Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 24: Addicted to eating for free?

“Vice-Captain Cheng, here are the test results. Your mental and psychological states are both healthy without any issues.”

“Does that mean I won’t develop schizophrenia and imagine someone talking to me?” Cheng Zesheng took the folded form, not understanding the graphs and curves but knowing that the scores from the test were all within the normal range.

Consultant Hong nodded, stating that under normal mental conditions, one wouldn’t have delusions. Delusions and hallucinations only arise when there are organic or functional mental disorders in the brain.

Cheng Zesheng had always believed that his mental state was fine and never considered He Wei’s presence to be his imagination. But in the spirit of a thorough investigation, all possibilities needed to be ruled out. That’s why he consulted a psychologist to confirm his mental and psychological health. He wanted to ensure that the supernatural events at home and He Wei’s appearances were both genuine and objectively present.

“I’ve noticed Vice-Captain Cheng has been under some stress lately. It might help to take oral Oryzanol, Vitamin B1, and B12 for adjustment,” Consultant Hong kindly suggested.

“Fortunately, I’ve gotten used to it,” Cheng Zesheng said as he collected the form. Before leaving, he discussed with Consultant Hong not to share the detailed conversation and test contents with Chief Huang. Consultant Hong complied and destroyed the interview records in front of him.

After leaving the consultation room, Cheng Zesheng went to the hospital to help his mother get her prescription. Ding Xiang, having decades of stage performance experience from the cultural troupe, was thorough in her acting. She didn’t show any signs of heartache and remained bedridden. She wrote a list for her son, asking him to get the medication and groceries and also come back home for dinner.

Cheng Zesheng could only do as he was told; he had to follow Ding Xiang’s instructions. In the past, his older brother used to handle everything for their parents, but since Cheng Zhenqing sacrificed his life for the country, the responsibility of taking care of their parents fell on Cheng Zesheng’s shoulders. Between family matters, national affairs, and worldly matters, family matters came first. If the family wasn’t at peace, he couldn’t focus on his work either.

After bidding farewell to Lian Jingyuan, He Wei slowly walked to the west gate of the community. Suddenly, he remembered something and changed direction, heading toward the property building.

After showing his identification, He Wei requested access to the surveillance footage of the community’s four gates between 3 and 4 p.m. on the 14th. Unfortunately, they didn’t find any footage of the man in black entering or leaving. The property manager asked, “Officer, is there anything else we can assist you with?”

After a moment of contemplation, He Wei shook his head slowly, thanked them, and left the property building. Standing at the community entrance, he observed the shops and people at the crossroads. All these streets had been investigated yesterday, but there was still no surveillance footage of that man. As the sky grew darker, a small alley was nestled between two tall buildings across the street. The setting sun hung low in the alley, its warm glow piercing the eyes and gradually tinting them red.

Suddenly, He Wei felt a sense of familiarity with this scene. As if at some point he had stood at this intersection, gazing at the sunset. This phenomenon of experiencing something “familiar” is scientifically termed “déjà vu.” Most explanations tend to lean towards errors in memory or scenes that appeared in dreams. He Wei had experienced this before, but this time, the sensation was somewhat unique.

At that moment, it was almost as if there should have been someone beside him, standing shoulder to shoulder.

Who could it be?

———

As the evening lights came on, He Wei returned to Future Domain 404. Upon opening the door, the sight before him left him utterly shocked.

The house was covered in yellow paper talismans, dozens of them, both inside and outside, from the living room to the entrance. Something unusual was also above his head. He looked up and saw a copper coin sword, about the size of a palm, hanging in the center of the door lintel with a red string.

“…” He Wei tilted his head to avoid the coin sword, then looked down to see a pile of ashes on the ground, as if remnants of burned talisman papers and pomelo leaves.

Was this about ghost hunting? He Wei tore a piece of yellow paper from the shoe cabinet. On it was a talisman drawn with cinnabar, resembling the kind used to suppress zombies in old Hong Kong movies. The strokes were powerful and vigorous, quite skillfully done.

