C14 Chapter 14

“I left my jade pendant with her.”

“Sure, it’s good jade. But good jade doesn’t mean its spirit can’t fade. Once the owner loses faith in life, the jade will slowly dull, and whatever power it has will disappear bit by bit. By the end, forget warding off bad luck—it won’t even be as useful as a rock. At least a rock hurts when you throw it. A dead piece of jade? Not so much.” I said coldly.

“Who are you, really?” Ge Li asked again.

“I already told you—it doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is what you choose. If I’m not mistaken, you’re the boy from the story—the one the black cat is supposed to get revenge on.” I said evenly.

“Rumors aren’t the truth...” Ge Li shook his head helplessly and let out a bitter laugh.

I caught the tiny shift in his expression and quietly sized him up. He had a clean, honest look—didn’t seem like the type to abandon the people he loved most. So I figured there had to be more to it.

“Come out of the water first. I promise you—I’ll help you fix this.” I said.

“You can’t help me.” Ge Li shook his head again.

“If I can’t help you, then you can still go die later. You’ll get a couple more days out of it. You’re not losing anything.” I said sincerely.

Ge Li: “.......”

I looked at his completely dead-inside expression. What—did I say something wrong?

“Ge Li!” Suddenly, another voice called out. I turned and saw it was Jiang Yu. Behind her were Liang Jing and Mo Ningning.

“Yu.” Ge Li called softly.

“Ge Li, no matter what happens, don’t leave me, okay?” Jiang Yu begged through tears.

I shook my head to myself. This kid’s desire to die was way too strong—no way he’d be talked down that easily.

“Okay.” Ge Li nodded.

Me: “.......”

Seriously, Ge Li? That’s messed up. I’ve been standing here talking my throat raw and you didn’t budge, but your girlfriend says one sentence and you’re instantly back from the dead?

I glanced back at Liang Jing and Mo Ningning and suddenly said, dead serious, “No more ghost stories. Every time you tell one, something actually shows up.”

Liang Jing and Mo Ningning stared at each other, eyes wide.

I walked up to Ge Li. “Let’s find somewhere quiet and talk.”

He looked down at Jiang Yu in his arms. “Yeah.”

So the five of us found a coffee shop and sat down.

I asked first, “Where did the jade come from?”

Ge Li answered, “My mom’s.”

“The jade’s really nice. What did your mom do?” I asked.

“She worked at a bank. When I was three, she and my dad died in a car accident. The jade was something she got from a temple out west, and I’ve worn it around my neck ever since. I lived with my grandma until I was six, then my aunt took me into the city. My grandma passed away when I was twelve. That year, I went back home and knelt to pay my respects,” Ge Li said flatly.

“And that black cat?” I asked carefully.

“That wasn’t my grandma!” Ge Li snapped. “My grandma died when I was twelve. I dreamed about her—she told me she’d been taken by some vicious cat spirit and begged me to save her. I was just a kid. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do...

A few days later, my aunt took me back, and for the next six years I didn’t dream about my grandma again. Then on my eighteenth birthday, I ran into a black cat on the side of the road. For a split second, I thought it looked like her.

I gave it the hot dog I was holding, and it suddenly lunged and tried to bite me. I dodged it. Its eyes flashed green, but it wouldn’t come any closer—because I could feel the jade on my neck protecting me. My mom used to say jade can ward off evil. When it runs into something dark, it protects the person wearing it...” Ge Li said slowly.

“After that, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and see that black cat staring at me from the window. I was scared.”

“I dreamed about Grandma again. I dreamed she was being carried in a cat’s mouth, and she was calling for me to save her. So I went to save her, and that cat came at me, claws out...”

Ge Li said slowly. “I think maybe Grandma can only be saved if it gets my soul. I was afraid that black cat would go after Yu’er, so I gave her the jade. I figured I’d end my own life, become a spirit, and fight that black cat to the death—so I could bring Grandma back...”

When he finished, Liang Jing and Mo Ningning stood off to the side, biting their fingers, tears streaming down their faces. “So touching! Seriously, so touching! That’s incredible—so incredible! Boo-hoo-hoo... Wu Xiaogang, you have to help him save his grandma!”

I shot them a look and didn’t say anything, sinking into thought. If it was some kind of cat spirit that could trap a person’s soul, then it was seriously powerful. Which meant it probably tasted pretty good too. Heh...

Lost in my own little fantasy, I nodded to myself without even realizing it.

“Wu Xiaogang! Why do you look all lovestruck? Can you even do this or not?” Liang Jing pinched my arm hard.

Holy crap! That pain snapped me awake instantly!

I glared at her. She glared right back.

Fine. I gave in.

After a beat, I said to Ge Li, “I can catch the cat spirit. But I need you to be the bait. It could be dangerous.”

Ge Li said excitedly, “As long as I can get Grandma’s soul back, I’m not afraid of anything!”

“Good! That’s guts. Come here—here’s the plan...”