Chapter 104: You Can’t Hide Fire with Paper
With Little Ghost Xiao Lian gone, Sunshine Apartment was no longer a spooky haunt. Zhao Mingyue felt a significant change in the atmosphere—she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it was definitely less chilly, and the smell of disinfectant and decay had all but vanished.
Most importantly, that inexplicable feeling of mental oppression was gone.
Ascending to the fourth floor and standing before Room 404, Zhao Mingyue rummaged through her pocket for the key. Just as she was about to unlock the door, she felt a vague sensation of being watched.
Turning her head, she caught sight of someone rounding the corner of the hallway. There were two other rooms there, one of which was occupied—a fact she learned while handling a task for Xiao Lian.
That guy was a real oddball. He had invited her in once, but his apartment was cluttered with bottles of booze and instant noodle boxes—hardly any space to sit.
“What a weirdo.”
She opened the door and stepped inside; the lights flickered to life. Zhao Mingyue stumbled over to the sofa, feeling the familiar ache in her body and the leaden weight of her legs come back all at once.
All night long, she felt like a total slacker, doing practically nothing. But still, she believed she played an important role—even if she didn’t, she was definitely exhausted.
Really, can you think of anyone else who could get so worn out by loafing around?
“Ah, this sofa is just too comfortable.” She flipped over, leaning back, or rather, collapsing onto the sofa, completely abandoning the “cute girl” persona. “So tired… but what’s up with my body feeling so weird?”
Zhao Mingyue lifted her hand and tried to make a fist.
Her arms ached, sure, but amidst that soreness, she could distinctly feel a warm current flowing inside her, making her want to close her eyes in bliss.
It was like soaking in a hot spring after a long, tiring day, while Bai Yu stood by, giving her a nice shoulder rub.
“Must be the power boost from completing the task,” Bai Yu piped up, observing the disheveled Zhao Mingyue.
“Oh right, let me check!”
She pulled out her black phone and scrolled through her upgrades.
【Task Completed】
【Eternal Life Village (Previous), Completion: 30%】
【Task Completed: Strength +3, Vision +3, Hearing +3, Willpower +3, Reaction Speed +3】
【You have gained the ability: Ghost God Resonance】
【Ghost God Resonance: Your favorability with neutral ghosts has slightly increased.】
【Ghost abilities affect your mental strength by -2; damage to ghosts will scale with your mental strength.】
“Wow, look at all this! It seems like I didn’t fully complete the task, just the main one.”
Zhao Mingyue stared at the upgrades, momentarily stunned. Just completing 30% had netted her more than what she got from both tasks at Sunshine Apartment and Thirteen High School combined! If this were 100%… she’d practically be soaring!
But, that’s to be expected. That task was pretty dangerous.
High risk, high reward, right? Though she didn’t quite understand how exactly her power had improved. What was the principle behind it?
Surely, she didn’t level up just by taking out so many wax corpses, did she?
Or could it be that she absorbed their powers?
She showed her phone to Bai Yu, genuinely bubbling with excitement. She definitely didn’t want to be a vase or just coast along; she felt powerless to do anything substantial, but with her current strength, she could tackle regular tasks. Big ones, though? No way.
“Bai Yu, do you think this new ability is useful?”
“Very useful.”
“Woohoo!”
Zhao Mingyue sprang up from the sofa, clutching her Rabbit Plush Toy as she marched toward the bathroom. She paused at the door to call back, “Bai Yu, want to join me for a bath?”
“No thanks.”
“Okay then.”
Moments later, the bathroom was filled with the sound of Zhao Mingyue singing and water splashing. Bai Yu rolled her eyes toward the bathroom, a hint of exasperation in her gaze, before walking over to the TV, where she picked up a photo.
It was a picture of Zhao Mingyue and her sister.
At first glance, a perfectly normal and heartwarming photo, except that her sister’s face had been erased by some force, leaving only a distorted and blurry image.
Bai Yu’s curiosity about Zhao Mingyue’s sister was only intensifying. From what Zhao Mingyue had said, her sister seemed to know all sorts of things and had these cryptic conversations with Zhao Mingyue but never shared anything useful.
She had never underestimated the truth behind Zhao Mingyue’s sister’s disappearance.
It definitely wasn’t just a simple case of being snatched up to become a goddess.
The information gathered from this Eternal Life Village task only confirmed that.
Her sister hadn’t been captured; she had gone back to the village on her own.
Only three years older than Zhao Mingyue, she was a stark contrast—while she seemed to know everything, Zhao Mingyue was blissfully ignorant and always at the mercy of others, barely scratching the surface of understanding life.
Lucky for her in some ways; knowing too much could be a burden.
And there was something about the Dragon Lady’s attitude toward Zhao Mingyue that felt off.
At their first meeting, it didn’t show much besides the Dragon Lady disappearing for no apparent reason.
