Chapter 140

Chapter 140

◎If all else fails, just rely on others◎

When Ji Nanxing returned home, Ji Yanting was sitting in the small garden with wet hair, enjoying the breeze and scrolling through her phone. Upon seeing him, she called out, "Oh, our little busy bee is back! It's summer break, and you're still MIA all day."

Ji Nanxing walked over, picked up a towel nearby, and dabbed her hair to absorb the water. "Why didn't you dry it all the way?"

Ji Yanting grabbed her already half-dry hair, feeling the gentle breeze in the garden. "That's what I'm doing right now."

"You might catch a cold like this."

Ji Yanting clicked her tongue, pulling Ji Nanxing to sit beside her. "You sound like such a little adult. On such a hot day, sitting outside to let my hair dry naturally won't make me catch a cold. But you, who were you being all lovey-dovey with outside? I heard the car from a distance, but you took forever to come in."

Ji Nanxing took a sip of the juice handed to him by the butler and said, "It was Xiao Ye."

Ji Yanting asked, "Why didn't you invite him in? It's so late, he could've stayed over and left in the morning. It's not like it's the first time you've stayed together."

Ji Nanxing replied, "He's got family waiting for him too."

Ji Yanting then asked, "So, can you be around people now?"

Ji Nanxing nodded. "For at least a couple of days, it won't be a big deal."

Because he had been with Xiao Ye for a long time, and Xiao Ye always liked to cling to him—always holding hands or cuddling—and since they slept together without a blanket, so they were even closer. Plus, with his own control over the yin energy, he could now maintain a normal balance in the short term.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yanting pulled Ji Nanxing into her arms and hugged him tightly, stroking his hair. It's a shame they couldn't hold him much when he was little. That sweet, soft, and cuddly little bundle couldn't be held or touched much because of his condition, yet he was so understanding and would step aside and say he didn't want to be hugged.

They always felt so heartbroken about it.

Holding Ji Nanxing tightly in her arms, Ji Yanting stroked his hair and said, "I wonder what your master was thinking. If only we hadn't moved back then."

Ji Nanxing, in an awkward position with his head forcibly pressed against Ji Yanting's shoulder, gave up struggling and went along with it. "I asked my master when I last saw him. He said it was because I couldn't control myself when I was young and was worried about harming Xiao Ye's foundation, so we had to move. Now that I've grown up and learned to control it, it's okay to be in contact."

Ji Yanting made a curious sound and poked Ji Nanxing's cheek. "What kind of little imp are you? Can you really harm someone?"

Ji Nanxing sat up straight, somewhat exasperated. "Sister."

Ji Yanting laughed heartily, patting the back of his head. "Alright, alright, petting your hair won't upset you."

The sound of another car entering the estate was heard. When it stopped at the main entrance, the eldest brother of the Ji family, Ji Yunting, got out of the car. From afar, he spotted them in the side garden and walked over, saying, "It's so late, why aren't you inside? Are you out here feeding the mosquitoes?"

Ji Yanting pointed to the talisman stuck nearby. "The mosquito-repelling talisman Naonao brought back last time works like a charm. I've been sitting here for a while, and not a single mosquito has bitten me."

Ji Yunting walked up and, like petting a puppy, ruffled Ji Nanxing's head into his chest.

Ji Nanxing: "..."

As the youngest in the family, he sometimes felt like a large toy.

However...

Ji Nanxing sniffed the scent on his eldest brother. There was a faint, elegant fragrance—a custom perfume that their second brother had brought for each of them, with a unique scent for everyone.

Besides the perfume, there was also a very faint scent of incense.

Ji Yunting noticed his action and immediately moved his hand from Ji Nanxing's head to his face, pinching his cheek. "What are you sniffing at, like a puppy?"

Ji Nanxing: "Brother, who did you come into contact with today? There's a faint scent of incense and offerings on you."

Ji Yunting frowned slightly: "I was mostly at the company, interacting with my assistant and various department managers. I had lunch at our company cafeteria, where I came into contact with many people coming and going. In the afternoon, I also discussed a collaboration with someone. Why? Is there a problem?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "It’s probably nothing serious. It’s just a very faint smell that doesn’t belong to the living world. It’ll probably fade by tomorrow morning and won’t have any effect on you. It might have been picked up when you brushed past someone."

