100 Ghost Collection

After Qi Tian planted the Gu into Yuan Bao, he was confronted with the most difficult problem — eating food.

*Gu – legendary venomous insect/ worm

His physique had already changed long ago because of the Gu. Every day, he just needed to drink morning dew and could move about freely. However, after starving for two days, Yuan Bao’s complexion became very unsightly. When he touched her face, the texture of her flesh felt greatly reduced, for this reason, Qi Tian was very dissatisfied.

So on that day, Qi Tian hunted a wild pheasant in the Dense Foggy Forest.

He lit a fire in the back courtyard, hung the pot on a shuddering frame, and then threw the live pheasant into the pot. He covered it with the lid and listened to the sounds inside the pot going from an eruptive landslide to a death-like silence. He cooked the food until it was scorching black, and then put it on the tray to bring to Yuan Bao.

This was the first meal that Yuan Bao had eaten since the past two days. The burnt and scorched food stained her mouth. The smell wafted up and assailed the nose making it hard to endure but Yuan Bao did not complain once as Qi Tian fed her. She opened her mouth, obediently chewed twice, and then swallowed.

For a long time, Qi Tian had been tormented by the Gu and had lost his taste buds. When he saw her eating so obediently, he felt that perhaps the food he made just looked bad. Maybe in the future, he could raise Plump Face like this. When he thought of that, he felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

“In the future, we will be together.” He scooped up a spoonful of black food and awkwardly shoved it into Yuan Bao’s mouth. A little “flour” flowed down the corner of Yuan Bao’s mouth, he did not avoid it and used his sleeve to wipe her mouth, “In the future, I’ll raise you.”

Naturally, Yuan Bao could not answer “no” because likewise, she could not answer “yes” either.

But her stomach was extremely honest and answered “no.”

“Barf!” A vomiting sound woke Qi Tian up from his sleep next to Yuan Bao. Dissatisfied, he released the hand that was pinching Yuan Bao’s ear. Qi Tian opened his eyes to look at the person in his arms vomiting and spasming all over. He immediately furrowed his eyebrows and got up from the bed. Then he helped Yuan Bao sit up but she was still unsteady. Once again, her throat made a vomiting “wa” sound and she spewed vomit onto Qi Tian’s face.

The room immediately stank to high heaven.

Qi Tian’s complexion did not change at all. He calmly wiped his face and moped away the gooey black stuff. He raised his head and stared at Yuan Bao for a while before he said coldly: “You did it on purpose.”

Yuan Bao’s gaze simply stared lifelessly ahead.

Qi Tian ruthlessly poked her face: “You’re not being good.”

Just like retaliation, the sound of his voice had not yet faded away, when Yuan Bao vomited her guts out again. A slime of mucus stuck to his whole body, and then her stomach made several “grumbling” sounds. Qi Tian subtly narrowed his eyes.

This woman… Actually had diarrhea on his bed!

For the first time in his life, he experienced a feeling of disgust.

Qi Tian spent all night cleaning up Yuan Bao and himself. The next morning, he carried Yuan Bao out to sit in the courtyard, and then he cleaned the room up himself. At midday, he once again carried her back into the room, and then sat down to rest for a while. He touched Yuan Bao’s face and was very dissatisfied with this current sensation of skinniness. He remembered that it was time for Yuan Bao to eat again. He just stood up to go make a fire but suddenly remembered the reason why he, himself, was so busy like this.

He revisited the situation and then suddenly realized that it was actually the food that he cooked… Was poisonous.

Being aware of this point, he felt somewhat defeated.

Should he remove the Gu and release her back home, then wait for her to nourish her plump flesh, and then recapture her… As this idea flashed in Qi Tian’s head, he furrowed his brows. After his contemplation, he turned around and went out of the Dense Foggy Forest.

This was the first time in ten years that he had left the Dense Foggy Forest in order to — enter the kitchen.

This was probably the most wretched thing he did in his life — crouching on the old roof beam in the smoke-filled kitchen to stealthily learn how to cook.

Qi Tian was gifted a bright and excellent memory but one day of peeping still could not allow him to improve his skills as much. So tonight, he only brought back to Yuan Bao some steamed buns. But in regards to the infected Yuan Bao, these steamed buns were already the ultimate delicious delicacy.

When she ate, her expression did not fluctuate but only her speed of swallowing food was much faster than yesterday.

Afterward, Qi Tian touched Yuan Bao’s fully-fed, rounded stomach and his countenance was satisfied: “The feeling of touching here is also very pleasing. On some other day, I will let you eat hot, steaming food that will not make you vomit and have diarrhea.” He poked at the flesh on her face, “I’m responsible for feeding you until you’re full. You’re responsible for using your strength to fatten your flesh.”

Yuan Bao just kept silent.

As the soft candlelight illuminated the side of Yuan Bao’s face and the shadow cast upon her curved eyebrows and eyelashes, for a moment, she gave Qi Tian a type of illusion that she was nodding and smiling. He could not help but lose his soul. His palm covered in blue veins enclosed her cheek, stroking softly: “You have dimples.” He guessed, and then ordered, “Smile.”

Yuan Bao obediently bent the corners of her lips up and the rigid smile was enough to make her sweet dimples appear.

His ugly finger picked at her shallow dimple. He gently stroked it like an addiction: “Everything on your body is very soft.” He poked as he wondered, “Are there no bones at all?”

Yuan Bao simply smiled rigidly, while Qi Tian looked at her, lost in his thoughts: “Smile again, a little more happily.” Yuan Bao obediently widened the curvature of her lips but her eyes still held no emotions. However, Qi Tian immediately fingered her pursed lips, following the curvature of her mouth.

Suddenly he remembered, it seemed like there had never been anyone smiling like this in front of him.

The outsiders hated him, feared him, and yet thirsted for his help. He had seen smiles of disgust and flattery, had seen disdain and fear, but had never seen anyone who simply smiled in front of him. Even if it was merely curling the corners of her lips like this.

Qi Tian’s eyes brightened faintly: “I like this smile of yours. In the future, you will often smile like this for me to see.” He wrapped up the steamed buns that Yuan Bao had not finished, “In the future is a very long, very long time.”

This voice was ear-piercing and unpleasant to hear but it carried expectations and happiness that made someone unable to ignore.

Several days after this, all that Yuan Bao ate were steamed buns, while Qi Tian ran into town every day. Five days later, he made a fire in the courtyard, hung the pot on a shuddering frame, and cooked a simple bowl of congee. He fed Yuan Bao spoonful by spoonful until it was all gone.

*congee – rice porridge

This evening, he looked at her with solemn, rapt attention; even his eyes did not dare to blink all night.

This night was peaceful.

The next day, when Yuan Bao woke up, her complexion was as rosy as before. Qi Tian rubbed her belly and said with a flat intonation that carried some hints of smiles: “I can raise you now.” The fingertips of his other hand caressed the edge of the bowl, “Look, I can raise you now.”

Yuan Bao simply sat woodenly on the bed, not in the least influenced by his joy.

Qi Tian did not care and ordered once again: “Smile. You should be very happy, indeed.”

She obediently curved the corners of her lips but her smile was still rigid and empty.

Qi Tian squatted down, looked at her smile, and immediately pushed the corners of her lips up. The room quieted, two living people staying together that surprisingly no sounds of breathing could be heard. He stood up and left the room to make breakfast. Once again, he cooked a bowl of congee for Yuan Bao and he fed her just like yesterday.

For Qi Tian, this was already quite enough.