Don’t Discriminate Against Species

“Fu ge, how big was the house you bought?” Zhang Ke asked enviously. “There are quite a few good commercial properties recently, which one did you buy?”

Fu Li told Zhang Ke the name. Zhang Ke was almost sure that Fu ge had either sold his medicinal ingredients at a profit or took on private jobs, otherwise he wouldn’t have the money to buy a house in that district. The management bureau didn’t have any written rules prohibiting everyone from taking private jobs, but in order to construct an image of industriousness and diligence, nobody would speak about it blatantly even if they occasionally helped to examine feng shui or tell fortunes in private. Worried that he would bring trouble to Fu Li, Zhang Ke instantly changed the topic to prevent everyone from noticing this matter.

Fortunately, the colleagues in the office were all close to Fu Li, so the topic was no longer brought up after a mutual exchange of glances.

“Fu ge, you think there’s an issue with this haunted house?” Chu Yu noticed the picture of the haunted house in Fu Li’s hands. “Is there really a ghost there?”

“I’m not sure whether or not there’s a ghost, I can’t tell much just from a photo,” Fu Li shook his head. “But the supernatural phenomena that happens in it is different from the other conventional haunted houses.”

Strange sounds would be heard when entering other haunted houses, but for this house, entering and leaving could be done with ease. However, the people who went into this haunted house would be especially unlucky for a period of time after. In addition, they were disliked by birds and even had nightmares of birds scratching their faces and pressing down painfully on their tummies.

Truly a strange, exotic haunted house that stood out from the masses.

“I’m guessing that it may not be a ghost that’s inside it but a yao,” This haunted house was the residence of a large, rich family two to hundred years ago and was decorated extremely tastefully. Although it had gone into disrepair over the many years, some semblance of its previous glory could still be seen from the photo. Later on, it was slated for development into a scenic spot. But for some reason, it was shelved and had now joined the ranks of the haunted houses.

“You mean an unlicensed resident who came to the human world?” Chu Yu was inwardly startled. There was actually a yao who dared to run to the human world under the eyes of the management bureau as an unlicensed resident, was this ignorance or fearlessness?

“I’m not sure,” Fu Li shook his head. He put down the documents on the haunted house. “I’ll know after visiting this place tomorrow.”

“That works too,” Chu Yu nodded. “I’ll get Qing Xu to be your assistant.”

At the corner, Zhang Ke heard this and hurriedly added, “Let my junior brother Wei Cang go as well.”

Chu Yu and Zhang Ke’s gazes mingled in the air. Discerning each other’s thoughts, they arrogantly turned their heads.

“How can I trouble them for a small matter like this?” Fu Li was a bit embarrassed.

“No trouble, no trouble,” Zhang Ke said. “Wei Cang is still young. Learning from Fu ge is a good thing for him.”

Chu Yu had similar thoughts as Zhang Ke. Qing Xu was his Daoist junior, while Wei Cang was Zhang Ke’s junior brother – both of them were quite good at thinking for their own people.

After understanding their way of thinking, Fu Li smiled helplessly. “I understand.”

The other colleagues expressed strong disdain for Chu Yu and Zhang Ke’s way of ‘using their position to hug a golden thigh’.

When they were getting off work that night, snow started falling again. Xu Yuan noticed that Fu Li didn’t return to the staff dormitory but had instead gotten into the boss’ car. She softly asked Chao Yun, who was beside her, “Fu ge moved in with the boss recently?”

“Maybe…” Chao Yun remembered the still-unrepaired windows in Fu Li’s dormitory, her expression turning profound. “Maybe it’s because his windows are damaged.”

“Weren’t they fixed two weeks ago?” Xu Yuan came to a realization after uttering these words, covering her mouth. She seemed to have meddled in someone else’s business.

“On such a cold night, nesting on the couch and cooking hotpot is the most comfortable,” Fu Li picked up a large pile of ingredients from the supermarket and placed them into the boot. He sat at the front passenger seat and patted the snowflakes on his head, saying happily, “Go go go, let’s go back.”

