Bringing My Rival Back to Life (Accidentally) - Chapter 19

“Is it possible for Wu Jiu to come back to life?”

After a calm contemplation, Zhu Xiao posed this question to Zhao Zirui.

“Ahem, ahem!” Zhao Zirui choked on a mouthful of water, pounding his chest and coughing violently.

In recent days, whenever he met Zhu Xiao, the topic of Wu Jiu doing sit-ups inside the coffin had never been brought up again. He had thought that Zhu Xiao had finally come to terms with reality.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t that Zhu Xiao had stopped mentioning it, but rather that there was such a shocking bombshell waiting for him.

Whether Wu Jiu could come back to life, he didn’t know, but—

Zhao Zirui politely asked, “Can I die for ten minutes first?”

“Sure.” Zhu Xiao calmly picked up a fruit knife, “Need any help?”

“No, thank you.” Zhao Zirui realized that Zhu Xiao was serious, sat up straight, and stopped joking, “What makes you think… what are you thinking?”

Zhu Xiao recalled that yesterday, after he woke up, his home was spotless, as if someone had been there to clean up a crime scene.

But he was very much alive, and none of his valuables were missing. It seemed like the person had come in just to help him with chores and clean the house.

He had specifically checked the entrance—there were no signs of anyone coming in, and the front door had been meticulously wiped clean, so much so that even his own fingerprints were gone.

After a thorough inspection, he still couldn’t find anything related to a “person.”

The only visitor to his home yesterday… Zhu Xiao thought hard, it was a calico cat that had followed him home.

Could a calico cat have cleaned his house so thoroughly in one night?

It was a bit eerie, but Zhu Xiao didn’t feel scared. He had a strong feeling that Wu Jiu had been there.

This wasn’t the first time he had this feeling, and the common point between this time and the last was the calico cat.

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Zhu Xiao took out his phone and opened the Yin-Yang Messenger.

He realized that he hadn’t replied to Wu Jiu’s messages for half a day, and surprisingly, Wu Jiu hadn’t reacted at all. The chat interface was still stuck on the message he had sent during the day, “Zhu Xiao, you’re really something, just you wait.”

Wu Jiu always made such tough statements, and Zhu Xiao was used to it.

But then he remembered that the last time Wu Jiu said, “Just you wait,” the Yin-Yang Messenger gained the “dream visitation” function, and they met.

A thought suddenly struck Zhu Xiao, and he subconsciously considered his absurd guess just now.

He directly sent a message to Wu Jiu to confirm: [Where were you just now?]

Wu Jiu, of course, wouldn’t say that he had just been serving Zhu Xiao tea, water, sweeping the floor, and wiping the tables. If Zhu Xiao found out, it would become another cyber record on his golden resume, and he definitely couldn’t have “served Zhu Xiao as a servant for a day” on it.

So he said: [Of course I was at home. What, do you miss me?]

Wu Jiu said he was “at home,” but Zhu Xiao didn’t quite believe it.

He still felt that Wu Jiu had been there.

No matter how he asked, Wu Jiu insisted that he hadn’t.

Zhu Xiao omitted the part about the Yin-Yang Messenger and briefly told Zhao Zirui what had happened at home.

“Are you saying that your home was haunted?” Zhao Zirui rubbed his arm, feeling a bit chilly.

“No, not a ghost.” Zhu Xiao distinguished the word from Wu Jiu, “It was Wu Jiu.”

Zhao Zirui was puzzled, “Isn’t that a ghost?”

Zhu Xiao didn’t speak.

Under Zhu Xiao’s gaze, Zhao Zirui voluntarily changed his words: “Alright, so you think Wu Jiu might be alive?”

He felt absurd saying it. Zhao Zirui looked at Zhu Xiao worriedly, thinking that Zhu Xiao was acting so strangely; he must have encountered a ghost.

Wu Jiu had said that the underworld was strictly regulated, and ghosts couldn’t just come to the human world casually.

