Good Night, Mr. Ghost - Chapter 75

But on the morning when Luo Yun turned seven and started elementary school, she was greeted with a rare, hearty, and warm breakfast. The one who brought all this was the young man with gray hair.

It was a hot September day in summer. The young man wore gray shorts, a loose gray shirt, and large sunglasses. His hair was gray too, making him look like he had stepped into a world of gray.

His limbs were long, his skin pale, and his lips and nose were quite attractive. Luo Yun almost mistook him for some kind of celebrity.

The young man pulled a small suitcase, lifted his sunglasses to reveal his gray eyes, and looked down at her, seemingly assessing her.

Luo Yun looked up at him. Her eyes were gray too. So beautiful.

After scanning her, the young man turned to the two nannies with a displeased tone, “Why is this child so skinny? Her wrists aren’t even as thick as bamboo sticks.”

The nannies laughed awkwardly, “Oh, well, Luo Yun doesn’t like eating, you see.”

The young man wasn’t interested in their excuses. He raised his hand to signal them to stop, then bent down and smiled, “Hey, I’m Luo Hui, your uncle, eighteen years old. Let’s get along well from now on.”

“Okay.” Luo Yun responded indifferently, sitting at the dining table, staring at the spread of food, unsure of where to start. She didn’t know who this person was and didn’t care. But it seemed his arrival might make her life a bit better.

Luo Hui didn’t mind her coldness. He cheerfully tossed his luggage at the door, sat beside the girl, and said, “I know you’re not used to this, and I’m really sorry for coming so late. But from now on, I’ll be living with you and taking care of you. Today, I’ll also take you to school. After all, it’s the opening ceremony.”

As he spoke, he picked up an egg, peeled it, placed it in front of her, and added some soy sauce on a small plate. “Try it, it’s delicious.”

Luo Yun pretended not to hear him, ate the egg coldly, then a small bun, drank a bowl of porridge, and left the table.

The young man ate little too, just two eggs and a couple of sips of porridge.

The two nannies were very attentive, but Luo Hui glanced at them indifferently, “Go do what you’re supposed to do, don’t hover around me.”

Luo Yun packed her small backpack, putting her things inside.

The young man came in, looked at her obviously well-used backpack, and scoffed, “Seems I came too fast, considering I only called them last night.”

Luo Yun glanced at him, her brows furrowed.

The young man walked over, touched her brow, and teased, “Kids shouldn’t frown, it looks awful.”

With that, he started rummaging through her backpack. Seeing the plain, undecorated pencils, Luo Hui frowned and laughed, “So ugly, just like you.”

Luo Yun felt this man was really annoying. That was her second impression.

As a child, Luo Yun was malnourished, small and thin, with sparse eyebrows, dull skin, and a dry appearance. Her only commendable feature was her large eyes, which were dull and not at all lively.

Luo Hui picked up the little girl and took her to school.

The little girl watched the young man driving with one hand, feeling that this uncle who appeared out of nowhere was really putting on a show.

Annoying.

Then Luo Hui dropped the hostile little girl off at her class and said goodbye with a cheerful smile.

On the first day of school, Luo Yun was surprisingly picked up on time.

She climbed into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.

The little girl stared numbly ahead, not sparing even a glance for the young man.

Luo Hui looked at her and couldn’t help but smile.

“Here you go, throw away all those ugly things of yours.”

He handed over a beautiful and delicate backpack, in a soft yellow, adorned with large prints and a cute cat charm.

For their age, this backpack was truly eye-catching.

Luo Yun was taken aback and looked at him.

“Moved? There’s more inside,” the young man gestured for her to open it.

It was like opening a treasure chest.

Luo Yun felt a surge of excitement as she unzipped the bag.

Inside were all sorts of exquisite and adorable stationery-pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, notebooks.

Luo Yun’s world had changed dramatically in just one day.

The nannies were dismissed.

That’s what Luo Hui said.

“Their cooking isn’t as good as mine, why waste money on idlers? Money doesn’t grow on trees.”

And so, Luo Hui took over preparing Luo Yun’s two meals a day.

Just as he promised, his cooking was incredibly delicious.

Luo Yun loved it.

Tasty food, warm food, food that suited her palate.

Luo Hui paid close attention to her; the foods Luo Yun disliked only appeared once.

This made the sensitive little girl realize that he genuinely cared about her.

Their relationship gradually softened.

Later, Luo Yun complained about the school cafeteria’s food.

Luo Hui took over her lunch as well.

Everything felt like a dream.

Luo Yun had fallen from a world that left her numb and unfeeling into a soft, surreal dream.

A dream she didn’t want to let go of.

When they finally grew close, it was after the first-grade parent-teacher meeting.

The first semester had ended, and the little girl had changed a bit.

Her skin was fair and smooth, her eyes no longer lifeless, her hair jet black, tied up by the young man, looking cute and lively.

“Why did you come?” Luo Yun asked.

The young man started the car, tilting his head, “Why not?”

Luo Yun lowered her head, realizing she had asked a silly question.

