NEBM Chapter 30: The Kitchen Ghost

That day at the inn, Yan Jin had arrived late and didn’t hear what the storyteller was saying. Then, he’d noticed Shen Zhixian and hadn’t paid much attention to anything else.

He only faintly heard that it had something to do with Master and himself.

Yan Jin tilted his head to look at Shen Zhixian, who was sleeping soundly, his long eyelashes casting light shadows on his cheeks.

He hesitated for a moment and finally opened the book gently.

What could be written about Master and himself?

Yan Jin, who had originally only wanted to turn two pages at random to see what the book was about, kept on reading even after turning a few pages.

Because, everything he’d felt was written here…

But, it was so…

Yan Jin couldn’t think of the right words that would accurately describe his mood. The expression on his face echoed his internal confusion. He stared blankly at the sleeping Shen Zhixian.

They hadn’t been separated during the entire journey. Master probably bought this book when he went into that bookstore. But, Master clearly told him at that time that he’d encountered a black boss and didn’t buy anything.

However, Yan Jin remembered that the owner had murmured that he’d sold a set…

Yan Jin’s sight involuntarily fell on Shen Zhixian’s storage bag, which rested on the pillow next to him.

Fortunately, reason prevented him from reaching out for Shen Zhixian’s storage bag.

The candle was on the verge of burning out. The wick, which had been burning for a long time, flickered and burst, startling him.

He pursed his lips, marked his spot on the book, and turned to blow out the candle. Then, he went to the window and used the moonlight to carefully read pages after pages.

..………………………..

Shen Zhixian woke up in a daze, totally unaware of what had happened that night. The sky was already bright, and the morning light peered in through the half-opened window.

Because he hadn’t gotten enough sleep, his mind was still muddy. At first, he thought he was in his own room, and so he skillfully rolled around happily and lazily in the comforter. Then, he noticed a figure from the corner of his eyes.

The inn was simple, with only a wooden bed, a wooden table, and two wooden stools.

At this time, Yan Jin was sitting upright on a wooden stool by the table.

Maybe it was his unconscious mumbling that disturbed the person who’d just closed his eyes, but Yan Jin opened his eyes and slowly turned to looked at him.

Shen Zhixian immediately grew sober. He jerked upright, laid down his hands and feet, tugged the comforter neatly, and sat up, tucking his hair behind his ears. He greeted Yan Jin.  “Good morning…What time is it?”

Because he’s just woken up, Shen Zhixian’s voice was still a little hoarse. He coughed twice, stood on barefoot, and poured himself a glass of water to drink.

The cultivator, who was only wearing a thin inner robe, looked unkempt and lazy. When he drank, his delicate Adam apple moved up and down. Because he was drinking too quickly, a tiny trail of water dripped down from the corner of his mouth. It rolled down his chin to his neck and disappeared into his loose collar.

Leaving behind a meandering water mark on his fair skin.

Yan Jin turned his head calmly. No one else knew that what flashed in his mind at that moment were these sentences from the book: “Dewdrop lifted Magnolia into his arms. Magnolia, who was tired and sleepy, rested his temple against Dewdrop’s shoulder, longing for sleep.”

He really was like a magnolia flower, resting desolate and cold on the highest branch. Even when he hid his identity, he was still too precious to be touched.

Yan Jin lowered his voice and quietly said, “It’s still dusk.”

Shen Zhixian finished drinking the cup of cold water. His eyes cleared. He lazily paced back to the couch casually asked, “When did you get back?”

“Half past midnight.”

“Ah.” Shen Zhixian rubbed his eyebrows. Was Yan Jin made out of cotton? He came back so quietly at midnight that Shen Zhixian didn’t hear anything at all.

What else did he want to say? When he thought it over, he suddenly remembered his half-finished the book from last night. He quietly slipped his hand under the pillow—Nothing.

Shen Zhixian’s heart jerked. He slowly retracted his hand with false nonchalance. “Have you been sitting there since you came back? That’s not good. Why didn’t you wake me up so I could move and allow you to rest on the bed?”

Of course, the bed in Qingyun Sect was bigger and more comfortable in comparison, but this bed shouldn’t be too small for two people to sleep comfortably together.

