Chapter 71: He Still Has a Heart for Girls
Liu Haoyu’s words left Qin Liu speechless.
To be honest, she felt a little touched.
Liu Haoyu continued, “If you just like someone for their beauty, what’s the difference between that and lust at first sight?”
Moreover, if he only liked someone for beauty, Liu Haoyu would have been smitten the moment he saw Qin Liu. After all, Qin Liu’s inhuman beauty was a fatal temptation to any man.
In a certain horror novel, there was a monster named “Fukie” who was adept at using her beauty and abilities to tempt any man she met. The novel described Fukie as having the same mesmerizing beauty as Qin Liu, enough to drive men mad.
However, Qin Liu wasn’t that kind of monster. While she was indeed beautiful, she didn’t seem like the type to be seductive. If she were, she probably would have come to him wearing those white stockings.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t. This thought brought a hint of regret to Liu Haoyu’s heart.
Snapping back to reality, Qin Liu thoughtfully stroked her chin. “That does make sense.”
As Qin Liu muttered, the lively and sunny Deng Xiaolin ran up to Liu Haoyu, looking like she expected praise. “Hao-ge! The room is ready!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Uh-huh!” Deng Xiaolin nodded happily. Then, she felt a chill beside her. Turning her head, she saw a red shadow had appeared in the living room at some point.
This scared Deng Xiaolin, making her hair stand on end. She scrambled behind Liu Haoyu. “Is… is that Miss Qin Liu?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Since it wasn’t the first time they met, Qin Liu’s tone was much more relaxed. “I’ll have to stay here for the night.”
“Will my grandfather be able to find you?” Deng Xiaolin started to worry, not for Qin Liu’s safety, but for what might happen if Qin Liu clashed with her grandfather.
Qin Liu, understanding Deng Xiaolin’s concern, smiled and said, “Don’t worry. If I hide inside Hong Yu, he won’t be able to find me.” With that, Qin Liu disappeared into Hong Yu. The red shadow that had been floating in front of Deng Xiaolin vanished as well.
“See?”
“That’s good, that’s good.” Deng Xiaolin remained fearful and vigilant towards Qin Liu. This was because Deng Xiaolin could communicate with ghosts, and most ghosts were friendly towards her. After failing to invite Liu Haoyu to stay at her place, she had questioned many lonely spirits to understand the origin and dangers of the haunted house.
The answers she received were astonishingly consistent. These spirits appeared terrified and repeatedly warned Deng Xiaolin never to go near the haunted house. They said it not only devoured people but also spared no ghosts, dragging any living being that entered into hell.
Given these warnings, it would have been strange if Deng Xiaolin could have treated Qin Liu with complete nonchalance.
Later, after a period of casual conversation, Liu Haoyu had dinner there and informed Old Deng about his plan to stay. The old man was initially surprised but then readily agreed. He even asked if Liu Haoyu wanted to share a room with Deng Xiaolin. Liu Haoyu naturally declined.
At 10 PM. Liu Haoyu lay on the bed, looking at the familiar yet strange ceiling. It had been several years since he had slept in this place. As soon as Liu Haoyu lay down, his usual alertness and fatigue vanished. It was like being in a safe house, a feeling of immense relaxation. He could finally get a good night’s sleep.
“I should be able to come out now, right?” As Liu Haoyu closed his eyes, a discordant voice echoed in the room. It was Qin Liu, who had been confined to Hong Yu the entire time. Although it was comfortable inside, she felt a lack of freedom and preferred floating around outside.
“The door is locked, so you can come out if you want.” After receiving a positive confirmation, Qin Liu poked her head out of Hong Yu. “By the way, didn’t you say you were going to give me a gift?” Hearing Qin Liu’s casual remark, Liu Haoyu realized he had forgotten about it. He opened his eyes and looked at his backpack. Inside was the gift he was supposed to give Qin Liu, which he hadn’t managed to deliver during his two days in the city. Fortunately, Old Deng’s house had an altar, where he could place Hong Yu, allowing him to burn all the clothes for her.
“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten.”
“Exactly, you need to cherish this opportunity.” Qin Liu said, feigning mature wisdom. “If you don’t give it to me now, it will be much harder to do so later.” Hearing Qin Liu’s words, Liu Haoyu was a bit confused. If he didn’t give it to her now, couldn’t he still burn it for her when they returned to the haunted house? It seemed this little ghost was quite eager and probably quite fond of the gift. Since she put it that way, he would reluctantly get up and burn it for her.
“Alright, I’ll go now.” As Liu Haoyu stepped out of the room, Qin Liu encouraged him from behind, “Don’t disappoint the girl’s feelings.”
“…?” Liu Haoyu’s confusion deepened. What feelings?
He thought, Could it be… No, no. Qin Liu’s feelings for him were just that of a normal friend. It was best not to assume too much, lest he end up looking like a clown. So what did she mean by that?
Liu Haoyu couldn’t figure it out but still left the room. Inside, Qin Liu watched Liu Haoyu’s retreating figure with a sigh. Indeed, this man, while appearing tough, still had a heart for girls. Deng Xiaolin’s obvious affection was practically overflowing, coupled with their childhood friend-like relationship. Qin Liu genuinely hoped they would get together. Of course, if they did, she would likely be alone again in that place. But humans and ghosts were from different worlds, and living together constantly wasn’t a good thing. It was better this way.
Just as Qin Liu was reflecting on her ghostly existence, a piece of clothing suddenly floated down from above and landed on her head. “Huh?” The little ghost took the item from her head and saw a familiar light cyan sailor uniform, cat ear accessories, and… white stockings? Wait, weren’t these the clothes she bought at that women’s clothing store?!
