Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Xu Muchan sucked noisily on the finger for a good long while before finally looking satisfied.

The boy looked even more docile after eating, and his deathly pale skin, as colorless as a paper effigy, seemed to have taken on a rosier, healthier glow. He reluctantly unclamped his teeth, and Wei Xilou's finger slipped out of his mouth, with two small, clearly visible round holes on it.

As if savoring the meal, the boy unconsciously licked it again before hugging that hand to his chest as if it were a treasure, then closing his eyes in contentment and drifting back to sleep.

Wei Xilou wiped the dark red bloodstains from the corner of the boy's mouth with his free hand. His fingertip traced down the lines of the boy's face, coming to rest on the curve of his neck. He hooked a finger around the red string and pulled out the Mountain God Amulet hanging on the boy's chest.

The Mountain God Amulet was made of locust wood. Worn for so long, its surface had been polished to a glossy sheen, though the carved patterns had faded considerably.

Using the blood still on his fingertip, Wei Xilou traced over the patterns to deepen them before tucking the amulet back inside the boy's shirt.

As he went to withdraw his hand, it accidentally brushed against the delicate skin nearby. Wei Xilou paused, then yielded to impulse and paused, rubbing the spot again and again, savoring the delicate, faintly cool feel of the skin.

The unfamiliar sensation was strangely addictive.

Though the human body was clumsy and inconvenient, its feel was far more immediate than that of a spirit body.

Wei Xilou narrowed his eyes slightly, rubbing that patch of soft skin until it flushed red and warm.

Wei Jianguo pushed the door open holding a stack of examination reports, only to find the ancestor sitting by the hospital bed, one hand under the boy and the other shoved inside his collar. Though the clothes hid the exact movements, the fabric was rising and falling in waves—anyone with eyes could tell what was going on.

"..."

The kid on the bed seemed to be his son's classmate, and their family ancestor... forget the age gap—might not even be human.

A dozen expressions flickered across Wei Jianguo's face before he finally decided, against his conscience, to pretend he hadn't seen anything. Clutching the examination reports, he stepped forward respectfully. "Ancestor, all the test results are in. The doctor said there's nothing seriously wrong with the child's body, just a bit of malnutrition and anemia."

As for the other strange details, Wei Jianguo chose to selectively ignore them—there was no use consulting doctors about such unscientific matters.

"Malnutrition?"

Seeing Wei Xilou look puzzled, Wei Jianguo carefully explained, "The kid looks too thin. Maybe it's because he's still growing and hasn't been eating properly. The doctor said most people these days have some degree of malnutrition or anemia."

Wei Xilou's brows were still furrowed, looking rather displeased.

Wei Jianguo wasn't sure if the ancestor had understood, so he could only tread even more carefully, venturing tentatively, "The doctor also prescribed a nutrition IV. Should I have a nurse come in now to set it up?"

After speaking, he glanced at the kid's overgrown fingernails—they no longer looked dark blue, just like ordinary overgrown nails. But recalling the doctor's barrage of questions earlier, Wei Jianguo, despite his curiosity, could only bury his doubts deep in his heart.

Wei Xilou eventually agreed.

Wei Jianguo had a nurse come in to hook up the nutrition IV while he lingered nearby, then carefully proposed, "By the way, I've had a few sets of clothes prepared for you, Ancestor. If you don't mind, shall I have them sent over?"

The times are different now, after all. Wei Xilou's striking looks and out-of-place attire inevitably drew attention, something he had already noticed earlier.

These unfilial descendants, irritating as they were, weren't entirely useless.

Wei Xilou nodded, then instructed, "Also prepare a house near Nanming, and bring one of those phones you lot use."

Wei Jianguo's mouth twitched, but he didn't dare show any displeasure and quickly agreed, "Understood, Ancestor. I'll have it arranged right away."

Stepping out of the ward, Wei Jianguo first called his father to report the situation.

He didn't know that this ancestor, Wei Xilou, had crawled out of a coffin in the ancestral hall's secret chamber. Though he served this "ancestor" carefully per his father's instructions, he still harbored doubts in his heart.

Old Master Wei, however, sounded noticeably more relaxed upon hearing Wei Xilou's requests: "Give the ancestor whatever he asks for. Now we shouldn't fear him making demands—we should fear him wanting nothing at all."

Old Master Wei had been a businessman his whole life, and the most dreaded opponent was someone who sought nothing.

Making demands meant the Wei family still had value, which meant there was still room for negotiation.

Relationships that go both ways last.

Wei Jianguo said no more upon hearing this, only gesturing to his secretary to handle the arrangements.

Then he asked about his son's condition: "How is Yaoyao doing?"

Old Master Wei looked toward his grandson, who was still firmly held in Lady Golden Flower's grasp, and said, "Your wife woke Yaoyao up. He's now coaxing Lady Golden Flower, and it seems she's been pacified for the time being. I can tell the ancestor wasn't deceiving us—Yaoyao shouldn't be in any immediate danger. I've already sent people to prepare for the kinship ceremony."

