Chapter 20

Last time, they encountered two annoying old men in the elevator. It was from this that He Jinchao awakened his ability to control electronic devices. Now, he can skillfully use a robotic vacuum to help him grind coffee beans. But this ability has its limitations; if something doesn’t contain electronic components, he can’t use it.

This time, He Jinchao was so irritated by the rude and outspoken brat that he was determined to teach her a lesson. But accidentally, he “pushed” open the window.

“Great,” Ling Chen planned ahead, “next time it rains at home, I won’t have to rush back to the dorm to close the window.”

He Jinchao helplessly said, “Do you really think of me as ‘Little Chao’?”

“You’re better than ‘Little Chao,'” Ling Chen added, “not only can you close windows, you can also help me collect the clothes.”

“…” He Jinchao thought to himself, he could do much more than something as simple as collecting clothes. He tried recalling the sensation of controlling the window just now and tried to sweep his fingers lightly through the air—

—”Swoosh,” the zipper of Ling Chen’s jacket slid all the way down.

“???” Ling Chen immediately covered his jacket and asked, “What are you doing?”

He Jinchao pretended to be apologetic, “Whoops, my bad. I’ll zip it back up for you.”

He raised his wrist again—the jacket slid straight off Ling Chen’s shoulder, followed by the sound of his belt buckle clinking.

Ling Chen was furious and embarrassed: “Are you crazy?”

“I’m dead,” He Jinchao answered cheerfully. “Dead people can’t get sick.”

Ling Chen zipped up his jacket and quickly walked away. When He Jinchao saw that he was really angry, he hurried to stop joking and floated beside him, walking outside together.

He Jinchao’s eyes gradually returned to their original black color, as if the red hue earlier had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.

Ling Chen’s gaze couldn’t help but linger on He Jinchao, and He Jinchao quickly noticed it.

He Jinchao raised an eyebrow: “If you like me so much, you don’t need to sneak a look. You can look at me openly.”

“…You’re not quite right in the head,” Ling Chen muttered. He realized that every time he thought he had gotten used to He Jinchao’s narcissism, He Jinchao would surprise him again. “Your eyes turned red just now when you got angry, it looked like blood was flowing through them.”

“Really?” He Jinchao instinctively turned his head to look at the glass beside him but only saw Ling Chen’s reflection.

Since he became a ghost, all mirrors failed to reflect his image, and even the cameras on phones and computers couldn’t capture him. At first, he felt a little lost, but he had gradually gotten used to it.

Ling Chen said his eyes turned red, but He Jinchao couldn’t see it. He could only imagine it.

He thought back to the anger he had felt earlier and realized that indeed, there had been a rush of anger flowing through his body. However, instead of being overwhelmed by the anger, he had become more calm and cold, allowing him to intimidate that little brat precisely.

He asked, “Was it really scary?”

“What?”

“My appearance. My eyes.”

“No.” Ling Chen turned his gaze to the flying birds by the roadside, paused for a while, then added, “Actually… they were quite good-looking.”

He Jinchao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, his handsome face could pull off any look. Whether his eyes turned red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple, he could handle it.

The two walked out of the office building and found a bench under the tree for a rest. It was working hours, and Ling Chen was worried about being seen talking to himself, so he put on his headphones. If anyone saw him, he would just say he was on a phone call.

According to what the great shaman had said before, after He Jinchao “talked” to the brat, they had formed a “connection” that couldn’t be severed, and they would have to accept it. Since the brat had been humiliated by He Jinchao, she would definitely seek revenge, so they needed to be fully prepared.

“There’s another question,” Ling Chen raised, “Why could she disappear, but you can’t?”

He Jinchao looked serious and fell into thought: “I don’t understand either… Since I became a ghost, I’ve kept this appearance, don’t need sleep or rest, and I don’t feel any space where I could hide.”

When unsure, ask for help.

Ling Chen took out his phone and decided to message Hu Yizhi to see if he knew anything.

@00: Great Shaman, we just encountered the little ghost next to Zheng Linlin again.

@00: Because she provoked He Jinchao, He warned her, and suddenly she cried and disappeared.

@00: Did she hide? Where could she hide?

@00: If she could hide, could He Jinchao hide too?

The message was sent, but no reply came.

Ling Chen checked the time—it was 9:00 AM. Maybe Hu Yizhi hadn’t woken up yet.

He Jinchao grew impatient and said, “Messaging is such a waste of time. Why not just make a call?”

Saying that, he waved his finger, and a video call request automatically popped up on WeChat.

