Little Pink Starfish

“Who delivered the box?”

“It was sent by courier, but there’s no sender information.”

Zhang San Lian didn’t ask further. He took the box and examined it carefully. “This should be the Yin Soul Pearl. According to legend, it was a sacred artifact of the Wushan Goddess Clan. Since their entire lineage consisted of women, this pearl, which gathers Yin energy, greatly enhanced their sorcery. But at some point, it started being used for soul refinement and corpse cultivation. If it falls into the wrong hands, the world will know no peace.”

As he spoke, Zhang San Lian turned his gaze to Zhang Qiu. “This pearl naturally gathers Yin energy and stabilizes souls. But now that you’re carrying something even more Yin-heavy inside you, using this will only strengthen it. If you wear it, it’ll become impossible to remove later.”

It was a dilemma.

If he didn’t use it, as the child inside him grew, it would demand more Yin energy than Zhang Qiu could provide. It would then start converting his Yang energy into Yin, which meant that at any moment, Zhang Qiu could fall asleep and never wake up again.

If he did use it, the pearl would act as an extreme tonic for the child, making it even harder to deal with in the future.

“Dad, let’s focus on the present first. We’ll worry about the future later,” Zhang Zuo Jiu said.

Zhang San Lian sighed. “Fine. This pearl has absorbed some evil energy. I’ll cleanse it first before giving it to Xiao Qiu.”

After purifying the Yin Soul Pearl, Zhang Qiu placed it in a small pouch and wore it around his neck. The moment it touched his skin, he felt an immediate boost in energy. He no longer felt sleepy during the day, his appetite surged, and everything he ate tasted amazing.

Watching his son eat like a pig, Zhang Liu Duan was filled with concern.

“Dad, don’t overthink it,” Zhang Qiu said, now in high spirits and even joking around. He grinned mischievously. “Just think of it as having an early grandchild. You can retire early and stay home to help raise the kid.”

Veins bulged on Zhang Liu Duan’s forehead as a headache set in. How did I end up with such a dumbass for a son?!

But what else could he do? The thing in Zhang Qiu’s belly was like an ancestor now—he couldn’t get rid of it, so he had to keep it. Zhang Qiu saw his father’s troubled expression and decided to comfort him. “Don’t be angry, your health just recovered. With you and Uncle around, if it turns out to be a monster, we’ll just take care of it.”

Then, he stuffed another chunk of braised pork into his mouth, his face covered in grease. Smiling, he added, “But with our Zhang family’s great genes, maybe it’ll turn out to be a super genius!”

Zhang Liu Duan didn’t even want to look at his idiot son anymore—if he did, he might get so pissed off he’d end up in the hospital. Without another word, he left to play chess with his older brother.

Zhang Zuo Jiu, who had been listening the whole time, was completely speechless. He couldn’t fathom how his little brother’s brain worked. In the end, he just patted Zhang Qiu on the head. “Want more?”

“Big Brother Mao, you still have more? Yes!!!” Zhang Qiu’s eyes sparkled.

Three years apart is one generation gap. Zhang Zuo Jiu calculated their age difference and realized they were mentally separated by the Great Rift Valley of East Africa.

“If only Yu Shui could be as carefree as you,” Zhang Zuo Jiu sighed and went to grab more food.

After waking up, Zhang Yu Shui seemed the same as before—calm and collected. But even Zhang Qiu could tell something was off, let alone Zhang Zuo Jiu and Zhang San Lian. Everything about the Prince Hui of Xiapi’s tomb felt like a fantasy, a tale of past and present lives that would get someone locked up in a psych ward if they spoke about it. What was there to say?

And to make things worse, the main tomb was a vacant coffin—

Wait, something wasn’t right!

Zhang Qiu pulled on the red string around his neck and fished out the small silk pouch. Inside was a round, smooth bead. His uncle had explained that this kind of pearl was best used by placing it inside a corpse’s mouth to cultivate it. When they first retrieved it, it was brimming with Yin energy, a process that would take hundreds of years to develop.

Now, looking at the misty black aura swirling inside the pearl, Zhang Qiu’s blood ran cold.

Pearls cultivate corpses. Corpses cultivate pearls. They reinforce each other.

His mind flashed back to the moment they opened the coffin—he had seen a hand reaching out!

At the time, he thought he was hallucinating. But now, looking at the pearl in his hand, a chill ran down his spine.

There had been a Jiangshi inside the tomb. It had escaped right under their noses—and they didn’t even see its face.

Just as this horrifying realization hit him, Zhang Qiu thought back to his second brother’s bloody lips. At first, he had assumed it was from Lao Si or Jin Lao Da. But now, it seemed…

Could it have been Prince Hui of Xiapi himself?

---

They stayed in town for two days before Zhang Liu Duan decided it was time to head home.

“Big Brother, I’ll bring my wife and Xiao Qiu back to visit in a while. Take care.”

“Stay longer next time,” Zhang San Lian said, then lowered his voice so only his brother could hear. “Xiao Qiu’s situation isn’t hopeless. I’ll keep an eye out for solutions. Don’t act recklessly—think about your age. You’re not a kid anymore.”

After being ambushed by Lao San’s group, Zhang Liu Duan had endured quite the lecture. He quickly promised to be more cautious. It was humbling—he was getting old and had actually been taken down by some punk kids.

With farewells exchanged, Zhang Qiu and his father boarded the train back to Yun City.

