Ch121 - I'm Very Envious

“Ghost?” Lu Xu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this question, not understanding why everyone liked asking the Grim Reaper if he believed in ghosts.

Yu Manman also didn’t want to ask so directly, but ever since she saw a male ghost following Lu Xu that previous time, she couldn’t help but worry. Ghosts were different from monsters; many of the ghosts that lingered in the human realm lacked a standardised management system and were prone to attacking humans.

Especially those that were resentful spirits that had been lingering in the human world for a long time could suddenly turn into evil ghosts.

Yu Manman saw that the male ghost by Lu Xu’s side hadn’t done anything excessive, so she didn’t want to alert him and could only remain still. As a monster, she really didn’t understand ghosts, so she could only seek advice from her boss, Bai Ze, on how to handle this situation.

However, Bai Ze had said not to worry, sounding indifferent.

Although her boss had said so, Yu Manman still couldn’t rest assured over Lu Xu. Ghosts were different from ordinary creatures; many of them had been clouded by anger and might do terrible things at any moment.

Moreover, Lu Xu was human, and ghosts were heavy with Yin energy. Even if they didn’t have ill intentions, being together for a long time could easily lead to problems.

Yu Manman thought about it and couldn’t rest assured, so she finally came to the conclusion to personally protect her shidi.

So it went like that. Yu Manman first joined as a vocal coach, and then decided to join as a guest singer to protect Lu Xu.

This was the first time she was doing something like exorcism. She wasn’t very familiar with the process, and she even looked up the steps on Baidu.

But even so, for the personal safety of her shidi, Yu Manman still wanted to give it a try.

Since she was helping Lu Xu with an exorcism, she naturally needed his cooperation.

Rather than keeping her shidi in the dark, it would be better to just tell him outright.

Humans were mysterious creatures, both timid and strong.

Perhaps at first, knowing that ghosts existed would be frightening, but he would surely be able to accept it after some time.

After thinking for a long time, Yu Manman made a decision, which led to today’s conversation.

“Xu zai, don’t overthink it. I just want to ask you for your opinion on ghosts. So, do you believe that ghosts exist in this world?”

Lu Xu listened to this and merely smiled ambiguously, “I do.”

Not only did he believe, but Lu Xu also transported ghosts between the mortal and underworld realms every day. They were his most important and cherished clients.

“Ai?” Yu Manman originally planned to explain the existence of ghosts to Lu Xu from a scientific perspective using the principles of magnetism. She didn’t expect Lu Xu to say he believed in ghosts without any hesitation. With that being the case, the explanations she had prepared were no longer needed.

But it was good that he believed in ghosts. At least it would be relatively easier to explain the presence of that male ghost next to him.

Yu Manman encouraged herself and began attempting to gently tell Lu Xu that there was a ghost by his side. “Xu zai, actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you…” Yu Manman spoke as she observed Lu Xu’s reaction, afraid that the child might get scared. “When I came by last time, I noticed a ghost following you…”

“Ghost?” Lu Xu remained calm and composed, with a hint of a smile on his lips. He appeared even calmer than Yu Manman. “Are you referring to Instructor Tao?”

“Instructor Tao?” Yu Manman was momentarily stunned, feeling a sense of familiarity with that name. Then she quickly realised that it was the elusive musical genius from the composition team.

Yu Manman began to wonder about the connection between seeing ghosts and Instructor Tao, but in an instant, many things became clear to her.

No wonder Instructor Tao was so mysterious, never showing his face or even speaking up. Some people said that Instructor Tao was the epitome of not seeking fame and fortune, but if he really didn’t want to be in the spotlight, why would he spend his time on recording his works?

Wanting one’s work to be seen while remaining anonymous; the most likely explanation was that he simply couldn’t reveal himself.

Yu Manman was startled by her own thoughts and even doubted if her imagination had gone too far.

However, Lu Xu’s expression seemed to confirm that her thoughts were on the right track, and his smile even had a hint of deeper meaning.

“So, are you saying that the ghost by your side was InstructorTao?”

“Yes.” Lu Xu had no intention of hiding it from Yu Manman and gave an honest answer. “Instructor Tao is Tao Yingbo, the one whose composition was stolen by Qu Dehui.”

“???”

Yu Manman was shocked by his words, completely not expecting that the situation would turn out like this.

She had heard songs composed by Tao Yingbo and had thought that he was extremely talented.

If it weren’t for his compositions being used by others and his untimely death, perhaps there would have even been an opportunity for collaboration.

Instructor Tao…

“Tao Yingbo…”

Now that she thought about it, everything made sense.

In shock, she hurriedly asked Lu Xu, “So where is Instructor Tao now? Wait, is he a ghost?”

“He has let go of his attachments, so shortly after the competition ended, he went to where he should be.”

Even if Lu Xu didn’t say it, Yu Manman could have guessed what Tao Yingbo’s attachment had been.

His compositions were his children, so it was natural for him to want to retrieve them after they had been stolen.

Fortunately, Qu Dehui had been exposed in the end, and Tao Yingbo, the original composer, had gained recognition.

Unfortunately, he was no longer in this world, so his dream of singing would probably have to be realised in his next life. As Yu Manman thought this, she couldn’t help but sigh with a tinge of regret.

“There’s no need to wait for his next life!” Seeing Yu Manman’s genuine regret, Lu Xu immediately laughed and said, “He and a few friends have formed a group and registered for ‘Netherworld 101.’ They’ve already passed the auditions and are preparing for their first performance!”

