Chapter 73: A Chaotic Day

*Knock, knock, knock — * Lu Xiu knocked on the door again.

But the old man refused to open it.

“Why have you suddenly become so cowardly?” Lu Xiu mocked.

“Ignorant people are fearless! A heavenly omen disaster! Sinful, truly sinful!”

Behind the door, the voice was full of vigor, overrunning the distant sound of barking dogs. it echoed through the alley, rustling the red paper lanterns at the entrance.

“Are you really not going to open the door?”

“Not even if I die!”

“Then I’m pulling up your flowers.”

“I’m not opening it!”

Lu Xiu was somewhat helpless. The other party was incredibly stubborn and refused to open the door no matter what was said, acting as if they would be devoured the moment the door was opened.

I curled my lip. ‘I’m not going to eat him; he’s old and tough.’

“Lu Xiu, are we going to keep standing here?”

I found a clean spot to sit down and rested my chin on my hands, looking out at the distant Bright Moon Alley with boredom.

I was starting to get sleepy and a little hungry.

‘It would be so nice if I could just pick up a buffet voucher on the side of the road.’

However, there didn’t seem to be any buffet restaurants around here.

“Let’s find a place to stay first. I don’t think I’ll be able to convince this guy today.” He scratched his head.

“Yay! Food and sleep!”

I jumped up and patted the dust off my bottom.

The place we stayed was a small wooden cabin not far from there. Lu Xiu pulled some copper coins from his pocket and handed them to a woman. She gave him a candle set in a holder and then disappeared into the alley.

Pushing the door open, I walked into the cabin.

“Wow, what is this?”

“A screen.”

“What is it for?”

“I don’t know… I guess it’s to keep people from peeking?”

“Oh… then what about this?”

“A bedstead.”

“It’s so hard. It feels like I’m lying on a wooden board.”

I climbed onto the somewhat high bed and pushed open the carved paper window.

Outside was a view of the river. In the dark night, a full moon illuminated the great river, and the water’s light rippled as shadows drifted and leaned. It looked incredibly peaceful.

It was just a little dark.

“Lu Xiu, I want to turn on the light,” I called out to him, leaning against the window.

“We only have candles, so make do with that.” Lu Xiu sat at the table, staring blankly at the candle flame.

“Oh. Well, I’m hungry.”

He opened his suitcase, pulled out a few bags of snacks, and tossed them to me. “Eat these for now, and we’ll have breakfast tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I took the snacks, tore open the packaging of a meat floss cake, and swallowed it in one bite before tearing open the next one.

In no time at all, they were all gone.

Although I was still a bit hungry, Lu Xiu seemed to be thinking very seriously about something, so I decided not to disturb him.

‘I’m really so considerate.’

Thinking this, I pulled the blanket over me and wrapped myself up.

“Goodnight, Lu Xiu.”

“Goodnight, Sui.”

***

The next day, I was woken up by the sound of a rooster crowing.

When I woke up, Lu Xiu was leaning back in his chair with his head tilted back, snoring.

*Yawn — *

I rubbed my eyes, spat out a strand of hair I had accidentally gotten in my mouth, and climbed out of bed.

‘768…’

I still missed the bed at home. It was soft and big, and if you jumped on it, you would bounce.

“Ugh… mm…” Lu Xiu seemed to be awakened by my movements. A snot bubble popped, and his tilted head moved groggily.

*Hiss — * He immediately clutched his neck.

I looked over and saw him staggering to his feet with his head tilted to one side. He looked exceptionally ridiculous and funny.

“Hahahaha, crooked head!”

I laughed at him.

His squinting, dead-fish eyes looked toward me, making him look even more hilarious.

“Laugh all you want. What’s so funny?”

“But you really are funny.”

He rolled his eyes at me and picked up his jacket from the table. “Let’s go. Time for breakfast.”

“Coming, coming!”

Looking at those familiar red couplets and the gate, I tilted my head in confusion and looked at Lu Xiu.

“Didn’t you say you were taking me to breakfast?”

Why did we end up back here?

“Because this is the only place with food,” he said, knocking on the door.

There was no response.

Just like before.

I looked at the entrance. The few pots of flowers that had been there last night had disappeared at some point. Perhaps they had been moved inside.

*Knock, knock, knock — *

Lu Xiu continued to knock tirelessly. This went on for about ten minutes before a sound finally came from inside the house.

“Squeaking and rattling in the early morning, are you going to let anyone sleep?!”

After the shout, the footsteps stopped at the door once more. The door was pulled open a tiny crack, and an eye peered out through the small gap.

“I’m here for an apprenticeship.”

“Listen to the ghost stories you’re telling. Apprenticeship? Do you think my life isn’t long enough?”

“I told you, it’s not what you think.”

“That’s because you’re incompetent and can’t see through what she really is at all!”

“Well, since you know her true identity, you also understand that she is completely different from what you imagine now, isn’t she?” Lu Xiu used the old man’s own words to checkmate him.

Sure enough, the old man was stifled. “I don’t care about this or that… anyway, it’s a no. Go, go, go. I want to live a few more years…”

Lu Xiu waved at me. “Sui, come here. Greet your Grandmaster.”

“Oh, okay.”

I walked over and shouted toward the crack in the door.

“Hello, Grandmaster.”

The crack in the door slammed shut immediately.

I looked at Lu Xiu, feeling a bit lost.

“Next is the toast…” Lu Xiu muttered to himself, pulling a teacup out of his miao miao pocket and handing it to me. He then took out a bottle of mineral water. “We don’t have tea, so we’ll have to make do with water.”

As he spoke, he poured the water into the cup.

“Very good, now — “

*Click — *

The door suddenly swung open. I was startled as a stick swung out from inside, aiming straight for Lu Xiu’s bottom.

I immediately dodged to the side while holding the water, watching as the old man angrily chased Lu Xiu to beat him.

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t hit my face!”

“I’ll beat you to death, you scoundrel!”

Lu Xiu avoided it with a large leap. He turned back to pout and wink at me, signaling for me to sneak into the courtyard.

Then, he ran toward the end of the street without looking back, with the fleet-footed Old Master chasing close behind, whip held high.

I looked at the door, thought for a moment, stood up, and bowed respectfully toward it.

“Master Door, hello.”

After saying that, I drank the cup of water I was still holding, wiped the corners of my mouth, placed the cup at the entrance, and rushed inside.

I closed the door behind me.

The world instantly became quiet. I walked toward the inner courtyard with curiosity.

The ground was paved with bluestone slabs. Under a distant date tree sat a stone millstone, with clusters of weeds growing from its crevices.

The ground was very clean, as if it were swept often. The house was a long row of wooden buildings with high, upturned eaves and red lanterns hanging from them.

The wooden doors were tightly shut, and several rooms were locked with paper covering them, making it impossible to see inside clearly.

To my right was a tray of dried radishes sitting on a horizontal ladder. They looked shriveled and emitted a unique scent that smelled a bit spicy and slightly sweet, making my mouth water.

However, I didn’t reach out my claws. After all, Lu Xiu had said not to touch other people’s things.

After scanning the courtyard, I moved the small stool from in front of the door to the center of the yard, sat down, and quietly stared at the ants on the ground.

‘One ant… two ants… one ant…’

‘Not delicious…’

‘One ant…’

Suddenly, the sound of a creak echoed.

I lifted my head.

A door had been pushed open.