Chapter 74: Why Aren’t You Dead? (4000 words)
The Black Book saw that Deng Xiaolin had discovered it and spoke again.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“You’re a book?”
Deng Xiaolin held the Black Book in her hand, feeling its cold cover, and said.
“Are you sealed inside?”
“That’s a long story…”
The Black Book sighed wistfully and continued.
“Little girl, I see you have high spiritual sight. Are you interested in becoming a ghost exorcist with me?”
The Black Book threw an olive branch to Deng Xiaolin, who, after hearing it, first rejoiced, then retreated.
“No, no. My grandpa said not to trust strangers.”
If it were Deng Xiaolin a month ago, she might have agreed to the Black Book without hesitation, but after experiencing the danger in the haunted house and Deng Lao’s lecture.
This young girl seemed much more honest.
But the Black Book exclaimed, “Heh ya!”
“Little girl, your spiritual sight is very high, and your affinity for souls is also very high. As long as it’s not a vengeful spirit full of killing intent, general ghosts will have a natural good impression of you. They won’t hurt you.”
This was indeed Deng Xiaolin’s constitution.
She could communicate with ghosts, and most ghosts did not attack her.
But because of this, this little girl had not encountered any major dangers and did not have much psychological guard against ghosts.
As a result, she encountered Qin Liu… and was almost scared out of her wits.
“How about giving it a try?”
The Black Book looked at Deng Xiaolin with anticipation, waiting for her to nod.
As for why…
The reason was simple: it felt that its current owner wouldn’t live long.
This man named Liu Haoyu had already fallen into a nightmare, and coupled with his identity as a guide for the red-clothed fierce ghost.
He would likely be pulled into the red door soon.
Although it was a book, it had a soul, so it definitely didn’t want to be implicated by Liu Haoyu.
In this situation, finding a successor was a wise choice.
“But aren’t you something of Hao-ge’s?”
“Pah, I’m not a thing! No, I am a thing… No, no…”
The Black Book was clearly trapped by Deng Xiaolin. After reorganizing its language, it continued.
“Little girl, my original owner died in the hands of a fierce ghost. I was just picked up by this man. Ownership does not belong to him, you understand? I also have the right to find a master.”
“Is that so?”
Deng Xiaolin’s eyes looked at the Black Book, and she held it in her palm, saying.
“I might not be cut out to be a ghost exorcist. Those fierce ghosts seem too powerful.”
“No, no, no!” The Black Book immediately retorted, “You have nothing to fear from fierce ghosts. You just happened to encounter the most terrifying fierce ghost in this world in that haunted house before. That was a special circumstance.”
While speaking, the Black Book thought of something and reminded her.
“If I may say, the fact that you were able to escape that haunted house alive is already impressive enough, but next time, don’t go to that underworld place again.”
“I know, I know.”
Deng Xiaolin listened to the Black Book and opened the book.
Then, this innocent girl saw a scene that made her blush.
As she saw, the girl in the book was wearing stockings and helping the protagonist… cook dumplings.
Seeing this, Deng Xiaolin immediately closed the book. Her mind was already overloaded, and the Black Book quickly explained when it saw this situation.
“This is not my original content!”
“Then why is it appearing here!”
Deng Xiaolin’s face was flushed, and her voice was a little trembling.
Then she stealthily opened it a little wider, took a peek, and quickly closed it again.
No, no, the things inside are still too inappropriate for children!
“This…”
When this matter was mentioned, the Black Book couldn’t help but feel sad.
“Didn’t I just say? Liu Haoyu is not my owner. My owner is already dead, and after he picked me up, I wanted to resist and escape.”
“And then?”
Deng Xiaolin didn’t quite understand the Black Book’s explanation.
“Then I failed to resist, right?”
If the Black Book were a person, he would definitely look up at the sky and shed tears.
“After I failed to resist, he put me on the printing press, and a lot of doujinshi were printed on me…”
Deng Xiaolin’s face was a little embarrassed, and she scratched her head, suddenly feeling a bit sorry for the Black Book.
As for suspecting its words?
She really wouldn’t.
Because this was exactly the kind of thing Hao-ge would do.
However, Deng Xiaolin’s thoughts were now focused on the content of the book.
