Chapter 22: The Junior Sister Comes First, Eating Comes Second

That furtive little figure crouching by the glass display—wasn’t it Tao Jin?

Lu Qingfei walked over and pulled him down from the window.

Tao Jin looked up, his innocent eyes wide and bewildered as he gazed at her. After a moment, he shouted with excitement, “Sister!”

Lu Qingfei asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know. I was walking, and somehow ended up here.”

Lu Qingfei glanced inside; it was the Hongyuan Mall, a large shopping center.

Tao Jin rolled his eyes and asked, “Sister, do you think my grave might be here?”

“No,” she replied.

This mall had been around for at least ten years, and he’d died less than half a year ago.

“Sister, do you know where my grave is?” Tao Jin said, sounding dejected. “I don’t remember anything except my name. Winter is coming and I want to go back to my grave to hibernate.”

Lu Qingfei was puzzled. “You’re not a frog, why would you hibernate?”

Tao Jin asked innocently, “If I’m not a frog, does that mean I can’t hibernate?”

“…” A good question.

“Sister, I can’t find my grave, please help me!”

“I don’t have time, I won’t help,” she said.

Her name was Lu Qingfei, not some naive fool. She wouldn’t blindly offer help.

Tao Jin immediately drooped his head, his little face wrinkled, lips pursed pitifully.

Lu Qingfei ignored the child ghost’s act and said, “If you’re going to be a ghost, keep it simple. Don’t mess around in someone’s supermarket.”

With that, she walked ahead, having earned a bit of money and planning to grab a meal with her second senior brother.

Tao Jin stuck to her like a shadow; she took one step, he took two small ones.

As they neared the construction site, Lu Qingfei turned and looked down at him. “Why are you following me?”

Tao Jin didn’t know either; clearly there was something about Lu Qingfei’s aura that repelled him, but he just felt this strange sister wasn’t a bad person. At least she wouldn’t raise a knife against someone as weak as him.

Tao Jin muttered, “Looking for my grave…”

Lu Qingfei said, “I don’t know where it is either. Following me won’t help.”

Tao Jin looked up at her, his round eyes pleading. “Look for it!”

Lu Qingfei answered without hesitation, “I won’t.”

Tao Jin immediately replied, “Learn!”

Cars streamed endlessly along the road, a lively symphony of bustling crowds. Sunlight spilled over Lu Qingfei’s head; she lowered her lashes, her gaze rippling as she stared back at Tao Jin.

“I won’t learn,” she said.

Tao Jin carefully extended two fingers, tugged at the corner of her clothes, and shook it slightly. Then he widened his eyes, seriously declaring,

“You mustn’t say that about yourself. Sister, you’re amazing!”

“......”

After a pause, Lu Qingfei said, “You don’t remember anything. How am I supposed to look for it?”

To search for a grave across the world was like looking for a needle in a haystack. She had neither the time nor the inclination.

“I remember this!”

Tao Jin pulled out a small silk scarf—a tapestry portrait woven with an image of Lord Guan. The features were vividly rendered, the beard and floral threads intricate, the spirit lively and details complex. It must have been crafted by an expert.

Tao Jin was exquisitely made: round eyes, rosy lips, white teeth, delicate and precious. To casually produce such an expensive scarf revealed he was a pampered young master.

Lu Qingfei fished a bronze coin from her pocket. “Let’s leave it to fate. I’ll toss the coin—if it lands heads up, I might consider helping you look.”

Tao Jin nodded. “Okay!”

Lu Qingfei tossed the bronze coin skyward, watching it spin several times before landing steadily in her palm.

She lifted her hand in the glaring sunlight—

It was tails.

Tao Jin couldn’t tell, so he asked, “Sister, what is it?”

Lu Qingfei returned the coin to her pocket, her expression unchanged. “I can help you ask about the origin of the scarf.”

The tapestry technique was a traditional craft; perhaps Jinyu would know.

Tao Jin’s gloom lifted instantly, and he cheered, “Great! I’ll have a grave! Yay yay yay!”

Lu Qingfei cautioned, “There might not be any clues. Don’t get too excited.”

Tao Jin immediately wilted.

“Junior Sister!”

