Chapter 151: Old Yang, Let’s Take a Bath Together!
Dragon Lady gave Zhao Mingyue a feeling that was utterly indescribable. Is she bad? Well, not really. She’s just a little brat, maybe fifteen or sixteen, who dares to tease her time and again, calling Zhao Mingyue a vinegar jar. How dare she!
To be honest, Zhao Mingyue found Dragon Lady a bit obnoxious, but she didn’t quite consider her a bad person.
“Hmph, just a punk kid. What’s with the attitude? Sooner or later, I’m going to catch you and spank you!”
Little did Zhao Mingyue know about Dragon Lady’s true identity. To her, she was just another kid, about the same age as Bai Yu.
“I’m not going to argue with this little brat who probably hasn’t even graduated middle school!”
“Hmph, irritating.”
“I should’ve just yanked her face earlier and asked her if she dares to say it again!”
“Adults don’t remember offenses from little girls. I’m off to my class.”
All of Zhao Mingyue’s muttering was naturally picked up by Bai Yu, who suddenly understood why Dragon Lady didn’t want to reveal her identity. It was a bit complicated. She wasn’t really who she used to be, nor did she resemble her original self. Even her soul was just fragments! How could she explain this mess to Zhao Mingyue?
The more she tried, the more it broke Zhao Mingyue’s heart.
So, faced with someone who was an older sister but also not, how was Zhao Mingyue supposed to deal with this? What was she even supposed to think about it? Acceptance was a tall order.
For now, Zhao Mingyue was quite fine, blissfully unaware and happy every day.
She quickly adjusted her mood and hummed a little tune on her way to school.
All the way, she didn’t make any effort to talk to Bai Yu, mostly because she didn’t even realize she was genuinely jealous and didn’t want to interact with Bai Yu while secretly hoping Bai Yu would approach her first.
They were practically giving each other the silent treatment! The one who speaks up first would look so awkward!
Clearly, Zhao Mingyue miscalculated this time.
When engaged in a cold war with someone like Bai Yu, the only loser would be her.
The “cold war” continued until after school when Zhao Mingyue was walking to the convenience store alone.
“Hey, Yu Mei, why aren’t you talking to me?”
“Talking?”
“Yeah! It’s been the whole afternoon and you haven’t said a word!”
“Right.” Bai Yu was a little puzzled. Not talking for an entire afternoon was completely normal, wasn’t it? Why did this girl seem a bit off?
“That’s a whole afternoon, you know…” As she spoke, Zhao Mingyue started to feel something was amiss.
Wait a minute. Isn’t this how it always was? Bai Yu wouldn’t bother her while she was in class!
Knock, knock! She had forgotten; during a silent treatment, time goes by terribly slow. She thought it had been ages, but in reality, it had only been a few hours!
“Cough, cough.” Clearing her throat to ease the awkwardness, Zhao Mingyue whispered to herself, “No big deal, just suddenly wanted to ask you something. How about I hit you with a riddle? What do you say?”
“Sure, go ahead.” Bai Yu replied.
“Once upon a time, there were two rabbits. One was named ‘I like you,’ and the other was named ‘I don’t like you.’ One day, the rabbit named ‘I don’t like you’ was dying, so what was the remaining rabbit called?”
This riddle was something Zhao Mingyue had randomly seen in a video, and it just popped into her head.
Her face flushed slightly, and her heartbeat quickened.
She couldn’t wait to hear Bai Yu’s answer.
Meanwhile, Bai Yu hadn’t noticed Zhao Mingyue’s subtle changes. She was deep in thought.
Since it was a riddle, she couldn’t go with the usual responses.
After a moment, Bai Yu spoke, having thought it through.
“The other rabbit should be called ‘Doctor!’”
Zhao Mingyue froze mid-step, standing by the roadside, her expression transitioning from shock to confusion, then to grievance, and finally to the brink of tears, her face flipping through emotions like a book.
Called “Doctor”…
How could the other rabbit be called “Doctor”?!
“It’s obviously ‘I like you!’”
“……”
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Zhao Mingyue quickly covered her mouth. A few passersby who heard the commotion instinctively turned to look, seeing Zhao Mingyue standing alone under the streetlight and shaking their heads.
Ah, poor girl! Has she just been dumped? Who’s the blind fool who’d abandon such a pure and beautiful girl?
With all eyes on her, Zhao Mingyue’s face turned even redder, and she hurriedly scampered away.
In the shadows, Bai Yu fell silent. Was her answer really that unexpected?
Not really. More so, she just found it hard to believe Zhao Mingyue could come up with such a cheesy response.
Seeing Zhao Mingyue’s awkward expression brought Bai Yu back to her senses.
Yeah, of course, it made more sense for Zhao Mingyue to react that way.
Once Zhao Mingyue had dashed off and was nearly at the convenience store, Bai Yu’s voice once again echoed in her mind.
