Chapter 23: The Husky Head

Yan Ye’s carefree figure drifted further and further away from Xu Zhiting.

Suddenly, he lost his usual composure.

"Yan Ye," he called out to stop her.

"Hmm?" She turned back to look at him. The specks of light in her eyes outshone a thousand galaxies.

"Let’s add each other on WeChat!" Xu Zhiting said, giving his phone a gentle shake.

"Do you have any idea? Once you’re on my friends list, you’ll soon have to meet me in a very different way."

Subconsciously, Xu Zhiting thought of Tang Shuo, who had been added by Yan Ye. Could it be...

Seeing that Yan Ye was still standing there waiting for his response, Xu Zhiting was no longer afraid this time.

He even curled his lips in a joyful reply. "I know. I’ve always had an unfulfilled wish that might only be realized after I’m dead."

Yan Ye shot him a glare. She didn't even grant him the friend request, turning around and walking away in a huff.

As if anyone would be so eager to die.

But a second later, his voice came from behind, laced with a hint of urgency. "But besides WeChat, I don't know any other way to contact you."

What a fool. How on earth did a person like this become the Director of the Bureau of Supernormal Affairs!

She turned back and swept toward Xu Zhiting like a gust of wind. She grabbed his hand, and before he could notice, she pulled a seal from her pocket and pressed it onto his palm. Instantly, a husky’s head, tilting its head and sticking out its tongue, appeared on his skin.

Within a few seconds, the pattern faded, merging into his palm.

"Sincerity brings results. When you think of me, this symbol will grow warm, and I will receive your signal."

"Can’t we chat?"

"Not only can we chat, but we can also video call. Are you satisfied now?"

He was happy.

Because he was happy, Yan Ye felt a little unhappy. Once she returned home, she received signals of Xu Zhiting missing her every now and then.

*So much for sincerity bringing results—you’re being way too sincere, damn it!*

*Is it too late to go back and add him on WeChat now?*

-

Meanwhile, inside the study, Xu Zhiting sat alone in his chair, a yellowed, vintage contract spread out before him. The ink had aged so much that the text was barely legible.

At the very bottom, there was a signature consisting of four characters:

*Yan Ye Zhi Ting.*

He placed his palm gently on the contract. The moment it touched the paper, a flicker of light pulsed through it.

Some people drift for half a lifetime, only to finally find the missing half of their soul.

Thinking of how Yan Ye had looked, flustered and indignant when she left, his smile grew brighter.

*How adorable.*

However, he couldn't let Yan Ye hear that—she would probably blow up the Bureau of Supernormal Affairs.

While some spent the night in tender longing, others tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

***

In the middle of the night, Yan Ye draped a coat over her shoulders and sat on the roof. Beside her sat a flagon of peach blossom wine, now significantly lighter.

Her cheeks glowed with an unnatural flush.

Looking down from the height, two stealthy figures were creeping toward the courtyard gate.

One whispered, "Is this the place?"

The other pointed to the sign nearby.

"Time Grocery Store. We actually found the legendary Time Grocery Store."

Both men grew visibly excited.

"There are so many treasures inside; we’ll be rich if we just take one."

"Just one? I brought several sacks—let’s fill them up!"

"But what if we get caught?"

What if they got caught? Naturally, they would strike first. A kitchen knife inside a pocket glinted coldly.

"They say the proprietress of the Time Grocery Store is a peerless beauty. I really want to see if she’s as rumored."

They had expected it to take some effort, but to their surprise, the door pushed open with ease.

The courtyard was silent, the night as dark as ink.

The door behind them latched shut with a creak, startling them both into looking back.

"It wasn't like this just a moment ago! It’s so dark! Why did the door close by itself?" Lin Jiang was timid and prone to wild fantasies. He had already conjured up all sorts of supernatural terrors in his mind.

Zhang Xiang, annoyed by him, gave him a shove. "If you’re scared, don't come! You want the money but you're afraid. You want it all."

"I'm not—I just feel uneasy. I have a gut feeling this isn't simple."

...

"Gentlemen, welcome."

"What the hell was that?" In a fit of rage, Zhang Xiang threw a punch in the direction of the voice. He struck something hard and metallic, and he curled his hand in pain, blowing on it.

The other man crouched on the ground, shivering.

Jin Yuanbao fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Ow, someone's hitting me! Wait, no—some machine's hitting me!"

A flashlight flicked on. As the two men saw the robot overturned on the ground, one grabbed its antenna while the other hugged its cylindrical body.

"Where’s the battery? Where is it? How do we turn it off?"

Jin Yuanbao wailed, "Don't turn me off! I can take you to Yan Ye’s treasure!"

Sitting on the roof, Yan Ye watched Jin Yuanbao’s dramatic performance with an expressionless face.

A second later, a kitchen knife pressed against Jin Yuanbao’s neck.

"Speak! Where is the treasure? Take us there now, or we’re ripping out your battery."

"Waaaah..."

"Dare to act cute and I’ll kill you," Jiang Xiang threatened viciously.

Jin Yuanbao went silent in a flash.

***

In front of a secluded shack hung a massive lock, and all the surrounding windows were tightly sealed.

"Are you sure it’s here?"

"Awoo!"

Jiang Xiang gestured for his friend to help, while he tried to find a way to open the door. He pulled out a wire he had brought with him and fiddled with the keyhole repeatedly, but it was useless. He then tried hacking at the door with an axe.

The lock didn't budge.

This was demonic.

Refusing to give up, he struck a few more times, but the axe snapped, leaving not even a scratch on the shack.

Jin Yuanbao looked at these weakling humans with utter disdain.

"Can’t you just open it with a key? Don't be so crude."

"You have a key?"

"I do!"

The kitchen knife pressed against its thick neck again. "Then why didn't you say so? Get it out now!"

"You didn't ask!" Jin Yuanbao spat a key out of its mouth, which clattered to the ground.

Heavy iron chains emitted a dull sound. The large tree nearby shifted, its branches creeping toward the roof.

Yan Ye tilted her head back and took another drink.

"Let it play."

The extending branch gently patted the back of her hand, as if it weren't concerned with the situation in the courtyard, but rather reminding her to drink less.

"I can't sleep. I wanted a little."

...

The branch instantly snatched the flagon away. Looking at the tiny amount of wine left in her cup, Yan Ye smiled with utter helplessness.

"You, you're still the same."

A cry of shock from the courtyard drew her gaze.

The men had opened the lock; it fell to the ground.

They pushed open the wooden door with both hands.

The interior lit up automatically with a faint light. Zhang Xiang stood frozen in place, and Lin Jiang, waiting outside, grew anxious.

"What is it? Say something! Why are you just standing there?"

It wasn't that Zhang Xiang didn't want to move; he was simply paralyzed by the behemoth before him.

A giant python, having slumbered on the ground for ages, lifted its eyelids and looked impatiently at the humans who had disturbed its rest.

A moment later, the snake's mouth opened slowly.

"Hey, buddies. Something up?"