When this issue arose at the hospital, Tang Ning had once asked Old Liu, but at that time, Old Liu's reaction was intense, and the sudden change in his demeanor left an indelible memory for Tang Ning.
As he posed the question again, Tang Ning couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of anxiety. He met Old Liu's dull, lifeless eyes and heard him slowly say, "Yes, dealt with a dead person."
His phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, and Mo Yun Chu looked at Old Liu.
Quickly explaining, Tang Ning said, "I didn't ask if you had dealt with a dead person."
Old Liu let out a cold laugh, "Doesn't the funeral car pick up the dead?"
Tang Ning awkwardly smiled, and Old Liu turned away to continue dealing with the chopped meat on the cutting board. The dull sound of chopping meat echoed again, and Old Liu impatiently said, "Any other questions?"
Stepping back, Tang Ning seemed to step on something on the floor. He lowered his head and saw a piece of candy wrapper. Bending down to pick it up, he planned to throw it into the trash, only to discover many candy wrappers and empty drink bottles inside.
"Does Master Liu like sweets?"
Old Liu's tone remained steady, "Don't like them."
"Why did Master Liu buy so much candy?" Tang Ning thought of Mr. Hao's solution and tentatively asked, "Did Mr. Hao ask you to do this?"
Old Liu's hands paused in chopping meat, "How do you know about him?"
"Oh, Director Lin told me about Mr. Hao." Tang Ning suspected a connection between Old Liu and the ghost infant. Had Old Liu also provoked the ghost infant, and Mr. Hao gave him a similar solution?
Or did this method work for many ghosts?
Deciding to probe further, as Mo Yun Chu was present and Tang Ning couldn't discuss supernatural matters openly with him, Tang Ning discreetly moved away from Mo Yun Chu. He approached the motionless Old Liu and whispered, "Mr. Hao said that as long as you turn the candy into a ghost child, then sew it into the leg of a doll it possessed, it will be grateful to you and won't harm you anymore."
While speaking, he kept glancing back at Mo Yun Chu, worried that Mo Yun Chu might notice their conversation. Seeing Mo Yun Chu inspecting other items in the room, Tang Ning breathed a sigh of relief and locked eyes with the stern gaze of Old Liu.
Old Liu, who had been chopping vegetables with his back to Tang Ning, had turned his head at some point, fixing his lethargic eyes on Tang Ning. The drooping eyelids opened, and in the dim light, a chilling glint reflected.
"What does that doll look like?" Old Liu asked slowly.
Feeling a tingling sensation from the intense stare, Tang Ning whispered, "Legs broken, two eyes sewn with black buttons."
Before he could finish speaking, Old Liu suddenly said, "Get lost."
Tang Ning froze, seeing Old Liu's rigid face forming deep furrows, and intense emotions seemed ready to tear that face apart.
"Get lost!" Old Liu's expression, under the glaring light, appeared particularly fierce and sinister. He crazily shouted, "Get the hell out! I told you to get lost!"
Panicking, Tang Ning turned and ran. Mo Yun Chu shielded Tang Ning, politely saying to Old Liu, "Mr. Liu, there's ten million in this card, and the password is six zeros."
"Get lost!" Old Liu's emotions were exceptionally agitated. He grabbed a kitchen knife from the cutting board and wildly swung it towards Mo Yun Chu while screaming, "Get lost! Get the hell out!!!"
Mo Yun Chu nodded slightly to Mr. Liu, expressing gratitude. "Sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Liu. Wish you a pleasant life."
Amidst Old Liu's vehement shouts, Mo Yun Chu, accompanied by Tang Ning, left the room. He calmly closed the door, politely concluding the visit.
Through the closed door, Tang Ning could hear the sounds of things being thrown and Old Liu's desperate wails. He shouted "fraud" and cursed, his hoarse and rugged voice taking on a choked, childlike sobbing tone.
"What's happening to him?" Tang Ning asked bewilderedly.
"It sounds like he got deceived by someone." Mo Yun Chu said casually. "Speaking of fraud, I have a friend in the industry who spent a fortune on a Taoist priest for supposed good fortune. It ended up being exposed and blacklisted within a few days."
