Chapter 117: Don’t You Dare Talk to Me, Hey!

“Hmph!”

Seeing this, Ling Xiaoyou let out a light snort, grabbed a piece of clothing from the wardrobe, and tossed it over the phone, covering it up.

She wasn’t going to let Bai Shuanglian, that detestable fellow, keep watching any longer!

So, Bai Shuanglian could only hear the rustling sounds of changing clothes through the phone.

When the piece of clothing blocking the phone was finally removed, Ling Xiaoyou had already finished changing, standing with her hands on her waist, pointing at Bai Shuanglian.

“You’re up to no good, Bai Shuanglian!”

She declared.

Upon hearing this, Bai Shuanglian blinked innocently, then tilted her head in a cutesy manner.

“Ehe?”

Bai Shuanglian used —it was super effective!

Ling Xiaoyou was struck by the cuteness, her anger gradually subsiding.

Staring at Bai Shuanglian’s adorable act on the screen, Ling Xiaoyou coughed lightly, shook her little head, and said, “Don’t let it happen again.”

After that, as if to change the subject, Ling Xiaoyou went to the kitchen, then glanced at Bai Shuanglian on the screen, showing off.

“Just watch, Bai Shuanglian! I’ll show you my cooking skills now, so you can see what it means to be a top chef!”

Bai Shuanglian blinked.

“I’ll watch very closely.”

She replied.

After a while, Ling Xiaoyou fell silent, staring at the large mound of egg fried rice she’d accidentally spilled while tossing the wok.

“After all, that pan is a bit too big for you, Xiaoyou, and your hands are quite petite, so making mistakes is perfectly normal.”

Sensing the sudden awkward silence, Bai Shuanglian coughed lightly, breaking the tension and helping Ling Xiaoyou save face.

“If it were me, I’d have failed at the very first step!”

“Well, you make a good point.”

Encouraged by Bai Shuanglian’s words, Ling Xiaoyou recovered.

“After all, people slip and horses stumble. When it comes to cooking, little accidents happen from time to time.”

“I’d better just stick to cooking properly from now on.”

With that, Ling Xiaoyou cleaned up the mess on the stove, then started making dinner again.

Or maybe it was breakfast for her?

This time, everything went smoothly.

Ling Xiaoyou didn’t try to show off, focusing on cooking honestly.

Soon, she carried the finished dishes to the dining table.

Breathing in the delicious aroma, Ling Xiaoyou turned to the screen, feeling a little smug as she spoke to Bai Shuanglian.

“How about it? Looks pretty good, right?”

“Color, aroma, and taste—all perfect. Even over here, I feel like eating it.”

Bai Shuanglian smiled softly and nodded.

“Heh heh, should I pack some up and send it to you?”

Ling Xiaoyou teased Bai Shuanglian.

“No need.”

It was a tempting offer, and Bai Shuanglian truly wanted to taste Ling Xiaoyou’s cooking.

But she shook her head.

“I’m still alive, after all, so I can’t eat food from the Underworld.”

“Oh, right.”

Only then did Ling Xiaoyou realize that Bai Shuanglian was still a living person.

She’d almost forgotten.

“What a shame. I guess I’ll have to finish it all myself.”

Ling Xiaoyou shook her little head in regret.

***

After dinner, Ling Xiaoyou left home, ready to go to work (and slack off).

It was already late at night, so she had to hurry.

With that in mind, Ling Xiaoyou quickened her pace, but even so, she didn’t forget to introduce her surroundings to Bai Shuanglian through the phone.

“Right now, I’m at Ghost Street. I have to walk through here every day to get to work.”

“As for Ghost Street, you can think of it as a never-ending shopping district. There are always lots of people coming and going. I’ve never seen it quiet.”

Bai Shuanglian looked at the bustling street and crowd around Ling Xiaoyou through the screen and nodded in understanding.

“If you hadn’t said anything, I’d never have guessed such a lively scene existed in the Underworld.”

“Well, even though they’re spirits, they were all once human after all.”

Ling Xiaoyou spread her hands.

“And habits are hard to change. They still retain the personalities and customs they had as humans. Other than living in the Underworld instead of the human world, there’s really not much difference.”

She paused for a moment, then sighed.

“That’s why I’ve never quite understood those Exorcists who are so hostile toward ghosts, always wanting to attack or exterminate them.”

“Clearly, those spirits they call evil once were the very humans they protected. Some might have lost their way after death, turning into fierce ghosts.”

“But that doesn’t mean you should unconditionally hate all ghosts!”

At Ling Xiaoyou’s rambling, Bai Shuanglian fell silent for a while, then sighed softly.

“Maybe it’s because those Exorcists never really wanted to understand the so-called evils in their eyes.”

***

Arriving at the Ghostly Resentment Office, the staff were as busy as ever.

With Bai Shuanglian on her phone, Ling Xiaoyou walked among the bustling people, feeling like a useless salted fish and a little guilty.

“Why is everyone so busy? Did something happen?”

Bai Shuanglian watched several people walk by, arms full of documents, and asked Ling Xiaoyou curiously.

“Do you remember what you said before, about ghost kings in the Underworld wanting to attack Hell?”

Ling Xiaoyou began, then explained the details Hong Lingyan had shared with her to Bai Shuanglian.

It wasn’t exactly classified, since almost everyone in the office knew they were handling logistics for the Southern King, so there was no need to hide it from Bai Shuanglian.

After listening to Ling Xiaoyou’s explanation, Bai Shuanglian nodded.

“I see. But that makes sense.”

“I’ve heard that many battles in the Underworld’s history had the Ghostly Resentment Office managing logistics and supplies.”

“There was even a battle where both sides’ logistics were handled by you.”

“Ah…”

Ling Xiaoyou, who should’ve known all this, was stunned. She actually had no idea about it.

Crap, now she really looked like an outsider!

“Well, our Scripture Repository Pavilion at home has all sorts of strange books, and I like reading, so it’s normal for me to know a bit about these things.”

Bai Shuanglian smiled, explaining why she knew these things.

Ling Xiaoyou stopped in front of Hong Lingyan’s office, then turned to Bai Shuanglian.

“Once I go inside, don’t say a word. Or I’ll hang up on you!”