Chapter 69: The Diary

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The mysterious book recorded: On April 19, Chu Ning was anxiously urging the next shipment, his voice on the phone sounding extremely agitated.

This made me reluctant to see Chu Ning easily—who knows if he might change his preferences and start taking an interest in men as well.

Of course, I don’t swing that way!

Normally, he is exceedingly picky, targeting only beautiful women, but after all, I intercepted what he considered his most perfect masterpiece and failed to deliver the goods on time!

As a result, he’s been left starving for quite some time, and no one can say for sure what might happen once he discovers this!

Tanya blinked her beautiful eyes and took a few steps back! She was now quite afraid Chu Ning might have untoward designs on her; from the way the book described him, Chu Ning was the very definition of a lecher, and there was no lack of evidence for it!

She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture, taking up a wary stance. She knew this was probably useless and that she could not truly resist Chu Ning’s advances—this was nothing more than an instinctive reaction.

She edged closer to Chu Ning again—this was an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of him, and she could not afford to let it slip by.

To defeat a powerful enemy, one must first understand the target; only then can you find the right remedy, strike at their fatal weakness, and tilt the balance of victory in your favor.

Chu Ning, however, had no interest in humoring Tanya’s fanciful fears. He could deal with her whenever he wished—there was no need to rush. He kept turning the pages, continuing to read about a past he had never known; these things were far more important than toying with Tanya.

May 2: I feel my body growing weaker by the day—a mysterious fever, endless coughing, bloodshot eyes. Perhaps this is fate; in drama, the villain rarely comes to a good end.

Today, I heard the funniest joke: someone actually called me a good person!

Chu Ning frowned at the damp part of the page. “So fragile, hmph!” He kept reading with an impassive face.

June 24: My illness has worsened, and hallucinations—both auditory and visual—come to torment me in my weakness. The latest transaction, at least, was completed on schedule; I suppose Chu Ning will finally be content for a while.

I may have fallen in love with someone I shouldn’t have—what a troublesome thing. To meet the right person at the wrong time; I fear my poetic affliction is acting up again—how could I have written such sentimental words!

July 7, clear skies. But why does my world feel so overcast? As expected, Chu Ning has shifted his hunting targets and grown even greedier.

He actually asked me to provide newly-born female ghosts. Thankfully, he only asked me to do my best; otherwise, I might have considered ending our partnership.

When Tanya read this, she finally understood why Wang Jinkai had recommended her for the villa in the northern suburbs—this was all part of their carefully laid conspiracy!

August 2: I fear my days are numbered. I hope Chu Ning’s ritual for transforming into a ghost is authentic and reliable. For someone like me, the morality of prolonging life is irrelevant; what matters is the extension of life itself.

The handwriting following this entry was clearly not Wang Jinkai’s—it had become more delicate and neat. Wang Jinkai’s script was, at best, legible, but could hardly be called elegant.

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Moreover, it’s hard for anyone to change their handwriting so drastically in a short period; such change is a gradual process.

September 14: All of Wang Jinkai’s symptoms suddenly vanished. He sat up in bed; perhaps this was a medical miracle!

It was astonishing—if word got out that a man on the verge of death had recovered overnight, people would come flocking from all directions.

After awakening, Wang Jinkai seemed far colder, though he would occasionally give me a stiff smile. That was enough for me.

October 27: Wang Jinkai brought home a white sofa from outside, but then screamed at me just for touching it. He spent all day hovering by the sofa, muttering, “Something’s wrong! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!”

It seemed he had lost his mind, but I didn’t want to leave him. Maybe now was the best time to escape, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.

November 4: That Chu Ning fellow called again—how annoying! Another transaction completed as scheduled. I…

Wang Jinkai’s mental state grew even worse; he didn’t speak a word to me from start to finish. Since his recovery, he had become increasingly bizarre. I truly wanted to leave, but couldn’t help feeling reluctant.

The birth of new life always needs a touch of ceremony!

Tanya’s mouth fell open in astonishment as she gazed at the illustration before her: a woman lovingly caressing her rounded belly. The woman pictured was the same one from Wang Jinkai’s diary—clearly, this was a melodramatic love story!

“This is too illogical!” Tanya still couldn’t accept what she was seeing; reality truly lacked any semblance of logic, and anything could happen.

