Chapter 69: Discussing Marriage

“Accompany me… together?”

Wen Chu repeated Xiu’s words.

Xiu gave an “En”.

“Why?” Wen Chu was puzzled.

“I am a ghost, you are a human, and you are about to become the president of the Exorcist Association. Why do you want to accompany me? Isn’t catching me and claiming credit the best choice?”

Wen Chu was genuinely confused from the bottom of his heart.

Hearing this, Xiu’s expression changed, and he clarified solemnly, “Don’t talk nonsense. When have I ever needed the credit from catching a little ghost like you?”

“Oh…” Wen Chu responded.

So it’s because my credit is too small.

But if he was the Formation Eye, the credit would be huge. Even the introduction given by the system said that Xiu needed to catch him very much to become the president of the Exorcist Association.

He wanted to say something more, but out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly glimpsed the female ghost behind Xiu gradually becoming transparent.

Wen Chu exclaimed, “She’s becoming transparent.”

Hearing this, Xiu turned his head to take a look, not showing much surprise. “Because while you were unconscious, I talked to her for a while and promised to help her fulfill her last wish. Her obsession dissipated, so it’s time for her to go.”

“To reincarnation? Is it possible to let a ghost enter reincarnation like this?” Wen Chu was puzzled.

“Yes, but there are very few spectres who can clearly understand their own obsessions, so this method is not commonly used,” Xiu said.

Under the Soul-Binding Chain, the red-clothed female ghost’s figure became fainter and fainter. She didn’t look at Wen Chu and Xiu but stared at the ground in a daze.

Calm, gentle, without a trace of her previous madness.

Wen Chu couldn’t help asking, “What is her obsession?”

Xiu: “She still has a five million mortgage to pay off. She wants to keep that house and make her superior and the Wen family, who persecuted her family behind the scenes, go to jail.”

Wen Chu choked, really not expecting An Ya’s obsession to be so simple and unpretentious.

“And…” Xiu’s voice turned.

The blond exorcist turned to look at him, didn’t speak for a while, and finally patted his head.

“Go to sleep.”

Wen Chu, holding his breath waiting for the plot twist: ?

He grabbed Xiu’s arm to prevent him from sleeping and pressed, “And what? Why did you only say half of it??”

Xiu looked innocent. “I’ve finished what I wanted to say. That was all of An Ya’s obsession just now.”

Wen Chu immediately felt cheated and burrowed into the quilt angrily, ignoring him.

After a while, Wen Chu burrowed out again, looking at An Ya who was still sitting blankly on the ground.

“Sister An Ya.” Wen Chu called her.

Hearing this, An Ya raised her head.

About to dissipate, her expression was much more peaceful, and she could even patiently answer Wen Chu’s words at this moment.

“What is it? Little Young Master.”

This “Little Young Master” instantly evoked some unpleasant memories for Wen Chu. He pursed his lips, remembering the burning pain on his face.

But this had nothing to do with An Ya. When An Ya was born, the Wen family no longer existed.

Although he knew An Ya might not know of his existence at all, Wen Chu felt that the Wen family becoming like this must have its own reasons.

“Sorry.” He said to An Ya, “Xiu and I will work hard to help you fulfill your last wish.”

Hearing his words, An Ya widened her eyes in astonishment and said flusteredly, “No, you don’t need to apologize to me, Little Young Master. It’s us who should…”

She only said half of her sentence.

Because in the next moment, An Ya, who had already become transparent, completely disappeared into the air.

Wen Chu looked at the empty Soul-Binding Chain and finally realized with hindsight:

An Ya addressed him as “Little Young Master.”

An Ya recognized him.

What about Xiu? What did Xiu discuss with An Ya alone while he was unconscious? Does Xiu already know his identity as the Formation Eye?

Will Xiu hand him over to the exorcists tomorrow morning?

Wen Chu quickly looked up at Xiu.

Xiu still looked calm. “It’s already six o’clock. We have to get up and go to the venue in at most two hours. Do you want to sleep a bit more?”

Seems… he doesn’t know?

Wen Chu said cautiously, “Then An Ya’s obsession…”

“I will help her fulfill it.” Xiu said carelessly. “It’s just five million. The Wen family matter is even simpler; just let Yuan Le call the police.”