His older brother has a strong life force, and lingering ghosts would never dare to approach him, especially since he carries talismans and a magical tool. If any lingering ghost tried to target him, it’d be like signing their own death warrant.

Ji Yanting asked curiously: "If there were lingering ghosts, wouldn’t they just avoid your brother? How could they brush past him?"

Ji Nanxing: "Some lingering ghosts drift around in a daze, their minds unclear, and they instinctively drift to places tied to their strongest memories."

Ji Yanting: "If they accidentally collide with someone like our brother, or someone with strong Yang Energy like Xiao Ye, wouldn’t they be obliterated?"

Ji Nanxing: "They won’t necessarily be obliterated, but if they linger in the human world for too long, they will gradually dissipate. That’s why Taoist priests, Buddhist monks, and temples perform various rituals every year to guide these wandering souls."

Ji Yanting then asked: "When is the Ghost Festival this year?"

Ji Nanxing: "It’s in August. You should avoid going out at night around that time."

Ji Yunting patted his brother’s head: "Alright, it’s getting late, time to go to bed. Watch it, or you’ll stunt your growth."

Ji Nanxing was indeed feeling sleepy. He stretched and waved at them: "I’ll head to my room then."

After Ji Nanxing obediently went to his room, Ji Yunting looked at Ji Yanting: "Aren’t you moving? What time is it? Girls shouldn’t stay up late, or they’ll ruin their looks."

Ji Yanting clicked her tongue in disdain: "Thanks, but I’m naturally beautiful."

Then Ji Yunting grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her toward the house.

Ji Yanting quickly walked a few steps to escape Ji Yunting’s grip. She thought, even though she had a line of suitors outside, at home she didn’t even have the freedom to decide when to sleep. She rolled her eyes at Ji Yunting, muttered something about him being overbearing, and quickly ran away.

Watching the two run off, Ji Yunting chuckled. A bunch of siblings who are both a blessing and a handful.

Ji Nanxing kept an eye on his brother for several days and didn’t notice any more scents from the other world on him. He figured the previous incident was just a fluke and not the result of someone deliberately approaching or plotting against him.

Reassured about his family’s safety, Ji Nanxing spent several days shopping and eating with his sister. When his brother returned to work and his sister went back to her research institute, Ji Nanxing finally responded to Xiao Ye’s barrage of messages asking when he would go to Fuxing City with a simple "tomorrow."

Xiao Ye, who had been bored at home for several days, leapt off the couch when he saw the message.

He startled Fang Li, nearly toppling the puzzle she was working on.

Xiao Song, who was sitting on the couch helping his wife with the puzzle, shot Xiao Ye a disdainful look and said to Fang Li: "Does he need flea treatment? Should we get him some Frontline or Bayer?"

Fang Li, holding a puzzle piece, smiled without responding.

Xiao Ye, who didn’t hear clearly, turned to his brother: "What’s that about?"

Xiao Song looked up: "Do you have fleas?"

Xiao Ye: "You’re the flea-bitten one!"

Xiao Song: "Then why are you bouncing around? What’s gotten into you tonight?"

Xiao Ye snorted: "I know you’re all sick of me. I’m leaving tomorrow."

Fang Li finally looked at Xiao Ye: "Where are you going?"

Xiao Ye happily lay back on the couch: "To see Naonao. He doesn’t live at home; he has his own place on Fuxing Avenue. He’s scared of being alone, so he asked me to stay with him."

Xiao Song mercilessly exposed his lie: "Afraid? How come he wasn’t afraid before he became your classmate? Is he afraid, or are you just shamelessly insisting on staying with him?"

Xiao Ye’s smile faded, and he put down his phone: "Then I won’t go. I’ll turn him down, saying I’ll stay home with my family this summer and won’t go out for two months."

Staying home for two months without going out would be unbearable. Finally having some alone time with his wife, who would want an extra person around?

