Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 20

The bathroom in Xu Le’s place was hardly well-furnished. It consisted of a simple washbasin and a squat toilet, lacking even a showerhead. The second floor didn’t fare much better—there wasn’t even a straw mat, let alone a bed. The space was simply used for storage since Xu Le always returned home every day.

Even though his in-laws looked down on him,

Even though he had a bossy sister-in-law,

Even though his wife refused to share a bed with him,

Xu Le would still finish the few tasks at the bookstore each day, close up, and leisurely head home.

This was his life, neither dignified, nor particularly comfortable, but he was content with it.

He was timid, hesitant, and lacked ambition. Because he was Xu Le, not some famous figure from history. No one thought much of him.

Yet if you framed his life as that of a historical figure, people might think Xu Le was someone with “great wisdom masked by simplicity,” adding a layer of depth to his otherwise ordinary existence.

Zhou Ze, on the other hand, couldn’t understand Xu Le’s contentment. Growing up in an orphanage, Zhou Ze harbored deep insecurities, though he never showed them. This constant sense of inferiority drove him to push himself relentlessly—whether in his studies, work, or daily life, he always strove to excel.

But now, as he gazed at his wet face in the mirror, a sense of pity stirred within him.

Pity for Xu Le, and pity for himself.

Everyone was trapped in their own cage, differing only in size and design, but cages nonetheless.

Zhou Ze had no desire to become a Ghost King, nor did he fantasize about using his powers to dominate the living world. On one hand, he knew that being too conspicuous would likely invite disaster; on the other, he had been utterly exhausted in his past life and simply wanted to live differently this time.

Regardless of everything, he wanted to survive and continue living in this body.

He spread his palm before him—his nails had long since retracted, leaving no trace of abnormality.

Zhou Ze smiled.

Forget it. Maybe it’s just what I deserve.

He wiped his face and hands with a towel and left the bathroom. By the time he emerged, the struggle on his face had dissipated, replaced by a sense of ease.

The little girl still sat on the plastic stool, absorbed in her picture book.

“Uncle, Rui Rui is thirsty,” the little girl called out to Zhou Ze, like a pet affectionately seeking attention from its owner.

Zhou Ze nodded, poured a cup of water, adjusting the temperature, and handed it to her.

She accepted it, took a sip, and smiled with crescent-shaped eyes.

Zhou Ze simply sat down on the tiled floor, reached out, and gently rubbed the little girl’s head, completely at ease and without any guard.

Time slowly passed. The little girl continued to read her book, while Zhou Ze lay beside her.

The two of them, one big and one small, coexisted peacefully. The little girl would share amusing stories from her book, and Zhou Ze would explain the deeper meanings of certain fables or tell her other little stories.

It was hard to tell how long had passed when that red sedan drove up again. The girl’s mother came in, thanked Zhou Ze, and prepared to leave. Her hair was exactly the same as when she arrived. Zhou Ze stifled a smile, tempted to suggest that she get her money back from her hairdresser and demand an explanation, as they were clearly not doing a good job.

Of course, had he said that, she might have scolded him for meddling.

The little girl bowed politely, thanked Zhou Ze, and left with her mother. Throughout it all, the little girl never looked back at him even once.

When she left, she was truly gone.

Zhou Ze walked to the counter and picked up the gift box the mother had given him at the beginning. To his surprise, he found a stack of cash inside—three thousand yuan.

Not bad.

Zhou Ze didn’t plan on returning it. He was short on money, so he decided to keep it for now.

He felt as if he’d come to a realization, like a cultivator suddenly achieving enlightenment. At the same time, he felt like he was giving up, resigned to facing life’s challenges with a carefree attitude.

Either way, at least he felt more at ease now.

He casually grabbed a book off the shelf. It was an oversized volume titled “Appreciation of Famous Calligraphy”, the type of book that would never sell. Zhou Ze couldn’t help but wonder if Xu Le’s brain had been hit by a metal gate multiple times when he’d decided to stock something like this.

Flipping it open, he landed on a page with the phrase “Ignorance is Bliss”.

“Tsk, tsk.”

Zhou Ze smacked his lips, Interesting.

Glancing at the time, he realized it was already nearing evening. Remembering that he had plans to watch a movie with Dr. Lin tonight, Zhou Ze decided to grab a quick bite to eat first.

He walked over to the noodle shop next door and froze for a moment. There, he saw Xu Qinglang kneeling on the ground.

His eyes were red, and there were several empty bottles of liquor scattered around him. He was holding another bottle, continuing to drink.

“It’s not fair… It’s not fair…”

Xu Qinglang mumbled, oblivious to Zhou Ze’s presence, even as he walked into the shop.

“Hey?” Zhou Ze reached out and tapped Xu Qinglang’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

He wanted to remind Xu Qinglang that while other men might risk getting their wallet stolen when drunk, in Xu Qinglang’s case, getting drunk and wandering outside might lead to far more dangerous situations. In fact, if he passed out alongside a woman on the street at night, Xu Qinglang might be violated more times than the woman.

