I had stayed at Golden Glade Estates for a few weeks before, so I was fairly familiar with the area. But as soon as I tried to enter, the security guard at the gate stopped me, refusing to let me in, probably because of my shabby appearance.
"I'm really just here to see Howard."
"Bullshit, it's the middle of the night, past 1 a.m.!" The guard blocking Ethan Zhang raised his voice, and the other security guards from the booth came out.
"Hundreds of years have passed, and you humans are still the same?" John Chou said, raising his hand. Suddenly, three or four security guards started clapping, forming a circle, and began to dance.
Walking through the villa district, the lights were bright. I searched for the house number and stopped at No. 088. This was Howard Zhang's private villa, where he often invited friends over.
It was late, but the lights were still on, and laughter echoed from inside.
I pressed the doorbell and explained why I was there. Howard Zhang opened the door for me.
"Ethan Zhang, why did you come so late?"
As he spoke, Howard Zhang put his arm around my neck. I looked closely—behind him stood a boy about five or six years old, with a strange smile on his face.
Suddenly, the little boy turned pale with fright and ran into the courtyard, as if terrified by John Chou beside me. Sure enough, Howard Zhang was being haunted.
"Ethan Zhang, honestly, whether it's thirty thousand or three hundred thousand, I'd lend it to you. I could've just transferred it straight to your account."
Howard Zhang staggered, pulling me along. I thought to myself, he's right—why did Howard Zhang make me come all this way?
"You know, Ethan Zhang, when you had your accident, I was out of town. I felt terrible. When I got back, you damn near came back from the dead. Then I heard about Xiao Li, what happened to her... Later I found out that bitch was cheating on you with one of your classmates. Damn it, maybe it's better she's dead. I know you're hurting."
I held Howard Zhang's hand and shook my head.
"It's fine, Howard Zhang. But you..."
"Ethan Zhang, you're my brother for life. Everyone else only cares about my money, but you—when I was in trouble, you were the first to show up... I offered you a VP job at my company, but you didn't want it. You said you wanted to borrow money to start your own business, but you were too cautious. That's just who you are, you know?"
I was getting anxious, hoping to find a chance to talk to Howard Zhang about the ghosts.
"Howard Zhang, you're drunk. Let's go inside and sober up!"
"Come on, let's go in. There are plenty of women inside. Take your pick. The past is the past. Who do you want to sleep with? Just say the word. You need to loosen up, understand?"
I let out a cry as Howard Zhang dragged me into the house, past the garden, and straight to the pool behind the villa.
There were over twenty people, men and women, but mostly women—every one of them attractive and lively, some gathered around a barbecue grill.
My stomach growled loudly.
"Haha, Ethan, go grab something to eat. If you fancy anyone, let me know."
Howard patted my shoulder, took off his shirt, and jumped into the pool.
"I can't help you with that, bro."
As I ate, I looked around, but didn't see any sign of the two children.
"Huh? You..."
"Ghost Twins aren't human, nor ghost, nor god, nor demon. They're resentful beings trapped between worlds; only when their allotted lifespan ends can they reincarnate. Their resentment grows stronger with age. These two have built up a lot of rage—and now they've crossed paths with someone like you, Ethan."
"You're lying. You have a way—just save Howard, and I'll do whatever you want!"
"Hmph, that kid brought this on himself, and now you want me to clean up his mess? That's not how the world works. Let me tell you something else—don't be fooled by how small those two are. They've done some truly terrifying things."
A sudden gust of wind blew, and John Chou vanished.
I could only rely on myself now. If John Chou really meant what he said, he definitely wouldn't help Howard deal with those resentful spirits.
I wolfed down some food, then ran to the edge of the pool.
"Howard, come here for a second."
Howard swam over.
"So, Ethan, see anyone you like? If not, I can pick one for you—she's got skills!"
Even now, Howard was still thinking about that. I grabbed his arm and looked at him seriously.
"Come on, Howard, let's go inside. I need to talk to you."
Howard and I went inside. He looked much more sober now.
"Howard, have you ever made a woman get an abortion before?"