In the cafeteria, Tong Xiaosong is sharing the story of Gu Xuan visiting his home with his three roommates and Tang Yuxin.
Wu Mabo frowned and asked, “What happened next?”
“We left together, but before we even left the mountain, he said there were other things to attend to and we parted ways,” Tong Xiaosong said, tearing a piece of bread. He whispered, “I feel he’s strange, but I can’t pinpoint what’s strange about him.”
Ke Lin couldn’t help but laugh. “So, your mom and your sister now accept your sexual orientation?”
“That’s not important,” Wen Dong said with some concern. “Compared to the strangeness of Gu Xuan, those are minor issues. We need to be cautious. There must be a reason for Gu Xuan’s odd behavior. It’s unlikely to be out of genuine affection, especially since we haven’t seen him invest so much before.”
Tong Xiaosong nodded in agreement, sharing the same sentiment.
“No, I don’t quite understand,” Tang Yuxin put down her soup, puzzled. “What’s wrong with Gu, the campus idol? He’s handsome and wealthy, showing interest in Tong Xiaosong. Isn’t that a good thing? Even if you don’t like him, there’s no need to react this way.”
Wu Mabo clicked his tongue. “That’s because you don’t know how he treated Tong Xiaosong before…”
He proceeded to share what he had heard and what Tong Xiaosong had told him. By the end of the conversation, they had finished lunch, and the cafeteria was nearly empty. Wu Mabo’s voice was hoarse.
Tang Yuxin was astonished. “Oh my, I didn’t expect that. Saying Gu, the campus idol, is a PUA is an understatement. He seems to want to completely control Tong Xiaosong through bullying.”
Wen Dong nodded. “Fortunately, Tong Xiaosong’s will is still quite firm.”
As they were discussing, a person walked past their table.
It is indeed the Gu Xuan they were talking about.
As everyone’s gaze followed Gu Xuan’s look, they noticed a significant difference from before the break.
At this moment, Gu Xuan appeared somewhat haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, suggesting a lack of proper rest or perhaps excessive fatigue. His usual attire, characterized by a variety of high-end luxury brands that rarely repeated, now seemed disheveled and stained, indicating it had not been changed for several days.
Tang Yuxin hesitated and asked, “Did he help you with farm work?”
Tong Xiaosong replied, “No, when we separated, he was still fine, quite spirited.”
He stared at Gu Xuan, feeling a tumultuous and strange sensation resurfacing—the unmistakable feeling of division.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The current Gu Xuan exuded a kind of decadent charm, yet the impression he left was one of confusion and disgust.
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Wu Mabo remarked, “Tong Xiaosong, are you sure he helped you with farm work? It doesn’t look quite like him. I’d believe if you said he smashed your home, but farm work? Heh…”
Tong Xiaosong felt a strong sense of discomfort and aversion. He avoided Gu Xuan’s gaze and asked hesitantly, “Does Gu Xuan have a twin brother?”
“He came from an orphanage; if he had a twin brother, it couldn’t have been kept a secret,” Wen Dong withdrew his gaze. “He must have an ulterior motive. Let’s be cautious, especially you, Tong Xiaosong. We still don’t know the story behind the copper basin he gave you. Don’t fall into his trap again.”
“The copper basin?” Tang Yuxin asked curiously. “You’ve mentioned it several times. What’s the story with the copper basin?”
“We were initially looking for you because of the copper basin. It was a gift from Gu Xuan to Tong Xiaosong,” Ke Lin explained the origin and history of the sinister copper basin to Tang Yuxin.
The more Tang Yuxin listened, the worse her expression became. After Ke Lin finished, she whispered, “If I’m not mistaken, Tong Xiaosong should be like me now, having something like a household deity. The copper basin is used for burning offerings, but the basin itself isn’t the main focus; it’s what is being worshipped behind it. Tong Xiaosong, do you really have no clue, or do you feel a connection?”
Tong Xiaosong shook his head with a pale face, feeling uncertain. “Can’t I get rid of this thing? When I was at your house, I asked Grandma Tang, and she told me it’s fate.”
Tang Yuxin sighed and looked at Tong Xiaosong with some sympathy. “Indeed, it’s fate. This thing cannot be sent away at will because it’s the household deity choosing its owner, not the other way around.”
Wu Mabo asked, “So, is this a good thing or a bad thing? I think having a deity is not bad, right?”
Tang Yuxin shook her head and said, “Accepting a household deity comes with a significant cost. Usually, the owner of the deity is the one who suffers the most. Those who have a household deity often meet an unfortunate end, including me. On the night I accepted the deity, my boyfriend had an accident and ended up in the hospital. I had a vague perception that the deity seemed to disapprove of my intimate relationship, so the next day, I broke up with my boyfriend after explaining the reason. He didn’t believe it and insisted on finding me, but he got into a car accident on the way. Fortunately, it wasn’t serious, but he ended up back in the hospital. Only then did he reluctantly believe. That’s also why I asked Tong Xiaosong if he had any perception. The deity wants something, and the owner of the deity might have some perception.”
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Tong Xiaosong.
Tong Xiaosong carefully pondered but couldn’t find anything that could be considered perception. “No perception, just that the copper basin always stays with me.”
