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Lovesick Ghost Tales
墨書 Inktalez
Some people are simply born with the ability to get along smoothly with others. No matter how much Xin Yi and Ming Hua wanted to join the conversation between Song Bunan and Qian Gu, they would be subtly ignored. The expression on Ming Hua's face, which was torn between anxiety and frustration, was only visible to Xin Yi, who held his teacup and sighed silently, feeling helpless.
What he didn’t expect was for Ming Hua to suddenly approach him and ask, “You weren’t part of the company before, were you?” When Xin Yi looked up from his cup, he noticed that Ming Hua’s gaze was sharper than that of an ordinary person. The tone in which he asked the question was calm and assertive, clearly indicating a statement rather than a question.
“No, but I haven’t changed jobs much,” Xin Yi replied. He watched as Ming Hua smiled, a smile that carried an indescribable meaning that made him feel uncomfortable. Just then, the laughter of Song Bunan and Qian Gu echoed in the background, but it did nothing to overshadow Ming Hua’s voice: “What’s your relationship with Xiao Kexi?”
The sudden question jolted Xin Yi. He looked warily at Ming Hua, trying to decipher any hint of information from the face of someone who had been smiling since he entered. But it was as if this person had wrapped himself in layers of masks that no one could see through. The warmth and humor he had exuded moments ago shattered in an instant, becoming subtly aggressive.
Having been through many battles, Xin Yi quickly composed himself and responded with the same demeanor: “He’s my younger brother. Do you know him?”
“Fairly well; we’ve had some serious dealings before, but it’s been a long time since we last contacted each other.”
The tea in his cup had grown lukewarm. He set it down and locked eyes with Ming Hua. Due to the angle, he noticed a tattoo behind Ming Hua’s right ear—one he recognized well. Almost simultaneously, he guessed why this person had asked him that question.
“His connections with you should be more frequent than with me.”
Ming Hua picked up on his implication and replaced his unsettling gaze with one of familiarity. He raised his cup and smiled at Xin Yi: “Just making small talk.” Then he turned to Qian Gu and Song Bunan. “Bunan, I heard you’re starting work tomorrow.”
The interruption of their unspoken exchange left Bunan feeling a bit unhappy, but he obediently nodded in affirmation: “Yes! Xinyi Brother found me this job; I’ll officially start tomorrow.”
All three pairs of eyes focused on Song Bunan, and Xin Yi noticed a clear fatigue on the child’s face. Ming Hua also recognized this and reached out to pinch Song Bunan’s cheek while raising an eyebrow to ask if he had eaten today.
As soon as the question was posed, the previously cheerful child wriggled free from Ming Hua’s grasp and scurried over to Xin Yi, hiding most of his body behind him while only his head peeked out as he quietly replied, “I ate in the morning.”
Ming Hua clicked his tongue in frustration and pointed at Song Bunan as if scolding him for not taking care of himself. He stood up, rolling up his sleeves as if ready to reprimand him. Qian Gu quickly grabbed him to ask what was wrong while Xin Yi stepped forward to shield Song Bunan, who visibly shrank back from Ming Hua's grip.
“What did the doctor tell you back then? Did you forget? You can’t just eat whatever you want or skip meals! Who did you go out with yesterday? Ever since you started college, you’ve become bolder—staying out all night is one thing; now you’re ignoring medical advice too? Are you starting to miss your time in the hospital?”
Hiding behind Xin Yi, Song Bunan shook his head in protest while Qian Gu held onto Ming Hua tightly without letting go. Once Ming Hua finished speaking, Qian Gu stood up and firmly pushed him back onto the sofa: “Don’t scare the child; take it slow.”
Ming Hua hadn’t expected his partner to defend Song Bunan so quickly; he felt stifled but couldn’t lash out at Qian Gu. Instead, he childishly pinched Qian Gu’s cheek: “Don’t protect him! He’s twenty-three years old; he’s not a kid anymore! Does he even have any common sense? If he keeps this up with his health, he’ll end up spending another week in ICU! He’s about to start working but doesn’t even realize he needs to take care of himself; it’ll be too late once they take him off duty!”
Everyone could tell that Ming Hua was concerned for him. Hearing this made Qian Gu pull him into an embrace while assuring him that he understood and asking him not to get angry but rather talk gently with Song Bunan. Meanwhile, realizing the issue at hand, Song Bunan clung tightly to Xin Yi’s sleeve as if seeking comfort while speaking in a sweet tone: “I know I was wrong; don’t be mad at me, brother! I’ll take my medicine before bed tonight and promise to eat well at work tomorrow!”
His voice sounded even more childlike than usual; each word seemed glued together, prompting Xin Yi to turn around for a look. From this angle, he could see Song Bunan's long black eyelashes fluttering gently and his naturally pouty lips. He could also see the imperfections on Song Bunan's face—light freckles crossing his nose—but they didn’t detract from his charm.