Shen Zhixian had adapted to his new identity as Yan Jin’s cousin very well. He felt that since they’re “brothers,” they should be more familiar with each other. It wasn’t difficult to extend an invitation to share the bed.

However, when these words fell into Yan Jin’s ears, their meaning changed.

“The snow was heavy, obscuring the warm morning light into a faint, blurry glow. The person dressed in white was full of beauty as he leaned casually on the bedside, his expression loose and unrestrained. His white, jade-like hand lifted the comforter slightly and, as his eyebrows lazily raised and his lips curved, he said to his disciple, “The day is snowy and cold. It’s better to warm up by sleeping together.”

Of course, that was a situation that Qingyun Bai Xiaosheng had made up. Shen Zhixian would never say those kinds of words to him.

But …

Yan Jin silently raised his hand and turned over a clean cup. He quickly gulped down a cup of cold water, pushed his confusion to the back of his mind, and said, “Mmn, there’s no need.”

—Words can cause a lot of trouble and inflict much suffering.

—But, he still wanted to read it.

Yan Jin’s gaze unconsciously drifted to Shen Zhixian’s storage bag. When his gaze got halfway there, he forcibly dragged it back. As he looked down at the teacup in his hand, his thoughts fluctuated.

When Master read these words, wasn’t it…He didn’t mind these extraordinary things too much?

Of course, Shen Zhixian didn’t know how Yan Jin’s heart went back and forth a thousand times. On his end, he was too busy pondering. Where was his book? He’d rested it here, that thick and beautiful book!

Could it be that he was so tired that he’d somehow stowed it in his storage bag?

Naturally, he couldn’t go digging through his storage bag in front of Yan Jin. It wouldn’t look good if Yan Jin accidentally saw him pull out something bad.

He thought about it for a bit and finally decided that he must have been too sleepy and ended up tucking it into his storage bag. After all, Yan Jin wasn’t the type of person that would secretly take his things.

In order to check, he would have to wait for Yan Jin to leave.

So, at this moment, he didn’t mention it. Shortly after, the two went out for breakfast. Yan Jin, urged by Shen Zhixian, unenthusiastically invited Duan Yuan to come along.

However, Duan Yuan seemed to be very preoccupied today, appearing as if she was deeply pondering over some matter.

Shen Zhixian noticed this. Remembering that Yan Jin also went out last night, he began to wonder what had happened last night after Yan Jin went out.

Did the two talk? Where did they go? Did he end up suffocating the girl with his quiet, taciturn nature…?

As Shen Zhixian’s mind churned into a mess, Duan Yuan suddenly put down her chopsticks, bit her bottom lip, and softly said, “Brother Sui.”

Shen Zhixian responded subconsciously, and the first thought that turned up in his mind was that these two wanted to confess.

He chewed the pastry in his mouth, suddenly feeling as if the taste had gone bad. Yan Jin had managed to please the heroine so quickly? He was indeed worthy of being the protagonist.

“Do you remember the child who lost his soul yesterday?”

“Huh?” Shen Zhixian said blankly. “That crying bundle?”

“I think … he lost his soul because he was scared by something,” Duan Yuan earnestly said. “I went out alone and took a walk last night. I found that there’s something wrong. There’s something in this town that shouldn’t belong to this yang world.”

Shen Zhixuan looked at Yan Jin lightly. Alone? Then, where did Yan Jin go?

Yan Jin noticed his gaze and calmly looked over. After a while, he pushed the plate with the last piece of pastry in front of Shen Zhixian.

“I’m done eating…” Shen Zhixian retracted his gaze and said casually, “Ghost?”

Duan Yuan said quietly, “You are not afraid of ghosts, Brother Sui?”

She’d feared that an ordinary person would be afraid after hearing about ghosts. Therefore, she hesitated for a long time, finding it hard to say, “I think there’s a ghost in this town …”

In fact, they’d all seen that ghost.

As Duan Yuan was pondering how to make it clear, Shen Zhixian swallowed the pastry in his mouth and washed it down with a sip of tea. He slowly said, “The chef yesterday?”

Duan Yuan was really shocked. She said in surprise, “Brother Sui, how did you know?”

Shen Zhixian’s thoughts turned back and forth a thousand times. In the end, he looked at Yan Jin with a smile. “A’Jin told me.”

