The King of Curses

Chapter 36 Family, Siblings and Brothers

"Wow, it smells really good!"

Sister Zhizhen, who had changed into home clothes, came down from upstairs. Her nose twitched slightly, her eyes sparkled, and her mouth turned up like a cat's.

"Come and eat it quickly. If you leave it out for too long, it will get cold soon."

Cen Dongsheng filled two bowls of white rice, placed them aside, sat down at the dining table, and invited the guest to come over.

"Do you know what my favorite food is? Braised fish, beef stew with potatoes, tomato and egg soup... ah, I didn't expect you to prepare them all! Are we too in tune with each other?"

Cen Dongsheng looked at her speechlessly.

"Isn't this what you said you wanted to eat..."

That night, he was chatting with Sister Zhizhen on the phone. When she made an appointment with him to come over tonight, she said something like "It's really exciting to taste Dongsheng's cooking." Cen Dongsheng felt that he had no reason to refuse, so he asked her what dishes she wanted to eat and prepared them today according to her instructions.

Of course, Sister Zhizhen’s favorite dishes were the most common home-cooked meals, which was a little beyond his expectations.

Maybe she was considerate and picked some dishes that were easy to cook, to avoid the possibility that someone would be embarrassed if they just made a boast...

But it doesn’t matter. Whatever she wants, Cen Dongsheng will give it to her.

He is not good at guessing people's thoughts, nor does he like playing riddles.

"Yes."

An Zhizhen sat down and stared at the steaming dishes on the table in a daze.

"Although I like these dishes, I can't say they are my favorites, mainly because I haven't eaten them for a long time."

"Really?" Cen Dongsheng felt a little strange, "Aren't these the most homely dishes?"

"Yeah...but I haven't had the chance to enjoy it since a long time ago. Sometimes you can only feel the taste of home when you are a child."

The woman smiled, a smile that was calmer than usual, and seemed a little more serious.

"Thank you, Dongsheng, for preparing these for me."

"That's it."

Cen Dongsheng nodded.

After she said that, I could more or less guess what the other person's family environment was like when he was little.

As soon as you look at Sister Zhizhen's appearance and temperament, you can tell that she is from a wealthy or noble family. A small family cannot afford to support a girl like this.

But being born a lady does not mean that she will definitely live a happy life from childhood to adulthood. Perhaps the time her family can spend with An Zhizhen is shorter than imagined.

Every family has its own difficulties. What is happiness? Material is the foundation, and human heart is the support. Both are indispensable.

Unfortunately, someone's emotional circuit is really slow, and he has not yet realized the true meaning hidden in Sister Zhizhen's words.

“But I still don’t understand, even if your family doesn’t want to cook for you, can’t you just ask someone else to do it?” he even asked.

"... Dongsheng, you are really slow." An Zhizhen sighed and explained helplessly, "Only family members - and people as close as family members - can make the 'taste of home'."

Cen Dongsheng was stunned.

He really didn't expect this.

Maybe it’s because he is an orphan and has never felt family warmth and affection, so he would never think in that direction.

He had never experienced it before, but it became second nature. The tragedy that others found unbearable was normal for him.

So, this is the first time in two lifetimes that I have encountered——

The first time someone said to him, "I want to be your family."

"Dongsheng, you are in a daze. Ah, are you moved by what I just said?"

“…A little bit.”

Cen Dongsheng sighed, feeling very complicated.

"If you're really moved, then show me more excitement."

Sister Zhizhen muttered.

"I really want to thank you for allowing me to recall the precious and beautiful emotions in my life."

"You're welcome. Besides, I don't think I've done anything so outrageous..."

Cen Dongsheng was really embarrassed now.

"Didn't you help me prepare a new home? You were also the one who took care of me when I was unconscious."

And thank you for giving me a feast for the eyes tonight.

Thinking of the scene of the beauty under the moon appearing at his doorstep, Cen Dongsheng felt that he would probably never forget it for the rest of his life.

"Well, those are just some trivial things."

