Chapter 34

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 34

The early morning sunlight shone diagonally into the room, casting a bright yellow glare onto the back of his eyelids. Lin Yan ripped off the blanket. He rolled out of bed in a daze, but his legs gave out and he fell. He sat on the bedside, taking deep breaths.

His whole body hurt like it had been run over by a cart. Every muscle was screaming. Lin Yan shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the hangover dizziness, tugging at the blanket that had half-fallen down. The place where Xiao Yu had slept was already empty, and a shallow depression in the bed reminded him of the absurdity of last night’s drinking.

Lin Yan roughly tapped his temple. For the first time, he wanted to wipe away his drunken memory but the more he tried to forget, the more sober he became. Even the ghost’s watching gaze was still present in his mind. His velvety black eyes looked lost while he whispered his name and slammed into him. It was like his body was still pressed against him, their hearts intertwining as one.

He slept with someone he has to spend 24 hours a day with. How is this going to end?

Idiot, Lin Yan cursed. He put on a long T-shirt meant for playing basketball and walked towards the wall. When he heard Xiao Yu calling him, Lin Yan didn’t even have the courage to turn around and answer him. He stumbled into the bathroom with his head down and locked the door behind him.

The person looking back at him in the mirror had red eyes, swollen cheeks, and a series of blue and purple hickeys that stretched from the bottom of his neck to his collarbone. Lin Yan tugged the collar of his T-shirt down. When he saw the miserable state of his chest, he hastily turned his head. He turned on the shower to wash his body. The water rained onto his face. Everything he did, and didn’t, want to see blurred. The sensitive parts of his body were stimulated by the hot water, causing the corner of Lin Yan’s mouth to twitch in discomfort. Still gritting his teeth, he roughly scrubbed his body.

He couldn’t wait for this layer of skin to eventually flake off.

Lin Yan dried his hair and wiped a hand across the foggy mirror. It still showed a beautiful and clean face. The stand-up collar T-shirt just covered the marks on the neck. Lin Yan propped himself up on the sink and smiled miserably at the man in the mirror.

Compared to love, carnal desire is much simpler. A meal, a bottle of wine, and anything can happen. You don’t even need to take off your clothes. Do the deed, forget about it, take a shower and continue on like nothing happened. Who needs to bring up the unpleasantness of last night anyway?

He can’t succumb to a paranoid ghost. The street was full of decent people. Who knows what animal opened its thighs last night, and which corner it will live in the next night?

The tinkling sound of cups and plates came from the kitchen and passed through the messy living room. The moment the sliding door opened, Lin Yan was stunned by the sight in front of him, and he didn’t move for a long time.

The light golden sunlight fell on the ground. The suave gentleman with messy sideburns and a pair of slender eyebrows carefully rinsed a frozen fish under the tap. Lin Yan bought it a few days ago and threw it in the freezer and forgot to take it out. It was freezer burnt.

The fish’s eyes were covered with a layer of frost, its mouth wide open, and the head that peeked out from his hands was a bit dull. The saucepan was placed on the burner, and the water was almost at a boil. Several pieces of ginger and green onions were diced into various-sized pieces on the chopping board. He had forgotten to peel the ginger, the clueless blockhead.

Hearing the movement at the door, Xiao Yu turned his head. A smile was hidden in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were softly curved upwards: “You’re awake. You’re not going to sleep some more?”

“… I’m too nauseous to sleep.” Lin Yan’s face burned. Avoiding his eyes, he walked over to turn off the tap. “What are you doing with this thing? Are you hungry?”

It took everything in him to pretend to stay calm: “I thought you didn’t need to eat.”

“I wanted to make breakfast for you.” Xiao Yu pointed to the fish in the sink. “It’s too frozen.”

“You need to defrost it in the microwave, so it won’t be melted in one day.” Lin Yan glanced at the scattered green onion and ginger on the chopping board. “Besides, no one makes fish this early in the morning. It’s too heavy.”

Xiao Yu stood still in front of the sink, awkwardly holding the fish’s tail: “… This is all I know how to make.”

Lin Yan took out a frying pan and moved the saucepan off the burner: “I can’t eat this stuff with an upset stomach. Don’t worry about it. I’ll just cook something myself to eat.”

“What do you want to eat? Let me try.” Xiao Yu said as he went to look through the refrigerator. He had just opened it slightly before Lin Yan shut it, his voice unconsciously raised: “I said don’t worry about it. Don’t act like this is your house. Look at what my living room already looks like. Who knows what might happen to the kitchen later on. Young Master Xiao has probably never had to lift a finger in his life. I don’t need your help.”

