Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Shi Yu had no idea that his quiet conversation with the Little Monster during a moment of solitude had already drawn the attention of the Evil God.

Now, in the pouring rain, he ran back to the mall to buy a different cake before taking his time heading home.

Nothing he could do about it—he’d been delayed by that Horror earlier, so he had to settle for another shop. Fortunately, there was a bakery nearby, so he didn’t have to go far.

Just as he was returning home via a different route, cake in hand…

At the same time, members of the Ability User Association had finally located the bakery in the alley.

The once-cozy bakery looked nothing like the one in the earlier photos. Its charming decorations had faded mysteriously, revealing large areas of their true appearance under the rain.

It gave him goosebumps.

"Is that… red frosting?"

"What kind of person paints red frosting on a bakery entrance? It looks like blood," Zhao Wen muttered.

As the heavy rain washed the walls, making the peeling surfaces even creepier, he raised the detector and confirmed, "This is the place."

"The Horror presence spiked and then vanished," Shen Yan pondered.

"Let’s go in and take a look."

He withdrew his gaze and stopped Zhao Wen and the others from following. "Wait outside for now. The data suggests this Horror might have teleportation ability. I’ll go in alone first."

Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and stepped in.

Based on their deductions, something inside the bakery must have suddenly transformed into a Horror, leading to the current situation.

So, he remained highly alert as he entered.

But the moment he stepped inside, Shen Yan heard a series of *thumping* noises. Turning, he spotted chocolate candies scattered across the floor.

The black candies were dented and rough—but upon closer inspection, they were covered in cracks, shattered from within.

Shen Yan hesitated, then picked one up with gloved hands, examining it again.

His initial impression wasn’t wrong. It carried Horror energy, though its activity had already dissipated.

And this wasn’t a chocolate candy at all—it resembled an eyeball.

An eyeball from some Horror Item.

He turned around. The shop was already filled with an overpowering smell of blood and decay.

The moment Shen Yan entered, the cash register across the counter flickered weakly before dying, as if running out of power.

While the small shop looked tidy, Shen Yan knew someone had been here—just before they arrived.

And these eyeballs were their handiwork.

Had they already dealt with the bakery's Horror?

As he considered this, the sound of an ambulance wailed in the distance.

Zhao Wen texted back, confused.

"Dr. Shen, it seems someone called an ambulance."

"Was that you?"

But Dr. Shen had just gone in—how could he have called an ambulance that fast?

Zhao Wen was still puzzled.

Shen Yan, however, was already looking toward the bakery on the west side. After pulling aside the curtain, he indeed found an unconscious person inside—the missing shopkeeper whose family had asked for help.

The ambulance's wailing siren faded into the distance. As the elevator doors closed, Shi Yu thought that his part was done. The rest would be handled by the Ability User Association, right?

The "dessert shop" case was quickly reported. The Ability User Association worked the case all night.

Sang Huaiyu had just finished reviewing the reports from the human division when new documents arrived, prompting him to quirk an eyebrow slightly.

After investigation, the Horror behind the bakery case turned out to be a fondant bear, now presumed dead. The missing shop owner had suffered severe blood loss and was currently receiving treatment after being rushed to the hospital.

President Chang took the matter very seriously, though even the shop owner, now awake, couldn't recall who had entered the store.

...

After returning home, Shi Yu changed clothes and took a hot shower to scrub off the clinging Horror residue before stepping out and settling onto the sofa, ready to properly enjoy the cake.

Hmm, may as well put on some anime.

He had just finished setting up the TV when his phone pinged.

Shi Yu picked it up casually and saw a message from his boss.

"How was your afternoon?"

Same old friendly check-in.

Shi Yu chuckled, thinking his boss was more concerned than he was. Leaning back on the sofa, he snapped a photo of the cake on the table.

"Much better now."

"Bought a cake this afternoon—making it my dinner tonight."

A cake… Of course.

Sang Huaiyu wasn’t surprised. Glancing at Shi Yu’s newly purchased cake, he replied:

"Had nothing to do today, so I flipped through some medical books."

"You should drink more brown sugar water these days—it helps calm your nerves."

"I’ll make some tomorrow morning and send it over."

Brown sugar water?

Shi Yu blinked, trying to remember if he had any at home, when he read the next message.

