Chapter 44
Zhang Wenlun’s character is just like his appearance, always smiling like Maitreya Buddha, seemingly welcoming but actually detached.
He owed Shang Tingzhi a favor regarding the location selection for Shiyi Middle School, so when Shang Tingzhi approached him for help, he readily agreed. However, his assistance only went so far.
“Master Zhang, are you implying there’s something dirty on my construction site?”
In a traditional office decorated in classical style, Zhou Runhua set down his cup of West Lake Longjing tea and looked at Zhang Wenlun opposite him with a mix of belief and doubt.
“Did Boss Zhou hear about the incident at Shiyi Middle School’s construction site before?” Zhang Wenlun said calmly, “A worker fell from the scaffolding, broke his leg, and many people heard a woman crying at night.”
“I’ve heard about it,” Zhou Runhua nodded nonchalantly, “It seems like it was resolved later on?”
“That’s right, because the dirty thing disappeared,” Zhang Wenlun leaned forward after speaking, mysteriously approaching Zhou Runhua, “Boss Zhou, guess where that thing went?”
Zhou Runhua smiled, “Master Zhang, are you suggesting that the dirty thing ended up on my construction site?”
Zhou Runhua’s attitude remained unconcerned. Zhang Wenlun pushed his round glasses and leaned back on the sofa, speaking with weight, “Boss Zhou, listen to my advice, don’t keep the dirty thing around.”
“No, Master Zhang, how do you know the dirty thing is near me?” Zhou Runhua asked with amusement, “I haven’t been to Old Liu’s place recently, so it’s unlikely that the dirty thing would come looking for me.”
Zhang Wenlun didn’t rush to explain and asked, “I heard that your cemetery project has been suspended recently. Something must have happened, right?”
The suspension was due to the discovery of General Li’s tomb beneath the construction site, unrelated to the “dirty thing.” However, since few people knew about it, Zhang Wenlun’s attribution of the suspension to the “dirty thing” seemed plausible to Zhou Runhua.
“There’s been a minor issue, but it’s not a big deal,” Zhou Runhua replied vaguely. He took a sip of tea, his eyes hidden behind the mist, flashing a hint of cunning.
The suspension was seen as a setback by Zhang Wenlun, but for Zhou Runhua, it was actually a blessing.
The director of the Cultural Relics Bureau gave him a week to relocate the relics, in exchange for which he would undoubtedly receive many benefits. However, compared to the treasures underground, both the benefits and the construction site were insignificant. Just picking up a relic from the tomb would offset his losses.
Furthermore, General Li’s tomb was a Feng Shui treasure. Putting the woman’s ashes in there would also be considered a good deed.
Calculating in his mind, Zhou Runhua saw that Zhang Wenlun didn’t take him seriously, so he subtly hinted at his departure.
Zhang Wenlun still owed a favor, and he didn’t want his efforts to go to waste, so he straightforwardly said, “Boss Zhou, don’t blame me for not reminding you. The power of that thing is not to be underestimated. Someone might have deliberately placed it near you to harm you.”
Tasked by Shang Tingzhi, Zhang Wenlun couldn’t reveal his knowledge of the urn, nor did he want to expose that he knew Zhou Runhua intentionally took it. Therefore, he could only speculate from a bystander’s perspective to avoid raising Zhou Runhua’s suspicions.
“There are many people who want to harm me, I’ll be careful,” Zhou Runhua put down his teacup and politely said, “Thank you, Master Zhang, for the reminder.”
At this point, Zhou Runhua was actually hinting at Zhang Wenlun to leave discreetly.
Zhang Wenlun, after all, still owed a favor and didn’t want his efforts to be in vain, so he bluntly said, “Boss Zhou, this is not a problem that can be solved just by being careful. That female ghost is very fierce. It’s hard to say what kind of treatment she received during her lifetime, but after death, she became the fiercest of ghosts. If it wasn’t for Li Shan’s efforts to protect Shang Tingzhi, he might have been dead already.”
Zhang Wenlun’s words were pure fabrication, but for someone involved in metaphysics like him, making up such stories was easy.
Sure enough, Zhou Runhua’s expression changed at the words, asking, “What does this have to do with Master Shang?”
Zhang Wenlun considered and said, “Shang Tingzhi’s fate was unfortunate. Living in the Gu family mansion, the female ghost might have mistaken him for someone who harmed her, causing disturbances in the haunted house. But according to Shang Tingzhi, after the female ghost’s tomb was destroyed, she left the haunted house, probably to find the one who harmed her. Boss Zhou, this has nothing to do with you, but beware of being framed by malicious people.”
People who believed in Feng Shui could easily be swayed by such feudal superstition. Zhou Runhua frowned, showing hesitation, and asked, “Master Zhang, how did you figure out that the dirty thing is on my construction site?”
“It wasn’t me who figured it out, it was Li Shan,” Zhang Wenlun continued to fabricate, “The day after the urn was excavated, Li Shan came to the construction site and determined that the dirty thing went to a certain gathering place on the mountain. I also heard about the suspension of your cemetery, so I guessed the female ghost might have gone there.”
“Wait a minute,” Zhou Runhua interrupted Zhang Wenlun anxiously, “Are you saying that wherever the urn is, the female ghost is there too?”
