Chapter 146: Children’s Laughter (25)
The Jing Estate was exactly the same as it had been in his memories, without the slightest sign of deterioration from the passage of time.
It was not the mansion he returned to after everything had ended, where the scars of war had left their mark, and where time had worn it down with the years he hadn’t lived through.
No, it was truly just like the last glance he had cast at it when he left home — unchanged.
While the young man gazed at every tree and plant inside the Jing Estate with nostalgic eyes, someone walked down the gilded staircase. The sound of their leather shoes striking the floor echoed crisply, drawing the young man’s attention.
He instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.
Even though he had seen everything that had happened here in the live broadcast, he still found himself stunned when facing the person playing his father.
In the dimly lit Jing Estate, the originally exquisite and beautiful decorations were now ruined from the recent escape and massacre. Crystal chandeliers had fallen, mirrors shattered, paintings hung crookedly, and broken sculpture fragments littered the floor. Even the carpet and walls were stained with large patches of blood.
At first glance, this was no longer the awe-inspiring Jing Estatethat had once intimidated many; instead, it looked like an abandoned haunted house.
The man who approached, however, was impeccably dressed in a sharp woolen suit that perfectly highlighted his already exceptional figure.
As he slightly lowered his calm eyebrows, under the faint light of the kerosene lamp, the sharpness and wisdom that lay hidden in his gaze made him look even more like the father the young man remembered.
— The same calmness, caution, and mastery of the situation.
No matter how dire the circumstances, his father never lost hope, always managing to find a way out of any deadlock.
For a moment, the young man even forgot to breathe.
He recalled what had been said during the live broadcast: all those brought to the Jing Estate had been assigned roles based on how closely they resembled the characters. He couldn’t help but feel that whoever had assigned him the role of “Jing Shiwen” had done so perfectly.
Although they didn’t look alike, there was a determination and relentless spirit in both of them that was strikingly similar.
It was as though the path they walked was their own, and no one else’s interference was necessary.
But what struck the young man as odd was the man’s shirt.
It was stained with large splotches of blood, and the fabric was wrinkled, as though he had just emerged from a fierce battle.
While the young man was distracted, the man, carrying the kerosene lamp, moved to the door.
He showed a hint of surprise, but his eyes remained sharp and vigilant, as if he would strike down anyone who made a wrong move.
“Although I knew the crew members would also be brought in, I’ve never seen you before. Who are you?”
The man’s voice was cold: “I remember every face from today’s opening ceremony, but I don’t recall you. Perhaps I should have Director Li Xuetang come out and recognize you himself?”
Through the now glassless ornate door, the young man smiled slightly and bowed his head.
“My apologies. I was rude. There is no one home, and I have not properly entertained my guest.”
“I am Jing Sheng, the child of the Jing family.”
After his older brother’s death, his father was heartbroken.
The country and great cause had been fulfilled, but the family had been failed in return.
Thus, after Jing Sheng was born, his father no longer had any expectations for him, allowing him to live freely. Even his name carried no heavy expectations.
Instead, his name was chosen with the meaning of “prosperity and peace.”
His father had smiled and patted his head, gently telling him, “We, of our generation, could not witness the prosperous era, so let your eyes see it for us. May it forever flourish, and the country always remain peaceful.”
But his father never expected that as Jing Sheng grew up, after his father’s death, he would not follow the expectations to become a rich and idle man.
Jing Sheng redefined his own name — he was meant to protect the prosperous world.
Now, as an elderly man, he could finally say with a clear conscience:
He had done it.
The only surprise had been his older brother’s death, and tonight’s events at the Jing Estate.
Jing Sheng had wandered through the misty streets of the concession area for a long time. As he looked around at the buildings that surrounded him, he reflected and nostalgically admired them, as forgotten memories suddenly sprang to life in his mind.
It felt as if someone were guiding him. Jing Sheng hadn’t gotten lost, and he soon arrived at the Jing Estate.
But as he passed through the mist, he suddenly realized that he had changed his appearance.
No longer the frail, elderly figure, his face, attire, and even his mindset had reverted to many years ago—
Back when he was still a student, bidding farewell to his mother and resolutely setting out on his own path.