So Zhu Xiao asked, “How do ghosts usually come back to life?”

Hearing this question from Zhu Xiao, Zhao Zirui was utterly astonished. Zhu Xiao had previously not believed in the existence of ghosts, let alone the idea of the dead coming back to life.

“Reincarnation?”

“Besides that.”

Wu Jiu seemed to be very averse to reincarnation; he had a strong reaction when it was mentioned before.

Zhao Zirui struggled to think with his rusty mind, “Uh, if you’re talking about non-real situations… possession? Soul-snatching?”

This was a route Zhu Xiao hadn’t considered. He didn’t understand these supernatural things; even reincarnation was something he had only thought of by chance.

Could that cat… possibly be Wu Jiu?

“No, you’re really thinking about it?” Zhao Zirui was surprised to see Zhu Xiao actually contemplating it, “These are all from the weird novels I read. You can’t be serious, right?”

“Even if it were true, what could you do?” Zhao Zirui said, “Find a master to perform a ritual?”

“Do you know one?”

“Know what?” Zhao Zirui paused, realizing Zhu Xiao was talking about a master, “Of course not!”

… Although he really wanted to find a master to help Zhu Xiao at the moment.

Zhu Xiao responded with an “Oh,” and Zhao Zirui thought he had given up, but then another question came: “In the novels you read, is there anything about turning into a cat?”

Zhao Zirui was too exhausted to complain and numbly said, “Yeah, there’s everything, even turning into a fly.”

Everything?

Perhaps inspired by Zhao Zirui’s words, as Zhu Xiao walked on the road, he felt that every creature he saw seemed to have a bit of Wu Jiu’s shadow.

Passing by a dog, he started to wonder if it could be Wu Jiu, because Wu Jiu was just like this dog, not looking very smart.

Looking up and seeing a little bird, he would think if it could be Wu Jiu, because Wu Jiu also liked to dress in flashy clothes, just like the bright feathers on this bird.

Even a buzzing mosquito flying by his ear made him think if it could be Wu Jiu, because Wu Jiu was also this annoying.

With such thoughts, Zhu Xiao let the mosquito bite two bumps on his neck without swatting it.

But unfortunately, a dog is just a dog, a bird is just a bird, and no matter how annoying, a mosquito is still just a mosquito.

When the irritating mosquito was about to bite a third bump, Zhu Xiao finally killed it expressionlessly.

The calico cat seemed more like Wu Jiu, but he hadn’t seen it again.

Zhu Xiao thought about it; the occasion when the calico cat appeared was… when he went on a blind date.

At that time, Wu Jiu had reacted strongly to his blind date, as if he wanted to come over and sabotage it himself.

So what would happen if he went on another blind date?

Zhu Xiao was extremely efficient. He rummaged through the pile of documents, found the business card that Wu Jiahe had given him that day, and called the number on it.

After clearly expressing his desire to meet again, the other party readily agreed: “No problem.”

This person was strange. Zhu Xiao had mentioned in advance that it was to the cemetery, and if the other party was scared, they could refuse. However, he agreed without any hesitation or questions.

It was as if inviting someone to go to a grave was a very natural thing.

The other party seemed to realize that they had agreed too quickly and might arouse suspicion, so they added: “Then give me a red envelope. A lucky number will do.”

“Sure.”

Strange as it was, Zhu Xiao didn’t plan to delve into it. He had no interest in this person and didn’t care what he was thinking.

After hanging up the phone, Zhu Xiao’s transfer came through.

Wu Xingdong was overjoyed when he saw it.

Zhu Xiao had transferred him 888. He would then have Wu Jiu repay him 888 plus 666, making a total profit of 2,442 without losing a cent.

“Making money on both ends, am I a business genius?”

At the same time, he was very satisfied with Zhu Xiao. The number 888, without a decimal point, was a very comfortable number.

“Cheaper for that kid Wu Jiu!” he commented.

