Chapter 23

Chapter 23

During the lunch break, as Xu Muchan headed to the cafeteria, he remembered Jin Qi's harsh words. After grabbing his food, he carried his tray over to find He Jiaqi.

He Jiaqi sat alone in a corner eating. From Xu Muchan's observations, she seemed to have no friends in class—she never talked to anyone after class, spending most of her time reading or studying vocabulary.

"Mind if I sit here?" Xu Muchan approached with his tray.

He Jiaqi looked up in slight surprise, and upon recognizing Xu Muchan, smiled and shook her head. "No, go ahead."

Xu Muchan sat down across from her, trying to figure out how to warn her, when a loud voice interrupted: "Hey, why are you two crammed in this corner? I've been looking everywhere for you."

Wen Dajiang plopped himself down next to He Jiaqi without a second thought, his tray stacked high with food.

He Jiaqi didn't know him well and quietly scooted away.

Wen Dajiang and Wei Yao had become inseparable friends for good reason—both were equally thick-skinned and oblivious. He didn't pick up on He Jiaqi's discomfort at all and kept rambling: "Hey, He Jiaqi, did you finish your self-reflection essay? Let me copy yours."

He acted like he and He Jiaqi were old buddies.

He Jiaqi didn't know how to deal with people like him, so she just answered honestly, "Yeah, I wrote it."

Wen Dajiang grinned. "Then send it to me when we get back to class after lunch. I spent all morning trying to figure out what I even did wrong—why should I have to write a self-reflection?"

He Jiaqi let out a flat "Oh."

After pestering He Jiaqi, Wen Dajiang turned to Xu Muchan: "I heard that dumbass Jin Qi came back to school. He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

Xu Muchan took a slow bite and said, "He did."

Wen Dajiang was stunned, his chopsticks frozen mid-air. He looked Xu Muchan up and down, didn't see anything off, and asked, "Did you win or lose? If he messed with you, once Old Wei gets back, we'll go get even. I've been sick of that dumbass for a while now."

Xu Muchan shook his head, confused—when did he and Wen Dajiang get so chummy?

"I just scared him a bit. That screaming during the morning break? That was him."

Wen Dajiang was surprised, but then he remembered how Xu Muchan had been the calmest of them all when they got dragged into the ghost realm, and it made sense.

He gave a thumbs up, then lowered his voice like he was sharing a secret: "Did you have some kind of lucky break in Yundong? Is that why you're so clued in on all this?"

Wasn't that how it went in novels? The main character trains under a master in the mountains, comes down with all these skills, gets looked down on by idiots, and then shows them up big time?

Jin Qi was clearly the idiot getting shown up.

Xu Muchan stared at him, speechless. "I don't know how to catch ghosts. I've just seen enough to know what I'm doing."

Wen Dajiang wasn't listening at all, totally lost in his own world: "If any of my relatives or friends ever need that kind of service, can I hit you up? Got a friends-and-family discount?"

Xu Muchan: "..."

He didn't answer, just silently buried his head in his food. Across from him, He Jiaqi gave him a sympathetic look, then scooted away in annoyance and focused on her own food.

Wen Dajiang happily rambled on by himself until he finally snapped back to reality and asked, confused, "Why aren't you guys saying anything?"

Xu Muchan remembered he still hadn't said what he needed to say, so he warned He Jiaqi: "When Jin Qi came to see me, he mentioned you. I'm worried he might come after you. After school, take our car—I'll have the driver drop you off on the way."

Actually, Xu Muchan had a feeling there might be something else going on between Jin Qi and He Jiaqi, since Jin Qi had specifically told her to be careful on her way home, like he knew where she lived.

But with Wen Dajiang's big mouth around, Xu Muchan couldn't ask. Worried that Jin Qi might take his frustration out on He Jiaqi after losing to him, he could only offer her a ride home.

"That Jin Qi has no shame—picking on girls too?"

