Chapter 4: Are There Ghosts in This World?
“Increase your shifts? You want to work full days from now on?” the manager asked.
“Yes.”
Lan Yu was discussing overtime with the manager as he clocked out. Here, aside from the base monthly salary, wages were calculated based on hours worked. Now that he no longer had to do housework for Zhou Hesheng, he had more time to dedicate to making money.
“Working both morning and evening shifts is incredibly exhausting. Covering a shift for a short period is one thing, but your body won’t be able to handle it long-term,” the manager said.
“It doesn’t matter. I require very little sleep, and right now, Iām really short on money.” Lan Yu’s sleep requirements were indeed low; three hours a day was usually sufficient for him.
“We’re already busy enough as it is. If you wear yourself out, weād be the ones paying for the liability. No,” the manager refused flatly.
Hearing the manager’s reasoning, Lan Yu couldn’t find a way to argue back, but he felt a distinct sense of disappointment. He wondered if he could find another job elsewhere that would fit into the gaps between the morning and evening shifts here.
The manager scrutinized Lan Yu. Realizing the young man was genuinely dejected, he offered a compromise. “How about this? I’ll schedule you for more shifts, but if you feel tired, you have to tell me, and I’ll adjust the schedule flexibly. Does that work?”
Lan Yuās eyes immediately lit up. “Thank you, Manager! Thank you so much!”
“You work hard usually, but you’re always so stiff and formal. Everyone else calls me Brother Duan in private, yet you call me ‘Manager’ no matter the occasion.” Duan Gaozhi patted Lan Yu on the shoulder.
“That’s not it…” It was just that when Lan Yu first started, he knew Duan Gaozhi was the manager, so he stuck to the title. By the time he noticed everyone calling him Brother Duan, it felt too late to switch.
Duan Gaozhi was a relative of the restaurant owner. Rumor had it he used to work in a major hotel before returning to reorganize this place. He had renovated the entire restaurant and reformed the system, making this established local eatery even more popular. As such, Duan Gaozhi was effectively half a boss. In Lan Yuās eyes, Duan Gaozhi was an outstanding personākind in private, but incredibly professional when facing customers.
While changing into his street clothes, Duan Gaozhi asked, “By the way, do you want to apply for a bed in the staff dormitory?”
When Lan Yu first looked for this job, he hadn’t asked about anythingāhe just showed up when told to. Because he didn’t communicate with anyone, it wasn’t until much later that he learned the restaurant provided not just meals, but also accommodation. Having missed the initial window, he had been too embarrassed to ask. He didn’t expect Duan Gaozhi to bring it up proactively.
Having a rental didn’t mean he had to go back every night. The altar was already set up, so he didn’t need to worry about that. If he could have a bed at work, he could rest there directly when he was too tired. Plus, the dormitory was shared. Living with others… if he got scared of ghosts again, having people around would be a comfort.
“Brother… Brother Duan, Iād like to apply for a bed.” Lan Yu lowered his head. Even though the other party had suggested it, saying it himself made him nervous, as if he were making a demand.
“Got it.” Duan Gaozhi patted Lan Yu’s shoulder again. “You’re earnest and detail-oriented, and you’ve always done a good job. Keep it up.”
“Thank you, Brother Duan.”
Watching Duan Gaozhi leave, Lan Yu let out a sigh of relief. He opened his locker, and the phone lying inside suddenly lit up.
Lan Yu looked down. The person sending a stream of messages was saved in his contacts as Yi Lingxi.
It was the protagonist of the book he had transmigrated into.
Yi Lingxi messaged him often. The original host and Yi Lingxi were practically inseparable best friends, so in the three or four months since Lan Yu arrived, Yi Lingxi had sent plenty of messages asking about his situation.
Lan Yu hadn’t completely cut off contact with Yi Lingxi. Or rather, he only maintained contact with Yi Lingxi. Because of their close relationship, Yi Lingxi was still in touch with the original host’s family. This prevented his “parents” from calling the police and listing him as a missing person.
