The Deceased Stand-in

Wanwan held the peach tree tightly, refusing to let go. From now on, this peach tree would belong to her.

“Have you made your choice?”

Mr. Bai, accompanied by two large dogs, leisurely approached with his hands behind his back.

He looked at the peach tree in the flowerpot, nodded, and smiled, “You have a good eye, young one. You certainly know how to pick.”

Wanwan proudly puffed out her chest and raised her chin, “Of course! I’ve told you before, I’ll take good care of Peachy.”

“All right then, this pot it is. Are you sure you won’t change your mind?”

“Absolutely.”

Wanwan nodded, her gaze shifting to Xia Zhihuai.

Xia Zhihuai reluctantly nodded, “This pot it is, as she wishes.”

Mr. Bai clapped his hands, gesturing for Xia Zhihuai to lend a hand, and together they carried the potted tree out.

Both the peach and orange trees were delivered by a courier service, and Xia Zhihuai paid for them.

The two of them rode back to the flower and bird market on Mr. Bai’s tricycle. They also bought several pots of orchids from the flower shop, intending to decorate their home.

Usually, no one lived in Xia Zhihuai’s house, and he had grown accustomed to a solitary life. But now that he had a child at home, he naturally wanted to put some effort into beautifying the place.

…

After they brought the flowers home, Xu Wei called with some bad news.

Chen Wan had passed away. After enduring humiliation and carrying heavy burdens for so many years, the stunt double had finally reached the end of her journey.

The “Moonlight City” crew would bear full responsibility since it was a case of inadequate safety measures regarding the wire that broke unexpectedly during filming.

The police swiftly launched an investigation into the accidental death of the stunt double.

Filming for the crew came to a complete halt. No one knew when they would be able to resume shooting.

The director and other crew members were summoned to the police station for questioning, and the lead actor was no exception.

Xu Wei called Xia Zhihuai to inform him in advance, allowing him to prepare himself mentally.

The police would soon arrive to conduct their investigation and take Xia Zhihuai’s statement.

…

Xia Zhihuai stood silently at the door, still holding the white flowerpot in his arms.

After hanging up the phone, he stared blankly at the peace lilies in his arms.

Wanwan also held a pot of orchids, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, swaying her little head as she waited for her brother to open the door.

But after waiting for a while, Xia Zhihuai still hadn’t reacted. She turned around and tugged at Xia Zhihuai’s pant leg, her voice soft, “Brother, can you open the door, please? Are we going to stand outside forever?”

Xia Zhihuai suddenly snapped back to reality, inputted his fingerprint, and the door clicked open.

Wanwan huffed and puffed as she carried the flowerpot into the house, glancing at Xia Zhihuai who was lingering at the door. She noticed that the unfortunate ghost had once again climbed onto his shoulder, its color seemingly darker and its appearance clearer.

How annoying! Wanwan took off her shoes, stood on the sofa, and looked at Xia Zhihuai with a serious expression, and at the ghost behind him.

Xia Zhihuai closed the door and placed the flowerpot on the coffee table in the living room. He took a bottle of sweet milk and a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator, then sat cross-legged on the carpet in the living room.

After opening the bottle of sweet milk, he pushed it towards Wanwan, his gaze somewhat distant, lost in his thoughts.

Wanwan got off the sofa, hugged the bottle of milk, and made a “dun dun dun” sound, but her eyes remained fixed on Xia Zhihuai.

She didn’t know why, but that unfortunate ghost insisted on following her brother all the time, and this situation seemed abnormal.

If she let this unlucky fellow stick to her brother all the time, his luck would only get worse. He would choke while eating.

He would get water stuck in his throat while drinking.

Even when standing at a traffic light, cars would collide with him…

…

“Has my brother encountered any bad people recently?”

Suddenly, Wanwan broke the silence in the room.

Xia Zhihuai placed a bottle of mineral water on the table and asked, puzzled, “Why do you ask that?”

Wanwan hesitated for a few seconds, pointing with her fingers. “An unlucky ghost has been following you, and no matter what, it can’t be driven away.”

Xia Zhihuai initially wanted to brush it off, but suddenly remembered what the boss in the flower garden had told him, advising him to visit a thriving temple.

Why did they suggest that?

Xia Zhihuai’s expression gradually became serious, and his tone turned earnest. “Wanwan, can you really see this unlucky ghost?”

“Not only the unlucky ghost, but all kinds of spirits, Wanwan can see them,” she replied.

Wanwan, holding her bottle, had a cute and adorable milk mustache around her small mouth.

Xia Zhihuai wasn’t sure whether to believe her, but Wanwan wouldn’t lie to him.

Moreover, ever since she first saw him today, she had been resolute in claiming that a ghost was following him.

Her eyes and tone were sincere, not like she was pretending.

“Brother, do you not believe me?” Wanwan asked in a childish voice. Xia Zhihuai hesitated and asked, “Can you let me see it too?”

…

How did one make someone see a ghost?

This question was truly difficult.

Wanwan scratched the back of her head, pondering for a few minutes, even losing interest in the sweet milk inside the bottle.

Xia Zhihuai looked at Wanwan’s round face, which was tense and serious, and found her solemn expression incredibly cute.

He didn’t rush her for a response, instead taking out his phone and capturing two pictures of her adorable round face, saving them on his device.

They would definitely make adorable emojis in the future.

Wanwan put down her bottle and hurriedly ran into her own room. Xia Zhihuai sat in the living room, waiting for quite a while before she slowly walked out.

He was a bit worried about damaging Wanwan’s confidence, so he started to say, “Wanwan, actually, I’m not…”

“I have a solution,” Wanwan said, her hands behind her back, looking mysteriously at Xia Zhihuai. “What were you about to say, Brother?”

“It’s nothing.”

Xia Zhihuai stretched his neck, attempting to sneak a peek at what she was hiding behind her back.

But Wanwan was a clever little imp, and he couldn’t successfully sneak a look.

“Brother, close your eyes first.”

Xia Zhihuai narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “Wanwan, don’t lie to me, or else you’ll be in big trouble!”

Wanwan puffed her cheeks, completely unfazed by Xia Zhihuai’s threat. “Close your eyes, otherwise you won’t be able to see.”

Xia Zhihuai closed his eyes, one eye barely shut, and Wanwan gently touched his eyelids, causing them to close involuntarily.

“All right, I closed my eyes. What’s next?”

“Can you let me see ghosts now?”

Wanwan took out a needle from behind and concentrated the accumulated spiritual energy onto her fingertip. She pricked her finger, causing a slight pain as she gently sucked in a breath. A drop of pale golden blood oozed from her fingertip, emitting a faint peach blossom fragrance.

Xia Zhihuai’s nostrils twitched, catching a whiff of that indistinct yet refreshing floral scent.

Did Wanwan have perfume in her room?

Xia Zhihuai wasn’t entirely sure.

…

Wanwan tiptoed and leaned on Xia Zhihuai’s shoulder, evenly spreading the golden blood on his eyelids.

Xia Zhihuai felt a slight dampness on his eyelids and couldn’t help but ask, “Wanwan, what did you apply to my eyes?”

“If you dare to apply saliva, you’ll really be in big trouble.”