Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 35

On the second floor, by the freezer, Zhou Ze stood for about half an hour.

Lady Bai was still lying inside, just as she had been in the morning when Zhou Ze had gotten up and left. There hadn’t been the slightest change. However, the footage captured on the surveillance camera couldn’t be wrong.

Especially since, that glass of water—he had noticed a hint of sweetness as soon as he started drinking it.

This wasn’t just psychological; Zhou Ze hadn’t watched the video before drinking the water.

In fact, Zhou Ze wasn’t particularly disgusted by the idea of drinking someone else’s saliva. After all, he had just watched Xu Qinglang eat all sorts of “exotic delicacies” the night before.

Compared to Xu Qinglang, what Zhou Ze had just experienced barely counted as a drizzle.

Of course, it wasn’t anything remotely “romantic” either. No matter how beautiful she was, she was still just a corpse—one that had been buried underground for two centuries.

The thought of her not brushing her teeth for 200 years was hard for Zhou Ze, who had mild germophobia, to accept.

She could move, though. She had gone downstairs to drink water and then returned upstairs.

Had Lady Bai lied to him?

Or was it possible that his fingernail had caused some subtle changes in the corpse last night?

At this point, Lady Bai’s soul had already reported to the underworld. She likely wouldn’t have deliberately left a “time bomb” in the mortal realm.

The little girl had once said that spirits in the mortal world needed to “keep a low profile.” Anyone stirring up trouble was essentially courting death or asking for unnecessary hardships.

However, there was a big difference for Zhou Ze between having a corpse lying on the second floor and having a mobile, potentially dangerous corpse there. No one wants an unpredictable hazard near their sleeping area.

“Hey, Sister, why don’t you wake up so we can have a chat?” Leaning against the edge of the freezer, Zhou Ze spoke.

He hoped that the female corpse would open her eyes at this moment—either to fight him or to have a conversation. They could agree to disagree and at least break the tension, instead of playing these mysterious games.

But the female corpse remained unmoved, still lying there.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Ze extended his hand and began moving it over the female corpse’s body. He even touched some sensitive areas, desecrating them in the hope that the female corpse would be provoked into waking up in anger.

Unfortunately, the corpse remained cold and unresponsive, utterly indifferent.

Zhou Ze figured that even if he were to go as far as removing his pants, the corpse would likely maintain its current state.

Pulling his hand back Zhou Ze pursed his lips, unsure of what else to do.

You can’t wake someone pretending to sleep.

In the next moment, Zhou Ze’s fingernails began to grow. He then stabbed the nail of his index finger into the corpse’s arm, gradually applying force.

“Puff…”

The fingernail, sharp as a blade, pierced the corpse’s arm. Instead of blood, a wisp of black mist began to emanate. In an instant, the entire second-floor room became filled with an eerie, ghostly aura.

“Zhou Ze, what are you doing!” Xu Qinglang’s voice came from downstairs.

Without hesitation, Xu Qinglang rushed up to the second floor. Zhou Ze withdrew his hand just as Xu Qinglang arrived, his fingernail seemingly coated with a layer of frost. It felt stiff and even slightly painful.

“Are you insane?!” Xu Qinglang, glancing at the narrow wound on the corpse’s arm, shouted, “Do you know that if a Han Ba is unleashed? It could turn the land barren for miles!”

“This female corpse may not be as powerful as a Han Ba, but the energy stored within her body, if released, is enough to trigger a plague across Tongcheng!”

Zhou Ze ignored Xu Qinglang’s outburst and instead, he kept staring at the wound on the female corpse’s arm. Surprisingly, the wound he had just inflicted was gradually healing.

This female corpse—aside from the fact that her body was still cold and she wasn’t breathing—was practically indistinguishable from a living person. In fact, her body seemed even more biologically active than that of a living human!

“Hey, we dug this thing out together. If anything goes wrong, I’ll suffer too. My lifespan will be reduced, and it might even bring calamity upon my descendants!

The same goes for you. Even if you’re a Gui Chai now, you won’t escape the consequences if this gets out of hand.”

The wisp of black mist that had leaked from the female corpse’s body earlier slowly dissipated. Because the amount was small, and since there were only Zhou Ze and Xu Qinglang present, both of whom had strong resistance, it didn’t cause any harm.

But what had leaked out was just the tip of the iceberg of what was inside her.

Zhou Ze sighed. “Xu Qinglang.”

“What?”

“Why don’t you take her to your place? Didn’t your parents just leave? Let her keep you company. After all, you married her in a proper ceremony with a grand procession.”

“What? What do you mean by that?” Xu Qinglang looked utterly confused.

“This corpse… She can move on her own,” Zhou Ze explained. “She came downstairs by herself today and even drank some water.”

Xu Qinglang’s face turned pale with horror. His mouth twitched as he took two steps back.

