Arc 5
There is a Ghost in Your Heart (4)
A bonus chapter thanks to WillieCoyote!
In less than three months, thanks to the development of construction technology and the extraordinary efforts of the workers, the Daoist Temple was built.
Ye Chen and Lin Jianxi moved there. They moved in during Lin Jianxi’s school holiday. Lin Jianxi hired the moving company and carried his bags to the Daoist Temple. Ye Chen was a bit dizzy when she arrived there. All in all, the furnishings there were set for the purpose of exorcising ghosts. It was lucky that she was strong, she would be fine after some time.
Lin Jianxi thanked the people after they were done with their tasks. He inhaled a deep breath of air, and ran to Ye Chen, “Ye Chen, the air here is so refreshing! ”
Lin Jianxi was happy, Ye Chen was not. She faintly initiated, “We have moved to a new place. Now, we also need to take a step about our status.”
“Mn?”
“You need to change your way of addressing me.”
“Mn?”
“Master. Shifu. Jiejie. Choose one.” Ye Chen was resolute to upgrade her status. Lin Jianxi froze and was about to argue.
“You eat my tofu and are blessed with my protection. Yet, you can’t bear to change your way of addressing me?”
Lin Jianxi opened and closed his mouth without sound. Finally, he yielded. “Jiejie…”
Ye Chen laughed maniacally in her heart. If one day the Villain remembered today, he would definitely list it as his black history!
Ye Chen patted his head. His hair was thin and soft, so it felt nice on her hand. She squinted her eyes in comfort until Lin Jianxi complained, “Have you touched enough?”
Ye Chen reluctantly retracted her hand. She drifted out dignifiedly like a Master she was.
She demanded Lin Jianxi to buy her a bed made of locust wood in the yard. She had to rest for some time every day, else, she would suffocate to death due to the nature of the plants around their house.
Within the Daoist Temple, all the ghosts around Lin Jianxi were gone. Even the Eight Yin Ghost-faced Spider only dared to make a round at the foot of the mountain before it withdrew.
In the Daoist Temple. Lin Jianxi’s movements were not restricted. His safety problem had been temporarily solved. In that regard, Ye Chen commenced to brainwash him every day and bewitch him to learn Feng Shui from her. As a result, Lin Jianx merely took mathematics and biology books from his bag and resisted Ye Chen’s brainwashing.
It was not enough to stop Ye Chen, though. Ye Chen still taught him by ear every day. She explained over and over about the theoretical knowledge while Lin Jianxi played dumb. When Ye Chen glid out from the room, Lin Jianxi would solve his homework. When he couldn’t sit still anymore, he would join Ye Chen. Under the tree, Ye Chen enjoyed the breeze; Lin Jianxi read his books.
Ye Chen caught fish in the mountain stream; Lin Jianxi sat on the stone next to it and studied those fishes.
Ye Chen napped on her locust bed; Lin Jianxi solved questions in his room.
Soon, his holiday was over. Ye Chen sent him to school. When Lin Jianxi was in class, she would sit by the window, propping up her chin.
Lin Jianxi asked her, isn’t it boring to guard him like this?
Ye Chen glanced at him with one eyebrow raised.
“Do you think that I am someone who needs to chat with others at every second?”
She sat by the window. She watched the sunlight start to glimmer on the teenager. She stretched out her hand and rubbed his hair. She whispered softly, “I found it very interesting to be around you, So, I’m not bored at all.”
Lin Jianxi hummed. His gaze moved down to the math book on his table.
The sound of the pen scratching against the paper masked the noises in his heart.
He discovered something. He had no idea when it started, but at some point, he had a blind faith.
Ye Chen would be by his side, forever by his side.
By his side was the best place for Ye Chen.
In the winter of this year, Lin Jianxi celebrated his 16th birthday. He didn’t know his actual birthday, he used the date he entered the orphanage as his birthday.
