Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Even ghosts don’t want them?!

Li Hao and the others subconsciously touched their faces. Although they didn’t have the good looks of Shi Xuan, they were still a group of handsome young men.

"Wait, beautiful ghost sister, the master bedroom is where I sleep! What are you going in there for?!" Li Hao shouted at the top of his lungs.

Tang Xueshan didn’t even turn her head: "The master bedroom is where I live. You’re just a latecomer. If you want to stay there, I’ll allow you to sleep on the floor."

Li Hao fell silent for a moment, then looked at the nervous Wang Dong and said, "Shall we share the bed tonight?"

The three black-haired boys huddled together immediately said, "Guys, we’re scared. How about all five of us share the bed?"

Alright, sharing the bed is much better than sharing with a female ghost.

"Group Leader - Li Hao: @Baby Heng Heng, what should we do now, Dr. Wu? That female ghost can’t leave, so she keeps staying there. Should we move out tomorrow?"

Li Hao and his friends were all young masters, and the cost of renting a place was something they could easily afford.

It’s a shame about the school district housing around the school. It’s not easy to find one that meets their expectations in a short time—either it’s too far or the decoration doesn’t meet their standards.

"Baby Heng Heng: The spell that confines her will automatically disappear within seven days. Whether you move or not is up to you, but if you help her, the heavens will record your merit."

Wu Heng’s words made Li Hao and the others hesitate. After spending so much time with Dr. Wu, they knew that there really are heavenly laws and underworld courts in this world. Doing good deeds is always beneficial.

"I’m going to serve the people in the future, okay! I’ll prepare her nourishing yin medicine in a paper bowl every day."

Li Hao thought about it and agreed. After all, they would be out all day for school, so they wouldn’t interfere with each other, right?

As long as Tang Xueshan didn’t use her ghostly status to scare them, it would be fine.

Just as he was thinking this, there was knocking on the door.

Tang Xueshan floated in from outside and saw Li Hao and the five other boys huddled together on a single bed. When they saw her, they screamed out in terror. She had just said not to scare them!

Tang Xueshan was shocked: "You guys are so disorganized?"

Wang Dong, who was the most timid, angrily scolded, "Sister, either knock on the door and wait for us to open it, or just walk through the wall without knocking. It’s really scary."

Tang Xueshan apologized and then said, "Can you help me access my account in the mortal world? I keep connecting to the netherworld network."

Upon hearing this, Li Hao helped her check with his phone. Tang Xueshan looked at it with immense grief and anger: "Oh my god, they say that when a person dies, it’s like a lamp being extinguished. It’s been less than a few months since I died, and that bastard boyfriend of mine already found the time to use my money to have fun."

Tang Xueshan was a stay-at-home web novelist. In real life, she didn’t have many friends, just a few fellow authors. Before she died, a friend invited her to spend a wonderful five days and four nights on the Dream cruise ship to find inspiration for her work.

The Dream cruise ship passed through multiple ports and finally disembarked in the South Seas.

Her boyfriend was initially worried about the danger and didn’t agree, but later reluctantly agreed only if he could accompany her.

But now, that guy, who had acted so concerned at the time, took the ticket she bought and gone by himself! That was a 49,999 yuan cruise ticket per person, enough to cover his four years of college tuition!

Tang Xueshan cried in distress: "It’s true that love affects the speed at which I act. Do I only have achievements in my career?"

Ever since she found out that her readers in the mortal world were still looking forward to "Retrograde," Tang Xueshan’s confidence soared. She planned to take advantage of the time she still had to write some extra chapters for her readers and then connect with Wu Heng. Her career was so amazing that it could continue to develop even after death! But her love life was so bumpy.

Li Hao and the others were shown up by Tang Xueshan. They had neither academic achievements nor romantic partners!

Tang Xueshan cried for a while but couldn’t shed ghostly tears. She looked at Li Hao and the others seriously and said, "But I still want to see him one more time."

Li Hao was baffled.

Why are they looking at me?

Weibo's trending topics were already blowing up.

#Chengde Medical Hall’s Live Stream with a Ghost#

#Obituary for Muyu Yimian from Jinjiang Literature#

#Wu Heng Meets Cao Xueqin#

#Final Chapters of 'Retrograde' Revealed#

"OMG, did anyone catch Chengde Medical Hall’s live stream tonight? Hands down, the most insane one yet! They somehow linked up with a ghost!"

