Chapter 75 Yin Peach Blossom (5) *Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!*
Xia Wujin was the first to frown.
Although she received the name of a dead person and the address of a cemetery on Qixi Festival, she didn't dream about it for a while after that day. She had the talisman that Xi Rui had given her, and she was with her friends, so her mental state was okay.
Before the night visit, she had another dream, but at that time everyone was investigating the reason why Chang Mingai had fallen into a deep sleep, and then there was a rare vacation trip, so she didn't bother everyone and planned to talk about it when she got back, maybe things would be fine when she came back...?
As it turned out, her decision was bad; it was very much like the protagonist of a horror story who hadn't opened her mouth.
When she returned, sure enough, the bad things came true. She started dreaming about him again, and she felt extremely tired when she woke up, as if her energy had been drained.
The dream... or rather, the person in the dream, had a deeper influence on her.
However, Xi Rui was too busy to find anyone and was simply unable to spare the time, but she was still concerned and immediately asked her to find Xie Tan and Lu Jinzhao.
She intended to invite her friends over, but she also very seriously entrusted her two friends with the same level of compensation as other masters.
In Fushui Town, although she didn't directly witness some scenes, she knew that Xie Tan was no ordinary person.
Even Lu Jinchao, who came by acting cute, wasn't just an afterthought. As the president said, Lu Jinchao is a lucky little prince, and she sincerely... wanted to ride on her friend's good fortune. That's what she said too.
She's been feeling really unlucky lately. The divination at Art Harbor is too accurate. Both her positive and negative luck are acting up at the same time, and it looks like a calamity!
As a result, she was not feeling well and did not come to see her friends in person, which made them feel wronged.
Just as Song Zhengxiang said, Xia Wujin looks serious and unsmiling, but she is actually very down-to-earth. However, when she gets angry, she doesn't need to put on airs; she has the demeanor of a young lady.
She called out "Brother Song" with a distant and warning tone. Seeing his feigned caring and concerned smile, her face grew even colder. Just as she was about to speak frankly, Xie Tan spoke first.
He ignored Song Zhengxiang and instead asked Xia Changfeng, "Is Changsheng Group the main investor in Director Guo's film 'Qingqiu'?"
Mr. Xia is extremely busy with numerous businesses, and it took him a while to recall the canceled film. He only remembered it because of the huge scandal that caused it back then.
"Yes, but since... the project has been cancelled, is there any problem with that?"
Xie Tan was simply verifying something. During the Joker arc, he thought the Oasis Charitable Foundation was just a background organization, which was indeed the case in previous series. After all, this is a real world, and it's normal for a famous charity in the main setting of the story to be included in the corners of the comic's plot and illustrations.
However, later on, the Oasis Charity Foundation was mentioned several times, seemingly having a close relationship with the main storyline. For example, Zhu Fengliang saw the bubble painting at the foundation's charity gala, and Xia Wujin's uncle, who is also one of the directors of the Xia family, is also a director of the foundation.
If some elements involve more than just the information in the individual stories, does the "Qingqiu" movie, which was invested in by the Xia family in the Little Ghost episode, also have other deeper meanings?
The Xia family, Changsheng Group, Evergreen Building, Four Seasons Mountain, Reincarnation Highway, Shengxia Garden, Ancient Evergreen Tree... Qingqiu.
Although this is a place name in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, perhaps the Xia family thought that the name was very pleasing to people just from the simple combination of the characters?
He remembered the script circulating online: the fox clan faced annihilation, and the clan leader, the second male lead, foresaw the outcome but still vowed to protect them to the death, ultimately sacrificing his life to give the clan a second chance at life... Leaving aside the ending, the first half sounded a bit like "Black Goat."
Meanwhile, Su He, whose purpose was unclear, was present at the scene.
Xie Tan smiled absentmindedly: "It's nothing. I was quite interested in this movie. It's a pity."
To prevent Song Zhengxiang from saying anything more annoying, Xia Wujin decisively stood up and said, "Please, guests, proceed to the dining room. The kitchen is ready."
Xia Changfeng tacitly cooperated with his sister, telling her about the chef from which region, what special ingredients he used, and what dishes he made.
Song Zhengxiang seemed to realize he had misspoke, and gave the Xia siblings and Xie Tan an apologetic smile, reverting to his dignified and amiable demeanor from when they first met, and becoming more reserved.