Wen Dajiang was immediately riled up and said to He Jiaqi, "We've been through life and death together, so we're friends. Let me add you on WeChat. If that bastard dares to mess with you, hit me up, and Old Wei and I will get some people to deal with him."

He was quick about it, adding He Jiaqi through a group chat in no time.

He Jiaqi accepted the friend request and said a quiet "Thanks."

After school that afternoon, Xu Muchan did bring He Jiaqi along.

It was Friday, so no evening study session. The sunset blazed fiery red as students trickled out of the school gates in twos and threes.

Xu Muchan led He Jiaqi toward the Xu family car, but his phone suddenly buzzed violently in his pocket. He answered, and Wei Xilou's voice came through: "Didn't I say I'd pick you up after school? Where's Achan off to now?"

His voice sounded dark and ominous.

Xu Muchan stopped in his tracks and looked around. "Brother, are you at the school gate? I can't see you."

Wei Xilou pushed open the car door and got out, calling, "Achan."

Xu Muchan turned toward the voice and saw a silver-white car not far from the Xu family's Audi, with his brother standing at the front, watching him.

With his current eyesight, he couldn't make out the other person's figure or face—just a vague human shape—but he knew right away it was his brother.

So he led He Jiaqi over, tilted his face up, and flashed Wei Xilou a smile. "Brother."

Wei Xilou's gaze swept over the slightly nervous girl, took Xu Muchan's backpack, and naturally stepped between the two of them, turning to size up He Jiaqi: "Who's this? A new friend of yours, Achan?"

Xu Muchan's smile faltered slightly, and he grew cautious. He chose his words carefully: "She's a classmate. She ran into a little trouble, so I'm giving her a ride."

"I need to drop her off first. Do you have time, brother? If not, I can have Uncle Wu take us."

Uncle Wu was the Xu family's chauffeur.

Wei Xilou's smile faded. He opened the back door and said, "Of course I have time. Get in."

The whole time they were talking, He Jiaqi kept her head down, playing the quiet bystander and hiding her shock. She obediently got into the car.

Xu Muchan got in after her. He Jiaqi turned to steal a glance at him, looking like she wanted to say something.

She wasn't a stranger to the man who'd come to pick up Xu Muchan. She still remembered Wei Yao's grandfather chasing after him, calling him "Old Ancestor."

Later, in the ghost realm, the man had faced the terrifying Lady Golden Flower without flinching, even grabbing Wei Yao and shoving him toward her... He really didn't seem like a good person.

But Xu Muchan seemed really close with him...

He Jiaqi eyed the man in the passenger seat warily. He'd changed into a shirt and pants, and with his striking looks and build, he outshone any celebrity—plenty of students at the school gate had been sneaking peeks at him.

But to He Jiaqi, he just gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure that felt extremely dangerous.

Just then, he turned around and looked at her with a gentle expression. "Where does Miss He live?"

He Jiaqi gave an address, then a chill ran down her spine—Xu Muchan had never introduced her. How did this man know her last name was He?

Flustered, she lowered her head and avoided his gaze.

Seeing He Jiaqi practically glued to the car door, Xu Muchan had to speak up: "Brother, where are you headed after this?"

After dropping off He Jiaqi, he'd have to go back to the Xu house, but his brother couldn't possibly come along in his current state, so Xu Muchan had to ask first.

Wei Xilou said, "The house the Wei family prepared is a bit small. Achan should stay at the Xu place for now. We'll get a bigger place in a while and come pick you up."

Xu Muchan wasn't planning on moving anytime soon anyway, so he said yes.

He Jiaqi lived on Yuyuan Road, an older area that was all blocked off for renovations. The streets were narrow, and traffic was clogged at the intersection, with impatient honks going off every now and then.

Watching the car crawl forward, she didn't want to waste Xu Muchan's time, so she said, "My place isn't far from here, just a few hundred meters. Just have the driver pull over, and I'll walk the rest of the way myself."

Xu Muchan had wanted to take her all the way home, but with another dangerous guy in the car, he could only say, "Just text me when you get home."

