Ch. 27 Relations.h.i.+p

Chi Yan couldn't help but turn to look at him

They could see each other reflected in their eyes.

Ye Yingzhi turned to face him directly, both palms rested on Chi Yan's shoulder. He leaned over to kiss him lightly on the tip of his nose: "….I'm sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have deceived you, using that kind of method. It was me who fell into an illusion. I did that because I was so desperate. I've never liked anyone before and I had no idea what to do…. The internet said that couples go on dates like watching movies and strolling in the park–I can do all of this with you.

"Ah Yan, don't be afraid of me. This time, try to use your own eyes to get to know me."

Chi Yan belatedly realized that Ye Yingzhi actually brought him to the park in the dead of the night for a stroll.

He looked into Ye Yingzhi's eyes and couldn't refuse him. Instead, he seemed to be able to see Ye Yingzhi's true nature through those dark eyes.

Ye Yingzhi didn't seem to mind his silence, reaching out to help him up: "It's alright. Take your time. I'll wait for you."

It's not like you can run anyway.

He kissed Chi Yan's forehead lightly and opened the door for him to go to work. His smile was both gentle and sweet.

————————

As they say: place any man on a battlefield and he will become a soldier. Through this incident, Chi Yan had already completely prepared himself to repay his debt–he even prepared himself for a certain death. This time, Chi Yan let nature take its course and continued living with Ye Yingzhi without batting an eye.

Normalcy returned once his terror pa.s.sed. After receiving the ashes, the incident was slowly filed away in his mind. Whether it was before showing his true nature or after casting an illusion, Ye Yingzhi had never actually caused him any harm. Rather, Ye Yingzhi saved him from other spirits many times.

For example, when they went on vacation last year, that house was really a bit strange. It was Ye Yingzhi who secretly helped him survive that. Also, when he boarded the ghost bus from Tang Guangyuan's place. If Ye Yingzhi hadn't specifically gone to pick him up, he would have most likely lost his life there.

Besides, after his grandmother's death there was no one else who treated him so well the way Ye Yingzhi did–regardless of ulterior motives.

Even if Ye Yingzhi just wanted to take advantage of him, deceive him, and then kill him, he was fine with that too.

He probably wouldn't be too scared. Just a little hurt.

No matter how you look at it, he couldn't leave Ye Yingzhi right now anyway. With Ye Yingzhi nearby, at least he was safe for now; how and when to punish him all depended on Third Young Master's mood. But without Ye Yingzhi's ashes and aura to protect him, he probably wouldn't last a month on his own.

Ye Yingzhi already controlled his finances. The inheritances left behind by Chi Yan's parents and grandparents were already placed into investments under Chi Yan's name. Any of the dividends, interest, and the sort were all higher than Chi Yan's annual income. In other words, Chi Yan had no idea just how much a.s.sets he had under his name, or what kinds of investments he had.   

Once, he tried to give Ye Yingzhi his check too, but Ye Yingzhi pushed it back to him.

Ye Yingzhi's exact words were: "Be good. Keep your wages for food. Anything you like to eat, just buy it."

A lover who can cook, manage finances, and didn't want him to turn in his wages so he could spend it however he wanted without worrying about a single thing. If he told people, who knew how many coworkers would envy him. Besides not being human, everything was great.

In truth, not being human wasn't a very big problem. Chi Yan wasn't afraid of goblins or demons. The beautiful fox demon's seduction was a fantasy since the ancient times. However, Ye Yingzhi is a ghost spirit.

He is a ghost.

This fact was ingrained into him and impossible to ignore. At times, this fact would pop up with terrible timing.

At night, Chi Yan was originally nestled in Ye Yingzhi's arms, just about to fall asleep. He suddenly remembered that the person by his side had long since pa.s.sed away, that the one holding him wasn't actually human. It scared him wide-awake, sending s.h.i.+vers down his spine. He scoot back a little, wanting to escape from Ye Yingzhi's embrace, but not daring to make it too obvious.

Ye Yingzhi felt his movement and also opened his eyes. He slowly raised his free hand to caress Chi Yan's face: "Ah Yan, don't be scared of me."

"I won't hurt you." He lowered his head and touched his forehead to Chi Yan's. Under the moonlight, his eyes revealed how earnest he was. He was so serious that it seemed like he was making an oath.  

This was the first time that he straight-up told Chi Yan "I won't hurt you."

Chi Yan blanked out for a moment, not knowing how to respond. After a long while, he seemed to be ashamed as he hung his head: "…I'm scared."

Even though I'm willing to give my life to you, I'm still scared.

"Ye Yingzhi, I'm scared of ghosts." He hung his head like a guilty child, as he honestly admitted how he felt.

After Ye Yingzhi heard that, he muttered something to himself before smiling weakly: "It's okay. Isn't there 'The Peony Pavilion'¹ and also Nie Xiaoqian from Liaozhai²? Even though I can't become a beautiful seductive fox demon, I can try to be your Ye Xiaoqian."

"We still have a lot of time together. You don't need to worry," he said in a low voice. Who knew if he was talking to the other or to himself.

