After lying down on the bed, Ye Sheng opened his phone and found that Huang Yiyue had switched to another number to continue bombarding him with messages, one after another flooding in.
[Sheng Sheng, Mom has missed you all these years.]
[I’ve always wanted to bring you over from our hometown to live with me, but Mom hasn’t had it easy in the Xie family all these years. I’ve been trying every day to convince your stepfather, and it took ten years for him to gradually accept you.]
[Sheng Sheng, Mom knows I wronged you in the past. Can you give me a chance to make it up to you? If you come, you’ll be the third young master of the Xie family, with no worries about food, clothing, or expenses. You’ll even get a share of the Xie family’s assets in the future. Don’t gamble with your future out of spite.]
Ye Sheng remained expressionless and continued blocking her.
He never believed there was such a thing as a free lunch.
Based on his understanding of his mother’s character, it would be strange if there wasn’t some trick involved. Even if, by some stretch, Huang Yiyue had suddenly developed a conscience and wanted to atone for her sins, he had no obligation to indulge her belated maternal love.
Ye Sheng had been born prematurely. As the old folk saying went, “A seven-month baby may live, but an eight-month baby may not.” He was born when his mother was eight months pregnant. At birth, his entire body was red and purple, his limbs thin and small, like a baby monkey.
The elderly in the village shook their heads upon seeing him, saying he wouldn’t survive, and his parents didn’t want him either.
The Ye family was so poor they could barely make ends meet. The couple wanted a healthy, chubby son who could support them in their old age, not a weak, worthless burden like Ye Sheng.
They had planned to bury him alive on the back hill, covering him with a bit of soil, but it was his grandmother who desperately intervened and saved him. Premature babies are often weak and sickly, but the Ye family was destitute, and whatever money the couple got, they spent on food, drink, and entertainment.
Ye Sheng’s recovery from illnesses relied entirely on his own resilience. It was nothing short of a miracle that a child who ran a low-grade fever year-round managed to survive.
Perhaps the only warmth he experienced in his childhood came from his grandmother.
Only his grandmother would stay by his side when he was sick, brewing medicine for him and shedding tears of heartache.
And in the second month after his grandmother’s death, the old man appeared in his world.
Ye Sheng felt no attachment to his deceased father, nor to his remarried mother. Now, with his grandmother gone and the old man departed, he was utterly alone, an orphan.
After briefly replying to a few birthday wishes from his high school classmates, Ye Sheng turned off his phone and prepared to sleep.
In the darkness, faint rustling sounds came from the upper bunk.
As expected, someone like Ning Weichen, a young master accustomed to luxury, could hardly be comfortable sleeping on such a cold, hard train bunk.
Soon, a tapping sound came from above, and Ning Weichen’s muffled voice echoed in the dark: “Ye Sheng, are you asleep?”
Ye Sheng didn’t answer. He had a good memory, almost photographic. He entered the phone number Ning Weichen had given him earlier and sent a message.
[I’m awake. But keep your voice down, there are others in the carriage.]
Seeing the message, Ning Weichen obediently quieted down and began whining to him on the phone.
[What should I do? I can’t sleep.]
Ye Sheng: [If you can’t sleep, listen to some music.]
Ning Weichen: [So heartless, brother. Do you really not want to chat with me that much?]
Ye Sheng: [Didn’t we talk during the day?]
Ning Weichen: [It’s not enough. When chatting with someone interesting, no amount of talking is ever enough.]
Ye Sheng: [Oh.]
Seemingly sensing his indifference, Ning Weichen conceded reluctantly:
“Answer three questions for me, and I’ll go to sleep. I won’t bother you anymore, okay?
]Ye Sheng looked at the message and frowned, recalling every detail of his encounter with Ning Weichen on the train.
Ye Sheng replied: [What do you want to ask?]
Ning Weichen seemed to chuckle: [Gege, did you know that man from earlier was actually quite interested in you?]
Ye Sheng rolled his eyes. That pervert had patted his arm so suggestively twice, it would be impossible not to notice. But he didn’t want to talk about it.
Ye Sheng replied coldly: [No.]
Ning Weichen called him out directly: [Liar.]
[Gege, are you homophobic? Homophobia?]
Seeing this, Ye Sheng froze for a moment. His heart sank heavily, and a chill ran down his spine.