The driver pulled over, and He Jiaqi waved goodbye before getting out.

She'd actually lied to Xu Muchan—her home was two streets away, though still less than two kilometers, which wasn't that far.

She didn't like putting people out, but Xu Muchan had offered to take her home because he was worried about her safety, so she'd said yes in the end.

He Jiaqi took a few familiar turns, about to cross the street, when she noticed two boys crouching by the entrance of the housing complex across the road.

They had cigarettes dangling from their fingers and wore Nanming school uniforms.

Only rich or well-connected kids went to Nanming, and they wouldn't be hanging around this run-down housing project. She was sure nobody in her building went to Nanming.

Probably, Jin Qi had sent them to wait for her.

He Jiaqi turned and ran, planning to sneak in through the side gate.

But right then, the boys across the street spotted her. The Nanming uniform was way too noticeable. They tossed their cigarette butts and bolted across the road, shouting, "Shit, don't let her get away!"

The two chased after He Jiaqi.

She ran like crazy. A few random pedestrians saw students sprinting and assumed it was just kids messing around, getting out of their way.

He Jiaqi couldn't find anyone to ask for help. Since the side gate was only about two hundred meters away, she gritted her teeth and sprinted like she was running an eight-hundred-meter race.

She was tiny, but she was quick. Jin Qi's two goons chased her for a while but couldn't catch up, watching helplessly as she bolted into the complex at top speed.

The complex was busy, and an old man sat in the security booth. The two didn't dare keep chasing and cursed under their breath: "Damn, is she part rabbit or what? How's she so fast?!"

He Jiaqi glanced back, saw they'd stopped outside the complex, gave them a smug grin, and hurried home.

She lived on the first floor. At her door, she pulled out her keys to unlock it but froze at the sight inside, pausing at the doorway.

In the small living room, the curtains were all pulled shut, and no lights were on. In the dim room, a circle of white candles flickered.

In the middle of the candles lay her younger brother, who was supposed to be in the hospital, with a bowl of something black that looked like blood beside him, along with a rooster with its legs tied.

Her parents and grandmother were all gathered in the living room. Hearing the door open, they all turned at the same time to look at He Jiaqi.

"Dad, Mom, Grandma, what are you guys doing?" He Jiaqi automatically stepped back.

Her father stepped forward and grabbed her by the arm: "You're finally back. The hospital couldn't help your brother, so we brought him home. Your grandma found some home remedy from someone—she says it works wonders and can make your brother better."

Her mother closed the door behind He Jiaqi.

Her grandmother thrust a straw doll into He Jiaqi's hands. Her old face looked grim in the candlelight: "Do exactly what I tell you later. Don't mess up."

The straw doll felt weirdly cold. He Jiaqi was scared, but more than that, she was at her breaking point. Ever since her brother got sick, her grandmother had tried all sorts of folk remedies, constantly praying to every deity she could think of.

The house was already a mess, and now it was even worse.

Besides, her brother had been doing okay in the hospital. Now they'd pulled him out, and his condition might worsen again.

"Grandma, I've told you so many times—this old wives' tale stuff can't cure illness. If you're sick, you go to the hospital."

He Jiaqi threw the straw doll down and went to pick up her brother from the floor, but the second she touched him, she froze, her eyes widening in terror—

"I'm back."

On the way back to the Xu house, Xu Muchan received He Jiaqi's message. He glanced at it, relieved, then turned to the man beside him with a serious look: "He Jiaqi is a good person and she's helped me out before. She got into trouble this time because of me, so don't mess with her."

Wei Xilou looked at him, confused: "Why would I mess with your classmate? Achan, do you have the wrong idea about your brother?"

Xu Muchan: "..."

He nearly rolled his eyes, but since his brother insisted on acting dumb, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't exactly bring up old stuff—that would be rubbing it in.

He just muttered, "Good, as long as you don't mess with her. It took me forever to make any friends."

Wei Xilou's eyes flickered, and he reached out to ruffle Xu Muchan's hair: "Isn't having your big brother enough?"

