Chapter 58: Mom! I Want an LV Coffin! Part 1

A sudden breeze stirred, rustling the branches and leaves. Zhou Xiaohai gazed at the serene young man before her and inexplicably nodded. “Alright.”

Chen Ji led her into the main hall. Zhou Xiaohai glanced at the statue draped in bright yellow silk. Chen Ji handed her three sticks of incense and explained at just the right moment, “The temple’s been under renovation lately.”

She accepted them and knelt on the prayer mat. Raising the incense above her head, she closed her eyes and knelt for a long while before kowtowing with force. Her forehead struck the tiled floor with a dull thud—three times in succession. Only then did she rise and insert the incense into the censer.

Chen Ji offered her the divination cylinder. “Lady Zhou.”

Zhou Xiaohai didn’t take it. Instead, she drew a slip directly from the cylinder and murmured softly, “Master Chen, would you mind interpreting it for me?”

Chen Ji inclined his head and stepped aside. Without thinking, Zhou Xiaohai followed him. She couldn’t help but smile a little upon seeing this young man—who seemed so poised and mature—fumbling awkwardly through the interpretations. He wasn’t much older than her own son, so she said, “Take your time. No rush.”

Chen Ji flashed her an embarrassed smile and kept searching. As Zhou Xiaohai waited nearby, something tumbled from his pocket. It was a yellow talisman, folded into a neat triangle, and it landed right at her feet. She bent to pick it up and immediately noticed the characters “Profound Penetration,” inscribed in cinnabar.

Her heart stuttered. She slipped the talisman into her palm and glanced back at Chen Ji. He had finally unearthed an interpretation slip, which he offered her with a touch of sheepishness.

She examined it. Unlike the usual printed versions, this one was handwritten: Do good deeds without asking about the future.

The script was somewhat hasty and messy, but curiously, the words “Do good” and “without asking” stood out slightly larger and more neatly penned than the rest.

Something stirred in Zhou Xiaohai’s heart. She tucked the slip casually into her suit pocket, then lifted her hand just a fraction. Her special assistant placed five thick stacks of crisp red bills into her palm. She deposited them all into the Merit Box. “Master Chen, you’ve made a good point. That place is too treacherous—I’ll give it a pass.”

“…And that’s that. It’s time for me to go.” Zhou Xiaohai drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In a soft voice, she added, “The flight path’s been approved. Tonight, I’ll bring Yunfan home.”

“That works,” Chen Ji replied. “I’m sure your young master wouldn’t want you heading to a place like that anyway.”

“Mm.” With that acknowledgment, Zhou Xiaohai turned and strode toward the exit. Her special assistant instructed the bodyguard—who had been carrying it—to set the metal safe on the ground. Flashing a meticulously courteous smile, the assistant said, “President Zhou is deeply grateful for everything you’ve done for the young master. This is a modest token of our thanks. Please don’t refuse it.”

“What I mean is…” Chen Ji nodded toward the Merit Box. “That’s more than enough already.”

The assistant’s smile held steady. “Master Chen, we hope you’ll accept this. It’s the heartfelt gesture of a mother.”

Chen Ji opened his mouth to respond, but a piercing scream echoed from outside. The assistant’s face fell. “My apologies,” he said hastily before bolting toward the sound. Chen Ji trailed behind at a leisurely pace. The moment he stepped out of the main hall, he spotted Zhou Xiaohai kneeling at the temple entrance. One bodyguard steadied her while the other two scanned their surroundings warily.

The assistant dashed over and tried to help her up. “President Zhou?”

Tears poured unchecked from Zhou Xiaohai’s eyes. Her face was a picture of distress as she rose slowly. “I’m fine… really, I’m okay…”

The assistant noticed her staring toward the corner to her right front. He followed her gaze—nothing there but a pillar and some steps. Cautiously, he asked, “President Zhou, what happened?”

Zhou Xiaohai brushed him aside and steadied herself. “I’m alright. A little animal just darted past. I was lost in thought and it startled me.”

Only then did the assistant relax with a quiet sigh. “Good. As long as you’re unharmed.”

Chen Ji ambled up just then. The kid had already dropped to a squat at Zhou Xiaohai’s feet, sobbing his heart out: 【Mom—waaa, Mom—! … Chen Ji! Chen Ji, can I touch my mom? I wanna hug her so bad!】

What a bungler—great at ruining things, useless at anything else. Chen Ji calmly averted his eyes from Zhou Yunfan as if nothing were amiss. But Zhou Xiaohai had already turned to him. With concern in his voice, Chen Ji asked, “Are you alright, Lady Zhou? The mountains are full of little critters.”

Zhou Xiaohai’s heart hammered in her chest. Her fingers clenched around her bag until her knuckles whitened. Her lips parted, but Chen Ji spoke first. “I know how much you miss your son, Lady Zhou… The old folks say that after death, souls face great confusion. They often lose their way home. Why not call out your son’s name a few times right here?”

How sharp was Zhou Xiaohai? She had pocketed the yellow talisman Chen Ji had “accidentally” dropped. The divination slip’s pointed emphasis on “Do good” and “without asking” had struck her as odd from the start—she’d assumed the young man just wanted to squeeze more money out of her. But now, having glimpsed her son, who was supposed to be dead, what was left unclear?

He’d planted the talisman on purpose. The slip was his signal: no need to repay, no need to pry. Armed with that “Profound Penetration” charm, she could see her boy.

