Chapter 76 Dead Person

Chapter 76 A Death in the House

Zhan Jiayu had been steadily holding the ladder from below, so it was impossible for it to sway. Yan Zhoubai had fallen backward purely out of shock.

However, Zhan Jiayu was already poised beneath, so he easily caught Yan Zhoubai as he tumbled down.

The moment Yan Zhoubai landed in his arms, Zhan Jiayu first registered an indescribable fragrance, then the weight of the person in his embrace.

*He’s so light.*

Zhan Jiayu wasn't sure how Yan Zhoubai had fallen, but the first thing he did after catching him was pat his back, fearing he was startled.

“Zhan Jiayu,” Yan Zhoubai was visibly agitated. After steadying himself, he immediately clutched Zhan Jiayu’s clothes. “Did someone die in this house?”

At this question, Zhan Jiayu’s brow furrowed. *Had someone died here?* That was a difficult question to answer.

He had never lived in this house, so he didn’t know if anyone had died there. But he was well aware of how the Zhan family had made its fortune and the kind of man the old man was, so he couldn’t guarantee that no one had died within these walls.

However, Yan Zhoubai’s question was urgent. Seeing Zhan Jiayu’s lack of response, he gripped his sleeve and asked again.

“I don’t know, but you should know what the Zhan family does. So it’s very possible the old man might have disposed of some rivals here.”

Zhan Jiayu patted the back of Yan Zhoubai’s hand, signaling him to relax.

“What is it? Did you notice something?”

Zhan Jiayu had a general suspicion, but he didn’t believe in feng shui, nor was he afraid of the dead. Even if these elements combined to form some particularly ominous feng shui arrangement, he wouldn't care.

Yan Zhoubai took a moment to compose himself before speaking. “There’s a bit of a problem,” he swallowed hard, “I need to confirm it with my master.”

Seeing Yan Zhoubai’s reaction, Zhan Jiayu somewhat regretted asking him to check the feng shui. Yan Zhoubai was clearly frightened and hadn’t recovered even after a while. What kind of dark, unethical deeds had the old man committed in this house?

“It’s alright, let’s go inside first. There’s no hurry.”

Zhan Jiayu coaxed Yan Zhoubai into following him back to the living room.

Seeing Yan Zhoubai so spooked and disoriented, Zhan Jiayu felt a pang of sympathy and reached out to stroke his hair. *Pat pat, no more fear.*

It seemed even the red agate beads around Yan Zhoubai’s neck had lost their luster, just like their owner, looking less vibrant than before.

“Do you live here alone?”

Yan Zhoubai sat on the sofa, glancing around, and asked casually.

“Of course, it’s just me. My parents passed away, and my siblings are all abroad. I’m the only one who came back.”

Zhan Jiayu answered while taking a bottle of iced water from the fridge and placing it on the coffee table.

“You didn’t live here when you were young?”

“I don’t recall, but I must have lived here before I was old enough to remember. My mother was Chinese; she met the old man here in China.”

Zhan Jiayu had no memory of the Zhan family’s old residence. His mother had died young, and no one had told him whether he had lived in this old house. As far back as he could remember, he had lived in Country A.

“Is it okay if I ask when your mother passed away?”

The question was a bit personal. It was clear Yan Zhoubai felt somewhat awkward asking.

“When I was about three. She died of illness. I was too young to know the specifics. I was probably taken abroad by the old man soon after.”

Zhan Jiayu wasn’t bothered and smiled, gently touching Yan Zhoubai’s earlobe.

“Then, are you the eldest among your siblings?” Yan Zhoubai continued.

“No, I have two older brothers and an older sister. Why?”

Zhan Jiayu found it amusing. Yan Zhoubai, after whatever he had deduced from the feng shui inspection, was now suddenly conducting a census.

“Then they, they… are they all still alive?”

Yan Zhoubai felt this question was even more intrusive, but he needed this information to support his hypothesis.

Zhan Jiayu chuckled. “Of course they’re all alive, alive and kicking.”

*Full of life. If he wasn’t careful, there might come a time when the Zhan family would no longer be under his control. Those three siblings were not exactly harmless either.*

“And their mothers…”

“They also passed away very early. I really don’t know the details about that. The eldest brother is eight years older than me; I genuinely don’t know about their childhoods.”

Back then, he was busy fighting for power with these siblings. How could he have the mind to learn about their mothers? They were just the old man’s romantic entanglements, and he didn’t care to know.

“Oh…”

“Can you tell me what exactly you noticed? Just say it, I don’t mind. If there’s really a problem, we can fix it. We’ll do whatever you say, little master.”

Seeing that Yan Zhoubai had asked enough questions, Zhan Jiayu began to gently prompt him, his tone light, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation.

“Well… I’m not entirely sure. I still need my master’s help. Just listen… but don’t take it all as fact.” It was clear Yan Zhoubai was truly hesitant.

