Chapter 15
Liancheng, a small town, doesn't usually have much of a nightlife, but the commercial street near the town center is much more lively than usual because it's the Mid-Autumn Festival.
After the bustling flower-lined street parade with its drums and gongs passed, the street was once again filled with a constant stream of pedestrians. The food stalls, surrounded by crowds, were steaming with smoke, and vendors would occasionally greet passersby with smiles.
"What would you like to eat, handsome?"
"Liangpi (cold skin noodles), if you don't like it, you don't have to pay!"
"Giant fried squid, 10 yuan a skewer!"
"Beautiful lady, would you like some candied hawthorns? Three yuan a skewer, five yuan for two skewers."
Chi Jun weaved through the crowds on this road, followed by a male ghost invisible to ordinary people.
He easily passed through the bodies and found that these girls, and even the boys, would always linger on Chi Jun's face after seeing him, and even couldn't help but pull their companions back to point at him.
Admittedly, Chi Jun is indeed handsome.
Even the male ghost, who usually takes advantage of his status and is used to seeing celebrities, was momentarily stunned when he saw a beam of light fall on him, and cursed in his heart: This is fucking beautiful!
However, that's not the focus right now—
"Brother Jun," the male ghost passed through several more people and quickly floated to Chi Jun's side, examining his face: "You... don't feel any pain right now?"
Chi Jun seemed lost in thought, as if he were pondering something.
Only after the male ghost waved his hands twice in front of him, and a gust of cold wind ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, did Chi Jun blink, then look up at the male ghost and reply:
"It doesn't hurt."
The male ghost rolled his eyes and calculated. They were at least eight miles from the little mute's rented room, yet Chi Jun hadn't shown any reaction. Thinking back to when Chi Jun first escaped, he'd only run a mile behind Xu Meiling's house along the main road before he was in excruciating pain. So it seemed—
"Has this curse truly been broken?!"
The male ghost opened his eyes wide, his expression momentarily more excited than Chi Jun's.
Chi Jun: "Perhaps."
"Oh dear," the male ghost exclaimed excitedly, pounding his fist into his palm, "I thought that once you took human form, leaving would be even harder. After all, the little mute is all alone now, and she might just see you as her only companion and refuse to let you go. I never expected this..."
"It seems this curse has quite a loophole; it's too easy to break free. If I had known this, I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble before, with all the fuss and Zhang Pengfei..."
Once the male ghost starts babbling, it's hard for him to stop.
Chi Jun let it go in one ear and out the other, pretending not to hear it. With his eyes downcast, he walked forward, kicking a small pebble listlessly, lost in thought.
Just as they were nearing the end, the male ghost suddenly asked:
"So...where do we go next?"
Chi Jun paused, and his expression, which had seemed to be lost in some memory, softened.
Actually, he didn't expect to be able to leave Xu Qingzhou's side smoothly tonight. Before, he was only thinking about how to turn the situation around if Xu Qingzhou rejected him, so he didn't have any detailed plans for what to do now.
but--
Chi Jun looked up at the moon, which was one-third obscured by dark clouds.
"Find a place to sleep."
The male ghost was clearly surprised to receive such a down-to-earth answer. He paused for a moment, then nodded in affirmation: "Yes, that's right. Anyway, we've already left the little mute, so there's no rush for what happens next, even if it's just for one night."
Male ghost: "Do you have any money on you?"
Chi Jun: "..."
The male ghost got the answer from Chi Jun's silence.
He blinked a few times, then chuckled dryly, "It's okay, if it doesn't work out, we can just go to a 24-hour fried chicken place and spend the night there."
He pointed to a shop with a red storefront in the distance: "Look, that's the one. I heard homeless people can spend the night there, so we—"
Before he could finish speaking, the male ghost met Chi Jun's gaze and wisely shut his mouth.
Damn, why did you have to say "homeless person"?
How can a dignified fox prince be compared to a vagrant?
After a moment of silence, the male ghost smiled ingratiatingly: "Then... how about we find a grove of trees to sleep in for the night?"
If Chi Jun had been expressionless just now, he burst out laughing now, his expression blatantly mocking: Are you out of your mind?
The male ghost immediately felt very hurt.
No way, why are you being so fussy when you're a penniless pauper? Sleeping in a fried chicken shop is beneath you? Besides, I don't believe you didn't sleep in the woods when you were a fox!
