CH 19

Scallion, ginger, and Chinese pickles; sprinkle with chopped, dried chilis. Add bean paste and sauté until fragrant. There is no need for excessive processing when it comes to fish like this; simply cut it into thin slices and blanch.

The key to Chinese soul food is salt, garlic, and peppery noodles.

Drizzle a ladle of hot chilli oil and serve with shredded cucumbers.

Lu Yibei made sure that there weren’t any strange shadows on the ingredients Sumi bought. It took more than two hours for him to finish cooking.

When the fish fillets were served, the hot chilli oil was still coating the fillets. The fish absorbed the spices and oil, exuding a fragrant, spicy aroma. The richness of the spices and the cooling cucumbers contrasted with each other and intertwined in a culinary dance.

The people sitting around the table could hardly control their hunger and dug in instantly. After taking a single bite, the flavours exploding in their mouths overflowed, and they all couldn’t help but cheer loudly.

“As expected, you’re fantastic!”

“It’s crispy, yet tender… How on earth did you do this?”

“This fish melts in your mouth, and the spices…”

It’s rare for neighbours to get together and mingle with laughter and praises. It felt like Thanksgiving or New Year’s.

However, Sumi noticed that Yibei didn’t even touch his chopsticks and sat alone in the corner as he stared at the lush water and grass.

Sumi placed his bowl down and patted Yibei on the shoulder. “Hey, what’s the matter? Tired?”

“…”

“Sorry, I only invited three people at first. I didn’t expect this many people.”

“It’s okay. I have something to do. Tell the neighbours to dig in; I’ll leave first.”

He stood up and removed the apron. He picked up the guitar bag and headed towards the Night Division.

After seeing the half-person thing in the freezer, Lu Yibei felt his spine chill. The shadows were strange, too. The half-person was strangely familiar, and all he could think of was the widow who lost her husband next door.

Yibei felt sick to his stomach and lost all his appetite.

‘Did the murderer throw the body and mix the body parts with the other frozen meat, or did the owner deliberately throw human flesh in?’

Furthermore, that shadow seemed to notice the presence of passersby, as if it were trying to communicate.

If it was an urban legend, it’s not something that Yibei could handle.

He figured going to the Night Division was the best choice. Besides, they could probably help him check out the strange things in his house.

This is for the professionals to handle, he thought.

“Hey! Wait up! Aren’t you hungry?!” Sumi shouted at the top of his lungs. “Will you be back later?!”

Lu Yibei turned around and shouted back, “I’ll be back! Help me make the bed!”

The cool autumn wind blew through Peony Street, sending ripples rippling through the canal. It gently brushed past the osmanthus flowers, carrying their fragrance in the air.

Walking on such an ancient street, it’s easy to lose yourself in it.

Lu Yibei briskly walked over to the Night Division.

With a squeak, the old, vermilion-lacquered gate was pushed open, and the afternoon sun shone on the courtyard.

No security, Lu Yibei thought as he walked across the patio. Walking straight to the rear of the “centre”, he pushed open the heavy metal gate and heard a woman’s lazy voice.

“Who is it this time? Wait? It’s you? Why are you back here?”

The dark corridor seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, and an absent wind could be felt brushing past Yibei through the depths of the corridor.

“I-I’m Lu Yibei, a new temporary operator, and I…”

Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes fell into darkness.

In the darkness, he felt a gloomy chill pulling at him—a black vortex—weightless, spinning, collapsing.

When he came back to his senses, he realized he was on a single, white bed surrounded by blue screens. Pale lights were cast from the ceiling, and the air smelled of disinfectant and an indescribable, pungent smell.

‘A hospital?’

“Clack, clack, clack.”

“Clack, clack, clack.”

The sound of high heels could be heard, and a blonde woman in a white coat walked around the screen and came in front of Yibei.

“Are you okay?”

Looking at her exposed breasts through her white coat, he gulped and flushed: “No, wait, yes, I’m okay. Thank you for your concern.”

An Qing nodded, kneeling on the edge of the bed and placing herself between Lu Yibei’s legs.

He wanted to bring his legs together, but after seeing a strange well-proportioned curve wrapped in black silk, he froze in place.