Wen Chu looked Xiu up and down carefully again, indeed seeing no problems, before lying down. “Okay, then I’ll sleep a bit more.”

Before closing his eyes, Wen Chu thought silently.

I hope Xiu discovers my identity a little later.

I will obediently go back to be the Formation Eye when the exorcists implement the plan, I just want to…

Stay with Xiu a little longer.

Wen Chu was frightened for quite a while in the memory, came out and cried holding Xiu, and fell asleep holding Xiu’s waist not long after.

Xiu looked at Wen Chu, then looked up at the morning light shining into the room through the gap in the curtains, not sleepy at all.

An Ya told him that she only knew that since she could remember, the Wen family had been persecuted by the Wen (Yaozu’s) family. Anyone with even a slight connection to “Wen” would die violently.

She and her parents lived incognito, wandering everywhere with the ashes of all family members. Because she studied hard, she could finally take out a loan to buy a house.

She took out a loan to buy the Wen family’s ancestral home, which had been reduced to ruins and was unknown to anyone.

Because this was the home of their ancestors for generations.

Her mother taught her from a young age that they were hereditary servants of the Wen family, and their ancestors were confidants of Master Wen. Before escaping, they left something in the old house that could turn the tide, and they existed because of the Little Young Master Wen.

Including all the work done now, it was all waiting for the day when Little Young Master Wen could return and lead them to revitalize the Wen family.

An Ya had never practiced spells, but the pursuit from the Wen (Yaozu’s) family was real. She was skeptical about her parents’ statement, but her hatred for the Wen (Yaozu’s) family grew day by day.

And her spending a huge sum of money to buy the abandoned ancient house finally attracted the attention of the Wen (Yaozu’s) family.

Less than half a month after buying the ancient house, her parents, her only living relatives, died in a car accident. At the same time, Team Leader Chen was parachuted in as her superior, and her originally smooth workplace life became a living hell.

Endless plans to revise, endless forms to fill, proposals with credit stolen… An Ya gritted her teeth and persisted, quietly finding a job in a fourth-tier city, preparing to change jobs and live incognito again.

Then, she died on the subway home.

Then, as a spectre, she could see spirits.

She saw thousands of ancestral souls entangled endlessly on Wen Yaozu.

Her parents, her grandmother whom she had to bid farewell to after meeting hurriedly a few times in childhood, her uncle who was rolled into a road roller to save her…

Everything had an answer at this moment.

Xiu retracted the Soul-Binding Chain lying on the ground.

Wen Chu beside him was disturbed by his movement, hummed, and shrank further into his arms.

Xiu looked down at the sleeping Wen Chu, remembering An Ya’s last wish.

An Ya’s obsession was simple.

Buy the ancestral home.

Make the Wen (Yaozu’s) family pay the price.

Figure out the truth of that year.

And…

Take good care of the Little Young Master.

“The truth of that year…” Xiu murmured.

The Wen family An Ya spoke of and the Wen family in Wen Chu’s dream were obviously worlds apart, but the information both knew was incomplete, and their descriptions were intermittent.

Xiu wasn’t sure if there were any errors in what they said, so he could only temporarily treat both of their information as truth.

“Then it was internal strife?” Xiu muttered to himself.

Wen Chu only saw the side that oppressed him, and An Ya only knew the side that protected Wen Chu, which was why there were completely different accounts now.

Xiu picked up his phone, intending to ask Ren Chuanyu about the Wen family’s situation, but remembering the concealment of Ren Chuanyu and the Old School exorcists in the past two days, he stopped.

He didn’t think Ren Chuanyu was a bad person, but under the current circumstances, it was better to be cautious.

After the Wen family was arrested and brought to justice this morning, he would personally go to the Wen family’s ancestral home to investigate. The result would be the same.

Thinking of this, Xiu put down his phone and raised his hand to touch Wen Chu’s back instead.

Wen Chu might not have noticed himself that the bone flute was gone.

The bone flute merged into his body and became his thoracic vertebra, the bone behind his heart.

But obviously, just this small piece of bone couldn’t make Wen Chu recall everything.

“Wen Chu.” Xiu called softly.

Wen Chu muttered a response in his dream and rubbed against Xiu’s arms again.

Xiu hugged him amusingly.

Really… so stupid, luckily he met him.

.

At 8:30, Wen Chu woke up.

