Good Night, Mr. Ghost - Chapter 46

Jiang Chenyi had never known this in his twenty-six years, but today, he discovered it. Mr. Ghost held him as they soared through the air. Well, it wasn’t exactly flying; rather, each time Meng Loudi’s foot touched the air, it seemed to propel them forward for quite a distance.

Jiang Chenyi buried his face in Meng Loudi’s chest. The night wind was still cold, biting against his skin. “Mr. Ghost, are you cold?” came the muffled voice of the young man.

Mr. Ghost held him tighter, murmuring, “Not cold.” This temperature couldn’t be considered cold at all. With this inhuman speed, they descended into a dense forest within minutes.

Surrounded by thick woods, it didn’t seem like there could be any buildings around. Building a house in such a remote place would be a massive undertaking, unless it wasn’t done by humans. That seemed the most likely scenario.

Meng Loudi held the young man effortlessly, standing in mid-air, looking down at the scene below with disdain. Jiang tugged at the scarf around his neck, eyes wide with surprise at the sight before him. In the darkness, only the faint moonlight illuminated the world, the trees below appearing like dense black shadows.

Qing Sui led them downwards. Amidst the overlapping trees, there stood a modest building, resembling a two-story villa with a blend of Western and Chinese classical styles. The materials were primarily wood, which had begun to decay.

Qing Sui landed, instantly transforming into human form, calling out, “Bu’er! Huang Bu’er! Where are you?! I’ve brought Mr. Chief!”

A yellow figure leapt down from a nearby branch. It was a battered yellow fox, which didn’t land well, rolling a few times on the ground before limping towards them. As it drew closer, the moonlight revealed its once smooth fur matted with blood.

Qing Sui hurried over, embracing the fox, crying, “Oh no, Huang Bu’er, are you okay? Please don’t die!”

The fox raised its paw, pushing him away, barely transforming into a human form, a young demon. He looked at Mr. Ghost, saying, “Mr. Chief, there are at least two ghosts inside, very troublesome. Please be careful.”

Meng Loudi nodded nonchalantly and headed towards the front door of the house. Jiang followed behind, his white scarf trailing. Huang Bu’er called out, “Wait! Mr. Jiang, you should stay here!”

Jiang paused, not having time to turn around. Meng Loudi glanced at the fox spirit, asking softly, “Is there a problem?”

The man’s gaze was like looking at something insignificant and annoying. It was the first time Huang Bu’er had seen such an expression from the chief. Previously, Meng Loudi had been aloof and indifferent, never baring his fangs. What had changed today?

“I, sir, the ghosts inside are really troublesome. Let Mr. Jiang stay here, we will protect him with our lives,” the fox spirit said, avoiding the man’s gaze.

Mr. Ghost scoffed, “No need.” With that, he took Jiang Chenyi’s hand and led him forward.

Huang Bu’er shouted, “Mr. Chief! I’m the strongest demon among the officers, a fox spirit with six hundred years of cultivation!”

He hoped this would make Meng Loudi realize that taking Jiang Chenyi inside could lead to serious harm. Mr. Ghost casually replied, “Oh, really.”

He paid no heed to Huang Bu’er’s words, standing at the door with Jiang Chenyi, about to knock when the door opened on its own. Mr. Ghost paused, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. Was this an invitation to enter? How bold, not fearing that he might destroy them. Or were they just that confident?

Jiang Chenyi looked at the suddenly open door, recalling what the fox spirit had said, hesitating, “Maybe I should stay.”

“Hmm?” Mr. Ghost looked at him in surprise.

Jiang rubbed his nose, “If I go in, I’ll just be a burden to you, right?”

Meng Loudi frowned, “No, if you’re out of my sight, I’ll be worried. What if something happens to you? What if they can’t protect you?”

He looked at Jiang Chenyi, his gaze firm. Jiang looked at him and laughed, “Alright, let’s go in together then.”

Yes, his Mr. Ghost was an impressive chief after all. Even with him, a useless tagalong, it would be fine.

They entered. The house emitted a faint, gentle fragrance. The lighting was dim but not in a frightening way. The place seemed well-kept, as if someone lived there regularly. Not far from the entrance was a narrow staircase leading to the second floor.

Jiang Chenyi glanced around. No cries, no bloodstains, everything seemed fine. Mr. Ghost also surveyed the surroundings, suddenly frowning. “It’s a haunted house.”

“What?” Jiang looked at him.