"I dipped early because of zodiac clashes. When I tried to get back in, it was locked. Shark Video Platform had no clue why it was inaccessible."

"The author’s writing is incredible. I cried when they passed away, leaving the work unfinished. Now their dream has come true. Cao Gong’s probably got his own problems. Let’s get Hengbao to take a look at him. Totally not obsessing over the last forty chapters of 'Dream of the Red Chamber.'"

"How the heck can a ghost even connect? Seriously, what’s with all the weirdness lately? First, I’m gonna learn Wu Heng’s exercise routine."

Netizens were buzzing about Wu Heng’s ghostly connection, while book fans were scrambling for the next chapter. Fewer people were calling out the influencer for faking it.

Xu Qian was chilling in the counselor’s office, scrolling online. Seeing the news, she sighed, relieved her mom had reached out to Dr. Wu early on. This guy’s the real deal.

There was a knock, and a tall guy walked in. She recognized him immediately.

His girlfriend died suddenly in front of him. He nearly took his own life in a moment of despair. Later, he seemed to have figured it out, always smiling and attending classes as usual. After observing him for a while, the school was reassured he had no suicidal thoughts.

Yuan Song walked in and said, "Teacher Xu, can I take three days off? There are some family matters."

Xu Qian looked at him suspiciously. "I remember your parents passed away."

Yuan Song smiled without changing his expression. "I grew up in my uncle's house. There are some things there I must go back for. Please grant me the leave."

Xu Qian approved the leave. Yuan Song walked out, leaned against the wall, and pulled out a cruise ship ticket from his pocket, staring at it.

After a long time, he pulled out a red string necklace from under his hoodie. In the middle hung a wisdom tooth preserved in formaldehyde, with intricate red cinnabar characters written on it.

He gently kissed the wisdom tooth, clutched the cruise ship ticket, and murmured, "Don't be afraid."

He had watched Dr. Wu Heng’s live stream recordings. He said some people in this life have shallow family ties, and their love gap will be filled by friendship or love.

Dr. Wu was right. His gap was filled, but it was torn apart again, bleeding profusely.

By the time Xu Qian came out, Yuan Song had already left.

It was mealtime, and she went downstairs to eat at the cafeteria. As she walked out of the teaching building, she saw a group of students gathered not far away.

Xu Qian walked over and saw Fan Xuan and Han Ye from the neighboring school standing awkwardly under a tree, with a very innocent fat orange cat sitting nearby, leisurely licking its paws.

Han Ye stepped forward and shouted to the person in the tree, "Senior Su, why don't you come down first? The cat doesn’t catch people."

The person in the tree still looked horrified and blurted out, "It wants to eat me!"

The people around: "..."

It’s just a cute little cat. What does it mean by eating people!

Fan Xuan and Han Ye both have close relationships with Wu Heng. They were invited today to discuss the matter, especially since Wu Heng cured Professor Zhao Qingyun, and the payment for his treatment has not been settled yet.

Although Su Chenyu has moved out of the dormitory, he has always maintained a good relationship with Fan Xuan and the others. Coupled with his admiration for Professor Zhao, he decided to come to the University of Science and Technology in Beijing with them.

While sitting on a bench, a big orange cat suddenly leaped next to Su Chenyu, its eyes gleaming at him. Before Su Chenyu could react, the kitten gently licked his exposed skin.

Su Chenyu screamed and, without thinking, instinctively scrambled up a nearby tree.

The girls around gasped in excitement, covering their mouths, as this was the campus heartthrob from the neighboring medical university!

Whether it’s his looks, personality, academic achievements, or family background, he’s top-tier.

His only flaw might be his inability to swim, no matter how much he tries. It’s rumored he’s taking swimming as part of his physical education this year, and it’s uncertain if he will pass.

"Chenyu! He’s so adorable—he’s actually scared of cats, even though they’re so cute," the onlookers whispered.

Su Chenyu has a large online following thanks to his striking looks, and fans affectionately call him "Chenyu," praising his appearance.

Of course, the enigmatic and culturally rich Dr. Wu Heng has also become a new sensation in the world of looks.

A girl who knew the stray orange cat well quickly came over and carried it away. Seeing the growing crowd, Su Chenyu finally realized what he’d done. His reputation as the campus heartthrob prompted him to quickly climb down from the tree.

