Little Pink Starfish

Zhang Qiu fumbled in the dark to open the sleeping bag, first placing Little Jiang inside. The drowsy boy tugged at the collar of Zhang Qiu’s shirt and mumbled, “Daddy…”

“Good Little Jiang, Daddy’s right here,” Zhang Qiu whispered, patting his son’s back.

Little Jiang murmured again and fell into deep sleep.

Zhang Qiu crawled in too, and just the thought that this was Li Shu’s sleeping bag made his heart flutter. It was so warm, he wriggled a little in excitement—then suddenly, a low voice came from nearby, “You called me creepy, and now you should look in the mirror and see how lusty your own face looks.”

Zhang Qiu shivered in fright. In the darkness, a rustling figure came toward him—and it was that bewitching face of Qi Xi. Zhang Qiu pressed a hand against Qi Xi’s approaching face. “What are you doing?”

“The chair’s too uncomfortable. Let me sleep here for a bit.” Qi Xi pried at Zhang Qiu’s hand. “Come on, good Qiu, make a little room for this immortal beauty.”

Zhang Qiu’s heart softened a bit and he shifted aside—but the next moment, he felt a cold chill behind him and, without thinking, kicked Qi Xi hard. Qi Xi let out an “Ow!” loud enough to wake the nearby bodyguards, who shined their flashlights over.

“Just messing around, just messing around,” Zhang Qiu laughed awkwardly. “Carry on, everyone.”

Qi Xi clutched his belly beside him and whispered, “Xiao Qiu, you almost kicked my little Xi Xi! Good thing I dodged! You really are heartless—calling me your baby one second, then tossing me aside the next…”

Zhang Qiu nearly shoved his foot into Qi Xi’s mouth. When the hell did I ever call you baby?!

“Qixi, don’t push me—are we sleeping or not?” Zhang Qiu growled, sensing a cold aura behind him. Things had just barely warmed up between him and his Little Uncle, and Qi Xi always had to ruin it. Must’ve owed this guy in a past life.

Qi Xi mumbled something, then suddenly giggled. “Good reminder, Qiu—this room doesn’t just have one bed…”

His voice dropped lower.

Zhang Qiu, lying nearby, still caught it. Just from those words he could already guess Qi Xi’s idea. This guy’s freaking insane!

“Hey!” he hissed.

Qi Xi’s shadow was already disappearing into the darkness. Zhang Qiu lowered his voice, “There are people over there, you trying to die?”

“Aww, are you worried about me?” came Qi Xi’s teasing reply.

“Go die then!” Zhang Qiu ignored him, yawned, and turned over. Little Jiang rolled into his arms and quickly dozed off.

In the dark, once the others were breathing steadily, Qi Xi’s form shifted. A small shadow darted through the room, silent and quick, heading straight for the bed behind the guards. On the chair, Li Shu suddenly opened his eyes, coldly staring at the black figure. It froze in place, body stiff. Li Shu smirked and closed his eyes again.

The shadow breathed in relief, jumped lightly onto the bed, and burrowed under the covers, expertly snuggling into someone’s arms. It stuck out its tongue and licked the person’s chin—then soon fell asleep.

Zhang Qiu was woken by Little Jiang.

“Daddy… I have to pee…” the boy said, cheeks red and sleepy.

“Okay, let’s get dressed and go.” Zhang Qiu wrapped him up and carried him off the bed.

Outside the room, the sky was still gray and murky. A cold wind blew, clearing Zhang Qiu’s head as he carried the bundled-up boy downstairs. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from behind—Zhang Qiu instinctively ducked and grabbed whatever flew past by the tail.

“Xiao Qiu, let go! You’re going to yank my tail off!”

“Qi Xi?” Zhang Qiu stared at the squirming thing in his hand—a little fluffball the size of a cat, with soft fur and a single horn in the middle of its cow-like head. Definitely Qi Xi’s true form, a juvenile xiezhi. It was ugly-cute and totally lacking the usual fierce, majestic vibe of a full-grown xiezhi. He let go.