Zhuang Qing watched him shake all the snow onto the cushion without saying much. All he did was pass him a few paper towels. “Don’t wet your clothes.”

“It’s okay, I’m a yao, not a human. I won’t fall sick,” Fu Li accepted the paper towels and carelessly wiped his clothes twice. He said to Zhuang Qing, “I’ve been living at your house for so long and even freeload food and drink. It’s quite embarrassing.”

In fact, at the start, he had made preparations to return after the windows were fixed. However, Zhuang Qing’s house was more comfortable than the staff dormitory. Most importantly, Zhuang Qing had good cooking skills, even better than Chef Bao, the self-proclaimed head chief of the imperial family. Because of this, he became depraved and thickened his face, not wanting to leave.

The good thing was that Zhuang little dragon was generous. Not only did he not dislike him eating and living with him without paying, he even frequently made delicious food for him. This sort of friendship made him want to stay even more.

“It’s boring to eat alone, my appetite will be better with someone to accompany me,” Zhuang Qing’s eyes were trained on the road ahead. The roads were slippery on snowy days; he drove extremely carefully. “Are you mentioning this now because you find eating with me a bother?”

“How can that be?” Fu Li instantly denied it. “I just feel that eating and living with you without paying isn’t very good.”

“We’re yao, living together for the occasional ten or twenty years is very normal. Why care about this sort of small thing?” Zhuang Qing slowed the car down, allowing the sapphire blue car anxiously wanting to overtake them at the side to go first. “Certain human formalities are complicated and superficial. We don’t have to do everything the way humans do, otherwise what’s the point in being a yao?”

“I’ve led a solitary life from childhood and never felt the liveliness of living with other yao,” Zhuang Qing turned to look at Fu Li, his pretty eyes tranquil and without fluctuations. “If this is a bother to you…”

“No bother, no bother,” Fu Li was stared at by Zhuang Qing till his heartbeat turned irregular and his head swam. He no longer brought up anything related to courtesy. “I’m very happy living with you.”

“En,” Zhuang Qing shifted the eyes that were fixed on Fu Li, revealing an extremely faint smile. “I am also very happy.”

Fu Li picked at the cushion. He started regretting the words he had said, those words had definitely made Zhuang Qing recall the hurtful things that happened in the past.

Was it really like what Zhuang Qing had said – he didn’t use his brain when doing things?

He was jolted back to his senses by a deafening sound. He turned and looked out the car window. The sapphire blue car had rammed into a lamppost, a large dent at the front of the car. Fortunately, the car driver had crawled out of the car, not too worse for wear.

“The roads are slippery during snowy weather, traveling has to be done slowly,” Zhuang Qing gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Going too quickly can result in an accident.”

“Ah…” Fu Li nodded as he stared blankly. These words did seem to make sense.

The two of them cooked delicious hotpot at night. The snow outside the window grew heavier and heavier. Fu Li looked out the window and told Zhuang Qing, “It seems like it’s going to be the eve of Lunar New Year soon.”

Zhuang Qing put down his chopsticks. “What about it?”

Fu Li shook his head. He had simply recalled that it had been many years since he last saw the Nian.

“Are you full?”

“Yes.”

“Then wash the dishes,” Zhuang Qing pushed the empty bowls in front of Fu Li. “It’s your turn to wash the dishes tonight.”

Fu Li muttered in a low voice, “We eat congee when it’s your turn to wash the dishes, but eat hotpot when it’s my turn…”

“What did you say?” Zhuang Qing leaned against the couch. “I didn’t hear you clearly.”

“I said tonight’s hotpot was delicious,” Fu Li carried the pot and bowls towards the kitchen with quick steps.

Forget it, forget it. An exploitative person should not speak out. There might be another reason why Zhuang little dragon so enthusiastically allowed him to remain living here – that is, he wanted to find someone who could help him wash the dishes.

Ai, he had finally seen through Zhuang Qing’s sinister motives.

Zhuang Qing switched on the television, tugging the blanket on his body upwards. Hearing the sound of water from the kitchen, he laughed.