Fan Xuan blurted out, "What’s going on? Why’d you suddenly climb the tree? Are you scared of cats? We’ve been roommates for over a year, and you’ve never been afraid of cats."

Han Ye chimed in, puzzled, "Senior Su, I get being scared of dogs, but cats? You’re not a fish or a mouse."

Su Chenyu covered half his face, muttering, "I don’t know—when I saw the cat, I nearly lost my mind."

Being scared into climbing a tree would surely go viral—how embarrassing.

Fan Xuan and Han Ye each took one of Su Chenyu’s arms and led him toward Xu Qian.

"Teacher Xu, did you catch Dr. Wu’s latest live stream? The female ghost still wanted to see her boyfriend. Do you have a student named Yuan Song?"

Xu Qian gasped, "What? The patient from last night’s stream was that deceased girl? Yuan Song? He just took leave—he’s probably already left campus!"

Fan Xuan and Han Ye were stunned, "Huh? How are we supposed to find him now?"

"Since he’s already on leave, maybe we should head to the principal’s office first?" Su Chenyu suggested, covering his face from the people taking photos around.

To avoid more awkwardness, the group hurried to the principal’s office at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing after saying goodbye to Xu Qian.

As they walked to the principal’s office, cats of all kinds began trailing them, their eyes fixed on Su Chenyu.

Su Chenyu paled and yelled, "Stop following me! Why are you following me? Stay back!"

He glanced back to see over a dozen cats trailing him.

Han Ye couldn’t resist asking, "Senior Su, are you carrying something? Like fish? Cats have a sharper sense of smell—maybe they’re picking up on that?"

Su Chenyu assured them he had nothing on him except his essential phone.

Su Chenyu rolled up his sleeves and extended both hands, "Smell, what could I possibly have on me?"

Fan Xuan and Han Ye indeed didn’t smell anything, nor any body odor.

"What’s wrong with your arm?" Fan Xuan noticed some red, broken skin on Su Chenyu’s arm and asked.

Su Chenyu replied, "It’s nothing, it’s just that it’s been cold recently, and my skin is a bit allergic and itchy. I couldn’t help but scratch it, so it turned red. My back is the same."

Su Chenyu looked at his pale arm, feeling somewhat uncertain. His skin itched intensely, as if something were about to sprout.

Fan Xuan and Han Ye, seeing the dozen or so kittens lingering nearby, exchanged a glance and sincerely suggested, "Why don’t you... try video-calling Dr. Wu Heng?"

Su Chenyu was startled. What did they mean? Video-calling a shaman? Did he also have some kind of evil illness?

*

"Dr. Wu Heng, long time no see. Take a look at our gym, it’s the best in all of Beijing," said Guo Jiang, the fitness coach, holding his phone and facing the camera with some nervousness.

It wasn’t a live stream, but he was currently on a WeChat video call with Wu Heng.

He was the unlucky guy who got a ghost marriage certificate with his aunt. Recently, rumors online said that Chengde Clinic had connected with a female ghost, bringing up his unfortunate story again.

The manager of the gym, not far away, watched Guo Jiang with both tension and anticipation.

"Our gym has all the basics, plus a swimming pool for lessons. Anything fitness-related, we’ve got you covered," Guo Jiang advertised, though somewhat awkwardly.

Wu Heng was having lunch, a golden pork hock made by Zhou Yi’s mother, delivered in a basket and then quickly left, fearing to upset Zhou Yi.

Wu Heng smiled between bites and asked, "So?"

Guo Jiang, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Dr. Wu, the height-boosting workout you taught Han Ye is a hit online. We heard you don’t allow commercial use, so we wanted to ask if you’d consider it. The manager said the price is negotiable."

This height-boosting workout is a hit with fitness buffs. Even some older guys, not looking to grow taller, are doing it to get stronger.

Some short influencers are posting updates, claiming they’ve grown half a centimeter in just days. Though it’s still questionable due to the short time, the method is undoubtedly extremely popular!

To show off the gym’s facilities, Guo Jiang grabbed his phone and started filming, passing by the swimming pool where a very handsome male college student appeared in the frame.

The swimming coach was giving a pep talk, but Su Chenyu’s legs shook at the sight of the pool.

Bad luck—this year, guys had to take swimming for gym class, and he was scared he’d fail.

