Spirit Realm Walker

Part 4 Something strange is coming

In a daze, Zhang Yuanching felt something soft and full pressing down on him, leaving him somewhat breathless.

Opening his eyes, he saw a round, delicate face with a mischievous grin.

His aunt grumbled, "You brat, how dare you stand me up. I'm going to squash you flat!"

She sat squarely on his chest, leaning forward and then, with a wicked grin, lifted her hips and dropped them heavily.

Zhang Yuanching let out a muffled groan, almost losing his breath. Annoyed, he arched his back, flipping the woman off with a swift motion.

As she yelped in surprise, he glanced outside to see that night had fallen. Unknowingly, he'd slept from morning until dusk.

"Dinner's ready!"

His aunt lay sideways on the bed, playfully kicking at him.

"Enough of your petty revenge. I respect the elderly and the young, so I won't stoop to your level."

Zhang Yuanching slipped off the bed, put on his shoes, and walked out of the room.

The rich aroma of food filled the living room. His grandparents were seated at the dining table, eating. His grandfather, tall and slender with a head of silver hair, sat in solemn silence, his face serious and unsmiling.

"So, how did it go with the match I arranged for you?"

At the table, his grandmother asked with an expectant tone.

"It went well. She earns a million a year, a corporate executive. Very satisfied, very satisfied!"

His aunt nodded enthusiastically, like a pecking chick.

"You always say that, and then you block them afterward." His grandmother flicked her daughter's forehead with a stern reprimand. "Think about your age and act wisely."

"Exactly!" Zhang Yuanching chimed in with a grin, only to be met with a sharp kick under the table from Jiang Yuer.

The two began kicking at each other under the table, making the furniture clatter noisily.

"If you aren't going to eat, get back to your rooms!"

With a stern shout from his grandmother, Zhang Yuanching and his aunt immediately buried their heads in their bowls, quietly eating.

"Grandma, when's cousin coming back?" Zhang Yuanching asked.

His uncle's family lived across the hall, but recently, his well-to-do aunt and free-spirited uncle had gone abroad for a trip. During that time, his cousin had been coming over for dinner.

"He's working overtime tonight. He won't be back... That boy works like he's got no sense of self-preservation, completely the opposite of his idle father," his grandmother muttered in discontent.

Hearing about the overtime, Zhang Yuanching couldn't hide his disappointment as he let out a soft "Oh."

After dinner, Zhang Yuanching and Jiang Yuer each returned to their rooms, leaving their grandmother to clean up.

Once in his room, Zhang Yuanching locked the door and picked up his phone, dialing his cousin's number.

If they couldn't talk in person, a call would have to do. Though, speaking over the phone was never as clear as face-to-face conversations.

The call connected quickly, but a message in a foreign language notified him that the phone was off.

"In a meeting?"