I'm already being kind by not telling you to sleep under a bridge...
The male ghost muttered to himself, and finally, his expression betrayed a hint of speechlessness.
"So what are your thoughts?"
Chi Jun: "Let's find a hotel to sleep in."
If you don't have money, what kind of hotel are you going to stay in!
"But you don't have any money."
Chi Jun: "Just make money."
Upon hearing this, the male ghost was so angry that he laughed.
Do you think making money is as easy as breathing? You think you can just make money whenever you want?
Besides, where are you going to make money so late at night? Sweep the streets? Even sweeping garbage requires applying for a job in the local community first, right?
He rolled his eyes, utterly speechless, thinking that even if he was a fox prince, so what? Once he came to the human world, wouldn't he just be a useless piece of trash who had no skills and thought everything was a given?
Rolling up his sleeves, the male ghost was about to show this "fox prince" the reality and cruelty of the human world.
However, just as she began to say, "Come on, let me give you a little lesson today," the girl who had been standing behind Chi Jun and glancing at him repeatedly took a deep breath and suddenly rushed to Chi Jun's side.
The girl, dressed in a blazer and holding a tablet, raised her hand with a hint of hesitation and uncertainty, but her eyes, as she looked at Chi Jun, were filled with hope and light.
"Hey handsome, are you interested in... earning some extra money?"
Male ghost: "..."
Damn, this society judges people by their looks.
*
In fact, Chi Jun's statement, "Just make money," wasn't the blind confidence of someone new to the human world, but rather a result of his extraordinary hearing. Amidst the noisy surroundings, he had already keenly picked up on the girl's hushed conversation with her companion.
"Hey, do you think if a handsome guy stood here, all the girls would swarm around him, vying to apply for his credit card?"
"Isn't such a handsome guy standing right in front of you?" His companion pointed to himself: "As it turns out, it's not possible."
"...Have some shame? Look at him, that's what you call a real handsome guy—"
"Wow, he's way too handsome! No, what do you mean? You don't mean to..."
"That's right, lady, I need to find some help. If I rely on myself, my performance this month will be at the bottom again."
"Hey, are you sure you can make it with just a pretty face?"
"Whether it works or not, let's try it first and see!"
The girl left her male companion behind and strode confidently toward Chi Jun.
Even when she finally spoke the first sentence, the girl was still quite nervous. After all, a handsome guy of this caliber must have been surrounded by girls since childhood. In such an environment, it's hard not to develop a self-centered and arrogant personality.
In this situation, a polite refusal is already considered good; it's very possible that the handsome guy will not only refuse but also openly or subtly mock and ridicule you for not having any self-awareness.
But she was really driven to desperation by the grim performance situation.
Let them mock me, it won't hurt me anyway!
However, after a few exchanges, the girl felt like she had struck gold: Oh my god, what a kind and handsome angel! Not only is he good-looking, but he's also so approachable and easy to talk to!
The handsome man not only expressed interest, but also asked him what he needed to do.
The girl was flattered and overwhelmed.
You know, her original plan was to invite the handsome guy over as a mascot, just to stand next to her, blink his eyes, and occasionally give her a smile.
But now! This handsome guy is actually going to personally promote it!
The girl was so excited that she immediately told Chi Jun everything about her job.
It turns out she works for a bank, and her daily job is to sell credit cards to people.
She would receive a bonus of 100 yuan for every credit card she successfully sold. Given that she had been the worst performer for three consecutive months and had been publicly berated by her boss, she decided to fight to the bitter end and split the profits 70/30 with Chi Jun after the deal was done—Chi Jun would get 70% and she 30%.
However, the handsome man, being very upright and principled, refused.
"A 50/50 split will do."
The girl took a deep breath, and tears almost welled up in her eyes on the spot.
"Okay, we'll split it fifty-fifty!"
The girl first gave Chi Jun a brief explanation of the operating procedure, and without waiting for him to remember it or not, she hurriedly dragged him along to start the sales pitch.
Although it wasn't as exaggerated as I had imagined—"girls swarming forward to apply for credit cards"—the situation was still much, much better than when I was standing there all alone like a little cabbage in the cold wind!
As soon as Chi Jun opens his mouth, the girls automatically stop in their tracks. Even if they weren't interested at first, they can't help but ask him a few more questions in order to strike up a conversation with him.