The moment the little beast hit the ground, it transformed back into human form—naked, bold, and licking his lips in satisfaction. “Slept so well last night~”

Zhang Qiu’s head hurt. “I’m gonna get pinkeye. Please, go put on clothes.”

“No nightlife really makes a person cranky, tsk tsk tsk. I get it,” Qi Xi chuckled, grabbing his clothes and following behind Zhang Qiu.

Zhang Qiu: ……

The only reason he hadn’t killed Qi Xi yet was probably because he was too well-mannered.

Zhang Qiu held Little Jiang while he peed, and Qi Xi whistled nearby, making Zhang Qiu want to punch someone again.

Qi Xi was full of excitement. “Ever since we got back from Xinjiang, I figured out my baby form. Didn’t expect it’d come in handy! You don’t know—Little Rongrong loves it when I snuggle him while he’s sleeping—”

“Stop. This is not safe for underage ears.”

“Oh right! Little Jiang’s here. Never mind then. I’ll keep those sweet, sweet memories between me and Little Rongrong.” Qi Xi looked pleased.

Little Jiang finished and Zhang Qiu bundled him up. He sleepily drooped on Zhang Qiu’s shoulder. Zhang Qiu eyed Qi Xi. “You came down here just to keep him company while he peed?”

“Nah. Little Rongrong was too passionate last night—I needed to cool off a bit,” Qi Xi smirked. “And brag in front of someone with no nightlife.”

Zhang Qiu: ……

Maybe it’s not too late to kill him after all.

By the time they returned, everyone in the room was already awake.

“So early?”

“It’s already 7,” Lingdang said nearby.

Zhang Qiu jumped. The sky was still so gray—looked like late autumn, but the cold felt like early winter.

Qi Zhirong was awake, looking unwell. He sat on the bed, a faint blush on his face. Normally Zhang Qiu wouldn’t overthink it—but after Qi Xi’s gossip, it was hard not to.

The bodyguards packed up their sleeping bags. Zhang Qiu quickly folded Li Shu’s and handed it back with a smile.

“Thanks for the sleeping bag. I slept really well.”

“No need. Keep it,” Li Shu said, then went downstairs.

Qi Xi sidled up, face full of gossip. “He won’t take it for two reasons. One, he thinks it’s gross you used it. Two, he doesn’t want you to be cold.”

Zhang Qiu gave him a blank look. Qi Xi waved his hands, “It’s gotta be the second one! Don’t look at me like that.”

“Qixi, ever heard of people dying from talking too much?”

“I have, I have!” Qi Xi shouted and ran off.

Zhang Qiu stared at the sleeping bag in his hand, unsure which reason it really was.

Qi Zhirong’s men had already started their cars. Zhang Qiu and the others paid the homeowner and followed. At a nearby town, Qi Zhirong’s team grabbed breakfast on the go. Zhang Qiu’s group got out to eat.

A bunch of people crowded a food stall. Qi Zhirong’s suited bodyguards looked like mafia collecting protection money. The stall owner, nervous, served up extra-large portions just to get rid of them faster—even treating Zhang Qiu’s group extra cautiously.

Feeling bad, Zhang Qiu quickly said, “We’re tourists. Not bad guys.”

Seeing he had a kid, the boss relaxed a bit.

While sipping soup, Zhang Yushui casually asked, “Boss, why’s it so cold around here? We didn’t pack for this kind of weather.”

“Who knows with this crazy weather. Started about four or five years ago…”

Four or five years again?

Zhang Qiu glanced at Zhang Yushui, who nodded—there was something wrong with this.

Back in the car, Zhang Yushui said, “The further north we go, the colder and gloomier it gets. I can’t say for sure, but it’s not normal weather—there’s yin energy.”

“What kind of yin energy can change climate like this…” Zhang Qiu thought of the thousands of angry corpses in the Qinling tomb—that didn’t change the weather. Their final destination clearly wasn’t simple.