His boss was going to make it himself?

"Don't go to the trouble," Shi Yu replied. "I'll handle it myself." He couldn't possibly accept that.

Sang Huaiyu: "It's no trouble."

He paused, then asked, "Do you have brown sugar at home?"

Shi Yu, still caught in his thoughts: ...

Ahem, seems not.

Sang Huaiyu read his hesitation and curled his lips slightly.

"Then that's that."

"Expect it tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

Shi Yu nodded, shot the boss a quick "thanks," then turned back to his little cake.

The Little Monster was already waiting impatiently inside its mother’s belly. Though it couldn’t taste anything itself, just watching Mom eat was enough to curb its cravings.

Now that its mother had finally put the phone away, it cheered, "Wala!"

His belly gave a visible jump. Every time Shi Yu saw this, his eye twitched involuntarily.

"Okay, okay, simmer down."

"I’ll try it now."

The Little Monster perked up, like it was tasting it vicariously.

Shi Yu picked up the fork and took a bite.

Hmm, the mall’s honeydew cake was a little pricey, but totally worth it.

The chilled honeydew melded perfectly with the fluffy cake—sweet, soft, and cool. After just one bite, he sighed contentedly.

This trip was totally worth it!

Come to think of it, lately his cravings had gotten weirder—borderline extreme.

Before, he could take or leave cake—it was nice, but not essential. But these past few days, he couldn’t resist at all. If he wanted something, he *had* to eat it, or he’d be crawling out of his skin.

Shi Yu happily finished the whole slice, then lazed on the couch with the Little Monster, mirroring each other perfectly.

"So comfortable."

Little Monster: "Wala…"

Shi Yu: …

Nope, no more slacking off.

Time to hit the showers and crash.

The Little Monster watched Mom tidy up, then drifted off too.

Wala…

Lately… it’d been feeling kinda sleepy. Something felt… off. The Little Monster whispered goodnight to its mother, then snuggled obediently in its belly-nest.

The next morning, the takeout arrived right on time.

Shi Yu took it with a yawn, curious about the boss’s cooking. When he opened it at the table, he found a white thermal bowl inside.

Lifting the lid, the rich scent of brown sugar hit him.

—Brown sugar red bean mochi balls!

Totally unexpected.

Whoa, the boss makes cute stuff like this?

He blinked in surprise, then pursed his lips, unable to picture the boss making this.

Still, it looked really good.

Shi Yu typed in the chat window: “Got it.”

“I’ll try it now.”

Sang Huaiyu was cleaning up the kitchen when he saw Shi Yu’s message. He raised an eyebrow slightly, eager for the other’s reaction.

A moment later came a shark-rolling meme.

Shi Yu: !!!

“So good!”

This brown sugar was nothing like what he’d bought before—it made his store-bought stuff taste fake. And the red bean mochi balls were delicious too.

“Lately I’ve been craving sweets a lot.”

“This is seriously amazing.”

His excitement practically jumped off the screen. Sang Huaiyu smiled, realizing that this whole working-and-cooking routine wasn’t so dull after all. Was his sweet tooth new?

He made a mental note and replied, “You’re welcome.”

“By the way, your birthday’s coming up soon. Any plans?”

Birthdays are a big deal for humans, aren’t they?

Sang Huaiyu had never celebrated one himself, but he’d seen how humans did it—always a huge production.

At the mention of it, Shi Yu remembered yesterday’s discounted birthday card. Now the boss had brought it up again. He typed around a mouthful of food.

“Thinking of going out for my birthday.”

“Later, I’ll reserve a slot at a busy temple for some prayers, then come back for a big meal.”

He had the whole day planned. In past years, he’d been alone, but this time, at least Little Monster would be there.

Sang Huaiyu read the reply while his mind raced through typical birthday ideas—only to land on “temple.” He tilted his head, puzzled. “Why a temple?”

And a busy one at that? Not exactly birthday material.

Shi Yu didn’t want to say he thought the kid’s dad was bad luck and that he just needed to shake the bad juju. So he shrugged and said, “Just hitting a rough patch lately. Doing the temple thing for a bit of luck.”

“Well, young people visit temples all the time—totally normal.”

Shi Yu said this with growing confidence, then added casually:

“Hey boss, you should check it out sometime—maybe say a prayer.”