Luo Hui looked ahead, “I’m your uncle, of course, I have to be responsible.”

The little girl pouted, responsible? Her parents didn’t care about her, what responsibility did this guy have?

Luo Hui saw the disdain on her face and chuckled, good-naturedly taking her home.

Then, they planned how to spend the winter break together.

The little girl, with a serious face, said, “I still have homework to do.”

“That’s not a problem, I can help you with it.” The young man patted his chest, taking on a task that wasn’t his to do.

And so, Luo Yun had an exceptionally relaxed long holiday.

Just as Luo Hui promised, he did his best to be good to Luo Yun.

Luo Yun spent a proper New Year, just the two of them.

Luo Hui didn’t insist that the young girl stay up for the New Year, but he himself intended to. She sat beside him, having gained one or two kilograms from all the good food over the past ten days. Her face was rounder now, giving her a touch of cuteness.

Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, she asked, “Luo Hui, don’t you need to work?”

It was a question that had been on her mind. The young man seemed to have a lot of free time, almost too much, as if he were idling away.

Cracking sunflower seeds, he replied, “Work? Of course, I need to. Taking care of you is my job, isn’t it?”

At that moment, Luo Hui was cheerful and enthusiastic, like an eighteen-year-old boy. He was also quite mischievous.

Luo Yun ignored him. They both knew whether it was work or not. No one would mix personal feelings into their job.

Luo Hui was genuinely good to her, almost excessively so.

Under Luo Hui’s protection, Luo Yun smoothly transitioned into middle school. During this time, he taught her many things-combat, swordsmanship, talismans. Things that shouldn’t exist in the ordinary world. Yet, to Luo Yun, it seemed perfectly natural.

Why was she abandoned? It was because she wasn’t suited to learn these things, wasn’t it?

Both Luo Hui and Luo Yun understood this, but they never spoke of it.

The young man remembered every holiday, taking good care of her. Under this almost indulgent pampering, the girl blossomed beautifully.

And because of this near-indulgent love, Luo Yun seemed to have changed. Unknowingly.

At thirteen, she stood at 165 cm, with a spirited look in her eyes and a beautiful face. She grew more reliant on the young man.

The only thing that remained unchanged was her stubborn insistence on calling him by his name, refusing to alter her way of addressing him.

Luo Hui had adapted to her casual manner.

The girl changed a lot, but the young man remained the same, as if time had frozen for him. Yet he obediently let his age advance, even though he still looked like a young lad.

When Luo Yun was thirteen, something happened. It was a choice that would change her life forever.

Luo Yun didn’t know if she made the right choice. Perhaps she was wrong.

Before the New Year, Luo Hui casually asked, “The elders from the main family inquired about you this year, Yun. Do you want to go back?”

Luo Yun was smart enough to understand what his words implied. She had always been clever, quickly grasping certain truths, and gradually developing her own ambitions.

Luo Yun was never content. She refused to accept her fate and wanted to change it. And this was her chance.

Going back, showcasing her abilities, perhaps she could change her fate of being abandoned. Gain recognition, receive fair treatment.

That was what Luo Yun wanted, craved, and it was the reason she worked so hard.

So, the girl nodded.

She dressed simply, in clothes Luo Hui had chosen for her. Clothes that would earn the elders’ approval.

Then, in that laughable competition, the abandoned girl defeated her cousin, who was a year older, in less than ten moves.

And so, cloaked in glory, she returned to the Luo Family.

On that snowy day, on the night she officially moved into the Luo Family, the young man sat on the railing outside, his back to her, his voice still cheerful and lively.

“Congratulations, young lady, on coming back,” he said.

Luo Yun stood behind him, silent.

“Now that you’re back, I can’t be your uncle anymore, since you’re the young lady now~ I forgot to tell you, I’m a demon, a cat demon.” Luo Hui turned his head to look at her, extending his hand to point at his eyes.

Those eyes were golden.

They were not human eyes.

He smiled at her, just like in all those days and nights they spent together, and said, “Goodnight.”

Luo Yun understood.

It was both a goodnight and a goodbye.

But to gain something, isn’t it necessary to give something up?

This was a truth she had always understood.

She hadn’t made a mistake.

From then on, Luo Yun rarely saw him.

As the young lady, she was not allowed to be too close to demons.

And knowing the family rules, Luo Yun gave up on continuing to seek the young man.

Even if she found him, what good would it do?

They could only exchange a few words, and then awkwardly part ways.

She had gained wealth and prosperity, the respect and attention she deserved, and a path to success that most couldn’t see.

But Luo Yun wasn’t happy anymore.

At least, when she expressed happiness, it was merely a slight curve of her lips, looking poised and ladylike.

But when she lived with Luo Hui, her laughter was wild, as if she wanted to lift the roof with it.

Only for Luo Hui did she laugh like that.

At her eighteenth birthday celebration, she received a family-gifted sword and an arranged marriage with another family.

The young man was her age, handsome, with a bit of a charming demeanor, yet seemingly pure.