It was also not bad if things carried on like this.

When they woke up the next morning, a thick layer of snow had already accumulated outside the villa. Seeing numerous little aquatic yao putting their all into sweeping up the snow, Fu Li ran downstairs, saying to Zhuang Qing who was sitting on the living room couch, “Those little cultivators from the aquatic races are the former subordinates of the golden dragon clan?”

Zhuang Qing arranged the breakfast plates and gestured for him to sit. “They come over every winter and can’t be driven away. You don’t have to pay them any heed.”

Seeing the impatience all over his face, Fu Li didn’t ask any further. But when he went upstairs to change his clothes, he saw Zhuang Qing carrying a large box of breakfast and distributing it to the little yao. He even shoved a few hundred yuan at every yao.

These yao were extremely respectful towards Zhuang Qing and didn’t dare to accept the money. But after being subjected to a cold glare from Zhuang Qing, they immediately obediently accepted it.

Fu Li heard them address Zhuang Qing as ‘Your Majesty, the Dragon King’.

The golden dragon clan was almost extinct and the lakes, oceans, and rivers under their jurisdiction had also been divvied up among the other dragon clans. It was unexpected that there were still yao among the aquatic races formerly attached to the golden dragon clan who were still loyal and devoted to the golden dragon clan.

Fu Li lay against the window frame, feeling that the way Zhuang Qing interacted with these aquatic yao was quite interesting.

Zhuang Qing looked up and saw Fu Li’s outstretched head on the window frame. His face turned dark. “Put your head back in, the snow hasn’t stopped.”

Bang.

The windows closed. The shaggy head had also gone back in.

Zhuang Qing shook his head helplessly. Turning, he looked at the aquatic yao who were still vigorously sweeping the ground. “The weather’s cold, return to the sea early.”

“This subordinate will do as you bid.”

Zhuang Qing sighed helplessly, aware that he could not change the mindsets of these aquatic yao.

“Zhuang little dragon,” Fu Li walked out of the house with a scarf on. “I’ll be investigating a haunted house with Wei Cang and Qing Xu today, and won’t be eating lunch at the bureau. Don’t help me pack food.”

“Okay,” Zhuang Qing manifested a hat from a tree leaf and placed it on Fu Li’s head. “I’ll send you there.”

“No need, I can just take the train. Don’t be late,” Fu Li held the hat on his head in place, preventing it from being blown away by the chilly wind. “I’m leaving, see you tonight.”

Zhuang Qing watched him hop away and very quickly vanish out the gate. His smile faded. “He really does resemble a rabbit.”

“Your Majesty, Dragon King,” A little aquatic yao trembled. “That daoyou friend of yours has a very dangerous aura.” His back had turned cold when the other party came close to him and his entire fish body felt like it was being suffocated.

Zhuang Qing glanced at the aquatic yao. It’s original form… seemed to be a kind of fish Fu Li was very fond of eating?

He thought about it and then said consolingly, “Don’t worry, although he likes eating your type of fish, he doesn’t eat intelligent life forms.”

The aquatic yao: …

He was even more scared now.

Fu Li, who was currently squeezing into a train, didn’t know that the matter of him and Zhuang Qing buying a house had been placed on the internet by good reporters first thing in the morning, attracting the attention of countless netizens.

Before he was squeezed into dried rabbit, he finally walked out of the train station. He found the well-known haunted house in an alley.

Wei Cang and Qing Xu had already arrived. Upon seeing Fu Li, both of them hurriedly went to meet him.

The strong scent of dragon on Fu Li almost made Wei Cang bow down to him on reflex. “Fu ge, good morning.”

“Morning,” Fu Li waved a hand at the two people and glanced at the haunted house. He didn’t sense any yao qi.

But that didn’t mean that there weren’t any strange things inside. Perhaps the yao cultivator inside was an expert at concealing its aura, or perhaps it was stronger than him.

Fu Li jumped over the wall around the perimeter. Looking at the withered grass beneath his feet, he warned Qing Xu and Wei Cang, “Be careful.”