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Chu Shuzhi could not believe it. It was one thing to hear about Zhao Yunlan saying he got along with the Ghostslayer and recalling all the cases they have supposedly met on and chatted, and quite another to actually witness it.
On the rare occasions when Chu Shuzhi listened to Zhao Yunlan's stories, he always took every mention of the Ghostslayer with a grain of salt, trying to filter the truth out of his supervisor's enthusiastic, self-promoting narrative. So when Yunlan said 'and then he smiled at me', Chu mentally replaced that sentence with 'and then he mercifully ignored me instead of killing me once and for all,' and moved on.
Until now, because now there was the Ghostslayer himself sitting awkwardly at the table and sipping some special tea Zhao Yunlan had personally prepared for him. What was worse, the Ghostslayer had come here on his own volition, making Guo Changcheng faint with his sudden appearance - it would be far more credible if Zhao Yunlan had dragged the esteemed enforcer to the Guardian Lantern under false pretenses and/or blackmail, or if the Ghostslayer came over to arrest Zhao Yunlan for something.
But as far as Chu Shuzhi had seen so far, the Ghostslayer came to talk. Well, technically to go over an arrest they had made a few days before, something with the reports? Chu Shuzhi didn’t pay attention to the excuses, because they couldn’t have been anything else – the two had been sitting at one of the tables and talking for a better part of an hour. Why did the Ghostslayer need an excuse to talk to Zhao Yunlan, why would he even want to, was beyond Shuzhi’s understanding.
“He seems nice,” Guo Changcheng observed hesitantly from his chair beyond the counter, where Chu Shuzhi had deposited him after lifting the poor kid from the floor. He looked much better now, away from the stressful presence of the hellish envoy.
“Why do you think so?” Shuzhi himself wouldn’t call his saviour ’nice’. Just? Certainly. Imposing and powerful, uncorrupted by the politics? Absolutely. But while he could attest to the Ghostslayer’s values, he had no opinion on the man's (was it even a man?) character. He rather didn’t think about him as a person at all, more of an powerful, ancient being that could influence your life if you caught its attention.
Chu Shuzhi didn’t spend a long time in Hell but he was sure he was not the only one thinking that way.
“He seems to like chief Zhao. And he is polite,” Changcheng replied, his gaze fixed on Zhao Yunlan’s table. “Do you know how they met?”
Did he.
Chu Shuzhi still had some hopes that he would get that particular memory out of his mind. He looked up from the frying pan into the eager, curious eyes of their newest hire and started to feel slightly pressured into giving him answers. It was a worrying development lately that one sad look was enough for Chu Shuzhi to cave in.
He risked a look at the only occupied table – Zhao Yunlan was currently retelling one of the many anecdotes from his and Shuzhi’s trips to the supermarket. The Ghostslayer listened patiently, sipping his tea at regular intervals.
Well, as long as Zhao Yunlan wasn’t trying to get him drunk or anything as atrocious, Chu Shuzhi supposed he didn’t have to watch them both like a hawk.
He turned off the heat and put their food on the plates. He couldn’t exactly leave the counter, in case some new client came in – the usual host of this place was currently busy talking at length at an hellish enforcer, so Shuzhi had to stay and man the fort. It was kind of Changcheng to stay with him, even if eating at the counter was rather uncomfortable.
Still, the kid accepted the food with a happy, grateful smile and truly, it wasn’t like Shuzhi would suffer much by retelling this particular case.
“I can tell you,” he finally admitted and Changcheng’s eyes shone in excitement. “Just eat before it gets cold.”
The kid nodded eagerly, shoving a mouthful of the stir-fry into his mouth with gusto.
Pouring himself a glass of water, Chu Shuzhi recalled that evening.
Shanghai, 1935
“Why do you keep on coming here!?” Shuzhi growled, watching Zhao Yunlan shake his drenched umbrella at the doorstep of the shop, covering the wooden panels inside with water. One of these days Chu Shuzhi would have to give him a bill for all the repairs the shop needed after Zhao Yunlan’s visits.
“I am your officially assigned supervisor, I have to see how you are doing,” the man replied and finally put the umbrella down. It continued to drip all over Chu Shuzhi’s floor.
“Nothing changed over the last week. Don’t you have a case of your own to pursue?” He hated admitting that he listened to Zhao Yunlan, but that particular bit of information had been important because it meant that the officer was out of Shuzhi’s hair for longer.
“It’s going well, thank you for asking,” Zhao Yunlan replied and came closer to the counter. He looked around the shop critically. "I must say, I’m liking this idea less and less,” he added, and Chu Shuzhi glared at him. Mostly because he was right.