Everyone seemed to realize the same. Pei Qing sped up to catch the lead car. “Qi Zhirong definitely knows the way. But as a rich guy, why come personally? Could’ve just sent people. Wasn’t he injured too? He looks fine today.” He glanced at Qi Xi.

Qi Xi looked worried. “I checked him last night—no wounds. Might be an old illness. Little Rongrong really is mysterious.”

“You checked him?” Pei Qing raised a brow. There were people guarding Qi Zhirong all night—Qi Xi still found a way to ‘check’ him? That took serious effort.

They chatted along the way. Little Jiang was full of energy after a good sleep, staring out the window. After a while, he tugged on Zhang Qiu’s sleeve and pointed, “Daddy, that black thing over there looks really yummy.”

“What black thing?” Zhang Qiu leaned over to look. It was just flat land—nothing there!

Lingdang shivered and whispered, “So scary…”

Zhang Qiu didn’t see anything unusual. Maybe the sky was too overcast? That spot did look darker than others—but not enough to scare Lingdang. And Little Jiang said it looked delicious?

“We’re close,” Zhang Yushui said from the back. Seeing the Lord of Xiapi curious, he added, “That area has unusually thick yin energy. Not normal. But Lingdang, you’re a thousand-year ghost. This kind of place should benefit you.”

Lingdang blushed. He felt like he was embarrassing ghosts everywhere—he was timid, scared of everything. Back in the tomb, he never even fought for resources.

“My Lingdang is kind and doesn’t walk crooked paths,” Pei Qing said lovingly. “I like my scaredy-rabbit Lingdang best.”

“Gege!” Lingdang squeaked, embarrassed.

What started as a serious talk turned all lovey-dovey. Zhang Qiu, sitting in the back with Little Jiang, wanted to cry. When will your dad get his memory back? I’m tired of eating dog food!

Zhang Yushui smiled. It was true—without knowing Lingdang, no one would believe a big ghost could be this sweet and shy.

By 3pm, the sky was heavy and damp like it could wring out water—but no rain. The convoy stopped at a small roadside inn. Seemed they were resting for the night. The guards looked sour, probably annoyed they were still being followed.

This border county, between Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, might be where Zhongshan Kingdom originated—Zhang Qiu remembered his shixiong mentioning it. The ancient kingdom started here and grew, eventually building its capital in modern-day Shijiazhuang.

After days on the road, everyone was exhausted. Last night’s sleep at the farmhouse wasn’t great either. Zhang Qiu showered, snuggled into bed with chubby Little Jiang, ready for a good rest—until he heard strange, seductive whispering in his half-sleep.

Come~ over here~

Hehehe, don’t sleep, come play with this little lady~

Moaning sounds filled his ears like someone whispering right next to him. Zhang Qiu turned over. Ugh, terrible soundproofing in this hotel. Who still says ‘little lady’ these days…

Don’t sleep… come… ah!

The seductive moans suddenly turned into a high-pitched shriek that jolted Zhang Qiu upright—face-to-face with a pale woman’s face just inches from his own.

AAAAHHHHH!

She screamed louder. Zhang Qiu thought, I haven’t even screamed yet and you’re already screaming. That’s rude.

The woman—more like a female ghost—kept screaming and started backing away. Zhang Qiu turned and saw Little Jiang behind her, holding her ankle with a disgusted look, rolling her up like a burrito.

“So noisy.” Little Jiang moved quickly, crack crack, and rolled the ghost into a fist-sized ball.

Zhang Qiu saw his son staring at the ghost-ball with a drooling expression and quickly stopped him. “Good boy, don’t eat that—it’ll upset your stomach—”

Before he could finish, there was a loud knock at the door.

Zhang Qiu vaguely heard Li Shu’s voice and immediately ran to open it. Sure enough, Li Shu stood outside, frowning. “What happened just now?”

“A ghost came in while I was sleeping,” Zhang Qiu said quickly, switching to pitiful mode. “Scared me to death, look—it was so horrible—”

Hic. Little Jiang burped contentedly.

Ghost… what ghost?