At first, she was just cautiously testing, but when she thought that this was the doujinshi Liu Haoyu chose, she couldn’t help but read it with great interest.
“Wow… Hao-ge actually likes this kinda stuff?”
Deng Xiaolin looked at her legs and then compared them to the heroine’s legs in the book.
Damn it… can’t compare.
“Cough, cough!”
The Black Book coughed lightly and tried to bring her attention back.
“So, come and be a ghost exorcist. I will assist you.”
This sounded like some evil creature trying to trick Deng Xiaolin into becoming a magical girl.
And Deng Xiaolin also hesitated a little, then she finally spoke.
“Let me finish reading the stuff on it first.”
“…???”
The Black Book was now full of question marks.
Then it was taken out of the room by Deng Xiaolin and sat on the steps outside, reading with relish.
Qin Liu heard their conversation clearly. Looking at Deng Xiaolin’s retreating back, she couldn’t help but pray for Liu Haoyu.
After all, being discovered to have one’s private doujinshi would be very embarrassing, wouldn’t it?
She had to sigh that nothing from this man was simple.
Even this apparently ordinary doujinshi housed a ghost.
But then again… wouldn’t it be inconvenient to have a ghost while reading doujinshi?
This would make it impossible to cast spells, wouldn’t it? Or could this man do it without changing his expression…
Hiss, it’s terrifying just thinking about it.
Qin Liu shook off the scene in her mind.
But no matter what, she still had to remind him that Deng Xiaolin had discovered the doujinshi.
To save him some face.
So, the little ghost floated to Liu Haoyu’s bed and gently shook his body, saying.
“Hey, wake up! Your doujinshi has been discovered!”
After a series of shakes, Liu Haoyu groggily opened his eyes.
Qin Liu shook him vigorously, so Liu Haoyu naturally woke up. When he opened his eyes, he found…
In front of him was a JK sailor uniform girl, with her feet wrapped in white stockings.
And this girl was Qin Liu.
However, after Liu Haoyu vaguely saw the girl’s face, he turned over and went back to sleep.
What’s this?
Why would he have a dream of Qin Liu wearing a JK sailor uniform?
He must not have woken up yet.
Unfortunately, before Liu Haoyu could sleep any longer.
Qin Liu’s small hand was placed on him again. After a good shake, Liu Haoyu reluctantly sat up from the bed.
He looked around, but did not see Qin Liu’s figure.
Indeed, he must have been dreaming just now.
At the same time, Liu Haoyu took out his phone and checked the time.
It was only 3:30 AM. Why was he woken up at this time?
Liu Haoyu yawned and said to Qin Liu.
“It’s so late, is there something?”
“Sleep for a little longer, and the doujinshi you hid will be seen by Deng Xiaolin.”
Seeing Liu Haoyu’s lack of crisis awareness, Qin Liu was somewhat speechless.
However, in response to these words, the man unhurriedly got out of bed and replied.
“I know, this is not a big deal.”
So, the man walked out of the room and behind Deng Xiaolin.
At this time, Deng Xiaolin was so engrossed in reading that she didn’t notice Liu Haoyu standing behind her at all.
It was like a student engrossed in their phone and not noticing their teacher approaching.
It wasn’t until Liu Haoyu took the book from above her that the young girl suddenly came back to her senses.
“Hao… Hao-ge, aren’t you asleep yet?”
Deng Xiaolin, who had been discovered, was a little embarrassed. The blush on her face had not faded, and the scenes depicted in the doujinshi were still in her mind.
Finally, gathering her courage, the young girl said.
“I can do it too!”
“Can do what nonsense.”
Seeing the young girl bravely preparing to say something, Liu Haoyu gently gave her a hand chop.
“Don’t get too caught up in the doujinshi.”
“It’s Hao-ge’s doujinshi…”
Deng Xiaolin mumbled, and then didn’t say anything more.
Liu Haoyu looked at the Black Book in his hand and asked.
“Did it say anything to you just now?”
Faced with Liu Haoyu’s question, Deng Xiaolin immediately sold out the Black Book.
“It wanted me to be a ghost exorcist.”
At this moment, the Black Book really wanted to say “mmp.”
But seeing the red figure behind Liu Haoyu, it dared not utter a single word.