"These things are feudal superstitions. Little Ning, don't worry about that dream anymore." Mo Yun Chu patted Tang Ning's head, akin to a police officer educating a wayward youth about scams. "We need to believe in science."
Tang Ning felt a bit lost for a moment.
Why did Old Liu react so strongly to his words? Why did he inexplicably mention fraud? Was Mr. Hao a fraudster?
As Mo Yun Chu went to the garage to get the car, coincidentally, Mr. Hao called, asking if Tang Ning had sewn the legs of the doll possessed by the ghost infant.
Tang Ning made some excuses, citing various strange situations he encountered and not having time to sew the doll.
Mr. Hao exclaimed, "The commotion you mentioned doesn't sound like something a ghost infant would cause. Did you provoke a new evil spirit?"
Unable to hold back, Tang Ning said, "I did everything as you instructed. How could I provoke those entities?"
"That's strange then. If you followed the instructions, the result shouldn't be like this unless there's someone in your living place who harmed them."
The villa only housed Tang Ning and Mo Yun Chu. Tang Ning instinctively retorted, "You're talking nonsense!"
Mr. Hao snorted, "Am I talking nonsense? I speak with facts. Well, I was even planning to give you a piece of ancient jade for warding off evil, but now, forget it. I'll keep the jade for myself!"
With Mr. Hao's sudden change in tone, Tang Ning's argument weakened, especially when he heard about the jade that could ward off evil. "Mr. Hao, I was the one talking nonsense. I was the one talking nonsense. Look at the jade..."
Mr. Hao grumbled, "Fine, you're my big customer after all. You've paid, so I naturally have to protect your personal safety. But I won't give you the jade. I'll take it back after you finish this deal."
Just then, Mo Yun Chu's car arrived in front of Tang Ning. He quickly hung up the phone, considering that Mo Yun Chu had just discussed scam prevention with him.
Tang Ning got into the passenger seat, and as Mo Yun Chu helped him with the seatbelt, he asked, "Xiaoning, what do you want to eat today?"
"Anything," Tang Ning's mind was a bit chaotic now, not in the mood for thinking about food and drink.
"How about sweet and sour spare ribs, tremella red date soup, and corn pancakes?" Mo Yun Chu suggested dishes with a sweet taste. After hearing them, Tang Ning realized he was hungry.
"Okay," Tang Ning nervously bit his finger. His fingers were fair, and the bitten fingertips displayed a beautiful blush.
It was strange.
Why did Mo Yun Chu mention dishes that he liked?
"Why are you biting your finger?" Mo Yun Chu gently moved Tang Ning's hand away, massaging his fingertips with a concerned furrow in his brows.
The soothing warmth traveled from the fingertips to Tang Ning's heart. Anxiously, he withdrew his hand. "It's nothing, I'm just too hungry."
"I actually think a bit of hunger adds a finishing touch." Mo Yun Chu smiled. "Only when the wait is long enough, without exceeding the limits of patience, at the moment you truly taste it—"
His phoenix-like eyes gazed tenderly at Tang Ning. "Can you achieve maximum satisfaction?"
Back at home, Mo Yun Chu had to handle the ingredients. Tang Ning didn't want to be left alone and volunteered to assist. He could peel garlic or beat eggs next to the trash can, among other things.
He had never done housework before, and his assistance was limited. Tang Ning couldn't handle tasks like chopping meat; that was left to Mo Yun Chu.
The dull and monotonous sound of chopping meat echoed in the kitchen.
Tang Ning lifted his head, looking at Mo Yun Chu, who was chopping ribs at the cutting board. The white cuff of his shirt was rolled up to the elbow, revealing a beautiful forearm. His figure was tall and upright, as if trying to distance himself from the mundane world. It formed a sharp contrast with the scene Old Liu portrayed.
Thinking about this, Tang Ning paused.
He didn't understand why he found Mo Yun Chu's back so appealing, subconsciously associating it with the image of Old Liu chopping meat.