An antique shop in Shanghai seemed like a very good idea to start this whole ‘helping people out’ business. The customers would come to sell things, tell their stories and Shuzhi would patiently listen and offer some insight or a bit of magic, if that was what it took. Others could come to buy something and find the exact thing they were looking for, the one that would fill their soul with joy – Shuzhi had it all planned.
Except there were no customers.
Ever since he had opened this shop, there had been precious two customers, who definitely didn’t want to talk to Chu Shuzhi and wanted to sell their heirlooms even less. Still, it was the only idea he’s had so far that allowed him to retain some of his dignity – he refused to just come up to sad people on the street and ask them personal questions. It would be humiliating, and also, ever since he came back to the surface, he could still technically get arrested.
“You don’t have any better ones,” he growled back, making Zhao Yunlan smirk. Even wearing a suit of good quality and with a tie around his neck, the supervisor managed to look like a rogue. Especially when he smiled like that.
“I actually do!” Zhao Yunlan said, and Chu Shuzhi stopped himself from sighing heavily.
“I am not opening a restaurant.” The other man wagged a finger at him.” That’s what you are saying now, but think about it – even if you don’t get much clients at the beginning, at least you will have something to do. Right now you are just sitting here and thinking about murder all day.”
Chu Shuzhi decided not to comment on that.
“Is there really nothing else for you to do in the realm of the living than to pester me?” He asked instead, and looked back onto his crossword. As much as he didn’t like it, running a shop was indeed boring and even if someone came in, they were not interested enough to stay. The things to buy here were just a charm – it was supposed to show people what they liked, what they found appealing to make them come in and say out loud what their hearts desired. So far it only managed to attract only a handful of people and mostly just onlookers.
“People are not looking to buy shiny, sentimental things now, Lao Chu,” Zhao Yunlan said, suddenly serious.” There is so much brewing in this city that what most people want is peace and safety – pretty trinkets won’t bring them that.”
“And a bowl of soup would?”
Zhao Yunlan shot him a curious glance at that. He opened his mouth to say something, when the door to the shop opened, letting in the sound of the rain.
Expecting a customer, Chu Shuzhi swiped the newspaper under the counter and waited expectantly for the newcomer to come closer.
The man closed the door behind him and Shuzhi noticed that he was completely dry. There was no umbrella in his hand.
Not a customer then.
He looked like one though – a nice suit, a grey coat, a well-pressed tie: the man looked elegant and completely in control of every bit of his clothing, a clear contrast to Zhao Yunlan.
The man looked straight at him with an odd intensity and Chu Shuzhi felt a weirdly familiar shiver, when the spell got broken by Zhao Yunlan’s loud and utterly inappropriate:
“Well, hello”
The stranger turned towards him, a look of uncertainty appearing on his face.
“I’ve come to talk to Chu Shuzhi about… work,” he informed Zhao Yunlan, and Shuzhi recognized the solemn voice instantly. The Ghostslayer, in the land of the living!
A stab of fear entered Chu Shuzhi’s mind. If the Ghostslayer was here to talk about work did that mean… Did he fail already? Did the Kings of Hell change their ruling and demanded Shuzhi back in Hell?
Unaware of the effect his presence has caused, the Ghostslayer was still staring at Zhao Yunlan, who either completely failed to notice who had come to the shop, or worse: knew precisely and it didn’t stop him at all.
“I am here also to talk to him about work, what a coincidence!” the advisor exclaimed, leaving the counter to come closer to the Ghostslayer, making no attempt to hide his interest. Chu Shuzhi wondered idly if Zhao Yunlan’s behaviour would cost Shuzhi his soul, when he noticed the look on the Ghostslayer’s face.
For some reason, the enforcer of hell looked interested in Zhao Yunlan too.
“Zhao Yunlan, previously of the Underworld Police, now the overseer of this fine establishment,” Chu Shuzhi’s personal annoyance said, extending his hand towards the Ghostslayer, who eyed it curiously.
“I see… I am-“
“-I know who you are, your Lordship,” Zhao Yunlan interrupted. There was a small, grateful smile on the Ghostslayer’s face at that, and Shuzhi realized that there was something odd happening here. It seemed that even though this was their first meeting, there was some connection between these two, something Chu Shuzhi couldn’t see nor understand.
The Ghostslayer took Zhao Yunlan’s hand and shook it, but didn’t release it. For a moment they just both stood there, in the middle of Chu Shuzhi’s shop, staring at each other as if all the world around them stopped to matter.
Then, the Ghostslayer finally let his hand fall.
“It’s a wonder we haven’t met before,” he observed, his gaze still on Zhao Yunlan.
“Maybe we have, who knows.”
Even though Zhao Yunlan’s tone was light and teasing, mischief glinting in his eyes, something about these words gave Chu Shuzhi a pause. Before he could think about it more however, he remembered that the Ghostslayer didn’t come here for Zhao Yunlan, but for him.