He had been full of vitality and hope.
Now, that version of Jing Sheng had returned.
As though the years in between had never existed.
His mother, Lin Ting, was still at the Jing Estate, diligently working at her desk, writing manuscripts that resonated loudly, her words piercing the hearts of their enemies.
He was still that idealistic student. When he returned home, he could always look up and see the light from that desk lamp.
That light filled his heart, like a lighthouse that would always guide him, ensuring he would never lose his way.
Even when he suffered through hardships and was nearly consumed by darkness, he had gritted his teeth and persevered.
He knew — his mother was waiting for him to come home.
That light was left for her son, and for others with the same ideals.
But unfortunately, by the time he was finally able to return home… his mother had passed away.
According to the doctor, even in her final moments, her manuscripts were still scattered around her sickbed, with books piled under her medicine bottles.
At the time, she had even pressed a half-written manuscript under her hand.
The fountain pen had slipped from her weakening grip, leaving a long mark across the manuscript.
Her final words left in this world weren’t for her lifelong love, Jing Shiwen, or her two children.
They were for her country.
— “May my homeland be peaceful, may the rivers and seas be clear, and may the world be at peace forever.”
The mist clouded Jing Sheng’s eyes. He blinked, seemingly trying to hold himself together in front of a stranger, but the tears betrayed him and began to fall.
Only upon returning to this place did Jing Sheng realize just how deeply he was attached to this home, to his parents.
But all these years, he had been so busy, so caught up in his ideals and career, that he had never had the energy to deal with his personal emotions. He had suppressed these feelings, focusing entirely on his work.
Only now did these emotions finally break free.
Yan Shixun stared at the young man outside the door. After a moment of hesitation, he suddenly realized who he was — the second child of Jing Shiwen and Lin Ting, the younger brother of Jing Xiaobao.
…Also, the Jing family’s Old Master, as Director Li Xuetang had mentioned.
Yan Shixun quickly scanned the young man, noticing the old-fashioned school uniform he was wearing, and understood the situation.
The confusion caused by the young man’s age not matching that of the Jing family’s Old Master was now resolved.
It was likely that Jing Xiaobao’s influence was still active, which explained why the Jing family’s Old Master had also changed his appearance when arriving at the Jing Estate.
But… the timing was wrong. The Jing family’s Old Master hadn’t been born a hundred years ago, much less been a young progressive student.
And why was the Jing family’s Old Master here?
Jing Xiaobao had been terrified of getting spanked, so he had spilled the beans, explaining everything clearly. Only those who had been in the concession area at the time had been brought in.
But the Old Master of the Jing family shouldn’t have been among them.
Yan Shixun quickly took stock of Jing Sheng, who was standing quietly outside, waiting. Knowing that now wasn’t the time to voice his doubts, he suppressed his questions for the moment and opened the door to welcome Jing Sheng inside.
However, as they entered the living room, Jing Sheng lowered his head, pausing for a moment.
Yan Shixun followed his gaze and saw the body of the master reappearing in the living room.
The master wasn’t lying flat on the carpet; instead, his limbs were twisted into an unnatural shape, forcibly shoved into the fireplace. His neck seemed to be snapped, with his head hanging limply, but it was perfectly aligned with the opening of the fireplace. His eyes, wide open and filled with terror, stared up at everyone from below as if they refused to close even in death.
On the floor, there were remnants of freshly torn flesh and charred fragments. It looked as though the master had walked back to this spot and shoved himself back into the fireplace.
It was these pieces of flesh on the floor that drew Jing Sheng’s attention.
At this moment, Yan Shixun felt that the silence in the living room was strangely unsettling.
Indeed… if you were in someone else’s house, making a mess and covering everything with blood and bodies, how would you explain it when the owner returns and gives you a puzzled look?
But Yan Shixun’s emotions were fleeting. He coughed lightly, then nodded indifferently to Jing Sheng, saying, “No need to thank me.”
Just as Jing Sheng was about to say “it’s alright,” Yan Shixun spoke first, cutting him off: “….”
