Chapter 21
Just then, flickering red light flashed past the window. A fire seemed to have broken out across the street, the flames roaring in the night wind.
Hearing the commotion, Ning Zhixia opened the door, stood on tiptoe, and looked out, exclaiming in shock, “Isn’t that the Lanhua Head Massage parlor?”
“So it’s them… serves them right.” Qu Banqing snorted, waving his hand dismissively.
Ning Zhixia was puzzled: “Did they summon those shadows?”
“Seems like it.” Qu Banqing rubbed his head and sighed, “You know the rules of this plane, right?”
His words reminded Ning Zhixia of what Audrow had said: “Luck?”
“Yes. Business also depends on feng shui and luck. They didn’t have good luck, so they stole it from others.” Qu Banqing pondered for a moment. “I don’t know what kind of evil spirit they were worshipping, but by using such shady methods to steal luck, even the most failing business can be revived.”
Unfortunately, there’s always a price to pay for making deals with the devil. Ning Zhixia looked over, and the ornate signboard had been engulfed in flames.
He suddenly asked, “What happens next? Will the police handle it?”
“No.”
Audrow’s voice suddenly sounded. He touched Ning Zhixia’s face and pointed in a direction not far away.
An SUV with a strange logo was parked there. Two people got out, crossed the police line, and walked towards the fire.
Ning Zhixia hesitated: “Are those…”
“The Paranormal Investigation Department of your plane. They’ll handle it.” Audrow’s gaze shifted to the window, and as he said, the fire was quickly extinguished.
There’s such an organization in my plane?
Ning Zhixia was shocked, then thought that since paranormal things existed in this world, it was normal to have people specifically dealing with them.
“Okay, I thought I lived in an ordinary world. Now, even if everyone suddenly differentiated into ABOs, I wouldn’t be surprised…” Ning Zhixia muttered, looking at the non-human beings in the room, and asked nervously, “Will those investigators come and investigate?”
Audrow blinked and said nervously, “Oh dear, what should we do?”
Ning Zhixia put on a serious face: “Please don’t imitate me, thanks.”
I’m really worried!
“The Bureau is masking it, they can’t sense it.”
Audrow took a flower offered by a vine and tucked it into the pocket on Ning Zhixia’s shirt, explaining with a smile, “If Qu Banqing stays beyond his twenty-year limit, he’ll be detected and cause trouble. That’s why the Bureau monitors inter-plane residents.”
“Why use me as an example?” Qu Banqing reminded him, slightly annoyed. “You’re not human either.”
“I don’t have a time limit.” Audrow glanced at him sideways, raising his chin slightly. “Unlike you.”
Qu Banqing: “…” Having tenure is so great, huh?
The vines, having finished their housekeeping duties, affectionately patted Ning Zhixia’s head with their leaves and retreated back to the front yard through the window.
The clay pots were broken, so they diligently burrowed their roots into the ground around the stone path, leaving only their topmost branches and flowers above ground.
After arranging themselves, they patted the soil around them with their leaves, presenting a picture of peaceful coexistence with the trees and breeze.
The shadowy corpses were enough to digest for a while. Qu Banqing helped them clean up the broken pot shards mixed with the soil, and also stopped Ning Zhixia from throwing digestive tablets into the pile.
With the matter settled, to thank Audrow for his help, Ning Zhixia woke up the next day and dragged Qu Banqing to the supermarket in the commercial district to buy some delicious food for a celebratory dinner.
After driving all day yesterday, Ning Zhixia’s calves were still sore, so he took a taxi today.
To pass the time, the taxi driver played an audiobook of a typical power fantasy novel. They arrived at the commercial district amidst the villain’s maniacal laughter.
Ning Zhixia sighed: “If the evil spirit that scared me that night had laughed like that, I wouldn’t have had to listen to military songs all night.”
Qu Banqing was looking at his phone. Hearing this, he imagined it and shuddered: “No, I’m afraid I would have burst out laughing.”
“That’s true.” Ning Zhixia scratched his head and leaned closer. “What are you looking at?”
Qu Banqing: “Shopping list.”
Ning Zhixia squinted and saw a densely packed Excel spreadsheet, with brands, discounts, and promotions clearly listed.
“You J-types are really…” Ning Zhixia rubbed his forehead and smiled wryly.
Qu Banqing still wasn’t satisfied: “I forgot to add snacks for Popo and the foxes, I have to add them.”
Ning Zhixia immediately said, “Then I’m buying a portable electric cooker and some high-end cookware. The cheap ones I have are hindering my culinary skills.”
Qu Banqing gave him a sidelong glance: “Blaming your backpack for your bad grades?”
Ning Zhixia covered his face: “Wuwuwu.”
They were going to a high-end supermarket. The giant advertising screen opposite the entrance had a new advertisement, and many people were looking up at it.
Long, dazzlingly white legs emerged from a slit evening gown. She leaned against the window like a python, her eyes carrying a hint of allure, not needing to speak, just one glance was enough to capture one’s soul.
“It’s Yin Fuliu, she’s so beautiful!”
“She got another luxury brand endorsement this year.”
“Her acting isn’t very good, but just looking at her face is enough. I can watch even the worst plot with her in it.”
Ning Zhixia also looked up and praised: “Wow, she’s really…”
“Beautiful!”
The photographer put down his camera, and the assistants and makeup artists behind him flocked to the woman bathed in the spotlight.