Most importantly, this handsome guy is not only good-looking and approachable, but also quick-witted and eloquent!
Not only did he remember the previous procedures perfectly, but he also quickly devised his own set of sales pitches, which made people unknowingly dispel their wariness about applying for a credit card, making them feel that it was a very simple and easy thing to do, which would not waste any time and would not affect their assets or credit.
At this moment, the girl finally witnessed firsthand the embodiment of "good looks + ability = a winning combination".
Originally, she was supposed to be in charge, with Chi Jun standing by, smiling and occasionally agreeing. Now, however, their roles are completely reversed. Chi Jun is in charge of the main action, while she's like an intern, standing by, nodding and bowing, and occasionally offering detailed explanations.
In just ten minutes, three credit cards were easily obtained.
As he became more and more skilled, he was able to easily process 20 credit cards an hour later.
The girl laughed so hard her jaw almost dislocated. She took the tablet from Chi Jun and wished she could give him a deep 180-degree bow right then and there.
Unfortunately, the handsome guy seemed to have other things to do afterward, and he stated from the beginning that he would only work for an hour, which made the girl feel a little disappointed.
However, she kept her word and immediately went to exchange cash with several stall owners, handing over 1,000 yuan to Chi Jun.
As they parted, the girl waved goodbye with a smile.
Meanwhile, the male companion next to her, fidgeting and unwillingly tugging at the girl's sleeve, kept saying:
"Why don't you put in a good word for me and ask him to help me for an hour? I'll split the profits 30/70! 20/80 is fine too, sister!"
"..."
*
Far from the bustling market stalls, the male ghost followed behind Chi Jun, still in a state of shock and bewilderment.
No, who the hell said "you can't eat your face"?
This is clearly edible!
The male ghost stared at the money in Chi Jun's pocket, unsure whether he felt more embarrassed by being slapped in the face or resentful of the idea that good looks equal justice in this world.
Just then, Chi Jun, who had just earned a thousand yuan and was beaming with pride, suddenly stopped and asked, knowing the answer already, when he saw Chi Jun looking so disoriented and worn down by reality:
"What’s wrong with you?"
The male ghost rolled his eyes at him and ignored him.
"Leave me alone, I'm contemplating life."
"No way, I'm still waiting for you to explain it to me."
Upon hearing this, the male ghost felt a burning pain on his face. Forgetting all about Chi Jun's identity and his own purpose, the resentment he had been holding back all along surged up, and he jumped up, yelling at Chi Jun:
"It's just a thousand dollars, what's there to brag about? Let me tell you, there are plenty of handsome men in this world, but without substance, they won't last long! A person's physical appearance only lasts a short time, at most 20 years, at least three to five years. If you're too proud, be careful of what happens later!"
The word "backlash" echoed loudly in the night sky, swirling around a few times before drifting down.
The air seemed even quieter.
In this deathly silence, the male ghost belatedly realized that his shouts were not only noisy, but also seemed to carry a hint of curse.
He paused, looked at Chi Jun, and opened his mouth to try and make amends.
But Chi Jun looked up at him, deep in thought, and then said, "You're right."
Male ghost: "?"
"But my flowering period is more than 20 years."
The male ghost was probably stunned by the anger, and in a moment of madness, he actually asked, "How many years?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings became even quieter.
Chi Jun looked at him without saying a word.
But his gaze was clearly that of someone looking at a fool in a fit of rage and incompetence. As he looked at him, he suddenly laughed and turned to walk towards the hotel's main entrance.
The male ghost's anger, which had just begun to subside, was instantly reignited by that smile.
"What are you laughing at? What do you mean? Hey, don't go yet. Today I'm going to have a serious talk with you. You—"
Before he could finish speaking, Chi Jun suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The male ghost, who had unexpectedly passed through Chi Jun's body, plunged headfirst into the glass door. Startled, he turned around and looked at Chi Jun: "What are you doing? Did you encounter a ghost?"
Chi Jun frowned, staring at the male ghost through the slightly rotating glass revolving door.
"With you by my side, why would I need to encounter ghosts?"
Just as the male ghost was about to say what was wrong with him, he saw Chi Jun make a move as if he was about to lift his foot forward, but then it was as if something was grabbing his heel, and he remained motionless.
Then, gazing intently at him, he continued:
"I can't move."
Male ghost: "...?"
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