After hesitating for a long time, Ye Sheng finally sent a message.
This answer would determine whether he would continue interacting with Ning Weichen in the days to come.
Ye Sheng: [Yes. Ning Weichen, you’re not gay, are you?]
A moment of silence.
A low, ambiguous chuckle came from the upper bunk.
Ning Weichen: [How could I be?]
Ning Weichen: [Of course I’m not.]
Ye Sheng breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a bit awkward. He intended to drop the subject, but Ning Weichen seemed to have shed all politeness and restraint, pressing on aggressively.
Ning Weichen: [Originally, my last question was going to be whether you wanted to go to the restroom together. Now I’ve changed my mind.]
Ning Weichen: [Third question: Ye Sheng, what were you thinking when you asked me if I was gay just now?]
Ye Sheng was stunned, his mind going blank. He stared at his phone screen in disbelief, looking at this entire flirtatious conversation and finding it utterly bewildering.
Ye Sheng had always had a special constitution, commonly known as a “yin-yang eye.” His frequent encounters with ghosts had left him emotionally detached, with little interest in worldly friendships, love, or family bonds. So he had never imagined he would one day have such an ambiguous conversation with someone.
“……”
What was he thinking? He was wondering if you were a scheming gay guy, of course.
After waiting two minutes, Ning Weichen sent two messages with a laugh.
Ning Weichen: [That’s so hurtful, gege. You actually think I’m nice to you for the same reason as that guy.]
Ning Weichen: [I’m a little angry ^^]
Though he claimed to be angry, he sent a sticker of a little green crocodile squatting on the ground, sadly drawing circles.
The corner of Ye Sheng’s mouth twitched. After sending a perfunctory “sorry”, he decided to temporarily draw a line between them.
Ye Sheng: [I think we might be a bit incompatible personality-wise.]
Ning Weichen: [Incompatible personalities, so are you planning to ignore me from now on?]
Ye Sheng: [No. It’s just that before I go to Huai City, I need to find a job first, so I can’t chat with you all the time. If you’re really bored, I can send you some mini-games.]
He randomly found a few mini-games on his phone and sent them all to Ning Weichen, hoping this would keep him occupied.
Ning Weichen fell silent for a moment before sending another sticker: a little crocodile with red, teary eyes, its face scrunched up as if it were about to burst into tears.
Ning Weichen said pitifully: [Sorry.]
After that, he fell silent.
Ye Sheng heard the sound of a phone being placed down from the upper bunk, quietly sighed in relief, and closed his eyes to sleep.
Ye Sheng had thought that someone as proud and privileged as Ning Weichen would get angry when rejected. To his surprise, Ning Weichen remained as graceful and composed as ever the next day. Ning Weichen would still greet him with a bright smile when he woke up, saying “Hi.” But after that, he would quietly sit alone by the table, his long legs crossed and played games by himself with his headphones on.
Ning Weichen was good-looking and sweet-tongued. Whenever the train attendant reached their carriage, she would stop specifically to chat with him, often leaving flushed and flustered. Before leaving, she would turn back to remind them, “Something happened on the train last night. Be careful when you sleep at night.”
The attendant said, “A few people in carriage 7 injured someone with knives. Although the culprit has already been taken away by security, this train to Yin Mountain has never been safe. You’re young, so be careful.”
Ning Weichen flashed a smile. “Okay, thank you, jiejie.”
Meanwhile, Ye Sheng lay on his berth searching for part-time work.
After looking around, he finally found a Haunted House.
The owner of the Haunted House was a wealthy second-generation entrepreneur who started his own business right after college. After seeing Ye Sheng’s photo and learning that Ye Sheng was his junior from the same university, he became very enthusiastic.
[Xia Wen Shi: Junior, aren’t you staying in the dormitory in June? That’s perfect! My Haunted House is on Huai’an Middle Road, just a ten-minute walk from the school. Super convenient.]
Due to his constitution, Ye Sheng was wary of anything related to ghosts. However, the location of the Haunted House was truly appealing to him.
Ye Sheng: [Senior, what positions are available at the shop right now?]
Xia Wen Shi: [Everything—we need NPCs, cleaners, and prop masters. You can do whatever you want.]
Ye Sheng: [How much does a cleaner make per day?]
