Little Red Hat knew that anyone living in a foreign land must surely be strange, but she found herself underestimating just how peculiar the "three-person family" of the Yu family truly was.
This became especially clear when they began to eat.
A doll that did not need to eat sat straight at the dining table, with a full set of bowls and chopsticks before them, looking as if ready for a ritual.
A kitsune, with a multitude of tails, continuously pulled various snacks from its own tails while eating, creating a chaotic mix of foods, including combinations like flatbreads rolled with steamed buns and spicy peppers paired with bananas, shoving whatever it could find into its mouth.
But the strangest of all was Yu Sheng—he was actually eating human food.
Unbelievable.
Yu Sheng noticed Little Red Hat looking a bit dazed and thought she might be a little shy as it was her first time as a guest, so he warmly encouraged her, “Eat up! You know, I’m pretty confident in my cooking skills…”
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly remembered something and pointed to a dish on the table, adding, “Oh, by the way, you might want to avoid this one.”
Little Red Hat paused, noticing it was just a plate of what looked like ordinary stir-fried peppers with meat, looking confused, “Why?”
“This is made from a ‘local specialty’ from this foreign land,” Yu Sheng explained casually, “I’m not sure if regular people can eat it. Anyway, both Ailin and Huli were pretty resistant to it.”
Little Red Hat’s expression turned blank, “A foreign… specialty?”
“It’s meat cut from a being truly hungry,” Yu Sheng replied matter-of-factly, “I’m fond of it—but most people wouldn’t touch this.” After saying that, he added reassuringly, “I do have a bit of common sense in this area.”
Then he saw that the girl across from him had gone completely still, almost petrified.
After several seconds, Little Red Hat blinked and awkwardly turned to Ailin, who was sniffing the food at the table, “That’s… a rather niche language…”
“First time hearing it, huh?” Ailin patted Little Red Hat’s arm, wearing a knowing expression, “I had the same reaction the first time I heard it—don’t be too surprised, it really is that thing. You've already seen how that entity in the valley was dealt with, so don’t make such a big deal out of it—it’s at least cooked, after all.”
“It's better cooked,” Yu Sheng nodded in agreement, picking up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and bringing it to his mouth, “I’ve tried it raw, but it’s too tough.”
Little Red Hat felt a wave of discomfort wash over her as she glanced at the other dishes on the table, suddenly regretting why she had accepted Yu Sheng’s invitation today.
She was only hoping to have a chance to learn about this strange “person” and the oddity that was 66 Wutong Road, perhaps gaining new intel to sell back at the Special Operations Bureau.
But now she realized one thing:
If an entity appeared harmless, it was likely very sinister elsewhere.
If a foreign land seemed particularly safe, it surely contained a very creative spirit of pollution…
Little Red Hat swallowed nervously, looking at Yu Sheng, who was happily feasting.
She suddenly wanted to ask him—once you finish that, surely you won’t eat me, right? Yet, after hesitating for quite a while, she couldn’t bring herself to voice that thought.
“Is it not to your taste?” Yu Sheng noticed she hadn’t touched her chopsticks and found it strange, “Um, my flavor can be a bit strong, but you might want to give this plate of greens a try; they should be fine.”
Now under his gaze, Little Red Hat didn’t dare to shake her head or retreat, taking a deep breath, she reluctantly extended her chopsticks and took a piece of greens, reciting in her heart, “This thing is edible,” before swallowing it like she would medicine.
To her astonishment—it was delicious.
Just normal stir-fry.
“Is my cooking good, huh?” Huli chimed in happily.
Little Red Hat nodded, her expression a bit complicated.
Watching Huli eat nonstop since arriving, she finally couldn’t help but ask, “Won’t you get stuffed eating so much?”
“Nope,” Huli’s tails swished behind her, “Eat more, store some up. Helps me fight later.”
Little Red Hat was bewildered.
What in the world was this nonsense!?
She suddenly questioned her own comprehension, feeling as if the world inside 66 Wutong Road operated under a completely different set of rules.
Everything appeared normal and the words sounded routine, yet everything felt strangely eerie.
Just then, Yu Sheng’s voice interrupted Little Red Hat’s spiraling thoughts, “By the way, the reason I invited you over today is I’d like to consult you about some matters.”
“Ah… huh?” Little Red Hat was momentarily stunned, gazing at Yu Sheng with a perplexed expression.
Yu Sheng didn’t understand her reaction, so he directly asked, “As a ‘spirit world detective,’ how do you usually work? Or are there any important points to be aware of?”
