Chapter 26: Little Ghost Secretly Drinks

Xie Ningwan temporarily did not think of any deeper implications from Song Yaoyao’s request. He only felt that the little ghost was quite motivated.

“Good.”

He called Assistant Lei again as instructed and told him to buy a set of tutoring books and practice questions suitable for students.

“Students?” Assistant Lei hesitated for a moment on the other end of the line. This time, he was truly full of confusion.

Xie Ningwan glanced at the Little Bear Doll on the chair opposite him. Eighteen years old—he should be a high school student.

“Just buy some commonly used ones for middle school students.”

Assistant Lei was very efficient. Not long after, there was a knock on the office door, and stacks of various study materials and workbooks were placed on Xie Ningwan’s desk, occupying half of it.

Because he did not know the subject selections or learning progress requirements, Assistant Lei had bought one copy of every classic study material available on the market, categorized by type. Song Yaoyao picked and chose among the workbooks, picked up a tutoring book and flipped through it, and luckily discovered that the knowledge in this world was the same as what he had learned before.

He selected a few suitable ones and began reading and doing problems. Xie Ningwan watched calmly for a while as the workbook pages turned on the desk, then withdrew his gaze and continued working.

One person and one ghost each occupied a corner—one working, one doing problems—in perfect harmony.

Although Song Yaoyao had spent every day watching TV and clinging to Xie Ningwan since crossing over, in his previous world, his grades had actually been quite good.

It had been a long time since he had done problems, so Song Yaoyao felt a bit rusty. He focused intently on annotating a math problem, then put down his pen, planning to rest for a bit. His brain felt rusted from not using it for so long.

Being a ghost had one advantage: his hand did not hurt from writing for too long, and his shoulders did not ache.

Song Yaoyao looked up at Xie Ningwan, who was working seriously opposite him. A mischievous urge arose again. He floated up, circled around the desk, lay on Xie Ningwan’s back to rest, and took the opportunity to absorb some fortune.

Now Song Yaoyao’s shoulders did not ache, but Xie Ningwan felt the weight on his shoulders again.

Xie Ningwan glanced at the Little Bear Doll sitting obediently opposite him, sighed silently, and said nothing.

He had discovered that this rogue little ghost was especially clingy to him, always looking for chances to stick by his side.

Song Yaoyao leaned on Xie Ningwan’s shoulder and looked at Xie Ningwan’s computer screen. Just as he was about to reach out and poke the keyboard to cause trouble, Xie Ningwan’s phone suddenly vibrated nearby.

Song Yaoyao peeked over. The caller ID showed Old Master Xie.

Xie Ningwan also turned his head to look, waited a few seconds, then picked up the phone and answered.

Last time, regarding the car accident orchestrated by Xie Ninghong, Xie Ming’s family had tried making excuses. When that did not work on Xie Ningwan, they went around pulling strings, but it had been temporarily suppressed. However, Xie Ningwan had not let it go.

This time, Old Master Xie was probably still trying to persuade him not to pursue it further.

Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, Old Master Xie’s voice came through: “Ningwan, I’ve heard about the matter behind the car accident. Ninghong just loves hanging out with those shady friends. This time, his friend caused this mess, and he truly did not know about it. Don’t blame him.”

Xie Ningwan did not speak.

Old Master Xie continued: “Ninghong knows he was wrong now and has decided not to cover for the other party. Let’s just drop this matter, alright? After all, he is your cousin…

“To make amends to you, your Second Uncle specially held a Charity Gala tonight. You got the invitation, right?”

Xie Ningwan sneered slightly. A few days ago, Xie Ming had brought Xie Ninghong to “apologize” to him, and the two sides had openly fallen out. Now they wanted to put on another show, bouncing around like fleas.

“…He invited quite a few people from the industry, held in the Xie Family’s name. You must remember to come.” Old Master Xie urged.

After hanging up, Xie Ningwan’s face was frosty. He pinched the bridge of his nose, inevitably irritated.

Song Yaoyao, lying on his shoulder, had heard the whole process. He floated back to his seat, picked up the toy Little Bear Doll, spread the doll’s two fluffy arms wide, and stuck it to Xie Ningwan, making it look like the Little Bear Doll was giving Xie Ningwan a hug.