A voice called from behind.

Lu Qingfei turned to look.

Zhong Qin had changed out of his dusty work clothes, cleaned himself up, his features sharp and defined, exuding a cool and bold aura. The next moment, he smiled and waved at Lu Qingfei, his short hair swaying as he walked, paired with a white T-shirt and black trousers—he looked a bit like… a goofy big dog.

Zhong Qin quickened his pace and, upon spotting Tao Jin, his smile vanished. He frowned, placing his junior sister behind him, his eyes fierce.

“Where did this little ghost come from?”

Tao Jin shrank back, timid as a quail.

“Second Senior Brother, his name is Tao Jin,” Lu Qingfei explained simply. “He’s harmless.”

“He wouldn’t dare anyway,” Zhong Qin narrowed his eyes, watching Tao Jin dangerously. The latter shrank even further.

This man was as terrifying as the one he’d seen at the gate of Skyward Sect, but for the sake of his grave, Tao Jin had to be brave.

Brave Tao Tao, not afraid of hardships!

The two adults and one ghost went to a nearby restaurant. If you asked what Zhong Qin liked most about this place, it would be the food.

The taste of China—cultivators in a frenzy!

But Second Senior Brother’s principle has always been: junior sister first, food second. After hearing Lu Qingfei explain Tao Jin’s situation, the excitement from the meal faded instantly, and Zhong Qin turned to Tao Jin with stern words:

“Didn’t your master tell you? Handle your own affairs, find your own grave.”

Tao Jin, panicked, hid under the table.

Lu Qingfei felt a bit helpless. “Second Senior Brother, don’t scare the child.”

Zhong Qin knocked his fingers lightly, trying to coax him. “Little Tao, be good, come out.”

Tao Jin: “……”

If only he knew where his grave was, he’d definitely tell his parents! He’d report this awful grown-up.

The waiter brought over tangyuan. Lu Qingfei pushed the dish towards Tao Jin.

Tao Jin was famished; catching the aroma, he crawled out from under the table, his smile blooming. “Thank you, Sister.”

“Ghosts don’t need to eat,” Zhong Qin said bluntly, scooping a tangyuan and popping it in his mouth.

Tao Jin protested, “Sister gave that to me…”

Zhong Qin replied, “You’re such a little ghost, and you’re arguing with an adult like me—aren’t you ashamed?”

Tao Jin tilted his head, baffled, apparently stunned by Zhong Qin’s shamelessness.

Lu Qingfei messaged Jinyu, inquiring about tapestry techniques. Words couldn’t explain, and her phone couldn’t capture ghostly items, so she took out a pen and sketched a simple portrait of Lord Guan from Tao Jin’s scarf onto a sticky note, snapping a photo to send to Jinyu.

Jinyu replied: [I’ll ask someone in the guild who’s skilled in tapestry work. I’ll let you know if there’s news.]

F: [Thank you, Teacher Jin.]

After the chat, Lu Qingfei opened the Whale Live app. Her follower count was around 80,000. The crowds had followed her out of curiosity, but it wasn’t a long-term solution.

Next, she planned to sell Awakening Pills.

Awakening Pills were relatively easy to refine and practical in use.

Then perhaps a raffle to give back to her fans.

The waiter brought more tangyuan, Tao Jin watched her as she pondered her streaming plans, paying little mind to either boy.

Zhong Qin pressed Tao Jin into his chair. “Eat! Junior Sister ordered these for you. Finish them!”

Zhong Qin aggressively fed him tangyuan, stuffing his mouth full. Tao Jin was delighted.

He actually got to eat!

Suddenly, this fierce grown-up didn’t seem quite so scary anymore.

The waiter brought the rest of the dishes. Zhong Qin moved Lu Qingfei’s favorite dishes in front of her, reciting,

“Junior Sister, eat and drink as you should, don’t let anything weigh on your heart.”

Lu Qingfei smiled, picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and ate it, her gaze lingering on Zhong Qin for two seconds.

“Second Senior Brother, why are you so clean today?”

Zhong Qin raised his brows, his spirit high as he announced, “I’ve just found a new gig.”

Lu Qingfei asked curiously, “What kind of new gig?”