“Although it may not sound right, your brother has indeed been mischievous. Everything you see here—this mess—was caused by him. Your mother is probably upstairs, spanking him right now.”
Yan Shixun calmly and briefly explained the situation at the Jing Estate.
“And, although you might not understand it, as of now—” Yan Shixun paused and then said, “I’m your father, who’s been dead for a long time.”
Jing Sheng: “???”
The public opinion team and officials who had been watching the livestream: “Pfft!!! Cough, cough, cough…”
Especially the Jing family members and the secretary of Old Master Jing, who had been left outside the bridge and couldn’t enter the concession area, so they anxiously followed the livestream: “???”
The secretary felt like he was about to suffocate.
He had been Old Master Jing’s secretary for decades and had only ever seen others cautiously use flattering words. He had never seen someone just come out and say, “I’m your father” to Old Master Jing! It was probably the first time Old Master Jing himself had encountered this.
But what truly left the secretary speechless was that, strictly speaking, what this Yan Shixun had said wasn’t wrong.
Based on the clues gathered from the livestream so far, Yan Shixun was playing the role of the diplomat Jing Bin.
Indeed, he was Old Master Jing’s biological father.
The secretary’s face immediately contorted.
Even though he had just seen Old Master Jing in the livestream, still in the form of a young student, he had maintained his professional demeanor as a secretary. But when it came to Yan Shixun, he couldn’t keep it up.
His gaze at Yan Shixun was filled with doubt, his breath quickening, but he decided that once this situation was resolved, he would thoroughly investigate what was going on with Yan Shixun.
No matter whether this person was truly a ghost-exorcising master or had some other identity, the fact that he could confidently tell Old Master Jing, “I’m your father,” made him stand out!
Back at the Jing Estate, Jing Sheng looked at Yan Shixun in surprise but quickly realized what he meant.
Even though he had seen that everyone in the livestream had identities, it was the first time he felt it deeply when standing directly opposite Yan Shixun.
However, to Yan Shixun, who didn’t know anything about the livestream and was still wondering why Jing Sheng was outside the door, this was the best way to explain the current situation while keeping his identity hidden.
It was a quick way to make Jing Sheng understand what was going on.
Yan Shixun also intended to test Jing Sheng.
Jing Sheng wasn’t a novice. He had only shown a brief moment of surprise when he first saw the master’s corpse, then calmly smiled and walked with Yan Shixun, chatting as they went. He learned everything about what had happened at the Jing Estate and even greeted the production team who had rushed over.
When he was told that the young student he was speaking with was the same person who had gracefully negotiated in the face of enemies and made a name for himself as a diplomat, the production team immediately felt like they hadn’t quite recovered from the world of the “Jing Xiaobao” show and were now in a daze.
The kind of person they had only seen in newspapers and on TV, who had already been written about in textbooks, was suddenly standing in front of them???
And he was even friendly enough to greet them???
They felt like they were walking on clouds, like they were in a dream.
Even the viewers watching the livestream were confused, wondering if the world had gone wrong or if they had.
[What??? The Jing Sheng from the news, and the Jing Bin in my moral education book, are father and son??? That scumbag? I’m stunned. I was just saying how handsome that young man was, and now he’s the child of that scumbag? Didn’t they say he didn’t have any children? Could it be some random seed he left behind? Tsk, tsk, tsk, he’s truly a scumbag, disgusting.]
[To the person ahead, you’ll understand when you grow up. Mr. Jing Bin is a legendary diplomat, a hero! Don’t use such derogatory words, it’s disrespectful.]
[My mentor’s mentor worked with Mr. Jing Sheng. He’s not what you’re describing at all. Mr. Jing Bin didn’t want his glory to overshadow his child, so he didn’t publicly acknowledge Jing Sheng. This way, Jing Sheng could freely choose his path without being pointed at by ignorant people.]
[… Mr. Jing Bin is truly amazing, and so is Mr. Jing Sheng. They’ve saved hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people. But now some people are speaking ill of them just because of Mr. Jing Bin’s personal marriage situation?]
[No, it’s one thing to misunderstand in the past, but haven’t you figured out the truth of the matter after watching this film? Mr. Jing Bin was protecting his wife. He’s a man with responsibility, okay?]