He had mentioned last night that if this corpse acted up, it would turn into a jiangshi—a Chinese zombie. Not like the clumsy, foolish zombies from Western movies that shamble around and can be easily killed by headshots. This would be the real deal—a bloodthirsty creature capable of consuming raw flesh and possibly possessing supernatural powers.

“No, thanks. I’m getting used to being alone.”

What a joke—this wasn’t a hot potato but a nuclear bomb. There was no way Xu Qinglang would take responsibility.

“Don’t you have some talisman paper? Why not paste one on her?” Zhou Ze asked.

“My talisman paper is for my twin blades. Pasting one on her would only have the opposite effect and provoke her,” Xu Qinglang said with a bitter smile.

“Then what should we do?” Zhou Ze felt a headache coming on. “Transport her to the ocean and dump her there? If she turns into a jiangshi, let her fight the Sea Dragon King instead.”

“She can’t leave Tongcheng. She was a Tongcheng native in life, and now she’s a Tongcheng ghost. If her body leaves this area, it’ll cause problems. Why else do you think Lady Bai didn’t deal with her before going off to the underworld?”

“Bang!”

Zhou Ze slammed the freezer lid shut. Clearly, this was an unsolvable problem.

Burning her wasn’t an option.

Transporting her was out of the question.

Dumping her elsewhere risked unforeseen consequences.

Was the only option to leave her in his house and keep an eye on her, risking his own safety?

Zhou Ze began to understand why the little girl had decided to “biu” herself straight to the underworld.

It wasn’t easy being a Gui Chai. Even after joining the system, those working at the grassroots level always had it the hardest.

Just like him right now.

“Don’t stress about it. I’ll make you some extra sour plum juice tonight,” Xu Qinglang offered comfort.

“And then?”

“Then I’ll move. Didn’t I say I was planning to open a shop in the nearby county? I’ll just move up my schedule.” Xu Qinglang made it clear that he had no intention of sharing the burden.

After locking the freezer, Zhou Ze and Xu Qinglang went downstairs. Xu Qinglang gave Zhou Ze another round of stern warnings not to mess around before heading back to his noodle shop. He must have been busy with his own work earlier but rushed over after sensing the ominous aura leaking out.

Zhou Ze sat behind the counter, picking up the glass of water in front of him and swishing it around.

His phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, is this Mr. Xu Le? This is the Chongchuan Traffic Police Department.”

“Yes, that’s me. What’s the matter?”

“Is Xu Dachuan your relative? He was in a car accident just now and is being sent to the People’s Hospital.”

“Alright, I’ll head there immediately.”

Zhou Ze closed his eyes and let out a dissatisfied grunt. He was already dealing with enough trouble, and now another issue had cropped up. Xu Dachuan was likely the uncle he had treated to lunch earlier.

But Zhou Ze couldn’t just ignore it. Although Xu Dachuan had come to visit Xu Le, not Zhou Ze, the local specialties he had brought along had already been given by Zhou Ze to Xu Qinglang to use as ingredients.

Zhou Ze glanced at his fingernails.

If Xu Dachuan’s life was truly in danger…

Should I save him or not?

The thought of the backlash and pain he had experienced last time when saving the little girl made Zhou Ze shudder. Forget it. Hopefully, nothing serious had happened.

He walked out of the shop and hailed a taxi. On the way, he sent a WeChat message to Xu Qinglang, telling him he was heading out and to keep an eye on things.

By the time Zhou Ze arrived at the People’s Hospital, it was already 8 PM. After inquiring at the front desk, he learned that Xu Dachuan was not in any life-threatening condition and had already been transferred to a ward. Zhou Ze felt relieved.

Pushing open the door to the ward, Zhou Ze froze for a moment. He saw Dr. Lin standing by Xu Dachuan’s bedside, chatting with him.

Xu Dachuan had one leg propped up—it was likely fractured. His face had a few abrasions, but seemed energetic, chatting animatedly with his nephew’s wife.

As Zhou Ze walked in, his eyes met Dr. Lin’s.

“Thank you, sorry to trouble you,” Zhou Ze said.

“It’s my duty,” Dr. Lin replied as she stood up. Then, she added, “I wasn’t home during the day. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Zhou Ze said with a wave of his hand.

After Dr. Lin left the ward, Zhou Ze chatted with his uncle for a while. The long-distance bus had barely left the city when it was involved in a traffic accident. Luck wasn’t on Xu Dachuan’s side—he fell and fractured his left leg, though the other passengers only sustained minor scrapes and bruises.

Xu Dachuan didn’t seem too concerned about his injury. Instead, he kept repeating, “My niece-in-law really is a good person.”

Zhou Ze smiled, told him to rest well, and then left the ward.

Dr. Lin was standing near the front desk, where a young nurse was seated. The nurse appeared a bit unwell.

Zhou Ze was about to leave but felt it necessary to greet Dr. Lin first. Though they hadn’t been in contact for some time, maintaining appearances was still important.

