Chapter Twenty-One: Peach Blossoms

The morning sun streamed abundantly through the window.

I woke up and looked outside. The quiet street was immaculate, suggesting excellent property management, though I imagined the service fees would be far beyond my means. In the small garden, green leaves sprouted proudly from the twisted trunk of a peach tree, refracting the sunlight.

"Wait, a peach tree?" A vague realization flickered in my mind, but it slipped away before I could grasp it. I went to the bathroom to wash up.

In the hallway, I saw Yu Xiaoxue had already risen. She was walking toward the bathroom wearing a sheer pink lace outfit. Looking up from below, I nearly sprayed blood from my nose.

This! This was a "cohabitation trap" if I’d ever seen one.

"Righteous energy remains, evil spirits stay away. Righteous energy remains, evil spirits stay away," I chanted, suppressing the fire rising within me before ducking into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.

After a while, I emerged, but I dared not look toward the second floor again. From the staircase, one could see the two doors of their rooms; I wouldn't be surprised if Zhao Qian came out in a state of disarray.

Ten minutes later, Yu Xiaoxue was dressed and trotted down. "Brother Tian! You're awake too!"

"Yeah, did you sleep well?" Seeing her vibrant and radiant expression, I felt a bit of joy. It seemed that there was a difference between a family member disappearing and truly passing away; until she found a body, she refused to believe Uncle Yu Gen was dead.

"Brother Tian, Sister Zhao Qian’s room is so luxurious. The bed is so soft that you just sink right into it; you don't even need a blanket! By the way..." Yu Xiaoxue chattered on, mentioning that she wanted to tag along with us to join the excitement.

I thought about it and nodded. Leaving her alone at home didn't seem right, and getting out might help clear her mind. Besides, there would be plenty of people at this ritual gathering; one more wouldn't make a difference.

"Go call your Sister Zhao Qian down. Look at the time." After waiting for a while without seeing Zhao Qian, I grew concerned.

"Okay!" Yu Xiaoxue went to fetch her.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I wondered who it could be; since I wasn't the host, I wasn't sure if I should open the door.

"Zhao Qian is back!"

Hearing that voice, I slapped my forehead. It was the policewoman from across the hall, Shan Shan.

"Open the door, Zhao Qian is outside," I said.

Yu Xiaoxue immediately hopped over to open the door. I couldn't remember if she was sixteen or seventeen, while Zhao Qian was surely around twenty, and the policewoman seemed to be about twenty-one or twenty-two.

The policewoman was definitely the "mature older sister" type—not my preference. Yu Xiaoxue, on the other hand, was a bit of a daydreamer, carefree and heartless, but great to be around. Zhao Qian was more conventional, though she loved to act spoiled, and her voice was so sweet and clingy that it was hard to refuse her.

When the door opened, Officer Shan Shan stood there in her police uniform and cap, looking spirited and heroic, yet with a hint of allure. There was a mole on her right cheek near the jaw—a sign of a "peach blossom tribulation." I decided I should keep my distance.

Zhao Qian stood behind her in a sky-blue dress and a sun hat, looking for all the world like a woman who had stepped out of a vintage painting. She must have stayed with Han Shan Shan last night, yet she was strangely trusting of me, not worried that I would make off with her valuables.

"I'm Han Shan Shan. Thank you for saving me last night, Xia Yitian." She gave a sweet smile, locking eyes with me as she reached out to shake my hand.

I immediately stepped back. "No need for thanks. Just give me a red envelope instead."

Han Shan Shan froze, looking displeased. "You don't treat me like a friend, then? Asking for a red envelope first thing in the morning?"

Her face fell as she pulled out her wallet. "How much?"

"Whatever you can afford," I said bluntly. I knew she had misunderstood, but this was a matter of seeking good luck and severing karmic ties. I didn't want to get involved with her; I had performed that ritual under duress, not out of a desire to resurrect her.

"Sister Shan Shan! You should just give it to him. It's for good luck," Zhao Qian explained quickly. She was afraid that I might form some karmic attachment to Han Shan Shan. After all, I kept ghost spirits, not cats or dogs, and she knew from experience how dangerous vengeful spirits could be.

Han Shan Shan pouted and angrily pulled out over a thousand yuan. "Here, that's all I have in my wallet. Is it enough? If not, I'll go get more. My life is worth at least that much."

I smiled inwardly; this girl was quite thick-skinned. "That's enough."

I took the money without counting it and handed it to Yu Xiaoxue. "Xue, take this and buy some candy."

Yu Xiaoxue never stood on ceremony with things I gave her. Back when she was little, she would often wipe her snotty nose while begging me for sweets; now, the mention of candy made her reach out instinctively.

"Hey, I said you..." Han Shan Shan was still feeling slighted, but seeing that I didn't even seem to care about the thousand yuan, she flared up again. She was a police officer who dealt with criminals, which had given her a bit of a temper.