[Holy crap, Mr. Jing Sheng!! When I was a kid, his most famous photo of getting off the plane in a black coat, talking calmly with opponents, captured so many girls’ hearts!]
[I remember, when I was a kid, I used to eat dinner while watching TV, and Mr. Jing Sheng was always on the 7 o’clock news. No matter what channel I switched to, I couldn’t escape. But as I grew up, I realized the person I used to dislike for interrupting my cartoons was actually such a great person.]
[It’s a pity that after Mr. Jing Sheng stepped down, he never appeared on the news again… I chose to major in foreign languages at Jingcheng University because I read Mr. Jing Sheng’s biography! He’s my idol, and I worked so hard in school just to be closer to him. I never expected to see a young version of him here. I’m so excited I could cry.]
[I have a guess. Didn’t there used to be rumors that the script for Director Li Xuetang’s drama was based on the diplomat Jing Bin? Could it be that Mr. Jing Sheng knew and wanted to use this joint filming opportunity to pay tribute to his father?]
[It’s possible. Otherwise, why would they have specifically arranged for an actor to play a young Jing Sheng?]
[Okay, now that I’ve seen this young Mr. Jing Sheng, I finally believe it. This is definitely a script. After all, people can’t turn young again, and Mr. Jing Sheng is such a big shot. He wouldn’t participate in something like this.]
Even though the viewers saw what was happening in front of the camera, many of them had watched multiple episodes and had even seen Yan Shixun exorcise ghosts on-screen, their minds had never formed the idea that the person in front of them was actually Jing Sheng himself, not an actor.
As for the secretary who had been watching the livestream, after reading those comments, he felt a strange clarity.
It was absurd… but this person was really Mr. Jing Sheng, and he was truly involved.
Yan Shixun, who had been quietly observing Jing Sheng, noticed how familiar Jing Sheng seemed as he walked around the Jing Estate, looking completely at ease, and his wariness was slightly eased.
When Yan Shixun asked Jing Sheng why he had come to the Jing Estate, Jing Sheng smiled and replied, “I think my brother called me.”
Yan Shixun frowned, sensing something was off: “Jing Xiaobao?”
Jing Sheng nodded. “Yes, I’ve been looking for my brother, so after seeing the livestream, I came right away.”
“Livestream?”
Yan Shixun quickly caught the clue in Jing Sheng’s words: “What livestream?”
Since they had woken up in the concession area and the cameraman was nowhere to be found, how could the livestream still be going?
Didn’t they see the director himself, who was completely carefree, indulging in his own world?
Jing Sheng looked surprised, then laughed: “It seems Mr. Yan doesn’t know yet?”
“Your program, ‘Heart-Pounding Journey of Ninety-Nine Days,’ has been livestreaming since the moment you woke up in the concession area.”
Jing Sheng thought for a moment and quickly realized the situation.
Looking around, he didn’t see any cameras or camera crew, and there was no director giving instructions—Director Li Xuetang was just standing nearby.
Beside them, there were no assistants around either.
Before coming here, Jing Sheng had already figured out there was no joint filming.
So…
Jing Sheng smiled and lowered his voice, softly suggesting, “The popularity is extraordinary.”
Yan Shixun figured it out a second before Jing Sheng, his face darkening.
Beside him, Zhang Wubing, who had been joking around, suddenly froze: “……..”
He recalled how he had dressed in women’s clothes without any regard for his image, and now, he was stunned, as if struck by a blow.
His body seemed to shrink into a black-and-white blur, tottering.
Everyone else had similar expressions of shock.
A l-livestream?
Especially those inside information that were only ever shared with friends? And his own image?
When An Nanyuan thought about how he had appeared so cowardly before the livestream, he felt a sudden dizziness and realized that after this, his idol image was completely gone.
Jing Sheng originally had the intention to ask Yan Shixun more questions, such as about Chi Yan, and whether his brother’s condition could still be saved.
But, considering that they were about to go live, he thought some things were better discussed privately. Jing Sheng held back, deciding to wait until they left the Jing Estate to ask Yan Shixun.