Meng Loudi tightened his grip on the young man’s wrist, a rare hint of tension. “This is a haunted house, a ghost’s home. We’re guests here, not in control,” Mr. Ghost explained. “So, Chenyi, no matter what happens, stay by my side.”

“Okay,” Jiang Chenyi agreed with a smile.

From upstairs came the sound of footsteps, as if someone was running joyfully, then the noise gradually slowed. A white figure emerged from around the corner. It looked like a living white cloth bag, with a comically painted red smiley face where the face should be. Arms were drawn on the fabric, but at the bottom of the bag, small feet in black shoes were visible.

It only reached Jiang Chenyi’s waist, short and small. But the bizarre sight made Jiang hold his breath. The cloth bag stood there, looking at the newcomers, and in a child’s voice asked, “Who are you?”

Jiang Chenyi smiled gently, “Uh, we wanted to ask you something about demons.”

Mr. Ghost looked at the cloth bag, his eyes dark. The cloth bag took a step back, saying, “Demons? Don’t ask, don’t look, just leave, or you’ll die, hehe, you’ll die.”

With that, it turned and ran back, like a mischievous child. Though not threatening, its actions brought unease. At least Jiang Chenyi felt uneasy. Was that thing’s warning genuine? Did it not want them to stay because they might die?

Meng Loudi ignored the cloth bag, looking around. Jiang asked, “Hey, Mr. Ghost, who should we look for now?”

“No need to look. It’s disappeared into the haunted house, probably won’t show up for a while,” Mr. Ghost replied.

“Why?”

“Maybe because I’m too strong? It can’t beat me,” Mr. Ghost said shamelessly.

Jiang: “Oh.”

“I’m really strong, doesn’t Chenyi believe me?” Mr. Ghost feigned innocence, tilting his head.

He truly was strong, otherwise he wouldn’t be the eighth chief. “You’re strong in everything,” Jiang Chenyi muttered, ignoring him.

Mr. Ghost felt a pang, wondering why he seemed to have less standing at home now. Before, when he acted like this, Chenyi would be so affectionate, looking at him with fond eyes. Tsk, maybe it doesn’t work anymore because he’s used it too much?

Perhaps it’s time to try other methods to gain more affection from Chenyi? Jiang Chenyi, hearing the man’s words, blushed, coughing to cover it up, “What are you saying? Of course I believe you. Since no one’s looking for us now, what should we do?”

“Explore the haunted house? It’s my first time seeing one,” Mr. Ghost suggested.

“Uh, isn’t that a bad idea?” Jiang had barely finished speaking when Meng Loudi dragged him along.

Mr. Ghost nonchalantly pushed open a nearby door, “What’s wrong? We’re here anyway. Since it’s hiding from me, I have to find it.”

The door creaked open, like bones grinding together. “We also need to find the other demons. Maybe nothing’s happened yet,” Jiang Chenyi couldn’t stop the man’s antics.

It seemed he was becoming less able to handle Mr. Ghost. Was it really a good thing to let such a troublemaker loose? Jiang pondered. Actually, it wasn’t so bad, right? Except sometimes his Mr. Ghost would show a slightly scary expression, like when he was angry or biting him. Hmm, most of the time, he was quite adorable. Like a puppy, circling around for cuddles and affection, very good at acting cute.

The door was fully opened. The wooden door left a long scratch on the floor. They looked inside. The room was dark, nothing visible.

Meng Loudi looked at the contents, “Chenyi, the things inside aren’t as scary as in horror movies, okay?”

Jiang Chenyi: “…”

What do you mean by “not as scary as in horror movies”? I feel like I can’t handle it! Really can’t!

Though terrified, Jiang Chenyi tried to maintain composure, holding onto Mr. Ghost’s arm, “I can.”

Meng Loudi felt the slight tremor beside him, smiling as he leaned down to nuzzle the other’s head, raising an arm to pull a nearby string. It was an old-fashioned light switch. With a crisp click, the room lit up.

Jiang Chenyi covered his eyes with one hand, slowly uncovering them. There was nothing terrifying, surprisingly cozy. A beautifully decorated dining room, a European-style wooden table in the center, six chairs neatly arranged around it. A wooden cabinet held some pretty porcelain. The brown wooden floor was covered with a light brown carpet.

“What? It’s not scary at all,” Jiang tilted his head, suspiciously looking at Meng Loudi. Was this man trying to scare him on purpose? Hmm-getting more mischievous, even scaring people now!