Banquet of a Hundred Ghosts

Chapter 41

"It's me!" Chen Kai turned back. The middle-aged woman in front of him seemed older than he remembered, and even her face was swollen. "How is Grandpa recovering?" he asked cautiously.

"That's great!" Aunt Huang said, a hint of joy appearing on her face. "The doctor said he might be fully conscious in another three months!"

"That's great!" Chen Kai was very happy to hear that; it seemed their efforts had paid off.

Aunt Huang's joy was fleeting. Looking at her unconscious father, tears welled up in her eyes. "I wonder if Dad will remember the mistakes I made when he wakes up?"

"No way!" Chen Kai quickly said, "What parent would hold a grudge against their children?"

But upon hearing this, Aunt Huang lowered her head again and sighed deeply, "Chen Kai, you're too young to understand."

Chen Kai looked at her sideways, not understanding what she wanted to say.

"Some things can't be forgiven just because someone has forgiven me!" Aunt Huang gave a bitter smile. "Even if my father forgives me, what then? A child who has done wrong still has no face to face his parents!"

Her profile seemed even more haggard from guilt. Chen Kai didn't know what to say when he saw her. Perhaps he was too young and never knew that not all stories have a happy ending, and not all happy endings are joyful. Life is made up of helplessness.

At home, Feixiao nestled on the sofa watching TV. He couldn't understand much of what was being shown, but what he loved most was the vivid atmosphere of life.

"Little fox, has your vision not recovered yet? Otherwise, why didn't you see that man that day?" Ximan asked him.

Feixiao didn't answer. The television continued to crackle and pop loudly, with colorful images constantly jumping around.

"You, the big enemy is coming, and you don't even seem worried!" Xi Man said anxiously to him.

"What's the use of being anxious?" Feixiao asked her.

Xi Man was speechless at the question. Yes, there was no use in being anxious; his eyesight wouldn't recover in a day or two.

Ximan could only let out a long sigh.

Springtime still lingers outside, everything is reviving, and in these vibrant spring days, not everyone feels springtime in their hearts.

Because an animal has emerged from hibernation and will follow the spring tide to where it wants to go, the spring breeze of this year brought bad news.

Chapter Thirteen: Tracking

"Chen Kai, I'm leaving!" Fei Xiao said to Chen Kai from the shadows. It was a terrifying darkness, with no light at all, only Fei Xiao's white clothes and white face, which pierced one's eyes.

"Why?" Chen Kai asked anxiously, as the surrounding darkness seemed to engulf Fei Xiao.

"My abilities haven't been restored. I might use Ximan's power to find a place where my demonic energy won't seep out and let me rest!"

"Can't it be done here?" Chen Kai asked him. "I can cook for you, make your favorite soup, and you can help you with cleaning too!"

Fei Xiao smiled faintly, "I don't need these where I'm going!" After saying that, she looked at Chen Kai with reluctance, "I will take back the ability you saw, and I won't leave any demonic energy around you!"

Chen Kai felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. "So, you'll never know what happens to me?"

Feixiao gently shook her head. "I will know. Zijin will tell me. I will come back to help you anytime you are in danger!"

"Can't we stay?" Chen Kai suddenly felt insignificant, as if Fei Xiao was always preparing to part ways with him.

"I don't want to either!" Fei Xiao looked troubled. "Someone is following me. If I don't leave, it will not only increase the trouble, but I also won't be able to properly accumulate strength."

Chen Kai sighed upon hearing this, "Then when will you come back? I will wait for you here!" It seemed that he couldn't stop him.

“My abilities will return once they are restored, maybe in a few months, maybe in a few weeks!” Feixiao said to him with a smile.

Chen Kai pouted, holding back his tears, and said, "It's a deal! I'll wait for you until autumn. If you still haven't come back, I'll move away!"

Feixiao smiled and said, "I will still come to find you!" After saying that, she turned and walked into the boundless darkness.

Chen Kai could no longer hold back his tears. He shouted at Fei Xiao's retreating figure, "I've changed my mind. I'll wait for you forever!" hoping that Fei Xiao would turn around and look at him one more time.

"Chen Kai, you'd better watch yourself, especially stay away from water, be careful of snakes!" Fei Xiao's voice came from the darkness, and the white figure turned and disappeared into the darkness.