On his birthday last year, Lin Jianxi and Ye Chen were busy with Daoism things. Lin Jianxi made a longevity noodle[1] for himself and Ye Chen when he was free. His birthday next year collided with the winter solstice and Ye Chen told him that next year, she would cook for him.
Ye Chen informed him beforehand that her cooking skill was limited to dumplings. The kind of frozen dumplings bought from the supermarket and boiled in hot water. With the accompaniment of vinegar and soy sauce, when bitten, the soup burst in their mouth.
Obviously, it was a simple dish, but when Lin Jianxi looked at the girl eating beside him, the food felt like a delicacy. Just eating those dumplings gave him an extremely warm and happy feeling.
He looked up at Ye Chen and called out, “Jie.”
Ye Chen looked back at Lin Jianxi with the dumpling pinched on her chopsticks.
Lin Jianxi earnestly thanked, “Thank you.”
Thank you, for coming to me.
Thank you, for giving me such a beautiful life.
Ye Chen was slightly dazed. At the age of 16, Lin Jianxi had grown up quickly. Compared to a year and a half ago, he had become more mature. He was now half a head taller than her. His facial features were more distinct. When he looked at her so seriously like this, Ye Chen felt a sense of déjà vu.
That’s right… She had gone through so many worlds. But, the pair of eyes in front of her had never changed.
Warm and gentle, just like that person’s cooking. It had never changed.
She lowered her eyes and covered the emotions in her heart. “Mn.”
Her face that had always been cold and proud involuntarily softened. Lin Jianxi’s heart skipped a beat. His mouth dried and he averted his gaze at once.
A strange impulse surged. He wants to bow down and kiss her in his arms.
Merely that.
But, he pushed down his idea and said to Ye Chen, “Shall we go down the mountain to watch a movie?”
“Mn?” Ye Chen blinked, then she gave her assent, “Okay.”
In that way, one person and one ghost went out of the Daoist Temple. They got inside a car. This car was Ye Chen’s ghost car. People couldn’t see Lin Jianxi after he got inside it. Ye Chen drove to the cinema and found a remote place to park. They stepped out of the car together. Lin Jianxi went to buy the tickets and Ye Chen waited for him. In her wait, a little boy tugged her sleeve and stretched out his hand to her.
Ye Chen was stupefied. She looked down at the little boy’s hand.
He’s human.
Ye Chen could guarantee that.
The problem was, she’s a ghost!
How did this little boy touch her?!
Before Ye Chen could react, the little boy beamed at her and called in a sweet voice, “Jiejie. You are so pretty.”
The little boy was also pretty ah, like he was carved from jade.
Ye Chen’s gaze glued on him. At this moment, a middle-aged woman came over and hugged the little boy, “Xiao Tian, what are you doing here?”
The little boy raised his finger in Ye Chen’s direction, “There is a beautiful Jiejie there.”
“Why are you talking nonsense again!”
The woman took the little boy to the man who was waiting for them. Ye Chen hadn’t snapped back to her senses. She stared at the couple who held the little boy’s hands in theirs. She could see clearly that the couple was engulfed in blood.
Lin Jianxi just came back and saw Ye Chen dazed, “What’s wrong?”
“Do me a favor,” Ye Chen pointed to the couple. “Go and remind them to lock the door tonight. I’m afraid tonight will be a catastrophic night for them.”
“Host,” 38 pinged her, “I think there is something wrong with the little boy. How about you check on him? I believe he has an important role.”
“You reconfirm the world line first.”
“Wait a sec, I’m under maintenance now.”
Ye Chen, “……”
This broken system was beyond saving.
Ye Chen was absent-minded all the way watching the movie. She was still worried even after she finished watching the movie and returned to the Daoist Temple with Lin Jianxi. She then said to Lin Jianxi, “I have something to do outside.”
Lin Jianxi hadn’t given his response and Ye Chen had already turned into a wind and breezed down the mountain.
She went straight to the city and checked on the cinema. She tracked the little boy’s house from there.