Moreover, he had more pressing concerns—
His mother and his brother.
Jing Sheng had initially been full of uncontrollable anticipation and urgency, but as he stepped onto the gilded staircase, he suddenly hesitated. His lifted leg faltered, and he couldn’t bring himself to put it down onto the step.
He felt a surge of homesickness.
It had been decades since he had seen his mother, and he didn’t know—he didn’t know if she even remembered him. Would she… resent him for not returning in time, for never coming back to see her?
And as for his brother, Jing Sheng was afraid his brother might hate him. After all, it was because of his own serious injuries and recovery that Chi Yan had found an opportunity to steal his brother’s remains, leading to the suffering his brother had endured for the past ten-plus years.
He was terrified that his most important family members would look at him with eyes filled with disgust and hatred.
Moreover, he was already so old, while his family remained frozen in time, stuck in their youth, and his brother never even had the chance to grow up.
From the livestream, he still looked like the clever and adorable figure in the photos.
How was he supposed to face them?
Jing Sheng suddenly felt a bit fortunate that he appeared as his younger self at this moment.
Otherwise, with his hair turning gray, how would he be able to cope with the time gap that had come with the decades?
Even though he could outwit any scholar and confidently navigate through the political maelstrom of various countries, the calmness and words of the past had completely vanished now.
He felt like he had truly gone back to his teenage years, still a young student, stammering under his mother’s gaze as he tried to express his dreams, nervously asking her to allow him to follow his father’s path.
After learning about Jing Sheng’s identity, especially after Song Ci and Li Xuetang briefly informed the team about his achievements, the crew felt a sense of awe toward his presence and dared not get too close, keeping their distance.
When they saw Jing Sheng hesitate on the stairs, everyone was puzzled, but none dared to urge him on.
Only Yan Shixun remained calm, his expression unchanged as if unaware of the significance of the person beside him. He treated Jing Sheng with the same normal attitude as always.
Yan Shixun stepped up the stairs with long strides. As he passed by Jing Sheng, he gave him a pat on the back. “Let’s go.”
His gaze was calm, carrying an understanding that seemed to have seen through everything: “Didn’t you come here to see your mother? She’s upstairs, and your brother’s here too. Didn’t you come to the Jing Estate for this?”
Yan Shixun had already learned from Jing Sheng’s account that the foreign concessions were enveloped in thick fog, and Jing Sheng had come here, risking his life, to find his brother, determined to bring him back regardless of the dangers.
He understood the deep emotions Jing Sheng held for his family and also understood his current hesitation.
Thus, seeing Jing Sheng still indecisive, Yan Shixun reached out and grabbed him by the collar, unceremoniously pulling him up the stairs.
Jing Sheng followed obediently, as if Yan Shixun’s action had given him the courage to not want to miss this meeting with his family.
Meanwhile, before the livestream, many people gasped in shock, almost popping their eyes out.
A number of officials who were following the livestream were dumbfounded, some of them even jumping out of their chairs in surprise.
“He, he, he…” One of the officials pointed at the livestream where Yan Shixun was pulling Jing Sheng, “He…” He couldn’t find the words to finish his sentence.
But the others knew exactly what he meant to say.
Yan Shixun was truly ruthless!
If Yan Shixun had known their thoughts, he would have just sneered, not caring at all.
In his eyes, there were only those who could be helped and those who couldn’t. As for anything else? Sorry, status didn’t exist. In the end, everyone was human, and they all died. There was no difference.
Moreover, he was still carrying the identity of Jing Bin—
A father bringing his child to see his mother. What was the problem?
By the time Yan Shixun and Jing Sheng reached the second floor, Lin Ting, who seemed to sense something, had just opened the door and walked out with Jing Xiaobao in her arms.
Jing Xiaobao’s small suit suspenders were being held by Lin Ting, as if she were tugging at rabbit ears.
Meanwhile, he hung limply like a fish out of water, his arms dangling helplessly, allowing Lin Ting to carry him around.
Though he was a fierce ghost feared by all, he looked pitiful with his head drooping.
With his sobbing noises, his little body also trembled.
It was clear he was crying hard.