“Your Lordship,” he started, making both men turn to him immediately. Chu Shuzhi was many things, but not a coward, so he continued:” I am ready to hear your message.”
The Ghostslayer nodded minutely to himself and with a last look at Zhao Yunlan came closer to the counter, levelling Chu Shuzhi with a heavy look.
“Hell is not impressed with your progress so far.”
Even though he suspected this was what this meeting was about, he still barely fought off a shudder.
“There are voices that claim you have taken a new chance at life and will not fulfil the quota simply to enjoy living on the surface,” The Ghostslayer said gravely. He didn’t sound like he agreed though.
“I am trying my best. I would never waste the chance Your Lordship has given me,” Shuzhi replied, bowing his head slightly.
He felt angry at himself now. His dislike of people and their problems were not a good reason to repay his benefactor’s kindness with a few years of work nothing to show for it. How could he get distracted so badly, to lose the sight of why he was in this shop in the first place. Had he really grown accustomed to the life here? It was a much happier existence than the one he and his brother had known during their lifetime, no wonder the judges thought…
“I do not doubt it,” The Ghostslayer said unexpectedly.” I’ve come to talk to you about possible options of fulfilling your task better.”
Chu Shuzhi dared to raise his head at the Ghostslayer. The face he was wearing was human, obviously, walking around the land of living required one, but there was something of the abyss about him even so.
“Wonderful! That’s what I came to talk to him about too!” Zhao Yunlan said cheerfully, drawing the Ghostslayer’s attention back to himself.” The shop is not doing a great job here, so we decided to open a restaurant.”
Before Chu Shuzhi could protest, the Ghostslayer nodded slowly.
“It might be more… effective,” he allowed, and a familiar, cocky smile came back onto Zhao Yunlan’s lips.
“I believe so too. I am his supervisor, with his best interest at heart… Actually, I can explain everything to you, let me walk you back to the Gate,” the man said, putting a hand on the Ghostslayer’s elbow. “ We can walk along the Bund, it’s a nicer route and I will be able to walk you through all the finest points of this idea, what do you say, Your Lordship?”
To Chu Shuzhi’s infinite bemusement, the enforcer of Hell agreed, allowing himself to be gently herded towards the exit.
Then, right before following Zhao Yunlan into the rain, the Ghostslayer turned to look at Chu Shuzhi, still stuck behind the counter.
“I have faith in you,” he simply said, and not waiting for any reply disappeared into the night.
Alone in a deserted shop, Chu Shuzhi decided to come to terms with the idea of being a restaurant owner.
--
“So they knew each other before?” Guo Changcheng whispered excitedly, his eyes very unsubtly straying towards the table where both men in question were still talking.
“Don’t know, don’t care. I’m just saying that it seemed like there was something more to it,” Chu Shuzhi replied, finally diving in his own food.
He wasn’t being entirely honest with Changcheng. After that meeting he had asked Zhao Yunlan about his connection with the Ghostslayer, but even the usually chatty supervisor had nothing more to add on the subject. “I haven’t met him before, I am sure. I just feel like I had,” was all Shuzhi managed to get out of him, and he had better survival skills than to ask the Ghostslayer himself.
“Chu-ge, do you regret opening this restaurant?” Changcheng’s question brought Shuzhi back to the present.
He had never thought about it before, there was always too much to do – the shopping, the cooking, the clients. The years started to pass faster, the people came more frequently and somehow he was still running a restaurant and not moving to another idea of saving souls.
“Not much,” he finally admitted.
Guo Changcheng beamed at him.
“I think there is nothing more uplifting than a warm meal in a good company, no matter the worry,” the kid said happily.” I like this place a lot, ” he added, looking down in embarrassment.
Chu Shuzhi wasn’t sure what was Changcheng’s story – he would tell him when he was ready, that was certain. But to hear that this restaurant, an idea Shuzhi hadn't believed in for so long was a good element of someone’s life, it… It meant something to him.
“It’s not bad,” he said, and gathered the dishes to carry them to the sink, just so that he wouldn’t have to face the kid after saying something sappy.
As he started to wash the plates, his ears caught the sound of the bell by the door and he recognised Da Qing’s usual demand of food and cuddles, which made Changcheng laugh in delight.
A warm meal and nice company… Maybe there was something to it, Chu Shuzhi admitted to himself silently.
Maybe one day he will be able to share a meal with Nianzhi again as well – he could just picture him here, sitting at the table and showing Changcheng his tricks with yarn, maybe playing with Da Qing… It was such a good image to entertain, even if impossible to fulfill. All Chuzhi would get was a chance at reincarnation, no guarantee of meeting his brother again. It didn't stop him from dreaming.
15 souls to go.