Ch27 - [Midnight 0:00] Stop trying to spook me by pretending there are ghosts!

In the end, Xi Jin hugged Nalun’s elbow and used an extremely pitiful gaze to look at him.

Nalun sighed and could only say: “Then I’ll bring you inside. The villa has already been abandoned for many years. Who would be so wasteful like this?”

He purposely said the latter half of his words in an extremely loud voice, hoping that the tagalongs could hear it clearly.

He originally could have allowed Xi Jin to continue waiting endlessly. However, avoidance clearly wasn’t the cure to solving problems. His wonderful wish to leave immediately after throwing down the money was also ruined. However, Nalun didn’t come completely unprepared.

Trembling all over, Xi Jin removed a hand and covered his nose, his expression very conflicted: “Why are you so smelly?”

Nalun gave him a disapproving look: “This isn’t smelly, but a unique scent. It’s my favorite cologne.”

Xi Jin looked at him in bewilderment: “I don’t really understand.”

Nalun said benevolently: “Everyone has their own preferences.”

Xi Jin nodded his head. He seemed to have accepted this middleman, who wore huge aviator sunglasses in the middle of the night and emitted a suspicious odor from head to toe.

One man and one bug climbed through the window of the only building in the area.

This was a traditional styled house. A faint light traveled through the windows and poured onto the floor inside. Countless spider webs and dust covered the furniture and decorations. The ornamental painting on the wall was of a hazy black shadow.

Xi Jin: “Do I really have to stay here for a night?”

Nalun also hesitated. Alida seemed to have said this place was haunted?

Xi Jin suddenly let out an alarmed ‘Ah’!

Nalun: “What is it, what is it?”

Xi Jin immediately looked like he was about to start crying: “Just now, there was a figure that floated…… floated by.”

Nalun: “…… Child, don’t be scared.”

If you must know, behind you are Sirius’s outstanding subordinates. They will be your staunch supporters.

Xi Jin: “Then can you tell me what that was?”

Nalun: “Through all of these years of scientific development, there’s nothing that indicates the existence of ghosts and spirits.”

Xi Jin: “But other than you and me, who else is here?!”

–The people monitoring you.

Instantly, Nalun felt like he found the answer.

“If you’re afraid, then just change into a bug.”

Xi Jin: “Is that useful?”

Nalun comforted: “Have you seen any ghost story where the main character is a bug?”

Pitch-black, little eyes opened wide, Xi Jin seemed to have been convinced.

Nalun: “I really need to go.”

Xi Jin reluctantly: “What are you called? I feel like you’re really a very good person. In the future, I will think of you.”

Nalun rubbed his French mustache and said: “I’m Aida’s father, Lunli.”

Xi Jin: “……”

Nalun started making stuff up without even batting an eyelash: “We both work for the same boss. You have to know that Insectoids have very sensitive identities now. If Aida knew about your identity, he definitely wouldn’t have made you take such risks. To have this kind of accident occur, we’re also very helpless.”

Xi Jin: “But……”

“It’s said that an Insectoid committed an unforgivable crime inside the Imperial Capital. That’s why that group of people were chasing you relentlessly. They even suspected us to be accomplices.”

Nalun gave a hint, lest this foolish bug didn’t even know why he was being hunted.

Sure enough, Xi Jin revealed an extremely enlightened expression.

Such an innocent and simple bug. Actually, even if he were caught, he should be fine, right? It’s not like they can convict him just because he was an Insectoid?

Nalun left the bug behind and departed alone. On the road, he re-organized the thoughts of everything that had happened recently.

If Xi Jin didn’t discover his identity and force him to rescue the bug, the pile of things that happened later on wouldn’t have become more and more complicated.

— The more you wanted to hide something, the harder it was to get rid of it.

And the source of everything, all started from Big Beard.

Soft footsteps sounded behind Nalun.

Nalun turned his head to take a look. There was no one, not even a place where people could hide.

He gathered his clothes and bundled up tighter, advancing alone in the cold night wind.

The footsteps started again.

