18: Ghost Scammer

After finishing a cigarette, Zhou Langxing gathered the courage to call Qin Yan.

The phone was quickly answered.

Zhou Langxing didn’t need to adjust his tone. The moment he imagined the conversation being with Qin Yan, his emotions became more lively. His happiness was clear, and anyone familiar with him would easily notice.

“Ah Yan!”

That affectionate nickname…

Zhou Shurong looked on coldly.

Zhou Langxing felt the air around him grow colder, but his body was strong, so he didn’t mind.

“Ah Yan, are you still awake?” His opening was a very ordinary, but safe, casual conversation.

Zhou Shurong moved closer and heard Qin Yan’s voice from the phone. It was slightly altered, with an additional sense of unreality and strangeness.

“No, I just finished taking a shower. I won’t sleep until ten.”

Zhou Langxing lowered his gaze. Showering, sleeping—these were topics that felt private to him. Someone with ulterior motives could easily take the conversation to a deeper level.

But Zhou Langxing didn’t. Though he had the desire, he lacked the courage. His bravery in matters of love was like a balloon, needing time to inflate before it could soar.

There was no one else around. Zhou Langxing didn’t have to hide his expressions. His face was full of joy, and his eyes were sparkling. “So, what are you doing now?”

“Watching TV.”

Zhou Shurong thought that Qin Yan must not have realized that his voice sounded more lively than when he talked to herself at home.

“What’s on TV? I want to watch too!”

“Oh—it’s a love drama. There’s a car accident, amnesia, parents separating the lovers, and brotherly conflict. Probably not your style.”

Zhou Langxing’s eyes brightened even more. The brotherly conflict part touched a nerve.

“What’s it called? Tell me!”

“It’s…”

Zhou Shurong suddenly didn’t want to listen anymore. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to leave the balcony.

Qin Yan and Zhou Langxing.

His lover and his twin brother.

Neither of them noticed the happiness in their voices.

It wasn’t like comforting each other after a loved one’s passing; it felt more like a sweet and sour secret crush, like an unbroken window paper.

Was it really like that?

It made him feel like a clown.

Zhou Shurong turned back and saw Zhou Langxing laughing at something Qin Yan had said, leaning back in laughter.

Rationally, he knew that he had lost the chance to be with Qin Yan. He should have been more understanding and let Zhou Langxing have the opportunity—like in TV dramas, where the younger brother was the protagonist and the ideal match for the heroine, and the older brother was merely a side character highlighting their great love.

Was that it?

Zhou Shurong tugged at the corner of his mouth.

But… he didn’t want to let go!

He was selfish, he was greedy, and he wanted to hold onto everything he once had!

Zhou Shurong removed his mask, his gaze turning into a cold arc as he stared at Zhou Langxing for a long while.

Zhou Langxing ended the call, feeling pleased. “Going to watch TV, going to watch TV…”

He walked past Zhou Shurong.

Their souls briefly crossed paths, and Zhou Langxing let out a hiss. “It’s so cold!”

Zhou Shurong also left. He returned to his room, where the furnishings hadn’t changed, except for the missing dried flowers in the vase.

His anger flared instinctively.

“Uncle Lin—”

No one responded.

His anger flared for an instant and then extinguished just as quickly. No one knew that he was angry over a simple bunch of dried flowers.

His anger didn’t seem to matter.

Zhou Shurong’s chest heaved violently. He desperately needed a sedative—a menthol cigarette.

Where were the cigarettes?

In the drawer.

But his hand passed through.

He opened the drawer, reached for the cigarettes—something that used to be so simple now felt like a luxury.

It seemed to mock him—being a dead man, unable to stop the development between two living people.

Calm, unhurried, unfazed… all those calm words had become nothing but illusions for him.

“Bang!”

The ceiling light exploded, shattering into pieces.

Zhou Langxing, who had just turned on the TV, rushed upstairs. After confirming the sound came from his brother’s room, he opened the door, looking at the mess in silence.

The instigator had already jumped out the window, transforming into a red Lamborghini, speeding away.

The paths of the underworld and the living world did not intersect.

You drive yours, I drive mine.

No need to dodge! Pedestrians, vehicles, buildings—nothing needed to avoid them.

The car sped faster and faster, and Zhou Shurong felt a rush of exhilaration, something he usually disdained.

So fast, so fast, it felt like it was going to take off!

A fleeting red shadow rushed by, and the little ghosts by the roadside stared in envy, shouting, “Wow! What a fast car! I want one!”