"Is it peeled?" Mo Yun Chu turned around, praising, "Well done, Xiaoning. You did great."
As the ribs sizzled in the pan, the whole kitchen was filled with the sweet fragrance of sweet and sour. Tang Ning couldn't resist taking deep breaths. His suppressed mood improved a bit, and he stared at the ribs. His eyes sparkled, and Tang Ning happily raised his head, locking eyes with the slender and focused phoenix gaze.
The air was filled with a sweet scent. Mo Yun Chu and Tang Ning's eyes met without avoidance. He spoke with concern, "There's a lot of smoke here; be careful not to get splashed."
Tang Ning took a few steps back.
It was strange; why did he feel a dangerous aura from those dark, intense phoenix eyes during that eye contact?
Mo Yun Chu continued cooking, and Tang Ning checked his phone, finding a message from Mr. Hao. The delivery had arrived and was left at the door.
Temporarily saying goodbye to the kitchen, Tang Ning went downstairs to collect the delivery. Opening the package, he found a pendant made of coral jade inside. Tang Ning didn't appreciate coral jade much. At first glance, it looked good, but upon closer inspection, he felt that the densely arranged patterns were exceptionally restraining and made one's scalp tingle.
However, Tang Ning had heard that coral jade seemed to have some warding-off-evil effects.
Hesitating for a moment, Tang Ning reluctantly put on the jade and then returned to the kitchen.
At this moment, Mo Yun Chu was finishing plating the sweet and sour ribs, pouring the thick, reddish-brown sauce over them. Tang Ning's attention was completely captivated by the ribs, and Mo Yun Chu took a casual glance at Tang Ning, asking, "Why did Xiaoning suddenly develop an interest in jade?"
"Just wearing it for fun," Tang Ning said, walking to get the rice. Mo Yun Chu was responsible for bringing the dishes to the table.
The dishes on the table emitted steaming heat, and Tang Ning sat down, picked up his chopsticks, eagerly watching Mo Yun Chu. As soon as Mo Yun Chu sat down, Tang Ning would start indulging in the delicious meal.
But Mo Yun Chu's phone suddenly rang. Apologetically, he made a gesture to Tang Ning, stepping aside for a hushed conversation. The person on the other end seemed to be discussing something serious, and Mo Yun Chu's expression became grave. He nodded occasionally. After ending the call, he let out a long sigh, then walked to a distance of about a meter from Tang Ning, expressing regret, "I have something to deal with now, can't accompany Xiaoning for dinner."
"Will you come back tonight?" Tang Ning asked nervously.
"Depends on the situation. I'll try to resolve it quickly and return as soon as possible." Mo Yun Chu spoke gently.
Tang Ning couldn't hide the visible disappointment. He picked up a piece of sweet and sour rib, wanting to feed Mo Yun Chu a bite. After all, Mo Yun Chu had been busy for so long, and if he couldn't even taste a bite of the delicious dish, it would be a pity.
Mo Yun Chu looked at his watch regretfully. "Sorry, it's really too late now."
He hastily bid farewell to Tang Ning, who sat alone at the spacious table. Tang Ning awkwardly held the jade, colder and harder than Mo Yun Chu's warm and broad chest.
It's okay; Mr. Hao said this jade can ward off evil.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Ning sat alone in the vast villa, enjoying the meal. Tangy, sweet, or savory flavors stimulated his taste buds. The suppressed fear and anxiety were relieved in the face of delicious food. The brief moment of indulgence gave Tang Ning a tangible sense that he was still alive.
When he finished the last bite, his distended stomach warned him. Tang Ning nervously bit the tip of the chopsticks, hoping the empty plate would magically produce new dishes.
He didn't want to end this happiness.
Just enjoy the current delicacies without considering the fearful future.
His nerves had already stretched like a dangerously fragile string, and no one knew when it would break, maybe tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in the next second.
So.
Where was Mo Yun Chu?
When would Mo Yun Chu come back?
He missed Mo Yun Chu, hopelessly and irrationally, even though Mo Yun Chu had only been gone for half an hour.