Drinking
Logically, the conversation should have ended there, but Zeng Chengping had no intention of closing the door. Flashing a fake smile that revealed his yellowed teeth, he asked, “Where’s the man who was with you that day?”
Lu Congxing’s clear, glass-like eyes remained innocent as he answered, “He’s my brother. He went to work.”
Hearing that the man wasn’t around, the smile in Zeng Chengping’s eyes deepened. He thought he was hiding his intentions well.
“Ahem, since we’re neighbors now, why don’t you come in and sit for a bit?” He rubbed his hands together.
Lu Congxing tilted his head slightly as if thinking it over. Seeing Zeng Chengping’s expression tense up, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Sure.”
Zeng Chengping let out a breath and grinned insincerely before opening the door wide.
The room was dim—the lights were off, and the curtains were tightly drawn. Lu Congxing, so clean and pristine, stepping inside was like a lamb walking into a tiger’s den.
Zeng Chengping’s face relaxed completely. Now that he was in his own territory, he appeared even more at ease, immediately slumping onto the couch and inviting Lu Congxing to drink.
He grabbed a fresh pack of beer, popped one open without considering the boy’s hesitation, and shoved it into his hands.
“Here, have a drink!”
Lu Congxing took the can and pondered for a few seconds. This was his first time drinking beer.
He had no idea how well he could handle it—hopefully, he wouldn’t pass out instantly, like when he ate mushrooms and got drunk right away.
Zeng Chengping, seeing him hold the beer without taking a sip, was visibly displeased. “Why aren’t you drinking? What, don’t want to give me face?”
To him, Lu Congxing was just a naive kid with no real-world experience. A little beer should be enough to knock him out.
Judging by his clothes and his brother’s demeanor, it was clear he wasn’t short on money. Once he was drunk, it’d be easy to sweet-talk some cash out of him.
Zeng Chengping had spent all his money last night treating his drinking buddies, and now his pockets were completely empty.
And this fool had walked right into his trap.
Secretly, Lu Congxing summoned a small wisp of flame to prevent himself from getting drunk. Then, with a serious expression, he took a sip.
The moment the liquid touched his tongue, he frowned.
The only thought in his mind—bitter.
The small, ethereal blue flame, invisible to ordinary humans, hopped excitedly in front of him, seemingly curious about the taste of beer as well.
Lu Congxing discreetly poured a little for it to try.
The flame eagerly inched closer and absorbed a drop of the beer—immediately, it flared up, growing several sizes larger. Then, as if repulsed by the taste, it squirmed and twisted in a dramatic “retching” motion.
Shrinking back down, it dejectedly perched on Lu Congxing’s shoulder.
Seeing his obvious lack of experience, Zeng Chengping burst into laughter. “Haha, kid, you’re too young! You don’t understand the beauty of beer.”
An hour later…
Lu Congxing stared at the man who had passed out in front of him and let out a soft sigh.
They had been drinking without any snacks, yet the first one to collapse was Zeng Chengping. Meanwhile, aside from finding the beer disgusting, Lu Congxing felt no side effects at all.
His expression remained unchanged, as if all he had consumed was plain water.
He gently asked, “Are you okay?”
Despite drinking regularly, Zeng Chengping had a terrible tolerance. His drinking habits were even worse. Upon hearing the voice, he barely managed to open his eyes, staring blearily at the blurry figure before him.
Then, suddenly, he shouted in both shock and anger, “Who are you?!”
The small flame materialized arrogantly before his eyes, darting around the room.
Zeng Chengping’s eyes widened in terror, and he instantly started begging, “Don’t burn me! Don’t burn me!”
Even if he remembered this later, he would think it was a drunken hallucination. Lu Congxing saw no need to stop him from believing that.
Calmly, he asked, “Do you remember who you are? Why are you here?”
Zeng Chengping struggled to think. “I—I’m Zeng Chengping… I came here because…”
Suddenly, his expression twisted in rage, and he started flailing his arms wildly. “It’s all because of that bitch! That’s why I had no choice but to rent a place here!”
Lu Congxing’s expression grew more complex. He pressed further, his voice turning sharper. “Who?”
Sensing the shift in tone, the small flame flared up, burning fiercely as it loomed closer to Zeng Chengping.
It was practically saying, “If you don’t cooperate, I’ll burn you.”
Terrified, the man covered his face and stammered, “M-my ex-wife! Don’t burn me!”
He tried scrambling away, but in his drunken stupor, he tripped, slamming his stomach against the coffee table with a painful thud.
His words matched what Chen Jiatai had said about him. If he were possessed, he wouldn’t hold such deep-seated resentment toward his ex-wife. Though rare, some ghosts retained memories after possessing someone, but they never inherited emotions.
Whether love or hatred, they had no strong feelings toward the people their host had known.
Lu Congxing’s suspicions eased slightly—but only slightly.