Zhang Qiu was dumbfounded. Son, I was trying to play the damsel in distress and get your big daddy in here—but you ATE my prop!

“Don’t worry, Daddy.” Little Jiang patted his chest. “I’ll protect you. I won’t get a tummy ache, promise!”

Li Shu stood at the door, heard this, and said calmly, “As long as everything’s fine.” Then walked away.

He left! He left!

Zhang Qiu slammed the door, fuming. Little Jiang looked pleased, hands on hips, standing on the bed with his little bird out. “I’ll protect Daddy! Don’t worry, go to sleep!”

Son… I really don’t know what to say anymore.

Zhang Qiu scooped him up and patted his bare butt. His shorts were still drying, so he was sleeping nude.

“No more eating those things, you don’t know if they’re dangerous.” Still, he had to praise his protective son. He kissed his soft cheek. “Good Little Jiang, sleep now.” In his heart, he thought—Li Shu came because of the noise, so that means he does still care.

Hehehehehe…

Full and sleepy, Little Jiang curled up in his arms, snoring gently. Zhang Qiu kissed him again, fell asleep too, as if the ghost was just an irrelevant side plot.

---

The next morning, the hotel entrance was noisy. Little Jiang turned over from the noise, his bare butt facing the window, head buried in the pillow.

Zhang Qiu yawned, and then heard bang bang knocking on the door.

“Xiao Qiuqiu, something big happened, open up, open up!”

It was Qi Xi’s voice. Zhang Qiu really didn’t want to get up, but if he didn’t, Qi Xi would keep knocking until he did. Zhang Qiu patted the nearly-awake Little Jiang. “Good boy, Daddy’s going to take a look.”

He got out of bed and opened the door himself. Qi Xi was wearing that flashy bathrobe, looking eager. As soon as he entered, he lowered his voice seeing the lump that was Little Jiang in bed, but his eyes and face were full of juicy gossip.

“Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Did you hear all that commotion at the hotel entrance just now?” Qi Xi pulled out his phone. “Look for yourself.”

Zhang Qiu didn’t really want to indulge in Qi Xi’s gossip. He’d rather sleep a bit more. But when he saw the photo, he froze. In the picture were the six muscular bodyguards Qi Zhirong brought—naked, looking weak and awkward, using their hands to cover their private parts while leaving the hotel.

“What happened?”

Qi Xi sat in a chair, crossed his legs, and scanned the room. “The vibe in your room isn’t clean.”

“It’s clean enough!” Zhang Qiu defended. He was single and raising a kid. He didn’t have time for nightlife. There was no “vibe.”

“Xiao Qiuqiu, you’re so dirty-minded,” Qi Xi grinned. “There was a ghost last night, right? A female ghost? Same in their room—but they all got ‘hit.’ They followed the female ghost out and got stripped naked. Heard they woke up in a wild graveyard this morning…”

Qi Xi rested his chin in his hand, happily continuing, “Good thing I snuck into Little Rongrong’s room last night. Everything’s perfectly fine.”

Just then, there was a knock. Zhang Qiu opened it and saw Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law.

The Lord of Xiapi looked around. “Didn’t Li Shu come by last night? He didn’t stay?” That was why they hadn’t come over.

Zhang Qiu gave a too complicated to explain expression. The Lord of Xiapi smiled, “He heard the noise and came over—that means you’re still special.”

“Did you guys get visited too?” Zhang Qiu asked, and noticed Second Brother didn’t look too happy.

No one would be in a good mood if a female ghost interrupted their business. Zhang Yushui smiled faintly. “It’s been handled.”

Seeing Second Brother smile actually gave Zhang Qiu the creeps. He silently lit a candle for that ghost who didn’t know better.

“Luckily those female ghosts didn’t seem to have malicious intent—”

“No,” Zhang Yushui shook his head. “Qi Zhirong’s bodyguards are strong and full of vitality. That’s the only reason they survived. But if they go out again tonight, they won’t make it back.”