“Of course,” Zhang Wenlun saw that Zhou Runhua was already convinced, so he pushed his glasses and said, “So Boss Zhou, you must be extra careful lately.”
Shang Tingzhi speculated that the urn of the female ghost was in the cemetery construction site, Zhang Wenlun approached Zhou Runhua to confirm Shang Tingzhi’s speculation and to make Zhou Runhua feel uneasy. Both of these purposes had been achieved, so he got up to leave.
Zhou Runhua was superstitious, believing in the existence of ghosts and deities. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to seal the female ghost’s soul in the Gu family mansion.
But on the other hand, he was not lacking in courage. Zhang Wenlun’s well-intended reminder only made him slightly cautious, thinking that he would try to avoid the construction site for the time being. However, when Zhao Ying also mentioned problems at the construction site, he had no choice but to believe that the urn should indeed not be kept there.
“No matter how I calculate it, there’s no suitable day to start,” Zhao Ying spread out several pieces of A4 paper in front of Zhou Runhua.
There were various messy calculation formulas written on them, and Zhao Ying knew that Zhou Runhua couldn’t understand them, so she casually made up some explanations, “Originally, this was a Feng Shui treasure with a dragon’s water-absorbing momentum, but recently, for some reason, a reverse scale grew on the auspicious dragon’s body, changing its temperament drastically, which is very unlucky. I suggest it’s best not to rush into the tomb.”
Zhou Runhua felt uneasy. When Zhao Ying mentioned the change in Feng Shui, he immediately thought it was because he hid the woman’s urn in the construction site.
With only four days left from the week given by the director of the Cultural Relics Bureau, if he didn’t quickly move the relics out, when the government issued the excavation permit, people from the Cultural Relics Bureau would come to dig up the tomb. At that time, he would truly be at a loss.
“I’ll immediately find someone to resolve the issue of the reverse scale,” Zhou Runhua didn’t suspect Zhao Ying, “You remove the factor of the reverse scale and recalculate. Give me time as soon as possible.”
Zhao Ying’s goal is the same as Zhang Wenlun’s: to make Zhou Runhua feel uneasy and voluntarily remove the female ghost’s urn from the construction site.
Zhou Runhua couldn’t imagine that Zhao Ying would actually conspire with Zhang Wenlun to deceive him, and Shang Tingzhi calculated this.
“So, all we need to do now is keep an eye on him?” Xia Leyang nestled in Shang Tingzhi’s arms, lifting his head to look at him, “But even if we find the female ghost’s urn, how do we make him confess?”
“It’s probably difficult,” Shang Tingzhi pondered while rubbing Xia Leyang’s scalp, “The best way is for us to confront him and make him slip up. But if he stubbornly refuses to confess, we don’t have any other options.”
“That won’t do,” Xia Leyang sat up straight, frowning, “I promised the female ghost sister that I would make the culprit face justice.”
Female ghost sister, again with the female ghost sister.
Shang Tingzhi heard this phrase countless times every day. He knew Xia Leyang had a good relationship with the female ghost, but surely he wouldn’t sacrifice his boyfriend to feed the female ghost, right?
Last night, Xia Leyang had teased him to the point where he couldn’t resist, but this little tease somehow fell asleep afterward.
He tried to calm down for a while but couldn’t. He had to go to the bathroom alone to relieve himself. However, at the moment he released himself, he distinctly heard a soul-stirring “ah.” It was obviously a female voice, and it carried the kind of satisfaction that only comes from reaching a state of harmony with life.
Shang Tingzhi realized at that moment that he might have been sold to his good friend by Xia Leyang.
Actually, Xia Leyang didn’t have such intentions, nor did he intend to share Shang Tingzhi with the female ghost. It was only when the female ghost appeared the next day that he found out the female ghost had benefited greatly from last night’s encounter.
“By the way,” Xia Leyang tugged at the corner of Shang Tingzhi’s pajamas, saying awkwardly, “My butt doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Here, Shang Tingzhi was eating a vinegar feast served by the female ghost. Seeing Xia Leyang obviously wanting to be affectionate, he raised an eyebrow and replied lightly, “Oh.”
“Oh…?” Xia Leyang tilted his head, tugging at Shang Tingzhi’s clothes again, “I mean, I’m good to go again.”
He blinked his eyes, his gaze saying, “I can endure your ravaging, come and ravage me now.”
Shang Tingzhi glanced at Xia Leyang’s lips, then his gaze continued downward, sweeping over his delicate Adam’s apple, the exposed half of his collarbone, his fair knees, and bony ankles…
No, hold on.
Shang Tingzhi forced himself to look away, calmly tucked in the blanket, and turned off the bedside lamp. “It’s getting late, let’s sleep.”
“Huh?” Xia Leyang nudged Shang Tingzhi’s arm, “What’s wrong with you? You’re so young, and you can’t handle this?”
Veins bulged on Shang Tingzhi’s forehead.
“If you can’t, just say it, don’t pretend to be righteous,” Xia Leyang huffed lightly, turned over with resentment, and just then, a dark shadow suddenly approached and covered him.
Shang Tingzhi angrily asked, “Who did you say can’t handle it?”
Two hours later.
“Wuwu… I don’t want it anymore, big brother…”