He walked to the staircase, and the yellow paper talisman continued up the stairs. Even the upper floor was not spared. Upstairs, the door of the opposite apartment was tied with a peach wood branch by a red string, and a palm-sized bagua mirror was affixed to the door lintel.

At first, He Wei felt a bit frustrated, but upon seeing this scene, he burst out laughing. What a mess all of this was! Did Cheng Zesheng truly consider him a ghost?

Initially, he had thought the other party was a wrongly deceased spirit, but after listening to Lian Jingyuan’s explanation, he had a sudden realization. He understood that he and this “Cheng Zesheng” were in two parallel worlds. So, the case he had mentioned might indeed be a real one from that world.

Moreover, Cheng Zesheng’s identity intrigued him. Based on his tone, they seemed like fellow investigators. Could it be that it was really so coincidental that they were investigating each other’s murder cases in different worlds?

He Wei looked at the yellow paper talismans that filled the room and sighed helplessly. The house was in a mess, but luckily, it was the weekend; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had time to clean it up.

Meanwhile, Cheng Zesheng was rushing back to his apartment in a state of panic. He had heard that his mother intentionally kept him away and had asked a master to perform a “ritual” at home to drive away the vengeful spirit. He was astonished and forgot about eating. He grabbed his keys and hurried back, his heart filled with anxiety: Please don’t let He Wei see any of this. He would surely mock and criticize mercilessly.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Cheng Zesheng opened the door to his apartment, only to find it clean and spotless, with a stack of yellow paper talismans neatly arranged on the coffee table. They were weighed down by the coin sword and the bagua mirror, with a peach wood branch placed beside them.

“…” Cheng Zesheng could already imagine the exaggerated scene that had been in his apartment. With such a thick stack of talismans, you’d need to plaster them densely from top to bottom to use them all, right?

The glass door leading to the kitchen was closed, and the exhaust fan was roaring loudly. Cheng Zesheng was taken aback. It seemed like the money spent on inviting the Taoist priest was in vain. Wasn’t He Wei supposed to have left? He was still in the kitchen, making something.

Out of politeness, Cheng Zesheng thought it necessary to explain the situation, so he opened the door slightly and said, “Um…”

“Smack!” The half-frosted glass door he had just opened was abruptly shut again, catching him off guard.

“…?” Cheng Zesheng was a bit confused. Was he angry?

He Wei was busy making fried dumplings in the kitchen. Despite the loud noise from the exhaust fan, he didn’t notice Cheng Zesheng entering the apartment. He only realized it when the kitchen door opened. Since the kitchen was filled with cooking fumes, he didn’t want them to spread and discolor the walls in the living room. Quickly, he pulled the door shut, deciding to deal with whatever it was after he was done making the dumplings.

Meanwhile, Cheng Zesheng was pacing back and forth in the living room. While he had indeed wished that He Wei would move on before yesterday, the involvement of his parents had completely changed the situation. It was akin to childhood when two kids were fighting, and if one suddenly called their parents, what was the point of fighting anymore? It was like slapping oneself in the face.

He felt just like that now, uneasy and restless. What do angry ghosts usually do? Were there any experts on Zhihu1 or Baidu2 who could provide a professional answer?

He Wei turned off the exhaust fan, scooped out the golden-brown dumplings onto a plate, and carried them to the living room. He then went back to the kitchen to prepare the dipping sauce.

Cheng Zesheng was still pondering how small the temper of this male ghost might be when, in the blink of an eye, a plate of dumplings appeared on the table, and the noise from the exhaust fan stopped.

Cheng Zesheng was puzzled again. Was this… made for him?

“He Wei, are you there?”

The living room was quiet. Cheng Zesheng waited for three minutes, but there was no response from He Wei. The plate of dumplings was sitting on the table, emitting a tantalizing aroma and enticing his appetite.

