Forbidden to Capture Rare Cute Ghosts - Chapter 20
The palm in front of him was both dry and warm, feeling quite different from before.
But Nan Deng recognized the familiar scent instantly. After hiding in the wardrobe for a short time, he calmed down a little.
Like grabbing onto a lifeline, Nan Deng crawled out of the wardrobe and flung himself into Lian Yi’s arms.
“I… I seem to be not quite right,” Nan Deng said nervously, “Can you touch me?”
Lian Yi hugged him tightly, lifting a hand to brush away the hair on his forehead, “I can.”
Nan Deng had a heartbeat and was breathing. His body temperature was lower than average, but still within the normal range.
He was no longer in the state of a ghost.
Terrified, Nan Deng clung to Lian Yi and murmured, “Why… am I about to die?”
“You won’t die,” Lian Yi whispered reassuringly, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”
Earlier in the morning, Nan Deng had fainted from a sudden spell. Unaware of what happened, he had no idea that such a transformation from a ghost to a living person could occur.
In the distant past, evil sorcery had been used to lock a soul inside its corpse, turning it into a zombie. Nan Deng didn’t appear to be one, though.
Lian Yi stroked Nan Deng’s soft hair and then scooped him up from the ground.
In the past, only when Nan Deng willingly embraced Lian Yi could he be held by him. Yet, having never experienced being held before, Nan Deng was now tense and afraid of falling, tightly gripping Lian Yi’s neck.
Various medicine boxes were scattered on the bedside table and on the ground, ranging from brand new to previously used.
A box of fever-reducing medicine had been opened, along with an empty cup and spoon. An empty bottle of Fu Shui was on the bedside cabinet.
Lian Yi was certain that his residence didn’t have any of these items.
Xiao Tu lay at Lian Yi’s feet, looking up at them. It coughed twice and spat out a medicine box from its mouth.
For the time being, Lian Yi didn’t pay attention to the medicine. Instead, he pushed the medicine boxes aside to place Nan Deng on the bed.
He carefully examined Nan Deng, checking his breathing, pupils, and skin. His body seemed completely normal.
Moreover, Nan Deng’s skin was delicate and white, appearing as though he was a newborn. He was dressed in clothes from his original ghost form.
Flustered, Nan Deng clutched onto Lian Yi’s clothes, “My heart… it’s beating so fast…”
Having been a ghost for so long, suddenly everything has changed—Nan Deng still can’t get used to it. Right now, Lian Yi in front of him is his only reliance.
He has a real body, his features are as meticulous and beautiful as before, and the corners of his eyes have turned a bit red from excessive stress.
Lian Yi continues to soothe him: “Me too.”
“Really?” Nan Deng tilts his head and listens carefully against Lian Yi’s heart, while he feels around, moving his hand up to Lian Yi’s neck and chin.
He cups Lian Yi’s face with both hands, leans close to smell, and feels the warm breath sprinkling over him.
This isn’t quite like when he was a ghost. Nan Deng can’t smell Lian Yi’s soul anymore, but it’s still the person he knows well.
“Are you alright now?” Catching his breath, Nan Deng still worried about Lian Yi: “You fainted suddenly this morning and had a fever.”
“I’m fine now,” Lian Yi shifts the topic: “Where did these things come from?”
Nan Deng answers honestly: “I… I stole them.”
He tells everything he had done in the morning, including going to the pharmacy under the sun, feeding Lian Yi Fu Shui and antipyretic, and then staying with him during his nap. When he woke up, he discovered he had become like this.
“Was it the medicine that worked?” Nan Deng asks expectantly, “Do you no longer have a fever?”
Lian Yi silently looks at him and, after a moment answers: “Mm.”
Nan Deng risked injury and getting caught to go out during the day to find medicine for him.
Lian Yi looks down, and extends his hand to grasp Nan Deng’s wrist.
Despite now having a physical body, showing no visible injuries, he can guess how it would feel to expose himself to sunlight.
The actual effects of Fu Shui and the fever-reducing medicine are minimal, but he cannot reveal to Nan Deng the real reason why he passed out, or his identity.
Nan Deng has done so much for him. Upon learning the truth, he would be heartbroken.
As Nan Deng expressed both relief and joy: “It’s… it’s good that you’re okay…”
There’s still a red mark on his forehead, which was hit on the wardrobe door earlier.
Lian Yi gently brushed his hand over it and couldn’t help but lean in for a kiss.
Nan Deng didn’t resist, perhaps he didn’t even know the meaning behind Lian Yi’s actions, his gaze was pure.
Xiao Tu quietly watched from the side, it hiccupped and spit out a box of new medicine.
“Do we still need these medicines?” Nan Deng asked again, “Should we return them?”
Lian Yi said, “I’ll handle it.”
