Please, Don’t Die - Chapter 22

After sending Ying Yuanqi and Le Bo away, the old madam pulled Ying Qujie aside for a detailed conversation.

As the grandmother and grandson caught up, He Qingsheng felt he shouldn’t be an outsider lingering around and made a show of slipping away.

In front of the old madam, Ying Qujie couldn’t openly call out to stop her.

He could only watch as the other ignored doors and windows, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

While answering the old madam’s questions, Ying Qujie idly toyed with the smooth, round head of the small wooden puppet. He had patched it up with some extra wood, but the result was jarringly mismatched.

The sky gradually darkened.

The old madam insisted he stay in the side courtyard, saying she would have the adjacent courtyard renovated soon for him to move into, but for now, he should spend more time with her.

Seeing her white hair and the stark signs of aging compared to his memories, Ying Qujie didn’t refuse.

He didn’t have much luggage at the inn, so the old madam sent Su Lan to fetch it personally, everything was brought back in a single trip.

When Su Lan returned, the old madam took one look at the pitifully sparse belongings and was so heartbroken she began shedding tears.

Years of secluded cultivation on Tianyu Mountain had honed Ying Qujie’s ability to maintain a gentle facade, effortlessly navigating interactions with outsiders. Yet, he was ill-equipped to handle such intense, unfiltered familial affection.

He felt as though a thin membrane separated him from all warmth, he could sense the fervent emotions directed at him but hesitated to reach out and touch them.

So, whatever the old madam said, he simply agreed.

His earnest responses, however, delighted her immensely.

By the end of the meal, the old madam had resolved to transfer ownership of her private shops to him.

Ying Qujie placed little value on wealth and had never lacked for it. Though he had never practiced medicine on Tianyu Mountain, he had spent thirteen years refining medicinal pills, which his fellow disciples sold in the mortal world, each pill fetching a fortune.

Just as he was about to refuse, the old madam’s eyes welled up with tears.

As he wrestled with his dilemma, the red bracelet on his wrist suddenly grew warm.

An idea struck him, a compromise. “Grandmother, I deeply appreciate your kindness, but I have no talent for managing shops.”

“Oh, you silly child.”

“Grandmother, please, hear me out.” Ying Qujie spoke earnestly. “The shops truly aren’t useful to me, but I’m in urgent need of some high-quality wood for carving.”

“Wood?”

The old madam was puzzled. In her younger, sharper days, even her own sons had coveted the shops under her control. Ying Qujie must not understand their worth, she thought, so she reiterated the shops’ substantial profits before asking again:

“Are you sure you don’t want them?”

Ying Qujie shook his head firmly. “The shops will flourish best in your hands, Grandmother.”

“Very well.” Though she couldn’t fathom why he would turn down lucrative businesses for mere wood, this was the first request her beloved grandson had ever made of her, she would support him wholeheartedly.

As she studied his thoughtful expression, a sudden realization struck her like lightning, he must have suffered terribly out there!

Her expression grew solemn as she clasped his hand and declared, “The wood won’t be a problem, leave it to me. If there’s anything else you need, Ningning, you must tell your grandmother.”

Seeing her renewed vigor, Ying Qujie relaxed slightly. “Alright.”

“If you’re carving, would you like me to bring you some jade as well?” the old madam added. “I used to deal in jade and still have some connections.”

The old lady’s approach was simple, she would send everything she thought was good to Ying Qujie, believing that at least one thing would catch his fancy.

Ying Qujie had also heard of the theory that jade could nurture the soul. Subconsciously, he touched the white jade pendant tucked close to his body, finding it warm to the touch. He nodded in agreement with the old lady’s words.

Another hour passed, and Su Lan brought in another shrewd and capable matron to pay respects, seemingly with something to report.

Thinking of He Qingsheng, who had been away for some time, Ying Qujie took the opportunity to leave the courtyard.