With the money in hand, Wu Xingdong was extremely efficient in handling affairs. He immediately contacted Butler Bai: “Tomorrow, ‘Wu Jiahe’ will go to the cemetery with Zhu Xiao. Remember to come and broadcast it to Wu Jiu in real time.”

Butler Bai was nervous but still dared to offer his advice: “This isn’t good, young master has already been to the human world these past two days, and he’s still fuming.”

“Already been there?” Wu Xingdong couldn’t believe it, “And still like this?”

Butler Bai: “……”

“Useless, far worse than his old man me!” Wu Xingdong lamented, “Never mind, let him go again. If it doesn’t work, I won’t care about him anymore. I have my own wife to think about.”

Today, Wu Jiu had been watching the Yin-Yang Messenger all day, wanting to ask Zhu Xiao if he was feeling better from his illness but unsure how to phrase it.

He first typed “Did you drink the ginger soup I made?” in the chat box, but then he thought that would be admitting that he made the ginger soup, so he didn’t send it.

He deleted that line and changed it to “Are you feeling better?” Just as he was about to send it, he suddenly felt that the sentence seemed too caring. He wasn’t the type to show concern for Zhu Xiao, so he stopped again.

Finally, he typed “How are you?” in the chat box, feeling that it was more subtle and could be sent.

Just one second before he clicked “send,” Zhu Xiao sent a message.

Zhu Xiao: [Did you make the ginger soup?]

Wu Jiu quickly deleted the words in his chat box and began to feign ignorance: [What ginger soup?]

Then he smoothly brought up the greeting he had been hesitant to send: [Zhu Xiao, are you drinking ginger soup? Are you sick? Poor you. Didn’t that old man from the blind date infect you? I told you that guy was no good. You didn’t listen and now look what happened. How are you now?]

His words were filled with genuine concern for Zhu Xiao.

However, all his heartfelt words were ignored. Zhu Xiao sent back three words: [Stop pretending.]

Zhu Xiao’s words seemed to imply that he had some evidence, but Wu Jiu was certain that he had done everything perfectly – he had even cleaned the kitchen thoroughly!

So Wu Jiu continued to pretend: [Pretend what? I’m not that bored. So, how are you really?]

The latter half was what he truly cared about – he wanted to know how Zhu Xiao was doing.

Zhu Xiao finally answered his question, without any concealment or questioning his motives: [I’m fine, the fever is gone. I feel much better than yesterday. I’m not uncomfortable now.]

Wu Jiu felt relieved and typed in the chat box: [Remember to take your medicine on time.]

After sending it, he thought for a moment and added: [I mean, don’t get sick again! You haven’t visited my grave this week yet.]

Zhu Xiao: [Yeah, I’ll visit your grave the day after tomorrow. I’m going on a blind date tomorrow.]

Wu Jiu didn’t reply for a long time, staring at the words without blinking, as if trying to understand each character of Zhu Xiao’s message.

Zhu Xiao was going on another blind date.

Not only was Zhu Xiao going on another blind date, but he also prioritized “blind date” over “visiting his grave.”

Why?

Wu Jiu asked extremely discontentedly: [Who is it this time?]

Zhu Xiao: [The same one from last time.]

Wu Jiu sprang up from his seat, wishing he could teleport to Zhu Xiao’s side and shake some sense into him.

He paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, furiously typing on his phone: [Why are you going again? Didn’t you meet him last time? Didn’t I say that guy was no good? One meeting should have been enough. Why meet again?]

Zhu Xiao: [He’s not bad. He said he made the ginger soup.]

Zhu Xiao: [He’s a good person.]

“Good person? Screw that.” Wu Jiu cursed under his breath, “That old man has some nerve!”

Wu Jiu was so anxious that he wanted to send a voice message, but unfortunately, the app didn’t have a voice function. He could only type furiously, his speed almost creating sparks: [Zhu Xiao, you’re really gullible. Just because he said he made the ginger soup, you believe him? Are you out of your mind? Don’t go on that blind date!]