Xu Qinglang’s body shuddered slightly. He slowly lifted his head, tears streaming down his face, his delicate features making him look even more pitiful. Pointing at Zhou Ze with his fingers in a delicate gesture, he said, “Today is my parents’ death anniversary.”

Zhou Ze remained silent for a moment, then said, “My condolences.”

After a while, Xu Qinglang continued drinking.

Zhou Ze could only ask, “So, are you cooking tonight?”

“Yes! I will cook!”

Xu Qinglang staggered to his feet, his slender waist like a willow, graceful and alluring, especially with that precarious stance, made one almost want to support him and catch a whiff of his scent.

“You don’t have to force yourself,”

Zhou Ze said, though he still took a seat, prepared to eat. Finding another place to dine wasn’t an easy task for him, so he stayed put.

Xu Qinglang waved his hand dismissively and walked into the back room.

Soon, the sound of the stove igniting could be heard—Xu Qinglang was cooking.

Zhou Ze checked his phone and saw that Dr. Lin had just sent him a message saying she’d be there to pick him up soon.

Zhou Ze replied with a simple “Okay.”

After some thought, he felt it wasn’t informal enough, so he sent a “laughing cannon soldier” emoji. But then felt it was too frivolous, so he withdrew the emoji. After reconsidering, he felt that retracting it made things even more conspicuous, so he replied with a “hehe.”

Immediately, he felt that “hehe” wasn’t friendly enough, but he thought retracting it a second time would seem too contrived. It was a dilemma…

Zhou Ze sat at the dining table, agonizing. The other man, who was cooking, was also in turmoil. In the pan was twice-cooked pork. Once it was done, it would be served over rice, making a simple, hearty meal.

“Why is it that she doesn’t catch you but goes after my parents?” Xu Qinglang muttered to himself while cooking.

There is an old saying, “Do not fear scarcity, but fear inequality.” This phrase encapsulates profound truths and exposes the darkest aspects of human nature.

“This is so unfair, completely unfair,” Xu Qinglang continued to mutter to himself.

“How could you act so unjustly? How could you be so partial?”

Xu Qinglang’s eyes grew vacant, though his hands continued to cook with the precision of a seasoned chef. Cooking had become second nature to him.

Without a word, he reached into a cabinet beneath the stove, pulled out a yellow canister, and sprinkled a small amount of powder into the twice-cooked pork.

“My parents were taken away. Why are you still here? Could it be that you saved her life?”

“Heh, what a joke.”

“Do you want to eat?”

“Alright, I’ll serve you a meal.”

Xu Qinglang took a deep breath repeatedly.

“Are you done yet?” Zhou Ze urged from outside.

“Almost.”

Xu Qinglang froze momentarily, his expression flashing with fear and hesitation, but he covered the pan. Realizing he had forgotten to reheat his rice in the microwave, he warmed it again.

Once the rice was hot, Xu Qinglang plated the twice-cooked pork over it and carried the dish out.

Zhou Ze was staring at his phone screen, feeling conflicted, when he saw Xu Qinglang walking over, looking a bit dazed and downcast. He placed the food down and said with some concern, “You didn’t forget to add salt, did you?”

Xu Qinglang shook his head.

Zhou Ze picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat.

Xu Qinglang’s hand trembled slightly, and his lips parted as if to say something, but Zhou Ze put down his chopsticks.

“What about sour plum juice or bitter melon juice?” Zhou Ze asked.

“Oh, right.”

Xu Qinglang went back to get a cup of sour plum juice and returned.

Zhou Ze took the plum juice first, sniffed it, and took a deep breath, ready to drink it, when his phone vibrated.

“I’m here, come out.”

Zhou Ze hesitated but put the plum juice down. He knew that after drinking it, his face would probably remain sour for a long time, as if everyone around him owed him a huge debt.

On second thought, he decided against it. This was, after all, the first time in both his past and present lives that he had asked a girl out to the movies. It was best to be more serious.

There was no way around it Originally, he had thought that dealing with Dr. Lin was a beginner-level task. But now, in Xu Le’s skin, the beginner task had suddenly become a boss-level challenge. He wasn’t sure whether to feel secretly pleased or to feel troubled.

What he needed to focus on now was to defeat himself before he could win the heart of the beauty.

“Put it on the tab. We’ll settle at the end of the month. I’m heading out.”

Zhou Ze got up, pushed open the door, and left. Dr. Lin’s car was parked by the roadside, the window rolled down, waiting for him.

In the noodle shop, Xu Qinglang’s expression changed rapidly, and then he suddenly threw the entire plate of twice-cooked pork over rice onto the floor. Holding his head, he began to cry on the ground. His cries grew louder and louder, until finally, it turned into a dry howl…