Chapter 39
Perhaps the fear from the dream hadn't dissipated, or perhaps their nerves were already on edge.
When Xie Xubai leaned down to get a closer look at the row of new teeth in the boy's mouth that were clearly not human, Jiang Kaile's pupils contracted and she reacted by pushing him away!
Bang.
This push caught both of them off guard.
Even though the boy restrained himself and didn't use force against Xie Xubai, he still pushed the unprepared young man so hard that he almost bumped into the desk behind him!
Seeing Xie Xubai stumble and reach out to support himself on the desk, Jiang Kaile finally realized what he had just done. His pupils trembled as he stared at his hand, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
He rushed forward, wanting to help Xie Xubai up, and hurriedly explained, "Old..."
As a result, when she spoke, her tongue stuck out and touched those round new teeth again.
Jiang Kaile's movements froze in mid-air, including the hand that was about to reach Xie Xubai.
The indifferent gazes of the staff in the dream and the fearful and terrified looks of the Jiang family servants in reality surged into the boy's heart like a tidal wave, and an immense sense of fear almost overwhelmed him.
His mind went blank for a moment, and he made another move that he would later deeply regret.
He stepped back.
"...Teacher, I'm sorry."
Jiang Kaile thought he was emotionally unstable and would speak unclearly, but what he said was calmer than he expected.
"I'm not feeling well today and would like to rest early. Could you please leave for a moment?"
The boy, who was trying to maintain his composure, was unaware that to the elders who knew him well, his calm was nothing but a facade.
Xie Xubai braced his elbows on the table, his upper back aching slightly, probably from accidentally bumping into something earlier.
But he had no time to spare.
In Xie Xubai's view, the boy's once straight back slumped down as if it had been cut off. His originally tall and upright figure was now hunched over, looking lost and unsure of where to put his hands and feet, and he was half a head shorter.
Those crimson eyes stared intently at him, their pupils narrowed into needle-like vertical lines, contracting wildly with their fluctuating emotions.
Like a hedgehog yearning for a hug but accidentally pricking someone, it takes a worried step forward after hearing the other person's scream, only to prick them even more.
Suddenly, the hedgehog realized that its quills could cause pain and harm to others, and thus it became bewildered, fearful, and terrified.
Jiang Kaile didn't hear Xie Xubai's voice, so she didn't dare to look up. She blinked her wet eyes and pleaded in a voice barely above a whisper, "Okay? Let me rest for a while by myself."
Xie Xubai's lips instantly tightened into a straight line.
He didn't back down or leave. He rushed forward, grabbed the unsuspecting boy, and unusually shouted, "Of course not!"
In an instant, the boy looked up at him, his mutated scarlet beast eyes shrinking again, his face ashen.
"Jiang Kaile! What kind of time is this to be so willful? Open your mouth and let me see."
Xie Xubai's reprimands continued without pause, his expression unusually anxious: "I've seen online that if this kind of hyperdentalization isn't treated early, it can become very serious later on."
"Or do you want to grow a mouthful of teeth and become a snail?"
Jiang Kaile didn't know what a snail's mouth looked like, but Xie Xubai's pretentious intimidation had clearly startled him, and he momentarily forgot to close his mouth tightly.
By the time he realized what was happening, Xie Xubai had already cleverly pried open his mouth and carefully examined him.
Jiang Kaile had a premonition that he was the King of Ghosts. He knew that his teeth were not due to the supernumerary teeth that Xie Xubai had mentioned. Seeing that people were looking at him so seriously, he couldn't help but want to hide behind them.
Xie Xubai gently scolded again, "Don't move."
He lightly slapped the boy on the back of the head, staring at him with great authority, finally making Jiang Kaile behave.
The inspection took a few minutes.
Meeting Jiang Kaile's anxious and guilty gaze, Xie Xubai pursed his lips and said affirmatively, "It's exactly the same as what I saw online... I have to go see Dr. Wu tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Kaile felt his non-existent heart finally return to its original place.
He slowly straightened his back, couldn't help but lick his newly grown teeth again, and pretended to be naive: "...Is it that serious?"