“By the way, the answer to that question? Let me take that back.”
“A rabbit wouldn’t go calling a doctor.”
“It should be ‘I like you’ instead.”
Zhao Mingyue’s fingers were already on the door handle of the convenience store when she froze upon hearing Bai Yu’s words.
Combining Bai Yu’s statement with her previous riddle created two meanings…
But she was Bai Yu! There’s no way she’d answer with an alternative meaning, right?
But… what if?
Zhao Mingyue decided not to pursue it. In her view, there was no need to investigate further.
What it actually meant? Who cares.
As long as she believed it had another meaning, that was enough for her.
That evening, Li Tianan was restocking shelves and moving goods, occasionally glancing at the silly grin on Zhao Mingyue’s face behind the counter.
What’s up with this girl? Has something sparked her joy? She’s been smiling non-stop tonight, as if she’s won the lottery! Last time that punk Lu Liangting casually bought a lottery ticket and won over two hundred thousand but scarcely smiled.
‘Could it be a ghost possessed her?’ Li Tianan thought, then immediately dismissed the idea.
What kind of ghost would be bold enough to possess Zhao Mingyue?
He had the ability to see spirits and had encountered numerous ghostly groups in various places.
There are hierarchies among ghosts, like gangs; some evil ghosts are unafraid, but the little ones are terrified.
Even the most ruthless ghost leaders he had met wouldn’t dare look Bai Yu in the eye; a quick glance could immobilize them with fear.
A few days ago, he might have mentioned something to a nearby ghost leader. Today that guy seemed to be planning to eliminate him using Bai Yu’s power, yet he was exposed instead.
Forget it, as long as Mingyue is happy, that’s a good thing, and it means Bai Yu’s spirits are up too.
Dealing with Bai Yu was quite the challenge for Li Tianan.
Powerful, clear-headed, and highly experienced; she was the type who would dominate in a head-on fight and foil every conspiracy.
Such a ghost was the scariest; in his lifetime, he had encountered only one like her.
The convenience store was quiet, the only thing audible was Zhao Mingyue’s phone playing videos.
If one were to pay attention, they’d notice she often replayed certain videos two, three, or even four times—not because she took them too seriously, but because she’d spaced out.
At 9:30 PM, the streets were nearly devoid of pedestrians or vehicles and a fog was creeping in.
Suddenly, there was a flicker of lights in the store as the electricity acted up, flashing repeatedly before going out completely.
Ring~
The bell at the entrance chimed as the door opened, catching Zhao Mingyue’s attention.
Nobody entered, just a wisp of dark energy drifted in. She vaguely saw a man’s silhouette walk in. As he passed under the wind chime, it lightly swayed, ringing three times. By the fourth time, it chimed awkwardly, like it barely managed to sound.
Zhao Mingyue blinked, rubbed her stiff mouth, then raised her hand to point at the entrance.
The malevolent ghost entering only heard her sweet, clear voice as she addressed someone.
“Bai Yu, there’s a ghost over there.”
The man paid no mind, his focus solely on Zhao Mingyue’s face and chest, his eyes filled with desire.
Just as he was about to pounce, the lights in the convenience store flickered back on, revealing a shadow taking shape before him. A mass of bl**d threads filled the air, forming a dark and ominous figure.
It was as if a giant hand had gripped his heart; every bl**d thread in the ghost screamed at him to leave this ghost!
He spun around, but the door behind him had been sealed tight by bl**d threads.
“No, this guy didn’t come from the Ghost Gate!” the evil ghost screamed just as countless bl**d threads consumed him.
“What’s a Ghost Gate?” Zhao Mingyue wondered aloud, stretching lazily and glancing at the time. “It’s getting late; I should head back and contact Lu Liangting to check on Feng Er.”
“Wonder what Lu Liangting’s up to right now.”
“Yu Mei, why don’t we take a bath together when we get back?~”
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Meanwhile, Lu Liangting had just returned home after dinner and a workout, dripping with sweat and ready for a usual shower.
In the bathroom, Zhizi had already prepared the hot water, though she wasn’t currently inside—she’d been thinking about it.
Clothes off, Lu Liangting slid into the tub, squinting in sheer enjoyment.
A hot bath was the best way to relieve fatigue.
As he lay there, a thought from earlier that day popped into his mind.
“Honesty is key!” Lu Liangting suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the clear surface of the water.
This feels a bit awkward, doesn’t it?
Two grown men taking a bath together might be pushing it…
No, being honest with each other could actually work wonders. But it’s not about being undressed. It’s about being sincere at heart.
Besides, over in Northeast China, don’t they have public baths? So many men around, and they don’t seem embarrassed at all.
“Old Yang.”
“Yeah?”
“Want to take a bath together?” Lu Liangting’s tone was sincere.
“Get lost, you brat!”
A bit of murky energy clouded the bathtub, rising like a narrow thread, weak but still reflecting Old Yang’s inner turmoil.
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