The whole thing, from leaving the shop to being abducted by a girl, had taken three seconds at most. This was why Zhao Mingyue was so confused. A man like Lu Liangting was surrounded by girls all the time. As long as he nodded his head, what style or personality of girl couldn’t he have?
Last time at the venue, there were sisters, a mature Big Sister, a pure little loli, and even one with a youthful face and a huge chest. They were all circling him, and things had almost come to blows.
So why would he fall for a female ghost?
Were the girls around him not enough? Did he have to seek out something so bizarre?
“I hope that girl can correct his weird fetishes today. But didn’t I remember that Lu Liangting likes black stockings? That maid girl said so herself.”
Muttering to herself, Zhao Mingyue picked up the Rabbit Doll from the table. “Bai Yu, don’t you think there’s something wrong with Lu Liangting? He just said that he initially mistook you for his sister. And now, he’s acting like a love-struck boy around you.”
“Is he a siscon on top of having a black stocking fetish?”
“Hmm… a black-stocking siscon.”
Bai Yu didn’t respond. Lu Liangting was indeed a strange guy, and the fact that he had successfully aroused Zhao Mingyue’s suspicion was a good thing. With those two attributes combined, any normal girl would keep her distance.
That aside, the information Lu Liangting had unintentionally revealed might be crucial.
With the identities of the Female Lead and Male Lead established, a corner of Zhao Mingyue’s identity had now been unveiled. It could only be described as terrifying. Even for her, this was a Quest far exceeding the normal parameters. The Front Village was fraught with danger, and the Back Village needed no further explanation.
What about the Male Lead?
The Male Lead’s identity would only be more complex than the Female Lead’s. What happened to his sister was definitely not simple. Bai Yu’s intuition told her that they would soon be entangled in the matter of Lu Liangting’s sister.
She didn’t care about being involved with Lu Liangting. After all, no matter what, reality had already developed to this point. What she cared about more was whether there were any benefits to be gained and how great the risks were.
In other words, if Lu Liangting could offer sufficient benefits, she could take the initiative to help him find his sister.
It was another boring morning. Zhao Mingyue tidied the shelves and cleaned up a bit. There was no helping it; she was the only one in the shop, so all these chores were hers. At least she didn’t have to haul things from the warehouse, or it would be really tiring.
After mopping the floor, Zhao Mingyue found herself standing right under the Wind Chime.
She tilted her head up, carefully examining the chime’s design. Its style was unlike any she usually saw. The material seemed to be copper, and the worn, weathered marks on it suggested it definitely had some history.
The pieces hanging down, meant to swing and produce sound, were also copper. They were segmented, shaped somewhat like ingots, in three strands total. Each strand had three segments, making nine segments in all.
Zhao Mingyue mused that it was no wonder she’d never heard it ring; an ordinary breeze really couldn’t move it. Besides, it was indoors, away from strong winds.
Upon entering and seeing this Wind Chime, her first impression was that it should be an Exorcism item.
“The Boss is a good man, but he seems to have quite a few secrets. I never usually paid attention.”
Zhao Mingyue returned behind the counter. “The Boss I remember was very laid-back at first. He spent every day in the Convenience Store, sitting in that chair over there, playing with his cat. Then, at some point, he suddenly became very busy.”
“He’d get lots of calls every day and then rush out the door, as if something very urgent was happening on the other end.”
“Although the Boss acted calm and unruffled, I could tell he was truly in a hurry sometimes.”
“And then, the people on the other end of the line weren’t just one or a few individuals. There were rarely repeats—men and women, young and old, rich and poor, noble and humble.”
“I remember one time, an old man specifically came to the Convenience Store and asked me, ‘Is Master Li here?’ Back then, I wondered if it was some kind of title, an honorific, like ‘Master Driver’.”
“Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t like that at all.”
“Yes.” Bai Yu turned the Rabbit’s head. “Your Boss, that man, holds many secrets. But if you want to understand, I suggest you take the night shift.”
“Night shift?”
“Yes. This Convenience Store only reveals its true face during the night shift, specifically in the late hours.”
“But I need to rest, you know.”
“No matter. Once your physical fitness improves, you won’t need as much sleep, and you’ll enter deep sleep easily.”
“Fine, we’ll discuss it when I have a day off. I used to work the night shift anyway.”
Finishing her words, Zhao Mingyue noticed it was getting late. She planned to go make instant noodles as usual but was stopped by Bai Yu. Hesitating, she followed Bai Yu’s advice, put the instant noodles away, and took out her Mobile Phone to order takeout.
In Bai Yu’s view, takeout might not be clean, but it was still better than eating instant noodles.
In the end, after much hesitation, Zhao Mingyue only ordered a fifteen-yuan bowl of vermicelli soup. She felt the pinch for quite a while afterward.
In the blink of an eye, a day passed. In the evening, the Store Manager returned.
The sound of a car’s exhaust ceased outside the shop. Zhao Mingyue didn’t know cars, but just the sound told her this one wasn’t cheap.
