TRYMBPIETM 16: The Ancient Tree’s Deep Shade(10)

Since a netizen had reported to the police, even though all the show’s crew members returned to the village safely, the police still made a trip over to understand the situation and take statements.

After seeing the police off, the production team arranged for the guests to rest.

Most of the guests showed brief concern for Tang Qichen before returning to their accommodations. Only Chi Qingning, carrying a thermos, went to visit Tang Qichen.

His tone was quite neutral. “Uncle Tang had someone make this calming soup for you. He tried calling your assistant, but they didn’t pick up, so he reached out to me instead.”

Tang Qichen’s manager frowned slightly but concealed it well. He stepped forward to take the thermos and thanked Chi Qingning.

Tang Qichen glanced at the thermos, showing a trace of disgust.

Now he wanted to act like a caring father? Where was this energy before?

Although he found it repulsive, he still responded with proper courtesy. “That’s really thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

Chi Qingning shook his head. “It’s nothing.” He carefully studied Tang Qichen’s expression and softly advised, “You had quite a scare today. This is Uncle Tang’s gesture of goodwill, after all…”

Tang Qichen said stiffly, “Thanks for your concern. I’ll drink it after I get some sleep.”

Seeing this, Chi Qingning immediately changed his approach. After a few more words of concern, he considerately took his leave.

“Rest early.”

Tang Qichen gave a perfunctory nod, walked him to the door with his manager, then turned around and muttered irritably, “Annoying.”

The manager offered a few words of comfort. Seeing that Tang Qichen was still displeased, he simply said, “Weren’t you planning to thank Chi Qingzhou? You haven’t even bought a gift yet, and you’re still wasting time here!”

Tang Qichen perked up immediately and called his assistant to head to the county to buy a gift.

Before leaving, he whispered something to his manager.

His manager made an “OK” gesture. “Don’t worry. I’ll ask around right away.”

Since his manager was always reliable, Tang Qichen felt reassured and left with his assistant.

To reach the county, they had to pass by Chi Qingning’s place. As they hurried along, Chi Qingning, who was going through photos with his assistant, caught sight of them out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze darkened.

So this was the “too tired and needed to rest” he was talking about?

Was he in such a rush to get rid of him so he could go see Chi Qingzhou?

It seemed that this dear second brother of his was quite the schemer too.

His assistant, oblivious to his reaction, kept complaining.

“…Ning-ge, none of these photos are usable. Tang Qichen’s manager blocked the camera so thoroughly that we couldn’t get a single shot of you.”

Their manager simply wanted to generate a little buzz about a “friend visiting,” to suppress the hype about that illegitimate child. Why was this so difficult?

Chi Qingning said nothing. He turned his head slightly, his gaze cold.

It didn’t matter. Song-ge would be arriving in a few days.

By then…

…

Shangling County was too remote, and after searching the entire town, Tang Qichen found the gift options quite limited.

Feeling a little embarrassed, he sincerely explained to Chi Qingzhou and warmly invited him, “Once the recording ends, I’ll host a proper thank-you banquet. Xiao Chi, you must come.”

His manager, who had come with him, quickly chimed in with his own apologies and gratitude.

Chi Qingzhou responded vaguely, “This is already plenty. No need to go to such trouble, Tang-ge.”

Tang Qichen hurriedly assured him, “It’s no trouble at all. This is nothing for me.” He hesitated briefly, avoiding his manager’s gaze, before speaking solemnly. “I may not be a big shot, but I’ve made a name for myself in the industry. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

Chi Qingzhou glanced at him and gave a perfunctory “Oh. If I ever need help, I won’t hold back.”

Tang Qichen couldn’t help but smile, a little excited.

His manager, seeing this foolishly eager expression, felt exasperated.

After chatting a little longer, the manager noticed Chi Qingzhou looked somewhat tired and quickly pulled Tang Qichen away.

As they walked back, after a long stretch of silence, the manager finally spoke.