“Thank you for your hard work, Miss Yin. Just one more set of shots, and we’re done here. Next is the brand’s dinner party.”
The assistant checked the schedule and, seeing that she had no objections or other requests, breathed a sigh of relief, making way for the makeup artist to touch up her eye makeup.
“Coming, coming!” The makeup artist tied up her hair with a shark clip and happily approached the stunning face with an eyeshadow brush.
The makeup artist, meeting her favorite celebrity up close for the first time, was thrilled. Before she could apply a few strokes, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
She heard the celebrity ask, “Your nails are nice, where did you get them done?”
As soon as the notoriously picky actress spoke, the others also looked over.
The persimmon stem design on the makeup artist’s nails was intricate, three fingers decorated with a complex gold watercolor pattern, and the other two with three-dimensional four-leaf clover appliques. The lines were delicate and smooth, the colors elegant and bright, even more beautiful than the brand’s traditional designs.
“At… at the Monster Manicure Shop!” The makeup artist, controlling her trembling voice, excitedly took out her phone and showed the shop’s account. “This one!”
Yin Fuliu was intrigued. She took the phone and looked through the photos, her gaze pausing on the viral ice lotus design.
“I’ve seen this design in several nail salons, so it’s from this shop?”
“I tried to get this design done, but it was a bit of a disaster, and it was so expensive, not worth the pain in my butt.”
“But this design is really beautiful, and it’s done on natural nails, the hand model is perfect!”
Hearing this, Yin Fuliu zoomed in on the picture, the smile on her face gradually disappearing.
She extended her own hand, examining it under the light, comparing it to the photo on the screen, and snorted contemptuously.
“Young lady,” Yin Fuliu twirled her hair and asked the makeup artist, “Where is this shop?”
The makeup artist immediately gave the address: “19 Qingxi Road, District C, Yucheng! Just search for it on your map!”
“Qingxi Road…” A look of surprise flashed across Yin Fuliu’s eyes. She propped her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, then smiled and said to her assistant, “Cancel the dinner, I have other plans tonight!”
“Fresh sashimi, freshly baked cupcakes…”
Ning Zhixia counted the dishes Qu Banqing had brought to the coffee table and asked the guest on the sofa, holding the remote, “Are you sure you’ll be okay eating all this?”
“Yes.”
For helping to restore the nail salon, Audrow was being treated to a feast by Ning Zhixia and Qu Banqing, lazily relocating his SpongeBob-watching spot to the living room.
“Okay.” Ning Zhixia was a little envious of his iron stomach, thought for a moment, went to the kitchen, and returned with a basket of black, unknown objects, offering it to him. “Then try my cookies?”
Audrow stared at the basket of “cookies,” a rare look of shock appearing in his usually indifferent eyes.
He politely declined: “I’ll pass.”
Ning Zhixia sighed regretfully, carrying the basket away, and heard Audrow’s all-knowing voice behind him—
“Don’t give them to the pothos or the plants outside either, they’ll die.”
Ning Zhixia: “…”
What a harsh assessment!
He sullenly stuffed a cupcake into his mouth, preparing to sit down and watch TV with him, when someone knocked on the door.
“Knock, knock.”
“Coming!”
Ning Zhixia trotted over and opened the door. Upon seeing the visitor’s uncovered face, he gasped.
He had seen this familiar face recently, or rather, on a giant billboard at the mall today.
But what surprised Ning Zhixia was the scene behind her, clearly the Yokai plane!
“You’re Ning Zhixia?” Yin Fuliu’s beauty was aggressive. She twirled a strand of her perfectly styled hair and looked appraisingly at the new owner of 19.
Ning Zhixia nodded dumbly, still wondering how she had entered through the Yokai Market entrance, when he saw the glamorous actress kick off her high heels and casually plop down onto the recliner.
Beneath her long dress, smooth scales appeared on her legs, and in the blink of an eye, a thick, scarlet snake tail uncoiled from the recliner.
Ning Zhixia’s scalp tingled. Oh my, he seemed to understand now.
“Do you do press-on nails? Make me a set. If they’re not prettier than Su Qiushui’s—”
Yin Fuliu raised a delicate eyebrow, like a haughty queen, a wicked smile on her face as she hooked Ning Zhixia’s chin with the tip of her tail, “I’ll swallow you whole!”
Ning Zhixia instantly teared up. Why me?!
Having a master, a senior brother, a prince consort, and an imperial physician wasn’t enough, when did manicurists also become a high-risk profession?!
Yin Fuliu enjoyed his indignant but silent expression, thinking that a trembling, pretty boy was truly a rare sight.
Just then, a cool voice slowly drifted over—
“You said, swallow who?”
Hmm?
Yin Fuliu turned her head. From behind the screen dividing the living room, a tall figure slowly emerged.
His light-colored eyes were like snowflakes on the top of a castle tower, so cold that she instinctively shivered.
Two minutes later—
Audrow, munching on a donut, clapped his hands: “Action.”
Qu Banqing, with a deadpan expression, tapped his phone screen, and the melodious sound of a violin filled the room.
“Esteemed Mr. Ning.”
Yin Fuliu, her tail almost tied in a knot, forced a friendly smile onto her stiff face, maintaining her professionalism. “Would I have the honor of having you do my nails tonight?”
Ning Zhixia’s eyes widened: “⊙.⊙”
Oh, so this was what it felt like to have a sponsor!