But during their second encounter, a lot had been revealed. Given her usual demeanor, the Dragon Lady wouldn’t have gone out of her way to warn Zhao Mingyue about going to the village. No, she would rather remain silent and just subtly suggest not bringing any baggage along.
The fact that the Dragon Lady had a connection to Eternal Life Village and wasn’t aligned with the Evil God made the Dragon Lady’s odd behavior—her uncharacteristic retreat upon seeing Zhao Mingyue followed by direct warnings—worthy of suspicion.
Putting all these clues together, it was hard not to wonder about the Dragon Lady’s connection to Zhao Mingyue.
Of course, this was all just speculation; she couldn’t draw any conclusions about the reality of it all.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Zhao Mingyue was only wrapped in a bath towel.
While blow-drying her hair, she repeatedly invited Bai Yu to sleep with her that night, but Bai Yu ultimately turned her down with little mercy.
The night passed without a word, and before they knew it, dawn broke.
Having taken two days off, it was now Friday.
After getting up and getting ready, brushing her teeth and eating breakfast, Zhao Mingyue was all geared up with her backpack, ready to head to class, when she hesitated.
“Uh, I’m really not feeling like going to school.”
A murderer had barged into the school a few days ago. Only because Bai Yu had possessed her at the time did they manage to take him down.
The news had spread like wildfire—by now, everyone knew who Zhao Mingyue was. Being in the spotlight with ongoing public scrutiny? The thought of being the center of attention made her anxious.
It wasn’t that she was shy or anything; she just didn’t want to be under so many eyes.
“Bai Yu, do you think I should go to school or swing by the convenience store?”
“Convenience store.” Bai Yu’s voice chimed in Zhao Mingyue’s mind.
“Okay.”
Setting her backpack down, Zhao Mingyue went downstairs, hopping on her little bicycle while muttering under her breath.
“If I went to school, Lu Liangting would definitely catch me and start asking questions. How annoying.”
“Why does Lu Liangting care so much about you, anyway, Bai Yu? If it’s just gratitude, there’s no need to go all out. I feel like he has ulterior motives.”
“Would a normal man fall for a female ghost?”
“Ever heard of the saying that humans and ghosts walk different paths? He isn’t hoping to be the male lead from some story, is he?”
“Hey, Bai Yu, why are you so quiet?”
“To be honest, I think my life is pretty good right now. So much better than before—no more of that three-point life—school, convenience store, home.”
All the way to the convenience store, Zhao Mingyue kept babbling until she finally spotted the entrance and the figure standing outside.
She squeezed the brakes hard, and her bike screeched to a halt.
The noise caught Lu Liangting’s attention, and he turned his head just in time to lock eyes with Zhao Mingyue, plunging them into an awkward silence.
“Cough, good morning.” Zhao Mingyue quickly parked her bike.
“Good morning.” Lu Liangting managed a greeting before Zhao Mingyue hurried inside the convenience store.
The rest of his words were swallowed up as the glass door closed behind him, leaving only the crisp jingling of wind chimes from inside.
Lu Liangting looked at the wind chimes through the glass door. It didn’t surprise him too much. He had already figured out Zhao Mingyue’s relationship with Bai Yu, and his visit was for just that reason.
Inside the convenience store, the person behind the counter was the owner, dressed in a work uniform—a simple apron with the store’s name emblazoned on it—wiping down something with a cloth.
When Zhao Mingyue got closer, she noticed he was polishing a beautiful, antique flintlock pistol with great care.
Noticing Zhao Mingyue’s interest in the g*n, the owner raised it, pointing it behind her, squinting as if aiming at something, then pulled it back in less than two seconds, flashing a big grin.
“This was a collectible from my youth, brought back from my overseas job. Just a memento, don’t worry, it’s not a real g*n—just a replica model.”
He spun the pistol in his hand before tucking it into his pocket. “So, how’s it going? Is that murderer still stalking you? Honestly, you don’t need to panic. I can handle things here for a while. You can step out once the cops catch the guy.”
“He must really have it in for you. Sure, you’re tough, but you’ve got to watch out for sneak attacks.”
“Plus, you live alone. It wouldn’t hurt to give you another week off, would it? Your pay will remain unchanged; how does that sound?”
His words genuinely moved Zhao Mingyue. Finding a boss like him was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
“No, no, it’s really not necessary, boss. I’m fine.”
“Alright then, the choice is yours. If you feel uneasy, just let me know, but honestly, I think you don’t really need to worry about it.”
The owner said, removing his work uniform and setting it aside. Today, he was dressed in ordinary black casual wear, but still radiated a mature man’s charm.
Zhao Mingyue noticed quite a few tattoos on her boss when she casually looked his way; they trailed up to the back of his neck.
Ding! The door swung open as Lu Liangting stepped inside.
Zhao Mingyue didn’t linger on that thought; her focus shifted to Lu Liangting instead.
As he walked past the wind chimes, they tinkled in gentle rhythm.
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And there’s one more chapter coming!
