Chapter 95 The Paper Figures Worshipped in the Ancestral Hall

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Xie Xun woke up precisely on time according to his biological clock and smelled the enticing aroma of food coming from outside.

He turned his head and saw that the seat next to him was empty, and there was a slight noise coming from the kitchen.

Xie Xun put on his coat and went outside, where he saw Fu Qinghuai with his back to him, busy at the stove in the small kitchen.

The morning light streamed through the window, outlining his tall, straight back. He was wearing the matching couple's hoodies we'd bought last time. He was frying an egg, and noodles were bubbling away in the pot next to him—a scene full of everyday life.

Xie Xun crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, watching him cook breakfast. She felt a warm feeling in her heart, though she couldn't quite describe it.

"woke up?"

Fu Qinghuai didn't even turn his head, but it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. "Go wash up, we'll be ready to eat soon."

Xie Xun suddenly stepped forward, hugged him from behind, buried his face deeply in the neck of the thousand-year-old evil spirit, and gently rubbed against him.

"I had a dream last night."

"Um?"

Fu Qinghuai turned off the stove, turned around, and pulled the person into his arms. "What did you dream about?"

"I dreamt that you turned into a big dog,"

Xie Xun looked up, grabbed his face with both hands and pulled it to both sides, and laughed, "You keep chasing me, you're so clingy, I can't get rid of you no matter what."

Fu Qinghuai, his face being pulled, mumbled incoherently, "Really? Then Xunxun, can you give the big dog a kiss?"

As she spoke, she pouted and leaned closer.

Xie Xun laughed and pushed his dog head away, "Get lost, you haven't brushed your teeth yet."

What teeth should I brush?

Fu Qinghuai loosely wrapped his arms around his waist, leaned down to get close to the crook of his neck, and took a deep breath, "Xunxun smells wonderful. Even if he hasn't brushed his teeth, I could still kiss him even if he just finished eating stinky tofu."

Xie Xun's ears burned with amusement at his crude language, and she lightly kicked his shin, "How disgusting!"

"Where does it feel disgusting?"

Fu Qinghuai laughed heartily even after being kicked, and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Even if Xunxun fell into a stinky ditch, I'd definitely be the first to jump in and save you. And when I pull you out, I'll give you a kiss first..."

Xie Xun was amused by his words, "Can't you wish me well for once?"

"This is just a hypothetical situation."

Fu Qinghuai lowered his head and rubbed the top of his head, his voice tinged with laughter, "I will never let you fall into any dangerous situation again. Xunxun is my darling, so naturally he must be safe and sound."

"Get away, who's your baby?" Xie Xun muttered softly, pushing away Fu Qinghuai who was clinging to him, but with much less force.

"Whoever speaks is the one who speaks."

Fu Qinghuai smiled and let go of him, gently kissing the corner of his lips before pushing him toward the bathroom next door. "Xunxun, go brush your teeth. Try the noodles I cooked later."

Xie Xun nodded, said nothing more this time, and turned to go into the restroom.

As he brushed his teeth, he listened to Fu Qinghuai outside the door humming an off-key tune and clattering around with the dishes, and suddenly felt at ease.

So this is what it feels like to be cared about?

Looking at himself in the mirror, whose lips couldn't help but curl into a smile, Xie Xun paused for a moment, then his eyes crinkled into a smile.

From childhood to adulthood, he has always shouldered his responsibilities alone. He eats instant noodles when he's hungry and endures illness without complaint. He has long been accustomed to handling things on his own.

Now, suddenly someone is making him breakfast, worried that he might be hungry or cold, and caring about his feelings. Moreover, the other person is not only making breakfast, but also earnestly expressing their love to him.

He was secretly overjoyed to be treated like a treasure.

He didn't dare to think about how long this life of being pampered and loved could last, fearing it was just a mirage that would suddenly disappear.

In the kitchen outside, Fu Qinghuai was happily scooping the most beautiful and tender fried egg into Xie Xun's bowl.

Just as he reached for the soy sauce bottle, his wrist suddenly twitched uncontrollably, and a few drops of dark soy sauce splattered on the stove.

He stared at the stain, his gaze darkening.

The remnant soul that had been reclaimed from my body recently has become increasingly restless; that last moment was caused by a resentful fragment causing trouble.

At this rate, he can only recover two more pieces at most before he can no longer suppress these chaotic memories and emotions.

We need to hurry and collect the remaining remnants of the soul.

With each fragment of a soul he reclaims, his power is restored, but the obsessions and resentments of those fragments also erode him.