In theory, Tanya wasn’t unfamiliar with such melodramatic plots—she had watched plenty of these soap operas while slacking off at work. This kind of syrupy, over-the-top romance was the most common thing; people would do anything for ratings.

“Well, at least Wang Jinkai left behind an heir. That’s a pretty good ending,” Chu Ning remarked, feeling a twinge of guilt. After all, they had basically appropriated the property of a widow and orphan, but there wasn’t a single living person left in the villa—only scattered remains.

Thinking more darkly, the woman might have already died. Or perhaps she had long since taken the valuables and fled, putting this place far behind her—after all, she knew about Chu Ning’s and Wang Jinkai’s secret dealings!

December 5: Since that last transaction, Chu Ning has never called again. He seems to have vanished completely. Could it be he discovered that Wang Jinkai wasn’t the real initiator of the deal? That shouldn’t be possible!

Wang Jinkai’s body started breaking out in spots—disgusting! He hadn’t bathed in ages, and now reeked to high heaven. It was time to clean him up.

Reading this, Chu Ning realized this must have been right before he crossed over, or perhaps immediately after. He had no idea what the transaction entailed, so it was likely ended unilaterally.

January 30: It’s time for me to leave. Wang Jinkai’s corpse can no longer be preserved; the stench of decay fills the house. I can’t keep lying to myself, talking to a corpse every day as if I lived in another world.

Fortunately, my carefully concocted solution kept Wang Jinkai’s skin firm and supple, and the corpse blisters have been entirely contained—truly a perfect masterpiece!

“What did Wang Jinkai look like when you saw him?” Chu Ning asked urgently, suspecting that the person he’d spoken with on the phone earlier was not Wang Jinkai at all. Based on the book, Wang Jinkai should have died long ago.

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Still, it’s possible Wang Jinkai faked his death to throw people off. One can’t take the truth of such a subjective and speculative book for granted.

“Wang Jinkai’s appearance? Hmm… his skin was unnaturally pale, slathered with thick powder, and he had a big belly! His voice always sounded as if he couldn’t speak freely, giving a very fake impression,” Tanya said, scratching her head.

Hearing this rather biased description, Chu Ning knew it wasn’t reliable at all—it was just an inference based on the image in the book, unconsciously assuming Wang Jinkai was already dead.

He shook his head helplessly and continued reading. Tanya’s account was only for reference—it would be a mistake to rely on it. Turning the page, Chu Ning was met with a chilling illustration.

Wang Jinkai stood before a full-length mirror, striking a feminine pose, his expression flirtatious and effeminate.

February 17: Today, I suddenly received a phone call—it was a customer satisfaction survey, asking about the sofa’s condition, of all things. How absurd!

In the end, I wanted to try one more time. As expected, one cannot pin their hopes on some inexplicable ritual—it failed! If only we had never met, then he wouldn’t have died so suddenly for no reason. Perhaps this is fate!

The rest of the book was blank pages—these were the final written words. Perhaps the mysterious woman had already left and there was no one left to continue the record.

Chu Ning closed the information-laden book with a sigh, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.

Whether the information inside was true or not was impossible to say for now. He preferred to believe it was real—after all, a dead Wang Jinkai would be in his best interest.

“Do you believe what’s written in there?” Chu Ning asked Tanya, for another perspective could only help.

“Is it fake?” Tanya stared at him wide-eyed. The details in the book seemed so real—surely it couldn’t all be made up!

Chu Ning understood that Tanya had yet to be hardened by society. As a newcomer to the ghost world, she wasn’t used to the endless scheming and intrigue. He hadn’t been in the ghost world long himself, and Tanya was the first spirit he’d encountered.

But there are always exceptions. Maybe Chu Ning simply had a talent for dealing with the dark side of things—perhaps it was a gift.

“What you see isn’t always the truth. The world you perceive may be deliberately presented to you by someone else. If you can’t always stay calm and maintain a skeptical attitude, you’ll end up living in a world crafted by others.”

Tanya snorted dismissively. “You’re way too paranoid!”

“Excellent. Remember to always keep a questioning mind,” Chu Ning said approvingly, pleased that Tanya had finally learned to doubt.