Xu Muchan tilted his head and said, "A brother's a brother, and friends are friends. It's different."

"How is it different?" Wei Xilou leaned down, getting close, and stared at him intently.

Xu Muchan pressed his lips together and stayed silent, dropping his gaze to avoid Wei Xilou's intense stare.

When Xu Muchan didn't speak for a long time, Wei Xilou sighed, looking disappointed: "Achan's growing up."

Xu Muchan bit the inside of his lip but still didn't say anything.

Just then, the car stopped at the entrance of Oak Manor. Xu Muchan glanced outside and said, "We're here. I'm going in. You coming, bro?"

Wei Xilou said, "I've got other stuff to do. Go on in, Achan."

Xu Muchan gave an "oh," said bye politely, and opened the door to walk inside slowly.

Wei Xilou watched him walk away for a long moment, then suddenly asked the driver, "You got kids?"

The driver, sent by the Wei family, only knew this guy was important, probably some big shot, and quickly replied, "Yeah, I've got a ten-year-old daughter."

Wei Xilou said, "If your kid made friends outside, what would you do?"

The driver was confused. His daughter was only ten, full of energy, with tons of friends. He'd never thought this was something to worry about.

"Kids making friends is a good thing, isn't it? It shows they're social and outgoing. You'd be more worried if they couldn't make any friends, right?"

Wei Xilou looked at him disapprovingly: "These random friends just take up time that should be yours."

Driver: ???

He sensed something was off and got more careful: "Parents should still give kids some space, right? No kid clings to their parents all day..."

He glanced in the rearview mirror, saw the boss didn't look angry, and carefully added, "Experts say parents who are too controlling over their kids also have a kind of psychological problem..."

None of that was what Wei Xilou wanted to hear. They had nothing in common, so half a sentence was already too much. He frowned at the man and said coldly, "Just drive."

*

When Xu Muchan got back, Xu Wangchuan was already there.

Xu Qingming and Xu Zhifei were actually there too. Seeing him come back, Xu Zhifei asked where he'd been and why he hadn't come back with Xu Wangchuan.

Xu Muchan casually made up an excuse to brush it off. Fortunately, Xu Zhifei seemed to have asked only in passing and didn't press further, instead saying, "Tomorrow, you all need to get up early. The Wei family is holding a family recognition ceremony and sent us an invitation. I've booked a stylist to come over in the morning."

She touched Xu Muchan's hair, which had been cut into a mess. "Especially Muchan—this hair needs proper styling. We'll get it shaped up."

Xu Muchan never objected to things that were neither here nor there, so he simply nodded in agreement.

Early the next morning, the stylist arrived right on time as promised.

Xu Muchan's hair was trimmed short, then carefully styled by the hairdresser. After changing into the suit Xu Zhifei had specially prepared, the family of four headed out.

The recognition ceremony was held in the morning at the Wei family's old residence.

The venue at the old estate was spacious enough, with tables and chairs set up in the central courtyard for guests to observe the ceremony.

The statue of Lady Golden Flower had also been brought out and placed at the very center, with offerings of three sacrificial animals, incense, and candles laid out on the altar table in front. A group of Taoist priests were chanting incantations around it.

The Wei family took this ceremony very seriously, though the invited guests were somewhat puzzled, unsure what family connection was being acknowledged.

Still, those invited were all prominent figures in Jiangcheng. Even if they had doubts, they wouldn't voice them, simply treating it as an opportunity for socializing and networking.

The ceremony hadn't started yet, so everyone was chatting in the front hall.

As soon as Xu Muchan walked in, Wei Yao, who had sharp eyes, spotted him immediately. He pushed past the people around him, stepped forward, greeted Xu Qingming and his wife, then draped an arm over Xu Muchan's shoulder. "Come sit over here. I thought you weren't going to show."

Xu Muchan indeed hadn't wanted to come, but since Xu Qingming and Xu Zhifei were attending, he had no choice but to go along.

