CH 41.1

Chapter 41-1: Your Temperature

Chen Yu was no longer in the mood to read books after being angered by her grandpa, her bad mood lingered until dinner when she finally felt better after seeing the fragrant boiled fish on the dining table.

Chen Yu sat down with a happy expression, then glanced at the stairs and asked, “Where’s Third Brother?”

Cheng Peng answered expressionlessly, “Third Young Master said he’s not hungry and asked Miss Chen Yu to eat by yourself.”

“Not hungry?” Chen Yu asked in astonishment.

Cheng Peng was somewhat angry with what happened to Lou Ming so he didn’t want to say anything more to Chen Yu as he just scooped up a bowl of rice and put it in front of Chen Yu. After he said ‘enjoy your meal’, he immediately walked away.

Chen Yu looked at the empty dining room and felt something wasn’t right. Normally, even if Third Brother wasn’t hungry, he would still sit and eat a few bites to accompany her, why was it so different today?

Chen Yu ate absent-mindedly; she didn’t even eat the boiled fish she had asked for as she barely ate a bowl of rice. Pondering about it for a while, Chen Yu then got up and walked to Lou Ming’s bedroom on the second floor.

Chen Peng saw her but didn’t stop her after a brief hesitation, because he knew although Third Young Master was sick because of Chen Yu, he would still be happy seeing her.

Chen Yu walked to Lou Ming’s bedroom door, raised her hand and knocked a few times, “Third Brother.”

“Come in.” Lou Ming’s voice sounded from behind the door.

Chen Yu opened the door and found Lou Min leaning on the headboard as he read a book. Although his handsome face was smiling, his mental state was obviously not very good, “Brother, are you feeling uncomfortable?”

“Just a bit of a cold.” Lou Ming put down the book in his hand and explained, “Maybe I caught a cold last night.”

“Your heating system is good,  how can you catch a cold, ah?” Chen Yu found it strange.

Lou Ming blanked, as he was about to make an excuse, he heard Chen Yu say, “Did you feel hot like me so you secretly opened a window?”

Lou Ming smiled and nodded in acquiescence.

“Third Brother, how can you do that?” Chen Yu pretended to be serious in order to give Lou Ming a lesson, “It's okay to open a window during the day, but you will definitely catch a cold when you sleep with the window open at night, this is something that all children know, ah.”

“You’re right, I won’t do it again.” This was the first time Lou Ming had been criticized like this, but it didn’t feel bad at all.

“Do you have a fever?”

Lou Ming was about to answer when      a soft warm palm was suddenly placed on his forehead, making him freeze in place.

“I don’t feel one, ah.” Chen Yu tested Lou Ming’s temperature with the palm of her hand, but it wasn’t really clear, so she took back her hand and lowered her head, using her forehead to directly feel his.

Lou Ming subconsciously wanted to avoid her.

“Don’t move.” Chen Yu pressed on Lou Ming’s shoulders and placed her forehead tightly against his forehead.

Lou Ming suddenly felt the world quiet down; there was only the sound of their breathing in his room, his sight was filled with the girl’s bright eyes and her thick and long eyelashes.

After Chen Yu stayed like that for about ten-seconds, she straightened up and said, “You don’t seem to have a fever.”

The lingering touch of her forehead against his had still not completely disappeared, Lou Ming still felt there was something touching his forehead, soft, itchy, and warm, it made him want to reach and touch it.

“Third Brother, I know you lost your appetite because you are sick, but you still have to eat so your body can regain strength.” Chen Yu said to Lou Ming with a serious expression on her face.

“Okay.” Lou Ming nodded in reply.

“Then I’ll call Assistant Cheng to prepare dinner for you, what does Third Brother want to eat?” Chen Yu asked.

“What should I eat to gain strength?” Lou Ming asked with a smile on his face.

“Of course, you have to eat rice, ah.” Chen Yu said immediately without thinking twice.

“Then I’ll eat rice.” Lou Ming said.

“I’ll tell Assistant Cheng to prepare a few light side dishes, people who have a cold can’t eat greasy food.” After she finished speaking, she opened the door and went out.

Once Chen Yu left the room, Lou Ming finally complied with his inner desire and lifted up his hand to softly touch his forehead.

