Chapter 12
On the way back, he carried Lucky in his arms and stayed unusually quiet.
I glanced over.
“What’s wrong?”
He rubbed the puppy’s head.
Then, almost sulkily, “If you want to call him baby from now on, just do it. He’s been through a lot.”
I laughed.
Then I reached over and patted the puppy.
And after a second, I patted him too.
“Baby.”
His eyes widened.
“That one was for who?”
I tucked my hands behind my back and kept walking.
“Whoever answers gets it.”
His whole face lit up.
He was just opening his mouth when Lucky whined loudly in his arms as if claiming ownership.
He looked outraged.
“You little brat. Give my baby back.”
Lucky immediately started gnawing on his sleeve.
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
Then, while watching the two of them wrestle, I noticed the bracelet on his wrist again.
The dark wood.
The faint carved symbols.
I reached out and touched it.
“You’ve worn this for over ten years, haven’t you?”
He jerked.
“Fifteen. How did you know?”
I ran my fingers over the carvings.
“Because I made it.”
He stopped walking.
“What?”
I smiled.
“When I was little, there was always this very pretty little boy running to our temple crying because he could see ghosts. My master got tired of his daily visits, so he had me carve a suppressing bracelet and copy the protective script onto it. Then he quietly told me that this boy had fate tied to me.”
He stared at me.
Then stared harder.
“So… you were the master?”
I nodded cheerfully.
He looked truly stunned.
“Since when have you been doing this?”
I thought about it.
“Six or seven?”
His mouth twitched.
“Very shallow cultivation, huh?”
He pointed behind us, where an entire tin-roof structure had collapsed under the weight of animal spirits.
I waved a hand.
“Minor skills. Not worth mentioning.”
He stood there in disbelief for several seconds, then asked, “Why learn this at all?”
I looked back once.
At the dark district.
At the police lights.
At the place where justice had finally fallen.
Then I said quietly, “Probably for moments like this.”
When the world isn’t fair, heaven should be.
He went silent.
Then, after a while, he moved a little closer and said in a much lower voice, “Then… will you look after me too? I’m still scared of ghosts. Same as when I was little.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
I reached up and hooked a finger lightly against his cheek.
“Okay, baby.”
His expression changed instantly.
Soft. Bright. A little helpless.
Lucky objected at once from his arms.
That ugly half-healed bark came out again.
We both looked down.
And then we both laughed.