Usually, he tried his best to avoid talking to Yi Lingxi on the phone, but today, Lan Yu really just wanted to hear a human voice.
Acting on a strange impulse, he pressed the answer button. Yi Lingxi picked up immediately on the other end. “Lan Yu!”
“Lingxi.” It wasn’t Lan Yu’s first time hearing Yi Lingxi’s voice, but he had to admit it was pleasant. Even his voice was flawless; no wonder Yi Lingxi could always effortlessly attract the attention of those around him.
“Have you been okay lately? You haven’t sent me a message in a while,” Yi Lingxi asked worriedly from the other end of the line.
“I rented a place recently. Being busy with the move took up my time.” Lan Yu made up an excuse to avoid the awkwardness of having deliberately ignored Yi Lingxi’s messages.
“Renting? What kind of place is it? Are you sharing with others?” Yi Lingxi asked for details very naturally.
“No, I rented the whole unit. I live alone,” Lan Yu replied.
“Do you have enough money? Why haven’t you accepted the transfers I sent you?” Yi Lingxi asked.
Lan Yu had received transfer notifications from Yi Lingxi several times, but he hadn’t accepted a single one. He wasn’t close to Yi Lingxi, and he didn’t feel right casually accepting help from others.
“You’re in a difficult spot too. I’m fine,” Lan Yu replied.
“I found a way to make money, I have plenty now. You need money more than I do right now.” Yi Lingxi was vague, clearly not planning to tell Lan Yu about his entry into the wealthy family yet.
“I didn’t make money before, so I didn’t fully appreciate it. Making money is definitely hard work. If you’re earning a lot, that just means you’re working even harder, right? I’m doing fine over here.”
Yi Lingxi and the original Lan Yu obviously exchanged these kinds of caring remarks often. Hearing Lan Yu’s response, Yi Lingxi’s tone clearly brightened with a smile. “Really, it’s no trouble.”
“I’m really okay too. Life isn’t bad right now.” Lan Yu didn’t have the heart to completely alienate Yi Lingxi, so he decided to switch the topic away from this entanglement. “How are my mom and dad doing lately?”
“They only asked once. They haven’t said anything since,” Yi Lingxi said.
Lan Yu’s fingers rubbed against the worn edge of his phone. Although he had no interest in the parents he had never met, their indifference toward a child who had been missing for three or four months still made Lan Yu feel a pang of sadness for the original host.
“Lingxi, have you ever seen a ghost?” Lan Yu asked suddenly.
“A ghost? Did you have a nightmare?” Yi Lingxi’s confused tone made Lan Yu feel doubtful too. That didn’t sound like someone who believed in ghosts.
“Just… I think I encountered a ghost,” Lan Yu said tentatively.
“Huh?”
Silence fell on both ends of the line.
“Are you just too tired lately? I really don’t lack money here; I’ll transfer some to you. You need to rest. If you don’t rest well, your brain can play tricks on you,” Yi Lingxi spoke up again.
“Ah, no, never mind. I was just saying it casually.”
By the time he hung up, Yi Lingxi’s worry had practically spilled out of the phone. Lan Yu sat in the locker room, covering his face helplessly.
It was just one ghost encounter; there was no need to dwell on it so much.
As long as he didn’t run into one again, it would be fine, right?
Surely this wasn’t a common experience?
Lan Yu lived on edge for a few days, but eventually, he began to relax. No other ghostly encounters occurred. As expected, you couldn’t just bump into a ghost whenever you wanted.
Duan Gaozhi asked for his shift availability every Monday, and Lan Yu easily achieved perfect attendance every day. He ended up spending more time in the dormitory than back at his rental.
However, probably because he was staying in the dorms, Lan Yu finally had the chance to strike up conversations with others.
“Have you been too busy lately? I stopped working overtime, yet you’re still at it every day.”
Zhou Hesheng sat across from Lan Yu, asking in confusion.
Lan Yu had spent almost all his time working recently. Once Zhou Hesheng’s own busy period ended, he asked Lan Yu out for a meal. Lan Yu had specifically arranged a night off with the shift leader to keep the appointment.