Wei Yao pushed him down into a seat, then introduced his new friend to the circle of people around them.

Most of those present were Wei Yao's close friends, though some weren't students at Nanming and naturally didn't know Xu Muchan.

Xu Wangchuan stood beside Xu Qingming, watching from a distance as Xu Muchan was surrounded by a group of rich kids, his face giving nothing away.

Xu Qingming noticed it too and said cheerfully to Xu Zhifei, "Muchan doesn't talk much, but in just a few days, he's already buddy-buddy with the Wei kid."

Xu Zhifei was equally pleased. Walking in earlier, many wives had marveled at how handsome Xu Muchan was, and she'd thoroughly enjoyed showing him off, getting her old status back.

She smiled and said, "Muchan's always been easy to like."

It was only then that the couple remembered their adopted son was standing there. Xu Qingming patted the adopted son's shoulder and said, "Don't hang around us. You can't jump into adult talk anyway. Go hang out with Muchan."

Xu Wangchuan was pushed forward a step by him, his face twitching for a second before he recomposed himself, put on a smile, and walked toward the crowd.

At that moment, Wei Yao was deep in the latest gossip.

"You guys don't know yet—that piece of shit Jin Qi jumped off the second floor last night like a lunatic and broke his leg."

Xu Muchan was somewhat surprised. "He did it himself?"

Wei Yao nodded, looking smug. "Yeah, that's why I said he's lost it. But his parents are claiming Jin Qi saw a ghost and got possessed. Their family's been cursed with bad luck lately, and my parents thought they wouldn't show up today. But guess what—they came first thing this morning. Take a guess why?"

Wen Dajiang did his job as the straight man. "Why?"

"To get my grandpa to hook them up with a master."

Wei Yao curled his lip. "My grandpa, to save face, introduced them to Taoist Master Yan He."

He felt that Taoist Master Yan He's skills in the ghost realm were fairly solid, and couldn't help but click his tongue regretfully. "I hope Taoist Master Yan can see that guy for the trash he is and mercifully take him out."

"Jin Qi's getting what he deserves, huh? And he still dares to find a Taoist to exorcise spirits—not scared the Taoist might just take him out instead?"

Wei Yao looked at the speaker, smelling a juicy story. "Xu Fan, you've got something?"

Xu Fan crossed her arms, her face scrunching up at the mention of Jin Qi. But seeing Wei Yao look so eager and clueless, as if he really didn't know, she said, "Aren't you at the same school as him? You actually don't know?"

"It was last semester, right around the first two days of summer break. A new Chinese teacher in the international program jumped off the school building."

"I know about that. The school happened to be on break then, so hardly anyone was around, and the school swept it under the rug. I only heard about it later." Wei Yao said, puzzled. "But what does that have to do with Jin Qi?"

Xu Fan said, "I have a friend in the international program, same class as Jin Qi. She said Jin Qi kept harassing that teacher—openly writing love letters, confessing, giving gifts. The teacher rejected him, but he wouldn't stop. Eventually, the school administration found out, the teacher got called in for a talk, and they were even talking about firing her... Not long after that, word spread that the teacher had jumped off the school building."

She and her friend both felt the teacher's suicide was closely tied to Jin Qi. Someone as scummy as Jin Qi wouldn't genuinely like anyone—he just saw the new Chinese teacher as pretty, soft-tempered, and without any backing, so he toyed with her without restraint.

The incident happened during summer break, so few people knew about it. The Chinese teacher's family apparently didn't come to the school to make a fuss either, and the whole thing got buried by the school.

Jin Qi was reportedly given a disciplinary mark, but it was only a month's suspension, after which he returned to school as if nothing had happened.

Xu Fan said bitterly, "If there really are ghosts in this world, they should take that scumbag Jin Qi."

Wei Yao was hearing this for the first time, frowning as he said, "That's beyond despicable. I'm going to ask my grandpa for Taoist Master Yan's contact info and tell him about this. If he actually saves a piece of trash like that, it'd probably cost him years off his life."