UCS Chapter 63

Listening to the male student’s “enlightened discourse,” Gao Gusheng frowned deeply. He picked up his tray and walked past the male student from behind. Just as the guy was picking up the only piece of pork chop on his plate, Gao Gusheng deliberately bumped hard into his back.

 

The male student’s hand shook from the impact, and the pork chop fell. Before it could hit the ground, a chubby shadow flashed by—the campus cat caught the pork chop in his mouth and scampered away contentedly.

 

A cleaning lady suddenly appeared and shouted angrily, “Sneaking in to steal food again! Get out!”

 

The students burst into laughter. “Haha, Auntie, did you not give Xuechang his freeze-dried treats today?”

 

“Poor Xuechang, looks like he hasn’t eaten for a whole five minutes.”

 

“Food and sex are natural desires. Our Xuechang can’t get sex, so at least let him eat more!”

 

The cat senior made agreeing “meow” sounds, and seeing the cleaning lady chasing after him, quickly ran off with the pork chop in his mouth.

 

A world where only the male student was hurt was achieved.

 

The male student angrily turned around, “You fucking—”

 

The words to insult his family tree were already on his lips, but he swallowed them back the moment he saw Gao Gusheng’s face.

 

Gao Gusheng raised an eyebrow and apologized without much sincerity. The male student instinctively mumbled back, “It’s… it’s fine.”

 

Gao Gusheng didn’t expect this guy to actually have a decent temper. Was he intimidated by his show of force?

 

Gao Gusheng turned to leave, but unexpectedly, the male student reached out to grab him. “Wait.”

 

He alertly dodged, making the male student grab at empty air. The male student held up his phone, “Hey, you knocked my pork chop away, and you think just saying sorry is enough? It’s just one piece of pork chop, I won’t make you pay for it. We could say we got acquainted through conflict—how about adding each other on WeChat?”

 

He brought up his WeChat QR code and smiled at Gao Gusheng.

 

Gao Gusheng looked at him, then at the QR code, tapped a few times on his phone, then scanned it. Before the male student could react, Gao Gusheng snorted and walked away.

 

Then his phone announced, “WeChat Wallet received 0.3 yuan.”

 

He had thought his charm was irresistible, but this person would rather transfer money than add his contact information, embarrassing him in front of so many people.

 

The male student’s expression became even darker than when he’d seen his girlfriend’s social media post.

 

Gao Gusheng couldn’t understand why this type of guy would have a girlfriend.

 

He hadn’t walked far when someone stopped him again. He seemed to be getting stopped a lot lately.

 

He looked up to see a man in a black casual suit who looked rather familiar. After a moment’s thought—wasn’t this Xiao Yusheng’s manager who had stopped him before?

 

Manager Yu Xi smiled and extended his hand, “Hello, Mr. Gao. I’m Xiao Yusheng’s manager. We’ve met before.”

 

“Our Yusheng would like to meet with you. Are you available now? Do you have time?”

 

After all, this was someone who had spoken up for him before, so he should at least go thank him.

 

Gao Gusheng thought briefly—anyway, the bodyguard his dad had sent was back and protecting him from the shadows, so he wasn’t afraid of encountering something like what happened at Sun Jun’s place last time.

 

So Gao Gusheng followed Yu Xi to a corner. It had to be said that Li Mochen and Xiao Yusheng had somewhat similar tastes.

 

The place Xiao Yusheng had chosen this time was exactly where Li Mochen had come to see him before.

 

When Gao Gusheng arrived, Xiao Yusheng was bending down to look at the Chinese roses in the school’s flower bed.

 

The roses were blooming brilliantly. Near autumn, they were displaying the last splendor of their lives. Xiao Yusheng’s slender fingers with distinct bones gently brushed the soft petals of the roses. The dark red petals made his fingers appear even whiter, creating a decadent and beautiful aesthetic.

 

Sunlight leaped down through the leaves, dyeing the tips of his hair with a golden halo, adding a touch of divinity. If fans had captured this image, it would probably go viral and become another legendary photo.

 

Unfortunately, Gao Gusheng’s aesthetic sensibilities were different from most people. Seeing this scene, he just muttered to himself: This movie king sure has guts, wandering around without sunglasses, not afraid of being cornered by crazy paparazzi and stalker fans.