“Okay, tell me.”

Zhan Jiayu had always given Yan Zhoubai a very reliable feeling. Being with him felt safe.

“I’ve never seen this feng shui arrangement before. In principle, it should attract wealth and luck, but the functioning of this arrangement seems to require…” Yan Zhoubai paused here.

“Require what?”

“It requires… an offering from the house’s owner’s close blood relatives. And one… might not be enough.”

Yan Zhoubai felt this feng shui arrangement was deeply sinister. He had never encountered it before, and even now, just talking about it, he wouldn’t swear it with absolute certainty.

His earlier questions to Zhan Jiayu were meant to confirm whether any of Old Master Zhan’s immediate family had died here.

When Zhan Jiayu heard the word “offering,” his expression immediately changed.

“Offering? What kind of offering? How?”

“…Death.”

Yan Zhoubai uttered the word with difficulty. Seeing Zhan Jiayu’s face fall, he quickly added, “But feng shui is one of those things where you believe it or you don’t. I’m just making inferences based on what I’ve learned.”

Zhan Jiayu was silent for two seconds, then said, “I understand.”

“I’ll go back and ask my master how to break this feng shui arrangement. Don’t worry.”

Yan Zhoubai clumsily patted Zhan Jiayu’s arm in an attempt to comfort him. Having rarely been comforted himself since childhood, he wasn’t very good at comforting others. His movements seemed somewhat awkward and stiff.

But Zhan Jiayu naturally felt his intention completely. He took Yan Zhoubai’s hand in his, smiled, and said:

"Alright, I'll leave it all to you, Master Zhan. If it weren't for you, I would have been living in a house like this all along without knowing."

Zhan Jiayu didn't care about this at all—feng shui or whatever, he didn't believe in it. But he knew the old man did, so it was certain that a close relative of his had died in this house.

Right now, Zhan Jiayu only wanted to know the real cause of his mother's death.

To encounter such a complicated situation on his very first job—Yan Zhoubai truly didn't know whether to curse his bad luck or not.

And now it had left both of them in a bad mood. Yan Zhoubai wasn't even sure if he should stay here any longer.

Zhan Jiayu didn't notice Yan Zhoubai's unease. He was deep in thought, pondering everything that might be related to his mother's death, as he picked up the bottle of water he had earlier placed on the coffee table.

It had been sitting out for a while. Now, in early summer with the high temperatures, the chilled water from the fridge was no longer that cold. Zhan Jiayu casually unscrewed the cap and handed it to Yan Zhoubai.

Yan Zhoubai wanted to say he didn't want any water, but Zhan Jiayu's action was too quick, and it was already in his hand.

"Sweetie, he deliberately left the ice water out until it wasn't cold anymore before giving it to you," the system's voice sounded delighted.

"Huh? Oh."

"You told him you drink just plain water when you first arrived, so he probably assumed you don't like cold water. That's so considerate."

The system was extremely satisfied—the more it observed this formidable guy, the more pleased it felt. It couldn't quite explain why, but as long as he treated their young host well, it was satisfied.

"Want me to show you around? This old mansion is quite large," Zhan Jiayu asked.

"Okay."

Yan Zhoubai readily agreed. Since he was in someone else's home, he naturally had to follow the host's lead.

Yan Zhoubai followed Zhan Jiayu as they walked through the Zhan family's old mansion. He had to admit, it felt quite novel. The architectural style was vastly different from the local buildings in Beijing, and it was exquisitely detailed and crafted, featuring many artistic designs. It was nothing like the Yan family villa, which followed the overall style of the Western Hills villas.

He thought that if it were open to the public, a place this impressive could even charge admission.

"Don't you feel too lonely living here all by yourself?"

Zhan Jiayu walked ahead while Yan Zhoubai followed behind, his head spinning around constantly as he observed the trees in the courtyard and the intricate carvings on the walls.

"Of course I do. This place is too big—it could easily accommodate over a dozen people. If it weren't for the daily cleaners, most of the areas you saw in the living room today would be covered in dust. I don't stay here for long periods; I usually just come back to sleep and rarely go anywhere else."

Watching Yan Zhoubai look around like a curious cat, his eyes darting everywhere but still sticking close, Zhan Jiayu felt a sense of pleasure.

The old man's elaborate efforts in building this old mansion had at least some use. If it weren't for the need to present himself as the legitimate Zhan family heir to outsiders, he would never live here—it was too big, too remote, and terribly inconvenient for going to the company or handling other matters.

"That's pretty much the courtyard. Let me take you inside now. The mansion has four floors and over a dozen rooms, with some of the old man's former collections inside."

"Sure," Yan Zhoubai said, jogging to catch up with Zhan Jiayu. "Can I take a look at your room while we're at it?"

At this, Zhan Jiayu paused mid-step and raised an eyebrow. "You want to see my room?"

Author's note: Here it is!