Journey to the End of the Night

23: Chapter 23: Find Someone to Drink With 23: Chapter 23: Find Someone to Drink With The red-dressed woman’s gaze suddenly became somewhat resentful.

Her eyes almost looked like an important treasure that had been by her side for many years was forcefully snatched away by someone.

What made it even more infuriating was that her treasure seemed to prefer someone else.

How could this be allowed!

“Shou, come back to sleep,” she said with displeasure, twisting her lovely brows.

“Yi yi ya ya.”

Under Baili An’s playful fingertips, Shou laughed with his eyes squinted into cute little slits.

Laughing and shaking his chubby head, he made it clear he wouldn’t go over and didn’t even glance at his owner.

What was more infuriating was that he buried his head in Baili An’s chest, took a deep breath with a look of intoxicated abandonment, and almost lost all sense of direction.

The corners of the red-dressed woman’s mouth twitched slightly, and she took out a stick of short incense from her Qiankun Bag and lit it.

The incense was top-quality Yin Incense, one of the Yin ghosts’ favorite foods.

She used it as bait.

Sure enough, Shou no longer kept squirming in Baili An’s embrace but instead looked brightly at the short stick of incense held delicately in her hand.

He jumped out of Baili An’s arms and took little joyful hops until he was in front of her, holding out his short arms with a face full of longing.

The red-dressed woman squatted down and stroked his head, saying, “That’s being good.”

Perhaps it was Baili An’s illusion, but as she stroked Shou’s head, she seemed to give him a brief look of triumph.

Er…

What a childish woman.

Suddenly, Baili An saw her in a new light.

Shou’s chubby paws carefully hugged the short incense but couldn’t bear to take a single sniff.

Instead, one hand grabbed the incense, and the other chubby hand cupped it from above to keep it from burning faster in the night wind.

His chubby head swiveled, and to the red-dressed woman’s astonishment, he left her nothing but his bare bottom to view.

Wiggling his little behind, he ran happily in front of Baili An, offering him the short incense stick.

Too short to reach, he stepped out a mist of Yin energy, floated in front of Baili An, and spread the white smoke of Yin Incense for Baili An to inhale.

Baili An didn’t know what this short incense was at first and took a curious sniff, which caused a thunderous roar in his mind.

Just like that, he had advanced to Fourth Grade in his cultivation.

The short incense in little chubby’s hand burned down quickly, turning into a wisp of gray ash.

Baili An stayed stunned for a while, thinking to himself what an incredible incense it was.

Seeing him succeed in his advancement, Shou was more than happy and relieved, reaching out his little hand to touch his cool forehead and grinning foolishly.

Suddenly, his neck tightened as he was hooked by a slender finger entangled in the drawstring of his pouch around his neck and forcibly pulled back.

The red-dressed woman drew Shou into her embrace; the corners of her eyes faintly reddened, giving her a look of slight grievance.

Resting her snow-white, pointed chin on his head, she sniffled, “You don’t want me anymore, do you want to follow someone else?!”

She actually started to cry…

Baili An was taken aback and was just about to speak.

Shou in her arms was at a loss as well, hurriedly touching her slightly moist eyes with his little paws, shaking his head desperately as if to say he wouldn’t go anywhere.

Jin Sheng, hidden in the dark, was dumbfounded!

What a talent this was!

To be able to bring this young miss to such a near-crying state, this little corpse demon would surely rise to fame from this moment onward!

Seeing her spirits low, Shou also lowered his head guiltily.

Quietly, he returned to his little coffin, indicating he wouldn’t go anywhere.

This was the first time Baili An had encountered such a situation, and after a moment, he said, “That…

that…”

The red-dressed woman, as if safeguarding against thieves, quickly hid the small coffin in her Qiankun Bag at her waist, her gaze incredibly wary, but with a curious lack of emotional distance.

Looking at Baili An, she suddenly said, “Yin Baishuang.”

Baili An was stunned and somewhat bewildered, “What…

what?”

Her expression somewhat irritated, she still patiently explained, “My name is Yin Baishuang, I’ve told you my name, so we are friends now.

As friends, you can’t take my things.”

Baili An was somewhat amused by her reasoning, but how could he not tell that there was a reluctant tone in her voice.

He couldn’t help but chuckle and said, “I won’t take them, I can see that Shou is very important to you.”

Yin Baishuang looked at him earnestly, “Not just important, but extremely important!”

Baili An quietly glanced at the Qiankun Bag at her waist and smiled, “Since he’s so important, then protect him well.

But I’m very curious, is Shou really your son?

Why does he look like that?”

Yin Baishuang’s face relaxed a bit and she replied, “Shou was given to me by an old acquaintance.”

So, you’ve been raising a ghost given by an old acquaintance as your son…

Baili An tactfully did not pursue the matter further.

Meanwhile, the girl who claimed to be serving the last dish took the time of burning an incense stick to bring it out.

Only when the evening glow had completely disappeared and the night fell, barely able to discern the surroundings by the stars and moonlight,

did she slowly emerge holding a lamp, bringing out the meal with careful steps.

Casting cautious glances around and seeing no trace of the little ghost, she breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile, “The meal is ready, you two come and eat.”

Perhaps catching the scent of the food, the hunter awoke from his stupor.

“Thank you, noble one!

Thank you,” the hunter wept with gratitude.

Baili An nodded slightly and said, “There’s no need for thanks; just don’t covet the belongings of the dead in the future.”

Having learned his lesson, the hunter eagerly obliged, calling Baili An and Yin Baishuang to the table alongside his daughter.

Some wild fruits were also taken from the home’s stash and placed beside the small deer.

The deer didn’t seem to mind the tartness and ate quietly and at ease.

Being a corpse demon, Baili An couldn’t eat the food of humans and waved his hand to indicate he didn’t need it.

Unexpectedly, the red-dressed Yin Baishuang actually sat down at the table.

As a Cultivator, she could easily survive without grains for sustenance, but there she was, taking her place.

Seeing this, the serving girl paused, thinking to herself this fairy-like miss didn’t disdain their simple country fare.

Hurriedly she took a clean bowl and placed cutlery before Yin Baishuang with surprise and gratefulness, “Miss, please enjoy the meal.”

Yin Baishuang didn’t reach for her utensils, nor did she acknowledge the girl’s earnestness.

Though she didn’t have the cold and distant air of a fairy and could be seen as rather cute and alluring with a fuller face,

there was a certain impenetrability about her, making it seem difficult to access the depth of her heart.