Chapter Four: The Newspaper

Li Changqing put on his black trench coat, took the felt hat from the other side of the coat rack, brushed off the dust, and placed it on his head. Then, picking up the cane leaning against the wall, he walked to the door and, with gentlemanly grace, opened it for Tang Xiaoyu.

By now, she had already changed out of her cartoon pajamas and back into her long white dress. Yet just as she stepped out, she hesitated. “Maybe we should forget it. I can’t help but feel that strolling out so openly like this is a bit unnerving.”

Without waiting for Li Changqing to respond, she turned into a wisp of blue smoke and slipped into his felt hat.

A moment later, she sneezed. “Li Changqing, you haven’t washed this hat in two weeks, have you? It stinks in here!”

“Coward,” Li Changqing muttered helplessly, not insisting any further. He locked the door of the detective agency behind him.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. “Did you hide the money?”

“It’s hidden, it’s hidden, in the usual spot. No thief would ever think to steal it, would they? It’s so smelly and heavy…” Tang Xiaoyu replied with utter confidence.

...

The “two of them” strolled leisurely to the bus stop two hundred meters away. After waiting more than ten minutes, they boarded the No. 13 bus toward the Eastern District.

There, in the city of Nanlin, was the largest market for incense, funerary goods, and antique furniture. Last time, Tang Xiaoyu had insisted on buying some cheap goods from a street vendor near the agency and suffered for it; in his past life, nothing irked Li Changqing more than losing face in front of a woman because he’d failed to spot a problem in time.

Even if she was a ghost, she was a ghost more beautiful than any woman he’d ever seen—more stunning than the legendary beauties of his previous life.

Although since crossing into this world, Li Changqing was often influenced by the deeply ingrained frugality etched into the memories of his new body, the pride of his former life’s masculinity still compelled him to buy only the finest incense.

The dignity he’d lost before, he must reclaim with his own hands!

Alighting at the Babao Street stop in the Eastern District, he immediately saw several shops selling incense and funerary paper. Strolling casually for about a hundred meters, he chose the most lavishly decorated shop and entered.

Inside, the store sold not only incense but also prayer beads, jade, and statues of various deities. This world seemed to have neither Buddhism nor Daoism, but some similar religions. Li Changqing had no time to ponder the meaning behind these unfamiliar yet familiar artifacts; he went straight to the incense counter and pointed at four rows of incense, asking, “Could you take them out for me to see?”

“Which one would you like to look at?” the saleswoman asked with a polite smile. “All of our incense here at Longevity Rites is imported from the Kingdom of Hongshan and is qualified for offerings in the highest temples.”

“May I see all of them? I’d like to smell each one,” Li Changqing replied.

The saleswoman hesitated. “Sir, we usually only allow three varieties for comparison at a time. The quality differences are significant…”

“I guarantee I’ll buy at least one kind, and not a small amount,” Li Changqing said calmly.

At that, the saleswoman swiftly laid out all the incense.

Li Changqing was just about to make his choice when a wail issued from his hat. “Li Changqing, you fool! How are you going to bargain later? And these are all so expensive…”

“This time you’ve done a great job. The agency has decided to improve your benefits, adding a meal allowance to your monthly budget. Previously, you had no meal allowance—that was our failing. This is only fair; it’s a matter of principle,” Li Changqing said solemnly.

He added, “Smell them all and see which ones you like.”

“Is that so? Well… all right…” She was successfully coaxed.

Li Changqing then picked up the incense one by one, bringing each stick to his nose and sniffing with exaggerated deliberation, his expression full of enjoyment. The saleswoman, observing him, grew suspicious. This customer was so particular and scrupulous—if he was an expert, why did he handle the incense so clumsily, risking the sticks rubbing and damaging each other? And incense isn’t for inhaling like smoke—wasn’t he afraid of snorting powder up his nose? Yet, it was always the varieties most praised by connoisseurs that he lingered over the longest…

Time slipped by, minute by minute.

Fortunately, it was Thursday and the shop was quiet. Otherwise, the saleswoman’s smile would have faltered long ago.

Half an hour passed before Li Changqing finally set down the last stick, his face contemplative. The saleswoman, whose expression had grown stiff, relaxed and asked expectantly, “Have you made your choice, sir?”

Li Changqing didn’t answer immediately, for Tang Xiaoyu was still fretting in his hat:

“The deer incense must taste sweet, but what if I get fat from eating too much…”

“That Qiong Incense No. 3 is so unique, but I’ll get sick of it after a while, I bet…”

Li Changqing glanced at his watch in exasperation.