He was about to go on a cruise with friends, and as a lifelong non-swimmer, he felt out of place.

As the campus hottie, he had a reputation to uphold, so he wanted to sneakily sign up for swimming lessons.

After hearing the spiel, Su Chenyu gave in, saying, "I’d rather practice in a bathtub first."

The coach in the pool was baffled, "A fish tank?"

"You’re not a fish, why would you swim in a fish tank?"

Wu Heng chuckled. Guo Jiang awkwardly said, "Dr. Wu, he’s a newbie. It’s normal to be scared of water at first, but he’ll get over it."

"He’s not scared of water," Wu Heng said, tossing a piece of meat to Xi Xi before turning to Guo Jiang. "It’s fine if your gym wants the commercial rights to the workout. Do me a favor and pass a message to this swimming student—"

"If he’s feeling off, he can book an online consult."

*

Chengde Clinic went live again. Su Chenyu snuck in to lurk, since Coach Guo Jiang had suggested he check it out.

"Wu Heng, can you ask Mrs. Muyu Yimian if there’s any sweet bonus content? Or did she move on last night?"

"Why’s Wu Heng so dressed up today? He’s even got silver earrings and traditional clothes on."

"Once she realizes she’s a ghost, she’ll move on. I went to Jinjiang last night to send her off, hoping she’ll be happy in her next life."

"Will there be a new patient on tonight? I’ve been waiting forever."

As the chat blew up, firecrackers went off outside the clinic.

Zhou Yi was in charge of the live-streaming camera duties, holding a phone stand and following Dr. Wu’s movements.

Upon hearing the firecrackers, You Jin quickly adjusted his attire and nervously muttered to Dr. Wu, "Little Heng, they're here! Oh, I'm so nervous, I hope I don't mess up. Take a look at me..."

Dr. Wu strode towards the entrance of Chengde Medical Hall, where the sound of firecrackers echoed for miles. Red firecrackers were set off from the village entrance all the way to the door of Chengde Medical Hall, with lingering gunpowder smoke drifting along the rural path. A drone was also flying overhead.

Zhou Dagui walked proudly at the center of the eighteen Village Chiefs. Seeing his grandson live-streaming, he immediately found a good angle and placed a large red flower on Dr. Wu.

In addition to the Village Chiefs, representatives from the town police station and local leaders were also present.

One of them held a large red silk banner and presented it to Dr. Wu, with the words "Masterful and Compassionate Physician" written in bold calligraphy.

You Jin was moved to tears, feeling proud. Their Little Heng had brought great honor to his master with this banner of gratitude!

"This is the medical fee for Dr. Wu’s treatment of Professor Zhao Qingyun."

Another large sign displayed a conspicuous one million, perfect for photos. The full seven-digit amount would be transferred to Dr. Wu offline.

Everyone had thought Professor Zhao was surely going to pass away that night, but unexpectedly, there was a miraculous recovery! Zhao Qingyun was immediately sent to the hospital for a check-up, and indeed, there were signs of recovery. The spreading cancer cells were gradually receding, astonishing a group of doctors.

After a meeting, this substantial medical fee was delivered.

For curing He Yunxiao's snake fetus, the He Family had given two million.

But this was different—it was an official recognition of one million, with a significance that couldn't be compared.

"Ah, so the rumors are true. Professor Zhao really can live another thirteen years."

"Our Dr. Wu deserves it. Officially recognized as a masterful and compassionate physician—who dares call him a fraud now?"

"The Village Chiefs are bursting with pride, hahaha."

"No wonder Dr. Wu is dressed so formally today—he was anticipating this honor."

Dr. Wu held the banner and the medical fee, posing for a commemorative photo with everyone at the entrance of Chengde Medical Hall.

Before it ended, Zhou Dagui didn't forget to enthusiastically address the live stream: "Dr. Wu will represent our Nan Nuo Village at the upcoming Rural Nuo Festival in a week. We welcome tourists from all over the country to visit the eighteen villages of Nuo River."

This was the main reason for such a high-profile event—to draw visitors!

Dr. Wu asked the overjoyed You Jin to hang the banner inside the medical hall and then said to Zhou Yi, "Zhou Yi, when you have time, ask Officer Wang and others to accompany you and help me withdraw $300,000 in cash from this one million."