He slept all day yesterday, and after fainting at night, he caught up on sleep for a while. After waking up, the sadness of being beaten was gone. He floated to Xiu’s back in high spirits, lying on his stomach and chattering: “Xiu, let’s go eat the hotel buffet today? Don’t let them send it up, just burn some for me to eat on the spot.”

Xiu brushed his teeth with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

He spat out the mouthwash, looking at the dark circles under his eyes in the mirror and the energetic spectre behind him.

“…Really looks like a succubus.” Xiu said abruptly out of nowhere.

“What?” Wen Chu was confused.

“Nothing, just that the Exorcist Conference only gave me one breakfast voucher. You have to pay extra to enter.” Xiu washed his face. “I’ll call the front desk later to ask if we pay directly at the venue or need to get a supplementary breakfast voucher at the front desk first.”

“Yay.” Wen Chu spun around happily. “I haven’t eaten a buffet yet.”

Xiu was a bit strange: “How did you know the hotel has a buffet?”

Wen Chu held up the phone hanging around his neck: “It said so on the video on the phone yesterday. It said as long as you pay, you can eat whatever you want inside. Is it true?”

“En.” Xiu agreed lightly.

He finished washing up, changed his clothes, and was about to take Wen Chu out.

“But I think the taste is average. If there are any dishes you like, tell me, and I’ll have the chef make them for you when we get home.”

“Go home?”

Wen Chu lay on Xiu’s back, exclaiming in surprise: “Can I go home with you?”

“Of course.” Xiu was baffled. “Where else can you go if not home with me?”

Wen Chu rested his chin on Xiu’s shoulder and whispered: “Is it a bit too fast?”

Xiu: ?

Wen Chu’s cheeks were flushed: “The internet says taking someone home to meet parents means it has reached the stage of discussing marriage. It’s a very intimate relationship.”

Xiu: ??

Xiu’s steps paused: “Wait, I didn’t mean that…”

Just as his voice fell, he was interrupted by a piercing siren.

Wee-woo Wee-woo Wee-woo—

Downstairs of the hotel.

Police cars surrounded the entire hotel. Fully armed armed police were dispatched, heading straight for Room 444 on the fourth floor.

The Exorcist Conference had attracted high attention from all walks of life. Today was the last day, and many reporters had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing this scene, they snapped photos frantically.

Yuan Le got out of the police car yawning, with dark circles under his eyes, facing a crowd of cameras, and waved his hand wearily: “Don’t ask, not sure. I just went to report the case of An Ya, the office worker poisoned on the subway a while ago. The armed police came themselves, and another team went to the Wen family.”

The office worker who seemed to die suddenly but was actually poisoned was the headline news recently. None of the reporters present were unaware of it.

As soon as Yuan Le said this, many reporters with keen senses quickly contacted their resources in the public security bureau.

Yuan Le was also happy to be idle, strolling back to the hotel, ready to catch up on sleep after watching the excitement.

The elevator was guarded by armed police. He walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. Just as he arrived at the fourth floor, he was startled by the commotion of the armed police prying open the door.

Looking again, Xiu was standing at the opposite door carrying Wen Chu on his back.

Yuan Le immediately slipped over, smiling and patting Xiu on the shoulder: “How about it, brother did a good job… Holy crap, what happened to you? Really had your Yang energy sucked dry?”

Yuan Le looked at Xiu’s haggard face in shock.

Xiu was halfway through explaining the meaning of “taking home” to Wen Chu when he was interrupted by the rushing armed police. At this moment, he was looking gravely at the armed police prying open the door.

Xiu didn’t turn his head, saying coldly: “Just stayed up all night.”

Yuan Le looked at the energetic, flushed-cheeked Wen Chu who was watching the excitement with great interest, and the obviously sleep-deprived, cold-faced Xiu.

He really wanted to ask Xiu if this all-nighter was serious.

But he didn’t dare to ask.

Yuan Le could only silently swallow his words and watch the excitement with Xiu: “Why do you think this Wen Yaozu hasn’t woken up yet? It’s almost time for the meeting. Although he looked dead before, he has never been late. Is he hiding inside resisting arrest?”

Xiu’s expression was grave: “No.”

Wen Chu and Yuan Le looked at him at the same time.

