Chapter 3: Ghost Snacks

"Boss, how much is it?" Zhu Tian took a deep breath, feeling it was not worth engaging with a madman in this nonsensical place. Having filled his stomach, he just wanted to leave this eerie and strange location as soon as possible

Meanwhile, Qin Mu, who was inside the house watching a romantic TV drama filmed in a certain country with Xiao Bai, who had tears in his eyes, seemed to be moved. He calculated with his fingers and smiled, rubbing Xiao Bai's soft fur with both hands: "Xiao Bai, tell me, why do some people get food stuck in their teeth even when drinking cold water?"

"Boss, how much is this?" Zhu Tian casually found a relatively quiet stall. It had been a long time since he had eaten street barbecued food like this. He looked around the stall casually and pointed to a skewer of small steamed buns, asking.

The streets were bustling with activity, and night markets were set up on both sides of the road, with rows of red tents housing stalls selling the usual barbecue found at night markets. Zhu Tian, having gone two days without food, felt even hungrier as he inhaled the enticing aromas wafting through the streets

As Zhu Tian sat in the taxi heading back to the city center, he gradually felt the heavy burden in his heart dissipating along with the wheels rolling further away. He let out a sigh, sensing that something within him needed to be released. "Driver, please go to Liuyexiao Community."

Liuyue Community can be considered a mid-to-upper level residential area in Ningcheng. When Zhu Tian got out of the car, he was in a good mood, tossing a bill to the driver without asking for change, and he entered the community with ease, finding the room he did not often visit.

"Yes, yes... I will pay attention..." the boss said, watching Zhu Tian leave, not forgetting to add, "Please take care!"

In Zhu Tian's view, the location of Qin Mu's unreliable small clinic is actually excellent. Stepping out of the small alley in front of the clinic leads directly to the bustling city. Under the neon lights, passersby stroll along the street with a look of contentment. Zhu Tian is surprised to find that the people in this alley mostly exude satisfaction and comfort, devoid of the hustle and bustle typical of a large metropolis. Everyone greets each other with smiles, indicating a close familiarity among them.

Before long, the boss had prepared the food that Zhu Tian requested, placing each dish in front of him. The fat man was so hungry that his stomach was pressed against his back; he had never felt this hungry before, and he quickly devoured the food before him

"Haha, let's talk after eating, let's talk after eating!" Zhu Tian chuckled and continued to devour the food

Indeed, the items sold at such stalls were both inexpensive and delicious over a decade ago. In the past, one would care to ask how much they cost, but now, in this moment, Zhu Tian is indifferent to it. Yet, for some reason, he just found himself asking about the price.

He recalled the man who stayed in the crooked building, speaking to him in the same chilling tone, and Zhu Tian could not help but stand up: "Madman, madman!" He nearly jumped up as he said this.

Having just finished his meal, he no longer wished to return to that cold room. He gave the taxi driver his instructions and then dialed a number: "Same as usual, wait for me at home, I will be there soon." A voice that was soft to the bone came through the phone, and in such gentle words, Zhu Tian's mood relaxed a little.

Old Qiu Liu has set up his stall again tonight Qin Mu absentmindedly stroked the soft fur of Xiao Bai and said something completely unrelated

"What are you laughing at?" Zhu Tian asked, feeling perplexed and even somewhat annoyed

What are you sighing about? They can earn much more money than you... They make money day and night. If you were like that, I would be grateful to heaven and earth. Having a master like you, how easy is it for me?" Xiao Bai thought for a moment, yawned, and with a serious tone, found a comfortable position to lie down in Qin Mu's embrace

What did you say?" Zhu Tian stood up in fear, taking a step back and knocking over a chair, looking at the person in front of him with a face full of astonishment, a chill rising from the depths of his heart

Zhu Tian did not return home, as he did not wish to see that room which could easily evoke his memories, that cold and lifeless space devoid of any warmth. Ever since he received that email, he had been in a state of extreme nervous tension for the past 2 days

As Zhu Tian stared at him, the person across from him suddenly revealed a smile, his mouth nearly stretching to the roots of his ears. On such a dead gray face, such a smile sent shivers down Zhu Tian's spine. The dim yellow light from the stall illuminated his emaciated silhouette, and he laughed so hard that his whole body shook, even his shadow swayed along with him.