Leaning against the window, Zhang Qiu absentmindedly scanned the aisle. Across from them, a group of young people were chatting and laughing, but none of them had that familiar pair of eyes…

“You got your eye on some girl?” Zhang Liu Duan suddenly leaned in, following his son’s gaze.

Zhang Qiu turned back with a look of disdain. “Dad, I can’t believe you’re checking out young girls. I’m telling Mom when we get home.”

“You little brat!” Zhang Liu Duan was about to explode. After a pause, he grew serious. “Don’t joke about that with your mom. I wasn’t looking at any girls—no one’s as beautiful as your mother.”

Zhang Qiu rubbed his arms. “Ew, I just got goosebumps. You can tell her yourself.”

Father and son exchanged a glance. The moment they thought about facing Zhang Qiu’s mother, they both shuddered and shut their mouths. They hadn’t told her about this trip—going home wouldn’t be easy.

---

At their doorstep, the father and son pair hesitated over who should enter first, both playing the good manners game. Just as they were about to settle it, the door swung open.

Zhang Qiu blinked and rubbed his eyes before turning to his father. “Dad, are we so scared that we walked into the wrong house?”

Zhang Liu Duan took a step back, looked at the decorations on the door, and muttered, “No… this is our home.”

From inside, Zhang Qiu’s mother called out, “Oh? So you two finally decided to come back.”

She appeared at the door, glaring at them. “Why are you still standing there? Get inside!” Then, turning back with a beaming smile, she introduced, “Li Shu, this is my husband and my son.”

Holy shit.

It’s really Li Shu!!!

Zhang Qiu’s mind was filled with question marks.

But his mom was too enthusiastic, pulling Li Shu to sit in the living room and chat, leaving him no chance to interrupt.

“Son, is this young man from Jin Lao Da’s group?” Zhang Liu Duan was still holding a grudge about being ambushed, his tone wary.

Zhang Qiu immediately caught his father’s implication and felt annoyed. Lowering his voice, he said, “I already told you, Li Shu is a good person! He even saved us. If you don’t believe me, ask Big Brother Mao.”

“I was just asking, why are you getting so worked up? Whose side are you on?” Zhang Liu Duan huffed.

The father and son whispered back and forth, but Zhang Qiu’s mom suddenly raised her voice. “Xiao Qiu, did you hear me?”

“…?”

Seeing his dumbfounded face, she frowned and repeated, “The guest room isn’t ready, so Li Shu will stay with you tonight. Tomorrow, make sure to clean up the guest room.”

Zhang Qiu: !!!!!!

His mom smiled at Li Shu. “My son’s a bit of an idiot, but don’t mind him. He doesn’t have any real issues.”

Li Shu’s lips curled slightly. “Then I’ll be troubling you.”

“You’re not a bother at all.”

Zhang Qiu was too shocked to argue about his mom calling him an idiot. His mind was stuck on one thing—

Li Shu is sleeping with him tonight.

If this had happened before, he wouldn’t have cared—he was straight, what was there to be afraid of?

But now…?

Especially when Li Shu was ridiculously good-looking and exuded an aura that made his legs weak.

His mom… was she helping him fully embrace the idea?!

---

That evening, Zhang Liu Duan tried to make amends by taking his wife to dance at the public square, leaving just Zhang Qiu and Li Shu at home. The moment his parents left, the house became eerily quiet.

Zhang Qiu handed Li Shu some pajamas. “How did you meet my mom? Why is she treating you so well and even letting you stay here?”

“She was being robbed. I helped her,” Li Shu replied simply.

Zhang Qiu was shocked. “That’s all—” He turned around and froze. His eyes widened.

Li Shu was taking off his clothes.

“What are you doing?!”

“Showering.”

Zhang Qiu’s face burned. He shoved the pajamas into Li Shu’s hands, trying to act completely unfazed. “Hurry up and go shower, I still need to use the bathroom after you.”

Li Shu raised an eyebrow. “Why not shower together?”

“N-No need!” Zhang Qiu stammered, his ears turning scarlet.

His eyes betrayed him, sneaking a glance at Li Shu’s exposed skin. He had always assumed Li Shu was slender, but underneath his clothes, he was all muscle—not exaggeratedly bulky, but lean and well-defined.

His mind flashed back to when he had bumped into Li Shu in the tomb—solid as a rock.

Solid. As. A. Rock.

Zhang Qiu’s brain short-circuited. His thoughts veered into very inappropriate territory.

Li Shu tilted his head, watching Zhang Qiu’s flushed face with amusement. “What are you thinking about? Your face is all red.”

“H-Hard as a rock!” Zhang Qiu blurted out.

Shit!

Why did he say that out loud?!

He wanted to slap himself—was he learning how to flirt with men without realizing it?! He was beyond saving!

Would Li Shu find him disgusting?

Li Shu’s gaze darkened slightly. His lips curled into the faintest smirk, dangerously seductive.

Zhang Qiu nearly started drooling.

“I-I’m a bit hungry, I’ll go find something to eat! You go shower, don’t catch a cold!”

Panicking, he bolted from the room, escaping like his life depended on it.

Once in the kitchen, he chugged a glass of cold water, but it did nothing to quench the fire in his chest. The more he thought about Li Shu, the thirstier he felt.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom—

Li Shu held the pajamas that carried Zhang Qiu’s scent. His gaze dropped slightly, his pupils flashing a deep shade of crimson.

“So, people who are pregnant really do have heightened desires…”