Subconsciously, Cheng Zesheng reached up and touched his face. While he had always been aware that his handsome looks had an impressive impact on people of all ages and genders, he never expected it to work on ghosts too. It was as if he had gained some strange new knowledge.

Was it made for him? Otherwise, given He Wei’s personality, anything he didn’t want to be touched would have been declared off-limits already. The golden-brown dumplings looked adorable and appetizing. Cheng Zesheng’s senses demanded that the ready-made offering be quickly consumed.

With little internal struggle, Cheng Zesheng quickly picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth. As he swallowed, he felt a bit guilty, as if he were stealing something. The house was quiet, and He Wei seemed to have disappeared somewhere. Perhaps he was standing right beside the table, watching Cheng Zesheng’s every move.

“… I’m eating it,” Cheng Zesheng called out as he went to the kitchen to get a pair of chopsticks.

In the kitchen, He Wei was busy studying the ingredients for the dipping sauce. The reason he hadn’t come out for a while was that he was searching for ingredients that were both delicious and safe for him to eat. His allergies were quite severe, so he always carefully studied ingredient labels before consuming anything. Over time, this habit had led him to become proficient at cooking for himself. He was allergic to most commercially available sauces that contained bean paste, so he preferred to make his own sauce, which was more reassuring.

Cheng Zesheng was enjoying the dumplings, eating them two at a time. He couldn’t help but admit that He Wei’s culinary skills were impressive. Even though they were frozen dumplings, frying them required a certain level of skill. He knew that if he had been the one cooking, the dumpling wrappers wouldn’t have turned out this crispy.

Cheng Zesheng was becoming increasingly curious about He Wei. What was his purpose for coming to his house? He was helping with cleaning and cooking, acting like a housekeeper. If he could come home to freshly cooked meals instead of eating instant noodles, then maybe keeping He Wei around wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

As this thought crossed his mind, Cheng Zesheng was taken aback and coughed forcefully a few times. He put down his chopsticks, realizing that while others might keep spirits for wealth or power, he was essentially keeping a male ghost to do house chores. The concept was terrifying and bizarre.

After spending a few minutes, He Wei finally managed to prepare a plate of fragrant garlic-sesame-spicy sauce. Happily walking out, he saw that three dumplings were left on the plate.

“…”

He Wei was furious.

Cheng Zesheng was about to head upstairs when suddenly a chill ran down his spine. He felt a gust of cold wind, and the kitchen door shut again with a loud “smack!” This time, the sound was so intense that it made Cheng Zesheng’s heart race.

Quickly realizing he had done something wrong again, he thought about it and found nothing wrong with his actions. Who said he couldn’t take a stroll outside and come back to eat once the food was ready?

He Wei, expressionless, opened the refrigerator, took out frozen fried dumplings, poured some oil, and placed them in the frying pan.

It was rare for He Wei to lose his temper with anyone. Faced with someone he couldn’t see, someone he couldn’t hit or scold, and with all his frustration contained within, he had no choice but to digest it himself.

Though they had only spent a short week together, He Wei could clearly feel the stark contrast between the Cheng Zesheng from the other world and the piano virtuoso in this world. Here, he was a refined and gentle artist. But on the other side? He was shamelessly sponging off others, almost reaching the level of that shameless Chong Zhen.

After fifteen minutes, the pan-fried dumplings were ready. He Wei didn’t intend to take them out; he planned to eat them in the kitchen. Holding a pair of chopsticks in one hand and the dish of chili oil in the other, he carried the pan-fried dumplings and turned around, only to find a note stuck on the glass door.

[I’m sorry.]

He Wei couldn’t be bothered with it. He just wanted to fill his stomach quickly; there were important matters to attend to later.

After a while, He Wei emerged from the kitchen, removed the note, and heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. He pushed the door open directly.

Cheng Zesheng was washing his hair. He peered through the mist-covered glass door formed by the showerhead and saw words slowly appear on the foggy glass.

[After you’re done showering, come to the living room. I need to talk to you.]