Xiu said slowly: “Something’s not right. Even if Wen Yaozu wasn’t awake, he should have come out to make a scene hearing the noise now. Although he has restrained himself a lot recently, his character is definitely not one to stay silent when being bullied.”

Yuan Le’s expression also became grave.

Only Wen Chu was still out of the loop: “What’s wrong?”

Bang—

The armed police finally broke open the door, aiming their guns into the room: “Mr. Wen Yaozu, I am the police, you are suspected of hiring a murderer…”

The armed police’s voice stopped.

Inside the door, in the corridor densely covered with countless talismans, a figure was facing the door, kneeling on the ground.

It was a kowtowing posture of grand salutation, and one could even see blood seeping from Wen Yaozu’s forehead.

The direction he was facing was exactly Wen Chu and Xiu’s room.

The armed police stepped forward quickly, felt Wen Yaozu’s pulse, and turned back to shout loudly: “Medic! Medic!! Target is in a coma, vital signs are weak!”

The team doctor carried the medical kit and stepped forward quickly. Xiu also slowly added what he hadn’t finished saying just now.

“Since he didn’t appear, it only means something happened to Wen Yaozu.”

“Bad.” Seeing the unconscious Wen Yaozu, Yuan Le’s face looked even worse.

He leaned into Xiu’s ear: “Did you go to Wen Yaozu’s room last night? Haven’t dealt with the fingerprints yet, right? This worrywart, getting arrested and still causing trouble…”

Xiu’s expression wasn’t good either. Even if he had nothing to do with this matter, finding his fingerprints in Wen Yaozu’s room would inevitably involve him.

What’s more, Wen Yaozu had swapped rooms with him and had entangled with him for a long time regarding the identity of the Exorcist Association president.

Wen Chu finally understood the trick. Looking at the team doctor rushing over, he frowned and said: “If they investigate you, just say you were controlled by me. Anyway, I was lying on your back when we came last night.”

Came how??

Yuan Le looked at the two of them with even more shock.

Xiu frowned: “What joke are you making? Do you know that a spectre who harms an exorcist will definitely be executed?”

Wen Chu was startled by his serious attitude and whispered: “I’m thinking of a way for you…”

Xiu rubbed his glabella and softened his voice: “You don’t need to think of a way. I can’t hurt you. I’ll just go find President Ren later.”

Just as his voice fell, a team member ran over: “Captain! Bad news!”

“What’s wrong?” The captain checking Wen Yaozu’s condition turned around.

The team member stood there, panting: “Report from the main team, when they arrived, everyone in the Wen family was kneeling on the ground, all kowtowed until unconscious!!”

Everyone present was stunned.

It took the captain several seconds to react: “The situation here is the same. Is there any pattern to their kowtowing?”

“They said they were all facing southwest.” The team member reported truthfully.

“That’s not right…” The captain murmured, glancing at Wen Yaozu, “This one is facing east.”

Yuan Le also looked confused.

Xiu didn’t speak.

At this moment, he had a guess—

The direction everyone in the Wen family was kneeling might all be towards Wen Chu.

.

With the armed police handling the case, it wasn’t appropriate for Xiu to continue interfering. After simply greeting the police officers present, he left straight away.

With such a big incident happening to the Wen family, the Exorcist Conference naturally couldn’t continue.

Fortunately, what needed to be said had been said in the previous two days. Ren Chuanyu was printing materials in the conference center, preparing to distribute one copy to each person to end it completely.

Xiu carried Wen Chu to pick up the materials and mentioned the matter of leaving fingerprints to Ren Chuanyu by the way.

“It doesn’t matter.” Ren Chuanyu nodded. “I’ll handle it later.”

After speaking, she waved her hand, ready to let Xiu leave.

Xiu didn’t leave, looking at her: “Don’t you have anything to ask?”

Ren Chuanyu looked up in confusion: “What should I ask? It’s a good thing Yuan Le reported the Wen family. The meeting content wasn’t much anyway. Our Exorcist Association doesn’t need such pests harming the people.”

Standard Old School exorcist speech.

Xiu observed Ren Chuanyu carefully for a while, finally found nothing wrong, and could only give up.

President Ren instructed: “Remember to read the action plan carefully. We will set up the entire array within a week. You just need to recharge your energy and come after the array is set up.”

Xiu nodded: “Okay.”

President Ren hesitated to speak: “And…”

Xiu looked at her.