“Then I know. You should go to sleep now.”
“Can I sleep in Hao-ge’s room?”
“Yes.”
After all, this was Deng Xiaolin’s home. Liu Haoyu had no opinion on where she slept.
“Yay!”
The happy girl bypassed Liu Haoyu, then froze for a moment after seeing Qin Liu, and quickly restrained her happy expression, walking quickly into the house.
Qin Liu yawned and then burrowed into the Hong Yu, preparing to sleep in.
Seeing Deng Xiaolin lying on the bed, Liu Haoyu flipped open the Black Book and wrote on it.
“That girl isn’t suited for this line of work. You should give up on that idea.”
“Pah!”
At this moment, the Black Book stopped pretending. It fully revealed its cards and said.
“You’ve already been entangled by that door, who knows when you’ll die. You’re not afraid of death, but I don’t want to be buried with you!”
“So that’s why you went after Deng Xiaolin?”
“Her constitution dictates that she can’t live like a normal person. It’s such a pity not to be a ghost exorcist with such an ability to communicate with ghosts.”
The Black Book’s words had some truth to them, but obviously, Liu Haoyu didn’t want to reason with it.
“No matter what her constitution is, this line of work is too dangerous for a girl.”
“Heh? Dangerous?”
The Black Book sneered at Liu Haoyu’s words.
“Is it more dangerous than your current situation?”
“You are already a dying person. Entangled by the red door, the guide of the underworld will take you to hell. I am just seeking a way to survive.”
The Black Book’s words made Liu Haoyu stop writing.
He vaguely recalled the dream he had just had.
He had a dream of Qin Liu, who looked a bit strange and cute.
And she also called herself a “guide.”
Could this be Qin Liu’s identity?
Thinking of this, Liu Haoyu reorganized his thoughts and wrote a question he had previously asked on the Black Book with blood.
“Is Qin Liu the guide of the underworld you speak of?”
Compared to his unwillingness to answer the first time, this time the Black Book gave its answer.
“It seems you already know her identity. It won’t be long before she enters your dream with the soul-summoning lantern and takes you away…”
“Wait a moment,” Liu Haoyu pressed the blood writing on the book and wrote, “I have already met Qin Liu who was carrying a lantern.”
“…”
“…?”
At these words, the atmosphere between the man and the book fell silent.
It took the Black Book a full half-minute to digest what Liu Haoyu had just written.
Ten seconds later, a brand new line of blood characters appeared on the book.
“Are you saying you’ve already met the guide carrying a lantern?”
“Yes.”
“She was wearing a red wedding dress and embroidered shoes?”
“Correct.”
“Are you sure her name is Qin Liu?”
“Certain.”
“…”
The Black Book asked three questions in a row, as if it couldn’t believe its eyes.
Finally, it couldn’t hold back anymore.
On the blank book page, the following passage appeared.
“Then why aren’t you dead yet?”
Obviously, this situation was beyond the Black Book’s understanding.
Liu Haoyu also spread his hands.
“How should I know? If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
“This is unscientific!”
The blood characters written by the Black Book were trembling a bit.
“You’re not dead yet, are you her husband? That makes no sense…”
The Black Book, always eloquent and riddle-like, finally couldn’t help but curse.
“Let me sort this out, what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, I just sent her a sailor uniform and helped her put on stockings. What else could I have done?”
“So… you made a move on her?”
The Black Book was even more dumbfounded by this answer.
If the underworld guide captured him in the future, perhaps he could try this method?
“How can that be called making a move?” Liu Haoyu righteously retorted, “This is called helping others. Teaching ignorant girls how to wear stockings is clearly doing good deeds.”
“Heh heh~”
The Black Book wrote two words to express its ridicule.
“Speaking of which, why do I feel that the Qin Liu I met in the dream is completely different from the Qin Liu in reality.”
“This is precisely why I can’t see her destiny…”
Earlier, the Black Book was unwilling to reveal Qin Liu’s identity in order to protect Liu Haoyu.
Because once one knows too much, they will be entangled by that man-eating red door, no matter how they escape, they can’t escape.
Not only people but even ghosts would be taken to hell by her.
But for the current Liu Haoyu, it was too late. It was useless to say anything.
