Chapter 26: Mistaken for the Young Master

“Sister Long, I have something else to attend to, so I won't bother you any longer,” Rose said, swaying her hips as she walked out.

Now, only I and this woman in her forties remained in the private room.

“Xiaobei, don't be so stiff. Have a drink!” Sister Long raised her wine glass to me.

I forced a smile, took the glass from her, and sipped it cautiously.

“What’s this? Afraid I’ll drug you? I’m not that kind of person. Bottoms up!” As she spoke, her hand landed on my leg.

I glanced at her crimson-painted nails, sighed inwardly, and drained the glass in one go.

My tolerance for alcohol was never high, so I knew I needed to get away quickly.

With that in mind, I poured her a drink as well and said politely, “Sister Long, this one is for you. It’s my first time in a place like this, so I’m not familiar with the rules or used to such interactions. If I’ve made you uncomfortable, I hope you'll forgive me.”

I gently moved her hand aside and finished my drink, though the liquor was quite strong—two glasses in, I was already feeling a bit lightheaded. Still, I forced myself to stay alert.

But the woman didn’t seem to grasp my meaning; instead, she grew more affectionate after my words, her hand once more resting on my thigh.

“Of course I forgive you, Xiaobei. Why don’t you come and keep me company more often?” she said, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I was uncomfortable but had no way to extricate myself, so I just gritted my teeth and endured.

However, she seemed to be carrying a lot inside, so I decided to try getting closer to her heart—to keep my distance through conversation.

“Sister Long, do you live alone?” I asked.

She looked surprised, raising her head to gaze at me. “How did you know?”

“I studied psychology. I can see you’re lonely,” I replied sincerely.

It was as if my words struck a nerve. She took my hand and said, “You’re right, Xiaobei, I am very lonely. My husband wanted a son, and because I couldn’t give him one, he was always threatening divorce. But before we could separate, he died in a car accident. My daughter, who’s still in middle school, blames me for his death and no longer wants anything to do with me. So now, I have nothing left but the money my husband left behind.”

I looked at her, sensing she spoke the truth—her husband’s death wasn’t her fault.

“Sister Long, you’re still young. If you meet the right person, you could start over, couldn’t you?”

“They’re all after my money. Anyone who genuinely wants a life together wouldn’t choose someone like me.” She sighed.

“When did this happen?” I asked.

“Three years ago! So Xiaobei, from now on, whenever I come, you should come keep me company too. You’re different from the men who usually do,” she said, her attitude toward me softening, desire replaced by something gentler.

“Sister Long…” I was about to tell her that this wasn’t my line of work when Tan Xiao suddenly appeared. Seeing me cozied up with a middle-aged woman, she glared at me furiously.

Her timing was perfect. I quickly signaled her to help me out.

She shot me a glare and snapped, “Zhang Xiaobei, I didn’t expect you to have such unusual tastes. You even asked me to keep an eye on He Yanran for you—was it because you didn’t want her to find out you were here with this old woman?”

I shook my head subtly, mouthing, “I was forced into this. Help me!”

“Xiaobei, what are you trying to say?” Sister Long asked when she saw me call out but not continue.

I forced a wry smile. “Nothing, really. Just thinking you’ve had a hard time.”

Tan Xiao glared at me, seething. “You’re something else—neglecting the important things to hook up with women, and not just any woman but…”

At that moment, Jueling appeared and came to my defense, telling Tan Xiao, “Milady, he was forced. He came in with Gai Xifeng, but a woman dragged him in here, thinking he was a college student working part-time as a male escort.”

“So why didn’t you just tell her you’re not?” Tan Xiao asked, still unconvinced.

“If he had, he wouldn’t have been let in. That’s why he had no choice but to keep her company,” Jueling explained.

I nodded at Tan Xiao, who then leaned close to Sister Long’s ear and, voice dripping with anger, said, “Hey, Auntie, hands off my brother—he’s still in school. If you lead him astray, you’ll answer to me!”

Startled by a voice beside her, Sister Long choked on her drink and looked around in terror.

I pretended nothing had happened, quickly handing her a tissue. “What’s wrong, Sister Long?”

She looked at me. “Do you have a sister?”

Feigning surprise, I replied, “How did you know? But my sister…”

Before I could finish, Sister Long grabbed her bag and fled.

