Chapter 47: Boiling People

Hearing those words, Dong Ye suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. “What… what do you mean?”

Qi Yan set down his chopsticks and didn’t reply. He merely lifted his shirt slightly, revealing the corner of the ominous charm.

The moment Dong Ye saw it, he shuddered all over, cold sweat beading instantly on his forehead—he was sobered up from his drunkenness by at least seventy percent.

“That thing… it’s still with you? Didn’t you take my advice and go to a temple or something?”

Qi Yan shook his head and continued eating his noodles. “I did. When I went to Thailand this time, I even sought out a local Ajarn, but he seemed utterly clueless and couldn’t make sense of it. Still, it’s been over a month, and I’ve started to get used to it. It only comes out to wander around when something happens to me; otherwise, it’s pretty quiet.

It took me a while to realize that it doesn’t actually harm me directly—it’s like carrying a bodyguard that’s a malevolent ghost, though I don’t really have much control over it.”

Only then did Dong Ye understand what he meant. Recalling the man who’d gotten into a conflict with them earlier, he grew anxious. “Then how can you remain so calm? Isn’t it possible that someone could really die?”

“I’m not sure. My guess is… even if he survives, he won’t walk away unscathed. You’ve seen it for yourself before.” Qi Yan now seemed far more composed than back then, speaking lightly as if he didn’t care much anymore.

But Dong Ye had no idea what Qi Yan had experienced recently; his memory only lingered on the thrilling incident when they went to Chiang Mai together. “My god… does that mean I have to be extra careful with what I say and do around you?”

“Relax. After all this time, I think it’s learned to distinguish between friend and foe. It won’t react to me or to people I’m close with.”

Qi Yan hadn’t told his friends and family much about the ominous charm, worried they’d be wary of him because of such a sinister thing. He was reluctant to discuss it further now and casually changed the subject. “So, what’s going on between you and Xu Dan this time?”

“Hmph…” Dong Ye, led away from his thoughts, pursed his lips. “I can’t stand her anymore. This time I mean it, I’m never getting back together with her!”

Qi Yan chuckled. “How many times have I heard you say that…”

Clearly, Dong Ye didn’t want to dwell on that topic, still fuming. As the alcohol wore off, he consciously shifted the subject. “By the way, I quit my old job last week. I’m done making romance the center of my life—this time I’m focusing on my career!”

Qi Yan finished a skewer of grilled sausage and clapped his hands in mock seriousness. “Such ambition! So, did you line up a new job before you quit?”

“Of course!” Dong Ye chewed on the grilled meat enthusiastically, tapping the table. “I passed the recruitment assessment for Dingtai Group and start on Monday.”

“Dingtai Group? Is that a good company?”

“Come on, haven’t you heard of it? It’s one of the biggest trading companies in Xinchou, with business across all of Southern China. I’m just a regular employee, but the base salary is seven thousand, and after becoming permanent, the benefits are all there—a lot better than my old place.”

Qi Yan wasn’t too familiar with Dong Ye’s new job, but seeing how happy he was, he genuinely felt glad for him. “Congratulations! Since you’re moving on to such a nice place, you should treat me to this meal…”

Chatting and eating, the two of them hadn’t enjoyed such a relaxing conversation together in ages. Their late-night meal lasted over an hour, and instead of heading home, they went to a bathhouse across the street to unwind.

After paying and changing into slippers, in the locker room, Dong Ye couldn’t help but bring up the earlier topic again, still unnerved. “Ugh… the more I think about it, the creepier it gets. Is that guy really going to die just like that?”

Despite nearly getting beaten up earlier, Dong Ye’s conscience was clear—now sober, he was even worried about those people.

In fact, the conflict at the bar had been a trivial one; tempers flared, and things escalated. But as adults, they were more level-headed than in their youth. A fight was one thing; someone dying was another matter altogether.

Qi Yan, undressing, gave a wry smile. “I told you, it’s not certain. Besides, I warned him, didn’t I? You heard me.”

