Chapter 45: What You Gain, You Lose
Back in Guan Hai's hospital room, Guan Hai had indeed woken up.
“Well, look at you, kid. Fainted just like that,” Yang Haoran quipped, smiling at the pale Guan Hai.
Knowing that Guan Hai was merely afflicted by Yin Qi and would recover after a period of rest, provided he avoided any further contact with highly concentrated Yin Qi, Yang Haoran wasn't concerned for his life. Thus, he was in the mood to tease the young man.
Guan Hai grinned, cursing, “I’m practically halfway to the grave, and you still have the nerve to mock me! May you die a horrible death! ”
“Whether I die a horrible death, I don’t know, but I do know you’re pretty much at death’s door right now,” Yang Haoran chuckled mischievously.
Not to be outdone, Guan Hai shot back, “Don’t worry. If I really go, I’m certainly not leaving you behind. I’ll drag a charlatan like you straight to hell with me. ”
Xiao Mo, standing by, silently chuckled as she poured boiled water for Guan Hai. These two always loved bickering whenever they met; she had long grown accustomed to it. So, she simply let them trade jabs and insults, refraining from interjecting.
A moment later, when their sparring subsided, Xiao Mo handed Guan Hai the cup. Though the water was at the perfect temperature, she still reminded him with a worried expression, “Brother Guan Hai, be careful not to scald yourself. ”
Gazing at Xiao Mo’s gentle demeanor, Yang Haoran couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Good heavens, the disparity between people was truly immense. Recalling how the Black-haired Woman had seemed ready to punch him moments ago, and then seeing Xiao Mo’s tender affection for Guan Hai, his heart truly shattered.
“Don’t worry,” Guan Hai replied with a smile. “Xiao Mo personally poured this hot water for me. Even if it chokes me to death, my heart will be filled with bliss. ”
Although his words were directed at Yang Haoran, they were clearly meant for Xiao Mo beside him. Yang Haoran’s face was a picture of disdain upon hearing this, but Xiao Mo, on the other hand, was beaming with joy.
How could Xiao Mo not tell Guan Hai was joking? Yet, even as a jest, hearing Guan Hai utter those words directly to her face, she couldn’t suppress the joy in her heart, which involuntarily spilled onto her expression.
“You shameless scoundrel, you ought to be put in a pig cage and tossed into a cesspit to suffocate! ” Yang Haoran declared with a look of utter contempt.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, how sour. These grapes are truly sour, they’ve made my teeth ache. ” Guan Hai leisurely took a sip of warm water, then handed the cup to Xiao Mo. Finally, with an exaggerated expression and rich body language, he spoke to Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran was so exasperated he couldn’t find the words to retort. He could only laugh and curse, “Alright, alright, you win! Isn’t that enough? ”
Guan Hai chuckled, likewise refraining from further mocking Yang Haoran.
After their playful spat, Guan Hai’s complexion noticeably improved. Compared to his previous half-dead state, he seemed a bit more lively, though this was only relative. Compared to a normal person, he was still very weak.
Yang Haoran had originally intended to ask Guan Hai what he’d been up to recently, not only failing to contact him but also getting himself covered in Yin Qi.
However, seeing Guan Hai was still quite weak, he could only temporarily suppress his questions, deciding it wouldn’t be too late to ask after daybreak.
“Still got the strength to bicker with me? Looks like you won’t be dying anytime soon. I’m so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open, so I’m going to catch some sleep first. As for you, do as you please. ”
Yang Haoran dropped that remark, found a chair to sit on, leaned back, and closed his eyes.
Seeing Yang Haoran fall asleep so readily, Guan Hai grumbled, clearly displeased, “You jerk! I just woke up, and you’re going to sleep? Aren’t you going to chat with me a bit longer? ”
Yang Haoran paid him no mind. A few minutes later, to Guan Hai and Xiao Mo’s astonishment, faint snores emanated from Yang Haoran.
He was truly exhausted. He had expected to get a good night’s sleep, but he hadn’t anticipated Guan Hai’s predicament, which had dragged on until now. Thus, he had fallen into a deep slumber in just a few short minutes.
Xiao Mo, by this point, was also overwhelmed with fatigue. Seeing Yang Haoran sleeping so soundly, she found a chair for herself, then simply leaned against the bed and fell asleep.
With no one left to bicker with, Guan Hai also closed his eyes. At this moment, he still felt incredibly weak; he needed rest.
Yang Haoran’s sleep wasn’t comfortable. Sleeping propped up in a chair was, of course, no match for lying in a bed.
He felt as if he had only just closed his eyes when he was woken by a commotion. Drowsily opening them, he saw several women gathered around Guan Hai’s bed, showering him with solicitous questions.
Yang Haoran felt speechless. He closed his eyes again, trying to go back to sleep, feigning deafness to the noise. Since these women were here for Guan Hai, he could let Guan Hai deal with the headache.
However, pretending not to hear and genuinely not hearing were two entirely different things, with a chasm of difference between them. One was heaven, the other earth.
Yang Haoran tried his best to acclimatize to the racket, but he simply couldn’t manage to feign not hearing. The women’s voices buzzed incessantly in his ears like flies, making it impossible for him to sleep.
