My Superpower Is Kind of Cute

Chapter 3: Dragon Balls

To be honest, I’m not exactly a die-hard materialist. Even though my teachers in elementary school often taught us to believe in science, there are some things that science simply can’t explain. So I’ve always been pretty interested in ghosts, spirits, and the like, and I believe they exist in some mysterious way. But interest is one thing—if someone told me I’d run into a ghost one day, I definitely wouldn’t be happy about it. That’s clearly a curse… That’s why I felt a bit resistant toward the person who’d suddenly appeared before me. Even if he really wasn’t in cahoots with the robber—maybe he’d just been sleeping in the bushes and crept out quietly when he heard me smash the teapot—the robber might have left, pretending not to see anything with a “better safe than sorry” attitude, leaving this weirdo to hassle me… Of course, that’s just my wishful thinking right now. “Don’t go.” The man saw right through my thoughts and pulled me even closer, as if he’d found a long-lost younger brother. I frowned, thinking to myself, what kind of spectacle is this—two grown men hugging and cuddling on a deserted country road in broad daylight? Besides, we weren’t even close. I wriggled free from his lecherous grip. Strangely enough, his touch was light and gentle…Actually, his whole body felt that way—it gave me an ethereal, otherworldly sensation. Just now, I’d even felt a faint chill beside him. In an instant, beads of cold sweat began pouring down my back. Damn it—encountering a ghost in broad daylight? Just how weak is my destiny? It’s still more than a month until the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Could he have snuck out early? The man seemed to read my mind again and smiled helplessly. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not a ghost.” “Who’s going to believe that?” I jumped to my feet immediately, exclaiming excitedly, “Which mental patient in a hospital would ever admit they’re mentally ill?” “I really aren’t.” Perhaps seeing my extreme reaction, the man slowly let his smile fade and began to tell me his story in a soft voice—without even asking if I wanted to hear it, he just went ahead and forced it on me. I pursed my lips and muttered, “This isn’t *Art of Life*—what’s the point of telling me all this…” From his account, I got the gist of it: his name was Qi Yun, and he came from a kingdom on the Hezhong Continent. He was of royal nobility—to put it bluntly, a member of the crown prince’s inner circle—the fourth son in the line. He’d been wild and unrestrained since childhood,Unfortunately, he’d been sickly since childhood, and the imperial physician had declared he wouldn’t live past thirty. This young master quickly came to terms with his fate. Recently, as his condition worsened, he decided to sail south alone—to spare others the burden of caring for him—intending to enjoy the scenic beauty along the way and pass away peacefully at sunset. But before he’d had his fill of the scenery,the boat capsized, and with a splash, he fell into the water. When he came to, he found himself right here… I’ve condensed and organized his account into a concise summary: basically, a short-lived, non-swimmer insisted on playing the artsy type just as his life was about to burn out. As it turned out, he drowned before he could die of his illness. Dying would’ve been the end of it—the real problem was that he actually time-traveled. I don’t think that ancient jar is a magic lamp; it’s just a counterfeit Poké Ball—the kind where things go out but never come back in. “So, does that mean you’re already dead?” I asked softly, testing the waters. “Not exactly.” Qi Yun ran a hand over his body, as if he couldn’t quite adjust to it yet. “Actually, I feel more agile and comfortable than ever before, but why does it feel so light and floaty…” “So it’s a soul transfer after all.” I slapped my forehead—that at least partly explained why that robber couldn’t see him… But according to standard novel plotlines, a soul transfer should at least give you a body. Now that Qi Yun was just a soul, wouldn’t he feel even more comfortable? After hearing my words, Qi Yun lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then gave a playful smile. “Soul transfer it is, then. It’s better than being dead.” “Tsk, tsk, tsk. That mental toughness—you’re right up there with me.” I wasn’t just bragging; as a normal person, being able to hold my own against a ghost for this long—anyone else might’ve wet their pants by now. That said, I still found it hard to accept—or rather, hard to believe. Thinking back to that strange gesture he’d just made on my forehead, I asked cautiously, “By the way, why did you poke my forehead just now?” Could it be that you needed to absorb some yang energy to nourish your body or something? At that, Qi Yun’s expression betrayed a hint of smugness. “I can search memories.” “What does that mean?” Qi Yun explained patiently, “It means copying a portion of your memories into my head.” I looked stunned. “Copy… No way! Are you invading my privacy?” Qi Yun, however, remained completely calm, showing no sign of guilt whatsoever. He spoke brazenly, “I’m new here, so of course I need to learn. If I hadn’t copied your memories, how would I have known I’d ended up in another world?” I rolled my eyes, clasped my hands together, and said in a deep voice, “I’m out of here.” With that, I turned and sprinted away without looking back. Just as I’d run a few hundred meters and was feeling smug, thinking I’d shaken off Qi Yun, he suddenly reappeared right in front of me. Still shaken, I stared at Qi Yun, glanced back at the road behind me, then looked back at him and stammered, “You… how did you get here?” “I just floated over. I’ve discovered that being a ghost has its perks—I can glide several hundred meters just by floating.” “Bro, please let me go.” I made a wretched face. Even a fool could tell he wasn’t going to let me off the hook now. If it had been a seductive female ghost, I might have just accepted it—taking her home might even lead to some scandalous shenanigans. I’ve read plenty of steamy novels about female ghosts. But the problem was, this guy was a man! My sexual orientation has always been normal; if I actually took him home, I’d be completely shameless… Qi Yun flashed a smile. “I won’t make things difficult for you. It’s just that until you’ve granted my three wishes, I won’t be leaving your side.” I shot Qi Yun a glance—he really thought he was Aladdin, indirectly blackmailing me into supporting him. Given the situation, I could only give a noncommittal grunt, while secretly plotting how to get rid of him. I walked to the bus stop to take a bus back to the city. Before getting on, I specifically asked the driver how many people were on board. The veteran driver gave me a look as if I were an idiot and said, “It’s just you.” This made me breathe a sigh of relief in my moment of despair—I only had two yuan left in my wallet. Luckily, Qi Yun was a ghost and invisible to others, so from now on, I could ride for free without having to pay extra… Wait, damn it, why am I the only one who can see him? After a long journey of several tens of minutes, I got off in the city center. I wound my way through a few alleys and returned to the company I’d worked so hard to build—the entrance to a lottery shop. Now that I’m back at the shop, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Chen Meng. Don’t let my name “Meng” fool you—I… ahem,well, I’m bigger than any of you—I’m twenty-four this year. My parents run a toy factory in this city. They originally wanted me to take it over. It was booming over a decade ago, but in recent years, it’s been squeezed out by electronics, and business has gotten tougher and tougher. So they’re looking for new opportunities and don’t have time for me right now. That’s exactly why I’ve been able to make a living running this lottery shop—it’s been my dream since I was a kid. Qi Yundong looked around the lottery shop with curiosity, pointing at the lottery data boards posted on the wall and asking, “What are all these strings of numbers for? I get it—you’re a teacher; this is your private school.” I grumbled in reply, “Wrong. I’m just a lottery ticket seller. Those numbers are Dragon Balls that can help people make their wishes come true!”