“I am Lu Mingran. I hear them all call you Xiao Jiu.”
"Okay, just call me Xiao Jiu. I'm used to people calling me that."
“Well,” Lu Mingran smiled, like a fox, “Xiao Jiu, do you need me to take you home?”
"Looking at you, you look like you just ran away from home."
Actually, Lu Mingran was just guessing, but seeing Xiao Jiu's face suddenly freeze, he knew he was right.
Lu Mingran then pressed his advantage:
"So? Do you need my help?"
————————————
Xiao Jiu's home was on the other side of the city, and it took the two of them half an hour to get there.
On the way, the system asked Lu Mingran, "Why do you always want to go to other people's homes?"
Lu Mingran replied, "Because I am a little cabbage in the field, pitiful and helpless."
Later, outside his yard, Xiao Jiu tugged at Lu Mingran's sleeve, went over their lines with him, and gave him some pointers:
“I live with my aunt. My aunt has a very sharp eye, so you have to act convincingly.”
"I know, don't worry."
They both spoke confidently, but as they walked along the wall, they crouched down like thieves until they entered the courtyard, where they pushed each other to straighten up and walk.
Then, the door to the house suddenly opened with a bang, catching everyone off guard.
Standing at the door was a gentle and refined woman in her forties. She was indeed very gentle and refined, but her eyes, as clear as autumn water, were flashing with a light that seemed to be on the edge of a blade.
Seeing that Xiao Jiu's legs were about to give way and she was about to collapse, Lu Mingran quickly called out, "Auntie."
"Auntie, I'm malnourished and I fainted on the road. Xiao Jiu helped me."
Fortunately, Lu Mingran still remembered her lines.
This is the clichéd script they've been working on for so long: a kind-hearted, helpful young man. Honestly, Lu Mingran thinks the chances of him flopping are extremely high. He's a perfectly fine young man; he doesn't look malnourished at all.
However, when Xiao Jiu's aunt turned her gaze to Lu Mingran, she was startled: "You, you come inside right now!"
Huh? What happened?
Lu Mingran looked at Xiao Jiu in confusion, but Xiao Jiu's reaction was even stronger than her aunt's. She pushed Lu Mingran into the house.
Lu Mingran caught a glimpse of her current appearance in the mirror in the entryway.
His appearance had suddenly changed dramatically compared to just a few hours ago.
Oh no, I'm really malnourished.
No, it's more than just malnutrition; he looks like he could be in the morgue right now if you just put a white cloth over his face.
Seeing Lu Mingran like this, the aunt didn't bother to discipline her nephew anymore. She busied herself in the kitchen to fetch the hot soup and food for dinner, sighing as she worked, "What a tragedy, child! Your lips are so pale, there's not a trace of blood in them."
Lu Mingran lowered his head. He knew it was because of the female ghost.
This was only the first day. Lu Mingran couldn't imagine what he would be like on the seventh day; he guessed he would probably be lying in his grave by then.
On the other side, Xiao Jiu sat next to Lu Mingran, her expression suddenly becoming somewhat strange, her eyes constantly glancing back and forth between Lu Mingran and Xiao Jiu. Lu Mingran could sense that this wasn't concern, but rather a concern tinged with inquiry.
Lu Mingran pretended not to notice Xiao Jiu's strangeness and drank the soup her aunt had prepared first.
"Your name is Lu Mingran, right?" His aunt took off her apron and came over, looking at him with concern. "Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be a local."
"Yes, I came from out of town, but I was robbed."
"Don't worry, I'll rest for a bit and then I'll leave."
Seeing how pitiful Lu Mingran was yet so polite, his aunt's heart softened immediately. She pressed him down and said repeatedly:
"Hey, it's so late, where are you going all by yourself? Why don't you stay at my place for the night? I'll take you to the police station tomorrow."
As she spoke, Auntie glanced at Xiao Jiu and said, "Xiao Lu will sleep in your room tonight."
"Huh?" Xiao Jiu's expression remained strange.
"What 'ah'? You're the one who brought him here and rescued him. You two should finish your soup and dinner and go to sleep."
Xiao Jiu could only nod.
As for Lu Mingran, he appeared to be extremely grateful, and he truly was grateful in his heart, even more so than Lu Mingran.
Lu Mingran was so touched! This was the third time in the world that someone had finally let him sleep in their bed!
——————————
Only Aunt and Xiao Jiu were at home. Lu Mingran followed Xiao Jiu upstairs to his room to sleep.
Xiao Jiu was indeed eighteen or nineteen years old; his schoolbag and a stack of books were still lying on the table in his room. Although he claimed to have finished the college entrance examination, Lu Mingran could understand why his aunt was so worried about him.
This child is such a worry.
It was already quite late, and by the time the two finished washing up, it was past 1 a.m. Xiao Jiu's bed was large, and after they lay down, they turned off the lights shortly afterward.
The lights were off, but Lu Mingran couldn't fall asleep. He lay in bed, truly imagining himself as a little cabbage.
So what is the male lead doing now? Lu Mingran glanced at her phone and saw that her last chat with the male lead was a month ago.
Perhaps this is what they mean by "a gentleman's friendship is as light as water"—even if they don't contact each other for months, they can still act the same as before when they meet again.