A very suitable marriage prospect.

For her, the best choice.

After drinking a lot, Luo Yun headed to her room and saw the cat demon standing in front of it.

The cat demon was dressed lightly, just like ten years ago, in gray shorts and a shirt, but without sunglasses.

The smile on his face wasn’t as bright as it used to be, like moonlight shrouded in faint clouds, carrying a hint of melancholy.

Luo Yun ran to him.

At that moment, she realized that the young man who had protected her wasn’t very tall; he seemed only about 175 cm, just a bit taller than her.

They looked at each other for a long time, neither speaking.

Finally, the girl couldn’t hold back, “Luo Hui, why are you here?”

She hadn’t seen him for a very long time.

Luo Hui raised his hand, holding a small black box.

“Today is your coming-of-age ceremony, and I wanted to give you something. Please accept it.”

Luo Yun took the box and opened it.

Inside lay a small pendant, a gray cat hugging a wooden ball.

The gray cat had golden eyes.

The wooden ball also had two small dots.

Luo Hui’s voice sounded in her ear, “Yun, I’ve always thought you were like a little wooden block.”

After speaking, Luo Hui raised his hand and patted her head, just like before, and then left.

Leaving Luo Yun alone, staring at the pendant in the box.

The cat demon knew that Luo Yun had agreed to the marriage.

Luo Hui thought: perhaps he truly couldn’t stay by Luo Yun’s side.

Being a silent guardian would only make him lose his sense of proportion.

Better to stay away, for the good of both.

And that pendant, Luo Yun never wore it; she hid it away.

Just like her unclear heart, deeply hidden.

Later, Luo Yun found a cat, a gray long-haired one, though its eyes were not golden but gray.

She adored that cat, couldn’t bear to be without it, taking it everywhere she went.

Meanwhile, her future husband frequently visited the Luo Family.

At twenty, her Hui disappeared.

Luo Yun went searching and saw the young man who had vanished for so long. He was sitting on the rooftop, looking at her with a gentle smile, “Have you made up your mind?”

Luo Hui’s smile was sad yet tender.

“What?” Luo Yun stood on the rooftop, under the bright moonlight, appearing as cold and unyielding as the moon itself.

“Do you regret coming back here?” the cat demon asked.

“I don’t regret it,” Luo Yun lowered her gaze, saying.

She never regretted it; if she hadn’t returned to her family, she would have been a forsaken soul all her life.

The cat demon chuckled softly, turning his head, “I regret it.”

Luo Yun clenched her fists, “Even if you regret it, it doesn’t change anything, does it? Everything’s going well now, moving in a positive direction. You can stay by my side, continue being my Luo Hui.”

“What does that mean? I’m a cat demon, a male. Who would want their wife to have me around?” Luo Hui looked at her, his features bathed in a layer of white light.

“It’s okay, you can always stay in your cat form, can’t you?”

“…Luo Yun, I’m tired.” The cat demon tilted his head, no longer looking at her.

He was truly tired; he had accompanied her for thirteen years, waited for her for seven, and finally, he couldn’t wait any longer.

He really liked this child, wanted to be with her forever, but Luo Yun’s affection for him wasn’t enough.

Truly heartbreaking.

After saying this, the cat demon left.

Luo Yun didn’t stop him; Luo Hui had spoiled her, making her believe he couldn’t leave her, that he would eventually give in and silently watch over her like before.

But this time, it seemed he really left.

There was no trace of Luo Hui anywhere.

She even asked the elders of the family.

And those elders would look at her with inexplicable eyes and say.

“Just a cat demon, why worry?”

“Don’t dwell on these things, Luo Yun, focus on your cultivation.”

“Who is that? What are you concerned about?”

“Have you forgotten who you are because of too much praise?”

“Indeed, women are not suited for our Luo Family.”

Each word pushed Luo Yun’s heart into the abyss.

No matter what she said, if there was any misstep, it could be attributed to her gender.

Luo Yun didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she felt she was close to madness.

What had she gained by suppressing her true self?

She wanted to see Luo Hui again, just once.

Hoping Luo Hui could, like years ago, help her escape this darkness.

She secretly searched for Luo Hui but found nothing.

It was as if the gray cat was merely a figment of her imagination.

In her quest to find him, she began studying divination.

Four years later, she finally divined the location of the gray cat and went to find him.

But she was interrupted by two people, no, more accurately, by Meng Loudi.

Even as a genius, she struggled to resist him.

She was forced to return to her family for help.

Then she was reprimanded and locked in the confinement room.

The reason: emotional impulsiveness.

Truly insane.

After coming out, she began wandering, searching for Luo Hui.

But found nothing, Luo Hui seemed to have vanished from the world.

She thought, if given another chance, she would tell Luo Hui when he left her that she regretted it.

Whether it was sincere or not, her Luo Hui would surely stay.

And now, having taken Jiang Chenyi, having betrayed her family, having abandoned everything that belonged to her, she only wanted Luo Hui.

Just like over a decade ago, the two of them living in a small home.

Only each other.