Suddenly, a person appeared in front.

Zhou Shurong wasn’t prepared, but he didn’t brake either. His expression was indifferent. After all, he didn’t think they would collide.

But to his surprise, the car collided with the person. The poor soul was thrown into the air, tumbling several times before landing and rolling a few more.

Zhou Shurong slammed on the brakes.

Panicked and unsettled.

A person? Did he hit a person?

No! He immediately realized that it wasn’t a person!

The cars and pedestrians on the road didn’t stop because of the traffic accident. Not even a glance was thrown. One car drove right over the figure, and the wheels didn’t even bump or ripple.

Zhou Shurong unbuckled his seatbelt and slowly walked toward the thing on the ground.

This was truly a horrific accident.

Body parts were scattered everywhere, and he almost stepped on an eyeball.

Zhou Shurong’s fingertips grew cold.

As he got closer, he heard groaning sounds: “Ah—so painful—so painful—ah—”

This thing, lacking any human shape, could still make sounds? Of course, it was a ghost, not a person!

Zhou Shurong stammered, “Sorry…”

“You deserve to die!”

The pitiful ghost suddenly raised half of its face, scaring Zhou Shurong back a step. It was truly a sight—he had smashed half its head!

It was hard to imagine, but even ghosts had to pay attention to road safety!

When the ghost saw Zhou Shurong, the only remaining eye flashed with envy, and then it noticed the car parked by the roadside. The look in its eye turned into one of envy for the wealthy.

“Look, look, look!!!” It angrily pointed at the scattered limbs, organs, bones, and blood on the ground.

“…”

“Do you think saying sorry helps? You rich young masters, do you think being a ghost means you don’t have to follow human rules anymore?!”

Zhou Shurong remained silent.

The ghost’s voice grew louder. “Do you know how much money I need to fix my body? You also need to find a way to get someone to help you fix it, and there’s an extra fee for the middleman!”

“How much? I’ll pay double.” Money wasn’t an issue for Zhou Shurong. He didn’t mind. He was just eager to leave.

Double?

Greed flashed in the ghost’s eye. It gestured with its fingers.

“One million ghost coins.”

Zhou Shurong raised his lashes and coldly gazed at the ghost on the ground. He was dressed in an ivory-white suit vest, wearing an armband, with a pocket square peeking from his chest. He looked so superior, untouched by the mundane world.

The ghost was momentarily stunned, its gaze flickering away, stammering, “It’s not expensive. Ghost coins have depreciated a lot now.”

Zhou Shurong nodded, saying nothing. He pulled out gold ingots from his pocket, piling them in the pool of blood. They gleamed brightly, casting a golden glow on the ghost’s face.

The ghost’s eyes lit up. Gold ingots! The most valuable kind! These days, few people were willing to buy gold ingots; everyone preferred the cheaper, machine-printed paper money.

After paying the compensation, Zhou Shurong turned and headed back to the car. Behind him, a low voice drifted:

“Good for you. Your family must love you. My wife and son have forgotten all about me. Even on Qingming, I can’t get a single worthless paper money. I… I had no choice.”

Qingming: Traditional Chinese festival that typically occurs on April 4th or 5th each year. It is a day for honoring ancestors and deceased loved ones by visiting their graves, cleaning the tombstones, and offering food, incense, and other items to show respect.

Zhou Shurong didn’t stop. He got back in the car, buckled his seatbelt, and began to drive around the mess.

This time, he slowed down, merging into the traffic of the living world.

He thought to himself, so even ghosts in the underworld try to scam people.

It felt strangely like the distance between the underworld and the living world was narrowing.

Back at Qin Yan’s house, Qin Yan had already prepared to sleep. He gathered all the clothes he had hung out to dry on the balcony and carefully arranged them on the bed.

Zhou Shurong stood there, watching him “build his nest.”

It seemed so familiar, like it wasn’t the first time. Zhou Shurong felt a warm current rush into his left atrium.

“Ah Yan,” he softly called, “I regret it. If you two are happy together, I’ll end up sabotaging it.”

He pointed to his chest, “My heart doesn’t beat anymore, but it still hurts.”

On the bed, it seemed like Qin Yan, embraced by Zhou Shurong, contentedly closed his eyes. But after a moment, something seemed to come to his mind. He opened his eyes and, facing the dark silence of the room, softly said:

“Shurong, good night! See you tomorrow!”

After a long while, a cold voice echoed:

“Good night, see you tomorrow.”