6. No Outsiders/Unauthorized Persons Allowed To Enter!!

Song Yu’s expression held a hint of amusement, half-smiling.

“What’s going on with that steward from next door?!” Yu Dongxi silently screamed in her heart.

Brother System: “Ignore him.”

Yu Dongxi smiled and looked at the people already seated at the dining table, thinking about where she should sit.

Song Yu hooked a chair out from under the table with his foot and said, “Miss Yu, please have a seat.”

Yu Dongxi sat down next to Song Yu.

At the head of the table sat an elderly man dressed in a black ^[1]Tang suit (唐装, Tángzhuāng) is a traditional Chinese jacket or coat style that features a mandarin collar and frog buttons. Despite the name, it is not actually from the Tang dynasty but is a … Continue readingTang suit—most likely the Second Master. On his left and right were another elderly man in a black suit, probably the Third Master, and the woman she had met earlier, the Second Madam.

Song Ke sat across from Yu Dongxi.

A scorching gaze made Yu Dongxi unable to ignore it.

Sitting next to Song Ke was the kid who had rummaged through Yu Dongxi’s room earlier.

He looked very young, so he was likely the Fifth Young Master of the house.

Then… the steward from next door must be this so-called Young Master Yu?

Soon, breakfast was fully laid out on the table, and Granny placed teacups in order of seating hierarchy.

The Second Master had a stern face and looked seriously at Yu Dongxi: “Miss Yu, you grew up overseas, so I imagine you rarely drink local teas. If you like it, feel free to take some back for your esteemed father, as a small token of my respect.”

She couldn’t drink the tea. Yu Dongxi took a deep breath, remembering what Song Ke had said earlier. Regardless of the intention, she had to be cautious.

Yu Dongxi picked up the teacup but didn’t drink from it for a long time, frantically thinking of a way out.

Song Yu watched Yu Dongxi with great interest.

“Why aren’t you drinking? Is it that Miss Yu doesn’t like the taste of tea? I thought Miss Yu would enjoy tea, since the Yu family started in the tea business,” the Second Master said, frowning slightly at her.

Yu Dongxi replied seriously, “I’m sorry, I have a bit of a quirk when it comes to drinking tea—I need a complete tea set. Without it, I find it hard to swallow.”

The Second Master was briefly stunned, then seemed to understand and called to Granny, “Go fetch a tea set.”

Granny was just about to move when Yu Dongxi quickly said, “No need. Besides the tea set, I also need my own tea pet. I always use the same one, so don’t trouble yourself.”

Song Yu chuckled nearby, lifted his cup, took a sip of tea, and raised an eyebrow.

He moved so fast that Yu Dongxi had no time to stop him.

She thought to herself, He’s doomed. That guy’s probably done for.

“Hanged wall sacrificed to the heavens, boundless magical power.”

“Don’t mind that hanging guy,” the system explained coldly. “He can’t die.”

Yu Dongxi: Why not?? What, did he pay money? Or watch six minutes of ads?

“Miss Yu, your family is based in the UK, right? Years ago, I had the chance to meet your father once. He truly enjoys tea—take some home, I’m sure he’ll like it,” Song Yu said. “This is rare and high-quality tea. I’m lucky to enjoy it.”

“If you like it, then good. Ah Yu, when you return, take some for your father as well. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen your father in over a decade,” Second Master sighed, a faint trace of nostalgia flickering in his cloudy eyes.

“Second Uncle, my father is doing well,” Song Yu replied in a calm tone.

“As long as your father is well, we’re relieved. Speaking of which—Ah Yu, you’ve met Miss Yu’s father before, so you must have met Miss Yu as well. No need for introductions then,” Third Uncle said, glancing meaningfully between Yu Dongxi and Song Yu—his expression very much like a nosy relative at New Year’s, about to start pushing for marriage.