“These female ghosts… why are they trying to harm people?” Zhang Qiu asked, noticing Second Brother staring out the window. Qi Xi lazily added, “The sky’s heavy again. So boring!”

Could it be related to that area filled with heavy yin energy?

After getting dressed, Zhang Qiu carried Little Jiang downstairs for breakfast. Qi Zhirong’s bodyguards were also there, but they looked drained, dark circles under their eyes. Even someone like Zhang Qiu, who couldn’t read faces, could tell they had death energy lingering over them.

Zhang Yushui smiled. Those bodyguards glared over, still exuding aura, but with such low spirits, they looked more pitiful than fierce—like puffed-up paper tigers.

“Seeing as we’re traveling together, I happen to have a talisman for safety. It guarantees peace and protection. Limited-time discount, only 8,888. Interested?”

If it weren’t his own Second Brother, Zhang Qiu would’ve called him a scammy fortune-teller on the spot after hearing that price.

As expected, the bodyguards cursed him as a fraud, scoffing at him. But someone did believe it. After a while, one of them snuck over and politely asked, “Master, I-I’ll take two.”

Zhang Yushui glanced sideways at the man—simple-looking, but with a faint murderous aura. Probably had blood on his hands, yet his character was upright. Not bad.

“You’ve got a good fate. Take these two talismans. And this—burn it and drink it with water.” He handed over the papers.

The big guy respectfully took them with both hands. If Zhang Qiu hadn’t known him, he’d have thought this man was a planted actor. The man held the talismans and smiled sheepishly. “Master, can I pay with Alipay?”

“Sure!” Zhang Yushui beamed. Money’s money, why not?

They wrapped up the transaction quickly. The man’s teammates were still yelling at him. A few steps away, one deliberately shouted, “Idiot! They’re just scamming you! What a waste of money! Didn’t the team say not to believe in superstitions…”

“You need to stay alive to get a wife. My grandma always said these things matter. You wanna ban superstition? Then explain those ghost ladies from last night who dragged us out…”

The guy shut up, but still thought 8,888 was too expensive.

Zhang Yushui made a solid sale and was in a great mood. He pinched Little Jiang’s cheek. “Uncle will take you to eat something yummy, good Little Jiang.”

“Uncle, can you buy lots of food?” Little Jiang now admired Second Uncle immensely—just a few words and two pieces of paper could bring in so much money. Money = good food. Lots of money = LOTS of good food.

Little Jiang wiggled his short legs happily, then leaned in warmly. “Uncle, can you teach me this paper trick? I wanna fold paper and trade it for good food.” Then added with a big smile, “So I can buy lots of goodies for Daddy!”

“This isn’t just folding paper.” Zhang Yushui said seriously, patting Little Jiang’s head. “You’ve got excellent bones. A real prodigy.”

Zhang Qiu couldn’t help speaking up, “Second Brother, you’re not seriously thinking of teaching Little Jiang this stuff, are you? My son’s a Jiangshi—will he get hurt messing with this kind of thing?”

The thought of a little zombie doing exorcisms and chasing demons, all majestic and righteous, made Zhang Qiu’s brain hurt. It was just too fantasy-like.

“Did you forget who his dad is? Remember when we went to Ah Yan’s place—Li Shu wielded that Seven-Star Copper Coin Sword pretty well. After all, he’s not your average Jiangshi. Neither is Little Jiang. Even without a divine soul, Li Shu’s bloodline is divine. Naturally, Little Jiang inherited some of that. Not to mention he has your Zhang family talent. But it’s all up to you—if you don’t want it, then forget it.” The more Zhang Yushui looked at Little Jiang, the more he liked him. He hugged him and said to the Lord of Xiapi, “Don’t we look like a family of three?” then whispered something else.

Zhang Qiu, sitting nearby, heard it clearly. Second Brother was a phoenix. Logically, that meant the Lord of Xiapi could bear children too.

Little phoenix eggs or something…

With that distraction, Zhang Qiu forgot all about Little Jiang learning spells. After all, there was no rush.