Xia Wen Shi: [No way, junior! With your looks, you just want to be a cleaner? If you’re willing to work as an NPC, I’ll pay to get you trending and turn you into a huge internet celebrity. I’ve even thought of a name: the World’s Most Handsome Ghost.]
Ye Sheng refused without hesitation: [Thanks, senior, but I’m a bit afraid of ghosts.]
Xia Wen Shi: [Alright, that’s a shame. Cleaner it is, then. It’s settled. Junior, remember to contact me once you arrive at school.]
Ye Sheng: [Okay.]
Actually, Ye Sheng had lied to Xia Wen Shi. He wasn’t afraid of ghosts at all, he was just afraid of people finding out he could see them.
Ye Sheng didn’t want anyone to know about his Yin-Yang eyes. When he left Yin Mountain, he had already charted a clear path for his future: he wanted to take the civil service exam, become a village chief, and return to develop that backward, desolate mountain.
And having Yin-Yang eyes would jeopardize his political screening.
With the job temporarily settled, Ye Sheng stretched his slightly sore neck when his phone suddenly buzzed several times. Opening it, he found that Ning Weichen had sent him several screenshots of completed game levels.
The final level of Sokoban; the final level of Matching; the final level of Super Run. Ning Weichen had spent the entire morning clearing all the mini-games Ye Sheng had sent him the night before. Beneath these screenshots was a cautious message.
[Gege, are you still angry?]
Ye Sheng instinctively glanced at Ning Weichen. The boy, wearing headphones, looked up and met his gaze in the faint golden sunlight of the carriage, his thin lips pressed together in silence. After a moment, Ning Weichen lowered his head again and began sending messages.
[I only asked that question yesterday to remind you to be careful of that person]
[I was afraid he might hurt you.]
[I’m sorry.]
Ye Sheng: “…”
He had a reasonable suspicion that Ning Weichen was just bored from the journey and using him for entertainment. However, Ye Sheng had just resolved his work issue and was in a good mood. Thinking it was just a chance encounter anyway, he couldn’t be bothered to expose him.
Ye Sheng sent a message: [Are you hungry? Let’s go to the dining car for a meal.]
Ning Weichen was taken aback, immediately took off his headphones, stood up, and looked at him with a smile. With long strides, he walked over, his eyes seemingly flowing with light, and whispered, “I’ve been hungry for a long time.”
Ye Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you have breakfast?” He remembered Ning Weichen had woken up quite early.
Ning Weichen paused for a moment, then shook his head. “No. I upset you, so I couldn’t eat.”
Ye Sheng nearly choked on his own saliva.
“Ning Weichen,” he called his name seriously, solemnly telling him, “We only met yesterday.”
Ning Weichen tilted his head and smiled. “Mm, I know.”
It wasn’t mealtime, so the dining car was nearly empty. Ye Sheng had invited him to eat to repay him for yesterday’s dinner. He never liked owing others anything. Ning Weichen didn’t refuse either, smiling obediently and saying thank you before finding a spot with Ye Sheng to eat.
While they were eating, a few people behind them were discussing what had happened the night before.
“Last night, an old man was killed in the restroom. When they found him this morning, both his hands were missing…probably chopped off and flushed down the toilet.”
“It seems like a robbery by a gang. There were several perpetrators. It was pitch black, and there were no cameras, so who knows if the police caught them all.”
“How could they catch them all? The robbers around Yin Mountain have long been notorious, like rats in the sewers. The government has tried several times but still hasn’t cleaned them up. They lurk in every carriage, and if you run into them, you’re out of luck. If you give them enough money, they’ll just cut off a few strands of your hair. If you give them less, they’ll chop off your limbs. If you have no money, they’ll take your life.”
“Damn, hearing you say that makes me afraid to sleep tonight.”
After listening, Ning Weichen frowned with concern and whispered to Ye Sheng, “Gege, let’s sleep early tonight. If you need to use the restroom, you can knock on my bunk, and I’ll go with you.”
Ye Sheng shook his head. “No need.”
There weren’t many people in the world who could overpower him. Thinking of their other cabinmate, Ye Sheng said, “If we want to turn off the lights early, we should ask our roommate first.”
Ning Weichen smiled. “I already asked, and he agreed.”
Ye Sheng paused, chopsticks in hand. “You talked to him?!”