Xie Xubai glanced at him indifferently, took out his phone to search for pictures, and handed them to Jiang Kaile.
Just a quick glance was enough to turn Jiang Kaile's previously indifferent face deathly pale, and she frantically rushed into the bathroom to look in the mirror.
A moment later, the boy's indignant squeaks could be heard.
"It's not that scary, teacher! You're lying! They've just started to peek out; you can't even see them unless you look closely."
Through the crack in the bathroom door, Xie Xubai saw the boy pull his mouth open with his hands, his face so nervous that he almost pressed it against the mirror, and he couldn't help but want to laugh.
He responded loudly and seriously.
"If you don't take this seriously, things will get really scary! In short, you have to come with me to see Dr. Wu tomorrow, and it would be best to also have the housekeeper contact a dental hospital so we can be ready to have surgery at any time."
"Surgery is required??"
Xie Xubai stopped responding and waited for Jiang Kaile to compose herself in the bathroom.
Simultaneously, tap the screen rapidly with your fingertips to search for animal teeth rankings on your phone.
Teeth fall under the category of cosmetic dentistry.
When Xie Xubai was hired by Madam Jiang as a beauty consultant, he had learned a little bit about it. He could roughly determine whether teeth were misaligned by observing the degree of swelling around the gums.
He had just carefully examined Jiang Kaile's new teeth. Although they were just beginning to emerge, they were evenly spaced and very aesthetically pleasing.
I don’t know if it’s to fit the new teeth, but the old teeth in front of me tilted forward, and the tips were thinned and sharpened, showing the appearance of wild beast fangs.
Jiang Kaile's teeth are not deformed or abnormal, but rather naturally grown, resembling those of a ferocious beast.
Xie Xubai's gaze swept over the answers he had found.
Sharks, dolphins, and crocodiles all seem to fit in.
Suddenly, he remembered the "dragon-slaying youth" mentioned in the mechanical voice, paused, and typed a question into the search box.
—How many teeth does the dragon have, according to legend?
A: 432 to 800 teeth. Each row consists of 36 to 40 groups of teeth. (Since dragons do not exist in reality, this answer is the author's speculation based on various legends and stories, and the author is not responsible for its accuracy.)
Xie Xubai's heart sank to the bottom.
Hundreds might be an exaggeration, but he had an inexplicable premonition that, given Jiang Kaile's tendency to grow a row of teeth at a time, the last few teeth would definitely number in the hundreds.
The human mouth cannot support so many teeth, so Jiang Kaile's body shape will inevitably change to accommodate the changes in teeth.
They can either become real-life dolphins and sharks, or they can become a mythical creature capable of destroying a country—a dragon.
The truth will out.
At that time, they will inevitably face the same conflict they are facing today again.
Xie Xubai lowered his eyelashes, his expression hidden in the shadows. He pressed his thumb against his index finger, leaving white marks as the many thoughts flashed through his mind.
When Jiang Kaile came out, he had already composed himself. He pressed his thumb on his fingertip and wiped away even the tiny white fingerprint.
Xie Xubai guessed that Jiang Kaile was confused and probably didn't want him to stay, so he instructed, "I'll come and call Jiang to see Dr. Wu tomorrow morning. Remember to go to bed early, understand?"
Jiang Kaile tugged at his sleeve: "Wait, teacher, is there something wrong with your back?"
He remembered that he had just pushed Xie Xubai, causing Xie to accidentally bump into the table.
Xie Xubai rubbed his back, feeling nothing. Just as he was about to say he was fine, he saw the boy say with deep regret, "Having a student like me must be very troublesome for a teacher. I can never control my temper, I'm like a burden... I'm really sorry."
Xie Xubai's heart softened.
He gently patted the boy's head, his warm and gentle gaze meeting the boy's, and said from the bottom of his heart, "How could that be?"
As the boy grew up, Xie Xubai came to understand the meaning and importance of teaching.
He had been preoccupied with life, his mind filled with adult calculations and gains and losses, his heart as still as water. It was the boy's sincere and enthusiastic smile that reawakened his hazy original aspirations.
It's true that if you spend a lot of time with children, you'll unconsciously become like a child yourself.