But Xiao Song was no ordinary person. He had handled a bunch of unruly soldiers with ease, and Xiao Ye was no exception. He wasn’t in a hurry; naturally, someone else would be more anxious than him.

"Not going out is for the best. Grandpa said you’ve hardly stayed home this semester. It’s a good chance to cultivate yourself during the summer. Whoever goes out is a puppy!"

Xiao Ye rolled his eyes at Xiao Song, then turned and ran upstairs to pack his clothes. Fine, I’ll be the puppy. Woof!

Fuxing City was the name of a residential complex, named directly after Fuxing Avenue, and it had become a landmark in the area.

Fuxing City was a famous affluent neighborhood, where many wealthy people and celebrities lived. There were both large flats and duplex apartments. The Ji family had bought a penthouse, with the top five floors all belonging to them.

Ji Yuanting, the second son of the Ji family, lived here permanently. Due to his job’s demands, his team didn’t stick to a typical nine-to-five schedule, and they often needed to see him late at night, so living outside was more convenient.

However, summer was a season full of events, and during the summer and the New Year period, Ji Yuanting’s main job was at its busiest. So, Ji Nanxing probably wouldn’t run into his second brother when he moved in.

Before coming, Ji Nanxing had already arranged for daily necessities to be delivered and hired cleaners to thoroughly clean the place. The greenery at the entrance had also been replaced, making the place look lush and vibrant.

During middle school, he used to come here every weekend. The house near the school was just a temporary residence for him; this place felt like his second home. After graduating from university, he planned to live here permanently.

But ever since he started living with Xiao Ye, he either went back to the villa in Zhuangge Li or stayed with Xiao Ye near the school on weekends. Shuttling between these three places felt like a hassle.

This summer vacation was relatively long, and he couldn’t stay in Zhuangge Li the entire time, so he naturally had to come here. But as he stood at the entrance, Ji Nanxing paused slightly before opening the door.

Opening this door felt like fully integrating Xiao Ye into his life, and their relationship would no longer be confined to just being students.

Seeing him standing still, Xiao Ye, who was dragging a suitcase, tilted his head and glanced at him: "What’s wrong? Did you forget the door password?"

Ji Nanxing looked at him, then placed his hand on the door handle. The door unlocked instantly with fingerprint recognition.

Xiao Ye followed him inside, dragging his suitcase, and immediately started looking around: "No wonder this is considered the most luxurious house in the city. If you get up in the middle of the night, would you get lost?"

Ji Nanxing: "Every room has a private bathroom, so you don’t need to leave the room at night."

Xiao Ye sighed. His excuse of wandering into the wrong room at night was quickly shot down by Ji Naonao.

Xiao Ye put down his luggage: "Where are your bodyguards? Since it’s one floor per unit, are they downstairs?"

Ji Nanxing pointed towards the direction behind the dining room: "There’s a security room converted from a servant’s quarters. It has its own entrance and exit, and they usually stay out of our way."

Xiao Ye nodded, then after a while whispered: "So, is this place wired with surveillance cameras?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Not exactly everywhere. There are none in the rooms, but cameras are in the common areas like the living room, entrance hallway, and corridors. The bodyguards have been with our family for years and know my habits, so even if I talk to myself, they wouldn’t think twice."

That wasn’t quite what Xiao Ye was getting at. He was worried the sharp-eyed bodyguards would notice if he tried to subtly get close to Ji Naonao. Those seasoned bodyguards would spot it in an instant.

Seeing him frown, Ji Nanxing said: "The house near the school has cameras too. Aren’t you used to it?"

Xiao Ye was shocked: "There are? I didn’t know!"

Ji Nanxing: "There’s a hidden camera inside the painting in the living room, facing the entire living room and the entrance. I thought you knew."

Xiao Ye blinked in confusion. Ji Nanxing said: "If the cameras at home make you uneasy…"

Xiao Ye quickly interrupted Ji Nanxing: "I’m fine! Totally fine. My house has them too. A place this big without cameras would be a security risk if a thief got in. Which room is mine? I’d like one near yours. I get nervous in new places."