“I’ve heard business folks are really into this stuff.”

Reading Shi Yu’s dead-serious message, Sang Huaiyu couldn’t help but chuckle—this was actually kind of funny.

Him? Visiting a temple?

He’d never heard anything like it before.

Propping His chin on His hand, He imagined Shi Yu’s current expression and slightly lowered His gaze.

“I’ve been kinda swamped lately.”

“Why don’t you pray for me instead?”

Shi Yu: ???

Wait, can you even do that?

But after the boss had made him that sweet red bean and rice ball soup this morning, Shi Yu couldn’t say no—he nodded.

“Sure thing, boss—no problem.”

“I’ll grab you a special charm too.”

After sending that, he Googled the temple he wanted to visit for his birthday.

Hmm?

Baihe Temple—turns out it’s famous for love blessings, with tons of reviews saying its love prayers really work.

Shi Yu snapped a screenshot and sent it over.

“Boss, this place is all about matchmaking.”

“Guess I’ll get you a Marriage Talisman then.”

Now that he thought about it, the boss had it all—young, successful, loaded, and super polite—just no love life. Might as well hook the boss up with some love—payback for all his kindness.

Baihe Temple’s got a rep—maybe it’ll really happen.

When Shi Yu’s message came through, Sang Huaiyu paused.

Marriage? That was a new one. He couldn’t believe the stuff Shi Yu came up with.

His fingertip hovered over the screen. He’d meant to decline, but now He deleted the draft instead.

Finally, He just typed back: “Sure.”

He was curious what answer the Marriage Talisman from Baihe Temple would give.

...

For days on end, Shi Yu had been lounging at home—either streaming or gaming offline.

Still, he noticed that the Little Monster had been sleeping more and more lately.

Shi Yu frowned slightly, worried sick but helpless, feeling the poor little thing was somehow pitiful.

But he really didn’t know how else to keep giving it energy. If it truly needed its dad, where was he supposed to find him?

Plus, he himself was feeling off too.

After using his massager in the morning to ease his discomfort, Shi Yu glanced at the time.

Hmm.

Saturday—never mind, it’s a day worth celebrating. He’d deal with everything later; today, he should just focus on celebrating his birthday first.

Since he planned to go to Baihe Temple, Shi Yu woke up early. After getting ready, he was about to head out.

Just as he finished changing his shoes, he was surprised by messages on his phone.

In just the half-hour he spent getting ready, five birthday wishes had come in from his contacts.

One of them was from Wang-ge of the Ability User Association, someone he’d added before.

Shi Yu was a little confused—he hadn’t spoken to Wang-ge at all, so why send birthday greetings now?

Maybe Wang had just seen a reminder.

Baffled but polite, he still said thanks, then scrolled down: Dr. Shen, Han Chuyi, Captain Fu, and even the big boss had all sent him greetings first thing in the morning.

The messages were short, and Shi Yu couldn’t tell if they were copy-pasted, but anyway, he replied to each one.

Han Chuyi, who was waiting at the Ability User Association, immediately typed when he saw Shi Yu come online: “Wanna celebrate your birthday today?”

He didn’t hide his phone while sending the message, sneering as he glanced at Shen Yan. As if he didn’t know—Shen Yan must’ve sent a greeting too. What was he trying to prove by putting on airs like that?

Zhao Wen and Wang Shan exchanged glances, their faces scrunched up, but neither said anything.

Shen Yan ignored Han Chuyi’s antics, simply looking down to continue handling his recent workload. Though he told himself not to overthink things, he couldn’t help paying a bit of attention.

How would Shi Yu spend his birthday today?

The thought of someone long unseen surfaced in his mind.

Shen Yan frowned, thinking: Han Chuyi already asked—would Shi Yu go out?

He couldn’t pin down the feeling in his chest, yet found himself inexplicably waiting.

Early that morning, the atmosphere at the Ability User Association was tense and quiet. Upstairs, President Chang watched, completely lost.

Seeing that no one was fighting, he decided not to interfere and simply walked into his office with his thermos.

A few minutes later, Han Chuyi—who kept checking his phone and searching “where to take a guy for his birthday”—received Shi Yu’s reply.

“Pass.”

"I've got it all planned out—leaving right now."

Han Chuyi: ???

What kind of plan is "leaving right now"?

