After Marrying the Evil God - Chapter 8

Xi Yuyan gently dabbed at the tears in the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, sobbing as she spoke. “Let’s look at it from another perspective. The fact that the Ghost King took the initiative to provide betrothal gifts is actually quite decent of him!”

“If he had chosen to simply abduct Chouzhuang back then, what could we, as ordinary people, have done to stop him?”

“Chaoding, do you remember what A-Ci said? Chouzhuang was destined to face a fatal calamity at eighteen. Back then, Chouzhuang was tricked by that scoundrel from the Min family into a ghost marriage with a corpse. If the Ghost King hadn’t intervened, Chouzhuang would have lost his life.”

“But now, only a few days later, Chouzhuang was almost hit by a truck. I’m truly terrified that in the next second, Chouzhuang will leave me forever… Right now, I ask for nothing else. I only hope he can grow up safe and healthy. If that happens, I will be content.” At this point, Xi Yuyan was weeping uncontrollably.

“It was my fault.” Seeing his wife cry so bitterly, Xie Chaoding panicked and hurriedly wiped away her tears. “Don’t worry. If that Ghost King treats him poorly, I’ll fight him with everything I have, even if it costs me my old life!”

The Master’s Assessment

Just as the Xie family finished breakfast, Liu Ci arrived for a visit, bringing along his master, Liu Mian.

Xie Chouzhuang was surprised when he saw Liu Mian. The man appeared to be only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old with a handsome face. Were it not for the few strands of white hair hidden near his temples, no one would imagine that he was actually over sixty years old.

Liu Mian’s gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s. When his eyes landed on Xie Chouzhuang, the latter felt an inexplicable pressure. Xie Chouzhuang grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

Seeing this, Liu Ci quickly asked, “Master, have you seen anything unusual?”

Liu Mian clicked his tongue in wonder. “You young lad, you truly are a blessed one! There’s no need to worry. The one who formed a contract with him is no malicious Ghost King; he is a genuine deity with a position in the Heavenly Court. After you marry him, your destiny will no longer be affected by the past. From now on, your status will be noble beyond words.”

Upon hearing this, the worry on the Xie family’s faces finally dissipated a little.

Xie Chaoding couldn’t wait to follow up. “Master, do you mean this marriage is actually viable?”

Liu Mian chuckled and nodded with certainty. “Naturally, it is viable. Moreover, from what I see, I might even have to rely on this immortal’s favor myself in the future.”

“Alright then. For the time being, just eat and drink as you please and wait for him to come for you.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Master.”

“It’s a small matter,” Liu Mian waved his hand casually. “I only came by to check because of the events in Shenshui Village. Since everything is fine, I’ll take my leave.”

“Master, let me see you out,” Xie Yuanxian offered instinctively.

Liu Mian gave Xie Yuanxian a meaningful look. “Then let’s go!”

Student Life and “Lying Flat”

As the days passed, Xie Chouzhuang ever since the incident where his neck was covered in red marks began checking the mirror every morning, fearing he might suffer “social death” in public. However, since that one time, no more marks appeared. Ji Sixian seemed to have completely vanished from his life.

A week before the start of the university semester, Li Yang organized another gathering. Xie Chouzhuang hadn’t originally intended to go, but he was nearly dying of boredom staying in his room.

Xie Chouzhuang wasn’t naturally outgoing. His relationships with others were generally polite but distant; only Min Shuang could have been considered a close friend. In the past, Min Shuang would always invite him to travel or go shopping during vacations.

Now that Min Shuang was dead and Xie Chouzhuang’s presence attracted ghosts, he had preferred to nest at home. The Xie family possessed a flourishing aura of luck; even if some blind little ghost wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn’t dare enter the house easily. Consequently, Xie Chouzhuang had enjoyed a period of peace.

A few days ago, Liu Ci had asked his eldest brother to give Xie Chouzhuang a talisman that could ward off Yin energy. Since this gathering was scheduled for noon, Xie Chouzhuang accepted the invitation.

The venue was a popular “internet-famous” resort in Hua Ting. The group planned to set out early, play for the whole day, and return in the afternoon.

About a dozen classmates showed up. They arrived at the base of the mountain at 5:00 AM and began the climb. The morning mountain path was silent, save for the occasional bird song and the rustling of leaves in the wind. The fresh air along the way was rejuvenating.

“Chouzhuang, what major did you sign up for?” Li Yang walked alongside him.

“Chinese Language and Literature.”

Everyone was surprised. Although they didn’t know the exact details of his family’s wealth, they knew his family owned a company.

“Won’t you go to the company to help your father after graduation?”

“My brother has the company covered. After I graduate, I’ll probably choose to ‘lie flat’.” Xie Chouzhuang was open-minded about it. He had never been interested in management, and given his mysterious “fiancé,” he had no idea what his future held.

The expressions of those around him were varied. Many felt it was a waste; his grades had been so excellent in high school, yet he chose such a major for university. Several people were already imagining a “war between brothers” scenario. Had Xie Chouzhuang known their thoughts, he would have only said: Isn’t it great to just sit back and collect money?

“That’s also pretty good,” Zhang Zhe sighed. “My exam scores were mediocre. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to find a job after I graduate.”

His grades weren’t ideal, meaning he could only attend a private second-tier university. Since his family background was average, he would have to find a job on his own.

“You haven’t even started university and you’re already worrying about work?”

“I’m planning ahead! If I have nowhere else to go in the future, you brothers have to take me in!” Zhang Zhe cupped his hands in a theatrical plea.

“Don’t worry, Zhe-ge,” Xing Qiang patted Zhang Zhe on the shoulder. “If there’s a bite of food for your brother, there’s a bowl for you to wash.”

“Get out of here! Is that how a brother treats a brother?”

The group burst into laughter.

The Photo Shoot

“It’s so beautiful here, let’s take a photo,” Tan Shanshan suggested, pulling a camera from her backpack.

The group jostled and shoved their way into position. Xie Chouzhuang was originally standing off to the side, but Tan Shanshan suddenly pulled him into the center. “Chouzhuang, you stand here~”

This single sentence immediately caused the group to start teasing. A girl standing nearby lowered her head even further.

After the group photo, Tan Shanshan suggested taking pairs. After taking one with Xie Chouzhuang, she waved to the girl standing in the corner. “Yuanyuan, you come and take one with the Study God, too.”

The girl, Yuan Yuanyuan, walked over slowly with her head down.

“Chouzhuang, you two were ranked first and second in class. Yuanyuan has always viewed you as her role model. Come on, stand closer. Chouzhuang, put your arm on Yuanyuan’s shoulder.”

Xie Chouzhuang noticed the girl’s face was already red. He hesitated imperceptibly, but with so many people watching, he couldn’t easily refuse. Declining would only make things awkward and embarrassing for her.

Xie Chouzhuang immediately spoke with a smile, “I have to maintain my ‘Idol Image,’ let me strike a cool pose instead.”

Seeing Xie Chouzhuang slide his hands into his pockets instead of touching the girl’s shoulder, Tan Shanshan clicked the shutter and took several photos.