He unclenches Nan Deng’s hand, gets a box, and puts all the medicine into it.
Nan Deng sat on the edge of the bed, hugging his knees and quietly watching Lian Yi. He occasionally looks down at himself.
He has a heartbeat and a body temperature now, and he has transformed into a living person just like Lian Yi.
But why did this happen? Nan Deng can’t understand it.
But…having become a living person, even if he dies again, he would just turn into a ghost, right?
Nan Deng consoles himself, finally managing to accept this fact reluctantly.
And as he slowly adapts to this, much of his previous fear and anxiety fade away, replaced by an immense sense of novelty.
Nan Deng got off the bed on his own, and walked around the apartment just as when he entered it for the first time, touching here and there.
When he was a ghost, he didn’t have shoes; now he can even feel the cold tiles under his bare feet. The sensation is a refreshing change.
The same goes for the couch and the carpet. Every touch feels different than before.
When Lian Yi finished packing the medicine, he found Nan Deng in the kitchen playing with water.
Nan Deng seems excited, not caring about the large part of his shirt that’s been dampened, wet tendrils of hair sticking to his forehead.
Lian Yi got over to turn off the faucet, gripping Nan Deng’s icy cold hand, “Aren’t you cold?”
“It’s cold,” Nan Deng’s eyes shine brightly, “But it’s fun.”
He then runs onto the balcony and carefully places a finger under the sunlight.
It’s somewhat hot, very warm, but not painful.
Nan Deng still does not like the sunshine, so he goes back inside and crouches in front of a potted plant in the corner of the living room.
He stares at the plant for quite a while. Xiao Tu is next to him and leaps up, biting off a leaf and eating it.
Nan Deng also plucks a leaf, examining it before putting it in his mouth, imitating Xiao Tu.
However, Lian Yi immediately stops him and discards the leaf, “You can’t eat that.”
Nan Deng obediently responds, “Oh…”
Xiao Tu hops away without a care, not affected by the fact that Nan Deng is no longer a ghost.
Lian Yi asks, “Are you hungry?”
Nan Deng hesitates before shaking his head, “Not hungry.”
He was just curious, wanting to experience the taste, not really intending to swallow.
Lian Yi leads Nan Deng to the sofa and takes a pair of slippers for him. He bends down and helps him put them on.
Nan Deng’s slender and frail bones make the shoes look a bit oversized on him.
Once the shoes are on, Lian Yi fetches some clothes, instructing Nan Deng to change out of his wet ones.
Nan Deng holds up the clothes to examine them, leaning in to sniff them— they are Lian Yi’s.
Lian Yi allows him to choose what he likes to wear, he then turns and leaves for the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.
He uses his psychic abilities to awaken several little paper men, opening the refrigerator to prepare an egg pudding.
Upon finishing, the little paper men hurriedly hid in the cabinet. Lian Yi opens the door to find Nan Deng, all changed, standing at the entrance.
Lian Yi’s clothes are also oversized on him, hanging loosely, with slender fingertips barely visible from the sleeves.
He walks closer and rolls up Nan Deng’s sleeves, “Fancy some food?”
Nan Deng has already caught a whiff of the egg pudding and can’t help but look around, “What is it?”
He was a bit hesitant initially. Even though he had turned into a human, he previously was a ghost and was unsure if he could consume normal food.
However, after tasting a spoonful of the egg pudding, Nan Deng completely forgets about his initial hesitation.
He digs in with his spoon, not stopping until he burns himself. Lian Yi tries to stop him but fails, so he takes away the egg pudding, cools a spoonful, and then feeds him.
At last, Nan Deng behaves. He eats an entire bowl of egg pudding and drinks a bottle of warm milk.
He set down his cup and threw himself into Lian Yi’s arms, “I’m full.”
Lian Yi holds him tight, still overwhelmed by an unreal feeling.
Even though he had fleeting thoughts, they were just ephemeral. Ghosts are spirits turned into post-death, how could they possibly turn back into humans?
Yet the current Nan Deng does exist, he is wearing his clothes, every breath he takes is so close, and his soft skin brushes against his.
He has always liked sticking to Lian Yi, only before he was a spirit, now he is flesh and blood.
It’s the same action but the effects and the implications have changed.
Lian Yi abruptly asks, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
There’s only room for one on the kitchen stool, hence Nan Deng sits on Lian Yi’s lap, looking somewhat puzzled, “Why would I be afraid?”
Lian Yi remained silent, his gaze swept across Nan Deng’s delicate pointed chin.
For a long time, the celestial masters of the inner courtyard had feared him, reluctant to approach him too closely. Common people would unconsciously avoid him.
Only Nan Deng was an exception, regardless of whether he was a ghost or a human.
Lian Yi released his hold on Nan Deng, standing up and commanding, “You can not leave without my permission.”
