Ghost Says - Chapter 4.2

After Song Yuan’s death, his father’s health had been poor. With only two women left at home, one old and one young, they were worried about not being able to take care of things if anything happened. So his mother had asked him to come and look after the place.

His name was Song Yao.

Qiao Gang laughed when he heard this, saying their names were quite interesting, as together they formed “Yao Yuan”.

(TL: 遙 (yáo) means “remote” or “far-reaching,” and it often carries a poetic or literary tone, referring to something distant in a broad, perhaps figurative sense.

遠 (yuǎn) means “far” or “distant” in a more straightforward sense, often used to describe physical distance.

Together, “遙遠” emphasizes the sense of great distance or remoteness.)

The other man narrowed his eyes slightly, and Qiao Gang increasingly found his features familiar, but couldn’t remember where he had seen them before.

From the moment they met, Song Yao hadn’t smiled, at most only showing some amusement in his eyes.

This was the opposite of Lin Xian, who might have a smile on his face, but it only felt like he was smiling – a superficial, formulaic expression.

But even without smiling, this person gave off an extremely gentle and comfortable feeling.

Such a person easily evoked goodwill in others.

Qiao Gang also noticed his eyes were extremely beautiful – narrow and long, with a hint of pale blue in the whites, unusually clear and bright. His hair was very black, even shimmering with a purple tint in the light. Paired with his fair skin that had a hint of blue, he looked like a carefully crafted porcelain doll.

Noticing that Qiao Gang kept staring at his face, the man asked if there was something wrong.

Qiao Gang smiled and said he felt the man looked familiar, as if they might have met somewhere before.

Song Yao looked at him and smiled silently.

Qiao Gang had to admit that conversing with Song Yao was a very pleasant experience.

Qiao Gang himself wasn’t very skilled at communicating with others, even a bit awkward. But talking with Song Yao felt natural and smooth, without any awkward pauses.

Song Yao always cleverly guided their conversation, never letting it become boring. His knowledge and experiences were rich, his words profound yet easily understood. What was particularly different was that his speech lacked the restlessness typical of young people today.

Not having to rack his brain for conversation topics, Qiao Gang felt very relaxed.

Talking with Song Yao was like savoring a cup of cool tea, that gentle and refreshing feeling seeping into his heart.

Qiao Gang realized that in all his years, he had never known conversation could be so enjoyable.

Before they knew it, it was noon. Song Yuan’s mother and little sister still hadn’t returned, and Qiao Gang’s stomach had started to growl.

“It’s getting late. It seems your aunt won’t be back so soon. I should come visit another day,” Qiao Gang said, making to leave.

But Song Yao stopped him.

“Why leave in such a hurry? They might be back any minute. Wouldn’t it be a shame to miss them?” he said, then added, “Besides, it wouldn’t be right to let a guest leave hungry. You can try my cooking.”

Already fond of Song Yao, Qiao Gang wavered after this persuasion. His resolve not strong to begin with, he finally gave in.

The aroma of cooking wafted from the kitchen as Song Yao busied himself inside. Qiao Gang, who had offered to help, was instead sent to watch TV in the living room.

After sitting in the living room for a while, Qiao Gang suddenly felt the need to use the bathroom. He went to the kitchen to ask Song Yao if he could use it.

Song Yao told him the downstairs bathroom was broken, so he’d have to use the one upstairs, then gave him directions.

The bathroom was the last room on the left after climbing the stairs.

As he went upstairs, Qiao Gang noticed that the first room on the right at the top of the stairs had its door slightly ajar, but no light came from inside.

Qiao Gang didn’t pay it much attention, focusing on using the bathroom first.

But when he came out and saw that room again, he had a strange feeling.

Behind that door, something seemed to be luring him in.

As if possessed, he walked over and pushed the door open…

The faint sound of the door opening rang clearly in his ears, scratching at his eardrums.

It was so quiet that Qiao Gang could even hear his own heartbeat.

The room was dark, as all the curtains were drawn, the thick fabric blocking out the brilliant sunlight.

It was a bedroom, very clean but clearly unoccupied for some time. Due to poor air circulation, there was a faint odd smell.

Everything in the room was neat and tidy, with deep blue bedding matching the curtains.

A bedroom is a person’s most private space, often reflecting aspects of the owner’s personality and habits.

The owner of this room was likely a man who loved reading.

Evidence of this was the large bookcase occupying an entire wall, filled with a diverse range of books covering topics from finance to history. There were very few decorative items in the room, almost none.

The only thing that could be called decoration, and the most eye-catching, was probably the painting hanging on the wall opposite the bed.

It was a sketch.

The picture showed the back view of a young man.

The young man was lying on the desk, his head resting crookedly on his arm, exposing a section of his neck. He seemed to be in deep sleep. Through the picture, one could almost sense the rhythmic rise and fall of the young man’s shoulders.

The young man appeared to have fallen asleep during class. Dozing off in class was quite normal among students, especially after intense physical activities at noon. In those afternoon classes, one could sleep so soundly that even thunder wouldn’t wake them.

Upon noticing his attire, Qiao Gang immediately recognized it as the uniform from his old high school.

This meant that the owner of this room must indeed be Song Yuan.

Could this picture have been drawn by him?

Who was the person in the picture?

It was highly likely to be a classmate, but why draw someone while they were sleeping?

And why just a back view…

Qiao Gang didn’t quite understand. Was this what they called art?

As he was engrossed in the painting, he suddenly felt someone standing behind him, their breath even brushing against his neck.

Qiao Gang was startled and turned around quickly, his fist clenched ready to swing.