He’s bailing on us?

He paused, stunned. Then Shi Yu sent a screenshot.

"Planning to go to Baihe Temple."

"You can’t go without a reservation."

One sentence, and Han Chuyi's chance to tag along was dead.

Han Chuyi’s face twisted—he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or scream.

This guy...

He scowled, at a loss for words.

"Whatever. Go."

"But hey, happy birthday."

A glaring red e-hongbao popped up.

Shi Yu checked the notification but left it unopened.

Weirdly, the boss’s hongbao felt like fair game—anyone else’s? Nah.

He shrugged slightly. Seeing that the boss had mentioned preparing a gift for him to sign for after his hike, Shi Yu grew curious—what could the boss have gotten?

Well, he’d find out later in the afternoon.

Bag slung over one shoulder, he turned and left.

Meanwhile, Han Chuyi set down his phone, face unreadable.

Wang Shan coughed awkwardly. "So Shi’s ditching us?"

Han Chuyi glared. "He’s hiking. No reservation."

Shen Yan exhaled, shoulders loosening. The weather was nice today—the hike’d do him good.

He forced himself not to check his phone again and went back to work.

Then Han Chuyi grumbled under his breath, "He didn’t even take my hongbao?"

Shi Yu treated everyone the same—except the boss—just a "thanks" and nothing else. By now, he was already on the bus, bag packed.

There was no direct route to Baihe Temple; he had to ride to the suburban station first, then switch to a tour bus.

Shi Yu had mapped out the route long ago and brought some snacks before heading out.

Moping at home about his health was exhausting—outside, he breathed easier.

Originally, Shi Yu had just been watching the scenery out the window. But as he gazed, he gave in and snapped a pic.

"Check out this tree—pretty nice, right?"

His phone chimed with a "ding." Sang Huaiyu glanced down and picked it up, seeing the photo Shi Yu had sent.

Just a typical spring willow in the suburbs, but through Shi Yu’s lens, it looked full of life, making him take another look.

"Very beautiful."

Shi Yu nodded in agreement. As he was about to type a reply to his boss, the bus announcement interrupted.

"Now arriving at Baihe Temple. Please have your cards ready for exit."

Wait, we’re here already?

Shi Yu put his phone away and stood up. While sitting and watching the scenery, he hadn’t realized how quickly they’d reached Baihe Temple.

After swiping his card and stepping off the bus, Shi Yu finally had time to respond.

"Just arrived."

"Headed in. Text you after."

"Alright."

Sang Huaiyu didn’t press further, giving him space.

Putting his phone away, Shi Yu glanced around.

Everyone on the bus seemed headed to Baihe Temple, including a tour group. He simply followed along behind them as they made their way uphill.

The weather on Saturday was indeed pleasant. The woods were thick and green as far as he could see.

But while everyone else wore short sleeves, Shi Yu alone had a jacket on.

A few older folks kept giving him odd looks.

He was used to it by now. Without missing a beat, he told one staring auntie, "I run cold, auntie."

"Bad circulation," she said sympathetically before finally looking away, disappointed.

Shi Yu let out a quiet sigh and continued his slow climb.

Little Monster slept through the whole trip, only waking when its mother started hiking. It poked out a curious tentacle to peek around.

"Wah?"

Mama, where are we?

Whoa... so many people!

Startled by the sudden voice in his ear, Shi Yu touched his belly gently.

"Baihe Temple."

"I told you about this place, remember?"

Little Monster tried hard to recall, then it hit him—Mom’s birthday trip!

"Let’s go!"

Seeing that Little Monster was about to get excited, Shi Yu quickly covered his belly and glanced around.

"Shh."

"Keep it down here. Wait until we're up the mountain to talk."

Little Monster finally realized they were still in a crowd and obediently nodded.

Fortunately, Baihe Temple sat on just a small hill, so they reached the top soon enough. While the middle-aged worshippers around him went inside to burn incense and pray, Shi Yu took a break in a pavilion.

He looked down at his belly:

"By the way, I almost forgot to ask—does being here bother you?"

He'd been so focused on getting rid of bad luck that he nearly forgot the little monster inside him was... well, technically one of those Horrors. Would entering the temple affect it?

Affect?

Little Monster carefully considered it, then honestly shook its head.