“My treat. Brother Zhou, I’m treating you. This time it’s on me.” Lan Yu had just received last month’s wages today and felt quite flush with cash.
“Alright, alright, you treat.” Zhou Hesheng laughed, pouring a drink for Lan Yu. His hand paused, and he looked at Lan Yu teasingly. “Drinking today?”
Lan Yu’s face turned red, and he shook his head. “No more, no more.”
Zhou Hesheng laughed. He didn’t push it, simply opening a bottle of beer for himself. “Scared from last time?”
“No. It’s just… after I drank last time, I bumped into a ghost,” Lan Yu said, hugging his soft drink.
“Bumped into a ghost?” Zhou Hesheng was surprised.
“Mhm.” Lan Yu could now talk about that day’s ghostly encounter as casual gossip. “It scared the life out of me. I was terrified for days. As soon as I got the dormitory application approved, I didn’t dare go home for several days.”
Zhou Hesheng rubbed his chin after listening, making a non-committal sound. “Hmm-mm.”
Since Zhou Hesheng didn’t give a clear response, Lan Yu felt inexplicably nervous. “What is it, Brother Zhou?”
“I think I saw a ghost when I was a kid,” Zhou Hesheng said, pouring his wine while adopting a mysterious tone. “My childhood home was near a graveyard. One night I was out playing too late, and on my way back past the graveyard, I saw a black figure and a white figure floating inside from a distance. I thought they must be Black and White Impermanence.”
“Really?” Lan Yu’s eyes went round.
“But thinking back now, maybe it was just people sweeping the graves?” Zhou Hesheng added.
Lan Yu: “…”
Seeing Lan Yu’s speechless expression, Zhou Hesheng burst into laughter. “But it’s hard to say. It’s weird, but I feel like almost everyone I know has seen a ghost to some extent. There are so many things science can’t explain nowadays, so who knows?”
Lan Yu blinked.
He had searched for information about spirits on the internet and seen all sorts of encounter stories.
“Is bumping into ghosts really that common?” Lan Yu asked, surprised.
Zhou Hesheng rubbed his chin, pondering. “Now that you mention it, it does seem so. I’ve heard quite a few stories.”
Lan Yu lowered his head in thought. Is encountering ghosts common in this world?
“Is there an official stance on ghosts?” Lan Yu asked.
“Of course not. We must reject feudal superstition and believe in science.”
Lan Yu: “…”
After finally managing to pay the bill successfully, Lan Yu let out a satisfied sigh of relief, a sight that amused Zhou Hesheng greatly.
Lan Yu returned to his rental alone that night. Just as he came up the stairs, he glimpsed a box sitting at his door.
Did the things he bought a while ago arrive? But there were no deliveries recently, and didn’t couriers usually leave things at the nearby supermarket?
Confused, he carried the box inside. Under the brighter light of his room, he checked the information, but the box was labeled with only two words: To Baby.
Baby? Is it not for him?
Although this was a rental building, not just anyone could walk in; there was an access control system. Someone must have let the person in.
Lan Yu thought for a moment. Instead of opening the box, he picked it up and went to the third floor to find the landlord.
“Lan Yu? What’s up?” Landlord Zhang asked upon opening the door.
“There’s a box at my door, but it doesn’t say who it’s for. Is there anyone in our building called ‘Baby’?” Lan Yu held up the unopened box for Landlord Zhang to see.
“No. The previous tenants in your unit were a family of three. Isn’t it yours?” Landlord Zhang looked at the box in confusion.
“No, I saw this box at the door as soon as I came back.”
“Then maybe you should throw it away? Doesn’t the internet say people use boxes to send dangerous items or something?” Landlord Zhang suggested.
“But is it possible it’s something important belonging to someone else, or the previous tenant?” Lan Yu hesitated.
Landlord Zhang hesitated too. “Then how about taking it to the entrance of the police station nearby and asking the police to open it?”
Lan Yu’s eyes widened. “…You can do that?”
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