help me! Please save me!"

Hearing the young man's plea, Zhu Yikun's wailing reached such a mournful pitch that it was almost comparable to Yinuo's lamentations.

Xie Yinxue couldn't help but laugh, lazily inquiring, "What's gotten into Mr. Zhu? Seen another ghost?"

"…Yes," Zhu Yikun replied dryly, then continued to wail, tears and snot running down his face. "Please help me! I can't think of any other way out except for you."

Xie Yinxue scoffed, "You want my help, yet you dared hang up on me?"

"Were those calls really from you? My apologies, I was in the wrong," Zhu Yikun exclaimed in surprise. Shamelessly, he slapped himself twice before continuing cautiously, "I thought it was... another..."

Xie Yinxue interjected, "Ghost call?"

Zhu Yikun choked back tears, "Please, don't mention that word. I'm terrified. Please, save me!"

Xie Yinxue inquired further, "Where's the bracelet I gave you?"

"I always wore it close to me, but I lost it last night. And then strange things started happening," Zhu Yikun's anger flared, "Dammit, if I ever find out who stole it, they're dead!"

Xie Yinxue nodded to Liubuhua, signaling him to get the car keys, "Alright, where are you now? Send your location to Liubuhua's WeChat, and we'll be there shortly."

Zhu Yikun's voice cracked with relief, "I'll send it now! Please hurry! I'm not young anymore; I can't take this kind of torment."

Xie Yinxue responded nonchalantly, "I'll do my best."

Sensing that Xie Yinxue might hang up, Zhu Yikun pleaded, "Mr. Xie, can you please stay on the line? Hearing your voice calms me."

Xie Yinxue agreed, "Alright, tell me what happened this time."

Zhu Yikun lamented, "I'm just so unlucky..."

Starting with the words "unlucky", he explained how he had gone out clubbing the previous night.

Foot baths, massages, and clubbing were Zhu Yikun's favorite pastimes. Despite being middle-aged and not as spry as before, Zhu loved watching young women dance at the club. Sometimes, he'd even bring one home for a few days of "companionship". The night before, when he received a call from Liubuhua, he was right at the club's entrance.

After all, having come this far, how could he not go in?

Zhu Yikun prided himself on his priorities. Before going in, he made arrangements for chefs and supplies to be sent to Mingyue Cliff the next day. He planned to head home at 1 am, ensuring his activities wouldn't interfere with the next day's plans.

Everything was fine until Zhu Yikun drank too much, blacking out for an hour. When he woke up, he realized it was nearly 1 am and his friends had sent him to his car. His driver, Lao Zhao, was driving him home.

On the way, Zhu Yikun sobered up and chatted with Lao Zhao, lamenting about getting old. He commented on how he used to handle alcohol much better and that he hadn't gotten to touch many beauties that night.

"You did touch them," Lao Zhao remarked. "When Mr. Wang escorted you out, he mentioned you dove into the dance floor after your second bottle. You danced with several ladies."

"Damn, I can't even remember! Such a shame!" Zhu Yikun exclaimed, slapping his thigh so hard that his round belly jiggled. "I've switched up so many, yet not one wants to come home with me?"

Old Zhao replied, "There were some, but Boss Wang declined on your behalf. He said he can't trust those outside acquaintances, unsure if they carry diseases. He got you someone clean. She's waiting at your regular hotel."

Zhu Yikun was overjoyed, urging Old Zhao to drive faster. "Ah, Boss Wang knows me so well! Let's go, go, go, I can't wait to see my beauty."

Later, as they stopped at a traffic light, Zhu Yikun rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. Glancing up, he saw three men and two women standing by the zebra crossing. He didn't notice the men, but the two women were stunning. Even beneath their thick winter coats, their curvaceous figures stood out. Zhu Yikun, momentarily driven by lust, sleazily initiated a conversation, "Hey, pretty ladies, it's cold out. Why are you still out this late?"

The two women looked up simultaneously. One wearing a Klein blue figure-hugging dress replied, her voice slightly trembling from the cold, "It's too late, we can't get a ride."

"Hey, big brother, my place is just up ahead. Can you give me a lift?" The other woman, dressed in black leather pants, her thighs plump, seemingly noticing Zhu Yikun's interest, pleaded with her hands clasped, "Please, please?"

The term "big brother" instantly wooed Zhu Yikun, his drunken mind swirling. Without much thought, he boisterously replied, opening the car door, "Come on in! Not just to your place, I'd drive you to the ends of the earth if you asked!"

As the door opened, it wasn’t just the two beauties, but the three men behind them who rushed towards Zhu Yikun's car as well.

"Hey, what are you doing? Ahhh!"

All five squeezed into the car, nearly crushing Zhu Yikun. Fortunately, the car he drove today was a spacious seven-seater Maybach. Once inside, they quickly shut the doors. Not everyone had a seat, and the three men crouched on the floor, heads bowed, even closing the window Zhu Yikun had lowered.

Zhu Yikun frowned, staring at the three burly men, "What's going on?"

He'd invited the women, not expecting the men to join.

The woman in black leather pants quickly reassured him, "Big brother, they're my classmates. We just left the bar. You're such a kind soul, please give all of us a ride back."

"You're really something," Zhu Yikun replied, taking her hand and caressing its smooth back, "Alright, alright, I'll give you all a ride."

The woman's hands were cold, her smile strained and lips trembling from the cold. Zhu Yikun squinted at her, noticing her unfocused, trembling pupils, as if she'd been severely startled or frightened.

The woman in the Klein blue dress behaved similarly, preferring to crouch on the floor with the men.

Zhu Yikun sensed something was off, but his alcohol-clouded mind struggled to pinpoint the exact problem.

When the woman in leather pants softly asked, "Big brother, why aren't we moving?" any clarity Zhu Yikun had mustered vanished. He loudly addressed the driver, "Old Zhao, what's the hold-up? Why aren't we moving?"

"Boss, I think the traffic light... might be broken?" Old Zhao sounded uncertain. "It's stuck on forty-four seconds."

Forty-four is an unlucky number.

At the mention, Zhu Yikun shuddered, sobering up slightly. Leaning forward, he glimpsed the persistent "44" on the traffic light. The stark red glow accelerated his heartbeat. Swallowing hard, Zhu Yikun muttered, "Must be a faulty light. Let's just run it."