“Well, my usual work? Most of my time is spent doing outsourced jobs for the Special Operations Bureau; sometimes I also take requests from other groups or individuals, but those are less stable,” Little Red Hat explained casually, “Most spirit world detectives get their main commissions from the Bureau or its subsidiaries since they’re official organizations—they have the inside scoop, and a lot of requests are gathered through them—like this.”
While speaking, she took out her phone and showed Yu Sheng the screen after some swift operations.
Yu Sheng leaned in curiously, looking at the phone screen displaying a long list of chat interfaces.
Over half of the profile pictures bore a unified emblem with the Bureau’s notes.
“This is a dedicated platform built by the Bureau for spirit world detectives and independent investigators; we generally use it to share information and chat. Open requests are also posted here. The official name is ‘Border Communications,’ but many people simply call it ‘Didi Work’…”
Yu Sheng listened intently, intrigued, but just as he wanted to get a closer look at the screen, Little Red Hat had already put her phone away. “This isn’t something I should show outsiders; it should be kept secret from ordinary people. But since you’re not an ordinary person, I thought I’d let you see it. As for the things to be cautious of in this line of work…”
Little Red Hat paused, a hint of teasing in her tone, “Everyone has their own work habits; if I had to point out two common ‘frameworks,’ they’d be: First, don’t disrupt the order of the borderlands; Second, try to stay alive—if you can’t manage the second, at least try to die somewhere ‘shallow,’ so the corpse collectors won’t have a hard time.”
She suddenly felt curious, looking into Yu Sheng’s eyes, “Why do you ask this all of a sudden?”
Yu Sheng replied calmly, “Oh, we might soon become colleagues.”
Little Red Hat was left speechless.
After dinner, Little Red Hat took her leave.
“Why do I feel like her expression was odd when she left?” Ailin sat at the table, watching Yu Sheng clear the dishes while mumbling to herself, “She looked a bit dazed…”
“High school students are under a lot of pressure; that’s normal, especially since they often have part-time jobs—look at the cracks on her phone screen; her living conditions might not be great,” Yu Sheng said, wiping the table, “That's why I thought inviting her over for a meal would give her a chance to relax.”
“Is that so?” Ailin seemed doubtful, “I felt like she looked even more nervous when she left than when she came…”
“That’s just your imagination,” Yu Sheng waved his hand dismissively, “Trust my judgment; humans understand humans—besides, I was a high school student once too. I can invite her over again in the future; that’s for sure.”
“Is that so?”
As they spoke, Yu Sheng finished clearing the table and, after handing the dishes to Huli, who volunteered to help wash up, he took a long breath, ready to get down to business.
“I’m planning to open a door.”
Ailin, who was just climbing down from the table to watch TV in the living room, turned back, surprised, “Huh? Where are you going?”
“Just to take another look at that valley.”
Ailin fell off the table in shock, landing with a thud along with her drawing.
“Did you run out of meat from the fridge!?” The little doll clumsily picked herself up, horrified, “Are you going to restock!?”
“No,” Yu Sheng quickly waved his hands, “It’s because of what the ‘director’ who sought me out today said; it caught my attention.”
He then shared what Bai Liqing had mentioned when she left.
The little doll frowned while listening, “Could it be a trap? Luring you into a minefield, or something like that? These big shots who suddenly pop up and chat away often like to do that; I see it in TV dramas all the time.”
“Then stop watching so much TV,” Yu Sheng glanced at her irritably, “Besides, even if she has other plans, I still want to take a look at that valley.”
Ailin continued to frown, “Why?”
“There are some matters I want to investigate; I left in a rush last time,” Yu Sheng said seriously, “Don’t be so nervous; I’m coming right back. The passage is stable now; I can retreat immediately if anything goes wrong.”
“Well… okay then,” Ailin thought it over, reluctantly calm, “Should I tell Huli? She might worry.”
“I’m just going to check the situation; it shouldn’t take long. If she comes asking, just tell her I’ll be back soon,” Yu Sheng said, extending his hand to the air, and a phantom door opened before him, “But I estimate I’ll be out before she finishes washing the dishes; it’s just a quick check.”
He suddenly paused, glancing back at the door he had opened.
“... Shouldn’t I inform the Special Operations Bureau ahead of time?”
“You only thought of that after you OPENED the door!? Hurry up and go before they start calling with complaints! Go, go! I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
(End of Chapter)