“Come on… that was a warning? It sounded more like a provocation—you might as well have flipped him off.”

To be fair, Qi Yan had sincerely tried to warn the guy, but to anyone listening, it sounded like he was just putting on airs.

Qi Yan didn’t bother explaining further. After stripping down, the two of them headed into the main bath. The sinister charm wasn’t on him but locked away in the locker. Not that it mattered—it made no difference.

Though it was late, this was prime business time for the city’s bathhouses—especially with middle-aged men and young people fresh from a night out. Strictly speaking, people who’ve been drinking shouldn’t soak in hot baths, but no one cared.

Qi Yan and Dong Ye chose a smaller medicinal bath, empty and away from the crowds of old men.

They’d barely settled in when Qi Yan heard a familiar voice nearby.

“Hmph… Next time we see those two in a bar around here, we’ll just drag them into an alley and beat them up—no need for words!”

The voice was loud, echoing clearly in the bathhouse’s steamy air.

Looking through the thin mist, Qi Yan saw that it was the same group of young men they’d clashed with earlier. They’d come here to bathe as well.

It wasn’t that the world was small—this area was the city’s nightlife hub, with bars and bathhouses clustered together. Running into them again was a coincidence, but not that surprising.

The group of six entered and headed straight for the largest massage pool, not noticing Qi Yan and Dong Ye at all. Qi Yan signaled to Dong Ye to ignore them and not cause trouble again. Since they weren’t recognized, they decided to keep a low profile.

Seeing that cocky young man unharmed, Qi Yan felt a bit puzzled. Perhaps the charm was slower to act this time, or maybe it wasn’t as malevolent as before.

Whatever the case, since nothing had happened to the guy, Qi Yan felt secretly relieved. He’d never really wished harm upon them—it wasn’t some deep-seated grudge, just a minor scuffle born of youthful tempers.

After a while, the young man who’d started the fight left the main pool and went alone to a smaller cucumber-infused bath.

He lounged there, seemingly having put the earlier bar incident out of his mind, reclining with his eyes closed in the green-tinted water, looking utterly at ease.

This high-end bathhouse was spacious, with a ventilation system that kept the steam from getting too thick.

Yet, as the minutes ticked by, no one noticed that the white mist was growing denser.

A large LCD screen hung above the main bath, playing a TV drama; some people showered, others sweated in the sauna—everything seemed normal.

After another five or six minutes, Qi Yan gestured for Dong Ye to rinse off, planning to change and head to the lounge.

But just as they stood up, a piercing scream echoed through the vast bathhouse.

“Huh?… Ugh! Ah—!”

Recognizing the voice as that same young man, Qi Yan and Dong Ye immediately crouched back down, peering toward the cucumber bath.

His scream drew everyone’s attention, including his friends, who were startled.

Even through the thick steam, it was clear—the cucumber bath was boiling. Supposed to be the coolest pool, it now bubbled with fist-sized blisters, sending up waves of heat and a strong scent of cucumber.

“Ah! Ah—! Get me out! Get me o… ahhh!!”

The young man thrashed like a drowning duck, flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to climb out, but the water splashed everywhere as though something was holding him down—he couldn’t escape the shallow pool.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?!” His friends rushed over, not even bothering with slippers, running naked to his aid.

One of them, seeing the situation, tried to help, but the moment his hand touched the water, he jerked it back. “Damn—hot!”

The scene terrified everyone. Some kind-hearted guests wanted to help, but the water was so scalding that it was unbearable even to get near, let alone jump in to pull him out.

The young man’s voice was growing hoarse, his screams shriller, his struggles weaker, water splashing higher and higher.

“Ah—! Ah!!”

Finally, after one last agonized scream, it seemed the force holding him down suddenly vanished. He managed to roll out of the pool, collapsing on the floor.

Qi Yan and Dong Ye had also come closer by then. Everyone could see his body—aside from his neck and above, his skin was bright red, with large patches of peeled, bleeding flesh. The sharp scent of blood mixed with the cucumber steam in the air…