Zhao Qian immediately intervened, pulling her aside and whispering a few words into her ear.

"Oh! So that's how it is! I thought... Hahaha, it's a misunderstanding! This is only right." Han Shan Shan’s mood did a complete turn. She grabbed my hand and held it tightly, looking deeply moved. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

I didn't know what was going on, but I felt a chill run down my spine and immediately pulled my hand away. It seemed Zhao Qian couldn't stand by and had decided to smooth things over for me. This had actually complicated my karmic ties. Sigh, women and their overflowing sympathy.

"It's about time, let's go," Zhao Qian said. She seemed to have forgotten something, so she introduced Yu Xiaoxue to Han Shan Shan. Shan Shan, who was quite the tomboy, immediately took to Yu Xiaoxue, grabbing her hand and chatting non-stop.

Yu Xiaoxue was the same, chatting away without distinguishing friend from foe. The three of them walked out the door, leaving me behind.

I sighed inwardly and glanced at the peach tree in Han Shan Shan’s garden, then at the one in Zhao Qian’s. Clearly, both feng shui layouts were designed by the same person.

Peach wood can ward off evil, but it also brings good fortune—which, in my case, meant "peach blossom luck." My "Wife-Sister" would kill me if she found out! The events from last night to this morning were side effects of this very layout.

No, I had to ask Zhao Qian later if we could chop those two trees down.

Han Shan Shan drove to the police station herself, while the three of us drove to the Zhao family’s ancestral estate on the outskirts of the city.

On the way, Zhao Qian and Yu Xiaoxue became much closer, talking incessantly. I was driving and didn't pay much attention to them.

Suddenly, a Range Rover zoomed out from behind and cut in front of me. My heart skipped a beat; I knew the driver was looking for trouble, so I kept my foot over the brake.

Sure enough, the Range Rover slammed on its brakes right in front of us.

I frowned and hit the brakes hard. The two cars stopped in the middle of the road with less than seventy centimeters between them. It was only because I had been prepared that we didn't collide; if Zhao Qian had been driving, she likely would have rear-ended them, and she would have been left dealing with the insurance and traffic police.

"Haha, Sister Qian, why are you here? Oh, you've got a new driver? He's quick on his feet," said the young man who stepped out. He was in his twenties, of average build, and looked quite refined, though his actions revealed a malicious personality.

Zhao Qian was in the passenger seat, wearing her seatbelt, but the sudden stop had shaken her. She didn't get out, just shouted angrily, "Zhao Yi! What is wrong with you!"

I realized my window was still up, making her voice sound muffled. I forced a bitter smile and rolled the window down. Zhao Qian noticed and blushed.

"Hey, Sister Qian, you okay? If you're fine, we'll see you at the estate," Zhao Yi sneered.

"You're so annoying!" Zhao Qian snapped, though she wasn't good at cursing.

"Yeah, I'm so annoying, hehe, hahaha!" Zhao Yi mimicked her in a mocking tone, then turned to his friends in the car. "See that? That's my cousin Zhao Qian. She has no real talent, yet she’s living it up in the city. No one knows what she relies on. Maybe she relies on..."

The last part was said in a low voice, but anyone could guess what he meant. Zhao Qian was so disgusted she started to cry, wiping her eyes in the car.

Just then, a Mercedes pulled up alongside us. The window rolled down to reveal a man in his forties. "Young Master Yi, what are you doing? How long are you going to keep us waiting?"

"Little Zhao, let's go. Minimize the karmic entanglements," an old man said from the back seat of the Mercedes. He looked to be in his seventies or eighties, yet he had the youthful complexion of a Taoist immortal, his eyes commanding respect. He was clearly someone with real skill.

Zhao Yi was quite polite to the old man. "Yes, Master. I understand. I'm going now, see you at the estate."

The old man nodded and reclined.

As the Mercedes prepared to pull away, a middle-aged man stepped out and leaned against Zhao Qian’s driver-side window. "Qian, Yi is young and doesn't know any better. I'll discipline him when we get back. Don't take it to heart."

"Yes, Second Uncle," Zhao Qian replied, nodding.

I knew this was Zhao Zhou. He returned to the Mercedes and drove off.

I couldn't interfere in their family affairs, so I handed Zhao Qian a tissue and stepped out of the car. Without searching carefully, I spotted a piece of yellow talisman paper stuck under the tire of Zhao Qian’s car. I sneered and picked it up. This Zhao Zhou—he hadn't missed the chance to strike while he was pretending to be polite.

"Check if the paper doll attached to this talisman has your birth date on it," I said, handing it to her.

Zhao Qian wiped her tears and took a look; her expression confirmed that this was done with malicious intent.

"Hmph, they even had the 'Evil Deed Talisman' written out. It seems that 'Master' of theirs has a bit of skill after all," I scoffed and started the car. The bunch ahead of us were clearly no good.