"What do you mean, Feixiao?" Chen Kai shouted into the boundless darkness before him, but no one answered.

"Feixiao!" Chen Kai called out again, but then woke up with a start; it was a dream.

He looked up at the sky; it seemed to be a cloudy day. The heavy curtains blocked out the sunlight, and the room was no different from nighttime.

"Feixiao!" He suddenly remembered the dream he had just had, and ran barefoot to Feixiao's room. He carefully pushed open the door, hoping that it was really just a dream, and that a lazy boy was still sleeping inside.

However, the room was empty, just like last night. The blankets were untouched, and a bag of fried chicken wings that I had just bought for him a couple of days ago was on the bedside table, untouched as well.

Chen Kai stood there, holding the doorknob, staring at the empty room. Suddenly, tears streamed down his face. But he was unaware of it, standing barefoot outside the door.

But Chen Kai knew that he had no one left to rely on in his heart, and he would be all alone from now on.

In the warm weather of late spring and early summer, the scarlet silk drifted away with the summer breeze.

June arrived in the blink of an eye. It had been two months since Chen Kai last saw Fei Xiao. In these two months, he gradually got used to living alone. The house was cleaner than it used to be, but he still couldn't get used to it.

Feixiao also took Ximan away. The room used to be full of lively chatter, but now he was all alone. Sometimes Wang Zijin would come out, but he seemed to sense the danger and was no longer as cheerful as before.

This June was a frozen June for Chen Kai.

As the weather gradually warms up, the fragrance of lilacs drifts in the summer night air with the gentle breeze.

On the tree-lined path of the school, under the dim streetlights, a long-haired girl and a tall, thin boy were talking about something.

The two seemed to be arguing, and their voices gradually rose.

"How many times have I told you? I want to break up with you!" the girl said impatiently.

"You need to have a reason, right? Why are you suddenly acting like this? What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong!"

"Why is that?" the boy's voice was almost pleading.

I've fallen for someone else!

The tall, thin boy stared wide-eyed at his girlfriend in disbelief. "We've been together for two years, how could you do this? Who is that person?"

The female student looked up, and under the streetlight was a bright, youthful face. Her eyes shone with an unusually fervent light. "It's a man named Chen Kai!"

"Hey, that woman's looking at you!" Liang Dong nudged Chen Kai next to him.

Chen Kai's heart was already as still as water, completely undisturbed, but at this moment he still couldn't help but steal a glance.

Sure enough, a girl with curly hair was sitting in the seat next to me, a pen between her pink lips, looking over at me with an expression as if she were looking at something interesting.

"It couldn't be that she's looking at me!" Chen Kai glanced at the girl; she was proud and beautiful, and there was no way she would be interested in him.

He felt really uncomfortable sitting under that intense gaze. "Liang Dong, let's go, let's go to another study room!"

"I'm not leaving!" Liang Dong stood firmly on the ground. "I finally found a seat, why am I running around everywhere?"

Chen Kai had no choice but to pack his things, put on his backpack, and leave.

I had just stepped out of the study room when I bumped into a girl.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" Chen Kai apologized hastily. He had been a bit absent-minded lately and kept making mistakes.

"It's nothing!" The girl looked up at Chen Kai, her round face full of enthusiasm. "Let's be friends!"

Chen Kai was stunned. It was as if Beethoven's Fate was playing in his ears, and his heart was trembling with the notes of the symphony.

This was the only time his heart raced since Feixiao left. What's wrong with this world?

"No, no need!" Chen Kai waved his hand awkwardly and ran away.

What's going on? What's going on? Recently, he noticed that many girls on campus seemed to be looking at him, their eyes like hooks that wanted to tear a piece of his flesh off. Could it be that he had suddenly become so popular overnight?

As he ran, he unknowingly ended up in front of the mirror in the main building's corridor.

In the dimly lit corridor, a tall, thin boy was reflected in the bright mirror. No, he had grown up! His shoulders had broadened, and his face was more angular than when he first came to the city. Yes, he had grown up! If Fei Xiao were standing next to him now, people would definitely say that she was his older brother. But when did he start to grow up?

