Volume One: The Eight-Coffin Corpse Field, Chapter 90: A Bold Confession

Third Uncle nodded in approval. "It is rare indeed for Ms. Fei Yao to have such a kind heart. On behalf of the country, I thank you. This house is fine now. After a while, you can rent it out first, and then you can sell it at the normal market price."

Fei Yao nodded and glanced at Xu Ruoxi.

Xu Ruoxi reached into her bag, took out a bank card, and set it on the table. "Sister Fei prepared this long ago. There is six hundred thousand here."

Third Uncle waved a hand. "We'll just take five hundred thousand. Assistant Xu has helped a great deal too. The remaining hundred thousand can go to her."

That surprised me. Third Uncle had always been as money-crazy as they came, yet this time he was actually showing such generosity, taking money that had already landed in his hands and giving it away, and to someone he had once disliked intensely. I guessed it was his way of making up for all the trouble he had put Xu Ruoxi through lately.

Xu Ruoxi clearly had not expected that either. She froze, then looked at Third Uncle in suspicion.

Fei Yao smiled when she heard that. "Ruoxi has helped me a great deal. I know that well. This money is all for you, so there is no need to refuse."

As she spoke, Fei Yao pushed the card a little closer to Third Uncle.

Third Uncle grinned. "I was only being polite. Since you're so sincere, we won't refuse your kindness. Besides, this service of ours comes with a one-year guarantee. If anything happens to the house within a year, you can call us again. If it's beyond a year, there'll be an extra charge."

Then he tucked the card into his bag and called out to me. "Let's go, nephew. Time for us to pack up and head back."

Fei Yao and Xu Ruoxi escorted us to the door.

Xu Ruoxi seemed to have something on her mind, but held back. Only when we were about to leave did she gather her courage and say to Third Uncle, "Um... Mr. Li..."

Third Uncle blinked and pointed at his own nose. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes... Mr. Li, thank you..." Xu Ruoxi managed to force the words out after a long awkward pause.

It was obvious that she was thanking him for offering her the extra hundred thousand earlier. Third Uncle waved it off. "No need to be so polite. I said I was only being polite just now. We'll meet again someday."

With a carefree air, Third Uncle clasped his hands in a rough greeting and swaggered away.

I smiled at Xu Ruoxi. "That is just how my Third Uncle is. Please don't mind him."

Xu Ruoxi shook her head, then asked me, "Your Third Uncle... is he really a Daoist priest?"

I nodded and said yes. At that moment I noticed that Xu Ruoxi's face had turned slightly red, and that puzzled me.

After saying goodbye to the two of them, I caught up with Third Uncle and finally began to understand what had just happened. I shouted, "Holy crap!" and nearly startled him.

Third Uncle smacked my head. "What's wrong with you? Why are you jumping like that?"

I waved my hand. "No, Third Uncle, I think Xu Ruoxi is interested in you. I think she has a thing for you."

Third Uncle stared blankly for a full two minutes before kicking my backside again. "Have you got too much energy, you brat? How dare you make fun of your Third Uncle?"

I clutched my rear and dodged hurriedly, explaining at once, "I'm serious, Third Uncle. That woman asked whether you were really a Daoist priest, and her face turned red. Isn't that basically her asking if you can marry a wife?"

Third Uncle said I had no manners and was making a joke at his expense. He pointed at my nose and cursed me out for ages, then chased me around and thrashed me until I finally begged for mercy.

We decided to stay in Linjiang one more night and head back to Shenzhen early the next morning.

But that very night, Xu Ruoxi called Third Uncle. After only a few words, Third Uncle looked at me, then actually took the phone and went out of the room, hiding in the corridor.

Something felt off, so I quietly followed him.

I could not hear what Xu Ruoxi was saying on the phone, but from Third Uncle's tone and expression, it was clear she was telling him something unusual. I slipped back into the room, crawled under the blanket, and before long Third Uncle came back in with the phone in hand, his face flushed bright red. The moment he entered, he called to me, "Hurry up. We need to leave here tonight."

I jumped. "Holy crap. What did you do to Assistant Xu? Is she bringing people to your door?"

"What the hell are you talking about? That woman is way too intense. So that cold, aloof act was all fake. Look what time it is. It's the middle of the night and she wants to invite me out for drinks? Drinks my ass. Hurry up. She said she's coming to find me."

As he spoke, he hauled me out of bed.

I could not help laughing. Third Uncle was such a formidable character. At first he had tricked Xu Ruoxi thoroughly, yet in the end he was the one being scared into this state by her. I had actually guessed right: Xu Ruoxi and Third Uncle had started out at odds, then come to respect each other through conflict. She must have been impressed by his abilities and developed feelings for him. After learning more about him, she launched a fierce campaign of confession.

But her emotional assault came on a little too strong and caught the more reserved Third Uncle completely off guard. He had actually wanted to flee in panic.

Third Uncle and I drove through the night, preparing to leave Linjiang. During that time, Xu Ruoxi called again and again, but Third Uncle was so frightened he did not dare answer. In the end, she sent him a text message, calling him a coward and saying she would keep waiting for him.

When Third Uncle saw it, his mouth stretched into a crooked grimace, and he groaned over and over.

I did not dare laugh out loud either. I had never imagined we would leave Linjiang in such a strange way.

Only after the car had left the city proper did Third Uncle finally breathe a sigh of relief. He and I brought up his love life again, and I urged him to consider Xu Ruoxi seriously. By all accounts, she was an excellent woman, and since she was interested in Third Uncle, why not go with the flow?

Third Uncle waved a hand. "Forget it. We and people like her are simply not from the same world. Only when we're exorcising a haunted house can we strut in front of her and make her follow our lead. If it weren't for that haunted-house business, do you really think we would have anything to talk about?"

I nodded. What he said was not without reason.

Then I said, "You've been at it for so many years, Third Uncle. You ought to think about finding me a Third Aunt."

Third Uncle replied, "You brat, you should spend more time worrying about your own affairs. When we get back, make sure you treat Liang Yue properly and stop making her angry all the time."

I curled my lip. Before this, I had asked him about his own love life more than once. Every time, he would turn the focus back onto me, and I had the feeling he was hiding something from me. No matter how I asked, I could not get a word of it out of him. Once we got back, I would have to look into it properly when I had the chance.

We drove very slowly at night, and by the time we returned to Shenzhen, it was already daylight.

We went straight to our Great Fortune Realty Agency. The office had only just opened, and there were no customers yet. But the employees, led by Chen Tao, were all in matching uniforms, full of energy, heads down and working methodically. It seemed that while we were away, Chen Tao had done a good job and kept the company running smoothly.

Only then did my thoughts finally leave Linjiang and return to reality. I checked the time and realized there were only five days left before the one-month deadline Liang Yue had set for us.

Thank heavens, we had completed the mission successfully.

My mood instantly brightened. I called out to Chen Tao, "Manager Chen, long time no see."

The End.