“Third Uncle, when I visited Uncle Yu, Miss Yu was still studying abroad,” Song Yu said, glancing at Yu Dongxi. “But I’ve heard a lot about her—no introduction necessary.”

Second Master looked at Yu Dongxi, then at Song Yu, and nodded approvingly. “Miss Yu, you’ve come from far away, and we’ve truly been remiss in our welcome. As it happens, Ah Yu has just returned home to visit from abroad. Why don’t you young people go out for a stroll together?”

Yu Dongxi smiled politely. “I’m sorry for the trouble. Since that’s the case, I’ll be in your care.”

Right now, Yu Dongxi still couldn’t make sense of the situation. Based on the little information she had, she could only guess that her family and the Song family were old acquaintances or had some other relationship. But why did the steward from next door—this “hanging bro”—seem so at ease?

Could it be that he enters this fantasy realm often and is just used to it?

Or does he have some kind of secret?

Ugh, bastard. If you’ve got a trick, why not share it?!

During the meal, Yu Dongxi quietly listened to Song Yu talking with the others. He spoke so smoothly, like he’d known them for years.

Which was fine by her—this way, most of the attention was on him, and no one bothered to interrogate her. The more you say, the easier it is to slip up. This helped her avoid giving anything away.

Breakfast finally ended, and Yu Dongxi let out a deep breath of relief.

After the meal, the elders all went off to do their own things. Once they had left, Song Yu was the first to rise from his seat, hands in his pockets, walking toward the stairs with a relaxed stride. The others followed suit and left the dining room.

Yu Dongxi had been secretly watching Song Yu the whole time. Right now, he was her only connection in this fantasy realm—of course she had to cling to him like a ghost haunting its last victim.

She stared at his back, trying to quietly follow him. She climbed several floors but didn’t see him anywhere. Weird? How is he that fast?

Just as she rounded the next stair landing, a pair of strong arms yanked her aside. Even through the fabric of their clothes, Yu Dongxi could feel the firm muscles.

She gasped sharply, but relaxed once she saw who it was.

“What the hell?! You scared me to death! Do you have any idea how anxious and uneasy I’ve been since coming here? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be suffering through any of this! And now you’re scaring me on top of it?!”

“Anxious and uneasy, huh? Sure, sure,” Song Yu said with a mischievous grin. “So who was it just now who inhaled a bowl of osmanthus porridge, a basket of soup dumplings, and four shumai?”

“You don’t get it—if I don’t eat, I’m wasting food! And besides, I’m just conserving energy. Unlike you, I actually have some shame. But forget it, I’m not going to argue—you get all pouty and sensitive anyway.”

Song Yu almost burst out laughing. She’s way too funny.

“Alright, alright, great excuse,” he said, trying to hold in his laughter.

“Uncle, stop laughing. You’re scaring me.”
Suddenly, Yu Dongxi remembered a meme she had seen years ago:

An office worker and a little kid were stuck in an elevator. The office worker suddenly had to go and couldn’t hold it anymore—he exploded on the spot. The situation spiraled—his diarrhea flowed like a raging river, endless and unstoppable. The child was traumatized, crying in despair and screaming:

“Uncle, stop pooping! I’m scared!”

Song Yu almost laughed himself into brain damage. It was obvious—he knew the meme, and he was thinking of the same exact one.

In the past, he thought that no one in the underworld understood him, but now, he had finally found a kindred spirit.

“Xizi, listen to me,” Song Yu said earnestly. “Back in the underworld, I used to play around with abstract concepts, and everyone thought I had a screw loose. But you’re different—you’re even more abstract than I am. Of course, I’m not saying there’s something wrong with your head. I’m just saying, it’s rare to find someone on the same wavelength in such a vast underworld… Say no more, Xizi. From now on, if you run into any trouble at work, just come to me. We’re brothers now—your business is my business!”

Yu Dongxi squinted at Song Yu for a moment, remembered what Brother Du had said, and suddenly replied with conviction, “A single word—‘brother’—is greater than the heavens. You died early, so today, this ‘bro’ of mine, I’m definitely calling you that.”

