After Marrying the Evil God - Chapter 4

A gentle breeze drifted into the room, like an invisible hand lightly lifting a corner of the curtain. Even though it was summer, Xie Chouzhuang couldn’t help but shudder.

“Was that just my imagination?” Xie Chouzhuang frowned, thinking to himself.

He leaned closer to the mirror to examine his face and noticed that the red mark was slowly fading away. Seeing this, his heart—which had been hanging in suspense—finally settled, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

After confirming that everything was fine, Xie Chouzhuang turned off the lights and returned to bed with somewhat heavy footsteps.

However, once Xie Chouzhuang fell into a deep sleep, a figure appeared silently in his bedroom. Ji Sixian walked to the bedside and sat down. He extended his fair, slender fingers and gently brushed aside a few stray hairs falling near Xie Chouzhuang’s pillow, a hint of worry flickering in his eyes.

“How can your alertness be so poor?” he murmured to himself. “Aren’t you afraid that thing will truly take advantage of your vulnerability?”

In his dream, Xie Chouzhuang seemed to sense something; he instinctively waved his arm and turned over to adjust his sleeping position, continuing to sleep soundly, completely unaware of the presence beside him.

The Morning After

The next morning, Xie Chouzhuang washed up and went downstairs sporting a pair of dark circles under his eyes. His father was reading the newspaper, and his eldest brother was sitting nearby.

When Xie Chouzhuang appeared, Xie Yuanxian looked up and froze upon seeing his brother’s exhausted appearance. “Did you not sleep well last night?”

“I had a nightmare,” Xie Chouzhuang rubbed his temples and took a sip of warm water from a servant.

“What happened? Is it a lingering effect from before? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Xi Yuyan asked anxiously as she brought out breakfast.

“I’m fine, Mom. I just didn’t sleep well during the first half of the night; I didn’t have any more nightmares after that.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Xi Yuyan remained uneasy.

“I’m really fine.”

Xi Yuyan scrutinized her precious son. Finding that aside from the faint dark circles, his spirit seemed decent enough, she finally relaxed.

“Let’s eat,” Xie Chaoding said, setting down his newspaper.

The four of them ate breakfast in silence. After a few bites of porridge, Xie Chouzhuang spoke up out of the blue. “I won’t be home for dinner tonight. Li Yang has organized a classmate reunion.”

“Where is it?”

“A restaurant called Yuzhu Pavilion near Qinghe Road. Li Yang’s uncle just opened it.”

“Qinghe Road?” Xie Yuanxian’s expression shifted when he heard the name.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Chouzhuang asked, noticing the strange looks on his family members’ faces.

“Someone died on Qinghe Road recently; it’s not safe. A restaurant owner’s entire family was wiped out. The police claim it was a revenge killing, but insiders say the owner was keeping ‘Little Ghosts’ and suffered a backlash. The entire family died in a horrific manner, yet none of the neighbors heard a sound. It’s very unusual.”

Xie Chouzhuang took out his phone and searched, discovering it had happened while he was away in Shenshui Village.

“That restaurant is at the very end of Qinghe Road. Li Yang’s uncle’s place is far from the crime scene. Besides, I already promised my classmates. It wouldn’t be right to break my word.”

“Then be careful,” Xie Yuanxian urged. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out a Yellow Talisman and handed it to Xie Chouzhuang. “Take this, just in case.”

“Thanks, brother.” Xie Chouzhuang tucked the talisman away.

Yuzhu Pavilion

After breakfast, Xie Chouzhuang decided to rest. He slept the entire day away and only got out of bed slowly when his alarm went off. After a quick cleanup, he set off for Qinghe Road.

“Chouzhuang! You’re finally here. Everyone’s arrived; we were just waiting for you,” Li Yang greeted him warmly.

“Sorry, the traffic was a bit heavy.”

“No worries, everyone just got here. You’re just in time to order.”

Li Yang led Xie Chouzhuang to the second floor. It was clear that Li Yang’s uncle had spared no expense on this restaurant. Stepping inside felt like entering an ancient, culturally rich palace.

The restaurant featured carved beams and painted rafters, with exquisite wooden caisson patterns on the ceilings and gilded auspicious dragon reliefs coiling around vermilion pillars. The walnut floors gleamed softly under the lights, complementing the rosewood tables and chairs. Every piece of furniture was elegantly carved with lifelike flowers, birds, and insects.

Heavy sandalwood doors shut out the noise of the outside world, and the decor was a perfect blend of classical Chinese and modern minimalist styles. Famous paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls, while custom crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant, refracted glow over everything.

The tableware in the private room was equally high-end fine bone china plates that were delicate, white, and warm to the touch, adorned with elegant blue-and-white landscape patterns. The silver chopsticks and spoons felt heavy and substantial, etched with low-key yet luxurious textures.

Waiters began serving the dishes one after another: exquisite carved radishes garnished succulent abalone in hoisin sauce; steamed grouper rested on emerald-green zongzi leaves, its flesh perfectly sliced as enticing steam filled the air.

“Chouzhuang, see if there’s anything else you want to order?” Li Yang handed a thick menu to him.

“This is plenty,” Xie Chouzhuang declined.

While Li Yang called it a treat, it was also a form of promotion. Most of the students in the class came from families with small companies. Given the restaurant’s reasonable prices and beautiful presentation, it would be a great choice for business dinners.

Once all the dishes arrived, everyone started eating. Xie Chouzhuang found the food to be quite good. Li Yang produced a bottle of fruit wine and poured a glass for everyone. “My uncle brewed this himself. The alcohol content is low, give it a try.”

After a few rounds of drinks, Xing Qiang threw his arm around Li Yang and suddenly burst into tears. “Old Li, my life is too hard! At home, even the dog looks down on me. I said I wanted to get a part-time job, but my mom refused. She insists I stay home but then criticizes me every single day! What is she even thinking?!”

Xing Qiang’s words resonated with the group.

“Same here! For the first few days, I was her ‘darling baby,’ but after a while, the nagging started.”

The room was filled with the sound of complaints as everyone shared their domestic woes. Xie Chouzhuang listened quietly, taking an occasional sip of the fruit wine.

Zhang Zhe nudged him with an elbow. “Chouzhuang, what about you? How are things at your place?”

Xie Chouzhuang set down his glass. “I’m alright. Most of my family is around, but they all have their own things to do, so they don’t really have time to nag me.”

The group looked at him with envy. Xing Qiang wiped his tears and raised his glass. “Whatever! The point is we’re all together and happy now. Come on, cheers!”

The group toasted together. By the time they finished the meal, it was past 8:00 PM. While a few people called taxis to go home, most were preparing to move on to a KTV.

Xie Chouzhuang declined Li Yang’s invitation. He headed toward the exit while calling his family’s driver to come pick him up.