 

Xiao Yusheng’s eyelashes trembled slightly like butterflies startled by the wind. He straightened up, looked at Gao Gusheng, stepped forward, and smiled as he extended his hand.

 

“Hello, Student Gao. We’ve met before. I’m Xiao Yusheng.”

 

Looking at his outstretched hand, Gao Gusheng hesitated for a moment, then shook it.

 

Xiao Yusheng’s fingertips were slightly cool, giving Gao Gusheng a subtle illusion, as if he were touching the scales of some cold-blooded creature.

 

“Hello, Actor Xiao.”

 

Gao Gusheng didn’t know that when Xiao Yusheng stepped forward, he had slightly adjusted his stance, and Gao Gusheng’s position had adjusted accordingly. Now, in Xiao Yusheng’s eyes, the roses behind Gao Gusheng were blooming intensely, dyed blood-red, and Gao Gusheng stood among this dark crimson, pure white and clean. The stark contrast inevitably evoked dark and hidden emotions, making one want him to sleep forever among the thorns like Sleeping Beauty.

 

Xiao Yusheng’s eyes darkened slightly as he looked at Gao Gusheng. “Student Gao, your school’s landscaping is very beautiful.”

 

Gao Gusheng nodded in agreement, “It’s volunteer work done by the upperclassmen from the botany department in their spare time.”

 

Volunteer work and college students’ entanglements could make for a heart-wrenching romance novel called “The Love-Hate Relationship Between Volunteer Hours and Suffering College Students.”

 

There used to be a joke circulating at school: if zombies came, don’t panic—just assign homework to the students. Resisting zombies for an hour counts as one service hour, killing one zombie gets full marks, capturing one alive guarantees graduate school admission. In a few days, zombies would become an endangered species.

 

Thinking of this, Gao Gusheng couldn’t help but smile.

 

Gao Gusheng hadn’t shown any impropriety, but Xiao Yusheng still frowned slightly. He could tell that Gao Gusheng had just thought of something else entirely unrelated to him.

 

Xiao Yusheng was somewhat displeased, but their relationship couldn’t be called close yet, so he could only gently call out to Gao Gusheng.

 

“Student Gao.”

 

“The charity film my company has been preparing has started recruiting cast members.”

 

“For me, you’re still the most suitable actor for the male supporting role in this film. Although you’ve said before that you don’t want to act, if possible, I still hope you’ll seriously consider it.”

 

“After all, this is a charity film. Audiences are more tolerant of charity films, so you don’t need to worry about not performing well and getting criticized.”

 

Xiao Yusheng smiled, “I know Student Gao has done a lot of volunteer work and charity before. You must have a heart dedicated to public service.”

 

“This time, if you could participate in our film, you could surely make an even better contribution to charitable causes.”

 

“At the same time, we can also apply to your school for academic credits and volunteer service hours for you.”

 

Xiao Yusheng finished with a joke. If it were another student, they might have agreed—after all, they could become famous while contributing to charity. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?

 

But Gao Gusheng’s situation was special, so he still shook his head.

 

“Sorry, Actor Xiao, my acting skills are really terrible,” he said with a smile, touching his hair. “I’m afraid if I joined, it would drag down the entire production.”

 

“I think for a charity film, acting skills are even more important than in regular movies. Only good acting can draw audiences in, give the film stronger emotional impact, and serve as better publicity. I don’t want my mistakes to tarnish this film, so I’m sorry.”

 

Gao Gusheng ended with a joke too: “I’m afraid if I acted in it, the audiences who came for you, Actor Xiao, would all be scared away by me.”

 

Xiao Yusheng smiled and shook his head. “Student Gao, I think you don’t have a proper understanding of your own appearance. Just by appearing on screen, your looks alone could generate enormous traffic.”

 

Gao Gusheng shook his head even more firmly. “That would be even worse. If people only came for my face, it would completely defeat the purpose.”

 

Gao Gusheng’s refusal was too resolute. How could Xiao Yusheng not see that he simply didn’t want to act? He had thought he could persuade him, but now it seemed impossible.

 

He smiled helplessly and said, “Alright, if you change your mind, please come find me. Only you are suitable for this role.”