“Q Chen, don’t you usually hate people using you for clout? You were wary of Chi Qingning’s attempt to market a friendship with you, but you’re being awfully generous with Chi Qingzhou.”

“Uh… well, you know, in this industry, it’s always good to show respect to top-tier traffic.”

Tang Qichen fumbled for an excuse and quickly changed the subject.

“Did you find out what I asked you to check?”

His manager replied, “You mean Chi Qingzhou’s background? Yeah, I did. Funny thing—when I asked around, I found out that someone from Scenery Along the Way ’s production team had already inquired about it before me. Guess who?”

Tang Qichen abruptly stopped in his tracks. “Who?”

“Host Lu Man.”

Tang Qichen was stunned for a moment and thought back.

Since the start of the show, Lu Man had been noticeably kind toward Chi Qingzhou. Looking at it now, they might have some history.

His manager relayed all the information he had gathered and sighed. “I always knew rich families could be messy, but I didn’t expect this. Chi Qingzhou is their biological son! Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs!”

Tang Qichen was silent for a few seconds before changing the subject. “What’s Lu Man planning to do with this information?”

“Oh, I was just about to mention that. Lu Man seems to be waiting for a chance to clarify things for Chi Qingzhou during a livestream. But since Chi Qingning is also part of the show, he’s under a lot of restrictions and has little room to maneuver.”

After all, the show still had to go on. If things blew up on set, it would cause chaos.

“He’s probably still waiting for the right opportunity. If you really want to repay Chi Qingzhou, maybe you can help with this.”

The manager sneered.

Other people feared Chi Qingning’s background, but his artist didn’t.

Everyone in the industry knew how Old Tang treated his artist in the past.

With the way Chi Qingning was eagerly supporting Old Tang, who wouldn’t find that disgusting?

Better to keep their distance.

Tang Qichen gave a dry “Oh.”

His manager glanced at him.

Tang Qichen clenched his jaw for a few minutes before he finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“By the way, I heard that, uh… do gay people really have a tradition of repaying life-saving grace by offering themselves?”

His manager: “…?”

Tang Qichen didn’t notice the way his manager was looking at him like he was crazy. He continued to struggle with the thought, “That seems a bit much, right? But if it’s a tradition, should I at least respect it?”

His manager gritted his teeth. “Tang Qichen.”

Tang Qichen looked at him blankly. “Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Are you out of your mind?!” His manager raised his briefcase threateningly. “Don’t think that just because you’re my boss, I won’t hit you!!”

…

That night, there was no wind or rain. The moon hung high in the sky, casting cool silver light that softened the outlines of everything.

Chi Qingzhou sat on the windowsill, his eyes curving in amusement.

“I thought that snake had already been taken away by the rescue team and the police.”

In the hazy moonlight, his features seemed bathed in a soft glow, making him look even more refined and otherworldly.

“When did you hide it?”

Xing Shuangzhan emerged from the shadows, wearing a tailored black robe that clung to his tall, slender figure, outlining his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

His scarlet pupils overflowed with a sinister aura, making his handsome face even more eerie.

Under the moonlight, the robe glimmered with tiny sparks, resembling a mysterious talisman. Looking at it closely made one feel dizzy.

“Probably when… the people in the livestream started paying attention to the snake?”

He reached out and pulled Chi Qingzhou into his embrace, resting his chin on Chi Qingzhou’s head. A careless smile played on his thin lips.

“It’s quite interesting. Among the people watching your livestream, there are quite a few with sharp instincts. The last time I saw something similar was when I was still alive.”

Chi Qingzhou nodded without probing further.

He picked up the snake that was placed before him and began to carefully study the patterns on its back.

Xing Shuangzhan pinched the back of his neck, “Such kids are easily frightened. Maybe it will bring you some unexpected attention?”

Chi Qingzhou lifted his head, his gaze unusually innocent. “What kind of unexpected attention?”

Xing Shuangzhan pretended to think for a moment, then mischievously smiled and said, “Probably the kind of attention you don’t want to see.”