Tang Yuxin said, “Then I’m not very sure either. Moreover, your way of transferring with Gu Xuan is a bit strange. It shouldn’t be so easy, especially when he only gave you a copper basin. This can’t be considered a proper transfer. As Wen Dong said, it’s better to be cautious. My grandmother’s guests are never simple. Don’t be afraid of his abilities; be afraid of his malicious intentions.”
Ke Lin expressed concern, “Tong Xiaosong, you must remember what Tang Yuxin said today. Don’t succumb just because Gu Xuan is showing goodwill to you.”
“I won’t. The things he did cannot be changed, and besides, when he confessed to me initially, I didn’t have any feelings for him,” Tong Xiaosong replied.
“Just remember that. As for the offerings on you now, try to treat them with kindness and go along with fate,” Tang Yuxin sighed. “Respecting these things certainly won’t hurt, but if you offend them, you’ll surely face consequences.”
Wu Mabo furrowed his brow, “So you and your boyfriend broke up because of this?”
Tang Yuxin said, “It’s not exactly a breakup. Before figuring out a solution, I can only handle it this way. I don’t want to harm him.”
Tong Xiaosong hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, “Actually, on the day of receiving the deity hall, when the wind blew in, I saw what was being worshipped in the Immortal hall…”
Wu Mabo was greatly surprised, “You saw it? What was it?”
Tong Xiaosong wasn’t sure whether he should say it. Recalling the photos in the Immortal hall still sent shivers down his spine.
“Black and white photos of various corpses, right,” Tang Yuxin bluntly said. Facing the shocked gazes of the others, she smiled bitterly, “So, you probably understand what the so-called household deity is. After having a household deity, it’s already good if nothing too terrible happens. Don’t expect too much. Some people seek wealth, goods, and opportunities from their household deities. In reality, these things have predetermined prices in the great scheme of things. You’ll always find ways to pay the price. My advice is, don’t be greedy. Coexist peacefully is good enough.”
***
After returning to the dormitory in the evening, Wu Mabo placed the apples he bought into the copper basin and clasped his hands together, negotiating.
“Kicking you out before was my fault. From now on, all of us will coexist peacefully with you. Please don’t harm us, especially Tong Xiaosong. We’ll occasionally offer you some food, please, please.”
Ke Lin and Wen Dong also put some food into the copper basin and bowed respectfully.
Only Tong Xiaosong looked at the pile of snacks in the basin with a bit of distress, feeling somewhat repulsed.
***
At night, Tong Xiaosong woke up, feeling that something was off. He turned on the night light, lifted the blanket, and found that his bed was filled with food.
The food looked somewhat familiar.
He looked towards the table and saw the copper basin, empty and quietly placed there.
Ke Lin turned over, noticed the light, opened his sleepy eyes, glanced at the table, and paused. He also looked at the empty copper basin.
Finding the basin empty, he silently looked at Tong Xiaosong.
“It wasn’t me who took it!” Tong Xiaosong hastily said, “I turned on the light because something felt wrong after I woke up!”
“What’s wrong…” Wu Mabo turned his head, and the next second, his eyes widened. “Holy Shit!?”
Wen Dong also woke up.
In the end, everyone fell silent for a while, and Wen Dong said uncertainly, “This must be the family deity giving it to you.”
Wu Mabo: “I also think it’s for Tong Xiaosong.”
Ke Lin: “Why does this family deity feel kind of good?”
Everyone:…
Tong Xiaosong silently put the things back into the copper basin, clasped his hands together, and whispered, “Thank you.”
***
The next day, snacks from the copper basin appeared on everyone’s beds, evenly distributed.
Everyone:…
Wen Dong: “Let’s eat together. Rejecting too much is also impolite. After eating, remember to say thank you.”
And so, Tong Xiaosong had two apples, a box of milk, and two braised eggs for breakfast.
As he ate the things in his hands, he felt something strange.
Ke Lin was the first to notice something was off and said, “Why does it seem like only Tong Xiaosong got the standard breakfast?”
Wu Mabo looked at everyone’s items in surprise, “…indeed.”
Wen Dong didn’t lift his head, “Being able to get something is good enough. It shows that they are not only taking care of Tong Xiaosong. Let’s coexist peacefully from now on.”
Tong Xiaosong silently glanced at the copper basin, feeling a sense of being favored.
No, he couldn’t have such thoughts!
Shaking his head in surprise, he quickly finished the food in his hands and sincerely expressed his thanks.
This household deity is quite cute 💖💖
that’s cute tho. thanks for the translation minipickle!!
ˁ•ᴗ•ˀつ～ 💞
Of course he’s being favoured , tong xiaosong’s household deity is about to become his hubby uwu
What does she mean about her household deity after seeing that it’s gruesome corpses being worshiped? Is it that the corpses are the offering? Or that you can request a murder? Or something else?
I think it means those are the people of the family that asked too much from the deity. as she said everything has a price, so her household deity is a bit violent. it gives thins but takes your life in a violent way at the end of your life.
thank you for more chapters!!
ˁ•ᴗ•ˀつ～ 💞
So does that mean our ML is not a student from the old school who was burnt in the fire but instead a deity. Ok that’s more good as it seems more powerful 🤭
so cuteee~~