At this time, 38 finished its maintenance and cried out, “Ah! Ah! I can see the world line again!”
“Say, his name is Xiao Tian, right? He is this world’s Main Lead ah, Chu Tian!”
“Eh?”
Ye Chen was dumbfounded. 38 continued to explain, “I have just read it again. It’s like this, analogizing this world as a book, we are actually in the prequel. The story for the Main Lead started seven years after Lin Jianxi destroyed the Lin family. That is, when Lin Jianxi was 25. The 16 years old genius Main Lead emerged and defeated the Villain, Lin Jianxi. Therefore, the Main Lead, Chu Tian, should be only seven years old now. ”
“Go. Take a look.” 38 urged her. “See if he’s really Chu Tian. If he is Chu Tian, help him.”
“Understood.” Ye Chen nodded. “If it’s really him, I’ll just bring it back.”
“What?” 38 was surprised, “Are you now addicted to raising children?”
“Dumbass!” Ye Chen wished to split 38’s brain and see what’s inside. “This is my long-term plan. Don’t we have two tasks? The first is to make Lin Jianxi the Patriarch of the Lin Family and cultivate his three views correctly. The second is to make Lin Jianxi the good brother of the Male Lead and help the Male Lead fight for the world. Am I right? I am working on the first one. For the second one…… Lin Jianxi is still young. I can make Lin Jianxi and the Male Lead cultivate their feelings since childhood. They will grow up together as brothers, in the future, there is no way Lin Jianxi won’t help him, right?”
“You… make some sense.” 38 approved her idea. “Host. I support whatever you plan to do. Break a leg!”
Ye Chen came to Chu Tian’s house quickly, but she was still a step too late.
Chu Tian’s house flowed with blood. It was a mess. All the cabinets were turned over.
Ye Chen searched for the little boy everywhere and shouted his name, “Xiao Tian. Xiao Tian?”
There was no response over time and Ye Chen almost gave up. She sat on the bed to rest and noticed there was something under the bed.
She had looked under the bed just now. Brooding over it, she simply lifted the bed with brute force!
She found the little boy she had been searching for pasting his whole body on the bedboard. She didn’t know where his strength to cling to the beam on the bedboard came from. Though, It was precisely because he was hanging on the bedboard that people couldn’t notice anything under the bed.
But, it was also precisely because of this that the little boy’s hands were bloodied. She was particularly distressed when she looked at it.
The little boy looked at Ye Chen with tears and snots. Ye Chen wet her lips and eventually spoke, “That…… I am the Jiejie you met today. If I may ask… your parents are dead. Do you want to go with me?”
The little boy was in a trance when he heard this. A second later, he cried out a loud “Waaah” and wept.
Ye Chen was helpless and comforted, “That… Xiao Tian ah…. Is your name Chu Tian? Your name is Chu Tian, right? ”
The litte boy kept weeping. Ye Chen was afraid of disturbing people and attracting unwanted attention. It would be difficult to take him away if it comes to that. She simply lifted him up and leaned his head on her shoulder. Then, she exited the house.
The little boy hadn’t stopped crying even after they reached the Daoist Temple. By that time, his voice was hoarse. Ye Chen kept comforting him until the little boy’s sobs subsided. When she got out of the car, the little boy ran over and hugged her tight with both his hands. He looked at her with woeful eyes.
Ye Chen was not sure of the wrong she had done, still, she comforted, “Xiao Tian, be good. Tell Jiejie, what’s wrong?”
“You don’t want me,” the other party cried in a soft waxy voice with red eyes. “Mama and Papa also don’t want me. No one wants me.”
Ye Chen’s heart involuntarily softened. She held Xiao Tian’s hands and said gently, “How can I not want you?”
At this time, Lin Jianxi heard the sound of Ye Chen’s car and rushed all the way from his bedroom. He was only wearing a thin set of pajamas. The cold wind in winter blew on him. It was chilling to the bone. But, he discerned that Ye Chen’s words were colder than the wind. She squatted at the door and held the little boy’s small hands in hers. Her expression was tender, “Jiejie won’t want Xiao Tian. Jiejie will always accompany Xiao Tian.”