This time, Ling Chen was quick to respond and immediately hung up.

“He Jinchao, has anyone ever told you that you’re really annoying?” Ling Chen said sternly.

“How could I be?” He Jinchao was taken aback. “Everyone likes me. How could anyone dislike me?”

Ling Chen pointed out, “Aren’t you annoying enough? You keep calling video calls, when the world’s not ending. Is there anything that can’t be explained through text?”

He Jinchao looked at him with a wronged expression, much like an innocent cat that had caused trouble.

Ling Chen told himself not to go easy on the bad cat. He Jinchao was an expert at acting, and no one knew it better than him.

“When you were alive, didn’t you have this annoying habit, calling your manager or assistant all the time?”

“No, not really,” He Jinchao replied. “I only send voice messages.”

Ling Chen: “…”

He Jinchao: “One every sixty seconds.”

Ling Chen: “…”

He Jinchao: “Generally, I send ten to fit everything I want to say.”

Ling Chen: “…”

At this point, Ling Chen seriously suspected that He Jinchao was murdered by his own manager—what worker could handle the boss sending ten sixty-second voice messages day and night?

Before Ling Chen could take any action, his phone, which had been quiet for a while, finally buzzed with a reply.

@Hu Yizhi: I just woke up… (rubbing eyes)

@Hu Yizhi: Ah, no… what you’re describing is very normal…

@Hu Yizhi: These “ghosts” usually have a carrier, like a pendant or a small pouch, containing something related to their physical body…

@Hu Yizhi: For example, hair, or an umbilical cord…

@Hu Yizhi: When they’re in danger, they can hide in the carrier, and come out when they feel safe…

@Hu Yizhi: Unless you find its carrier, you can’t get rid of it…

@Hu Yizhi: As for whether He Jinchao could hide like the ghost, theoretically, it’s possible… but the premise is that you’d need to get something like his hair or nails from when he was alive…

After reading Hu Yizhi’s message, He Jinchao furrowed his brow: “My nails? My hair? Gross, who would keep such things?”

Ling Chen thought for a moment: “Uh, your stalkers?”

“Stop, I want to reiterate, private fans are not considered real fans.” He Jinchao shook his head repeatedly. “I think my current state is just fine, I don’t need any ‘medium.'”

So the question arises, what exactly is the “medium” for the little ghost by Zheng Linlin’s side? How can he cut the roots and eliminate it?

The more Lingchen thought about it, the more his head hurt.

He hated troublesome matters more than anything in this life. When he first took this job, he was looking for peace. Who would have thought that by chance, he would get involved in even more troublesome matters?

So annoying.

He almost wanted to drive a tractor and dig up everyone’s ancestral graves.

“Xiao Ling, don’t worry about them anymore.” He Jinchao noticed the frustration on Lingchen’s face. He raised his hand, gently placed it on Lingchen’s hand, and patted it to comfort him.

He Jinchao’s hand was cold, like a soft breeze. Lingchen, in a daze, felt as if a cloud had gently brushed against him.

“Anyway, you and Zheng Linlin only have one week to interact. If she and her little ghost behave during this week, then bridges will be bridges, and roads will be roads. You won’t have to see them again in the future.”

“What if that little ghost comes to provoke me again?”

“I’m not just any ghost now.” He Jinchao laughed. “Did you forget my abilities? Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

—-

“Ah… Finally, I can rest.”

The young girl dragged her tired feet and pushed open the hotel room door. As soon as she straightened her back, the exhaustion from the whole day hit her, and she collapsed.

This was her first time participating in this type of reality show, and with the nonstop filming every day, it was only the second day, and she was already feeling more exhausted than working long hours on set.

But thinking about how popular this show was, and how many people were eager to take a bite of this “cake,” Zheng Linlin felt that no matter how hard it was, it was all worth it.

She took off her black flat shoes, stood at the entrance, and removed her uniform. Wearing only her underwear, she walked into the bathroom.

She took a careful shower, and in the mirror, her eyes were a bit swollen. Today, she had been the “professional crying companion,” and Mrs. Guan’s love for her daughter had moved her deeply, making her cry several times. To look good on camera tomorrow, she hurriedly applied an eye mask and carefully chilled it.

Because the funeral home dormitories were limited, the production team had rented a hotel room in town. The environment was average, but since Zheng Linlin had stayed in worse places while filming, she didn’t feel uncomfortable.

Her phone was usually on silent. After applying the eye mask, she picked up her phone and found several missed calls from her mother.

