Chapter 1066 - 1032: The Sound of Water by the River
Yang Jian wasn’t surprised by Xiong Wenwen’s visit; he was just a bit taken aback that Xiong Wenwen had dragged his mother, Chen Shumei, over.
This kid’s brain is really something.
Liu Xiaoyu was momentarily stunned. Her instinctive reaction was wondering if Xiong Wenwen had something urgent to discuss with Yang Jian. But seeing Chen Shumei by his side, she felt somewhat suspicious.
Chen Shumei felt slightly embarrassed. As a mature woman, she could clearly see that Liu Xiaoyu and Yang Jian were likely not meeting for work, but rather for a date. After all, they were not that different in age, and Liu Xiaoyu’s outfit clearly appealed to young people.
“Xiao Yang, what are you doing here?” Xiong Wenwen asked.
Yang Jian, still expressionless, replied, “Eating noodles.”
“You actually have the mood to eat noodles here, breaking your promise? Even lying to a child, are you human?” Xiong Wenwen said angrily.
“But my Daddy Xiong doesn’t want to argue with you now. I brought my mom to you, so you need to take responsibility. Also, Liu Xiaoyu, what are you doing here? Hurry up and leave with me, don’t be a third wheel.”
“??”
Liu Xiaoyu was confused for quite a while before she realized what was happening. It seemed Yang Jian had arranged to meet not only her but also Chen Shumei.
“So that’s how it is.”
Liu Xiaoyu stared at Yang Jian with an expression that said she hadn’t thought he was that kind of person.
Then she glanced at Chen Shumei, admitting to herself that she truly was a beautiful woman, someone even she found appealing, not to mention men.
“I’m really in a tough spot.”
Liu Xiaoyu sighed inwardly, feeling helpless.
But before she could speak, Xiong Wenwen came over and grabbed her, pulling her away.
Though Xiong Wenwen had the body of a paper person, his strength was immense, and Liu Xiaoyu couldn’t break free.
“Wenwen, don’t bully Xiaoyu, let go of her immediately.”
Chen Shumei began scolding, though she did not appear fierce, more gentle instead.
Xiong Wenwen was so frightened that he immediately let go, then said, “I’m not bullying her. I’m just taking her away from here, so they don’t interrupt your date with Xiao Yang.”
Chen Shumei’s face instantly turned red. She cast a glance at Yang Jian, suddenly at a loss.
Yang Jian remained composed, his gaze steady without any sign of disturbance. He stood up and said, “Since nobody has anything to do, let me take you around Dachang City. Aunt Chen is also new to Dachang City and unfamiliar with it, and so is Liu Xiaoyu. Today is a good day for a tour together.”
“Hmm?” Liu Xiaoyu looked at Yang Jian, her expression odd.
“You don’t want to leave?” Yang Jian asked.
Liu Xiaoyu said, “No, no.”
“What about Aunt Chen?” Yang Jian inquired again.
Chen Shumei awkwardly said, “I’ll go along with Yang’s arrangements.”
“Since that’s the case, let’s go.” Yang Jian said as he led the group away.
Liu Xiaoyu felt complicated; it seemed her first date with Yang Jian was ruined, turning into a gathering instead. Judging by Yang Jian’s demeanor, he probably had no thoughts about Chen Shumei, acting entirely professional.
Yang Jian truly approached it like a mission, taking Liu Xiaoyu, Chen Shumei, and Xiong Wenwen to various places in Dachang City.
With the Ghost Domain in effect, they could instantly travel anywhere in this city without a need to walk.
Initially, both Chen Shumei and Liu Xiaoyu felt a bit awkward.
But soon, the two got to know each other well, chatting and laughing along the way, while Xiong Wenwen often held his head, squatting on the ground, looking rather uninterested.
“Xiao Yang is really a failure. I’ve helped him so much, yet he can’t handle my mom. It’s exhausting.” Xiong Wenwen lamented.
Feeling he had worried so much at such a young age, yet remained misunderstood.
However, he quickly realized that this was precisely the greatness of Daddy Xiong.
At ten o’clock in the evening.
Three to four hours of play had drained Liu Xiaoyu and Chen Shumei’s energy. They were ordinary people, not ghost handlers, so they were feeling very tired and decided to sit by the river, rest a bit, enjoy the breeze, and then head back.
Liu Xiaoyu and Chen Shumei sat together, chatting.
“Sister Chen, do you think Yang Jian is interested in you?” Liu Xiaoyu glanced back at Yang Jian standing not far away and whispered.
Chen Shumei pursed her lips and smiled, “Captain Yang is a wonderful person. He has helped me tremendously and even saved Wenwen. Honestly, I am very grateful to him, and Wenwen keeps pushing for me and Captain Yang. If Captain Yang wants to date me, I wouldn’t mind at all. It’s just… he doesn’t seem to have any other intentions.”
“Maybe Liu Xiaoyu, you should seize the opportunity. I think Captain Yang suits you better. You are his liaison, so you ought to be more intimate.”
Liu Xiaoyu sighed deeply and said, “I trust Yang Jian just as much as you do, Sister Chen, but he’s too special, and it’s hard for me to move him. Besides, my work requires confidentiality, and I can’t have too much contact with others besides Yang Jian, especially unfamiliar strangers, to prevent leaks.”
“I was lucky to come to Dachang City; if I were at the headquarters, I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to go out. But I don’t regret this job at all. I’m glad to contribute something to society.”
She said, standing up from the resting chair, gazing at the riverside, breathing in the cool night breeze, feeling very comfortable: “I like it here, I like this city.”
“Me too, this place brings me a sense of calm.”