President Ren patted the young blond exorcist on the shoulder: “I have high hopes for you. In the future, you must lead the entire Exorcist Association to continue on the righteous path.”

This was a bit strange to say.

But before Xiu could figure out what was strange, Wen Chu lying on his back spoke first.

“President Ren, are you going to stop being the president soon?” Wen Chu stared straight at Ren Chuanyu.

Ren Chuanyu’s impression of Wen Chu was a little spectre obediently sleeping beside Xiu. She didn’t expect him to speak suddenly, stunned for a moment, a trace of guilt flashed in her eyes: “No, isn’t this seeing Xiu and encouraging him? I’m still young. Why would you think that?”

Wen Chu looked seriously at this short-haired woman: “No, this tone, another person said this to me too. It means leaving soon.”

The “another person” Wen Chu spoke of was Xiu.

That blond god who hid under a black robe all day.

After instructing him countless times in this tone to live well, the god cruelly left him alone.

Wen Chu ruminated on every word of Xiu in countless days and nights, almost having PTSD towards such a deathbed instruction tone.

He would never be mistaken.

That was a bloody lesson stabbed in his heart.

President Ren smiled awkwardly to change the topic: “Haha… no, no. By the way, where are you going after the meeting?”

Xiu saw Ren Chuanyu’s awkwardness, deep thought flashed in his eyes, and then he went along with it: “Taking him home. The armed police blocked the hotel this morning, so he couldn’t eat the buffet he was longing for. I’m taking him back to eat.”

Wen Chu was shocked and forgot his questioning just now.

Although he was a bit sad not to eat the buffet, he also knew that this morning was a special situation with too many unexpected events.

As a considerate ghost who was about to go home with Xiu to discuss marriage, Wen Chu could still avoid making unreasonable trouble at this time.

But what did Xiu say??

“Eat buffet at your house?” Wen Chu looked at Xiu in shock. “How big is your house?”

A venue as big as a buffet couldn’t be set up at home even in a large flat, right?

Xiu thought for a moment: “About fourteen hectares?”

How big is fourteen hectares?

Wen Chu hadn’t learned modern unit conversion yet and was about to take out his phone to search.

Ren Chuanyu waved at them with a smile: “Alright, hurry up and go. I have to entertain the next one. Little spectre, visit Xiu’s home well.”

Now Wen Chu had no chance to pursue what Ren Chuanyu said just now. He was carried away by Xiu all the way.

Carrying Wen Chu, Xiu also remembered the topic he hadn’t finished just now: “By the way, it was interrupted just now. Taking you home doesn’t mean discussing marriage. In our modern society, taking friends home is very common.”

Wen Chu was searching on his phone, troubled because he really didn’t know how to write the characters for “hectare” (gongqing). Hearing this, he suddenly raised his head.

“Taking friends home?” Wen Chu stared at Xiu, repeating in disbelief, “I’m just a friend?”

Xiu inexplicably felt his back get much colder again.

Before he could answer, Wen Chu asked and answered himself first: “Oh… right. Your Soul-Binding Chain can be casually used to tie other ghosts, and the card can be swiped casually by others. Of course, I’m just your friend.”

Xiu: …

What is all this? Why don’t I understand again?

Wen Chu had completely lost interest in searching what “hectare” was. He put down the phone and lay on Xiu’s back with lowered eyes.

He seemed to be always sentimental, falling for Xiu first, and making some self-righteous jokes.

Wen Chu felt he couldn’t be entirely blamed. Before Xiu, no one had ever treated him like this.

Wiping his tears, blowing on his boo-boos, kissing him, and coaxing him to sleep.

They had been together for so long in the last world.

Wen Chu thought, at least under the identity of “spectre” instead of “Formation Eye,” Xiu might like him a little bit.

Wen Chu remembered the phrase Xiu said most often.

“Human and ghost have different paths.”

“Xiu.” Wen Chu said softly.

“Hmm?” Xiu also noticed something wrong with Wen Chu and was thinking about where he said something wrong.

In the next moment, he heard Wen Chu say.

“Can you not be so good to me later?”

Wen Chu looked at his phone.

“You are so good to me, I can’t help but want to like you.”

He isn’t afraid Xiu doesn’t like him.

He’s just a little afraid that he’ll be too sad when he goes back to be the Formation Eye alone.