 

Gao Gusheng nodded in agreement, then said, “Thank you for speaking up for me online before. Knowing your current situation, it’s probably not convenient to have dinner together, so please accept this small gift.”

 

The small gift Gao Gusheng had prepared was a fountain pen—not cheap but not so expensive as to be unacceptable, a very appropriate thank-you gift.

 

At the top of the pen was wrapped a blooming rose.

 

“I saw you often post photos of your rose garden, so I guessed you like roses.”

 

Xiao Yusheng clearly recognized and loved this particular pen. After taking it, his fingers gently traced the gold-embossed patterns on the packaging. “Thank you so much, I really like it.”

 

“If there’s a chance, I’d also like to invite you to see my rose garden in person.”

 

As if unable to control his emotions, he stepped forward and virtually embraced Gao Gusheng with his arms.

 

Gao Gusheng’s reflex was to kick out, but he forcibly restrained himself. Mainly because Xiao Yusheng’s gesture was very proper—just a virtual embrace without any physical contact whatsoever, appearing gentle and restrained.

 

“Student Gao, let me say it once more: in my heart, only you are suitable for this role. Only with you playing it can the character have soul, can this production be perfect. If you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to find me. This role will always be reserved for you.”

 

Beside the blooming roses, under the tall, verdant trees, the handsome young man and the youth in his embrace.

 

This scene carried the tail end of summer and autumn’s embrace, like a richly colored oil painting by a master, making one instinctively hold their breath.

 

They had no idea that in the shadows, a camera flashed, capturing this moment.

 

…

 

“That’s how it went, Dad. I’ve already met with Xiao Yusheng.” Gao Gusheng scratched his head in frustration.

 

Gao Shi never restricted his friendships, but anyone he said was problematic definitely was.

 

Just thinking that the outwardly polite Xiao Yusheng had dirty, filthy thoughts about him made Gao Gusheng’s skin crawl with disgust.

 

When Gao Shi heard that Xiao Yusheng had tried to embrace Gao Gusheng, veins were already bulging on his arms. Suppressing his anger, he asked, “Lele, when you were with him, did he show any unnatural behavior?”

 

Gao Gusheng thought about it. “Hmm… not really? Maybe because he’s a Best Actor, his acting skills are good? I didn’t notice anything out of place.”

 

Gao Gusheng pondered deeply, then suddenly slapped his forehead. “Oh, right, Dad, there’s something—I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but I always felt like when he talked to me, there was something… how should I put it… something deliberate about it.”

 

“Deliberate?”

 

“Yes! I always felt like his movements, his tone, everything seemed specially designed, like he was performing.”

 

Gao Gusheng scratched his head in frustration, unable to express the feeling he wanted to convey.

 

Gao Shi thought for a moment. “Histrionic personality disorder?”

 

Gao Gusheng thought about it and shook his head. “Not exactly. It just felt like every movement was carefully designed, desperately trying to ensure every angle was perfect.”

 

Gao Gusheng said honestly, “A bit fake.”

 

Gao Shi nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

 

After hanging up, Gao Shi made several more notes on Xiao Yusheng’s file before closing the document.

 

Just then, his phone received a message—a push notification from the Spirit Management Bureau with the latest classification and grading of ghosts and spirits, plus updates on yin realm entities.

 

In this update, ghosts and monsters were completely separated, and much new educational material about yin realm creatures was added.

 

The fox spirit they’d encountered before was used as a sample in the educational material, effectively being nailed to a pillar of shame. If the fox spirit clan from a thousand years ago saw this, they’d probably emerge from their graves overnight.

 

In C City, they had also collected a pair of jade pendants, classified under spirit creatures.

 

This pair had several hundred years of history and was later bought by a girl who gave the dragon pendant to her fiancé. After the dragon and phoenix pendants became spirits, they regarded each other as lovers. The love between the girl and her fiancé nourished them, and they in turn blessed the engaged couple.

 

However, later the girl’s dragon pendant was given to a scumbag, who then regifted it to his mistress to win her smile, separating the pair of pendants.

 

The pendants, having become spirit creatures, took human form at midnight. After the scumbag and his mistress finished their affair, the dragon pendant confiscated the scumbag’s “weapon” and floated away.

 

The scumbag and his mistress woke up terrified out of their wits.