Ji Nanxing gave Xiao Ye a once-over. How could a guy this tall, who could last at least half an hour against his family’s head of security, manage to claim he was scared with a straight face?

Naturally, Xiao Ye’s room wasn’t too far away, because, despite the house’s size, there weren’t many rooms.

When he was decorating, he didn’t expect to have friends over in the future. His siblings each had their own floor upstairs and downstairs, and the extra floor could serve as guest quarters. So at the time, he wanted to connect all the rooms, leaving no guest bedrooms.

His stepmother insisted on keeping at least one room, and load-bearing walls prevented a full renovation. Ultimately, they expanded the master bedroom and kept a large guest room, and set aside a room for the ancestor’s altar. The rest of the space was either opened up to the living room or turned into an open study or walk-in closet.

So, Xiao Ye had no choice but to stay in the room across from Ji Nanxing’s bedroom.

Xiao Ye seemed pleased. He tossed his suitcase into the room and stuck to Ji Nanxing’s side: "Did you forget about me after just a few days at home? You didn’t respond to my WeChat messages."

Ji Nanxing felt unfairly accused: "When did I ignore you?"

Xiao Ye took out his phone and flipped through the chat records: "I send twenty messages, and you reply with one. Look at your replies: 'Hmm,' 'Okay,' 'Oh,' 'Ah.' Were you an emperor in a past life, brushing me off with 'read'? Even emperors say 'I miss you dearly' sometimes!"

Ji Nanxing tapped his phone: "Look at your messages. 'Wang Ma made the breakfast too salty,' 'These clothes are too small; I need new ones,' 'This strawberry looks so strawberry-like,' 'This cookie’s perfectly intact,' and 'This four-leaf clover is greener than the others.'"

Ji Nanxing wanted to shove the phone in his face: "Is any of this serious?"

He didn’t have time to engage deeply with every one of Xiao Ye’s messages. Replying with a few words to acknowledge he’d seen the messages was already patient enough.

Xiao Ye looked pitiful: "I miss you so much, but you don’t miss me. You’re so heartless."

Despite being a tall and sturdy guy, his pitiful expression somehow made his curly hair seem to droop.

Ji Nanxing couldn’t help but laugh: "Since I’m so heartless, then don’t play with me."

Xiao Ye immediately grinned and hung onto Ji Nanxing: "How could I not? No matter how much you hurt me, I’ll still treat you like my first love."

After the laughter, Xiao Ye remembered something: "Remember the Lin family from before? I don’t know if they’re having business problems, but my grandfather said they’re selling their house recently, the one in Junshan Haoting. I remember it cost about 30 million when they bought it, now it’s listed for 25 million, but no one’s buying."

Ji Nanxing walked to the kitchen, got two bottles of juice, and poured two glasses of ice. While mixing the juice, he said: "Their family never had great financial luck. Their fortune and fate were borrowed. Now that Guan Shan broke the setup from back then, the beneficiary has already been counteracted and died, and his descendants will also be significantly affected. Bankruptcy is just a matter of time."

Xiao Ye leaned on the bar watching him, his fingertips slightly red from touching the ice-filled glass, the light from the marble bar making the redness even more noticeable.

Xiao Ye couldn’t resist and grabbed the hand that had been waving in front of him, holding the cold fingertips in his palm: "Are you cold?"

Ji Nanxing flicked his forehead with his other hand: "It’s 40 degrees outside today, do you think I’m cold?"

He shook his hand, freeing it from Xiao Ye’s grasp, and pushed one of the mixed juices towards him.

Xiao Ye took a sip and smiled: "Sweet and sour, apple and pear actually go well together."

Ji Nanxing sat on the bar stool with his own glass: "Did your grandfather mention it casually or does he have some thoughts?"

Xiao Ye laughed: "Smart. My grandfather asked if I wanted to buy property early."

Ji Nanxing: "Even if it’s listed for 25 million, your family probably can’t afford that much."

The Xiao Family is part of the system. Although his grandfather has retired, his brother holds a significant position, and his parents are researchers in national departments. Naturally, they’re not short of money, but they can’t just casually come up with tens of millions.