Yan Shixun’s gaze swept over Jing Xiaobao and quickly deduced that he had been spanked, raising an eyebrow with a smile in his eyes.
—Given Lin Ting’s personality, this wasn’t surprising.
Though she loved her child deeply, she was far from the type of mother who would indulge him. On the contrary, having endured far more hardship than most people could imagine, she was tough, a pure and steadfast idealist.
Although Jing Xiaobao’s actions were understandable, a good spanking was definitely in order—after all, he had killed someone, and for Lin Ting, it was necessary to teach him not to stray down the wrong path.
Yan Shixun, taking his time, stepped aside, leaving the space for the mother and child.
Lin Ting, sensing something, looked up and froze when she saw Jing Sheng gazing at her with tears in his eyes.
She froze for a moment.
“Bai Shu…” Lin Ting softly called her child’s name, not believing what she was seeing.
How… how could she see her child?
Tears finally fell from Jing Sheng’s eyes.
He nodded heavily, answering, “It’s me, I’m back.”
This name, which hadn’t been spoken in decades, suddenly opened the floodgates of emotion. The mother and son, without any of the awkwardness that should have come from decades of separation, walked toward each other, their emotions taking over.
Lin Ting, wearing her high heels, quickened her pace, then ran faster and faster, finally pulling her now grown child into a tight embrace, her arms trembling uncontrollably.
Jing Sheng bent down and embraced his mother.
The white hairs at Lin Ting’s temples stung Jing Sheng’s eyes. When he left, Lin Ting was still in her prime, and now, her image had frozen in the year of her death, looking far older than he remembered.
Jing Sheng’s nose burned, his arms tightening as he cried out, “Mom.”
Even with high office and wealth, as time passed, in the dead of night, the image of his mother walking through the Jing Estate in her qipao with high heels still lingered in his mind.
He had crossed his entire life, and now, as he was nearing the end of his journey, he suddenly realized that the universe had prepared the best gift for him.
—He had always carried guilt, missing his mother and brother.
Lin Ting’s lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but she choked up and couldn’t make a sound. Instead, she raised her hand and gently stroked Jing Sheng’s hair.
When they parted all those years ago at the Jing residence, no one expected it would be decades before they met again, separated by life and death.
The only consolation was that neither of them had ever abandoned their ideals.
It was a great cause worth burning one’s life for, and they could face it without regret, even in death.
The entire Jing family had never turned back.
Everyone silently stepped aside, not disturbing the mother and son as they reunited after so long.
As Yan Shixun turned to leave, he glanced at the forgotten Jing Xiaobao still being held by Lin Ting.
The child sniffled, swaying in the air like a rabbit keychain.
But when he met Yan Shixun’s gaze, even with his eyes red and the tears on his pale face barely hidden, Jing Xiaobao puffed out his cheeks and glared back defiantly.
What, are you staring at me?
Haven’t you seen a fierce ghost crying before?
Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow, his smile carrying a deeper meaning: First time seeing a naughty kid get spanked, huh? Don’t worry, I took a screenshot. I’ll definitely savor it every day.
Jing Xiaobao:!!! Wuwu.
Yan Shixun chuckled and turned away, planning to grab a screenshot from the livestream.
—Of course, it wasn’t just to irritate Jing Xiaobao.
The way Jing Xiaobao suddenly lost control earlier reminded Yan Shixun that beneath that cute exterior, there was an untamed ghost. Even he couldn’t deal with it unscathed if they came face-to-face.
So, Yan Shixun needed a way to suppress the evil spirit immediately.
If it were another practitioner, they would have used a soul-binding well or other strong measures.
However, Yan Shixun did not want to do it this way.
Jing Xiaobao had simply completed his karmic cycle. Although he had killed someone, it was within the bounds of karmic retribution and not enough to warrant the use of methods that could cause harm.
A photo of a child crying after being spanked was just perfect.
It could suppress the vengeful ghost without harming Jing Xiaobao.
— Who said vengeful ghosts have no heart?
He, too, had once walked through this world and experienced love.
…
Although the living room was a mess with blood and flesh scattered everywhere, and the fireplace still held the unblinking corpse of someone who had died, everyone remained seated on the couch, leaving the second floor for the mother and son to catch up.
