The Restless Spirit's Father

Last night, Chuan Nayi sent Liu Xiaodan a text about meeting him at six in the morning. It was less than five minutes before time when he woke up thanks to his excitement. She did not say any specific why, but he still wanted to dress up for her. He threw on his flair, but Ruan Jin just laughed at him. Xu Disung managed to convince him to change into something less weird. It was bad to be always tacky; they all made a mental note. Liu Xiaodan, however, sobbed as he succeeded in styling the child but not himself.

It was five minutes past six when Liu Xiaodan left the room. His roommates went back to sleep, but Wen Taio decided to get up really early. He then looked around the room as if something was amiss. Xu Disung asked why he was paling, only for them to suffer altogether.

"There"s a ghost on my bed earlier. It was watching Xiaodan."

Nonetheless, the ghost child followed his father. He wanted to see his mother, too, after all. Liu Xiaodan pa.s.sed by the kitchen where the seniors were making their breakfast. Li Feng saw the magic one walk to the end of the hallway. His brows furrowed, only to gasp as Liu Guangru poked his head from the door frame. The honor student fell on his b.u.t.t on the floor while the kid ran to catch up with his father. Nothing was there, but Li Feng was shook. There was also this squeaking sound that came with it.

The girl did not mind waiting outside the boys" dorm, checking out the flowers grown by their housekeeping. Soon, Liu Xiaodan came to her to apologize for making her wait. He felt rather embarra.s.sed wearing less attractive clothes like his jeans and black shirt paired with sneakers.

"Xiaodan! Good morning!" Chuan Nayi greeted him lively, donned with a pink maxi dress. Her hair was set in two low ponytails, her hair cutting through the blue laced cardigan she had on her dress. Her feet were also embraced by a pair of white step-in sandals. She smiled widely at him. "It"s fine. I did send the text too late. I"m happy you read it on time. Are you ready to go?"

"Ah, yeah, sure." He agreed even though he had no idea where she was taking him.

"Great! My mother was hoping to see you so soon-"

"Wait, what!?" Liu Xiaodan yelled at her face in surprise, looking around if someone else heard it. He then covered his mouth and apologized. "I"m so sorry! I didn"t mean to yell!" He paused and took a deep breath. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"My mother wanted to see you today. She owns a creatives" blog site, and she was hoping to get your permission to upload the doc.u.mentary you guys did for cla.s.s. Since you are the director, she thought she should ask you." Chuan Nayi grinned widely at him.

Instead of a loud yes because she was his crush, Liu Xiaodan moved his head away in suspicion. "How come did your mother get to see what we did? What about the school"s say? That"s a graded work." He turned his face to loom before her smiling one. "Is there something that you are not telling us?"

Chuan Nayi kept her smile... but it soon fell. She lowered her head and laced her fingers before her chest. "Our teacher... didn"t credit you four for your work. He said it was ours- my work as he spread it around." She sighed as she shrunk her shoulders. "They even had the guts to show it off, and under my name. My mother saw it, and talked to me about it. She even contacted the school first before telling me. It was a graded work so it is, technically, property of the school already.

"I don"t know how to tell you. I just wanted to give you gifts to relieve me from the guilt." Chuan Nayi hummed sadly, unable to lift her face to see Liu Xiaodan. "I should have told you way earlier than this."

"It"s not like you have a say in that." Liu Xiaodan scratched his head, forgiving Chuan Nayi. "We"re pretty aware that the school thinks nothing more of us than cla.s.sroom fillers. Thank you for making your mother know that it wasn"t yours." He smiled, bending down a little as if trying to get a peak at her face. "Sure, I want to meet her, too."

She lifted her face and smiled again. However, the word flowing out of her lips were held by a smile. She did not say anything and only stared at Liu Xiaodan. With them in each other"s personal s.p.a.ce, the man began to blush as he was faced again with Chuan Nayi. Last Thursday lived inside his mind again, and he had no choice but to freeze and remember.

"Are you thinking about it?" Chuan Nayi moved her head to the side. She received a loud blush from the guy, before smiling sweetly at him again. "Let"s go now. We"re supposed to see her at seven."

