Yao Shen is taken to exactly the same place he visited the last time. To the same airy building overlooking a courtyard hidden from view of everyone walking in the street.
Being back in Youdu leaves him of two minds. On one hand, there's something about the city that feels familiar to him down to his bones. On the other hand, it's as if the towering wooden buildings are closing down on him with each step he takes deeper into the city's sinuous streets.
Inside the building, he finds the three Ghost Kings in much the same position as last time.
The woman in the floor-length red qipao is laying down on a chaise lounge, her long pipe held between her slender fingers.
"Shi Wang, so glad to see you," she says, her brilliant red lips curving into a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "We have been wondering how much progress you've made."
She wants to bait him. All four pairs of eyes are glued on him expectantly, waiting to see if like a fish he'll hang himself by the mouth.
"I was doing alright, until this one showed up," Yao Shen says, his tone breezy as he points at the ghoul. "Terrible timing."
He sees the fourth King, the one he hasn't met before, stand up a little straighter, his eyebrows knitting in confusion. He's tall, just like the other kings, and wears the king of flowy daoist robes that Yao Shen associates with cultivators in period dramas. Although handsome, when compared to the barefooted king with hair down to his hips, or the one wearing court official robes, he could almost be called plain.
Yao Shen returns his intense gaze, unsure of why it's him out of everyone else, who seems so suspicious of him.
The court official makes his way towards him, his hands clasped severely behind his back. "And what exactly were you doing?"
"I was seducing him," Yao Shen admits, his tone even.
His words are met with silence, at least until the woman in the qipao breaks it with her tinkling laugh.
"Is that the only thing you could come up with? Or do you just love crawling under him that much?"
Yao Shen holds still, refusing to let himself be affected by her words.
"By your own admission, it's the strategy I used in the past," Yao Shen says with a casual shrug. They already think he's dumb, he might as well lean into it. "Seemed like the easiest way to get close to him."
The barefooted man turns around on his chaise, hugging the back of it and pouting prettily. "Did you tell him who you are," he smiles, revealing a sharp canine, "or rather, who you used to be?"
Yao Shen shakes his head. "No."
The man shoots a look to the fourth king, who nods quickly, as if confirming the validity of Yao Shen's words.
But how would he know?
The woman takes a drag of her pipe, and blows out smoke in the shape of little carps, that float up the air as if it were water. "Good, keep it that way."
Yao Shen thinks he's about to be let go, when the fourth king makes his way towards him, his gaze unwavering.
"What are your feelings for Xin Hulei?" he asks, deadpan.
There's something about his voice that is oddly familiar, but Yao Shen can't quite place it.
"There are no feelings, I'm trying to do what you told me to and get close to him," Yao Shen says, meeting his gaze.
Yao Shen might not be the smartest guy, or the most talented actor, but he's fairly certain he can act well enough to fool this group of self-important ghosts.
"What do you say, Si Wang? Is he telling the truth?"
The man turns around in a flurry of white robes, returning to his original position near a pillar. "Yes," it's all he says.
Yao Shen has the feeling he's lying to the other kings, but he won't question his good luck for now.
Any tensions between them can only mean good things for him.
"The Demon King isn't stupid," the ghost in court official robes says, his heavy brows drawn tight over his phoenix eyes. "Don't think you can outsmart him just because he's going along with your whims for now."
The woman in the qipao laughs. "Very true, we all know how things ended up for you the first time around."
It doesn't seem like any of them is in a hurry to elaborate, so Yao Shen doesn't ask either, although he files away the information for later.
"Can I leave now?" Yao Shen asks with a sigh. "This little detour has made him suspicious."
"Not yet," the woman in the red qipao gets up from her chaise and saunters up towards him, still holding up the pipe to her lips. "We need to make sure we can trust you."
Before Yao Shen can ask what she means with that, she takes a long golden hairpin from her hair and gives it to him.
"More bugs?" he asks, inspecting it distastefully.
She smirks, taking a drag of her pipe and blowing out butterflies this time. "Mix a drink for Xin Hulei with this, and ask him what happened when he visited the Fragrant Peony brothel a second time."
Yao Shen smiles. That's all?
"You have a fortnight to get an answer from him," she says, grinning. "Don't look so smug," she waves her bare arm in a graceful arch that encompasses all four of them. "We all know the answer too. The point is to test you, and if you're really committed to killing Xin Hulei."
Yao Shen pockets the hairpin. "That's fine, in a fortnight, I'll have the answer too."
The man in the court official robes tells the ghoul to escort Yao Shen out, while the four ghost kings remain in place watching his departing back.
"That was clever, Er Wang," says the man with the cascading loose hair.
"I have my moments, Jiu Wang," she replies with an exaggerated curtsy. "Once he finds the answer, any feelings he might be hiding for Xin Hulei will be extinguished like a snuffed candle."
---
Back in his hotel room, Yao Shen is glad to see the back of the ghoul, and even more glad to shove the golden hairpin in the same drawer he left the box with the gu insect.
He has fifteen days to get that stupid answer from Xin Hulei, he's not in any rush.
Mostly, he's relieved that he managed to fool the ghost kings. They're more guilable than he thought.
Yao Shen is in a good mood after escaping certain doom, and it makes him feel generous.
He sends a message to Gao Wu with Jia Hao's phone number.
[Little Ghost: Sorry to bother you didi, but my friend from back home is a huge fan of yours, and he pestered me into giving you his number. I know I have no right to ask this, but if didi could just humor him for a while I'd be very grateful orz]
He doesn't expect to get a reply right away, but Gao Wu surprises him.
[Cute didi: Sure, I don't mind meeting gege's friend]
[Little Ghost: thank you didi, my friend will be really happy heart.png]
Yao Shen feels giddy with relief. Nothing bad happened to him, nothing bad happened to Xin Hulei, and he managed to convince the ghost kings that him getting closer to Xin Hulei was all part of a plan.
It makes him feel a little reckless.
He texts Xin Hulei too.
[Little Ghost: I'm feeling better now, if you still want to come over]
Xin Hulei's answer arrives in seconds.
[Xin Hulei: Can you tell me why you were avoiding me now?]
Yao Shen debates this, he doesn't want to lie to Xin Hulei, but he can't tell him the truth either.
[Little Ghost: I had a little disagreement with my agency over you, but it's all sorted now]
That's truth adjacent, at least. If by 'agency' he means the Underworld, and if the 'disagreement' is about whether or not Xin Hulei should remain alive.
[Xin Hulei: I'm glad to hear that, and I apologize for causing problems for you]
[Little Ghost: stop apologizing groan.png]
[Little Ghost: or at least come here and apologize in another way wink.png wink.png]
He thinks Xin Hulei is not going to reply when his next message arrives.
[Xin Hulei: it's late, you should rest]
It is late, but Yao Shen is too high on adrenaline for that. He feels like he escaped death by a hairsbreadth, that deserves celebrating.
Yao Shen feels more daring while talking over text, none of the shyness that sometimes overcomes him when he's face to face with Xin Hulei afflicts him now.
Which is probably why he takes off his shirt and takes a photo of his naked torso, his nipples standing taut and hard in the chill of the AC.
He crops his face, but makes sure the waistband of his underwear shows.
[Naughty Ghost: attachment.jpg]
[Naughty Ghost: are you sure you don't want to come over?]