Staring at the notifications, she hesitated. At that moment, her phone vibrated again, and another call came in.

She sighed and, without further hesitation, pressed the answer button.

“Mom,” she cleared her throat and asked, “Why aren’t you resting so late?”

“I can’t sleep,” came the sigh from the other end of the phone. “You’re working on this show, and I haven’t been able to sleep well these past few nights. I can’t rest until I hear your voice.”

“Mom~ you’re so superstitious,” Zheng Linlin comforted her. “Life and death are part of being human, there’s no need to be so superstitious. Besides, if it weren’t for the special theme of this variety show, many artists refused to participate. Brother Chen wouldn’t have been able to get me this great job.”

Hearing her daughter’s words, Zheng’s mother grew even more worried: “What great job? You’re already so busy. Don’t forget, after this show, you’re going to be filming again next week. Filming never ends, we only need to make a little money, there’s no need to—”

“Mom!!” Zheng Linlin’s voice tightened as she interrupted her mother. “Did you forget what that man said when he kicked us out? He said without him to feed us, we’d starve to death outside! I’m not satisfied! I’m going to make something of myself, I’m going to be a big star! I want him to come crawling and begging me for help… when my third aunt passed away, his family had the nerve to come begging for money, and I was so happy I gave them tens of thousands. You should’ve seen their ugly faces.”

Zheng’s mother was shocked to hear her daughter had given money to her ex-husband’s relatives, a family she hadn’t seen in years. She became deeply concerned: “Linlin, why have you been in contact with them again? How could you be so foolish? You think you’re giving them money, but they’re just using you as an ATM!”

She didn’t finish her sentence before Zheng Linlin hung up the phone.

She threw the phone onto the carpet and buried her face in the pillow. She had expected to cry, but her eyes felt dry, like two empty wells.

Zheng Linlin didn’t understand. Her fame was growing, her work was getting better, and she was earning more and more, but why was the gap between her and her mother getting wider and wider?

Her mother had always been cautious and had been bullied by her in-laws because of her. It wasn’t until Zheng Linlin was twelve that her mother decided to leave. When they divorced, her mother only took two things: her daughter and a miscarriage operation report…

Zheng Linlin would never forget the day when she and her mother held hands, backpacks on their backs, leaving that so-called “home.”

From that day on, Zheng Linlin swore to herself that she would make something of herself.

Her mother loved her daughter deeply. Zheng Linlin was beautiful and loved singing and dancing, so her mother worked multiple jobs to send her to art school. But after entering art school, Zheng Linlin found that there were too many beautiful girls, and others had better connections and backgrounds.

She fought tooth and nail to sign with a well-known talent agency but ended up with an ordinary agent, only landing small roles in minor productions. The only “big break” she had was a cameo in a film by the agency’s top star, He Jinchao, with just ten lines.

But six months ago, things began to turn around for her.

The agency signed her for the lead role in a web drama; she was invited to red carpet events for offline movie promotions; and just half a month ago, He Jinchao’s agent was assigned to take care of her!

This agent was exceptional. As soon as they started, they got her a big job—appearing as a guest on the hit show “Relentless Workers.”

This show was extremely popular, with skyrocketing ratings, and was definitely the hottest topic of the year. When this opportunity came her way, Zheng Linlin was ecstatic.

She immediately shared the good news with her mother, but her mother was full of worries…

Zheng Linlin didn’t understand when their differences began to grow so big.

Lying on the soft bed, she looked up at the old chandelier in the hotel room. Her right hand instinctively reached under the pillow, feeling something soft hidden there.

She stroked it, just like when her mother used to stroke her as a child.

Zheng Linlin was exhausted. So many things had happened today, and her energy was almost depleted. She didn’t want to think about the argument with her mother. She just wanted to win.

She was so tired.

The girl slowly closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

She didn’t see the small, translucent figure that slipped out from under her pillow.

It was a girl, about three or four years old, with delicate and adorable features, two pigtails hanging at her back. Beneath her bangs, her eyes were completely black, without any white. At first glance, they seemed terrifying, but on closer inspection, one could see a hint of carefulness deep in her gaze.

The little girl lifted her skirt and carefully laid herself into Zheng Linlin’s arms, gently resting her little head on Zheng Linlin’s elbow.

In her sleep, Zheng Linlin seemed to sense something, softly murmuring, “Mom…”

The little girl looked up at her, trying hard to wrap her arms around her waist, and then, gently, softly, repeated the same words.

“Mom…”

Mom, mom, I will become your pride.

So please love me a little more.