They had a pleasant dinner. As expected of the Xia family, even the picky Xie Tan ate a few extra bites.
Throughout the entire process, Song Zhengxiang did not cause any more trouble, and the other masters also changed their attitude from observing from the sidelines to showing just the right amount of consideration and enthusiasm.
Master Yun Song was close to them, and seeing Lu Jinzhao's curiosity about the Xia family's homemade wine, he naturally let the two young men taste it after a few words of conversation.
Xie Tan gave him face, mainly because Lu Jinzhao's eyes were bright and he said it tasted good, so he took a sip and found it was indeed delicious.
After dinner, we invited them to stay overnight, as agreed beforehand. We invited them near dusk because spells and talismans are more effective when used at night, and the ghost appeared in my midnight dream.
The four masters were invited to a secluded residence to make preparations. Xia Changfeng told them to make any requests they wanted, and the Xia family would fully cooperate.
Master He was invited by Song Zhengxiang, who volunteered to host everyone over.
The remaining people stayed at the main house. Since it was still a long time before the time set by the masters, Xia Changfeng asked Xia Wujin to accompany his two friends, show them around, and let them do as they pleased.
His sister is sensible, and her two friends seem nice too, so he doesn't need to worry.
He then took Mr. Su He to see his bedridden father.
It was Mr. Su He who first brought it up. Only then did Xia Changfeng realize that his father and Mr. Su He were old acquaintances, and he also understood why Mr. Su He would come in person—it was out of respect for his father.
However, since his father hadn't seen any outsiders for a long time, he still needed to ask. He apologized to Su He and explained the situation. Su He waved her hand and let him go, while she waited downstairs.
Xia Wujin was asking his two friends what they wanted to do. There was a swimming pool and various sports halls, as well as a screening room, a library, a greenhouse garden... Lu Jinzhao was quite interested in all of them, while Xie Tan showed little interest in any of them.
Su He chuckled at the starkly different reactions of the two people standing together. Lu Jinzhao noticed this and greeted him cheerfully.
They're not dead...
Su He teased, "A person who survives a great calamity is bound to have good fortune. So, how about it? Have you won over the girl you like yet?"
There was only one girl present, and she was with them. Su He deliberately teased the child and glanced at Xia Wujin, only to see Lu Jinzhao subconsciously looking at Xie Tan, and once he looked, he forgot to look away. It was Xie Tan who looked back, and he smiled nonchalantly like a dog.
Su He: "?"
Su He: "..."
The man's casual expression changed slightly, and he glared at the two of them: "Wait, you..."
Is she having teenage angst with a boy? And specifically...!
Xia Wujin, who was silently observing, was not surprised. Everyone in the club knew about the ambiguous atmosphere between the two of them. However, Mr. Su He's expression was like that of someone who couldn't accept that their little cabbage had been taken.
Xie Tan seemed oblivious to everything, simply frowning and saying, "Say what you have to say."
Su He didn't even go up the stairs; she must have wanted to say something to him.
When Xie Tan drove out of Fushui Town and arrived at the Sparkling Water Scenic Area, he waited to see if Su He would come over. However, he didn't see a single one, nor did any other black goats come to cause him trouble.
And then there was the attitude during this meeting.
Although Su He certainly had many questions about him and unsure of what was good or bad in mind, for the time being, they were on the same side regarding the matter of the coffin's owner.
At least Su He didn't want Black Goat to know about this.
As the forum said, although the Black Goat's treasure observation mountain was blown up, Su He believed that the culprit was his own private matter and he would handle it himself.
Xie Tan was really curious. Who exactly was the previous homeowner to him?
Su He was even more annoyed. This kid was usually indifferent to people. Didn't he completely ignore that young master? So his sudden outburst was blatant protection! Didn't you see that silly boy's smile getting even brighter? He's going to lean on you!
He said sarcastically, "When did your temper become so good? You have compassion for the trash and scum on your body, but you're fierce towards me."
Xie Tan thought to himself, "Just as I expected."
He wasn't fooled by Lu Jinzhao's earlier coquettishness. Lu Jinzhao was looking at the hem of his clothes at the time. Later, Su He kept staring at him, glanced down, and then glanced at Song Zhengxiang.
Song Zhengxiang put something on him.