Although Zhou Yi didn't understand, he nodded and went to handle it.

When Dr. Wu returned to the live stream, he saw that the number of online viewers had surpassed one million.

Seeing this, Su Chenyu didn't hesitate and immediately sent a gift to request a live connection.

Regardless of whether his fear of cats was an issue, connecting with Dr. Wu would be beneficial. However, with Chengde Medical Hall's popularity so high, there were too many patients vying for a connection. Su Chenyu wasn't sure if he could get through.

But the next second, the connection screen showed Su Chenyu scratching his arm nervously.

Su Chenyu: "..."

Was he really connected that easily? Why did he always end up in such awkward situations lately!

"Wow, the new patient on the line is incredibly handsome."

"He's by far the most handsome patient Dr. Wu has ever connected with!" "Personally, I still prefer Dr. Wu's looks."

"Is this Shenyu, the campus crush of the capital city's medical university, who also has hundreds of thousands of followers online?"

"Even someone so handsome gets sick? God, don't be so harsh on the handsome ones."

Dr. Wu smiled gently and asked Su Chenyu, "What are your symptoms?"

Su Chenyu was at his home, making his way past his indoor swimming pool and sitting on the bench in the gym. "Recently, I've been feeling very strange, I'm scared of cats. Seeing a cat makes me feel like my soul is escaping my body."

There are still embarrassing photos of him climbing a tree at the university on the campus forums.

"But it's really strange, those cats really seem to like me, some even uncontrollably want to lick me, making my soul shiver."

"Hahaha, I get it, that's the cat-attracting constitution, I often attract little cats."

"I envy such a constitution, new buddy, you don't realize how lucky you are."

"Scared enough for your soul to leave your body? I'm afraid of cats but not to that extent."

"What do you know? This is the elegant rhetorical ability of a top student from a 985 university, hahaha!"

"Recently, I've been itching all over, with small red spots popping up on my arms and body, always wanting to scratch." Su Chenyu pulled his shirt open, revealing some fair chest with faint red spots.

"Dr. Wu, what do you think this illness is? A mental issue? Or is it caused by an allergic reaction to cat fur?"

Dr. Wu did not answer but asked instead, "Can you find well water? Dump dozens of buckets into your pool."

This wasn't difficult. Su Chenyu had the staff refill the pool, pouring in nearly half a pool of well water.

After they finished, Dr. Wu said, "Now, take a swim."

Su Chenyu felt awkward, "Dr. Wu, although I have a private pool, I can't swim, haven't learned to swim in twenty years, never managed to."

And this has nothing to do with the symptoms he mentioned, he's just simply afraid of cats and has rashes.

Dr. Wu comforted him, "Don't worry, you're definitely going to learn to swim this time."

"Really? What's going on? Learn to swim? I'm also a landlubber, really want to learn to swim!"

"Well water is tied to the yin, this matter is probably not simple."

"What kind of strange illness is this, that can make someone learn to swim?"

Su Chenyu was truly scared, he has always been afraid of water, but since Dr. Wu said so, he had to call a few helpers to watch him and went to get a swim ring.

Dr. Wu: "No need for a swim ring, nor for pre-swim warm-up, just jump in directly."

Su Chenyu: "?"

Seeing Dr. Wu's serious expression, Su Chenyu, amidst the nervous looks of the helpers, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and jumped into the pool, splashing huge water like a fish bombing team.

The helpers, fearing Su Chenyu might drown or get a cramp underwater, didn't dare to blink, staring straight at the pool, ready to jump in and save him at the first sign of trouble.

However, an unexpected scene unfolded. As soon as Su Chenyu entered the pool, it was as if he entered his own world, his arms automatically swinging as if by physiological reflex.

Not even dog paddling appeared, Su Chenyu swam like a flexible fish in the pool.

The surrounding helpers were completely stunned.

Young master Su Chenyu learns everything quickly, except swimming. He's been a landlubber for twenty years!

How could he suddenly learn how to swim?

Without floaties or a coach's guidance, he just picked it up on his own?

"Wait, what is that on the young master's back?" A keen-eyed servant pointed at Su Chenyu, who was happily swimming in the water, and gasped in surprise.

Su Chenyu was only wearing swim trunks, revealing his well-built upper body, with his abs rising and falling in the pool.

At that moment, patches of fish scales appeared on Su Chenyu's pale back.