🌻Chapter 1: Rotten Peach Blossoms

 

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Bian Xu had been drowning in peach blossom luck recently.

Just like any normal day, he was walking along the road when someone would suddenly appear out of nowhere, holding a bouquet of roses and confessing their feelings to him.
It would’ve been fine if he didn’t know them.

The problem was, he didn’t know any of them at all.
And worse, they were all men.

That made Bian Xu feel something was very, very wrong.
While he was lost in thought, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. He jolted in fright, then heard a soft laugh behind him. Turning around, he glared.

“Zhou Zhao!”

Zhou Zhao shrugged. “What were you thinking about? I called you a few times and you didn’t even hear me.”

He placed a bag on Bian Xu’s desk, then opened his WeChat payment code and tilted his chin slightly.

“Braised chicken rice. Fourteen yuan and thirty-two cents.”

Bian Xu sucked in a sharp breath like his teeth hurt. “Why is it so exact?”

Zhou Zhao let out a muffled laugh and pulled a chair over, sitting close by. “Didn’t you say to calculate everything clearly?”

Bian Xu pretended not to hear the teasing in his tone. After scanning the code, he lifted the plastic lid, and the aroma of the food instantly filled the air.

He swallowed and glanced at Zhou Zhao, only to find him propping his head up, smiling as he watched him.

A chill ran down his spine.

“What?” Bian Xu asked.

Zhou Zhao stared at him for a few seconds, then reached out and ruffled his hair.

“Nothing. Eat.”

It felt like he was teasing a dog. Bian Xu thought to himself.

Bian Xu had the habit of watching dramas while eating. He opened a video app, about to find his usual show, when Zhou Zhao suddenly spoke, calm and low.

“Do you really have to move out?”

Bian Xu paused.

Then nodded. “Yeah. I’m moving.”

Zhou Zhao sighed softly. His fingers tapped lightly against the table, irregular and absent minded. Bian Xu felt strangely uneasy listening to it.

“I’m just moving out,” Bian Xu said quickly, turning to him. “It’s not like we’re cutting ties. Don’t worry.”

His eyes were bright, almost like a loyal little dog.

Zhou Zhao froze for a moment, then gave a low laugh.

“Alright.”

Bian Xu finally relaxed.

Lately, Zhou Zhao had been acting strange too. He would stare at him for long stretches of time. When caught, he would just smile gently and keep staring.
On top of that, he had been sticking to him far too closely. If their tutor hadn’t called Zhou Zhao away today, Bian Xu felt like he would’ve stayed glued to him all day.
Seeing Zhou Zhao return to his bed and pull the curtains closed, Bian Xu finally opened his phone.

The first thing that appeared was a picture of a temple, with colourful text beside it.
“Cures all kinds of weird problems.”

Might as well try anything at this point.

That was what Bian Xu thought as he booked a ticket and decided to go in the afternoon.
His gaze drifted toward Zhou Zhao’s bed. After a pause, he decided to keep it a secret for now.

The temple was far from school. It took him an hour on the subway just to get nearby.
It was located on a mountain. Climbing up would take at least half an hour, but before he even started, he was stopped by an old Taoist at the foot of the hill.
The old man wore a grey robe and held a whisk in his hand. He narrowed his eyes at Bian Xu and slowly stroked his white beard.

Time passed, but he still said nothing.

Bian Xu glanced at his appointment time, growing more and more helpless.
“Is there something you need?” he finally asked.

He had a natural sense of respect for Taoists, probably because of something from his childhood involving a forced ghost marriage.
Thinking of that, he slipped a hand into his pocket and touched something there, finally feeling slightly reassured.

Good. The talisman was still there.

The old Taoist still didn’t speak.

The sun was harsh. Bian Xu didn’t want to waste time anymore and was about to leave when the man suddenly spoke.
“Young friend, your forehead is broad, your lips full, and your nose tip is red and bright. You’ve recently been entangled in rotten peach blossoms. Am I right?”

At the words “rotten peach blossoms,” Bian Xu’s heart jolted.
He looked up at the old man and suddenly felt he looked vaguely familiar, but before he could place it, the old Taoist burst into loud laughter.

The sound attracted attention from nearby people. Embarrassed, Bian Xu covered half his face.
Lowering his voice, he asked, “Daoist, what happens if someone is plagued by rotten peach blossoms?”

The old man stroked his chin, closed his eyes as if calculating, then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve.
Bian Xu frowned as the paper was unfolded.

It was a WeChat payment QR code.

“……”
Are you even a proper Taoist anymore?

Bian Xu took a step back. Something about this man felt deeply unreliable.
Just as he was about to run, the old Taoist grabbed his wrist.