…

Meanwhile, He Qingsheng, who had wandered out, idly roamed the gardens of the Ying residence.

When she first transmigrated into this world, she had already been in Fuliu Sect. After cultivating for a hundred years, she rarely left the mountains except to explore secret realms.

The layout and decorations of the sect were vastly different from those of mortal households.

This was, in fact, her first proper encounter with an ancient mortal garden, artificial hills, strange rocks, lush flowers, and plants, each corner meticulously designed with its own charm and elegance.

He Qingsheng swung lazily on a swing, back and forth, until she noticed a pair of eyes secretly watching her.

Ying Yuanqi carried a faint trace of sinister energy, so faint it was almost dissipating. Upon closer consideration, it was likely just a residue from visiting some malevolent place or encountering weak spirits.

She had no interest in trivial matters, so she preferred swinging here rather than taking action.

But now, the other party had come to provoke her first.

Just as He Qingsheng cornered the little ghost against the wall, before she could even strike a menacing pose, Ying Qujie’s voice rang out behind her.

“What are you doing?”

The gazes of both the big and little ghosts snapped toward the newcomer.

The little ghost was clever. Seeing that He Qingsheng didn’t continue her actions after Ying Qujie arrived, even her aura had softened considerably, he immediately figured out who to seek protection from. With wide, teary eyes, he pitifully wailed at Ying Qujie, “Waaahhh, big brother~ This mean sister is bullying me, waaahhh!”

He Qingsheng stared expressionlessly at Ying Qujie. “You wouldn’t believe him, would you? If you do, I can cry too.”

Ying Qujie: “…”

He didn’t know how he’d suddenly become a judge of ghostly disputes.

“Childish,” Ying Qujie said.

He Qingsheng burst into laughter, then bared her teeth menacingly at the little ghost in the corner. “If I were really bullying you, you wouldn’t even be enough to fill my teeth.”

The threat, paired with the sinister aura around her, was remarkably effective.

The little ghost hiccuped and stopped crying. After assessing his own strength, he decided to continue cowering in the corner, trembling.

If not for his faint, translucent spirit body, he would have looked no different from an ordinary four- or five-year-old child.

Ying Qujie stepped closer and crouched beside He Qingsheng, both of them blocking the little ghost in the corner. His tone was gentle as he asked, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Wenwen. I’m five years old. I lived in the East Market, by the old locust tree at the entrance of Ankang Lane. My mother’s name was Taotao, and my father’s name was… was…”

The little ghost spoke clearly at first, as if someone had deliberately taught him. But when it came to his father’s name, his entire spirit suddenly became chaotic.

Sinister energy writhed around him.

His eyes were completely black, devoid of any whites, and his entire spirit appeared drenched, as if perpetually soaked in water, pale and bloated.

A wet stain seeped from the corner of the wall, spreading outward.

“Father… are you my father?”

The little ghost before them had turned vicious, baring rows of tiny, sharp teeth. Whether the answer was yes or no, he seemed ready to lunge forward and bite at any moment.

The little ghost saw the two people in front of him exchanging glances, completely ignoring his presence and showing no intention of answering his question. Instantly enraged, he lunged at Ying Qujie.

Though he had lost his rationality, instinct drove him to pick on someone he perceived as weaker.

Unfortunately, this “soft target” happened to be one that was under someone else’s protection.

Red and black baleful energy wrapped tightly around the little ghost the moment he pounced.

He Qingsheng patted the little ghost’s face. “I haven’t even had a bite yet, and you think you can?”

Even when she was alive, she had been a person with an overwhelming sense of possessiveness and control, obsessive to the point of compulsion when it came to arranging things she considered hers.

After death, these flaws only intensified.

As the baleful energy tightened, Ying Qujie immediately called out to stop her. “Wait, you can’t eat him.”

He Qingsheng looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

“This might be my nephew.”

He Qingsheng: “?”

He Qingsheng: “You’re not even twenty, and your brother is barely past his teens, yet he already has a five-year-old son?”