Tang Xiaoyu caught on instantly. “Let’s pick… pick… pick the Piwen incense. It’s light but not bland, just right…”

“If I were to buy fifteen pounds of Gentian incense, two pounds of Yulan incense, and three pounds of Brahma Thread incense, could you give me a fifty percent discount?” Li Changqing asked, as if he hadn’t heard Tang Xiaoyu’s cry, pointing to several premium varieties on the counter.

Tang Xiaoyu had been fussing over the cheaper incense, but Li Changqing, who now possessed some spiritual cultivation, could clearly sense her ghostly energy fluctuating as she made her choices—she was, after all, hiding right in his hat.

The varieties he now selected were those that, when Tang Xiaoyu sampled them, brought her the greatest sense of ease—her ghostly aura smoothed out. That meant these were her true favorites.

But these were not cheap:

First-grade Gentian incense, 20 Lang coins per pound.
Premium Yulan incense, 50 Lang coins per pound.
Premium Brahma Thread incense, 60 Lang coins per pound.
Each purchase also came with a high-quality storage box, as stated in the product description. With proper care, they would keep for one or two years without spoiling.

Across the counter, the poor saleswoman was delighted when she heard the varieties and quantities he intended to buy—tonight she’d really struck gold.

But when he asked for a fifty percent discount, her face fell.

“Sir, this is a high-end shop—we don’t do wholesale. That discount is even steeper than our wholesale price…”

“Miss, look, I spent half an hour here making my selection. I must be sincere about buying, don’t you agree?” Li Changqing continued with a smile. “A customer like me, with regular high-volume needs, surely deserves a better discount. That way, I’ll become a loyal patron, and maybe even bring in more clients through my connections. Isn’t that better for you?”

“But…”

“Oh, never mind. I won’t make things hard for you. How about a forty percent discount? Let’s both give a little…”

Five minutes later, Li Changqing left Babao Street, thoroughly satisfied, carrying three elegant shopping bags. Next stop: Anran Restaurant.

All the way there, Tang Xiaoyu was so delighted she could barely speak coherently.

“Li Changqing, a forty percent discount! You’re amazing—this was such a bargain!”

“We made a killing tonight—twenty pounds of super expensive incense, and you just haggled away two hundred Lang coins like it was nothing…”

“Li Changqing, I almost thought you weren’t buying at all, you… you were practically robbing them, only missing a knife in your hand!”

“Li Changqing…”

Li Changqing ignored her, keeping up an air of nonchalance as he admired the scenery on either side of the street.

Inside, however, he was overjoyed. This was the first time in both his lives that he’d ever taken a “girl” shopping.

Anran Restaurant was on their way home, less than three kilometers from the Longqing Detective Agency.

Getting off the bus, Li Changqing walked to the restaurant entrance.

A doorman opened the wooden door, and Li Changqing stepped into the main hall. The place was decorated in a fresh, rustic style—what his past self would have called “bohemian chic.”

A waitress approached with a professional smile. “Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?”

“Ms. Fang.”

“One moment, please.” She went to the front desk, then returned. “Ms. Fang is waiting for you in private room A08. This way, please.”

“Thank you.”

Li Changqing followed her up the stairs to the second floor, stopping at the fourth room on the left.

He glanced at his watch—eight o’clock sharp.

He knocked.

When he entered, a young woman stood to greet him. Li Changqing nodded politely across the table. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Detective Li, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” he replied courteously, then removed his felt hat and hung it on the coat rack by the door, all the while discreetly observing her—a habit from his previous life that he had retained.

Ms. Fang wore a black shawl over her shoulders, a red dress, and a pearl necklace along with other valuable jewelry. Her makeup was subtle, making her appear young and elegant.

As he pulled out his chair and sat down, Li Changqing noted that although she was well maintained, faint lines at the corners of her eyes suggested she was in her early thirties.

Despite a trace of anxiety in her expression, she was careful to remain polite, accompanying Li Changqing in ordering dishes without immediately revealing her purpose.

She was likely from a well-educated family; her husband probably held a respectable position. They were well matched in social standing…

After the waiter left with their order, Ms. Fang finally spoke. “Detective Li, my name is Fang Qing. I’m the general manager of Linmei Property Group.”

“I’ve heard Linmei Group ranks among the top three property companies in Nanlin. To be so young and already a general manager—you are truly an outstanding woman,” Li Changqing complimented her, then smiled and got to the point. “Manager Fang, how may I be of service to you?”

Fang Qing did not answer immediately but took a newspaper from her bag, laying it on the table before Li Changqing. Her expression grew grave. “Detective Li, one of our communities has encountered something strange. I wonder if you’ve seen yesterday’s newspaper…”

“Oh, it made the news?” Li Changqing said with interest as he picked up the paper and looked at the story she indicated. His pupils suddenly contracted.