Wu Jiu used six exclamation marks, almost sparking his phone while typing.

Zhu Xiao seemed to have little reaction to his intense words. He lowered his eyes and slowly typed a line: [Blind dates are my private matters. Wu Jiu, why do you care?]

For a moment, a thought flashed through Wu Jiu’s mind, but he didn’t have time to ponder it. He was busy trying to stop Zhu Xiao from going on the blind date.

He argued unreasonably: [How can this be a private matter? You signed an agreement to visit my grave. If you go on a blind date with someone else, what am I supposed to do?]

Zhu Xiao: [Don’t worry. I accepted the agreement and I will visit your grave.]

Zhu Xiao’s words were clear enough. Wu Jiu shouldn’t have any complaints.

Wu Jiu knew that Zhu Xiao was a man of his word. What he said was as good as a binding promise.

But Wu Jiu was still very annoyed. He now equally disliked every 36-year-old man who came out for a blind date, inexplicably butting in and even pushing Zhu Xiao to prioritize the blind date over visiting his grave.

Zhu Xiao: [I’m sleepy. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.]

Wu Jiu stared at his reply, feeling like a wad of cotton was stuck in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“……Zhu Xiao, you’re really dense!”

The next day.

Wu Xingdong arrived at Wu Jiu’s grave with Zhu Xiao, looking spirited. He didn’t avoid or fear the tombstone. Seeing the number 188.88 next to Wu Jiu’s name, he praised it with delight, “What a lucky number!”

He wandered around the cemetery like Grandma Liu in the Grand View Garden—after all, it was his first time experiencing the novelty of visiting his unfilial son’s grave.

Butler Bai, ten meters away, wore his professional wry smile—real-time broadcasting this arduous task had fallen on him, and he really didn’t know how to describe it in words, so he brought a Polaroid camera.

He acted like a cold and heartless shooting machine, maintaining the same posture and angle, pressing the shutter every 10 seconds. As soon as the photo developed, he burned it for Wu Jiu.

Butler Bai wasn’t standing particularly close and could only capture Wu Xingdong’s back. With the poor resolution of the Polaroid, Wu Jiu couldn’t make out the old man’s face from the dark back of the head in the photos he received.

But he could see Zhu Xiao’s face in the photos.

Zhu Xiao was leaning against the railing, chatting with the other person in a relaxed manner, his brows and eyes gentle—a posture Wu Jiu knew well. It was a look he only showed around acquaintances.

The word “Why” popped into Wu Jiu’s mind again.

He and Zhu Xiao had known each other for many years, and after all these years, they had only reached the level of “acquaintance.” He knew Zhu Xiao, and Zhu Xiao knew him.

But now, after just one meeting with this old man, could Zhu Xiao already be at the “acquaintance” level with him?

Another photo showed them laughing about something. Wu Jiu saw Zhu Xiao’s brows and eyes curling into a faint, gentle smile.

“……Why are you smiling like that? It looks ugly.”

Wu Jiu’s gaze almost burned through the photo as he scrutinized it from top to bottom—great, the background of the photo was even his own grave!

Zhu Xiao was actually discussing the enormous inheritance with Wu Xingdong—Wu Jiu had left so much behind that he didn’t know how to handle it and hadn’t touched it much yet.

It just so happened that Wu Xingdong was a lawyer who had handled some economic cases and knew many wealthy business magnates, so he was relatively familiar with this area.

At that moment, his phone vibrated like crazy.

Zhu Xiao opened it to see a flood of messages from the Yin-Yang Messenger app.

[? Who is the man next to you?]

[Why are you smiling at him?]

[Did you bring him to my grave?]

[I’m amazed, you really brought him to life even after I’m dead!]

Bringing My Rival Back to Life (Accidentally) - Chapter 19

Comments for "Chapter 19"

Hate that cliffhanger, don’t you?

Announcement