Forget it, why think about him? After that experiment at the funeral supply store, Lu Mingran has already figured out the loophole in this world. From now on, he'll find the ghost stories himself and will never go to see Gu He again.
Since you've made up your mind not to see him, there's no need to think about anything related to him.
As Lu Mingran thought this, she lay with her eyes open for a while and clearly heard a faint sound coming from beside her.
Xiao Jiu was carefully moving around, clutching the blanket. He lifted his bottom and slowly moved towards the edge of the bed, almost rolling onto the floor.
Sigh, how can a guest monopolize the host's bed?
Lu Mingran reflected on herself, conducted a thorough self-examination, and then... resolutely moved towards Xiao Jiu.
Inch by inch, and then another inch, just as Lu Mingran felt she was about to touch Xiao Jiu, the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground and a scream erupted in the room at the same time:
"Holy crap, don't come any closer! A ghost, a ghost!"
Click. Lu Mingran switched on the desk lamp.
The orange light above turned on, and under the soft glow, Lu Mingran saw Xiao Jiu lying on the ground, blanket and all, curled up in a ball.
Seeing him like this, Lu Mingran crawled forward a little to the edge of the bed, rested her chin on the edge, and winked at him:
"What are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night?"
Xiao Jiu was looking at his back rather than at him: "I don't dare to sleep with you."
"Hmm?" Lu Mingran urged him to answer with her gaze.
Xiao Jiu swallowed hard and finally spoke:
"Let me tell you, I'm actually quite brave. The reason I ran away when I saw you in the building is because..."
Because Xiao Jiu saw that Lu Mingran was carrying a woman on her back.
Xiao Jiu's constitution was different from others since childhood, but his ability was not very stable. Sometimes he could see ghosts, and sometimes he couldn't. Later, he thought about it and assumed that he was seeing things.
It wasn't until he got home that he vaguely saw the woman again. This time, he only saw a pair of hands, a pair of hands clinging to Lu Mingran's shoulders.
The thought of Lu Mingran having a woman on his back, and that she was sleeping with them, made Xiao Jiu's scalp tingle.
"Oh, I see..." Lu Mingran looked surprised and innocent. "Then do you know what to do?"
"I don't know how to solve it."
Xiao Jiu muttered something to herself, then slapped her thigh through the blanket:
"If Gu He is willing to help you, then this matter will be much easier!"
Gu He.
Lu Mingran never expected that after going through such a long and winding road, she would hear this name again from someone else's mouth.
——————————————
There are many kinds of people who can tell tales for others, and not all of them are Taoist priests. For example, Gu He and his master's lineage do not usually perform rituals or recite incantations; they rely on methods passed down through generations to do things.
Gu He's master used to be the most famous in S City; everyone in the older generation knew him. Later, it was said that he got old and retired, handing over all his affairs to his apprentice, Gu He.
Rumors circulated that Gu He's master had lost a bet with an old man with a white beard, which led to his retirement. Various opinions circulated, and every night, a certain person remained on the bridge by the river.
It used to be Gu He's master who would stroll along the riverbank in the evenings; now, Gu He stands alone on the riverside bridge, slowly sipping tea from a thermos. Occasionally, someone who knows him passes by and gives him a smile.
"Young master, drinking tea at night will keep you awake at night."
The master is the old gentleman, and Gu He is the young gentleman. That's what people who are close to them call them.
Gu He smiled and nodded slightly. Actually, everyone knew that Gu He often worked late into the night, so drinking tea wasn't a big deal for him.
He's only twenty-nine years old, but in many ways he already resembles his master. His master is carefree and at ease, and so is he. He even runs a small restaurant, spending his days doing accounts and counting money, embodying the everyday life of ordinary people.
After his master left, fewer people sought Gu He's services for a while, but then the number gradually increased again. The older generation still trusted him more, and Gu He had a good temper and was very patient with the elderly.
Xiao Jiu's eyes lit up whenever Gu He was mentioned. Of course, someone who enjoys doing paranormal livestreams like him couldn't possibly not know Gu He.
Xiao Jiu also said that after the old master left, many people were eager to bully Gu He, which was the main reason for the sharp decline in his business.
What happened next? Gu He simply invited those sharp-tongued seniors and domineering peers to his small restaurant. After a simple meal, no one knows what Gu He did, but the matter was resolved just like that.
However, after finishing talking about Gu He, Xiao Jiu remembered something and said regretfully:
"I heard that Gu He is currently helping his master repay some favors, which is a bit tricky. He said he can't take any more orders for the time being."
Now Lu Mingran remembered it too. Later, Gu He got into so much trouble to help Xiao Tao, partly because of that favor he owed, which almost put him in a difficult position.
Perhaps it was because Lu Mingran's expression was too serious at this moment, Xiao Jiu's mood also suddenly dropped, and he said:
"It's a pity that you and Gu He aren't that close. If you were his best friend, he would definitely help you."
Pfft—Lu Mingran couldn't help but almost burst out laughing.
To be honest, I am Gu He's brother, the kind of brother who would die for him.
However, Lu Mingran didn't have time to reveal his identity, or rather, he didn't really want to. After all, if Xiao Jiu rushed to send him to Gu He, things would really get complicated.
As for why Gu He couldn't help him due to certain special reasons... the system analyzed and deduced that Xiao Jiu wouldn't believe him when told to Lu Mingran.