A Peculiar Invitation

Under the warm sunlight, Ming Zhong reached up to touch his head.

Then he chuckled.

“I just checked, and it seems there isn’t a bump.”

Fu Ziqing’s lips twitched slightly, and she casually remarked, “If it’s not on the outside, then it must be growing on the inside.”

Ming Zhong paused, stunned. Her words implied he would have to drill a hole in his head to prove it… This Miss Ghost was being rather unreasonable.

Nevertheless, Ming Zhong responded smoothly.

“Then let’s just say I have a bump on my head.”

He then extended his invitation once more.

“Care to join me, Senior Sister?”

Fu Ziqing lightly hopped off the flower bed, drifting effortlessly before Ming Zhong, and spoke in a slow, deliberate tone.

“Are you truly going to invite me, a ghost, to ‘eat’?”

She emphasized the word ‘eat’ with a peculiar intonation.

Ming Zhong, upon hearing this, pondered for a moment before a realization dawned on him.

“Oh! My apologies, I was thoughtless!”

He then looked at Fu Ziqing, asking earnestly.

“So, Senior Sister, what do you eat?”

Noticing the young man’s serious demeanor, Fu Ziqing narrowed her eyes.

She circled Ming Zhong once, then brought her face close to his. Within her pale, grey eyes, an eerie light began to glow.

Fu Ziqing spoke slowly, her voice clear and melodious, yet tinged with a low, hoarse quality.

“Ghosts, of course, feast on humans.”

For a fleeting moment, under the brilliant sun, Ming Zhong felt an involuntary gasp catch in his throat. A chill crawled up his spine, and his lips trembled, unable to form words.

Ming Zhong was genuinely a little frightened.

Fu Ziqing appeared flawless, even captivating, utterly unlike a ghost. Yet, her eyes, above all else, resembled those of the deceased—cold and chilling.

Observing the flicker of dread in Ming Zhong’s eyes, Fu Ziqing leaned closer, her tongue lightly tracing her lips as she whispered.

“You look quite delectable.”

Her intention had been to scare the young man further, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Ming Zhong merely chuckled, self-consciously patting his face, and exclaimed in surprise.

“Really? Thank you for the compliment!”

He knew Senior Sister was only trying to scare him; if she truly wished to devour him, he wouldn’t have made it back to his dorm last night.

As for her remark about him being “delectable,” he chose to interpret it as a compliment on his appearance.

“Shameless,” Fu Ziqing cursed, her expression perfectly blank.

“My father always said that sometimes, one must learn to be appropriately shameless. And in front of a girl, it’s best to have no shame at all.”

Ming Zhong wore a broad grin, looking somewhat roguish.

Fu Ziqing paid no mind to Ming Zhong’s irritating expression. She seemed to zone out for a moment, then frowned and spoke softly.

“A girl…”

As she spoke, her voice gradually rose.

“Who are you calling a girl?”

Her eyes widened, making her appear somewhat fierce.

This time, Ming Zhong wasn’t intimidated. He simply pointed at Fu Ziqing and replied.

“You, Senior Sister.”

He blinked, a hint of confusion in his eyes, unsure why Senior Sister had suddenly become agitated.

“Heh,” Fu Ziqing let out a cold laugh and stated.

“If I hadn’t died, I’d be old enough to be your mother.”

Ming Zhong hadn’t expected her to get angry about something like that.

Moreover, while it was true that women were sensitive about their age, weren’t they usually concerned about being called old? Hadn’t he seen how dozens of middle-aged women on live streams pretended to be young and innocent?

Yet, with Senior Sister, it was precisely the opposite.

Though he couldn’t quite grasp it, Ming Zhong still managed a smile.

“That’s not ideal.”

His smile then faded, and he spoke in a subdued tone.

“My mother passed away not long after I was born.”

“…”

Fu Ziqing froze for a moment, remaining silent.

Ming Zhong didn’t dwell on the subject. Instead, he steered the conversation back to their initial topic, asking again.

“Care to join me, Senior Sister?”

Fu Ziqing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

Why would she go with him? She couldn’t eat, so she’d just have to watch Ming Zhong dine alone. That was even more unappealing; seeing food but being unable to partake would be agonizing.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Ming Zhong’s eyes, but he quickly smiled and said.

“Alright then, I’ll head in first.”

“Mm, goodbye!”

Fu Ziqing waved her hand.

Ming Zhong smiled, turning to walk towards the cafeteria.

As he walked, his smile gradually vanished, replaced by a troubled expression.

Watching Ming Zhong’s figure recede into the distance, Fu Ziqing withdrew her gaze and floated back to the old banyan tree, her eyes once more fixed on the court.

At that moment, the skinny, dark-skinned short guy had surprisingly rejoined a three-person team.

It appeared, however, that the other three players weren’t skilled either. This meant the other teams had agreed to let them add an extra person, as a team of four unskilled players posed no overwhelming threat, ensuring relative fairness and allowing everyone to play.

Witnessing this scene, Fu Ziqing revealed a serene smile.

Then…

“Senior Sister, will we truly meet again in the future?”

Ming Zhong’s voice echoed beside her.

Fu Ziqing had sensed Ming Zhong’s return from the start. She deliberately ignored him, waiting to see what he intended to do.

Now, hearing Ming Zhong’s question, Fu Ziqing didn’t quite grasp it at first. She turned her head, frowning as she looked at him.

“What do you mean by that?”

Ming Zhong scratched his hair and said.

“Didn’t Senior Sister say she wanted to go home…?”

“I said I wanted to go home, but I never said I would go immediately. Besides…”

Fu Ziqing answered casually, but then abruptly trailed off.

Her expression dimmed slightly.

Ming Zhong, who had been watching her intently, naturally noticed the shift in her expression. He then probed gently.

“Senior Sister, are you still hesitating about something?”

Fu Ziqing pressed her lips together, then suddenly glared at Ming Zhong.

“That’s my business. Why are you so concerned?”

Without waiting for the slightly embarrassed Ming Zhong to respond, Fu Ziqing fixed him with an amused gaze and spoke.

“Besides, I merely wish to visit home; it’s not as if I’ll vanish. What are you thinking, young man? Do you imagine I’m like those ghosts in movies and TV shows? That once my wish is fulfilled, I’ll dissipate on the spot and be reincarnated?”

“That’s good then.”

Ming Zhong visibly relaxed, offering Fu Ziqing a somewhat goofy smile.

Yet, seeing Ming Zhong’s smile, Fu Ziqing felt a strange sensation. She stared at him with a scrutinizing gaze, asking in a faint, ethereal tone.

“What? You’ll miss me?”

“Mm! A little, perhaps.”

To Fu Ziqing’s surprise, Ming Zhong did not evade the question.

This left Fu Ziqing somewhat bewildered.

“Why?”

She continued.

“It hasn’t even been a full day since you met me…”

“Even though it hasn’t been a day, that’s genuinely how I feel,” Ming Zhong said to Fu Ziqing with a sincere expression.

“As I mentioned before, I’m not good at lying, nor do I like to. Whatever thoughts I have, I simply voice them.”

Fu Ziqing’s brows knitted tightly together, as if deep in thought. Then, she suddenly spoke.

“Young man, there’s something very peculiar about you!”

“Hm?”

Ming Zhong’s face showed confusion.

Fu Ziqing then asked further.

“If I were truly ugly and terrifying, would you still miss me?”

“No!”