During the time he spent with Jiang Kaile, he felt as if he had returned to his long-lost teenage years, with dreams waiting to be realized and a bright and promising future.
As a result, whether he stayed up all night writing lesson plans or squeezed in time to learn new skills, Xie Xubai was always full of energy and rarely felt bitter or tired.
“Jiang Kaile, you are not a burden, you are my treasure, and I have benefited greatly from you.” Xie Xubai pulled the boy into his arms and patted his back earnestly. “Every day, every moment, including now, I am always grateful to be your teacher.”
Jiang Kaile didn't know how to react.
He felt his long-dormant heart pounding, and a blush of embarrassment spread across his face.
Feeling uncomfortable, she couldn't help but rest her head against Xie Xubai's chest, her eyes red and muffled as she said, "Me too."
For a long time, he couldn't help but wonder if he had saved the world in his past life to be fortunate enough to become Xie Xubai's student.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Jiang Kaile felt an itch in his mouth again, and he couldn't help but lick it.
Those newly grown teeth seem to have shrunk back a little.
Perhaps it was his imagination.
"Teacher, could you stay tonight?" Jiang Kaile mustered her courage to ask, stammering, "...I'm afraid of having dreams."
Xie Xubai blinked, a little surprised, and teased, "Would you like me to tell you a few more bedtime stories?"
Looking into those eyes that held a faint smile, Jiang Kaile's face instantly turned completely red.
Xie Xubai felt sorry for his student's situation. Seeing that the boy was starting to feel helpless, he couldn't bear to tease him anymore and agreed with a smile: "Of course, but the teacher has to go back and take a shower and change into clean clothes before coming over."
“It’s alright, the housekeeper can take the clothes. The most important thing is that the Jiang family’s nights are not peaceful. You are my teacher, so you won’t be affected, but it’s different for him.”
Jiang Kaile turned his head and, through the crack in the half-open door, made eye contact with Chan Sheng, who was secretly observing him.
His gaze was not as docile as when he faced Xie Xubai; he gave a cold grin and said, "You should know that the Jiang family is not just your average xenophobic family."
Although cicadas are clumsy, they are full of a sense of crisis.
Sensing the danger in Jiang Kaile's words, he instantly felt a chill run down his spine, arching his back and assuming a fighting stance.
Xie Xubai quickly made a reassuring gesture towards Chansheng, and he had to admit he was quite surprised. He hesitated and asked, "Jiang, are you willing to let Chansheng into your room?"
The King of Ghosts has an extremely strong sense of territory; no other monsters dare to invade the area within its domain.
In other words, as long as the Ghost King approves, this is the safest place in the entire Jiang family.
Jiang Kaile pouted: "I wasn't willing to do it originally."
It's more than just unwillingness.
The moment these outsiders stepped into the Jiang family home, he felt an unease, as if ants were crawling on his skin, and wished he could slap them all to death.
This aversion came on suddenly and inexplicably.
Accidentally bumping into a maid would even make Jiang Kaile feel a little guilty.
But he subconsciously considered killing any player to be perfectly natural.
However, when Jiang Kaile thought of how kind his teacher was, his desire to take action immediately lessened.
Perhaps he could try gently brushing the ants off his body and then find an opportunity to release them.
As for now, what's wrong with letting Chansheng stay in his room for one night? It's only one night anyway. Once the ghosts and monsters have dissipated by tomorrow morning, he'll kick Chansheng out.
Xie Xubai wanted to say something, but after glancing between the two of them, he suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity for Jiang Kaile to make new friends.
He smiled and said, "Alright, I'll go take a shower first, you two can get to know each other?"
Xie Xubai beckoned to Chan Sheng, who froze, then dropped his defensive stance, obediently pushed open the door and walked over, where the young man whispered some instructions to him.
"This is a student I value. Could you look after him for a while?"
Jiang Kaile possessed the keen hearing of the Ghost King; how could he not hear Xie Xubai's whisper? The first half of the sentence made him feel elated, while the second half made him scoff.
Can this idiot take care of him?
After Xie Xubai left, Chan Sheng looked at Jiang Kaile, who had a cold expression.