Last night, he was almost controlled by a murderous memory, reaching out to Xie Xun, who was fast asleep and completely unsuspecting. Fortunately, he regained his senses in time and held Xie Xun close until dawn.

No, he has to get everything done before things get completely out of control.

Just then, there were two knocks on the door, followed by Zhou Wei's calm voice.

"Mr. Xie, I am Zhou Wei."

He paused, then continued, "The car is ready. Is it convenient to go to the kitchen now?"

Fu Qinghuai wiped the soy sauce stains off the stove with a rag, and the gloom on his face instantly turned into his usual nonchalant expression.

Xie Xun also came out of the restroom, his face still damp.

He first responded to the door, "Captain Zhou, please wait a moment."

Then he went over and opened the door.

Zhou Wei, dressed in casual clothes, stood outside the door, his expression as calm and capable as ever.

"Captain Zhou, come in and sit down. I'll be done soon," Xie Xun said, stepping aside to let him in, his tone calm.

Zhou Wei nodded, and without any hesitation, stepped inside.

His gaze quickly swept across the front hall of the paper craft shop, which also served as a business. Various paper figures, ingots, and incense candles occupied most of the space, and the atmosphere of daily life and the tools of making a living were mixed together, making it seem somewhat cramped.

His gaze finally landed on Fu Qinghuai, who was grinning at him from the dining table.

"Captain Zhou, have you eaten yet? Would you like to eat something together?"

While Fu Qinghuai was being warm and polite, he very honestly moved Xie Xun's bowl of fried egg noodles closer to himself, clearly showing his possessiveness towards his food.

Zhou Wei looked at the handsome man sitting amidst a pile of funeral supplies, smiling at him, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Thank you, but no, I've already eaten."

He glanced at his watch before saying, "Enjoy your meal, there's no rush."

He then sat down on a wooden bench near the door, waited patiently, stopped talking, and lowered his head to avoid looking at the smiling paper doll next to him.

Xie Xun walked to the dining table, glanced at the carefully arranged noodles, and then at Fu Qinghuai, who looked like he wanted praise.

The latter immediately pushed the warm water in front of him and said gently with a smile, "Try it and see if it's good~"

Xie Xun picked up his chopsticks and first took a mouthful of noodles.

The noodles were cooked to the perfect firmness, and the broth was light yet delicious. He lowered his eyelids slightly, picked up a poached egg, and took a small bite. The edges were crispy, and the yolk inside was runny, making it even more delicious with the noodles.

"Delicious." Xie Xun put down his chopsticks and gave his evaluation in a calm tone, but a faint blush crept up his ears.

This brief expression of approval made Fu Qinghuai's eyes light up instantly, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Xie Xun stopped looking at him and quietly continued eating his noodles. He ate quickly, but his movements remained refined, and he made no noise.

About five minutes later, he put down his chopsticks, took a sip of the warm water that Fu Qinghuai handed him, and then stood up. "Let's go."

Seeing this, Zhou Wei also stood up. "Then let's set off, you two."

His gaze swept over Fu Qinghuai again, and for some reason, he felt that there was something wrong with this person, but he didn't ask any questions. It was normal for capable and extraordinary people to have interactions with strange people.

"The situation has changed somewhat; we'll talk about it on the way."

"Okay, thank you for your help, Captain Zhou."

Xie Xun noticed Zhou Wei's momentary hesitation and had a vague guess in his mind, but he didn't show it on his face. He just calmly responded and walked towards the car parked outside the store.

Fu Qinghuai followed behind him, watching the young man's slender yet upright back, and silently clenched his fist.

We need to speed things up.

The car drove away from the paper craft shop and merged into the morning rush hour traffic.

Zhou Wei, sitting in the passenger seat, took out his tablet, pulled up some data, and turned to Xie Xun and Fu Qinghuai in the back seat to speak.

“Mr. Xie, the situation is more complicated than we expected. Last night, another person went missing near the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall.”

Xie Xun frowned slightly. "The same situation?"

"Not exactly the same."

Zhou Wei handed over the tablet, which displayed a screenshot from a surveillance camera. "The person who went missing this time is the Liu family's butler, who has worked for the Liu family for over twenty years. But the strange thing is..."

He swiped the screen and brought up photos of the interior of the ancestral hall. "We found this in a side hall of the ancestral hall."

Xie Xun took the photo and saw that it was a strange offering table with offerings neatly arranged on it and three sticks of unburnt incense sticks stuck in the incense burner.

The most eye-catching item, however, is the one placed in the center of the altar.

It was a paper figure dressed in a theatrical costume, with a strange smile painted on its face, the curve of its mouth exactly the same as the previous mummies.

"The steward is making offerings of paper figures in the ancestral hall?"