Alright! Please hold on a moment. With such a prime customer arriving, the curly-haired boss was all smiles, quickly tidying up with a gleeful expression. Zhu Tian casually found a seat and sat down at the back.

"Boss, don't let this lunatic ruin such a good stall." Zhu Tianyu shouted at the boss, still fuming with anger

He knocked on the door, and a heavily made-up face appeared at the entrance, smiling as she welcomed Zhu Tian inside. Before she could speak, Zhu Tian closed the door and tightly embraced her in his arms. She was his little lover, and whenever Zhu Tian needed comfort, he would come here.

The boss is a middle-aged man with curly hair, his face glistening with a dark, oily sheen, making it hard to tell whether it is the darkness of his skin or the oil. Upon seeing Zhu Tian, he reveals a set of pitch-white teeth: "Two dollars and fifty cents, the items here are the cheapest; other places charge three dollars."

Alright—please wait a moment. The boss continued to be busy.

Watching Zhu Tianyuan's receding figure, the middle-aged boss with curly hair straightened up and, somewhat puzzled, stroked his chin: "Tsk, how did he find this stall... it shouldn't be possible..."

"What happened? What happened?" The boss hurriedly ran over from the stall. Seeing Zhu Tian standing there with a furious expression, and another person expressionlessly eating egg custard, he was unsure of what had actually occurred. However, noticing Zhu Tian was angry, he forced a smile and tried to comfort him: "Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth, sir..."

Qin Mu: "... ..."

Boss, one serving of steamed egg custard. A cold voice emerged from the stall

Zhu Tian had finally finished all the food and felt very full. When he looked up, he saw a person sitting there with a face even paler than his, expressionless. He was wearing a round-neck long shirt that had lost all its color, with an ordinary crew cut. His face was delicate, but under the dim yellow light of the stall, it displayed a deathly gray hue that no living person should possess. In front of him was a bowl of nearly untouched steamed egg custard. Zhu Tian instinctively believed that this was the owner of the cold voice he had heard earlier.

Xiao Bai was held in his arms without restraint, causing him to be quite startled by the repeated utterance of "Bai Bai". The repetition of a single word gave a sense of being cherished, while Xiao Bai felt that he had been neglected for many years. Thus, he shivered all over before asking, "What happened?"

"Hehe, as long as you like it, do you want anything else?" The boss grinned, his white teeth standing out prominently against his dark face

"Give me this, and also this..." Zhu Tian was already starving. In the past, he had looked down upon such cheap items, and the vendor even claimed that their goods were cheaper than those of others. However, when Zhu Tian glanced at the items on the stall, the enticing aroma wafting from the stall made it hard for him to resist, and he ended up ordering a whole bunch.

Zhu Tian was deeply focused on listening to his boss greet the customers back and forth. It was quite strange that the stall, which had just been quiet, was now receiving one customer after another. The seats inside the stall gradually filled up, and even someone sat across from Zhu Tian.

The person opposite rolled his eyes, and the laughter abruptly ceased, as if a pause button had been pressed. A chilling voice emerged from his lips: "You are next!"

Having quickly settled the bill, Zhu Tian turned back to glance at the man who was still staring blankly at the steamed egg custard in front of him. He took the change from the boss without even looking and stuffed it into his pocket. The boss, bowing and smiling, said: "I apologize..."

Perhaps it is due to the distance from the city center, this alley, although it feels very warm, appears shabby in Zhu Tian's eyes. The small houses on both sides of the street are mostly old-style buildings of two or three stories. Although they are not as dilapidated as that clinic, such old-style villas are rarely seen in the city center. Only these unplanned old streets still have such houses.

"Boss, the food is quite good." Zhu Tian did not forget to compliment the boss a few times while devouring the food