Chan Sheng was incredibly oblivious to Jiang Kaile's cold expression. Remembering Xie Xubai's instructions, he slowly leaned closer and, after struggling for a while, managed to utter a sentence: "He's fine, right?"
Jiang Kaile's expression changed slightly, and he turned to look at Chan Sheng with surprise.
The latter's eyes were clear and sincere; he had no intention of fabricating lies, and every word he spoke came from the bottom of his heart.
Jiang Kaile's coldness dissipated.
If Chan Sheng were to fawn over him like the others, he would throw him out immediately.
But if the other party sincerely praises Xie Xubai... he will only nod in agreement: "You have good taste."
Then Jiang Kaile saw Chan Sheng reach into his pocket and take out two orange candies.
"After I finished eating them, I said I really liked them, and he gave me six more. I couldn't resist and ate a lot of them."
Under Jiang Kaile's surprised gaze, Chan Sheng pursed his lips and reluctantly handed one of the pearls to the boy: "I can share one with you."
Shouldn't this be considered taking care of Jiang Kaile?
After the cycle started, Jiang Kaile hadn't even had a chance to eat Xie Xubai's candy.
He looked at the candy in Chan Sheng's hand and felt a pang of jealousy. He reached out to take it with a gloomy face, but he couldn't budge it no matter what he did.
—This fool is squeezing the candy so tightly, like he's never eaten candy in ages!
Jiang Kaile laughed angrily: "Are you going to give it to me or not?"
Words spoken cannot be taken back, so Chan Sheng reluctantly let go and earnestly emphasized, "Then you must eat it properly."
"Fine, fine, fine!" In front of Chan Sheng, Jiang Kaile impatiently peeled off the candy wrapper and threw it into his mouth.
The sweet taste of orange candy lingers in your mouth; it's a familiar flavor.
Jiang Kaile, who was already annoyed, fell silent for a moment.
He turned his head and saw Chan Sheng staring at him without blinking, seemingly still regretting the piece of candy he had given away. He was both annoyed and amused: "He always gives me candy in large quantities, why would he care about such a small piece? You wait, I'll give you back a whole bag later."
Chan Sheng wasn't very bright, but she remembered Xie Xubai saying that there were 30 candies in one pack, which surprised her greatly. She looked at Jiang Kaile with admiration, her eyes shining: "Are you serious?"
Jiang Kaile hadn't been wholeheartedly grateful in a long time, and suddenly forgot that she had just been thinking of kicking Chansheng out the next morning.
"real."
Anyway, there was only one idiot around, and no one else was watching his chuunibyou (delusional) behavior.
Jiang Kaile raised an eyebrow and confidently assured him, "I guarantee this in the name of Young Master Jiang, you should believe me now."
"What kind of knight-errant?" Chan Sheng asked, bewildered.
On the other side, Xie Xubai, who was supposed to be taking a shower in the next room, leaned against the door. Hearing the faint sounds of cheerful conversation coming from outside, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and his eyes crinkled into a smile.
He walked to the window.
Xie Xubai has awakened, and can see the true face of the world, hear real voices, and naturally can also see those menacing ghosts.
The house was like two different worlds; the interior was brightly lit, while the exterior was filled with eerie creatures, constantly reminding Xie Xubai to hurry.
The moonlight shone down, like pale waves rising and falling in his deep eyes.
For the rest of the day, the clues he gathered all pointed to the disloyalty of the Jiang family's servants, but he couldn't find the connection between these disloyalties.
Fortunately, according to Xie Xubai's inquiries, Madam Jiang, who went out to visit relatives, will return tomorrow.
In Xie Xubai's memory, Madam Jiang usually acted like a rich lady who loved to compare herself to others and was carefree. She didn't care about her son, her husband, or how the Jiang family developed. As long as she had money to live comfortably, everything was fine.
But as Jiang Kaile's biological mother, and having held the position of the Jiang family head's bedmate for decades, is she really as simple as she appears?
Author's Note:
I'm having some side effects from writing extra chapters, I'm not in the zone, and I feel so bad for all the nutrient solutions you guys used, as well as the comments QAQ I'll try to write more tomorrow!
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