The two walked off and continued a conversation about something else. Heads then poked from the side of the dorm door; the men who were jealous of Liu Xiaodan for being able to date Chuan Nayi in broad daylight. They would say different things, but only Li Feng would shut up as he stared at Liu Guangru following them from a distance. He was still scared how that kid was able to make his ghost signature hidden from his hypersensitive tummy.

Seven came, and Chuan Nayi was sending a text to someone as if looking for her. Liu Xiaodan looked around and gulped at the high-cla.s.s restaurant Chuan Nayi"s mother booked for their breakfast. Soon, a red Porsche pulled up in the front parking. A woman in lavender sleeveless shirt and cream pants walked out. She removed her purple spectacles and asked about a table. Chuan Nayi suddenly fixed her clothes, and so did Liu Xiaodan.

"Sorry, I got caught up with a speeding ticket." The woman sat on the chair across Liu Xiaodan. "There was an accident yesterday so they grew strict." She then stared at the man. "You"re Xiaodan?"

"Ah, yes, Madame Chuan." He bowed a little, trying not to show his fright. "I"m Liu Xiaodan, N Chuan Nayi"s cla.s.smate."

"Let"s cut formalities. I"m Bethany, she"s Nayi, and you"re Xiaodan. Let"s stick with that. Okay, have you ordered?" She checked the menu that was left on the tables. "Gosh, why didn"t you order right away, Nayi?"

"I"m sorry, I don"t know what to get for you. You switched diets two days, ago, remember?" She chuckled as she opened her menu. She patted his shoulder since they sit next to each other. "Xiaodan, you should choose yours, too. Don"t worry about the expenses."

"Thank you for having me." The man felt bad for being treated. He blew his allowance on Liu Guangru"s clothes after all.

"Today"s a cheat day no matter which diet." Bethany chuckled as she waved at Chuan Nayi to dismiss her thoughts.

They soon ordered their choices, Liu Xiaodan being polite and not ordering anything he might not be able to pay for if it was his money. The waitress then left, and Bethany decided to start right away.

"Xiaodan, I"m really impressed by what I saw during the preview of the doc.u.mentary. It was breathtaking rather. What made you think of this concept?" She smiled at him in a professional manner. It was like she was interviewing him. Well, she was as she waved her phone showing a recording app.

"I just... thought hearing is more lethal than seeing." The man took a deep breath and discussed his project as if he was trying to sell the doc.u.mentary.

Chuan Nayi listened to him a lot, staring at his face that not handsome at all. In fact, it was ordinary, but he was different and considerate. For a woman sought after her beauty, she could not help but to look at the ordinary. She felt a foot hit her leg. Chuan Nayi turned to his mother who was actively conversing with Liu Xiaodan. She then turned to him again, only to notice something at the distance. The child had become visible to her again, but she somewhat failed to recognize Liu Guangru because he pulled on his hoodie and had different clothes.

"Nayi," Bethany patted the table, noticing that her daughter was s.p.a.cing out again, "you should be listening to this."

"Ah, I was just wondering. Is he lost or waiting for his parents?" Chuan Nayi gestured to the child"s direction.

"Who cares? Stop s.p.a.cing out." The mother puffed, making the girl gasp softly.

Liu Xiaodan glanced at his side to see Liu Guangru, and it seemed that the two girls were able to see him. He felt hard to breathe, but he did not show it. He then raised a question, "sorry for asking Miss Bethany, but is that your real name? I mean, how do you write it?"

"Ah, no, that"s my English name. Apparently, Jiang Yanyu sounded masculine to the people outside the country." Bethany shrugged her shoulders. "I"ve been used to Bethany so I just end up introducing myself as Bethany Jiang. Anyway, food is coming." She then remembered the recording app and ended the recording. She listened to the first few seconds before smiling again and pocketing her phone. "Thank you so much for answering my questions, Xiaodan."

"It"s my pleasure, Miss Bethany." The man just nodded to show respect. Then again, he caught her staring at Liu Guangru"s direction. The stare caused the child to get off the seat and ran off outside. He would say something, but he saw the waitress serve their orders. He chose to drop it and eat with them.