Chi Yan didn't say anything. His body that originally shrank away was leaning into Ye Yingzhi, as Chi Yan quietly grasped his hand.

Logically speaking, he should break away, but his heart tells him to move closer. 

————————

Just like this, 3 months pa.s.sed by. It was almost autumn. Chi Yan was already used to life with Ye Yingzhi.

One day after work, Chi Yan was surprised to find a familiar face waiting by his workplace. It was Mr. Tang.

Tang Guangyuan waved after seeing him, wanting to speak with him.

His workplace was on a busy street, endless traffic pa.s.sing through the area. Tang Guangyuan wanted to chat in a more suitable setting and brought him to the McDonald's just across the street.

The fast food place was filled with children's laughter and yells. A couple of 3-4 year-olds were energetically making a racket. Chi Yan ordered 2 hot drinks and invited Old Master Tang to sit by the window.

Tang Guangyuan glanced to the small porcelain bottle on his chest: "That thing is still there?"

Chi Yan nodded, hesitated for a few moments before saying: "…if you came because of 'it' then you don't need to worry about it anymore. I already thought it through. Since I provoked him first, then I should take responsibility….. He has always been very good to me, protecting me from a lot of disasters. Even if he decides to take my life one day, I'm fine with it."

Since ancient times, people believed in spirits. In order to gain protection, they even tried using live sacrifices. During the era of slavery, human sacrifices were extremely common. During the era of feudalism, this type of thing was not rare either. In "Journey to the West"³ a famous excerpt spoke of a legend–a carp lord demanded virginal sacrifices of both males and females. If it was satisfied, then it would bless the commoner with good harvest; if not, then it would bring about disasters.

He has no family and was born with such a poor const.i.tution. With Ye Yingzhi's protection, at least he could live to see the next day. Besides himself, there was nothing else he could offer to Ye Yingzhi.

Besides…these 3 months, he have been clear-headed. Ye Yingzhi, he was…indeed very good.

When Tang Guangyuan heard him, his brows furrowed deeply: "You're so young, right at your prime. How could you have such unambitious, outdated rotten thoughts. For humans, to live is to struggle. You're so young but so pa.s.sive. What could your elders make of this?"

Hearing this, Chi Yan didn't know what to say. Remembering how his grandmother used to take him everywhere, to Daoist and Buddhist temples, begging others, and praying to deities, braving all sorts of hards.h.i.+ps just to save his life, Chi Yan couldn't help but feel ashamed. But he still tried to justify himself: "…it's not what you think. Ye Yingzhi is different. If I was possessed by anyone else, I wouldn't be so complacent."

As for how exactly Ye Yingzhi differed from other spirits, even he couldn't explain.

Being good to him? Indeed he was good to him, but in the beginning, Chi Yan was caught in his illusion and deceived by him. If any other ghost or demon did that to him, he would definitely still be scared witless and keep searching for ways to escape–he'd probably have died from sheer terror by now. However, it was easy to make allowances for Ye Yingzhi. After the initial fear from realizing the truth, it was easy to accept their current living arrangement. As if his soul itself was already familiar with the other's existence.

Chi Yan borrowed Ye Yingzhi's words and said to Tang Guangyuan: "There's Nie Xiaoqian from Liaozhai. He said he wants to be my Xiaoqian." Saying something like this to an outsider, Chi Yan couldn't help but turn red.

Tang Guangyuan was barely conscious that day at the villa study room. He could only vaguely recall that the reason that thing let him go was because the youth before him promised to go back with it. This saved his life, but he couldn't remember the details. But seeing Chi Yan's expression right now, how could he not realize?

He and that thing had that sort of relations.h.i.+p.

Author's Note：

Special thanks to blessing2017、延久葉、摺扇、辰茶、漂浮篞、木心心心、三千花殺、十五特別乖巧、祈鳶、馬甲戰隊、弋九霄姑娘's comments~

Thanks to everyone for your concern. I will try to get well soon!

Footnotes:

1: "The Peony Pavilion" is a play where a young lady who lived under strict rules had a dream about meeting her lover one day after sneaking out. She couldn't forget about the person she dreamt about, causing her to fall ill and die of a broken heart. Years later, a scholar saw her painting and called out to her, thinking she felt familiar. They fall in love even though she's a ghost. He digs out her body, and she comes back to life. A happy ending.

2: Nie Xiaoqing is the ghost from "Stories of Liaozhai" also adapted into the film "A Chinese Ghost Story." It tells of a love story between a ghost and a human. The ghost betrayed her tree-demon master in order to save the man she loves, which caused her banishment to the Underworld. The man and a priest go find her and save her. The two lovers are together despite their difference in status (living status, that is).

3: "Journey to the West" is a popular work that tells of a Buddhist monk, Tang San's journey westward to India in order to retrieve scriptures. Also known as the stories involving the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. This is referring to one of the stories throughout their adventure west.

Translator's Note:

This was the most confusing chapter so far…literary references are headache-inducing T^T

Did anyone stream KBS Music Festival?

-Dewy