Xie Ningwan lowered his eyes and looked at the Little Bear Doll in his arms with a slightly softened gaze. He reached out and patted its head.

He never expected that this little ghost of unknown origin had now become the only one by his side to comfort him and help him.

[Are you going?] Song Yaoyao took out a sticky note from the Little Bear Doll’s belly pocket, wrote a small note, and held it up in front of Xie Ningwan. [They will bully you.]

“They can’t bully me. I will bully them.” Xie Ningwan smiled.

Song Yaoyao continued writing on the sticky note with his pen: [I want to go—]

“You’re not going.” Xie Ningwan interrupted him before he finished writing. “Just stay home and watch cartoons. There will be a lot of people there.”

With so many people at night in a chaotic scene, what if this invisible little ghost got lost and could not be found?

Song Yaoyao pursed his lips and did not write anymore.

But as always, without the Little Bear Doll, Xie Ningwan could not see him.

That evening, he did not obediently stay home as Xie Ningwan said. Instead, he secretly followed Xie Ningwan out.

Just in time, last time when he followed Xie Ningwan back to the Xie Family Old Manor, he had held back and not scared those people too much.

·

The gala was held in a lavish and spacious venue. There were indeed many guests, with glasses clinking in toasts and the arrived attendees chatting amiably.

Although the Xie Family was not as glorious as when Xie Ningwan’s parents were alive, their status remained. Moreover, with the new head Xie Ningwan showing remarkable skill, there were faint signs of the Xie Family rising again, making it impossible for others to underestimate them.

Thus, although the gala was hosted by Xie Family’s Second Master Xie Ming, many people had come for Xie Ningwan.

Xie Ningwan wore a deep ink-colored custom suit. As soon as he got out of the car and entered the venue, he was surrounded and engaged in conversation.

“President Xie.”

“President Xie is here.”

Xie Ningwan naturally responded to the guests who came up to chat with him and took a glass of wine from the tray offered by the waiter behind him.

Song Yaoyao lay on Xie Ningwan’s head and surveyed the venue.

It was his first time seeing such a banquet scene. He looked around curiously for a while before turning his attention to Xie Ningwan and the wine glass in his hand.

The transparent pale golden champagne in the glass sparkled under the giant crystal chandelier overhead, very attractive to Song Yaoyao.

But there was very little wine in the glass. If he took the glass directly to drink, others would notice.

So, when Xie Ningwan lightly clinked glasses with someone and tilted the glass toward his lips, Song Yaoyao squeezed over and took a sip before Xie Ningwan could.

“…”

Xie Ningwan only felt his lip corner lightly touched by someone, with a cool sensation that vanished instantly.

He looked toward his side with a somewhat complicated expression.

Was it an illusion? He had clearly told the little ghost to stay home.

He maintained the pose of holding the glass to his lips, paused for two seconds before lowering it, without drinking. The guests nearby did not notice this tiny action and continued chatting enthusiastically with him. Xie Ningwan kept a calm face and responded politely.

Not tasty.

Song Yaoyao shrank his head back to Xie Ningwan’s back, smacked his lips, disliking the bittersweet flavor.

Xie Ningwan was still socializing with others. Song Yaoyao lifted his head, preparing to find where Xie Ming and Xie Ninghong were. He decided to prank them first.

However, before he could spot Xie Ming and Xie Ninghong in the crowd, his gaze first landed on the dessert table set up in the center of the venue.

All sorts of exquisite desserts were neatly arranged, glossy and tempting.

Song Yaoyao was drawn away by the desserts and floated over.

“President Xie.”

Not long after Song Yaoyao floated away, Xie Ningwan finished talking with the previous guest and found a quiet corner, planning to call the little ghost out. Instead, he encountered a refined young man in the corner.

“Hello.” Xie Ningwan recognized the man, raised his glass proactively, and greeted him. “President Song.”

“Hello, President Xie.” The man clinked glasses with him.

The Song Family was also one of the city’s upper-class families. It was said that over a decade ago, they had some incidents at home. In recent years, they had not been very active in business and had turned to charity work, which was highly regarded by those above.

The man in front of him was the Song Family’s next heir, the new president of the city’s Charity Association, Song Huaichuan.

Xie Ningwan was not very familiar with him—just a nodding acquaintance.