Chi Qingzhou blinked, “Is it someone from the Xuanxu Sect?”

Xing Shuangzhan: “Yes.”

Chi Qingzhou responded with a faint “Oh.” “It’s fine. People from the Xuanxu are reasonable. Unlike some folk magicians.”

Xing Shuangzhan clicked his tongue low, “You’re so laid-back? Little contractor , do you still remember that they’ve always wanted to send me offerings?”

Chi Qingzhou spoke with an extremely calm tone, “It’s just offerings.”

He had known Xing Shuangzhan since his teens, so he had long since gotten used to his occasional dark humor and unpredictable behavior.

In the past, Xing Shuangzhan’s odd behavior used to make him uneasy, but now he was immune.

Xing Shuangzhan’s eyes were filled with regret, “You’re not the same anymore, Qingzhou. You’re harder to deceive, but still…”

He chuckled softly, swallowing the last part of his sentence.

Chi Qingzhou completely ignored his words and stared at the ghost snake, his face showing confusion.

Theghost snake in his hand looked no different from a regular Indian krait at first glance, even the human-face pattern on its back had completely vanished.

Could the ghost snake be this fragile?

“It was forcibly raised, after all. Don’t compare it to one that was born and nurtured naturally.”

Xing Shuangzhan chuckled softly, casually tapping the snake’s head.

A strong ghostly aura seeped into the nether snake’s every inch of skin, and in the blink of an eye, the snake’s pattern changed.

The yellow and white mixed colors formed twisted, screaming human faces, each face contorted to the extreme, faintly revealing the terror and pain they had once experienced.

Having accompanied each other for many years, this was no longer something to thank for.

Chi Qingzhou closely examined the patterns and realized that a few of the faces seemed familiar.

He raised the snake, pointing to the faces one by one for Xing Shuangzhan, “I feel like I’ve seen these faces somewhere before. And this one…”

He turned the snake over and found a much blurrier pattern near its abdomen.

“This should also be a face. The features look familiar, a bit like the host’s younger sister. Is it her?”

Lu Man’s sister, Lu Yao, was the only friend he had been eyeing recently. He remembered her clearly.

Xing Shuangzhan nodded, “It’s that fierce ghost’s.”

As for the other faces, he had no memory of them.

Other than Chi Qingzhou, he rarely paid attention to others.

But since Chi Qingzhou asked, he would always help him find the answers.

“I’ll try to trace back your memories in the next few days.”

Chi Qingzhou felt reassured and began researching something else.

A few minutes later, he furrowed his brow. “In addition to the ghost energy from your source, the nether snake seems to also carry the aura of Ah lai?”

Xing Shuangzhan gave a soft hum.

Chi Qingzhou’s expression changed slightly, “Ah lai’s aura is very weak, not enough to support the Nether Snake’s movement. That’s why after you withdrew the ghost energy, the Nether Snake couldn’t even maintain its pattern.”

But he knew very well that Ah lai was the most talented individual from the Puluo Tribe in the past three hundred years.He passed away less than five years ago and had already reached the first stages of the Ghostly Divinity Transformation.

According to the Puluo Tribe’s hierarchy, reaching the Ghostly Divinity Transformation required passing through five stages. Ah Lai is at the third stage.

Even the most gifted members of the tribe needed five to ten years to reach this stage, which showed just how exceptional Ah lai’s talent was.

With Ah lai’s cultivation and strength, his aura shouldn’t be this weak.

“Something might have happened to him.”

Chi Qingzhou’s gaze turned cold.

His shadow swayed and expanded, eventually covering every wall in the room.

the other half of his soul opened its eyes, and the once indistinct black and white peach blossom eyes were completely taken over by his pupils.

They both turned to look toward the southernmost part of the village.

“Should I ask someone who knows what happened?”

Xing Shuangzhan laughed lightly, “I’m afraid not tonight. The ghost master isn’t in the village, and the ghost energy I left on him was triggered by the Puluo Tribe’s territory.”