An Nanyuan seemed to still be affected, as he kept muttering “alpaca,” while the others tried their best to avoid looking at the corpse’s unblinking eyes in the fireplace.
Meanwhile, Yan Shixun took the chance to briefly bandage his wounds.
Since his old injury was on his shoulder, Yan Shixun did it himself. His awkward angle made the task difficult, and any slight movement would strain the muscles, causing him to wince in pain.
Ye Li couldn’t stand watching. He took the bandage from Yan Shixun’s hand and was about to lift his shirt to treat the wound.
But Yan Shixun stopped him with a raised hand, his gaze alert.
Ye Li sighed, “If you keep struggling, the wound will tear completely. We’ll have to go to the hospital to re-dress it. It’s better if I do it, so you won’t have to make a trip to the hospital.”
Yan Shixun hated hospitals but wasn’t as opposed to Ye Li.
After a moment of hesitation, Yan Shixun released his hand, letting Ye Li’s cool fingers brush over his chest as he unbuttoned the shirt.
“I haven’t asked you what you were trying to do when that little ghost went mad earlier,” Yan Shixun snorted.
But it was just a remark.
He had already figured out why Ye Li had done what he did, even suspecting that Ye Li had perhaps communicated with the divine to suddenly gain powers far beyond his previous abilities.
Ye Li, however, only smiled, his hands gentle as he carefully treated the wound, making sure not to cause Yan Shixun any unnecessary pain.
But he didn’t answer Yan Shixun’s question.
He wouldn’t tell Yan Shixun that in order to prevent him from being harmed by that little ghost’s rampage, he had agreed to take on the Dao he had been at odds with for centuries, borrowing the power of the Dao to help the ghost recover.
A vengeful spirit can be both human and ghost.
Especially since the little ghost had already crossed the threshold—such things weren’t so easily dealt with.
But Yan Shixun didn’t need to know any of that.
Ye Li lowered his jet-black lashes, his cool breath grazing over Yan Shixun’s exposed shoulder, making Yan Shixun shudder.
“Hurry up, or I’ll just do it myself,” Yan Shixun said, feeling uncomfortable.
A smile flickered in Ye Li’s eyes as he tied off the bandage, helped Yan Shixun button his shirt, and even reached up to do the final button.
It was hard to tell whether it was intentional or not, but Ye Li’s fingers always brushed against Yan Shixun’s chest. The cool sensation on his warm skin made Yan Shixun shiver involuntarily.
Before Yan Shixun could frown and say something, Ye Li had finished, stepping back smoothly.
“All done.”
Yan Shixun paused, the displeasure he had been feeling dissipating, leaving him staring at Ye Li, momentarily forgetting what he had wanted to say.
Just then, footsteps echoed on the stairs.
It was the mother and son, smiling as they walked down.
Jing Xiaobao sat on Jing Sheng’s shoulders, swinging his chubby little legs, while Lin Ting held Jing Sheng’s hand, her smile wide and unrestrained.
“Mr. Yan.”
Lin Ting stopped just in front of Yan Shixun, bowing slightly in gratitude. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for Xiao Bao.”
Yan Shixun looked at Jing Xiaobao.
The child blinked, rubbed his nose, still slightly red from crying, then jumped off Jing Sheng’s shoulders and solemnly bowed to Yan Shixun.
“Thank you.”
A thank-you from a vengeful ghost and a being of merit.
If it were someone else in their line of work, they would have been grinning ear to ear, knowing that such an act would contribute to their own merits and boost their cultivation, bringing them closer to the forces of the heavens.
But Yan Shixun simply nodded, then turned back to Lin Ting. “Mr. Lin Ting, you should leave now.”
He then looked at Jing Sheng. “Mr. Jing Sheng, you should return.”
The few who had just met were now faced with a sudden parting, their hands instinctively clenching. They stood frozen, momentarily dazed.
They all knew, after this farewell, they would likely never meet again.
Lin Ting’s eyes were filled with tears, but she slowly nodded. “Alright.”
“Then… please take care, Mr. Yan.”
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