Nalun turned around. Behind him was all flat land. There wasn’t even a tree to hide behind. Reason told him, this was probably Sirius’s subordinates.

But…… in this kind of terrain where everything could be seen clearly with one glance, where was a big live person supposed to hide?

He felt like the suburbs of the city were a bit cold at night. In this instant, he really wanted to be conversing with someone.

Nalun unconsciously quickened his pace.

Before he came here, he made preparations. The people monitoring Xi Jin were very likely to turn their gaze onto him. Therefore, he had already arranged an escape route.

Following the route in his head, Nalun walked west. Very quickly, he saw shrubberies in the front. The shrubberies were about half the height of a person. They were very suited to throw off some annoying tagalongs.

“Dididi!”

A sharp ringing pierced through the quiet night, sounding especially abrupt. Nalun jumped in fright and pulled out the communication device in his pocket. This thing was only used to communicate with Sirius. Even thinking with his toe, Nalun already knew who was on the other side of the call.

By pure coincidence, he saw the time– 0:00

Nalun: “……” Really very terrifying!

The ringing continued, as if waiting for someone to lose their patience and finally answer it……

Nalun pressed the answer button.

“DuoNi, you met up with the Metal-devouring bug today?” Sirius’s voice sounded extremely steady and reliable.

Nalun held onto the communication device tightly and continued to walk forward: “I don’t know what you mean. I only know that I was startled awake by you in the middle of my sleep.”

Sirius: “……Your voice sounds a bit shaky.”

Nalun: “Showing clearly how indignant I am right now.”

Sirius: “Roulin told me that a man with a French mustache appeared. This person and the bug had a secret talk inside a haunted house for over a dozen minutes.”

Nalun: “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? A suspicious person appeared. You have a new lead now. Next, aren’t you getting ready to capture them all?”

Sirius suddenly suppressed his voice low: “Roulin didn’t enter the haunted house…. because he saw a terrifying image.”

A thin layer of sweat appeared on the tip of Nalun’s nose: “What image?”

Sirius: “There was a shadow.”

Nalun: “Sha, shadow?”

Sirius: “Following behind him.”

Nalun: “Who?”

Sirius: “When the French mustache and the Metal-devouring Bug separated, the shadow left with the person.”

As if responding to Sirius’s quiet words, rustling footsteps sounded behind Nalun again.

Nalun: “……Sirius.”

Sirius answered with an ‘En’ and then said soothingly: “Originally I was actually worried about you, but since you’re fine, I can rest assured.”

You dare to say you’re worried? When you specifically picked midnight to scare me?!

Nalun held up the communication device and looked behind him. He still didn’t see anything. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his own faint shadow underneath his feet. For a split second, Nalun felt a chill up his back. However, he still replied to Sirius with composure: “Stop trying to spook me by pretending there are ghosts.”

Sirius smiled.

After a while, Nalun asked: “You really don’t have anyone following me?”

Sirius maintained his silence.

Nalun speed walked forward a few distances.

Sirius: “You’re panting a bit.”

Nalun said viciously: “It’s none of your business!”

The footsteps sounded behind him again.

Behind him was still an utterly empty flat piece of land. Nalun finally couldn’t restrain it anymore and dashed forward.

A strange static suddenly came from the earpiece.

“Sirius, Sirius! Are you still here?”

A certain person’s voice was calm and steady as always: “I’m here, baobei.”

Nalun: “Tell your subordinates to come out! Stop trying to scare me by pretending there are ghosts!”

Sirius, innocently: “What do you mean?”

Nalun rolled his eyes: “I hear footsteps.”

Sirius fell silent for a few seconds and said seriously: “Baobei, I really didn’t have Roulin follow you.”

Nalun: “What?”

Sirius: “No lie.”

Nalun: “……”

Sirius: “Something is indeed following you.”

Nalun charged into the shrubbery and squatted down. He suppressed his voice: “You think I’d believe you?”

Sirius: “If this will make you feel better, then alright. I really did tell someone to follow you.”

This didn’t make him feel better at all!