Chu Banyang went out of town to work on a commission and would not be back for two or three days.
Lu Yingjiu sent him a message, saying that she had something to discuss with him.
Chu Banyang replied after a while: Oh
In the two days after he came back, Lu Yingjiu sorted out the formation in his hand again.
The day when the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons begins is the day when the yin energy is the most intense.
And because this was a punishment from the Tao, if it used its power, it would expose itself. That was also the best time to find the pollution of the Tao.
The design of "Kan" is very clever. It is a complementary formation to the previous ghost world formation, one in the mirror and one in the real world. The latter is the formation core, which is also the formation core of "Kan".
In other words, during the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, they had to summon the Spirit Ape at Yunshan Port, the Li Snake at Yueshan Sanatorium, the Di Ting at Kangli Bridge, and the Peacock God at Shangyang University City. Lu Yingjiu and Jing Xian went straight to the place where the Ghost Gate was opened to activate the formation.
The problem is that no one knows when the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons will begin.
It may be in one month, three or four months, or even one or two years.
People are in panic and nothing can be settled.
The atmosphere in Lujiang City changed silently. Ordinary people didn't notice it yet, but the exorcists were already taking action.
They might set up formations on the edge of the city, paste talismans in every corner, or distribute amulets door to door.
The Qingdeng Society and the noble families joined forces to organize ghost-chasing organizations of all sizes, and arranged them to patrol in an orderly manner, check for potential danger areas, and dispel the negative energy in a timely manner.
The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is always accompanied by violent storms.
In this case, the relevant departments used the excuse of natural disasters to open a large-scale curfew and fully cooperate with the exorcists. This time, the routine was no different. They issued a notice to remind citizens that extreme weather is approaching and hoped that citizens would stock up on supplies.
Now when Lu Yingjiu walked through the streets, he could feel the vibrations of the talisman paper from time to time.
Just like the One Hundred Demons Night Parade a few years ago, the atmosphere during the battle was extremely depressing.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, Chu Banyang returned from abroad.
Jing Xian sent Lu Yingjiu to the Qingdeng Club to find him. Before getting off the car, Lu Yingjiu was about to close the door, but suddenly stopped, turned around and kissed Jing Xian.
Jing Xian raised his eyebrows: "Why are you so active today?"
"Just in case you get jealous again," Lu Yingjiu said, "I'm just speaking from experience, preparing for a rainy day."
He entered the Qingdeng Society building and met Xiao Li in the elevator. Xiao Li had a handful of talisman paper in his hand and was mumbling something. He didn't even see Lu Yingjiu.
Lu Yingjiu took the elevator to the top floor and knocked on the door of the chief executive's office.
He hasn't been back to this office for a long time.
The room was decorated in the style of Young Master Chu, with exquisite carpets, gorgeous paintings, and every pen on the table was a gold-plated limited edition.
Chu Banyang stood by the French window.
He had just returned from a trip abroad, and everything from his hairstyle to his clothes to his shoes was meticulous and very decent.
Seeing Lu Yingjiu, he put on a subtle expression again: "What's the matter?"
Lu Yingjiu was not shy and sat on the sofa, repeating what she had said to Ye Feng: "There is something that concerns the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts and my life. You know that there will be great dangers in the future, and you may even die. Do you still want to know?"
Chu Banyang was silent for a while.
The silence was a little subtle and a little unexpected.
Lu Yingjiu thought that it was probably because Young Master Chu wanted to show off, and she couldn't find a way to refuse in a dignified way.
He was just about to give Chu Banyang a way out when he saw Chu Banyang looking at him with a bit of disbelief and... surprise, and asked: "Lu Yingjiu, are you, are you asking me for help? This is the first time ever."
Lu Yingjiu: “…”
How could this be the reaction?!
He answered frankly: "Yes, I can't do it alone, I need your help."
Chu Banyang's eyes visibly lit up.
He walked over quickly as if he didn't care, sat down opposite Lu Yingjiu, coughed, and said calmly, "Tell me about it."
Lu Yingjiu confirmed again whether he had made up his mind.
Chu Banyang said, "Let's not talk about you for now. This matter is related to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. I have to take care of it no matter what." He leaned forward slightly, "Besides, this opportunity doesn't come often."
Chu Banyang has always been ambitious and pursues the top.
Lu Yingjiu knew this.
This was an opportunity that could stop the Night Parade of Hundred Demons and save Lu Yingjiu. It was probably the only chance he would get in his lifetime... The temptation was too great, and Chu Banyang simply couldn't refuse!
Lu Yingjiu thought to herself, Chu Banyang is still Chu Banyang.
He no longer hesitated and carefully explained the whole thing to Chu Banyang.
Like Ye Feng, Chu Banyang was also in disbelief after hearing this.