“My cousin is not good with words, and I had no time yesterday to tell you that he is a disciple under Qingyun Sect, practicing the sword path.”

Shen Zhixian felt that he was really the best master in the world. He was invested in ensuring his disciple’s lifelong happiness. He tried to steer the topic to Yan Jin. “I’m not talented and am unable to cultivate into an immortal. But my cousin is well known in Qingyun Sect. You both should have a lot to talk about in the future. ”

He quietly gave Yan Jin a signal to jump in, but Yan Jin either didn’t know or didn’t understand what he meant. He only looked down at the table, not bothering to say anything.

Shen Zhixian sighed inwardly. He did intend to let the two communicate more. But Yan Jin was being so glum…He heaved another inward sigh.

So that was it. Duan Yuan suddenly realized the truth. Yesterday, she saw that Shen Zhixian was an ordinary person with no power and thought that his cousin was too! He turned out to be a sword cultivator. He must be much more skilled than her, which explained why she was unable to detect his cultivation stage.

But …

Duan Yuan quietly glanced at Sui Xian first and then looked at Yan Jin. At that moment, the latter also happened to look over too. Their eyes met and his cold gaze nearly choked her. She immediately turned her gaze away.

—Brother Sui’s cousin didn’t seem to like her very much.

—Forget it. She’ll just talk to Brother Sui!

………………….

The reason why Duan Yuan wanted to stay for a few days was to get to the bottom of this matter. Now that everyone turned out to be in the same circle—excluding Brother Sui—this matter became much easier to handle.

The three of them returned to yesterday’s restaurant.

As they approached, they could smell the fragrant scent of lotus seeds. The lotus seed cakes and lotus seed soup were probably Brother Chang’s specialty. After eating them, they really did leave behind a lingering aftertaste.

Even Shen Zhixian, who was used to eating good food, felt that it was delicious.

There were no customers in the restaurant. The youth sat at the table, bored and humming in a small tone. Then, he shouted toward the kitchen, “Brother Chang, there are no guests. You don’t have to cook all the time …”

A vague voice responded, “….No, it’s almost time for A’Lian to arrive.”

The youth stopped talking, his face settling into a morose expression. No longer humming, he slumped on the table in a daze.

Thinking that they would be less alarmed if a woman entered, Shen Zhixian and Yan Jin waited outside while Duan Yuan waked in alone, pretending to be interested in buying lotus seed cakes.

The youth responded to her, stood up, and enter the kitchen. He soon came out holding a packet of lotus seed cakes.

After Duan Yuan took the packet, she casually asked, “Can I see your chef? I really like these lotus seed cakes and wanted to say a few words to him.”

The youth sat back down on the table and said without looking up, “Big Brother Chang is busy today. He doesn’t want to see anyone.”

There wasn’t even a customer. What was he busy doing?

Duan Yuan asked again but received the same answer. Left with no other choice, she came out with the cakes and shook her head helplessly.

Shen Zhixian thoughtfully looked in the direction of the chef and said briskly, “It’s fine. We’ll come back later.”

He added meaningfully, “Some things shouldn’t be exposed to the sun.”

They waited until late in the evening, when very few people lingered on the streets.

When they arrived once more, the little town was on the verge of falling asleep. The youth was wiping the tables clean, clearly getting ready to close. When he looked up and saw Shen Zhixian, he was startled and said, “Three guests, I’m sorry but we’re closing.”

“We want to see your chef.” After conducting more investigations during the day, Duan Yuan had concluded that the chef was indeed quite fishy. She straightforwardly said, “Since it was inconvenient during the day, then he should be able to come out at this time.”

The youth immediately became vigilant. “Who are you? Big Brother Chang is very busy and can’t come see you…”

“No, he will,” Shen Zhixian said with a smile. “Tell him that we found A’Lian and he’ll come out.”

The youth’s face changed drastically. Before he could say anything, the curtains jerked open and the tall, large man hurried out. He looked around wildly, his voice brimming with excitement as he said, “A’Lian is here? Where is he?”

His figure was faded, almost integrating with the dim surrounding. But, he seemed to be unaware of this. After looking around and not seeing the person he most wanted to see, he looked at Shen Zhixian.

The color of his eyes were a turbid dark gray.