Shi Yu: ...

Alright then.

Guess this temple wasn't all that legit. But hey, he was here now. Since it was just for relaxation anyway, he might as well go through the motions and pray casually.

After resting, he noticed the uncles and aunties ahead had already finished their prayers and were packing up. He gathered his things and walked over, glanced at the instructions by the entrance, bought a bundle of incense, and seriously went through the steps of praying.

As he prayed, Shi Yu remembered the main point and silently recited in his mind:

"May that bastard who knocked me up choke every time he drinks, be cursed with daily disasters, and nothing goes right for him."

He silently cursed in his head.

Sang Huaiyu was just settling in to read when he suddenly sensed a disturbance from the distant mountain.

That same strange feeling returned the moment his name was mentioned.

Yet Sang Huaiyu raised an eyebrow.

Thought this was about bad luck? Why is he bringing up my name again?

Shi Yu didn’t realize his venting during prayer had been sensed. Right now, he just felt much better after letting it out.

Calmer now, he got up and turned to visit the notoriously packed Matchmaking Hall nearby.

Only a few steps from the main hall, the Matchmaking Hall was packed.

Shi Yu blinked in surprise, then automatically pulled out his phone to message his boss.

"Boss, this place is swamped."

After a stunned pause, he immediately rallied.

"But no worries—I’ll fight my way in for that charm."

"I’ll snag you a solid one today."

Shi Yu turned around and joined the tour group line, all about going with the local flow.

Sang Huaiyu had just gotten over the idea that Shi Yu might be bad-mouthing him again when he saw the message come in from Shi Yu.

Sang Huaiyu: ...

The mix of these two feelings was so weird, it left him a little off for a moment.

Still, he narrowed his eyes slightly—what would Shi Yu even ask for?

Shi Yu was curious too, since it was about his boss's love life.

Once he was in line, he suddenly remembered he hadn’t asked his boss’s zodiac sign. He couldn’t help asking, “Oh right, Boss, what’s your sign?”

Sang Huaiyu paused. “Snake.”

He didn’t actually have a human zodiac, of course, but his real form was snake-like, so "snake" came to mind.

Snake?

So the big boss was born in the Year of the Snake—no wonder he was so into snakes.

Shi Yu nodded, getting it, then closed his eyes, filled out the form, and drew a slip.

The volunteer across from him noticed and smiled, reminding him,

“All done.”

“Just grab the matching Marriage Talisman based on the number.”

“But since you’ve already queued up this far, why not grab one for yourself too?”

Shi Yu wasn’t planning on getting anything for himself. But after the volunteer’s suggestion, he wavered.

An hour-long line, and he’d made it this far—it’d be a waste to only get one, right?

Even if he didn’t need it, eh… he was already here.

After a beat, he wrote down his own zodiac sign and closed his eyes, pulling another slip.

It wasn’t until he stepped aside absentmindedly to make room that he realized he’d been upsold.

Shi Yu: …

Eh, whatever.

The Little Monster curiously peered at what its mom was holding, looking puzzled.

“Wha?”

What… is this?

Shi Yu glanced down, and seeing no one nearby, said offhand, “Just a Marriage Talisman I pulled.”

"Not your business."

He shooed the Little Monster away without thinking much.

But the Little Monster curled its tentacles, looking torn.

Mar...riage...Talisman...?

Is it that thing from the Prenatal Education Device, the one only human...couples...can use?

The not-too-bright Little Monster thought in fragments.

Mom's holding...a Marriage Talisman.

So...does that mean he's going to have...a dad?

"Wala?"

Shi Yu was just about to grab the Blessing Pouch when he heard the Little Monster chirp: But...wala, Mom, I think I already have...a dad.

Shi Yu: ...???

What's it going on about?

Wait, more accurately, where's it getting all these relatives from?

Isn't its mom just me alone? Since when did it get a dad?

He'd often cursed the Little Monster's other father, but had always figured that guy was dead!

Shi Yu blanked for a second.

But the Little Monster strained to remember and concluded: "Wala."

Mom, not dead. Back when we were praying to the idol, there was a presence...that felt like...Dad.

The Little Monster didn’t understand blood relations, but during Mom’s cursing earlier, it sensed that presence...was like its own.

Only...it was kinda torn.

Felt kinda...intense?