Chapter 9

Under the persistent lobbying of the capitalist, President Song, Xie Changshi, who had just stepped down as CEO of the Xie Corporation, tentatively agreed to allow the Xie headquarters to hire a ghost as an intern.

Since Cheng Puyu was, after all, a ghost, it was clearly inappropriate for it to integrate into other departments, so it was decided that it would shadow Song Qing.

As Song Qing was excitedly preparing to find Cheng Puyu to share the good news, Xie Changshi suddenly added, "Burn an internship contract for it to sign."

Song Qing: "..."

It seemed his newly appointed President Song still lacked a bit of experience.

Upon returning to Yancheng, President Song printed an employment contract and bought essentials like a mobile phone at a funeral supply shop, burning them all for Cheng Puyu.

Cheng Puyu was stunned when it received the items; it seemed not to have expected such a grand gesture. It felt a bit touched, and the sadness it had been feeling over Zhang Yu seemed to ease slightly.

Song Qing patted its shoulder to comfort it: "It’s alright. Once you truly start working, you won’t think about Zhang Yu anymore."

Cheng Puyu was curious: "Why?"

Song Qing: "When would a working stiff have the time to be sentimental? All the free time left in the day is spent cursing the boss."

After saying this, he felt something was off and instinctively looked back.

Oh, good; his boss had already taken Rong Jing home and hadn't heard him.

...

Xie Changshi owned numerous properties in Yancheng, but considering the daily commute, he primarily resided at Yunjiang Bay.

The elevator went straight to the 16th floor. Pushing open the door, one was greeted by enormous, crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling windows. Rong Jing ran over barefoot and stood by the glass, gazing out at the Yunjiang River.

The temperature was low today, and water vapor rose from the river, laying a layer of white mist that looked like drifting smoke. The wind swept across the center of the mist, tearing open a few gaps to reveal the rolling green hills and stone pagodas on the opposite bank.

"Is it beautiful?" Xie Changshi walked over. The glass reflected his tall, slender frame. He lowered his eyes slightly, watching the youth who was almost pressing his face against the floor-to-ceiling window.

Rong Jing nodded without hesitation: "It is."

He thought for a moment and said, "When I lived in the tenement building before, the windows were tiny, and the place always felt stuffy. But this one is so big."

Xie Changshi remembered.

Rong Jing loved rainy days and would always run out to the hallway to watch the scenery whenever it rained.

The rain in Tingyang was always accompanied by strong winds—there was never any such thing as a gentle breeze or mild rain—so Rong Jing would always end up drenched while standing in the hallway.

Xie Changshi had once suggested he watch from his room, but Rong Jing had said it wasn't satisfying enough.

He lowered his head, his fingertips swiping across his phone screen. His gaze landed on the latest weather forecast, and standing behind the youth, he said, "It will rain at eight tonight."

"Really?"

"Yes." The man reached out to pat the youth's upturned hair and said, "Keep watching," before walking toward the guest bedroom. Yet, the moment he turned, he suddenly understood why, when he was acquiring property here and Song Qing asked what his requirements were, he had only said one thing: two bedrooms, and the windows must be large.

He had been waiting for him to arrive all along.

Xie Changshi walked into the guest bedroom.

Although he had been in Tingyang yesterday, he had arranged for the guest room to be tidied up again in advance. The bedsheets, quilt covers, and curtains were almost all in light, neutral tones—colors that Rong Jing liked. A hydroponic plant sat on the bedside table, and the overall aesthetic was exceptionally minimalist.

It suited the style of the apartment perfectly.

"What are you looking at?" Rong Jing’s head poked in from the doorway.

Xie Changshi turned back: "Your room. It seems too simple for you. See if there is anything you need, and we will go get it."

Rong Jing took a serious look and felt that it was quite good as it was.

However, the bed was so large that he thought he could put a few dolls and throw pillows on it.

As evening approached, Xie Changshi took Rong Jing to a nearby mall to eat the grilled fish Rong Jing wanted and to buy the dolls and pillows he desired. This mall, located in a bustling area of Yancheng, was owned by the Xie Corporation. Upon hearing this, Rong Jing stood at the main entrance, took a few extra glances, and said to Xie Changshi, "The feng shui is quite good; it will bring in great wealth."

Xie Changshi chuckled: "Thank you for the review, Master Rong."

To prove the "great wealth" theory, Rong Jing bought a sack full of dolls and spent a five-figure sum.

President Xie didn't even blink. While swiping his card, he casually picked up a cute-ugly little zombie plush toy and asked Rong Jing: "Don't you want this one?"

Rong Jing was dismissive: "No, it's too ugly. It damages the image of us little zombies."

Xie Changshi felt regretful, then added: "True, having one at home is enough."

...

After finishing the grilled fish, the two left the mall as if taking an after-dinner stroll and headed toward the street behind it.

This was a famous food street nearby, filled with countless stalls selling milk tea, pastries, and barbecue. Rong Jing had been told about the food street before arriving at the mall, so he had only eaten until he was half-full during the grilled fish dinner.

He stretched his neck to look ahead and saw a crowd blocking the way. Curious, he asked the young girl beside him: "What are they selling over there? So many people."