At this point, Old Master Wei paused, his tone growing more solemn: "Jianguo, I feel this is an opportunity for our family and for Yaoyao. Since we're going to win over Lady Golden Flower, the kinship ceremony must be held in grand style. Later, find another chance to ask the ancestor if he might honor us with his presence."

*

Back in the ward, the nutrition IV was already half-finished. Xu Muchan furrowed his brows and let out a soft groan, opening his eyes while clutching his dizzy, throbbing head.

His body felt like it didn't belong to him—limp and powerless, with his stomach growling with hunger. Xu Muchan groggily opened his eyes wanting to call out, but was dazzled by the bright light before him and squeezed his eyes shut again.

His thick lashes trembled restlessly. Sensing something, Xu Muchan cautiously opened his eyes just a crack.

Light streamed in, with distorted outlines and spots dancing before his vision like a kaleidoscope.

Only then did Xu Muchan joyfully open his eyes fully. The warped shapes and light spots gradually returned to normal, becoming blurry shadows reflected in his eyes.

Directly ahead should be a wall—white, with a square object hanging on it that ought to be a decorative painting.

The light was bright, but everything in his field of vision remained blurry. Xu Muchan squinted hard, piecing together guesses to make out the objects before him.

But this was already enough to excite him. Perhaps it was sheer joy, or perhaps his eyes, not yet fully adapted to the harsh light, were too sensitive—transparent droplets welled up at the corners of his eyes, slid down his smooth cheeks, and gathered at his chin, threatening to fall.

But Xu Muchan didn't actually want to cry. He only felt overwhelmed with surprise, his dark eyes, soaked in tears, brimming with astonishing light.

His brother hadn't lied to him after all.

"Why are you so prone to crying?" A hand suddenly reached over from the side, catching the teardrop that was about to fall.

The warm droplet dampened his fingertip. Curious, Wei Xilou brought his finger to his mouth and tasted it.

It was salty.

He wondered what Achan tasted like.

"Who are you?"

A slightly hoarse voice sounded in the quiet ward. Xu Muchan finally pulled himself out of his joy, remembering what had happened before he lost consciousness.

He had been in Lady Golden Flower's ghost domain earlier. His brother had suddenly gone crazy for some reason, insisting on climbing into the coffin to lie down. He had been very angry... and then, then he couldn't remember anything after that.

Xu Muchan squinted hard, trying to see the person before him clearly, but the more he tried, the more violently the lights and shadows swayed before his eyes.

All he could vaguely discern was that he should be in a hospital, and the man who had just spoken was sitting by the bed—broad-shouldered and long-armed, his figure presumably tall and large, blocking most of the window behind him. When he leaned in, Xu Muchan felt as though he were being enveloped by a dense shadow.

This feeling was strangely familiar, but Xu Muchan carefully recalled the voice he had just heard—deep and hoarse, magnetic and distinctive. He was certain he had never met this person before.

He grew wary, quietly pushing himself back on the bed, and asked again, "Who are you?"

The other's reaction was even stranger: "You don't recognize me?"

Xu Muchan tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing: "Should I recognize you?"

As he spoke, he quietly felt around his body—his phone was in his pants pocket.

But after searching for a while, he realized these weren't the clothes he had originally been wearing—no pockets, and naturally no phone.

Xu Muchan grew even more tense. The man by the bed was a stranger and had remained silent all along, which made him think he wasn't a good person. He gripped the wooden amulet on his chest through his clothes and silently called out, "Brother, are you there?"

Wei Xilou didn't respond to Xu Muchan but instead pressed the call button for a nurse.

The nurse quickly pushed the door open and, upon finding Xu Muchan awake, asked how he was doing while checking him over. Xu Muchan used the chance to find out where he was, but his face kept drifting toward the man sitting to the side.

Even after the nurse came in, the man still hadn't said a word.

His brother hadn't responded either, and Xu Muchan started to think maybe only he could see him.

The nurse continued to give Xu Muchan gentle instructions, saying he could leave once the IV drip was done, but if he still felt uneasy, he could also stay an extra day.

Xu Muchan thanked her, and the nurse left, pushing her cart away.

The door was softly closed, and the room fell quiet again. The silent man moved closer to the head of the bed, quiet but still impossible to ignore.

Even the small area around him seemed to carry a denser shadow than the rest.

Xu Muchan felt that intense sense of familiarity once more.

He raised a hand to touch his eyes, thinking of the strange thing his brother had fed him earlier, and wanted to ask his brother if the reason he could now see a little was because of what he had swallowed.

But his brother wasn't there.

Xu Muchan's heart stirred suddenly. He looked toward the thick shadow at the head of the bed and tentatively called out, "Brother, is that you?"

Only then did Wei Xilou smile, his curled fingers brushing over the boy's trembling lashes. "It's me."

Achan was really slow—he only just recognized him now.