And that word was like a verdict that plunges Lin Jianxi deep into an ice lake.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him, or why he felt wrong. It’s just. He felt a lump was stuck in his throat.
Turned out, the tenderness never belonged to him alone. Turned out, he was probably never unique in that person’s heart.
It’s just that he met her earlier.
It’s just that… he happened to meet her.
He had grown up and could understand things better. He could now understand what Jiang Huai said to him at the beginning. His words were correct.
Jiang Huang once said that if Ye Chen met him, she would not ignore him.
That was indeed the case.
Ye Chen happened to meet him. She protected him for so long even though she was a ghost.
However, all of this didn’t mean that Lin Jianxi was important to Ye Chen, let alone provided him a guarantee that he wouldn’t be abandoned by her. For her, he was merely an ordinary passer-by.
He was terrorized and tormented by ghosts; She was a righteous person. Thus, she helped him.
If anyone else was in his position, she would do the same.
And, that was indeed the case.
For instance, on this snowy night, on his 16th birthday, on this winter solstice night, she poured all her tenderness into another child, a child that was just like him.
Jealousy entangled Lin Jianxi’s heart. He stood at the door with his lips bitten, waiting quietly for Ye Chen to notice him.
The chilling wind made his face blue, but he remained quiet. He wanted to know, when would Ye Chen look back and notice his presence?
But, at this time, Ye Chen was occupied with the little boy who was weeping. She couldn’t notice a big person standing behind her. She coaxed and comforted the little child until he calmed down. She picked him up once again and laid his head on her shoulder. The child was drowsy from his cry and mumbled, “Jiejie, my name is Chu Tian.”
Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God, she didn’t save the wrong person.
As she turned around, she eventually noticed Lin Jianxi at the door.
His lips were blue from the cold. It was unknown how long he had stood there. Ye Chen frowned and hailed, “Why are you just standing there? Hurry in! Can’t you see what you looked like now!”
“I…..” Lin Jianxi’s voice quivered “I am here waiting for Jiejie to come back……”
“I am back, now, go inside.”
Ye Chen hugged Chu Tian in her arms and walked in. Lin Jianxi didn’t move. Ye Chen paused, “Why don’t you move?”
“Who is he?”
Lin Jianxi raised his finger and pointed to Chu Tian on her shoulder.
Ye Chen was stunned. She didn’t expect Lin Jianxi to mind Chu Tian. When the child was mentioned, Ye Chen’s expression softened once again, “It seems that his parents have encountered a robbery, or maybe a vendetta. Anyway, they died. So, I took him back.“
“Then, he will…” Lin Jianxi’s finger trembled, “live here?”
“Mn.” Ye Chen nodded, “In the future, he will be your brother. You now have a brother. Aren’t you happy?”
With that said, Ye Chen glanced at the falling snow and urged, “Come in, quick. It’s too cold. It won’t be good if you fall ill.”
“Why not just send him to the orphanage?”
Lin Jianxi ignored her words and uttered frankly.
His heart was gnawed by uncontrollable envy.
There was a person who was younger than him that could touch Ye Chen’s heart. He met Ye Chen earlier than him. He followed Ye Chen all the time. Just like him. And now, he also addressed Ye Chen as Jiejie.
He didn’t wish for a brother. What kind of bullshit brother was this? He only wanted Ye Chen. He only needed one Ye Chen in his life.
Ye Chen was baffled by his words. Pity depicted in her voice, “Send him to the orphanage… It’s too cruel…”
“Cruel? Then, what about me?!” Lin Jianxi broke out. He clamored in rage, “I also grew up in an orphanage. Why can’t he?! I didn’t meet you until I was 14 years old. Why should he!”
