Little Pink Starfish

“Dad, what’s wrong with my stomach?” Zhang Qiu looked down and grinned, joking with his father. “I haven’t gained weight! Still your handsome son!”

Father Zhang’s expression was complicated as his gaze shifted from his son’s stomach to his oblivious, cheerful face. He hesitated, swallowing back the words he wanted to say. “Get in the car first.”

The moment Zhang Qiu got in, he slumped bonelessly into the passenger seat, lazily buckling his seatbelt. He yawned, feeling drowsy again. “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s at home making food for you.” His father’s response was stiff as he started the car. Seeing his son’s sleepy eyes, he casually asked, “Tell me about anything interesting at school.”

Zhang Qiu perked up. He had a big heart—despite the eerie experience in the tomb, he couldn’t resist the intrigue of the Gu Mu Kingdom’s mysterious burial site. He loved strange and unusual things; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen archaeology as his major.

“Dad, they recently discovered an ancient tomb in the Qinling Mountains. It dates back to the Shang Dynasty, nearly 4,000 years old! It was all over the news. Did you see it?”

Father Zhang’s eyelid twitched at the mention of the Shang Dynasty. “I didn’t. Tell me more.”

Zhang Qiu knew his father had an interest in these things—half their family’s bookshelf was filled with feng shui books. Remembering the nine black pillars in the secondary burial chamber, he wanted to ask his father about them, so he described the tomb’s details, omitting the part about the red-eyed man.

“…The Gu Mu Kingdom was located in present-day Shandong, but this tomb was in Xi’an. The stone stele had the words ‘Gu Mu Kingdom,’ but no other identifying information—no tomb owner, no precise dating…” Zhang Qiu glossed over the missing tomb owner. “I took a few pictures of the nine pillars’ patterns. Let’s study them together later, Dad.”

“That’s all? Nothing else?”

“That’s it.” Zhang Qiu was puzzled. “Dad, what’s wrong with you today?”

As an only child, Zhang Qiu had always been close to his father. They often joked around without boundaries. But from the moment he left the station, he had sensed something unusual—his father was uncharacteristically serious.

“Tell me honestly, did anything strange happen in the tomb?” Father Zhang pulled over and fixed Zhang Qiu with a piercing stare. “You always touch your nose when you lie. If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll beat you.”

Zhang Qiu’s face flushed red. How was he supposed to talk about this with his dad? But seeing his father’s stern expression, he hesitated for a long time before giving up and blurting it out. “I don’t know exactly, Dad! He just looked at me, and I passed out. After that, I… I wasn’t fully conscious. When I woke up, my whole body was covered in—”

He stumbled over his words, but managed to get it all out in one breath.

Father Zhang’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot at the mention of the red-eyed man. His suspicions were confirmed.

Zhang Qiu also realized something was seriously wrong. “Dad, what’s going on?”

“You’re carrying that red-eyed bastard’s child.”

Zhang Qiu turned deathly pale. His mind was blank except for one phrase flashing like a neon sign: I’m pregnant with a jiangshi’s* baby. It was like a lightning strike to the brain, leaving him completely dazed. He remained in a stupor all the way home. _{[T/N: Chinese hopping vampire from folklore.]}

How could a man even get pregnant?!

And worse—pregnant with a jiangshi’s baby?!

Standing at the doorstep in a daze, Zhang Qiu’s father regretted being too blunt. He placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “There’s a way to fix this. Let’s eat first. Don’t worry your mother.”

The moment the door opened, Zhang Qiu’s mother beamed. “You’re finally home! Wash up and eat.” Then she frowned at his pale face. “What’s wrong? You look terrible.”

Zhang Qiu forced a smile and flopped onto his mother’s shoulder. “I missed you.”

His mother was delighted. “My good son! I made all your favorite dishes. Go freshen up first. Are you carsick?”

Father Zhang smoothly covered for him. His mother didn’t suspect anything, assuming Zhang Qiu was just unwell from the journey. After washing his face, Zhang Qiu felt slightly better. Seeing the table full of his favorite spicy and numbing dishes, his appetite surged. He ate ravenously, putting his mother at ease.

Father Zhang, watching his son devour food like a pig, felt both exasperated and amazed. He knew his son had a big heart—but this big?!

Zhang Qiu caught his father’s disgusted look and hesitated. What can I do? I’m heartbroken and desperate too!

Still, he grinned. “Mom, your cooking gets better every time!”

His mother beamed with joy.

That night, his mom went out for her usual square dancing, leaving Zhang Qiu and his father facing each other.

“Dad—”

“Go to bed early. Tomorrow, you’re coming with me somewhere.”

Zhang Qiu wanted to ask more, but his father shut himself in the study.

—

Before dawn, Zhang Qiu was dragged out of bed and dumped into the passenger seat. He dozed off again, drooling in his sleep, and was only woken up by a knock when they arrived. Rubbing his head in confusion, he asked, “Dad, where are we going? Did you tell Mom?”

Father Zhang’s eyelid twitched. He answered awkwardly, “I left a note.” Then, to vent his frustration, he smacked Zhang Qiu on the head. “Get on the train.”