Chen Shumei, tidying her hair messed up by the river breeze, smiled and said.
The two understood each other.
They were both aware they lacked a chance to go further, a chance Yang Jian hadn’t given them, not that they didn’t want to seize it.
After all, reality posed another problem: they had no choice.
No one dared approach a Captain Level’s operator; the headquarters and Yang Jian were two towering mountains blocking the way. Likewise, no one dared welcome a mother of an eerie paper child.
Only Yang Jian could embrace all this.
And in this world, Liu Xiaoyu and Chen Shumei weren’t the only ones without a choice; many had none.
Living peacefully was already a luxury.
“Splash!”
Suddenly, at this moment, there came a sound of someone falling into the water from the riverside. The splash was loud, as if someone had jumped into the water, startling Liu Xiaoyu.
“Yang Jian, come quickly and take a look. I think I just saw someone jumping into the water.” Liu Xiaoyu called out anxiously.
Yang Jian came over at this point and said, “The order to block the riverside was given by me, and I haven’t canceled it yet. All the riversides in Dachang City are empty, except for us.”
“No wonder it’s so quiet here.” Chen Shumei looked around.
Although the lights were on at the riverside plaza, it was deserted. Initially, she thought that no one came here, but now it seems that’s not the case.
“But I really seemed to see someone fall into the water just now. Wait, blocking the riverside? That Ghost Lake incident…”
Liu Xiaoyu suddenly realized what was happening, and quickly retreated in fear, grabbing Yang Jian’s arm and hiding behind him.
“Does that mean the thing that fell into the water just now wasn’t a person?”
When she said this, Liu Xiaoyu’s eyes showed panic, and she was a bit frightened.
She was very close to the sound just now.
Chen Shumei also stood up uneasily, quickly moving away from the riverside. She glanced at Xiong Wenwen and quickly waved him over, signaling him to come quickly and not to wander off.
“Relax, nothing will happen. I’m watching closely.” Yang Jian said calmly, “Besides, I haven’t received any reports of anyone dying from supernatural incidents by the river lately, so I think it’s safe here. At least the supernatural influence isn’t that significant. I blocked this area just to be cautious.”
The source of Ghost Lake is not in Dachang City. The rivers and waters here at most suffer from some supernatural contamination.
“You stay here, and I’ll go check it out.” Yang Jian patted Liu Xiaoyu’s hand, indicating her to let go.
“Be careful.” Liu Xiaoyu cautiously released Yang Jian, a bit worried.
Yang Jian nodded and approached the riverside, walking towards where the splash happened.
Quickly.
His steps halted.
On the ground near the water, he saw a series of wet footprints, with toes clearly visible, indicating someone came ashore barefoot from the water.
But the range of footprints was only about a meter from the riverside, unable to extend any further.
Yang Jian’s expression subtly changed as he looked at the calm river surface before him.
In the murky water, it seemed something was hidden that even he couldn’t see through.
Quickly.
He opened his Ghost Eye.
The river water couldn’t block the Ghost Eye’s gaze, and finally, Yang Jian saw a corpse deep in the water. That corpse was eerie, neither floating nor sinking to the bottom, but standing in the water, swaying with the flow of the river.
As if walking within the river.
Quickly.
He withdrew his gaze, ignoring the corpse.
Because that corpse wasn’t a vengeful spirit, but likely an unfortunate victim.
However, the person who died in the river seems to be tainted by the supernatural, forever trapped in the water. The corpse hadn’t decomposed nor was it swollen, just devoid of color, looking extremely pale.
“This corpse should have floated down from upstream.” Yang Jian thought to himself.
Such phenomena indicate the influence of Ghost Lake is still expanding.
“Yang Captain, what’s the situation over there? If there’s nothing wrong, come back quickly to avoid danger.” Chen Shumei called out, concerned as Yang Jian stood there for a while.
Hearing this.
Yang Jian snapped out of his thoughts and turned back: “Nothing’s wrong, just something unusual in the water. It seems my order to block the riverside was correct. It’s getting late. Let me take you home. In the future, avoid getting close to the water when you’re alone; it’s somewhat dangerous for ordinary people.”
“Can this issue be resolved?” Liu Xiaoyu asked.
Yang Jian said, “It’s not easy to handle, the range is too large. For now, let’s not worry about it. Headquarters will have arrangements.”
He temporarily didn’t want to deal with the Ghost Lake incident.
It most likely was an S-ranked supernatural incident.
Having just dealt with the Ghost Post Office, he didn’t want to get involved in another troublesome matter, so he decided to wait and see. Perhaps after a while, other captains might have already handled it.
Liu Xiaoyu nodded and didn’t ask further.
Quickly.
A flash of red light, Yang Jian took them away from the riverside.
But not long after Yang Jian and the others left.
A splash sounded again near the river, a strange figure emerged from the water, attempting to come ashore, but only lingered briefly on the riverbank, leaving a series of wet footprints before plunging back into the river. The surroundings quickly returned to calm.
However, soon the same sound occurred again, only that the spot where it came ashore changed.
Evidently, the ghost was repeatedly trying, seeking an opportunity to come ashore.
Perhaps not only in Dachang City, but in other places, similar occurrences were happening, and in some areas, the ghost might have already succeeded.
Returned to Guanjiang Residential Complex.
Liu Xiaoyu, Chen Shumei, and Xiong Wenwen said goodbye and left, as she needed to go to work tomorrow and had to get up early.
Chen Shumei also took Xiong Wenwen home.
Seeing them leave, Yang Jian slightly relaxed. He still had things to do and needed Zhang Liqin to continue documenting the Ghost Post Office incident, both to create a record and to recount his experiences.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com