When he spoke, he unconsciously put more emphasis on the ‘my’, deliberately excluding him, leaving no room for argument.

A one-night stand or something seemed too far-fetched for him, but he couldn’t have sex and expect to now be fully devoted to each other. The person opposite him was stunned. His eyes, full of expectation, darkened. He was a bit at a loss holding the fish, as if he had done something wrong, and didn’t know what to do.

Lin Yan didn’t dare to look at him. He struggled to take out the eggs and milk from the refrigerator. He poured the oil into the frying pan and cracked open the eggs with two clicks. Once he turned around, Xiao Yu was still standing in the same spot, the frozen fish turning his fingers red. He wasn’t going to leave or stay. He lowered his eyes and glanced back at him occasionally as if he was afraid of getting in trouble.

Lin Yan didn’t say anything. He took out a spatula and flipped the fried egg over. The pain in his back was still terrible. Every step he took was torturous. The ghost noticed his unnatural stance. After standing behind him for a while, he hesitantly put down the fish. He wrapped himself around him in an attempt at a comforting hug. He put his chin on Lin Yan’s shoulder. He felt like a mass of cold air like he had forgotten to close the refrigerator door.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Xiao Yu’s tone was softer than ever before. “I’ll be gentler next time.”

Lin Yan took a deep breath. Xiao Yu’s touch brought back the memories of last night. He had fully submitted himself to the ghost. The uncontrollable debauchery and the sense of shame of being exposed on the spot made him antsy. He interrupted him, expressionless: “There won’t be a next time. I was drunk last night. Let’s pretend it never happened. What’s done is done, okay?”

The person behind him trembled, and the arms around him loosened.

Lin Yan couldn’t bear it and concealed it by fiddling with the fried egg in the pan: “You can’t help with this. Find me some nausea medicine. It’s in the bedroom drawer.”

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment, then asked him in a low voice: “What does the nausea medicine … look like?”

“You don’t know anything.” Lin Yan sighed. He put the spatula down. He turned around, suppressing the evil fire in his heart: “Please leave. I’m in a bad mood. I don’t have time to say something nice to make you happy.”

Xiao Yu was silent and slowly let go of him. He raised a pair of dark eyes to stare at Lin Yan. Something he couldn’t understand floated in his eyes, like sadness. He gave him a once-over from head to toe. He turned his head and gently saying: “Lin Yan, don’t play with me.”

When he turned around, the ghost had already disappeared. Lin Yan slowly put the fried egg on the plate. He pressed through the pain in his stomach and began to eat. The touch of the embrace seemed to linger on his body. He subconsciously shook his shoulders, his face wooden.

Don’t play with me? Lin Yan recalled the ghost’s words with a look in his eyes. This proud young man had rushed out of the unknown and forcibly occupied his home, his bed, his space, his time and his … his thigh muscles twitched. Lin Yan slowly rubbed his hands along his thighs. Finally, he put down his chopsticks and buried his face in the palms of his hands and rubbed hard, unconsciously turning his eyes red. In the end, who was playing with who?

Meat is most delicious with the blood. The more debaucherous the lust, the more enjoyable it’ll be. Sex could be dirty, but love couldn’t. Love was the purest thing, there was no room for filth. The ridiculous night was over. The unpredictable ghost could be forgotten, but the gentle side of the ghost forced him to remember some feelings that had nothing to do with lust. The softest corner of his heart was gently tugged. Lin took a bit of his egg, his throat choked up with inexplicable sorrow and grief.

Maybe he was disgusted with himself for losing himself last night, but what difference does it make? Lin Yan silently thought. Some things can’t be taken back.

After washing the dishes, he called Professor Folder’s secretary to confirm the meeting time. The secretary gave him the address of the institute, and, after finalizing the meeting, Lin Yan cleaned up the kitchen. A small pile of chopped green onions and ginger was still on the chopping board. The knifework was clumsy, but he had been serious about it. Lin Yan used a knife to brush them off the board. Just as he was about to throw them away, he suddenly hesitated. He found a small bowl and put it in the refrigerator freezer.

