"Can you get lost?"
I couldn't take it anymore. For the third day in a row, Xu Fu had barely left my side. He helped out in the shop, but once we got home, he bombarded me with questions, always trying to pry out anything about Yin Choujian and the others.
"Don't be so cold, Ethan Zhang. We're bound together by fate now."
"Who says we're bound together by fate, Xu Fu? Sooner or later, we're going to settle this."
Xu Fu nodded, a mischievous smile on his face. He plopped down on the sofa, pretended to think for a moment, then laughed and spoke.
"But we have to get back to the living world first, right? We need to find a way out, fast. Otherwise, the fourth layer of the Dark might swallow this place whole. You don't want to die, and neither do we."
I didn't want to listen to Xu Fu's nonsense. I went straight to my room, shut the door, and soon heard him knocking. I was already thinking of how to shake off that bastard Xu Fu.
I thought for a long time but still couldn't come up with a solution. Any sign of trouble, and he'd confirm it—Yin Choujian and the others were holed up in that courtyard. My cousin hadn't visited in days.
The knocking continued for a while. I ignored it, and eventually Xu Fu quieted down.
I lay awake until morning. When I got up, I headed straight to the shop.
After arriving at the shop, Xu Fu took the money and went out to buy food while I prepared inside.
What should I do?
Muttering helplessly, I started preparing the sauce.
By evening, both Xu Fu and I were busy with our own tasks. Without needing any instructions, Xu Fu diligently did everything he could.
Ah, life hasn't been easy lately.
Yeah, it's been tough.
I looked at a table where two regulars sat, both looking helpless. I walked over, still remembering that one works at a factory and the other runs a fruit shop.
What's wrong? Hasn't life always been like this?
I took advantage of a free moment and walked over, saying a few words.
You don't know, Boss Chang. A lot of people in this neighborhood have left.
I made a sound of agreement and looked out onto the street. It really wasn’t as lively as before; there were noticeably fewer people at night.
As for the reason, I had a good idea. It was because of that guy with the red hair—he bought up a lot of land but didn’t rent out the shops, so now many stores have closed. The people who sold their land mostly moved to wealthier districts, and the result is fewer people on the street.
But there’s nothing I can do about it now.
That guy with the red hair really is too much, don’t you think?
I didn’t respond to Xu Fu’s attempt at conversation and kept busy grilling.
It’s a shame—all those shops are closed now, and he even bought many of the houses behind the street, but now he’s just letting them sit empty.
By late night, there was no one left in the shop. I started cleaning up while Xu Fu washed the dishes in the back. Looking out at the nearly empty street, I hoped my cousin would come tonight. Dealing with that bastard Xu Fu all day was driving me crazy.
But when the street was deserted, my cousin still hadn’t come. Xu Fu came over, poured me a drink, and handed me a glass.
What do you think of the people here?
What do you mean?