“Netherworld 101?”

This was the first time Yu Manman had heard about this event. She couldn’t help but feel a bit curious. “Is it similar to our competition?”

Lu Xu nodded. “Yes, it’s quite similar, and the lineup is also impressive. There are mentors like Zhang Jiamu, a legend in the industry, who has strong expertise.”

“Zhang Jiamu is actually also there?” Yu Manman, who possessed a divine voice, rarely admired human singers. However, she could listen to Zhang Jiamu’s songs endlessly, and she even regretted not starting her career earlier in order to have the chance to meet him and collaborate on a song.

Hearing Lu Xu’s words, Yu Manman became even more curious about this ‘Netherworld 101’ and even thought about going to see it in person.

Suddenly, a question came to Yu Manman’s mind, and she couldn’t help but look at Lu Xu. “Lu zai, how do you know about all this? And when did you start seeing ghosts?”

Information about the underworld was rarely made known to the living, and someone like Lu Xu, who knew so much about it, was even more of a rare occurrence.

Lu Xu shrugged. “Instructor Tao told me all the information about the talent show. As for seeing ghosts…” Lu Xu thought carefully but he couldn’t recall the first time he had seen a ghost. After working for so many years, encountering ghosts had become a daily occurrence. “I can’t remember the first time I saw a ghost, but I see them every day. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Yu Manman looked at Lu Xu’s fair and tender face, finding it difficult to imagine the number of ghosts this child had encountered in order to become accustomed to them.

Among humans, there were many mediums who have had spiritual abilities since childhood. Yu Manman subconsciously thought that Lu Xu might be a medium or simply possessed exceptionally strong spiritual power in order for him to be entangled with so many ghosts.

Fortunately, Instructor Tao wasn’t an evil ghost and hadn’t caused any substantial harm to Lu Xu.

But who knew if Lu Xu would encounter evil ghosts in the future? It would be troublesome if he encountered ones with malicious intentions.

When thinking about her young shidi’s age and lack of combat strength, Yu Manman couldn’t help but worry.

She asked Lu Xu to wait by the door while she went inside and brought out a gift box. “Here you go, shidi. This is for you.”

“What’s this?” The box was tightly wrapped in pink wrapping paper, and even the decorative ribbon was tied into a bow.

All in all, the gift truly embodied a very girly vibe.

Lu Xu was worried that the gift might be too valuable, so his first reaction was to refuse it.

Seeing this situation, Yu Manman quickly said, “This is a gift I prepared myself. It’s not shoes, watches, or other valuable items. It’s just a small token of my affection. Just accept it without worries.”

Since Yu Manman had already insisted to this extent, Lu Xu couldn’t possibly refuse and thus he graciously thanked her.

Seeing that Lu Xu was about to leave, Yu Manman couldn’t help but give a few reminders. “Lu Xu, just like humans, ghosts can be good or bad. You’re young, so be careful to maintain a distance and don’t be deceived by their sweet words. Take care of yourself, okay?”

After thinking for a while, Lu Xu couldn’t recall any ghost deceiving him, mainly because none of them had the guts to do so.

However, Yu Manman had good intentions, so Lu Xu obediently nodded and said, “Okay, shijie. Can I go back now?”

“Mhm, go ahead. See you during the recording.”

Yu Manman watched Lu Xu leave, feeling somewhat relieved.

As long as Lu Xu remained vigilant and had the items she gave him, there wouldn’t be any issues.

On the other side, Lu Xu returned to the dormitory holding the gift box, and his three roommates immediately gathered around.

“Wow, is this a gift from goddess Manman?”

“Yes.”

Xu Haoming looked at the box in Lu Xu’s hands with envy.

They couldn’t help but envy that Lu Xu had a shijie who not only helped him with singing but also gave him gifts.

“Can you open it and let us see what’s inside?” Han Tianyu had appeared by Lu Xu’s side at some indeterminate moment of time. Song Zhe expressionlessly moved to the side.

Surrounded by his three roommates, Lu Xu found the scene somewhat amusing, he also didn’t mind, so he nodded and satisfied his roommates’ request. “Let’s open it.”

Lu Xu was also curious about the gifts Yu Manman had prepared for him. When he opened it, he discovered a pile of small items.

The cutest among them was a customised figurine of Ba Mei with various poses and great attention to detail.

“Wow, Manman jie is really too caring.”

A group of manly guys looked at the Ba Mei figurine and couldn’t help but find the chubby little cat adorable, wishing they could immediately hold Ba Mei and give it a kiss.

Lu Xu’s smile became even more genuine. It had to be said that Yu Manman’s gift really was very heartfelt.

Inside the box, along with the Ba Mei figurine, there was also a set of accessories from the LBG brand. They were pricey but not overly expensive, still within an acceptable range.

Xu Haoming and the others praised Yu Manman, saying that this gift was truly thoughtful and wouldn’t burden anyone mentally.

Lu Xu’s attention was drawn to the Sanskrit inscriptions on the necklace and ring.

Others might not have understood the significance of those engravings, but Lu Xu, being knowledgeable and well-traveled, naturally recognised that Yu Manman had prepared a set of protective amulets for him.

If Lu Xu were an ordinary person, these gifts from Yu Manman would definitely help ward off any strange forces or disturbances around him.

Not only was Lu Xu moved by this, even Tang Yanqing, sitting on the other end of the camera, couldn’t help but feel envious—

Having a shijie like Yu Manman was truly a blessing.