That guy should have found a place to get angry. Lin Yan sighed, limped and held the wall to walk outside. One thing after another left him completely exhausted. He knew it was wrong to take it out on him, but he just couldn’t find the energy to comfort the stubborn ghost. It was almost time for his appointment. Lin Yan packed his pen and notebook into his sports bag. When he walked into the living room, he was shocked. Xiao Yu was picking up things on the floor with his back facing him. When he heard Lin Yan come in, he turned around, holding several girl’s trinkets, hair clips, dolls, leather coin purses, and a few photos that could barely be seen.

“These can still be used. Take them.” Xiao Yu hung his head cautiously: “I can’t compensate you for the rest. I don’t have the money you use, and you took everything I had.”

The sunlight came in from the half-opened curtains. The ghost stood helplessly in the wind-swept living room, bowing his head as a peace offering, lowering his stature and waiting to be forgiven.

Lin Yan couldn’t say a word. He stood there for a long time, and when he opened his mouth, his voice became mute: “What are you doing this early in the morning? Are you trying to make me feel bad?” He found a garbage bag to put them in, harshly tying the bag. “I don’t even want them anymore.”

He dragged Xiao Yu into the bedroom and opened the paper bags that were piled up in the corner. The clothes he bought in Shenjiayuan last time were hung in the closet. He had even kept the auspicious mortuary clothes, carefully ironed out and hung on clothing hangers. The full cabinet was stuffed with two people’s things, almost giving a sense of 'home’.

“Satisfied? Come over and I’ll help you comb your hair.” Lin Yan tugged Xiao Yu’s sleeve: “I made an appointment to ask about you at the research institute today. We’re going to be late.”

All the words in the world couldn’t compare to the warmth of “we”. Lin Yan held Xiao Yu’s long, silky hair. The two figures were reflected in the mirror. White fabric draped over the top. The pearwood dresser was decorated with gold inlay. The pearly surface was like the white of a flower. A screen behind them covered in peony flowers and birds was complex and magnificent; a dazzling sight

Lin Yan satisfactorily rolled a bun with a bone hairpin. The bangs on his forehead fell down. His features were as sharp as a knife, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes. He couldn’t help but squeeze his face jokingly: “Young Master looks really handsome. How are you going to pay for your manservant?” He muttered: “Without money, you have to sleep with me at night. What a shame.”

As he spoke, he put his hand on Xiao Yu’s shoulder. Cold fingers moved up to caress the back of his hand, carefully tracing the bones in his fingers, like dealing with a treasure made of jade.

“I know all that. I just can’t bear to let you go.” Xiao Yu spoke very lightly.

“What?” Lin Yan didn’t hear him clearly.

“Nothing.” Xiao Yu said softly.

————-

The research institute where the professor worked was built inside a large complex. It took a long time to find the side road from the main road. The low bungalows were shaded by the century-old trees. There were round tables and wicker chairs on the open balcony of the building, and occasionally they could see gray-haired foreigners sitting together drinking tea.

After greeting the entrance guard, Lin Yan drove his car into the back parking lot with ease and stopped in front of a modest gray bungalow. The 90s-style office didn’t have a separate door, two steps leading into the dark and dreary building. Standing in the yard was a middle-aged man in work clothes, holding a small piece of paper to double-check if it matched Lin Yan’s car license plate. When he saw that everything matched, he smiled honestly and greeted Lin Yan and opened the door very courteously.

“Lin, welcome. My name is Chen.” The middle-aged man shook enthusiastically shook Lin Yan’s hand. “The professor has arranged everything.”

“Brother Chen.” Lin Yan said respectfully.

“Come, come. It’s bright outside. Come inside and see. Two days ago, I was on a business trip. Hey, comrade, you know, we have to travel every day in this line of work. We started going through the files as soon as we got back. Come in and find out if we have what you need.”

The middle-aged man said as he took Lin Yan into the building. He was actually very young when he looked at him up close. He had a rugged look because he worked in areas with harsh UV rays. His eyes were plain and his skin was tanned and blistered. A mouthful of white teeth was revealed when he spoke. This comrade reminded Lin Yan of the old leader with a ceramic vase in front of him in the “Reform and Opening*” poster. The person in front of him’s appearance suddenly started to warp in his mind. His shirt was tucked in his black pants and a Zhongshan suit was draped over him. He was gesticulating towards the door. A pair of large hands with prominent knuckles and bones was a common characteristic of the working people.

*(T/N: “Reform and Opening” policy is the Chinese economic reforms that went into place after Mao Zedong’s death in China and pursued by Deng Xiaoping)