 

Meanwhile, the girl who had been growing increasingly haggard from suspecting her fiancé’s infidelity finally had a good night’s sleep for the first time in ages. The next morning, she discovered both the dragon and phoenix pendants hanging around her neck.

 

Since this pair of jade pendants had shown aggressive behavior, the Spirit Management Bureau compensated the girl for her losses and confiscated the pendants.

 

This pair of jade pendants was the first known case of objects becoming spirits, but it probably won’t be the last.

 

Ghost classifications remained at three levels, but with more detailed categorization, making responses to supernatural incidents more targeted.

 

After reading through everything, Gao Shi stretched and looked at Ying Bujie beside him.

 

Having eaten his fill, Ying Bujie was casually popping grapes into his mouth.

 

Feeling his gaze, Ying Bujie turned to look at Gao Shi, his eyes filled with confusion.

 

Gao Shi chuckled. “Daoist, thank you. Dealing with yin realm matters will be much more convenient now.”

 

Ying Bujie shook his head.

 

It was unclear whether he disagreed or simply didn’t care.

 

“Daoist, since you’ve finished your business, would you like to come out with me?”

 

Ying Bujie nodded and stood up with Gao Shi.

 

Ying Bujie returned to the familiar family rest room to stare at the children, while Gao Shi went to the office. As soon as he entered, he heard Chang Yang dramatically recounting their recent capture of a little ghost.

 

Seeing Gao Shi enter, Zhuang Pixiu handed him a pack of lemon-flavored preserved plums, while Ran Qiu tossed him a bottle of plum-flavored cola, making one wonder if Chang Yang was recently challenging himself to try a hundred different plum-flavored foods.

 

“This ghost really brought shame to all other ghosts.”

 

Chang Yang shook his head seriously while popping a preserved plum into his mouth, wincing at the sourness.

 

“This ghost was a kid who loved pranks when he was alive. After death, he retained his consciousness and kept doing what he loved most in life—scaring people.”

 

“Well, that backfired spectacularly.”

 

“According to the ghost, he first went into a bar—oh right, it wasn’t even a proper bar. Right after the little ghost was caught, the criminal police raided and shut the place down—anyway, this bar was full of demons and monsters. The little ghost had been an elementary school student in life, so he’d never seen anything like that. He was scared to tears.”

 

“The little ghost scrambled to get out, but ran straight into a wave of resentment. Looking closer, in the building next door, a high school student was still memorizing politics at 1 AM.”

 

“‘The Jinggang Mountain Campaign, the Jinggang Mountain Campaign, the significance of the Jinggang Mountain Campaign is… is… is… what the hell is it, damn it!'”

 

“The senior got so frustrated that he grabbed the thick ‘1000 Pages’ textbook and started slamming it on his desk. The poor desk, probably beaten too many times before, finally collapsed completely.”

 

“Seeing that desk, the little ghost felt the pain of being forced to study and the terror of crying while rushing to finish summer homework on the last night of vacation, so he fled.”

 

“After being scared twice in one day, the little ghost calmed down and felt quite indignant, so he floated to a nearby office building. Even though it was 2 AM, the lights were still blazing. The door creaked open, and out came a haggard middle-aged man with a shiny bald spot, walking heavily. The little ghost quickly hid in a computer, ready to play Sadako and give the man a surprise.”

 

“But as soon as he stuck his head out, instead of being scared, the man burst into laughter: ‘I’ve finally gone crazy from exhaustion! I’m seeing ghosts! Hahahaha, I can finally take my vacation!!'”

 

“The little ghost wasn’t hit by a keyboard, but was nearly scattered by the terrifying resentment radiating from the man.”

 

“Turns out this middle-aged man was a programmer called back to work overtime at 2 AM!”

 

Ran Qiu added, “Hey, hey, be logically consistent—he’s only 27, not middle-aged.”

 

Chang Yang nodded agreeably. “Right, right. Later when the Spirit Management Bureau mentioned this, he reacted extremely strongly—specifically because they got his age wrong.”

 

“Later, when Yin Ling and the others were on patrol, they sensed weak ghostly energy and found this poor little ghost nearly dissipated. They brought him back, and when the ghost saw them, he wailed like he was seeing family—like a bullied elementary school student.”

 

He couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh. “Tragic, absolutely tragic.”

 

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