Watching her go, I breathed a sigh of relief. But remembering that Fang Xiaolong’s spirit might already have been devoured by Gai Xifeng, I hurriedly ran deeper into the club’s private rooms.

“Zhang Xiaobei, where are you going?” Tan Xiao called after me.

“To find Fang Xiaolong!” Jueling replied on my behalf.

“He’s here?” Tan Xiao asked.

“I don’t know, but I saw Gai Xifeng. Since Chen Fei is here, I suspect Fang Xiaolong’s spirit is with him, and Gai Xifeng is after it,” I whispered.

Tan Xiao grew serious. “I’ll go check!” With that, she vanished.

“Be careful, sir—there’s a heavy ghostly presence here,” Jueling warned.

I nodded and crept toward the innermost private room. Soon, I heard the sounds of a struggle.

It had to be Tan Xiao trying to stop Gai Xifeng. I pushed the door open to take a look.

Chen Fei was there, with two terrified women at his side. Though they couldn’t see ghosts, the commotion—the kicking of bottles and clattering objects—had frightened them.

But if I barged in, Chen Fei might bolt, especially since he’d just committed a crime. I couldn’t mention Fang Xiaolong’s name.

So I pushed the door open and announced, “Excuse me, sir, I’m a ghost catcher. I saw an evil spirit rush in here!”

“Yes! He’s here—quick, catch him!” Chen Fei, pale with fear, pointed at a fallen beer bottle.

I nodded, then, looking at Fang Xiaolong cowering in the corner, grabbed him and said, “Take him away. Leave the big one to me!”

Tan Xiao, hearing this, returned to my side and hurriedly dragged Fang Xiaolong away. Gai Xifeng tried to give chase but was blocked by Jueling.

Doing my best to play the part, I removed my prayer beads and rolled them between my fingers like a monk, circling Gai Xifeng and murmuring, “I need him for something. Please spare him for now.”

“What if I refuse?” Gai Xifeng growled.

“Please, senior, show me some mercy. Next time there’s a ghost I can let you have, I’ll leave it for you,” I said politely.

Gai Xifeng glared at me with those terrifying eyes, then shook off Jueling’s grip. “Fine. But ten souls in exchange for this one.”

“…Senior, that’s too many,” I said, exasperated.

“You’re going to destroy their souls anyway. Why not let me fill my belly?” He leaned in, staring me down.

I turned my head, sighed, and said, “What if the next one you catch is one I need?”

“Then another ten for that one,” he said, black mist curling from his mouth.

“One for two. I can’t do more—I can’t catch that many,” I bargained.

“Five!” He wanted to raise the stakes.

“No, just two!” I insisted.

“Four…”

“…Senior, I’m already making an exception by trading at all. Two, no more. Otherwise, you can take him—I’m not inclined to help him anyway.” I made to let him go.

Seeing my resolve, Gai Xifeng relented. “Two it is!”

With his assent, I sighed in resignation. Once he vanished, I turned to Chen Fei, bowed, and said, “Sorry to have disturbed you, sir.”

With that, I hurried out, leaving Chen Fei and his companions in stunned silence.

When I returned to where we’d been sitting earlier, Lin Chuan and the two little ghosts were still waiting.

“Brother Lin, I saw Chen Fei. When do we make our move? And Fang Xiaolong’s spirit has been caught.”

Lin Chuan was delighted, handing me his car keys. “Go wait in the car. My people are already in place.”

I nodded and took Xiao Yuan and Xiao Fang with me. As for what happened to Chen Fei, that was no longer my concern.

Back in Lin Chuan’s car, Tan Xiao was already waiting, and Fang Xiaolong was there too, looking weak and battered from Gai Xifeng’s attack.

“Who killed you?” I asked.

Fang Xiaolong looked up in surprise, then turned to Tan Xiao. “He can see me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? He’s a spirit agent,” Tan Xiao replied.

“So, you’re a spirit agent!” Fang Xiaolong exclaimed, and while Tan Xiao was distracted, tried to break free and escape.

But before he could vanish, Tan Xiao caught him again. “Trying to run? Tell us—why won’t you leave?”

“I want to kill Chen Fei. He’s the one who got me killed!” Fang Xiaolong replied.

“So, it was Chen Fei. But why did he go after you at the hotel in Ming’an Town?” I asked.

“How should I know? We were supposed to pick up a child there, but the child never showed up!”