A twenty one year old healthy young man, yet he couldn’t break free from an old man’s grip.
“What are you doing!” Bian Xu panicked, suddenly recalling rumours about human trafficking. “Don’t tell me I’m that unlucky…”

“Scan first, then I’ll calculate. I won’t cheat you.”
Bian Xu did not believe him for a second.

“Fifty yuan per reading. Guaranteed accuracy.”
After some hesitation, and thinking about the three consecutive days of bizarre confessions from strangers, Bian Xu gritted his teeth and scanned the code.
The old Taoist immediately beamed and let go of his wrist.

Rubbing his sore wrist, Bian Xu glared at him.

“Rotten peach blossoms affect your luck, your wealth, and your relationships,” the old man said seriously. “But yours is different.”

He paused.

“Yours will bring a life threatening disaster.”

Bian Xu frowned. “Life threatening disaster?”

The old Taoist nodded slowly, looking at him with pity.

“The hex shows it cannot be resolved.”

The summer sun burned overhead, but Bian Xu felt as if he had been doused in ice water.
He could barely hear anything after that. The word “cannot be resolved” echoed in his ears until he almost lost his balance.

“You took my money,” Bian Xu said through gritted teeth.
What if he was just a scammer?
What if he was lying just to get money?
That must be it.

The old Taoist seemed to read his thoughts and snorted.
“I only read fortunes for those I feel affinity with. Stop imagining things about me.”
Wait. Can he read minds?

The old Taoist sighed and pulled out the QR code again.
“Another fifty, and I’ll change your fate.”

Bian Xu stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.
“Hey!” the old man quickly blocked him. “I was just joking. Why are you so serious?”
Bian Xu said nothing, just stared at him.

The old Taoist felt uneasy under that gaze and awkwardly chuckled before doing another calculation.
“Your chance of survival lies in the south,” he finally said.
The south.

Bian Xu frowned.

A strange rental advertisement flashed through his mind.
Since entering his final year, Bian Xu had been planning to move out of the dorm. He had seen many listings, but one in particular had stuck in his memory because it was too strange.

Only four rules were written:

1. No bringing friends over to stay overnight. Try not to leave your room at night.

2. If you hear strange noises, do not make a sound. Stay quiet.

3. No utility fees required. Shared by roommates.

4. Just be able to cook. No other requirements.

It read like some kind of rule based horror story.
He had been tempted for a moment, but ultimately too scared.
If he remembered correctly, that apartment was in the southern part of the city.

No way…
“So I should move south?”

The old Taoist nodded.
Seeing Bian Xu hesitate, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Bian Xu opened his phone and showed him the strange listing.
The old man fell silent for a moment.

Then asked, “Why don’t you look for something else?”
Even the Taoist thought it was weird.

So should he even move in?

Before Bian Xu could speak, the old Taoist shook his head again.
“I’ve calculated it. That apartment is fine. In fact, you might even gain some kind of opportunity from moving in.”

Opportunity didn’t matter.
Survival did.

Bian Xu stared at the screen for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth and messaged the landlord.

[Xu: Hello, is the room still available for rent?]
[Wen Xun: Yes.]
[Xu: Can I come for a viewing in three days?]
[Wen Xun: Just move in.]

Is this really going to be okay?

Bian Xu sighed and turned off his phone after confirming the date.

When he looked up, the old Taoist was still there, smiling at him.
“You’ve grown this big already,” the old man said kindly.
Bian Xu frowned, about to respond, when the Taoist suddenly pulled out a yellow talisman.
That talisman looked exactly like the one he carried.

Bian Xu’s eyes widened.

Before he could even get emotional, the old man grinned.
“Since I’ve saved you twice, how about another fifty yuan? I want KFC.”

“……”

In the end, Bian Xu still transferred the money.
The old Taoist looked at his balance, raised a brow, and patted his shoulder.

“We’re deeply connected. I won’t harm you.”
Somehow, Bian Xu felt both reassured and robbed.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

Zhou Zhao’s messages popped up.
[University - Zhou Zhao: Where are you?]
[University - Zhou Zhao: Bian Xu?]
[University - Zhou Zhao: Be back in the dorm by ten. Don’t make me come find you.]
[University - Zhou Zhao: I’ll go with you to buy a cat tomorrow.]

Bian Xu stared at the messages one by one, his head starting to hurt again.
The call screen notification appeared.

He quickly replied.
[Xu: On my way back.]

Zhou Zhao sent a small dog nodding emoji.
Only then did Bian Xu feel slightly relieved.

His roommate is way too clingy. What should he do? Asking online. Urgent.

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TRANSLATOR NOTE

I will be posting two chapters per week. Every Friday.