The difference was that Ye Feng's shock was written all over his face, his mouth was open and he couldn't close it, while Chu Banyang barely managed to control his expression.
He said: "In other words, in order to find the way, I need to go to Shangyang University City to invite the Peacock God when the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons begins."
"Yes." Lu Yingjiu said, "In theory, that's right, but you are likely to be obstructed by ghosts and servants."
“… I understand.” Chu Banyang nodded and said, “I will find someone from the Chu family to go with me. As you said, I will not tell them the truth, so as to avoid bad luck. No one will be willing to trust me unconditionally.”
Lu Yingjiu added: "Once I find someone at Chen's house, we will go and scout the place together. It may take half a month."
"Yes." Chu Banyang said, "I'll tell the association." He hesitated and said awkwardly, "The ghost world... the environment should be very bad."
It sounded like he was curious about the ghost world, so he could only ask in a roundabout way.
Lu Yingjiu smiled and said to him: "The environment in the upper ghost world is very good, and the Wangchuan River is not as smelly as we thought..."
He told Chu Banyang about what he had seen and heard in the ghost world, and Chu Banyang listened attentively.
When I finished speaking, the setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the sunset glowed as red as fire.
Lu Yingjiu said: "There's nothing else, I'll go back first."
Chu Banyang nodded: "Okay."
Lu Yingjiu said again: "Thank you."
No matter how many times, Chu Banyang was not used to Lu Yingjiu's straightforward expression of emotions. He looked away awkwardly and replied, "I'll take you out."
"No need." Lu Yingjiu waved her hand. "I've been here for a long time. Why should I send you off?"
But Chu Banyang followed him anyway, and when he was about to open the door, he called out, "Lu Yingjiu."
Lu Yingjiu turned around and looked at him.
The orange-red light fell on Chu Banyang's shoulders and hair, outlining his tall figure and handsome appearance.
This situation seems a little familiar.
Just like... the last time they met on the stage at school, it was the same sunset, the same fiery clouds, and the same vast sky.
What did they say then
Chu Banyang looked at him and said, "Lu Yingjiu, I have a question for you."
"What?"
The two looked at each other for a long time.
Lu Yingjiu could not see any expression on Chu Banyang's face, but there was clearly a turbulent tide in his eyes. After an unknown amount of time, Chu Banyang spoke: "What would have happened if I had answered 'yes' that time?"
Lu Yingjiu remembered: On the stage at school, after Chu Banyang finished telling the story of Chu Qianju and himself, he asked, "Chu Banyang, do you like me?"
At that time, Chu Banyang said "How is it possible" and left in a hurry.
Lu Yingjiu asked, "Why did you suddenly bring up this matter?"
"I just want to know the answer." Chu Banyang said in a muffled voice, taking a half step towards him. "What if, I mean, my answer is yes?"
Lu Yingjiu was silent for half a second.
At this point, everyone understood each other's intentions.
He gave a very light and nice smile: "It's okay."
Chu Banyang: "... Nothing will change?"
"Yes." Lu Yingjiu nodded, "Nothing will change. I have someone I like, and if you say 'yes', I will reject you."
There was another silence.
After a long while, Chu Banyang relaxed as if all the strength had been released from his body. He smiled and said, "As expected, you are still you. You are always so hateful."
He said no more: "Come on, I'll take you downstairs."
When I went outside, it happened that the elevator was broken.
Two maintenance workers were standing at the door, sweating profusely, saying it would take more than half an hour to fix it. There was also an exorcist sticking talismans next to them.
Lu Yingjiu asked curiously, "How come this elevator breaks down three times?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a tearful Xiao Li rushed out of the stairwell. When he saw Chu Banyang, he rushed over to him: "Master, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!!"
Lu Yingjiu: “…”
When he came up, he did see Xiao Li taking the talisman paper, but he never expected that things would turn out like this.
Chu Banyang's eyebrows jumped: "What did you do?"
"I, I, I, I just used a talisman paper in the elevator." Xiao Li was about to cry, "As a result, a ghost flew out and kept spitting blood and making faces in the elevator, and it broke down! Now the ghost is caught and the elevator is broken, what should I do, you won't ask me to pay for it, you won't fire me, master—"
He cried so hard that his nose and tears were about to be stained on Chu Banyang's custom-made suit. Chu Banyang was very disappointed and pointed to the office: "Go there and wait for me."
"Okay, okay, wuwuwu—" Xiao Li went into the office in a collapse.
The surroundings became quiet, and Chu Banyang looked at Lu Yingjiu: "Will you sit for a while? Wait until the elevator is ready."
“No.” Lu Yingjiu shook her head. “I’ll take the stairs. Someone’s waiting for me.”
