Chapter 8: Gold

“Mr. Shen, I’m truly sorry to disturb you so late.”

Jiang Wenxin immediately apologized to Shen Siyuan again.

“I already said it’s fine.”

Shen Siyuan spoke, reaching out to pat Dou Dou’s small head; instantly, a faint pale blue glow emanated from Dou Dou’s body.

Tao Guangxia, who had been standing silently beside them, observing Shen Siyuan, suddenly widened his eyes.

Then he cried out, “Dou Dou!” and bent forward to embrace her—but his arms closed on empty air, as if it had all been an illusion.

Tao Guangxia reacted swiftly, immediately looking up at Shen Siyuan.

With an expression of utter disbelief, he asked: “My… my daughter’s ghost is really here?”

Clearly, he hadn’t believed his wife Jiang Wenxin’s words—he’d only agreed to come along out of love for her, and out of fear she might be deceived.

Even when she took some “thank-you gifts” from home, he didn’t stop her; secretly, he was pleased—if the other party dared to accept, he’d call the police immediately. The amount was huge; it would land them in prison for years.

That’s why he’d remained silent all along—yet now, he had actually seen his daughter.

He hoped this was just his imagination, yet he also didn’t want it to be.

“This is Dou Dou’s father…”

Jiang Wenxin spoke with skill, not introducing him as her husband, but as Dou Dou’s father—because Shen Siyuan had said he liked Dou Dou, so she phrased it this way to win his first impression.

“Mr. Shen, nice to meet you. I’m Tao Guangxia.”

Tao Guangxia stood up and introduced himself, his expression slightly agitated—even as he spoke, his eyes kept darting to Shen Siyuan’s right leg, the exact spot where Dou Dou stood.

Dou Dou thought her father could finally see her, and excitedly waved her tiny hands.

“Mr. Shen, we came in a hurry and brought nothing prepared—this is our token of thanks.”

Jiang Wenxin said, quickly pulling a red square silk box from her bag and shoving it into Shen Siyuan’s hands.

“What’s this?” Shen Siyuan asked, surprised.

He didn’t think much of it and took it automatically.

“I bought this long ago. It’s a bit vulgar, but it’s the only thing we have at home worth offering,” Tao Guangxia explained beside him.

Shen Siyuan, hearing this, opened the box casually—and froze.

Inside were four gold bars—the kind used for investment—with weight markings: each weighed one hundred grams. At five hundred yuan per gram, the total value was two hundred thousand yuan.

“This is too valuable. I can’t accept it.”

Shen Siyuan was tempted, but still handed it back.

He helped Dou Dou out of compassion, not for reward.

“Mr. Shen, Dou Dou will still need your care in the future. If you don’t take this, we won’t be able to rest easy,” Tao Guangxia knew how to persuade.

Jiang Wenxin nodded vigorously beside him.

Shen Siyuan hesitated, then took one bar and returned the other three.

“One is enough,” Shen Siyuan said.

Everyone has desires, especially when it comes to money—the one thing Shen Siyuan lacked most. But a gentleman seeks wealth by righteous means. One gold bar is sufficient; taking all would be greed.

The couple tried to refuse again, but Shen Siyuan’s expression darkened, his voice low and firm: “Take it back.”

They flinched at his tone, every hair on their arms standing on end; they couldn’t speak a word, only numbly took back the silk box he offered.

Seeing them take back the box, Shen Siyuan exhaled softly in relief.

He knew these two weren’t short on money—just the watch on Tao Guangxia’s wrist was worth several times the value of the four gold bars.

But he only wanted to help Dou Dou—so he would remain purely kind from start to finish.

If he truly wanted money, he had countless ways to get it now.

“Then tomorrow, let us treat you to dinner,” Jiang Wenxin said.

“You should spend more time with Dou Dou.”

Shen Siyuan’s thoughts shifted, and the Ten Thousand Souls Banner appeared in his palm. He formed a hand seal, and a wisp of pale blue light shot into Tao Guangxia’s forehead.

Tao Guangxia felt a faint chill at his brow—he instinctively reached up to touch it—but before his hand could rise, he noticed Dou Dou, waving her tiny hands beside him.

“Dou Dou…”

Overjoyed, Tao Guangxia no longer cared about anything else—he bent down and pulled Dou Dou into his arms.

“Dad, you can see me now?”

Clutched in her father’s arms, Dou Dou pouted, happy yet feeling wronged.

“Baby… Dad… Dad…”

Seeing his daughter again, Tao Guangxia choked up, unable to speak.

“Go home and talk slowly—you have about one day.”

Shen Siyuan found himself unable to bear witnessing this.

“Mr. Shen… you mean Dou Dou only has one day left?” Jiang Wenxin asked, panicked.

Tao Guangxia forgot his grief, immediately lifted Dou Dou, staring anxiously at Shen Siyuan.

“Not that Dou Dou has one day left—but that you two can see her for only one day.”

They could see Dou Dou because Shen Siyuan had infused them with a wisp of spirit energy from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

But that wisp, once detached from the banner, was like a floating weed without roots—it would vanish completely within a day, and then they would no longer see Dou Dou.

“Then can we—”

Tao Guangxia opened his mouth to speak, but Shen Siyuan cut him off.

“No. Humans and ghosts walk different paths. I’ve allowed you to meet Dou Dou and share a brief reunion—that’s already the limit. To make it permanent would bring no benefit to either of you…”

Shen Siyuan enabled them to see and communicate with Dou Dou using a wisp of spirit energy from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner—not a benign thing at all, and utterly harmful to ordinary people.

Seeing Shen Siyuan’s serious expression, the couple dared not speak further.

“Take Dou Dou home,” Shen Siyuan said again.

The couple exchanged a glance, then, helplessly, embraced Dou Dou and took their leave.

As Tao Guangxia turned away, holding Dou Dou, he noticed Lao Tou standing nearby.

He was startled—then remembered his wife’s words on the way here, which hadn’t been lies.

There really had been a ghost following them all along.

But knowing Shen Siyuan was here, he felt calm—he gave the old man one long look, then continued walking out of the compound with Dou Dou in his arms.

“Bye-bye, Guoguo.”

Clutched in her father’s arms, Dou Dou happily waved her tiny hand at Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan smiled and waved back.

Once they were out of sight, he immediately dropped his smile and turned to Lao Tou, who approached cautiously.

Looking at the man’s face covered in fleshy nodules the size of thumbs, Shen Siyuan forced down his revulsion and asked coldly: “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take you?”