Under He Qingsheng’s accusatory and shocked gaze, Ying Qujie felt an inexplicable twinge of shame.

It was Ying Yuanqi who had messed up, so why was he the one feeling awkward?

Ying Qujie’s chest tightened. “It’s just a possibility. I’m not sure, but he looks exactly like Ying Yuanqi.”

Hearing this, He Qingsheng yanked the little ghost closer and manipulated the baleful energy to strip away the resentment clinging to him.

Layer by layer, the face of a child emerged, a chubby-cheeked miniature version of Ying Yuanqi.

“You mentioned earlier that Ying Yuanqi had traces of evil energy on him. This might be related.”

The child blinked his big eyes, offering He Qingsheng a sweet, ingratiating smile. “Sister is so pretty,” he cooed, trying to appeal to her nonexistent conscience.

He Qingsheng tossed him aside, and the little ghost immediately latched onto Ying Qujie’s leg, fawning for survival.

Given the intensity of the baleful energy on the child earlier, if he was indeed connected to Ying Yuanqi by karma, the evil energy on Ying Yuanqi shouldn’t have been so faint.

Ying Qujie: “Did you notice something?”

He Qingsheng snapped out of her thoughts and turned a scrutinizing gaze on Ying Qujie. “You don’t have a son too, do you?”

“Of course not! I’m still-” Ying Qujie abruptly shut his mouth.

“Still what?”

“You’re still asking!” Ying Qujie’s face flushed, then paled, then flushed again, whether from anger or something else was unclear. After a long pause, he finally gritted out, “No.”

Having successfully teased Ying Qujie, He Qingsheng felt immensely satisfied and immediately adopted a serious tone. “Why the overreaction? It’s just that this little ghost’s situation is complicated. I need to understand your circumstances to avoid any unexpected risks.”

Ying Qujie eyed her skeptically. “Really?”

He Qingsheng replied without hesitation. “Of course.”

By now, she had mastered the art of earning Ying Qujie’s trust, the key was to wholeheartedly believe her own words first.

Ying Qujie couldn’t be bothered to expose her, but he had no intention of continuing this conversation either. Awkwardly, he changed the subject. “Grandmother prepared a room next door. We’ll stay here tonight instead of returning to the inn.”

“Fine.” She didn’t care either way.

He Qingsheng dangled the little ghost by the scruff, pinching his cheeks and fiddling with his hands. Suddenly, she understood why Ying Qujie enjoyed playing with his little wooden puppets so much.

It really was quite fun.

With his hostility gone, the little ghost was like a soft, pliable dumpling, utterly docile.

Though in truth, he simply didn’t dare protest under He Qingsheng’s control.

“You’ll stay here tonight too.”

“Sure.” He Qingsheng followed behind Ying Qujie, though her attention was elsewhere.

“The Ying household is complicated. Don’t go running around just yet.”

“Alright, I’ll run.”

Ying Qujie couldn’t help but blurt out at her dismissive tone, “Between sandalwood, aged sandalwood, and boxwood, which do you like?”

“Huh?”

He Qingsheng looked up at him. “Still haven’t given up on making hairpins for girls, huh?”

Ying Qujie took a deep breath. “Did you even hear what I said?”

“Weren’t you asking me to pick wood?” He Qingsheng lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and focused on studying the little ghost’s fangs as if determined to out-stubborn the kid.

Ying Qujie averted his eyes, turning to walk ahead again. “Fragrant or non-fragrant?”

“Most young girls prefer something that smells nice, I suppose.”

A bamboo leaf brushed past Ying Qujie’s hair before drifting slowly to the ground. For some reason, He Qingsheng felt that Ying Qujie himself probably carried the scent of plants and wood.

Not that it mattered, she couldn’t smell anything anyway.

The little ghost being carried darted its eyes back and forth between the two adults, covering its mouth to stifle a giggle.