With no patience left for this behavior, Ming Hua shot Xin Yi a glare before downing the remaining tea in one gulp. He pulled Qian Gu up again: “Look at how uncomfortable you are! Get some rest tonight so you can do well at work tomorrow! When the weekend comes around and you’re off duty, come over; I’ll make sweet and sour pork for you.”
Seeing that Ming Hua wasn’t angry anymore and was promising food made Song Bunan wag his tail like a happy puppy as he bounded over to them with glee. He hugged both of them tightly before nuzzling against Qian Gu's shoulder: “Got it! Brother Hua! You two get some rest too!”
In a daze, Xin Yi felt as though he saw ears and a tail on Song Bunan as he shook his head clear. Meeting Ming Hua's gaze again brought back that uncomfortable feeling for just a second before it vanished entirely. He accompanied Song Bunan to see them off at the elevator when suddenly Ming Hua said: “Is there any safety issue with you two living together?”
Song Bunan waved cheerfully at him with confusion written all over his face: “Xinyi Brother wouldn’t hit me; why would there be safety issues?” Standing slightly behind them, Xin Yi understood what Ming Hua meant without needing to think twice. He looked helplessly at Ming Hua just as the elevator doors closed.
“Brother Hua is so strange! Why do you think living together would pose any safety issues? Are you worried we might fight?”
At that moment, Xin Yi wished that Song Bunan could always maintain this innocence; after all, such foolish boys were rare these days.
As he entered, he heard his phone singing on the sofa. Bunan, who was tidying up some cups, pointed to the study. "There's a computer in there to handle work."
The study was filled with a faint scent of cookies, but more so with the smell of stacked papers. When Xin Yi answered the phone, he had little interest in noticing what books were hidden in the room. He sat down and listened as Song Buxian conveyed his parents' thoughts over the phone. The elders hadn’t said much in the group chat; they only asked a few basic questions and then went silent. Although his aunt had spoken to him privately for a couple of minutes, it was merely to inquire about his family's attitude toward the matter.
"My parents are just worried that your age is a bit older than Bunan's, and whether this is just a fleeting interest for you. This kid may be foolish, but he takes relationships seriously, no matter what kind they are. I know you’re not a playboy, but you need to think carefully. If you really get close to him, breaking up one day might not go smoothly."
Song Buxian had indeed warned him about this. When Song Bunan was younger, he lost contact with someone who could only be considered an acquaintance and was sad for half a year. He would sulk every day, barely eating, and whenever someone familiar came over, he would hide away, afraid of being told that no one wanted to play with him anymore. In the end, it took Ming Hua and his sister to rescue the child from his sorrow, but even now they knew what methods were used.
Xin Yi closed the door and replied to Song Buxian, "I really like Bunan, but it's still too early to confess because I don't know if he's ready. If we can truly be together, I won't bring up breaking up. Tonight in the group chat with my uncle and aunt, I’ll clarify all my concerns. Of course, they can rest assured about their worries; my parents have no requirements regarding whether my partner is male or female."
He heard a sigh from the other end of the line, but when Song Buxian spoke again, his tone was much lighter and as usual he said, "Alright then, you two take care of it. I should be back in three or four days; my parents said they would probably return in a little over a week as well. We can all meet up then for a detailed discussion. As for Bunan, just keep an eye on him for now; that kid isn’t very good at hiding his little thoughts—whatever happens is usually written all over his face."
His friend's hint was a tacit acknowledgment that they could take the next step together, but Xin Yi decided to hold off for now. After all, there was still room for maneuvering at this stage; if he rashly sought an answer now—regardless of whether it was good or bad—it would become set in stone.
Though he was certain that Song Bunan felt the same way about him, he couldn't guarantee it completely. After all, liking someone and living together were two different matters.
When he hung up and walked outside, he found Song Bunan already changed into pajamas sitting in the living room rubbing his eyes. As soon as he approached, Bunan looked up and smiled at him without saying a word—just grinning like a fool. Unable to resist pinching that soft cheek and asking what made him laugh so much, Xin Yi found himself holding a frog-shaped fabric eye mask afterward.
"My curtains are quite thin; the streetlights outside are very bright and might disrupt my sleep at night," Bunan explained. "Here’s an eye mask for you, Xin Yi Brother; it should help. What time do you want to wake up tomorrow? What kind of clothes should I wear to work?"
The eye mask was new and soft in his hand but felt less pleasant than Song Bunan's face. Xin Yi felt warmth pooling in his heart; it grew warmer because of Song Bunan. He walked with Bunan to the door of his bedroom and shook his phone.
"I'll wake you up; if there's a suit available you can wear it; if not, we’ll go buy one tomorrow afternoon."
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