Xiao Ye nodded: "My family definitely doesn’t have that much, but my mother’s family runs a company with stock dividends. When my brother got married, my mother bought him a big house, but she had already used up most of the savings at that time. My mother told me that after saving for a few more years, she could buy me a big house when I get married. My grandfather thought if this house is good, he could see how much is needed and if he could cover some of it to buy it for me first."

Xiao Ye sighed: "Probably because he thinks it’s hard to buy a good house in a good location, and he wants to help out his brother’s descendants. It’s just strange that Junshan isn’t bad either, just across the bridge from here. It was so popular before, but now it’s discounted so much and no one’s buying."

Ji Nanxing: "Because those who can afford this house definitely don’t have an urgent housing need. There are many things to consider, and the housing market isn’t what it used to be. It’s not like ten or twenty years ago when you could buy anything and it would appreciate greatly. Also, if it’s a businessman, a bit superstitious, they would consider the homeowner’s fortune. If you were a boss without an urgent housing need, would you buy a house being sold due to bankruptcy?"

Xiao Ye poked the ice in his glass: "That’s why my grandfather thought about helping. Their family seems to be in a tough spot now."

Ji Nanxing was a bit curious: "How bad are we talking?"

Although his family was also in business, they weren’t in the same circle as the Lin family. Without digging around, as a student, it was hard for him to even hear about it.

Xiao Ye said: "Last time, I told Lin Chengyi’s sister what caused their family’s troubles and mentioned that Guan Shan wouldn’t do anything to them anymore. But I also warned them to be prepared for the possibility of bad luck hitting them. Lin Chengyi probably thinks that while luck matters in business, experience and insight matter more."

Ji Nanxing: "She doesn’t believe in bad luck hitting them?"

"Right." Xiao Ye nodded: "After going through all that, it’s impossible to completely disbelieve, but she’s more confident in her own abilities. She believes that as long as no one’s sabotaging them, she can manage the Lin family well. But then the government changed the rules, and their family..."

So, in business, it’s about sharp instincts, experience, and quick decisions. But if the timing’s off, human effort is ultimately pointless.

Ji Nanxing: "What did you say about the house?"

Ji Nanxing thought about his own savings. If Xiao Ye wanted to buy it, he could lend him over ten million yuan without alerting his family.

Xiao Ye shook his head: "Of course, I said no. I’m not like my brother, who’s too dependent on the family to buy a house."

Ji Nanxing laughed: "Do you know how many people’s houses are paid for by three generations? You’re talking big now, what if you can’t afford it later?"

Xiao Ye: "If I can’t afford it, I’ll just mooch off my wife. From now on, I’ll keep my face looking good, stay in shape, and find a capable wife."

Preferably one who can take on a ghost!

But Ji Naonao, from a wealthy family, probably wouldn’t be his wife. Maybe he should marry into a wealthy family, heh.

Ji Nanxing nodded, commenting: "You’ve got a good sense of yourself."

Looking up and seeing Xiao Ye grinning with his eyes narrowed, he chuckled: "What’s got you grinning like that?"

Xiao Ye rubbed his face, too shy to admit he was imagining joining the Ji family.

...

After watching the beautiful lady dance, Xie Pan’er reluctantly walked Song Yitan home. Thinking that the Young Celestial Master wasn’t home, Xie Pan’er decided not to go back either. It’d be a shame to waste the night.

Recently, with summer vacation, the night markets were bustling. She stayed away from the crowd, just floating in the distance, listening to the noise and smelling the incense.

She hung out until almost dawn before drifting back home.

Just as she got home, before entering, she noticed a rustling sound behind her. Xie Pan’er turned around and saw a man floating in mid-air. Before she could even see his face clearly, she freaked out and screamed: "Ahhh! A ghost!"

She quickly darted back into the house to hide.

The male ghost, who wasn’t allowed to enter because of the talisman on the door and without the Golden Bell mark, stood outside dumbfounded. They were both ghosts—wasn’t this discrimination against stray ghosts!

Author’s note:

Xiao Ye: I was born to be a kept man!