Time flows by like water, passing by before anyone notices, leaving only the marks of years on people—its impartial gift to everyone.

But, but Fei Xiao will not grow up. He is still the same boy she met back then, with peach blossom eyes and jet-black hair. No matter how many years pass, he will not change!

Chen Kai stared blankly at himself in the mirror, at a self that was both so unfamiliar and so real. The figure in the mirror gradually blurred, and something like mist began to cloud his vision.

Why? Why did I have to grow up? How wonderful it would be if I didn't have to grow up! But that was impossible. He watched helplessly as he stepped into the same footsteps as Prince Jin, yet he was powerless to stop it.

This was the first time Chen Kai had felt such despair. Only today did he realize that the greatest enemy between him and Fei Xiao was not some snake or other monster, but time! Time, which is fair to everyone, irreversible, and unstoppable.

Thinking of this, Chen Kai sat down on the cold cement floor, feeling an unprecedented exhaustion.

After finishing his self-study session, Chen Kai walked towards home. The summer night breeze caressed his face, making him feel incredibly comfortable. There were many people cooling off on the road, and he unknowingly wandered around outside for quite a while.

By the time he really wanted to go home, there were few pedestrians on the road, only the dim streetlights and swaying tree shadows flickering in front of him.

Why did it turn so late? Chen Kai shook his head and smiled. It seemed he really didn't like going back to that lifeless house.

But he couldn't laugh after taking only a couple of steps, because it seemed like something was following him. A soft footstep and panting sound came from behind him.

Chen Kai cautiously glanced back, but there were only the shadows cast by trees on the asphalt road, nothing else.

He suddenly felt scared and quickly headed home through a well-lit area. But he hadn't walked far when the footsteps returned—a light, bouncy sound, as if made by some animal.

Accompanied by panting sounds, Chen Kai could almost see what appeared to be a very large dog, its blood-red tongue lolling out with each step, and saliva constantly dripping from the corners of its mouth.

But he dared not turn around, fearing that if he did, the dog behind him would pounce on him and eat him. He could only quicken his pace and hurry home, thinking that maybe someone hadn't watched their dog properly. He was sure nothing would happen; the dogs in the city were all gentle.

He comforted himself as he hurried on his way. When he saw the apartment door in front of him, he breathed a long sigh of relief, unlocked the electronic door, and quickly slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

Only then did I dare to look out through the ornate iron gate. Outside, the streetlights were still dim, and there were no dogs outside. The summer night breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, and everything was so peaceful.

Perhaps he was just scaring himself, he breathed a sigh of relief, pressed the elevator button, and headed home.

From the bushes outside, a huge black shadow slowly emerged, its blood-red tongue lolling out as it stared in the direction Chen Kai had disappeared.

Tonight seems terrifyingly dark, so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face, with only a gray path leading to who knows where.

Chen Kai walked along the road, completely bewildered. He was already home, so how did he end up in this weird place?

The road grew darker and darker. After walking for a while, Chen Kai began to feel scared because it felt like something was following him.

What was that thing? It seemed to be walking on tiptoe, its footsteps were very light and quick, following him at a steady pace.

What could it be? Chen Kai wanted to turn around and look, but he didn't dare. Was it a dog or a wolf? Or something else? He remembered the stories his elders told him when he was a child. It was said that in the deep mountains at night, wolves would follow people. When the traveler turned around, it would bite the person's carotid artery. If the traveler didn't turn around, it wouldn't have a chance to bite.

Yes, as long as I don't look, nothing will happen! Chen Kai thought he should quicken his pace and move forward, but the danger behind him made it impossible for him to travel with peace of mind. The road ahead seemed to have no end, and the panting of the animals behind him was getting louder and louder, as if they were right next to his ears.

How long will this journey take? Or will it only end when we see what lies ahead?

Chen Kai thought to himself, holding his breath. Since he had to look, he would just turn around and take one look. One look would be enough.

He shielded his neck with his hands, cautiously glanced back, but saw nothing! Behind him was still a gray path, devoid of any animals.

He breathed a long sigh of relief; it seemed he had been too nervous.

But as soon as he turned around, a huge black shadow rushed up, its blood-red tongue almost touching his face, and several blue fangs gleaming at him.