Even in his groggy state, Zhang Qiu could imagine how his mom would explode when she found the note.

Their train was bound for a small county in Jiangsu, a place Zhang Qiu had never even heard of. Because of summer vacation, the train was crowded. They found their seats and settled in for the eight-hour ride.

Across from them sat two female college students. Initially drowsy, they perked up when they saw Zhang Qiu. They hadn’t expected to run into such a handsome guy on their trip and were already planning how to strike up a conversation.

Their excitement was obvious. Zhang Qiu noticed but wasn’t in the mood to chat—especially with his father sitting next to him. Still, being admired felt nice. He turned his head slightly, offering what he thought was his most attractive profile. Sure enough, he heard the girls whispering, So handsome! So good-looking!

Feeling smug, he changed his posture slightly, and the girls’ admiration grew.

“He’s better-looking than a celebrity!”

“Such a unique aura! And look at his long hair—he doesn’t look girly at all!”

“Oh my god! He looked at us! What do we do?! But seriously, he’s gorgeous!”

Zhang Qiu: Wait… long hair?!

He wasn’t even looking at them!

Realizing they weren’t talking about him, Zhang Qiu grew annoyed. A guy with long hair? Hah, let’s see how good-looking he really is!

Turning his head, he immediately locked eyes with a pair of cold, narrow eyes from across the aisle.

Zhang Qiu’s hair stood on end. The gaze pinned him in place, making it impossible to look away. The girls’ excited whispers faded into the background. He wasn’t in the mood to compete in looks anymore—this man’s gaze was chilling to the bone.

Cold sweat broke out on his back. His face turned pale. Just as he thought he might suffocate under the man’s stare, the other finally looked away.

Zhang Qiu quickly turned away, pretending to sleep. He wiped his forehead—it was covered in sweat. But that man’s eyes… why did they seem so familiar?

He didn’t notice his father glancing at the black travel bags the group across the aisle carried. Father Zhang’s brow furrowed. From inside the bags, he could hear the faint clinking of metal.

Closing his eyes, he crossed his arms and leaned back.

Zhang Qiu, who had been pretending to sleep, actually drifted off again. In his dreams, the red eyes from the tomb stared at him hungrily, like a serpent ready to strike.

He jolted awake, panting. His father’s seat was empty.

“The man next to you went to the restroom,” one of the girls said.

Zhang Qiu nodded absentmindedly, scanning the train. He spotted the long-haired man again. Even in the dim train, his pale skin seemed to glow. The light accentuated his perfect profile.

Sensing his gaze, the man turned toward him.

But this time, his gaze wasn’t as terrifying—still cold, but without hostility.

He nodded slightly in greeting.

Zhang Qiu, feeling unexpectedly flattered, quickly mustered a weak smile and nodded back. But the man had already closed his eyes again.

Zhang Qiu: Being handsome isn’t everything! I’m handsome too! Hmph!

The train soon arrived at their stop. Zhang Qiu’s father returned just as they were about to disembark. Zhang Qiu got up to leave, but his father pressed him back into his seat.

“Wait before getting off.”

Zhang Qiu noticed that the six people across the aisle had also stood up to leave. Five of them carried large bags, while the long-haired man at the back had nothing but was clearly part of the group. Someone in front called him “Li Shu.”

That’s a strange name… I wonder which characters it’s written with. Zhang Qiu mused as his father suddenly yanked him up.

“Let’s go.”

Since this was a small town, not many people got off the train. Soon, Zhang Qiu and his father found themselves face-to-face with the group of six.

One of them, a tall muscular man, glared at them viciously. Zhang Qiu was confused. What’s this guy’s problem?

“Old man, you’ve been staring all the way. Watch your eyes.”

Zhang Qiu immediately snapped, “Are you crazy?! Who was looking at you?!”

The man’s expression darkened, and he took a step forward aggressively. Another member of his group, looking impatient, called out, “Lao San, stop causing trouble. Let’s go.”

But the muscular man ignored him and loomed over Zhang Qiu like a predator. Zhang Qiu swallowed nervously—this guy was huge.

Still, he couldn’t let his father be bullied. He stepped forward protectively and whispered, “Dad, hurry and call the cops. I’ll hold him off for a bit.”

Father Zhang sighed inwardly. My son may be dumb, but at least he’s filial. It had been years since he had a chance to stretch his muscles—this might be a good opportunity.

The muscular man looked down at Zhang Qiu like he was a chick waiting to be squashed. With a sneer, he swung a fist the size of Zhang Qiu’s face. The punch carried a gust of wind with it.

Before Zhang Qiu’s father could intervene, the attack was suddenly blocked.

“Leave.”

A cold, emotionless voice cut through the tension.

Zhang Qiu looked up to see that the long-haired man had intercepted the blow. His fair, slender arm was pressed against the muscular man’s thick one. The contrast was striking.

The muscular man’s face twitched, his mouth opening as if to curse, but he ultimately backed down, withdrawing his fist angrily and turning away.

Zhang Qiu wanted to say thanks, but the long-haired man was already walking away.