Ye Chen stared at Lin Jianxi. Lin Jianxi yelled those words and snatched Chu Tian from Ye Chen’s arms, “Send him out. This is my home. I don’t permit him to be here. I…”
Lin Jianxi and Ye Chen tug of war awaken Chu Tian. He was frightened and cried out. Ye Chen felt a headache coming and forcibly seized Chu Tian from Lin Jianxi’s arms and pushed him away. Her brows scrunched up, “When did you learn to grow up badly like this!”
Lin Jianxi had long been blown by the cold wind and fell to the ground after being pushed by Ye Chen.
Ye Chen’s heart was hurt. She scrutinized Lin Jianxi’s appearance and deemed she had failed in raising him.
Because he didn’t have a good childhood. He didn’t want others to live well?
What kind of life view was that?! Wasn’t that downright a proper Villain’s view?!
She wished to cultivate him as an honest good brother who would help his little brother! Not a great Villain who was narrow-minded and wished to make others live badly at every turn!
Ye Chen glared down at Lin Jianxi. In a harsh tone, she admonished, “Lin Jianxi. You have to remember this. I saved you and gave you everything. Why did I do that? It’s because I want you to live a good life. This is the case for most people in this world. They wanted to create a good life for themselves and helped others to have a good life. Why in the world would someone make others have a bad life just because of their bad life?”
“You grew up in an orphanage when you were a child, so you are jealous of Chu Tian, I can understand that. But Jianxi, when you grow up, you have to understand right and wrong. Have you forgotten what I taught you?”
Lin Jianxi sat on the ground, hugging himself with his arms. He parted his lips but couldn’t say anything.
He understood everything she said.
But… She was different….
He was not jealous that Chu Tian could live a better life than him. If he was the one that met this child, he would also save him. He didn’t want anyone else to undergo what he had experienced.
It was all because, for him, Ye Chen was special…….
He didn’t want to share her with anyone nor did he want anyone to replace him. He wanted to be unique in Ye Chen’s heart. He wanted her to accompany only him for the rest of his life.
He worked so hard just to prove that he had weight in her heart, but Chu Tian’s appearance let him know how ordinary he was in Ye Chen’s heart.
He bowed his head and made a final struggle, “I don’t care…”
“If you want him, there will be no me. Just let me freeze to death here.”
Hearing this, a faint sneer hung on Ye Chen’s lips.
What she hated the most in her life was that others threatened her. “Then, just freeze to death.”
Ye Chen hugged Chu Tian back inside. Chu Tian coweringly peeked at Ye Chen, “Jiejie, what’s wrong with Gege?”
“He took the wrong medicine.”
Ye Chen started to make the bed for Chu Tian.
Chu Tian was young, but he was not stupid. He looked at Ye Chen spreading the bed and whispered, “Jiejie. My parents… they can’t come to pick me up again, can they?”
Ye Chen’s movement halted. She got up and sat beside Chu Tian. In a soft tone, she comforted, “Xiao Tian, although your parents are gone, you still have Jiejie and Gege. Your Gege will always accompany you and take care of you. So, don’t be sad, okay?”
“Okay…”
Chu Tian lowered his head and couldn’t hold back his tears.
Ye Chen finished making the bed for Chu Tian. Chu Tian grasped Ye Chen’s hand and begged with tearful eyes, “Jiejie, can you please sleep with Xiao Tian tonight?”
Ye Chen froze, darting into the child’s timid eyes, she succumbed. “Okay, don’t be afraid. ”
Ye Chen lay down beside Chu Tian and patted him on the back, “Sleep.”
She told Chu Tian a story, but her heart was always hung on Lin Jianxi on the outside.
“Has he gone inside?” She asked 38. 38 was eating melon seeds while watching a movie, “How about you check for yourself?”
Ye Chen put on a stern face. Whenever she quarreled, she would never admit her wrong. “He is already an adult and is sensible. He will definitely go back. It’s so cold, after all. ”
38 scoffed and was too lazy to talk.
