My Superpower Is Kind of Cute

Chapter 14: The Gourd Boy

After going downstairs, just as I was about to step out of the stairwell and leave the complex, a man—not very tall but stocky and muscular—passed by me. The reason I noticed him so much was because he was carrying a gourd. Perhaps because I was blocking his path into the stairwell, the man glanced up at me before stepping aside to enter. “Did you notice anything?” Qi Yun asked softly in my ear, seeing that I was also staring at the man. After the man had left, I nodded and said, “I didn’t expect him to be such a die-hard fan of Chinese animation. Wandering around with a gourd as if he’s afraid people won’t realize he’s impersonating the Gourd Kids… But come to think of it, I think he’d be more convincing as the Toad Demon.” Qi Yun shot me a look and asked, still not giving up, “What else?” “That’s it.” This time, my reply was quite decisive. “I’m not gay—do you really expect me to figure out what size underwear he wears?” Qi Yun dropped his playful expression, sighed, and said, “He has spiritual energy.” I froze for a moment, turned to glance at Zhou Jianguo’s apartment building, and asked cautiously, “So what are you saying…” Actually, I’d already pretty much figured out what Qi Yun meant. Qi Yun gave me a deep look and uttered three words: “You know what I mean…” Over the next two days, under Qi Yun’s incessant nagging, I reluctantly asked Zhou Jianguo—who’d come to the store to buy a “Dream”—about the identity of that gourd-carrying man, all while taking walks around the neighborhood whenever I had a chance to search for his trail. I’d even considered having Qi Yun take over the tailing, but the rules for soul-transference were just too strict. whenever he strayed a certain distance from me, he’d automatically return to my side like a young swallow returning to its nest. To put it in more “bromantic” terms, the two of us have now formed a deep bond—in any case, he’s the one who can’t live without me. From this perspective, I seem to have a natural talent for being the “top.” Of course, Qi Yun once asked me to join him in tailing the man, but I ruthlessly refused on the grounds that my career comes first—as if I were one of his kind, with just a soul that doesn’t need to eat. The fact that I’m cooperating with him this much is already my biggest concession. However, this doesn’t seem to be doing much good. Apart from going out to buy lottery tickets and groceries, Zhou Jianguo rarely leaves the house or greets his neighbors,so I’m probably the one who talks to him the most—he’s basically an elderly shut-in. Naturally, he knows next to nothing about what’s going on around him. Also, whenever I’ve gone over to that apartment complex after work, I don’t seem to have run into the Gourd Man again. Qi Yun also roams the entire building at will using his soul, but as soon as he enters the room of that busty girl downstairs from Zhou Jianguo’s place, he becomes utterly obsessed with her and can’t tear himself away… “Just this once, tonight.” I glared at Qi Yun with a grim expression. It was already my usual closing time, but Qi Yun insisted I stay until late at night to sneak into the complex with him. In his words, sitting around waiting for something to happen wasn’t a viable strategy—we had to take the initiative. I was just very skeptical about who exactly he intended to target. Qi Yun had also realized the mistake he’d made a couple of days ago. He hung his head in shame and repeatedly assured me that he’d definitely complete the mission today and would never set foot in that girl’s bedroom again. But judging by the look in his eyes as he spoke, I just couldn’t help but feel skeptical. “What if we mistake someone for the right person?” I asked again, still feeling uneasy. Qi Yun spoke with absolute conviction, “How could that happen? Mengmeng, you’ve got to have some faith in me. I swear on my own head—it’s definitely that ‘Gourd Boy.’ If it isn’t, I’ll chop my head off and let you use it as a outhouse to take a shit.” After hearing that, I nodded in relief, but a moment later it dawned on me, and I pointed at him and let him have a good scolding: “You’re nothing but a wandering spirit—where’s your head?” This was the first time I’d stayed open this late, though it wasn’t much different from being at home—after all, I had a computer and instant noodles here. After watching two movies, it was suddenly midnight. A few people had come in during that time, all regulars who chatted with me for a bit before heading home. Looking out at the deserted alley, where only my shop still had the lights on, I was just thinking about closing up shop with Qi Yun and sneaking into the residential complex when another customer showed up at the door. “Chen Meng, are you keeping vigil at your lottery shop? What time is it anyway, and people are still coming in to buy tickets?” The guy at the door seemed pretty drunk and was rambling nonsense. I waved at him and teased with a laugh, “Hurry up and go home to sleep. Don’t think I don’t know you just went out for some fried chicken. Did you wear gloves? Don’t let the grease get all over them—it’ll be impossible to wash off, and they’ll be ruined.” The guy belched, gave me a thumbs-up, and praised me, “You’re a pro—you know more than I do.” With that, he staggered into the alley. Seeing that no one was around, I quickly closed up shop. Pretending nothing was out of the ordinary, I followed Qi Yun to the entrance of Zhou Jianguo’s apartment complex under the dim glow of the streetlights. The complex was eerily dark—not a single light was on. Without my even having to say a word, Qi Yun lunged toward Zhou Jianguo’s building like a starving wolf. I watched his retreating figure with disdain; sure enough, his true intentions lay elsewhere. I sat there miserably crouched downstairs for several minutes, feeling like I wouldn’t get any information tonight. I wanted to contact Qi Yun, but we weren’t telepathic, and as a stray ghost, he didn’t have a cell phone. After mulling it over for a while, I decisively stood up, brushed the dust off my butt, and walked away—I could already picture Qi Yun appearing in front of me, completely bewildered, the moment I stepped out of the complex… Just as I reached the complex gate—before I’d even had a chance to leave—that familiar-looking figure caught my eye again. The most striking thing about him was the gourd in his hand—neither too big nor too small—as he swayed past me. I glanced sideways at him, instantly changed my mind, turned around, and quietly followed behind him. I don’t know if it was because my tailing skills were terrible or what, but after just a few steps, he spotted me. He whipped his head around, startling me so much that I panicked and instinctively looked for a place to hide—only to realize there was nothing nearby to block his view. Left with no choice, I stood there awkwardly facing him. “Are you following me?” the man with the gourd asked in a deep voice, looking as if he was about to beat me up at the drop of a hat. “I wasn’t,” I blurted out almost without thinking. “If you aren’t, then what are you doing here? I thought you were about to head out just a moment ago,” the guy kept harping on. “I forgot something and came back to get it—is that a problem?” I replied, a bit annoyed, thinking to myself, This guy is such a pain in the ass. I’m not even a girl—why is he still trying to hit on me? “Bullshit,” he glared at me and said firmly, “You’re definitely not from this complex—I’ve never seen you before.” “Do you really think you’re some neighborhood committee auntie? Why do you have to stick your nose into everything?” This time, the man didn’t say a word; instead, he clenched his fists tightly. I sensed a hint of danger and immediately softened my tone. Pointing at the gourd in his hand, I said earnestly, “Actually, I just want to see what kind of medicine you’re selling in that gourd.”