But upon seeing the face behind him, he relaxed.

“You scared me! Why did you stand behind me without making a sound?”

He gave him a light punch. Song Yao didn’t get angry, he just looked up at the painting on the wall.

“Do you know who’s in the picture?”

Song Yao looked back at him without speaking.

Thinking he didn’t know either, Qiao Gang felt a bit disappointed. He wanted to ask more, but then remembered he had entered without permission, which made him feel a bit guilty.

But Song Yao obviously didn’t mind this, only softly saying that the meal was ready.

Qiao Gang nodded and followed him out of the room.

“That’s my cousin’s room. Even though he’s gone, my aunt still cleans it every day, just like when he was alive,” Song Yao explained.

It was clear that Mother Song loved her son very much.

Perhaps the purest and most sincere emotion in this world is a mother’s love.

Qiao Gang was very curious about that painting, and after confirming it was drawn by Song Yuan, this feeling intensified.

He believed that unless one had special feelings for the person in the painting, they wouldn’t hang it in their bedroom.

At least for ordinary people, that would be the case.

Seeing the three dishes and a soup on the table, Qiao Gang was surprised.

“Wow, these are all dishes I like!”

Song Yao handed him a bowl of rice.

“I’m glad you like them.”

Qiao Gang picked up his chopsticks and started eating without hesitation.

The food was delicious. Song Yao was a good cook, and because these were dishes Qiao Gang liked, they tasted even better.

Because his mother was from Sichuan, he had always preferred spicy food.

But since his mother’s passing, he rarely had the chance to eat Sichuan-style dishes.

The mapo tofu in front of him was both spicy and numbing, with the tofu smooth and delicious; another dish, diced chicken with chili, was also tender and flavorful; the cold mixed vegetable strips were refreshing, perfect for eating on a hot summer day; and the mushroom and pork rib soup was rich and savory.

Qiao Gang ate with great gusto, helping himself to three more bowls of rice, until his stomach was visibly distended. Only then did he put down his chopsticks with satisfaction.

After letting out a burp, his gaze met Song Yao’s, whose eyes were filled with amusement.

Qiao Gang’s face immediately turned red.

His behavior just now… seemed a bit too impolite.

How did he become such a starving ghost at someone else’s home?

It was as if he hadn’t eaten for centuries…

Qiao Gang began to regret it, wondering if he could somehow throw up everything he had just eaten.

Looking at the plates on the table again, each one had been cleaned spotless.

This was originally an amount that would have been too much for two people…

And the other person seemed to have hardly eaten anything.

Now he had truly lost face…

“I’m sorry… it was just too delicious…”

Song Yao shook his head, “When the eater is happy, the cook is also very pleased.”

“Your girlfriend must be very lucky. It’s rare to find a man who cooks so well these days.”

“Actually, these dishes are very simple to make. It’s easy to learn. Hasn’t your girlfriend ever cooked for you?”

Qiao Gang’s eyes dimmed, and he lowered his head slightly.

“She’s very clumsy with housework, but even if what she makes tastes terrible, just having her smiling beside me makes it the most delicious thing in the world.”

“…It seems you really like her?”

“I probably… will never forget her for the rest of my life.”

Silence gently enveloped the two of them.

This was the first time since Xiaoyu’s death that Qiao Gang had mentioned her to someone else.

Although her death had been horrific, in his memory, she was still so sweet and lovely.

“Is that so…” Song Yao narrowed his eyes slightly, “Then your girlfriend must be very happy.”

After the meal, Song Yao refused Qiao Gang’s offer to help and quickly washed the dishes.

Qiao Gang sat on the sofa, eating freshly peeled fruit and watching television.

At that moment, he thought that being Song Yao’s girlfriend would truly be happiness.

Such a high-quality man, women would probably fight over him.

Song Yao returned to the living room after drying his hands, still clean and fresh, without a drop of sweat on his slightly pale skin. He didn’t look at all like someone who had just come out of a kitchen full of cooking fumes.

Strangely enough, even though the air conditioning wasn’t on, why was the house so cool? The heat from outside seemed to be completely blocked by the house, making it quite comfortable here in the summer.

Smiling at Song Yao as he sat down, the two started chatting casually while watching a boring soap opera.

Whether it was because the sofa was too soft and comfortable, or because he had woken up too early in the morning, Qiao Gang gradually began to feel drowsy.

Song Yao noticed and thoughtfully said it was fine if he wanted to take a nap on the sofa.

Unable to resist the temptation, Qiao Gang nodded and curled up on the sofa.

He had originally planned to sleep for only half an hour, but when he woke up again, it was already late afternoon.

“You’re awake?”

As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Song Yao’s face.

The other’s face, with skin so fine that pores were invisible, was magnified in front of him, giving him a small fright.

“Did you sleep well?”

Qiao Gang, still not fully awake, looked at him a bit dazedly.

Song Yao chuckled softly. “Looks like you slept quite well.”

Qiao Gang’s face reddened again, unable to control it.

Sleeping so soundly at someone else’s house was indeed a first for him…

“Oh, by the way, my aunt called earlier. She said she won’t be coming back tonight. You were sleeping so soundly, so I didn’t wake you.”

Qiao Gang frowned slightly, feeling a bit disappointed.

“Then I’ll come visit another day. Thank you for today.”

“No need, I was also very happy to see you.”

Song Yao saw him to the door.

As Qiao Gang turned back to wave goodbye, in the glow of the setting sun, the person standing at the door smiled at him.

It was a bewitching smile, like a demonic flower blooming in blood, entwined around white bones.