She peered into the young man’s eyes, dark and still as an ancient well. He was no ordinary man, that much was clear—but he wanted no part of this, so he played dumb…

The soul-calling reminder? Her son had died in these mountains, trapped here without knowing the path home. Calling him would guide his soul back.

Zhou Xiaohai’s stare was too direct. Zhou Yunfan’s eyes lit up: 【Mom?! Mom, you can see me, right? Call my name! I’m stuck in the mountains!】

【Chen Ji?! You’re helping me out, aren’t you? Mom—! Believe him! Chen Ji’s got ghost white tigers and yellow weasels! Three meters tall, and they talk! If he says this’ll work, it will! I wanna head back for my seventh-day rites!】

Zhou Xiaohai and Chen Ji exchanged a look. Both curved their lips into impeccably polite smiles.

Zhou Xiaohai nearly laughed from sheer exasperation at that “I wanna head back for my seventh-day rites.” Chen Ji was fighting a grin because the kid had utterly blown his cover.

He’d jumped through so many hoops just to dodge certain ears—what a fiasco. No secrets left intact. Might as well have spilled it all upfront.

Or better yet, he should’ve warned the idiot kid to zip it first.

Zhou Xiaohai nodded. “Of course… You’re right. Thank you for reminding me, Master Chen. I’ll call him now…”

The sheer otherworldliness of it all left even her shaken. She turned toward where Zhou Yunfan stood and called out at the top of her lungs, “Zhou Yunfan! Zhou Yunfan! Zhou Yunfan—!”

“Come home, Zhou Yunfan—!”

“Come home with Mom—! Mom’s right here…”

Her voice cracked hoarse on the final words, but she poured every ounce of strength into the shout.

Zhou Yunfan answered each cry, stretching out a hand toward her—yearning to touch, yet holding back. He stood rooted, weeping.

【Waaa, so heartwarming!】 Even the System Cat was bawling in Chen Ji’s head like a lost pup: 【Wah, I can’t bear watching a white-haired parent bury a black-haired child…】

Chen Ji glanced back. The System Cat was plastered to the temple door, riveted, cheeks slick with tears but eyes glued wide open.

Can’t bear to watch, huh?

Chen Ji was at a loss for words.

Perhaps the calling truly took hold—or maybe the heavens pitied this mother and son. A wisp of Black Qi materialized around Zhou Yunfan, coiling like a chain around his ankle before gradually dissolving away. Zhou Yunfan and Zhou Xiaohai both witnessed it. In disbelief, Zhou Yunfan looked up at her: 【Mom! I can go! Walk walk—I’m free to go!】

Zhou Xiaohai accepted a handkerchief from her assistant and dabbed her eyes dry. She turned to Chen Ji. “Master Chen, my thanks for today. The kindness you’ve shown me and Yunfan—I won’t forget it. If you ever need help with something tricky, just reach out. Anything within my power, I won’t hesitate.”

These were weighty words. Even her assistant froze in surprise.

Chen Ji betrayed no reaction. “You’re too kind, Lady Zhou. It was hardly anything.”

To Chen Ji, the cost had been one talisman. Without her visit, the Ghost Messengers would’ve shown up in a few days anyway. If not them, he’d have handled it himself. He couldn’t very well let Zhou Yunfan haunt his doorstep forever—that’d be a nightmare.

Her cash donation had squared things nicely… though that safe the assistant left behind held at least a million. Chen Ji almost felt guilty pocketing it.

Zhou Xiaohai said no more. She simply nodded to him. “Then I’ll be off. Master Chen, you’re always welcome in W City.”

Chen Ji replied, “No need for an escort.”

Not like he could gift her the helicopter.

Zhou Xiaohai headed for the chopper. Zhou Yunfan shot Chen Ji a look, recalling that soul-shredding dread from when he’d tried entering the temple earlier. But Chen Ji stepped back with a welcoming gesture. Suddenly, Zhou Yunfan knew: he could go in.

To Chen Ji, he said, 【Thanks! I’ll repay the favor someday!】

With that, he hurried after Zhou Xiaohai.

The assistant was last. He didn’t board right away. Instead, he pulled out his phone’s WeChat and said to Chen Ji, “Master Chen, let’s exchange contacts. Reach out to me directly if you need anything.”

Chen Ji considered it for a beat but didn’t refuse. A soft chime confirmed the friend add. The assistant nodded politely and boarded.

The rotors soon thrummed to life, lifting the helicopter skyward. Zhou Xiaohai peered down at the ground. The young man’s figure had shrunk to half its size. At some point, a massive white tiger had appeared at his side. He reached out to ruffle its head, murmured something to it, and led it back inside.

Zhou Xiaohai was still reeling from the sight of that enormous white tiger when her restless, even-in-death fool of a son piped up: 【That’s right, Mom! That’s the tiger! Scary as hell! Wouldn’t even let me get near Chen Ji!】

The chopper had six seats. Zhou Yunfan flopped into an empty one, kicking up his legs like he owned the place: 【Woo-hoo, finally heading home! Thought I was stuck in those mountains forever! Mom, wire Chen Ji some extra cash. Guy’s all tough talk but soft-hearted. Wouldn’t let me crash in the temple overnight, but he quietly burned paper offerings—a tablet and snacks, even!】

Zhou Xiaohai’s eyebrows rose slightly. So the dream where this little rascal had been playing games all night was real?

【Mom, by the way, can you buy me an LV coffin? Eternal flowers with blue roses! The kind covered in diamonds!】