More minutes past, and the three did not have any deep talks over breakfast. Chuan Nayi only asked her mother how working with foreign companies was like. It was the first time her business had foreign investors, and the daughter wanted to know what she should expect upon inheriting it. The mother was quite vocal about the pros and cons, giving the two a tour in dealing with foreign investments. Even though Liu Xiaodan was one of those good-for-nothing in the cla.s.s, he was attentively listening to the mother.

Jiang Yanyu hummed and noticed that it was past eight. She then smiled at the two. "Before I go, I had to ask you two something. Is there a chance that you know... well, Li Feng? He"s from the same university you two are."

"What about him?" Chuan Nayi almost pouted.

"Ah, he"s also a good student of the industry. I was hoping you can use your popularity so I can land an interview with him." Jiang Yanyu smiled as if she was not asking for something shameless.

"I know Li Feng! W-We"re friends!" Liu Xiaodan baited himself instead; it was a bad idea for Chuan Nayi to get near that man after all. Of course it was because of Liu Guangru. It was easier to control him if his father was the one getting near the guy, rather than his mother.

"That"s great!" Jiang Yanyu laughed out before humming. "Ne, Xiaodan, can you do me a favor? Nayi is getting old, and she still doesn"t have an actual boyfriend. Since you seem to be friends with big people, can you help her out?"

"Mama!" Chuan Nayi patted the table repeatedly. She was not embarra.s.sed; she was furious.

"Humph. I want grandchildren while I can still hold them and pamper them. Don"t wait for me to be too old!" Jiang Yanyu tutted at her daughter. "I might not be a beautiful grandma. Do you want me getting all wrinkled before I can say "ahh, how cute of Little Jie!?" Hmph."

"Jie?" Liu Xiaodan echoed as he thought about the name.

Chuan Nayi gasped softly and chuckled. "Remember that time I asked for names? I did say I want to reserve one for mine. I mentioned it to Mama, too."

"Ah, that!" The man blushed as he remembered. He then lowered his face in shame as it had become too hot.

"I wonder what that kid"s name was, though." Jiang Yanyu stared at the seat where Liu Guangru was. "He was so cute, and his clothes looked so new." She squinted at nothing in particular. "If only I know, I could go look for it in the news..."

"Mama?" Chuan Nayi hummed in a sad tone. "So that kid was... like that?"

"We shouldn"t be talking about it with Xiaodan, you know. He might think we"re crazy." Jiang Yanyu, however, did not feel embarra.s.sed talking about it. She laid her eyes upon Liu Xiaodan. "Ay, Xiaodan. Are you aware that sometimes... the voices you hear are not from humans? Well, live ones, I mean."

Liu Xiaodan stared at her in confusion. He was conflicted whether to admit he could see them, too, but he was scared it would shoo Chuan Nayi from him. Then again, she had always known that he had believed her in everything she says. He only had one option as an answer to her mother.

"Really? Please tell me more."

It was almost nine when they were finished talking. Jiang Yanyu left for another meeting at ten. Since they were already outside, the two decided to take a stroll. It would be a date if only they were talking to each other. The man had no more money so even if he wanted to ask her to buy something, he could not offer anything more.

"You"re so kind, Xiaodan," Chuan Nayi spoke out of nowhere. She then turned to the man with a smile. "You... listened through her and through me... when no one else would have believed us." She looked up the tree they just pa.s.sed by as they walked. "Li Feng only did so because he could see them. Just like my mother. She said, I could only see them from time to time, and through a looking gla.s.s...

"But you... you listened to her like you knew what she means. Like you could understand how weird it is." Chuan Nayi chuckled before walking ahead. "Could you stay like this forever? I really need someone like you by my side..."

"Nayi, I..." Liu Xiaodan blushed faintly. "I want to-"

Liu Xiaodan felt something ominous raged through them. He turned behind him to see nothing, but the chill was still in the air. He glanced at Chuan Nayi and went to her. "Nayi, let"s go somewhere else. I just had a bad feeling about this place."

"Really? Me, too..." She shuddered but she smiled at Liu Xiaodan. She took one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulders, hands holding his next to her neck. "I feel safer now! I never thought you had big arms!"

Liu Xiaodan only chuckled and scratched a cheek. He did not mind walking with Chuan Nayi like this. They went away from the spot, and so Liu Xiaodan glanced at it. There was something hidden in the trees, hidden in the shadows of a nine-o-clock sun.