Song Yu was moved to the point of tears. He patted Yu Dongxi on the shoulder and said, “Xizi, I believe in you.”

Like a turtle meeting a green bean—a match made in heaven.

“Brother Yu?” Song Ke was coming up the stairs and had just been looking for Yu Dongxi, only to see the two of them talking… and standing quite close together.

Yu Dongxi calmly said, “Oh, Xiao Ke, your Brother Yu and I were just discussing where to go later. Is there any place you’d like to visit?”

Song Ke’s eyes showed a bit of hesitation, but she still believed what Yu Dongxi said.

“Fifth Brother said he wants to go to Nantian to hang out, but it’s been raining for days, and we never know when it’ll start again. It’s not safe over there.”

“Miss Yu, didn’t you want to buy a few of Mr. Zhong’s books? Why not take the chance today to browse at Mr. Zhong’s bookstore?” Song Yu spoke up at the perfect time.

Yu Dongxi didn’t know who Mr. Zhong was, but she trusted that Song Yu wouldn’t set her up.

…Okay, not necessarily.

“All right then. What do you think, Xiao Ke?” Yu Dongxi smiled warmly at Song Ke, making it hard to say no.

Song Ke blushed and nodded.

“Then I’ll leave it to you to let your Fifth Brother know,” Yu Dongxi added, remembering how rude that guy was, and feeling a bit put off.

Song Ke nodded again. “Okay, I’ll go tell him now.”

After Song Ke left, only the two of them remained at the stairway.

Yu Dongxi glanced around and said, “This isn’t a good place to talk. Walls have ears.”

Song Yu let out a snort of laughter and said, “It’s fine. Just speak freely—if anything happens, I’ve got your back.”

“Why do we have to go to that Mr. Zhong’s bookstore?”

“To advance the plot,” Song Yu said casually. “Tsk, such a pain, but since it’s your first time entering a fantasy realm, I still have to walk you through the necessary steps. Sooner or later, you’ll have to handle the fantasy realm on your own. If you don’t know anything, it’s no different from going to war as a lone commander.”

Song Yu had a point. Yu Dongxi was still in a state of half-understanding about everything. Like this, she couldn’t take responsibility for others’ lives.

“Thanks.”

“No need to be polite,” Song Yu smirked. “It’s too early to say thanks now. How about treating me to a meal once we get out of here?”

Yu Dongxi laughed and punched him lightly. “Hey, my paycheck hasn’t even come in yet, and you’re already eyeing it?”

“Besides me, who else would be eyeing your salary? You must be making quite a bit this month, right? Can I have your money?”

Yu Dongxi slowly formed a mental question mark above her head and said, “Stop stirring up trouble out of boredom, bro.”

“What, you don’t want to share?” Song Yu sighed sadly. “You actually want to spend your own hard-earned money on yourself? Where in the world is life ever that easy? Xizi, listen to me—aside from me, there are no perfect people in this world. Everything I teach you is knowledge, so just learn it.”

“And every time I learn something, I get speechless, right?” Yu Dongxi was beyond exasperated. Song Yu was seriously such a pain. Staying in the underworld was honestly a waste of his talents. “So, how long until you retire, old man?”

“Relax. As long as you’re still employed, I definitely won’t retire,” Song Yu said with a grin.

What a nightmare.

“Oh, then I’m really reassured,” Yu Dongxi replied with a forced smile.

“And you? How long is your labor contract?”

“Fifty years,” Yu Dongxi answered honestly.

“Ah, that short?” Song Yu clicked his tongue, sounding a little disappointed.

“Fifty years is short? Come on, bro, exactly how many years are you planning to work for the underworld? Just curious.”

“I love labor. I’m going to work for the underworld for my entire life.”

Yu Dongxi was shocked—there really are people destined to be lifelong workers.