The girl lifted the beautifully packaged bag in her hand and explained with a smile: "They’re selling desserts. The stall owner is a food blogger named Liu Liu. She has eight million followers, and most of the people there are her fans."

No wonder.

Rong Jing enjoyed a lively atmosphere. After getting his answer, he immediately turned to look at Xie Changshi.

Xie Changshi took the sack from his hands and nodded slightly: "Line up."

Dark clouds covered the sky, becoming increasingly gloomy. Rong Jing remembered Xie Changshi saying it would rain at eight. He took out his phone and checked the time; it was already past seven.

Rong Jing’s luck was decent. Two minutes later, when it was his turn, there was one piece of matcha tiramisu left in the transparent container.

"Wow, two handsome guys." Liu Liu looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, her hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing an apron and a mask. Realizing her comment had caught the attention of the taller man, she quickly pointed to the live-streaming equipment set up to the side and explained with a smile, "Don't worry, you weren't filmed."

She then added, "This is the last piece left. It's on me; no need to pay."

She leaned over, pulled a new paper box from the partition, carefully placed the square tiramisu inside, put it into a bag that radiated "girly vibes," and handed it to Rong Jing.

Rong Jing looked at her, then at the cake. As he took it, his dark eyes curved, and his voice was clear and bright: "Thank you, big sister."

"Oh, don't mention it. You two are so good-looking, and you still came to eat my cake—it's my honor."

Liu Liu took off her mask, revealing a delicate face. She waved at the two of them, smiling: "The weather forecast says it will rain at eight tonight. You two should head home early."

"Alright, you too, big sister."

Watching the two leave, Liu Liu turned to the camera. At this moment, the live-stream chat was filled with: "What? Handsome guys? How handsome? Let me see too!"

She shrugged regretfully: "The handsome guys have already left..."

Before she could finish, a glimpse of the youth running back caught her eye. She asked in confusion, stepping past her cart to meet him: "What’s wrong? Did you leave something behind?"

Rong Jing: "No, I just have something to tell you."

Two minutes later, Liu Liu watched Rong Jing leave once again.

Xie Changshi was waiting under a streetlight not far away. The dim, yellow light fell upon him, making his features look even more refined and cold. Only when Rong Jing walked to his side did he stride off toward the mall garage with his long legs encased in suit trousers.

Liu Liu regained her senses and returned to the camera. Facing the questions in the chat, she scratched her hair hesitantly before replying: "He said that to thank me for giving him the cake, he would give me a divination."

"A con artist? No way, the handsome guy with him looks like a high-powered CEO just from his aura."

"Divination? He seemed to mention a Hexagram of Wuwang, the top nine line," Liu Liu said with a laugh. "What, you friend named [I Am Your Dad], do you understand this stuff?"

Liu Liu had only meant it as a joke, but she didn't expect the netizen with the ID [I Am Your Dad] to actually leave a comment: "Top Nine, Wuwang (Innocence/Unexpected): To act brings misfortune; nothing advantageous can be gained."*

Liu Liu recited it silently, her eyes widening bit by bit: "Yes, yes, that's exactly what he said."

I Am Your Dad: What else did he say?

Liu Liu immediately said: "He told me to think carefully before making any decisions and to stay quiet and keep to myself, otherwise, if I encounter a disaster, there will be no way to resolve it."

Just as she spoke, a bright flash of light suddenly streaked across the pitch-black sky, followed immediately by a loud, ear-piercing rumble of thunder. The abrupt sound startled everyone nearby. Liu Liu, no longer caring about chatting with the live-stream audience, sped up her speech: "It's going to rain, I have to pack up and go home. Bye everyone," before cutting the feed.

Her luck was fairly good; by the time the sky suddenly poured down with rain, she had already packed everything onto her tricycle.

Unfortunately, her stall cart was a small three-wheeler that offered no protection against the rain.

Struggling to put on her raincoat, Liu Liu took to the road amidst the howling wind and torrential rain. After half an hour of driving, she turned into an alley.

There was a shortcut here, but while it was called an alley, it wasn't particularly remote. However, because it was late and raining heavily, the roll-down shutters of every shop were already closed, leaving only old vans parked along the side of the road.

Although she had known it would rain, Liu Liu hadn't expected it to be this severe.

The rain fell too rapidly, and the city's drainage system was overwhelmed. In a short time, water had accumulated up to her ankles along the roadside. As her little pink tricycle chugged over a pothole, the flickering headlights seemed to catch something, and she suddenly began to reverse.

In her line of sight, an electric scooter lay on its side by the road. A few meters away, a person whose face, age, and gender were obscured by a heavy rain poncho was curled up in a ball on the ground.

Liu Liu frowned and shouted at the top of her lungs: "Are you okay? Do you need help?"

The sound of the rain shattered the other person's reply. Through the curtain of rain, Liu Liu barely managed to see the person move their body slightly and point an arm toward their leg.

—Can't stand up?

Realizing this, Liu Liu’s expression changed slightly. She quickly stopped the tricycle and, without even pulling out the key, stepped into the water.

But just as she prepared to walk toward the electric scooter rider, the youth's voice suddenly flashed through her mind: "Top Nine, Wuwang: To act brings misfortune; nothing advantageous can be gained. Think carefully before making a decision, stay quiet and keep to yourself, do not act rashly."

Liu Liu’s steps came to a sudden halt.