Ye Chen coaxed Chu Tian to sleep and lay on the bed, tossing and turning. At last, she stood up. At this time, she heard a dull noise outside. Her heart dropped. She rushed out and saw Lin Jianxi falling to the ground.
The snow had piled up a thick layer, and the snow on his body turned into water and then condensed into ice. He was out of breath because of the cold. Ye Chen was alarmed; She quickly took him back to the house. She wrapped him in a quilt. She turned on the heater and wiped his body with hot water. She boiled ginger soup and tried to find ways to keep him warm.
After a long time, Lin Jiangxi’s cold subsided, but he developed a high fever.
Ye Chen was keeping a watchful eye on him. Meanwhile, Lin Jianxi was dreaming. The snow was heavy and cold. Ye Chen left him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The first time, she lay in the pure white petals with a peaceful face;
The second time, she lay in bed. The palm of his hand was shattered into pieces;
The third time, she walked into a dark corridor leading to an unknown place, her back gradually disappeared from his view,
The fourth time, she was wrapped in blood and she slipped from his arms. He howled until he was hoarse in the heavy snow.
The last time, she stood in front of him with Chu Tian in her arms. She glared at him and said, then, just die.
No… Don’t do this to me…
He ran alone in the snow, chasing her who had gone far. He stretched out his hand and kept calling her name.
Ye Chen
Xiao A’Chen.
Jiejie.
But, she never looked back, not even once. She held Chu Tian in her hand, and he chased him barefoot on the cold wasteland, the chilling wind was as sharp as a knife.
He realized how weak he was in this relationship. Ye Chen gave him everything. Ye Chen protected him and accompanied him. Ye Chen paved a good life for him.
Everything he had now, it was given by Ye Chen. He couldn’t give anything back to Ye Chen.
Even though she was a ghost, there was still nothing that he could give to this genius in the Feng Shui world.
In that case, where did he get the guts to threaten her? Why did he threaten her in the first place? For him, she was irreplaceable; For her, he was dispensable. In this relationship, he had never been the one who had the ability to leave.
Lin Jianxi shed tears. He stood in the snow and watched Ye Chen take Chu Tian’s hand and leave.
Don’t leave me, don’t do this to me.
I will be good.
I will listen to your words in the future.
You tell me to learn Feng Shui, I will learn Feng Shui.
You tell me to be nice to that child, I will be nice to that child.
Whatever you want me to do, I, Lin Jianxi, will do it. Even if you want me to die.
But don’t go, don’t leave me anymore.
Jiejie.
Ye Chen.
Footnotes
伊面 – yī miàn; Long Life Noodle. Long noodles symbolizing a wish for a long and happy life. Often made during celebrations, such as birthdays, new year, wedding, etc.↵
Ry’s Corner
Right now, they are indeed not on an equal footing. Ye Chen gives; Lin Jianxi receives. Ye Chen leaves. Can Lin Jianxi stop her? Can’t. For four lifetimes, he can’t.
Anyway, this is why you should be careful with words that come out of your mouth. Even if it is only in a fit of anger, intentionally or not, it can hurt others. And even sometimes, the words will keep haunting the person.
Acknowledging you are wrong is no fun, but in the end, you must acknowledge it.
Ye Chen hasn’t reached that stage yet, but she will.
Bonus Chapter:
9 out of 10 done.
1 last bonus chapter and we will be back to the usual 2 updates/week.
Finally.
Please consider checking ‘The Memory Lost in Space‘ in case you like a good read(feels)! I’m gonna always put this here because I’m obsessed with it! No thanks needed.
If you like what I do please consider buying me ko-fi! Who needs sleep, anyway. I don’t offer Advanced Chapters like Lyre yet, but you are free to water this thirsty cat!
Words count (excluding title, footnotes, TL’s corner): 4342
Support Me on Ko-Fi!
The chatting guest on the seat went, so the book slept.
That’s why i love male pet arc, at least the ml is not that ‘clueless’ anymore and able to figur it out.
Thanks for the bonus chapter!