Chu Banyang: "... I'd better take you downstairs."
Lu Yingjiu thought that Xiao Li was really good at tricking his master, but he wanted to stop Chu Banyang, saying that it was unnecessary as there were dozens of floors to go.
Chu Banyang had already taken the lead in pushing open the stair door.
The two walked down the stairwell, one behind the other. Their footsteps echoed and the emergency lights illuminated the long corridor.
After walking a few floors, Lu Yingjiu spoke up: "I remember you telling me about Chu Qianju. You said that you couldn't surpass Chu Qianju, so you couldn't forget him."
Chu Banyang nodded: "This is indeed my problem."
He cares about everyone who is better than him.
Lu Yingjiu: "Then... then you have always cared about powerful people, and you might have paid too much attention to them." He didn't know how to phrase it tactfully enough, "I was wondering, is it possible that you misunderstood this 'excessive attention' as other people's emotions?"
"You just care about me too much and mistake this feeling for love."
This is what he just remembered.
Chu Banyang likes him, but maybe it’s not really love at heart.
It's just that I have been obsessed with surpassing him for so many years.
—Because I keep looking at him, thinking about him day and night, and can't help but pay attention to his every move, I have the illusion of "Do I like this person?"
Seeing Master Chu as an industry elite and workaholic, he probably has never been in love. If he can't figure out the delicate feelings, Lu Yingjiu won't be surprised at all.
Chu Banyang didn't answer.
The two of them walked down nearly ten floors in silence. Chu Banyang finally spoke up and brought up another topic: "This is quite similar to our last commission."
"Well, yes." Lu Yingjiu said.
In one of the few commissions they had worked on together, the two had visited a high-rise building that had a power outage.
It was also a long staircase with dim emergency lights, and they rushed up and down dozens of floors. Lu Yingjiu walked in the front, and Chu Banyang followed closely behind him. The two of them finally drove away the evil spirits in the building.
"It's been a long time since we did this." Chu Banyang added, "After such a long time, we are going to act together again."
Lu Yingjiu smiled.
Chu Banyang said: "At that time, you were walking in front of me, and I kept looking at your back. Do you know what I was thinking?"
Lu Yingjiu: "... After you push me down, you will be the first?"
Chu Banyang: “…”
He was so angry that his eyebrows twitched. If he hadn't been well-educated, he would have blurted out a swear word.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself down: "I was watching you at the time, wondering when I could surpass you. I have been watching your back for too many years."
"Oh." Lu Yingjiu said.
"Yes, then I also thought about other things, for example, what should I do after I surpass you?" Chu Banyang said, "I thought about it, but I still couldn't find any other goals. So there was a moment when I thought it would be good to stay like this forever."
—The staircase was so long and dark, as if it would never end.
Lu Yingjiu and he lit flashlights and walked down one floor at a time.
Chu Banyang looked at his white shirt, his soft hair, his fair and slender neck, and suddenly felt:
It would be nice if we could continue like this forever.
For the first time in his life, his innate competitive spirit, his unchangeable perfection, was defeated.
The defeat was a complete defeat.
If he keeps going on like this, he will never get first place and will always have a goal to pursue.
But Lu Yingjiu will always be by his side.
Hearing this, Lu Yingjiu raised his eyebrows in surprise: "No. 2, you still have such an idea? This is not in line with your personality."
Chu Banyang didn't say another word.
They moved quickly and soon reached the first floor. They opened the door and went out, and the sun was shining brightly outside.
Chu Banyang sent him to the gate and lowered his head to light a cigarette.
Lu Yingjiu said: "I thought you didn't smoke."
"Rarely," Chu Banyang said, holding a cigarette in his hand, "I rarely smoke."
"Smoke less." Lu Yingjiu said, "Then I'll leave first?"
Chu Banyang nodded.
After Lu Yingjiu walked a few steps away, he said, "You are wrong about one thing."
"I really don't understand the delicate feelings, but I can still distinguish between 'obsession' and 'love'. In this life, you are the only defeat I am willing to accept."
Lu Yingjiu: “…”
He turned around to look at Chu Banyang and saw that man standing at the door in a suit and tie, still as proud and high-spirited as when they first met.
He stared at Lu Yingjiu and said, "Everything will go well. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons will end, the pollution on the road will be resolved, Chu Qianju and the Peacock Curse will disappear without a trace, and I will use this opportunity to become famous. When all this is over, I will still try my best to surpass you, so you better be careful."
Lu Yingjiu smiled: "Okay, I will."
“You are still there, you have to live well.” Chu Banyang rarely smiled.
—He seemed to have finally let go of something, his brows relaxed and his heart was at peace.
Lu Yingjiu nodded and waved: "Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Chu Banyang said, "I'm the first place."