In a daze, An Qing lifted Lu Yibei’s chin with her slender fingertips, “You must be Lu Yibei, right? Jiangli mentioned you, but I didn’t expect you to look this good.”

Yibei gulped, and An Qing continued, “I am An Qing. Besides being on duty on Saturdays, I’m also in charge of training newcomers. Temporary operators don’t need training, but I guess you can call me Ms An.”

“Right. Hello, Ms An.”

“I’ll have you know I usually take a nap at this time, Lu Yibei. I’ll be punishing you for taking my time.”

“What? What punishment?” Lu Yibei felt weak in his knees.

An Qing pushed him onto the bed and placed a hand on his chest. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, “This is very serious. Are you afraid of me?”

Her long, golden hair hung down and swept across her face. A strange fragrance made Yibei feel sleepy. She kissed his ear lightly, and Yibei felt his heart itch and pound.

“P-please be gentle…”

Lu Yibei closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen.

Yibei lay still like a corpse. If it wasn’t for his chest, which was still rising and falling, An Qing would’ve lost control and dissected him on the spot.

Teasing him was fun, but it was a pity that he was still alive and breathing.

Not my type, she thought and pursed her lips in disinterest.

“You passed the test; get up.”

An Qing’s voice came from a distance, and Lu Yibei opened his eyes, finding that all of the screens surrounding the bed were gone. Looking around, the room wasn’t actually that big. The decoration was basically blue and white, like a school doctor’s room.

An Qing sat and smiled at him.

“A test? When?” he asked in confusion. He thought that this strange but beautiful woman had some sort of virginity fetish. Perhaps he was thinking too much.

“When I kissed your ear, it was to trap any urban legends attempting to sneak in. I would’ve killed them in an instant if they were any lower than a Level A threat. Isn’t that amazing?”

He was confused, seeing the warm smile on her charming face. She exuded a warm and welcoming aura, but seeing that blood-stained needle on her fingertips, he felt a chill run down his spine.

“Why are you here anyways? Normal people like you shouldn’t be finding their way back to us so soon. It’s suspicious!”

An Qing clenched her surgical knife and pointed at Lu Yibei.

“I…” Lu Yibei swallowed. “Jiangli told me I just needed to go around the street and report anything strange.”

“So, you encountered something strange?” she tilted her head.

He nodded.

“Oh?” she frowned, her expression turning from playful to sober. “You’re still able to see them. Let’s hear it.”

Lu Yibei told the complete story of his experiences in the market.

An Qing was silent before tapping on her chin and saying, “It sounds like an urban legend that hasn’t fully formed. To be safe, I should go and take a look.”

Having facial paralysis came in handy. Nobody would doubt the authenticity of his words.

“By the way, could you take a look at my house too? My house seems to be haunted, too.”

“You really are an interesting specimen,” she smiled. “If I hadn’t noticed any fluctuations in psionic energy in you, I would have wondered if you were a psychic user on the side of fate. Well, I guess it’s bad luck.”

Yibei had no idea what she was saying, but he guessed that it wasn’t anything good.

“I’ll head out now. You just stay here, and I’ll see what’s happening at the frozen food store you mentioned first.”

“Don’t you need me to lead the way?”

“I know where the market is,” she narrowed her eyes and smiled. “When it comes to strange stories and urban legends, there’s a high chance a fight would break out, and I may not be able to protect you. Are you sure you want to come with me?”

“No, no, go ahead.”

“Alright. Wait for me to come back, then,” she shrugged, pointing to the document bag on the table. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and there’s no mobile phone signal here. If you’re bored, you can read the documents there; they’re about Mr Rabbit, and since you’re involved in the case, you can read them.”

“The [Night Division Records] are on the table for newcomers as well,” she pointed towards the other table. “Temporary operators don’t need it, but it doesn’t hurt to read. These two things should be enough for you to pass the time, and don’t touch the rest, okay?”

“What happens if I touch it?” Lu Yibei asked curiously.

An Qing simply laughed and turned around, saying, “Then they’ll have my head on a platter!”

“Oh.”s

“Just kidding! Though I would rather be dead than alive!”