As he approached, Zhou Ze heard the faint cry of a baby. It was weak, like the mewing of a kitten.

At first, Zhou Ze thought nothing of it. But as he got closer to Dr. Lin, the sound became clearer.

Could Dr. Lin have attracted a ghost child?

Zhou Ze observed her closely, even shifting his position to stand behind her for a better look.

“I’m fine, Dr. Lin. It’s just my chronic stomach issues acting up. I’ll take some medicine later, and it should be fine,” the young nurse assured Dr. Lin.

“Take better care of yourself,” Dr. Lin replied with concern.

At that moment, Dr. Lin noticed Zhou Ze standing behind her, appearing somewhat… “suspicious.”

“You…”

“Hold on,” Zhou Ze said, raising his hand. He listened carefully again and finally focused his gaze on the young nurse’s abdomen.

The sound wasn’t coming from Dr. Lin—it was coming from the nurse.

As someone who had once been a doctor, Zhou Ze immediately understood the situation.

“You’re pregnant,” Zhou Ze said to the nurse. At this point, he didn’t bother with subtlety.

“What?” The young nurse looked utterly bewildered.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Xiao Chen isn’t even married and doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Dr. Lin scolded her “husband” with a glare.

“I don’t know who the father is, but you’d better get checked right away. Also, I should warn you, there’s a risk of miscarriage,” Zhou Ze said confidently.

The fetus was highly unstable, and the faint cries Zhou Ze heard symbolized the instinctive sadness of an unborn child. This was why he didn’t hesitate to speak bluntly—it was a matter of life and death.

Nurse Xiao Chen stood up abruptly, her face filled with urgency. It was clear that she hadn’t realized she was pregnant, but she knew that her recent “high-risk” behavior made pregnancy highly likely.

Dr. Lin also realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly escorted Xiao Chen away.

Zhou Ze stretched lazily. What a pity Xu Le had studied civil engineering. If Xu Le had gone into medicine, he could have soon become not just Tongcheng’s but possibly Jiangsu Province’s most renowned doctor.

After going downstairs, Zhou Ze bought a case of milk and some daily necessities for Xu Dachuan. After delivering them to his ward, he walked out, this time truly intending to leave. After all, the situation back at home was far from reassuring.

By coincidence, Dr. Lin stepped out of the elevator, her expression somewhat grim.

“What’s wrong?”

“How did you figure out that Xiao Chen was pregnant?” Dr. Lin questioned.

“I’ve studied a bit of traditional Chinese medicine,” Zhou Ze lied. “How is she doing?”

“Xiao Chen has decided to keep the child, but whether she can carry it to term is uncertain. She hadn’t been paying any attention to her condition,” Dr. Lin replied. Then, she asked Zhou Ze, “Are you heading back? Wait for me to change clothes, and I’ll give you a ride.”

And so, Zhou Ze left the hospital in Dr. Lin’s Cayenne.

On the way, neither of them spoke much. Their “husband and wife” relationship had hit rock bottom after the incident last time.

As they neared the bookstore, Zhou Ze thought he should find something to talk about. Otherwise, the silence would become unbearable. He asked, “You’ve posted a lot of photos of hanfu in your Moments. You’re really into them?”

“Mm,” Dr. Lin nodded.

“I like them too,” Zhou Ze said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Do you own any? Maybe you could wear one and let me see it someday?”

Dr. Lin didn’t respond, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

When the car stopped in front of the bookstore, Zhou Ze got out. To his surprise, Dr. Lin also got out, apparently intending to go inside with him.

Heh. This woman is bold. Isn’t she afraid of me pulling the same stunt as last time?

“I’m just here to grab a few magazines to read at work,” Dr. Lin explained.

“Hmm.” Zhou Ze nodded. He understood that this was Dr. Lin’s indirect way of expressing reconciliation. This woman is truly remarkable.

To borrow the style of Lu Xun: This woman, once again, bowed her head to feudal ethics, to the man who was her husband in name only.

In ancient times, Dr. Lin would have been the quintessential victim of oppressive feudal norms.

Pushing open the bookstore door, Zhou Ze was surprised to find Xu Qinglang sitting on a plastic stool, and reading a book. Except… the book was upside down. What is he even reading?

Xu Qinglang managed to force a smile at Zhou Ze, but it looked more like a grimace.

Dr. Lin glanced at the unusually handsome man sitting there before walking toward the shelves to select magazines.

Zhou Ze handed Xu Qinglang a cigarette and asked in a low voice, “What’s going on with you? You look out of it.”

At that moment, footsteps sounded from the staircase.

A woman in a flowing white hanfu gracefully descended, her figure elegant and brimming with gentle charm.

When she saw Zhou Ze, she bowed slightly, and respectfully said, “You’re back.”

The magazine Dr. Lin had just picked up slipped from her hand to the floor.

At the same time, she said coldly, “Looks like I don’t need to wear it for you to see.”