A malevolent ghost harbored malice toward everyone. And in this entire building, the person who exuded the most malice was still Zeng Chengping.
He was still a prime suspect.
The pain jolted Zeng Chengping back to some rationality. He suddenly remembered his original intention and quickly spoke up, “To be honest with you, Little Brother Lu, I’ve run into a bit of trouble recently.”
For the past hour of drinking, he had been trying to cozy up to Lu Congxing—practically calling him a little brother already. In his mind, he had already classified him as gullible and easy to deceive.
Lu Congxing, unfazed, quietly recalled the small flame back to his side. “Go on,” he said.
The tiny flame nestled affectionately in his palm, rubbing against him.
Zeng Chengping, still dizzy, dismissed the fire as a drunken hallucination. Right now, his only focus was figuring out how to take advantage of this wealthy young master.
Feigning a dejected look, he sighed, “I’ve been a bit tight on money lately… and I’m not feeling well, but I can’t afford to see a doctor.”
Not feeling well, yet drinking every day?
Lu Congxing didn’t question him and merely nodded. “Oh.”
Zeng Chengping looked up in disbelief. He hadn’t expected such a cold response. Shouldn’t he have shown concern and asked more questions?
But his skin was thick enough. Even though Lu Congxing wasn’t playing along, he continued on his own. “Honestly, I feel ashamed even bringing this up to someone younger than me. It’s embarrassing, but Uncle Zeng really has no other choice.”
Just a moment ago, he was calling him “Little Brother Lu,” and now he was subtly elevating his own seniority.
Uncle Zeng?
Lu Congxing thought that if he actually called him that, He Zhouyan might beat this guy up. After all, in terms of seniority, Bai Ze had lived for who knows how long and was now his guardian demon. If a mere human claimed to be his uncle, wouldn’t that indirectly lower Bai Ze’s status?
Oblivious to Lu Congxing’s thoughts, Zeng Chengping pressed on, “Could you lend me some money for a doctor’s visit? I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as I get my paycheck next month!”
To make himself seem more pitiful, he even sniffled and put on a distressed expression.
The cleanliness-loving young boy resisted the urge to show his disgust. After a moment of thought, he replied, “I’d really love to help, but all my money is managed by my brother. I don’t have any on me.”
At first, Zeng Chengping nearly laughed in triumph—until he heard the second half of the sentence. His expression immediately fell.
He glanced at the beer bottles scattered on the ground, unwilling to accept that he had wasted so much beer today without getting anything in return.
“You’re a grown man, and your brother still controls your money?” He attempted a clumsy attempt at sowing discord.
He assumed kids at this age were easy to manipulate—all it took was a little prodding.
Seeing the hesitation on Lu Congxing’s face, he became even more confident. “Does your brother control you like this all the time?”
Lu Congxing thought of He Zhouyan’s serious face as he cooked and told him to eat more, and he nearly smiled. But he held it back.
He hadn’t forgotten his mission. Putting on a reluctant expression, he nodded. “Yeah.”
Zeng Chengping shook his head in disapproval. “If I had a kid like you, I’d definitely give you an allowance. An elder brother should act like a father—how can he treat you this way?”
Lu Congxing appeared persuaded. “You make a good point. I’ll ask him for money tonight.”
Feigning concern, Zeng Chengping quickly added, “But don’t tell him it’s for me. I’m afraid he’d use that as an excuse to refuse.”
This little kid’s brother looked sharp. If he found out, this plan would definitely fall apart.
Lu Congxing smiled. “Got it. I’ll be heading back now.”
Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Zeng Chengping had no intention of keeping him any longer and waved him off. “Alright, take care.”
As he stepped out of Room 404, he ran into Li Guodong, who was carrying groceries.
“Good evening,” Lu Congxing greeted.
“Hello,” Li Guodong replied.
Holding the groceries he’d just bought after work, Li Guodong was surprised to see Lu Congxing coming out of Room 404.
“You…” He hesitated, then changed the subject awkwardly. “I’m in a hurry to cook dinner for my wife. I’ll head in first.”
Lu Congxing nodded obediently, “Mm.”
He glanced at the time and was surprised to see that it was already 5 PM.
Raising his arm, he sniffed himself and detected a strong smell of alcohol. He decided to take a shower first to wash off the scent.
But as he opened the door, he saw a man standing in the shadow of the living room, his face obscured.
Lu Congxing widened his eyes slightly, then immediately realized that his guardian demon had returned.
He blinked in surprise and said, “You finished work so early…”
He Zhouyan slowly turned around, his pale vertical pupils firmly locking onto the cub.
The cub smelled of someone else and had a strong alcohol scent.
This realization made his vertical pupils narrow again, his expression becoming even more dangerous. Like the most elegant predator, he silently moved closer, his voice rough as he asked, “Where did you go?”
Author’s Note:
The cub has an impressive tolerance for alcohol ✅