Chapter 28: You’re Not Saying You Can’t, Are You?

Jiang Zhiyue did not answer the female ghost’s question, but a faint smile played on her lips.

"Since you like to blow cold air everywhere, you might as well stay in the refrigerator!"

With that, she pulled open the fridge door and shoved the ghost inside. Once done, she pulled a talisman from her bag and slapped it onto the door. She then reached over and unplugged the refrigerator for good measure. With the ghost acting as an automatic cooling unit, she would save a fortune on electricity—she really was brilliant! Her perspective was broadening; it was sweltering outside, and if she caught another ghost for her room, she wouldn't even need air conditioning. After all, catching a few free ghosts was far easier than working hard to pay the electric bill. With this thought in mind, she clapped her hands together and headed toward the kitchen with satisfaction.

Soon, the small rented apartment was filled with the tantalizing aroma of a home-cooked meal. Pei Heng felt this was the most delicious meal he had ever eaten in his life. After dinner, he took the initiative to take on the task of washing the dishes. However, he was ruthlessly kicked out after accidentally shattering one of the new bowls Jiang Zhiyue had just bought.

Even as the door clicked shut, he was still outside profusely apologizing, promising to compensate her with many, many beautiful new bowls the very next day. By the time the Pei family driver picked him up, he was still replaying the moment he dropped the bowl in his mind.

Ugh! How infuriating!

Seeing his young master scratching his head and fidgeting in the back seat, the driver couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, have you... been rejected in love?"

Pei Heng sighed. "I fumbled."

"What?!" The driver slammed on the brakes and began to preach earnestly: "Young Master, haven't you and Miss Jiang only just met? Is it really appropriate to be so forward so soon? Matters of the heart require a slow and steady approach."

The driver was a long-time employee of the Pei family who had watched Pei Heng grow up. He knew that due to certain unexplainable reasons, his young master had been confined to the house for most of his life and had never really interacted with women. He was a young man, full of vigor, so it was understandable that he would develop feelings for a bright and stunning girl like Miss Jiang. Still, that didn't mean he should act recklessly.

Seeing his young master’s dejected expression, the driver assumed that something unpleasant must have happened during their time together, leading to him being kicked out. The driver secretly resolved that the next time the young master spent time with a girl, he would have to send someone to follow them the whole way. If the young master actually did something inappropriate, wouldn't that be a disaster? Wouldn't the girl's parents come knocking to chop him up for revenge?

Meanwhile, Pei Heng was still wallowing in regret: "You're right, Uncle Zhong. You're right. I was careless; I shouldn't have been so rash and hands-on. Quickly, let's go home. I need to practice hard tonight. I'll have Auntie Wang teach me more—next time, I'll definitely get it right!"

It was his first time washing dishes, and he had zero experience. He always thought the maids made it look so easy. Who knew it was actually so difficult? He made up his mind to have the family cook, Auntie Wang, teach him how to wash dishes properly as soon as he got home.

"What?!" The driver was stunned. That was definitely not the sort of thing one should practice with Auntie Wang! She was nearly forty and had a husband. How could he do that? Besides, Auntie Wang’s husband was the gardener in charge of the Pei family estate. If he found out about this, wouldn't all the precious flowers and plants be uprooted by morning? He decided he must report this to Mr. and Mrs. Pei as soon as they returned. He absolutely could not allow his young master to go down the wrong path just as his romantic life was beginning!

Back in the apartment, Jiang Zhiyue stared at the shards by the sink, her heart aching so much she could barely breathe.

"It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine!" She told herself. The bowl was bought with a new-user coupon from Pei Heng's supermarket app anyway; she would just pretend it was all a dream! Sighing, she looked at the half-washed dishes in the sink and opened the refrigerator.

As the door opened, the female ghost floated out. "Who are you? How can you see me?" She paused, looking around. "Hey? Where did that handsome young man go?"

Jiang Zhiyue leaned against the fridge, lazily replying, "Stop looking. He's gone."

"Gone?" The ghost floated a circle around her. "Are you incapable? You managed to lure such a handsome man into your home, and you just let him leave all pure and untouched?"

Jiang Zhiyue gave her a confused look. "What else was I supposed to do? By the way, can you wash dishes?"

"Wash dishes?" The ghost pondered. She had been a ghost for so long that her memories were quite hazy, and she couldn't quite remember if she knew how to do that.

"If you don't deny it, I'll take that as a yes. Here’s the deal: you wash the dishes for me first. Then, you can tell me how you died, and I’ll help you move on to reincarnation." With a flick of her hand, she shooed the ghost into the kitchen.

The apartment had been perfectly clean when she arrived that morning, and she had no idea where this ghost had popped up from. However, seeing that the ghostly aura about her was clean and she hadn't committed any evil deeds, she didn't mind keeping this free refrigerator around for a while.

Returning to her room, she took out the lightning-struck wood box she had obtained earlier that day. Even after a thousand years, she could still feel the lingering power of thunder flowing within the wood as she stroked the surface. There was nothing particularly valuable inside—just a piece of oxidized, tattered silk cloth with words like "My wife, Yunniang" faintly visible.

Jiang Zhiyue took a look, then carefully placed the silk into a sealed bag. She thought that if the opportunity ever arose, she might be able to return this letter from a millennium ago. The person who wrote it must have loved this woman named Yunniang deeply, enough to preserve his affection on silk inside such a precious lightning-struck wood box. It was a shame that this artifact had suffered such a disaster at the hands of an archaeological team; what a tragedy.

Once the items were safely stored, she cautiously began to dismantle the box. The more intact sections could be crafted into a miniature sword—small, but perfect for a fruit knife. It had the advantage of being compact and easy to carry; in this day and age, carrying a full-length sword would land her in trouble the moment she stepped outside. She could also make a palm-sized "Five Thunders" command token...

Finally, after a moment's hesitation, she selected a high-quality piece to make a protective charm for Pei Heng. She cut the wood into a small square the size of a mahjong tile and carefully carved an exorcism and fortune-gathering talisman of her own invention onto it. A reinforced protective charm was now complete.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

When Jiang Zhiyue walked out, she found that the ghost had finished cleaning up and was now obediently sticking to the side of the refrigerator. She gave a satisfied nod and headed toward the front door.

"Who is it?"

As the door opened, a bald, middle-aged man with a potbelly stood there, beaming at her, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

"Can I help you?" Jiang Zhiyue asked.