Left with no choice, he groggily stood up from the chair, a wave of aches instantly spreading through his body. It took him a while to catch his breath.
Then, with a dazed expression, he turned his head to look out the window. Seeing that it was already bright outside, he pulled out his phone and checked the time: nine in the morning.
Yang Haoran sighed inwardly. He felt as if he had only just closed his eyes, yet unexpectedly so much time had passed. Looking at Guan Hai, surrounded by several women, Yang Haoran offered a greeting, then, with a weary expression, left the room, ignoring Guan Hai’s calls.
After leaving the hospital room, Yang Haoran departed the hospital, called a taxi to return to his convenience store first. There, he washed up, performed his ritual offerings to the Death God, grabbed a quick bite, and then hurried back to the hospital.
Although he had missed the appointed time for worshipping the Death God once again today, Yang Haoran had rushed back as quickly as possible, his attitude deeply reverent. As for whether the Death God would hold it against him, that he did not know.
In the car on the way to the hospital, Yang Haoran called Old Master Jiang. He explained Guan Hai’s condition and asked if his internal Spirit Power could be used to treat it. The answer he received was yes, but it was entirely unnecessary.
According to Old Master Jiang, Guan Hai simply needed more sun exposure and to avoid further contact with highly concentrated Yin Qi. In a few days, the Yin Qi clinging to him would dissipate completely, and he would return to normal.
Furthermore, Old Master Jiang gave Yang Haoran a warning: now that he was a Night Watcher with Spirit Power within him, the concentration of Yin Qi on his person was no less than that of a ghost, even far surpassing that of an ordinary disembodied soul.
Moreover, as his internal Spirit Power grew, the Yin Qi emanating from him would become increasingly potent. This Yin Qi originated from within his body; as long as Spirit Power existed inside him, his body would continuously release Yin Qi.
For ordinary people, Yin Qi merely adhered to the body’s surface and could be easily dispelled. However, for Night Watchers and all members of the Underworld Office, their Yin Qi emanated from within and could not be dispelled, unless they permanently lost their Spirit Power.
Thanks to the Death God Seal, the Yin Qi on a Night Watcher’s person would not cause them any negative effects.
However, if people close to them spent prolonged periods together, they would inevitably be affected by the Yin Qi. Even if one used Spirit Power to dispel the surface Yin Qi each time, over an extended period, they would still suffer considerable harm, and their health would steadily decline.
Old Master Jiang’s warning indeed placed considerable psychological pressure on Yang Haoran. At this moment, he finally understood why Old Master Jiang had once said that not possessing special abilities could be a good thing. Now it seemed, this was likely what he had been referring to.
Upon returning to the hospital, Yang Haoran’s mood was somewhat heavy. He clearly understood what Old Master Jiang’s warning implied.
Such was life sometimes: if you desired to gain something, you would inevitably lose something in return. Perhaps you wouldn’t feel it at the time, but afterward, you would surely realize that was the truth.
This path was one he had chosen himself, and Yang Haoran certainly wouldn’t regret it. However, he wouldn’t allow this situation to persist indefinitely. He believed that as his abilities grew stronger, he would definitely find a way to resolve this issue in the future.
As for now, he could only try his best to control the time he spent with his friends, no longer gathering with them as unreservedly as before.
Walking through the hospital, Yang Haoran secretly circulated the Spirit Power within his body. After this Spirit Power completed a circuit, he felt much more comfortable and refreshed, his fatigue from lack of rest significantly reduced.
This method, of course, was also taught to him by Old Master Jiang. Once utilized, it could alleviate one’s fatigue and restore mental clarity.
Downstairs from the inpatient building, Yang Haoran didn’t immediately go in. Instead, he hesitated for a moment, then made a call from outside the building. This call wasn’t to Guan Hai, but to Jiang Zhenzhen.
However, to Yang Haoran’s surprise, Jiang Zhenzhen’s phone was switched off.
He was puzzled. It was already noon; Jiang Zhenzhen couldn’t possibly still be asleep. Could it be that their jewelry store now had a new rule, requiring phones to be switched off during work hours?
Thinking this, he dialed Jiang Zhenzhen’s number several more times. The result was the same; it remained switched off.
Helpless, Yang Haoran put away his phone, feeling a slight apprehension in his heart, a sense of anxious uncertainty. He decided to try calling again in the evening. After all, Jiang Zhenzhen would be off work by then, and even if phones had to be off during work, no one could control her after hours, right?
Having made his decision, Yang Haoran entered the elevator and returned to Guan Hai’s hospital room.
Before he even stepped into the room, Yang Haoran’s brow furrowed slightly.
Inside the ward, numerous women chattered incessantly. Their numbers were even greater than when he had left that morning. Yang Haoran wasn’t surprised; this was within his expectations, as Xiao Mo had already warned him last night.
The reason for his frown was that he sensed a wave of Yin Qi in Guan Hai’s room. He had detected it even before stepping inside, and after entering, the Yin Qi grew even stronger.
His gaze immediately pierced through the lively, youthful figures, finally locking onto one particular woman.
Upon seeing this woman, Yang Haoran’s brows knitted even tighter.
“It really is her,”
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