“Mm,” Ning Weichen interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on them, smiling brightly as if seeking praise. “I also found out his name is Li Jianyang, from Chonghe Village in Yin Mountain County. He’s traveling this time to take his youngest daughter to Huai City for medical treatment. Oh, and his youngest daughter has suffered from a strange illness since birth…she sleeps for days at a time. The bag he’s carrying is filled with local specialties.”
Ye Sheng: “…You even looked inside his bag?!”
Ning Weichen blinked. “That’s right. Aren’t I impressive?”
Ye Sheng: “…”
Ning Weichen rested his chin in his hands, staring at him without blinking, and said with a smile, “There’s nothing strange about it. In all the years I’ve been alive, I’ve hardly ever met anyone who grew impatient while talking to me.”
Ye Sheng silently stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth. Thinking to himself, well, you’ve met one now. When the two returned to Carriage 44 after their meal, Li Jianyang wasn’t there, leaving only the child sleeping on the bed. The baby girl’s face was flushed and wrinkled, and if not for the slight movement of her nose, she would have looked as if she were dead.
The events of the previous night had left everyone in the carriage uneasy. Ye Sheng specifically searched online for information about this train.
After his search, his expression turned grim.
Train 1444 was known for its poor security, with frequent incidents of assault and robbery.
Yin Mountain was remote and impoverished, and the criminals there had long abandoned any regard for their lives. They were most notorious for their brutality…after robbing their victims, they would often cut off something as a keepsake.
At that moment, Ning Weichen took off his headphones and shared an older piece of news with him.
“Gege, this train really isn’t safe. It seems to be haunted too.”
Ye Sheng’s gaze fell on his phone, and he froze.
It was a murder case that had occurred in their very carriage.
The victim was a pregnant woman named Xiao Fang. Thirty-five years ago, Xiao Fang had taken the train to visit her husband in another city but was assaulted by a man sharing the same compartment, resulting in a miscarriage. She died in the bathroom.
The brutal nature of the rape and murder had shocked the nation at the time, and the perpetrator was sentenced to death. However, after Xiao Fang’s death, strange occurrences began happening in Carriage 44 from time to time.
Sometimes it was the sound of dripping water from the bathroom; other times, faint singing of a woman in the middle of the night.
Ye Sheng frowned deeply.
Ning Weichen watched him for a moment before lowering his gaze and whispering, “I… I’m a little scared.”
Ye Sheng asked, “Are you scared of the robbery or the ghost?”
Ning Weichen replied, “Both.”
Ye Sheng reassured him, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Ning Weichen stared at him, hesitating to speak, his beautiful eyes filled with pitiful pleading. Ye Sheng could easily guess what the guy was thinking; he wanted to sleep together but was too afraid to ask because of Ye Sheng’s aversion to homosexuality.
Ye Sheng thought to himself ‘even if you ask, it’s pointless. I won’t agree anyway.’
But after being stared at for so long, he sighed inwardly and took off a fish-scale necklace from his own neck.
“Here, take this. It’s a Talisman, blessed by a monk. Wear it while you sleep.”
Although Ning Weichen’s unintentional display of aggression the previous night had displeased Ye Sheng, after spending the entire day together, he could still sense that Ning Weichen was not a bad person at heart.
He was a wealthy young master from the capital, eccentric in his ways, who enjoyed exploring remote mountains.
Perhaps those born into privilege, showered with endless affection, were all like this.
Because they never lacked love, they possessed an endless supply of warmth and courage, shining like a little sun on everyone around them.
Ning Weichen stared at the fish scale, momentarily stunned, and instinctively asked, “What about you if you give this to me?”
Ye Sheng replied calmly, “I’m not afraid of ghosts or robbers.”
Ning Weichen still frowned.
Ye Sheng said, “Take it or leave it.”
Ning Weichen quickly responded, “I’ll take it.” He closed his hand tightly around the fish scale and lowered his head, rubbing his fingers over it for a long while. Only then did he look up and smile. “Thank you, gege.”
Expressionless, Ye Sheng finally said, “Ning Weichen, promise me two things.”
Ning Weichen said, “Go ahead.”
Ye Sheng replied, “First, call me by my name. Second, stop saying such overly sentimental things.”
Ning Weichen paused. Unable to help himself, he ran his tongue over his teeth as a careless smile curved his lips, then nodded. “All right. Got it.”