Entering, the Store Manager stretched his body, massaging the back of his neck with his hand, as if he’d done something extremely tiring that day.
Zhao Mingyue noticed his clothes weren’t very neat, at least compared to the clean tidiness when he left. Now they were noticeably disheveled, looking like he’d engaged in strenuous activity.
Her Boss was a man very particular about his image, always dressing impeccably. So this slight dishevelment was quite conspicuous on him.
She also noticed something in the Store Manager’s trouser pocket. It resembled the exquisite Flintlock Pistol he’d taken with him earlier.
“Mingyue, tidy up and get ready to clock out.”
“Ah, Store Manager, it’s only five o’clock.” Zhao Mingyue stood up.
“I’m letting you off early. You’ve recently provoked a serial killer. I’m afraid something might happen if you go back late. Five o’clock is just right. It’s not dark yet, and there are plenty of people outside. Even if the other party is lying in wait nearby, they wouldn’t dare make a move.”
The Store Manager walked toward the counter, the crisp sound of his leather shoes echoing on the floor. He casually picked up a bottle of cocktail. Without using an opener, he flicked the cap with his thumb, sending it flying into the air. The key point was it didn’t land on the floor but landed steadily in the corner trash can.
His expression relaxed, the Store Manager took a sip of his drink and placed the bottle on a side table. With a smooth, elegant motion, he took off his trench coat and neatly draped it over the back of a chair.
The Store Manager appeared to be in his forties. His every move exuded mature masculine charm, yet some of his small gestures held a young man’s untamed spirit. For example, his way of drinking—taking a big gulp and then slamming the bottle onto the table.
Leaving aside his bearing and mannerisms, the tattoos on his body alone were something not every middle-aged man could pull off.
And yet, there wasn’t the slightest trace of sleaziness about him.
Add to that his height of over 1.8 meters and a muscular build clearly visible even through his clothes, he would absolutely captivate the hearts of many young girls if he went out.
Most importantly, he had money. He was the Boss, drove a luxury car, had a good character, was kind-hearted, and didn’t lead a debauched life. He once had a wife, but sadly she died young. To this day, he hasn’t remarried and had her name tattooed on his arm.
“Thank you, Store Manager!”
Zhao Mingyue took off her uniform, set it aside, and casually picked up the Rabbit Doll from the table.
This small action was naturally observed by the Store Manager. Seeing Zhao Mingyue’s fluid motion, cradling the Rabbit Doll against her chest so tightly it deformed, his eyelid twitched involuntarily.
It wasn’t that he was marveling at Zhao Mingyue’s bust size. He wasn’t that kind of lecherous man, and he certainly wouldn’t be interested in a young girl roughly his daughter’s age.
He was merely marveling at Zhao Mingyue’s obliviousness and nerve.
Sometimes, he had to admit, Zhao Mingyue was a peculiar talent.
Working in his Convenience Store for over half a year, she had utterly failed to discover its secrets or notice anything amiss. Even when interacting with some Wraiths, she completely failed to realize they weren’t human.
It was just that these Ghosts were rather well-behaved, otherwise Zhao Mingyue would likely have been scared out of her wits.
Hmm… that’s what he used to think.
Until recently, when he completely dismissed that notion.
He even started wondering: was it possible that Zhao Mingyue did know those ghosts’ identities, but simply didn’t care?
Now, he was increasingly convinced of this thought.
This Zhao Mingyue standing before him—dare anyone say she could be afraid of the little Imps that usually visited the store?
“Take care, and be careful on your way.” The Store Manager added as she was leaving.
His words had barely faded when a red sedan sped up, screeching to a halt at the shop entrance. A middle-aged man pushed the door open in a fluster. His expression was extremely tense, and as soon as he entered, he yelled:
“Master Li, there’s a problem, a big problem!”
“Please, I beg you, go check on my daughter quickly!”
The Wind Chime overhead rang out, actually swinging four times. Zhao Mingyue glanced up. On the other side, the Store Manager shot to his feet with a whoosh, the mouth of his bottle clinking crisply against the glass tabletop.
His face instantly darkened considerably. “Didn’t I tell you not to come looking for me again?”
Upon seeing the Store Manager, the middle-aged man actually rushed over quickly and knelt on the floor with a thud. “Please, I beg you, save my daughter! She’s being tormented to death! I… I truly cannot lose her, truly!”
“That Evil Spirit said… said it wants my daughter’s life!”
“Please, save her! She’s only ten years old this year!”
The middle-aged man kept kowtowing, his forehead becoming red and swollen.
Zhao Mingyue stood at the shop entrance, blinking, watching with confusion.
What was happening here? And it involved an Evil Spirit?
“Don’t leave yet. Stay and listen first,” Bai Yu’s voice sounded in Zhao Mingyue’s mind.
She knew one shouldn’t pry into others’ secrets, but this Store Manager was different.
Bai Yu discovered that a certain script carved on the Wind Chime was identical to the one that appeared in Pingshan Village.