His tone was slightly harsh, and he paused before adding, “No matter what the circumstances.”
Nan Deng did not argue. By nature, he was timid and obediently bobbed his head in response.
———————–
In the city center, Lin Jiu received a report and arrived at a pharmacy.
The pharmacy staff claimed that earlier in the morning, many drugs inexplicably disappeared from the store. Upon checking the CCTV footage, they discovered they might have encountered a ghost and urgently sought help from a celestial master.
Encountering a ghost in broad daylight was rare; thus, Lin Jiu found it unusual and decided to investigate personally.
In the CCTV footage, the screen would occasionally shake, a clear indication of ghostly activity.
Then, drugs started disappearing, vanishing into thin air after being moved.
Lin Jiu examined the list of missing drugs; every type of drug had lost one box, with even a bottle of charm water missing.
The amount of drugs missing was considerable; one could only wonder how the ghost managed to carry them all away.
At the end of the CCTV footage, there was a faint glimpse of a figure, the only clue provided.
The storekeeper was terrified, “Why did we encounter a ghost in broad daylight? It’s terrifying…”
A celestial master was calming the storekeeper while Lin Jiu scrutinized a quiet compass thoughtfully.
There were celestial masters patrolling during the day, hence this ghost remained undiscovered, indicating that its power was weak, and its presence was faint.
The fact that it dared to come out in daylight, not hurting anyone but only stealing drugs and even charm water, was indeed strange.
The more Lin Jiu thought about it, the stranger it seemed. After giving a few instructions to his subordinates, Lin Jiu left the pharmacy alone, following in the direction the figure had taken on the CCTV footage.
Without the compass guidance, it was equivalent to searching for a needle in a haystack, but Lin Jiu did not give up. He walked in a straight line until he came across a fork in the road.
If he proceeded, he would head towards the outskirts.
For some reason, recent events seemed interconnected with the outskirts.
Hei Mao had twice prevented a celestial master from approaching the outskirts, and now the God of Chaos had appeared there.
In addition, Lian Yi, also lived on the outskirts.
Lin Jiu found it puzzling and felt a headache coming on. For the time being, he decided to put this issue aside and turned back.
——————–
Night fell quickly, and Nan Deng, having played the entire day, was taken to the bathroom by Lian Yi for a bath.
He held on tight to Lian Yi’s hand, unwilling to let go. “Why won’t you bathe with me?”
Lian Yi responded coldly, “No.”
The bathtub was already filled with water. He taught Nan Deng how to use soap and shampoo and instructed him not to take too long. Then, he stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door.
Xiao Tu was kept outside, and Lian Yi did not allow it to accompany Nan Deng. Unhappy, Nan Deng reluctantly undressed.
But soon, his attention was captured by the warm water. Excitedly, he laid down in the bathtub.
Lian Yi, feeling worried, knocked on the door every ten minutes to check on Nan Deng’s progress.
Each time, Nan Deng would reply that he was almost done, while the sound of water splashing continued from inside.
Until finally, Lian Yi’s patience ran out. He knocked on the door again, “Nan Deng, come out right now.”
“I know!” Nan Deng’s voice echoed. He dragged himself out of the bathtub, turned on the shower to rinse off the soap and bubbles from his head and body, and then directly opened the door.
Lian Yi was standing outside, holding a wide bath towel.
Nan Deng’s hair was soaking wet. He looked as if he had been fished out from the water, droplets of water dripped down his body.
It seemed as if Lian Yi had already anticipated this, as he silently opened the towel and wrapped it around Nan Deng.
Still upset about Lian Yi’s refusal to join him in the bath, Nan Deng rubbed his wet hair against Lian Yi’s collar, grumbling, “My hair is wet; it feels uncomfortable.”
Walking wrapped in a towel was inconvenient, so Lian Yi picked him up and carried him to the bedroom.
Translator Footnotes:
抗拒 (Kàngjù): The original term translates literally to ‘resist’. When used in this context, it means to not oppose or to willingly accept Lian Yi’s action.
蛋羹 (dàngēng): It’s a type of Chinese steamed egg dish, often savored for its pleasing taste and delicate, silky texture. The recipe varies across different regions of China, and it’s a common homemade dish.
Nan Deng: My heart is beating so fast | Me: Are you confessing?
Also, I can’t with Xiao Tu burping and spelling medicine every time, it got me laughing so hard.
Let me know in the comments what you think about this chapter.
Love ya ╰(◕ᗜ◕)╯
Storyteller One Shameless Bookworm's Words
Hi there! I'm "One Shameless Bookworm" who thrives on novels, especially Chinese BL ones! Please let me know what do you think about this novel in the comments section. Did you like my translation? Feel free to Buy Me a Milk Tea
GeorgeIsThePlant
Nan Deng, your local medicine stealing ghost.