He had checked discreetly but found nothing. It was so difficult to detect, and then there were two people who reacted... Hmm, it must be something related to metaphysics.
Judging from Su He's words, there might still be one alive.
Xie Tan remained unfazed: "Whether it's a person or a ghost, there's no escaping it. What do I have to fear?"
He even smiled.
Su He stared at him for a while, just as Xia Changfeng came downstairs to invite him. He scoffed, "Little madman," and went upstairs.
With the adults out of the way gone, the three young people decided to go to the arcade to play games.
Xia Wujin apologized to Song Zhengxiang and the others for the harassment, but the young lady bluntly said, "He's sick, don't pay any attention to him."
Lu Jinzhao was choosing a game when he exclaimed, "Miss and A-Tan said exactly the same thing."
The three of them looked at each other and laughed.
Xie Tan rarely took the initiative to say, "Thank you for your hard work."
I can't even imagine how that young master, relying on his family background within the same circle, usually harasses the young lady in a servile and tactless manner.
Lu Jinzhao suddenly made a scathing comment: "He considers himself the young lady's childhood sweetheart, is arrogant about being a good match, and sees you as his own. Does he want to marry into the Xia family?"
If it were Lu Jinzhao, Xie Tan would still be willing to take it on. He handed the other handle to Xia Wujin and leisurely went to the balcony to enjoy the breeze: "He will only feel that he has a part of Chang Sheng under his control."
A significant number of men are overconfident creatures who can't even figure out how to be a gigolo.
The young lady declared definitively: "I don't like him, and I won't marry him."
Lu Jinzhao, seizing the moment, chose a ghost-catching mini-game that not only allowed him to catch ghosts but also beat people up. He started the game with a shout of "Whoosh!"
Xie Tan sat on a recliner on the balcony, scrolling through his phone. The balcony curtains were half-drawn, close enough that Lu Jinzhao could see him if he turned around.
They played for a while, and then it got completely dark outside. Mosquitoes started to swarm and buzzed secretly among the dark green leaves.
The wealthy have professional landscaping teams and modern pest management strategies in their high-end estates, but it's impossible to completely eliminate mosquitoes. The richer the ecosystem, the more likely mosquitoes are to exist.
But he wasn't the type to attract these things, and he didn't want to move for a while. In his languid state, he seemed to be immersed in this shady green life, listening to the indistinguishable sounds from the gaps, as if they were vibrating from his meridians.
There were flying insects flapping their wings, cicadas chirping, and something crawling, rustling... ...
The sound of crawling made Xie Tan open his eyes, just in time to hear Lu Jinzhao calling him from inside the house behind him, pleading, "Ah Tan, I can't leave, I want to drink soda—"
When Xie Tan turned around, he saw Lu Jinzhao sitting cross-legged on the cushion with his back to him behind the glass window, which was half-hidden by the curtains. The game was in full swing... but his head was turned 180 degrees and he was smiling at him.
Xie Tan recognized at a glance that this was not Lu Jinzhao.
That laugh was so bad, he frowned.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed true that Lu Jinzhao's handsome and sharp eyebrows seemed to have become more pointed, giving him a mischievous look when he smiled.
Lu Jinzhao was still sitting there normally, but his strange face was reflected in the glass!
Inside the curtains billowing in the wind, a centipede the size of a snake was rustling and spiraling upwards, its protruding tip connecting with the face reflected in the glass.
And the insect's tail... clung to the hem of his clothes.
Xie Tan knew what Young Master Song had put on him.
A centipede egg.
The centipede with a human face and an insect's body smiled eerily, staring intently at him. Then, using Lu Jinzhao's voice and mimicking his tone, it called out, "A-Tan—"
Xia Wujin, who was completely focused, suddenly saw the screen flash twice, just as the ghost's face suddenly appeared, creating a strange screen distortion, making it look like a real ghost about to crawl out!
A sharp, distorted scream rang out from behind her, followed by the rustling sounds of desperate struggle, which sent chills down her spine.
But it only lasted for a moment, probably less than a second, before all sound disappeared.
The next second, the lights in the game room went out, and not only that, all the lights in the main house went out, plunging the house into an eerie darkness and silence.
Xia Wujin felt a chill run down her spine; she had a feeling that danger was coming from right beside her.
She hesitated, glancing to her side: "...Today?"
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