Contacts between humans should be warm, only if there’s warmth would it be called a valid contact, the rest are a product of social instinct in order to survive. [T/N: I think ‘contact with warmth’ means contact with feeling, while other human contact is just made to survive (like working, kissing up to your boss, etc.)]

Lou Ming once saw such a sentence on the internet, he didn’t quite understand it at that time, but he understood it just now.

So, this is contact with warmth?

After studying hard for a week, finals finally arrived. The first exam was advanced mathematics; Chen Yu hated math the most, she always felt those complicated formulas were more difficult to understand than the most difficult spells. For this subject, Chen Yu decided to thank the Heavens above and Earth below if she could pass the test, she wouldn’t hope for anything else.

Didn’t they say university exams are simple? Does Imperial University want to do something special? Why is it so difficult?! Chen Yu was depressingly immersed herself in answering questions.

At that time, in a secluded alley two blocks away from Imperial University, a middle-aged man in a suit walked to the entrance, no one was in front of him, “Have you thought about it?”

Following his words, three ghosts floated out of the wall and looked straight at the middle-aged man.

“It seems that you also know it’s useless to escape.” The middle-aged man glanced at the child and female ghosts next to Xiang Nan and couldn’t help raising his brows.

Seeing the middle-aged man, the female ghost was instinctively scared, but she still resisted and asked, “Could you not use the Soul Refining Array? We will sign a contract with you.”

“Contract?” The middle-aged man shook his head, “If you guys were so willing like this before I drew this array, then I might consider it, but now… it’s impossible!”

“You…” The female ghost still wanted to argue but was blocked by Xiang Nan.

Xiang Nan sent a death glare to the middle-aged man.

“It’s this look, unwillingness, resentment, enmity.” The middle-aged man sneered, “How can I sign a contract with a ghost who hates me to the bone? Why would I ask for trouble for myself?”

“But the power inside you is really attractive. I’ve been to many places and seen a few refined souls, but a ghost with such a good aptitude like you is really rare. I won’t let good things slip out of my hands, so only by refining your soul can I use you without worry.” The middle-aged man’s eyes fell on Xiang Nan, they were full of greed.

“You…” The female ghost wanted to say something in retaliation, but she unconsciously when the middle-aged man glanced towards her.

Xiaokang was also a little scared and leaned beside Xiang Nan.

Xiang Nan looked at Xiaokang, then raised his head and asked, “Did you do something to Xiaokang?”

“Oh, you finally figured it out? Did you try sending him to reincarnate? Wasn’t he rejected by the Underworld?” The middle-aged man asked with a smirk.

“It was you!”

“That’s right!” the middle-aged man admitted without scruples, “Your power is really strong, if I wanted to just kill you, although it would be troublesome it’s not impossible. However, if I want to refine you, then I must suppress you completely. You’d rather die than submit, how could you obediently be subdued by me? That’s why I used a small, little trick.”

Xiang Nan was itching to rush and tear the man to pieces.

“A ghost isn’t a human after death, even a ghost who died so many years ago. An evil spirit covered in resentment like you actually has something you care about.” The middle-aged man looked at the little ghost next to Xiang Nan mockingly, “Just for this weak little thing, you land yourself in this kind of plight, it simply couldn’t be more foolish, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!”

Xiang Nan clenched his fists tightly under the man’s unbridled laughter, but he couldn’t do anything. Although he was very unwilling, this shameless Celestial Master has already gripped the gate of his vitality. He even had the impudence to make a move against Xiaokang the first chance he got and closed Xiaokang’s chance to reincarnate.

The man naturally discovered Xiang Nan’s naked hatred towards him as the resentment that suddenly skyrocketed was the best proof. Anger, resentment, grudge, that’s good, the more you hate the stronger your power will be, after I refine your soul, it will become even more powerful, ha, ha, ha, ha…

“Are you going to let them go after you refine my soul?” Xiang Nan asked through gritted teeth.

“Of course, they’re rubbish to me.” The middle-aged man said with contempt.

A murderous intent flashed through Xiang Nan’s eyes.

“I know you want to kill me, but it’s useless, you can’t kill me.” He felt Xiang Nan’s killing intent, “I’m not a good person but I always mean what I say. As long as you obediently let me refine your soul, I won’t harm them but I can also help them transcend, how about that?”

Xiang Nan gazed at the middle-aged man as he started to ponder the proposal; he was already left with no other choice.