"Cook a meal for both of us. It's just as easy." He picked up the chopsticks, "Let's eat."

……

A person’s living habits and behavior can often be seen from the way he eats.

Cen Dongsheng ate very fast, but chewed very carefully, and was decisive and efficient, like a soldier; while An Zhizhen had an elegant posture, and no matter what she was eating, it was as if she was attending a high-end banquet.

After the two of them finished enjoying dinner together, Cen Dongsheng washed the dishes while Sister Zhizhen helped clear the table and clean the kitchen.

Just like when they visited Sister Zhizhen's house before, the two of them divided the work and, without any prior arrangement, no one spoke, and there was a natural, unspoken understanding in the atmosphere.

However, Cen Dongsheng's state of mind has undergone subtle changes compared to that time.

While washing the dishes, he looked out the window at the night scene.

Although the villa is located in the city center, it stands in a rare quiet alley lined with sycamore trees. The hustle and bustle of the big city is far away, and only the moonlight is as cool as water.

He looked at the night sky, then turned his gaze back to look at Sister Zhizhen, and caught a glimpse of her putting on an apron and cleaning the kitchen. It seemed that in the blink of an eye she had transformed from that noble upper-class lady into a diligent and virtuous wife and mother.

If both of them were not curse masters but ordinary people, if An Zhizhen did not have lofty ambitions in her heart, if his opinion of An Zhizhen was not still complicated - if only looking at her now, at this moment, she should be the most perfect candidate for starting a family in a man's mind.

But, family?

Cen Dongsheng thought about it.

Even though Sister Zhizhen had complained that he didn't understand human nature, he wasn't so stupid as to not be able to tell whether a woman liked him or not.

Her words and the intimate attitude she occasionally revealed were quite ambiguous and would make him feel flustered - but did she really have that idea?
"Sister Zhizhen."

"Ok?"

"Regarding the topic just now, I want to confirm something. Sister Zhizhen, do you... regard me as a family member?"

"Is not it?"

An Zhizhen tilted his head and asked curiously.

"We are partners in our work relationship and family in our personal relationship...Ah, if you deny it at this time, I will be really sad."

"I……"

Cen Dongsheng hesitated for a moment.

"I think so. When I first called you 'Sister Zhizhen', I didn't feel that way. But the more we get along, the more I feel like you are my real sister."

"Oh, you're really good at talking."

The corners of her mouth turned up.

"Now that it's confirmed, should I change my address? Should I continue to call you Dongsheng, or Dongsheng brother?"

"Four words are too long..." Cen Dongsheng complained.

"Then just call me brother?"

He still felt something was weird.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter what we call it, as long as we know it clearly."

"Too."

"So, Sister Zhizhen, how does the food taste tonight?"

"That's great, my brother will become a good husband in the future." Is that so?

Cen Dongsheng didn't comment and shook off the water droplets on his hands. He felt that there would be no gain if he continued, so he changed the subject.

"So, what's next?"

There must be some follow-up activities tonight’s visit, right?

"Next, let's chat."

An Zhizhen answered with a smile on her face.

*
In the warmly decorated living room, a large TV screen was turned on, and the people on the other end were performing a human comedy with colorful changes.

The light slightly illuminated the dim room and the faces of the two people. The brother and sister just looked at each other casually. What was more important was the conversation and chat with each other.

Cen Dongsheng talked about the experience of today's exorcism commission. The instinctive impulses of ghosts and monsters are mixed with their natural desire for flesh and blood and their obsession in life, but it is rare for the latter to overwhelm the former.

After hearing this, An Zhizhen laughed so hard that she fell over.

"I didn't expect there were such ghosts. The world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things."

"It's really interesting..."

Cen Dongsheng looked at her face and asked.

"But Sister Zhizhen, let's get down to business, right?"

"Hey, Dongsheng~Are you a workaholic?" She puffed up her cheeks.

"…I'm just more curious about the inside story of the haunted incident at Caixin Middle School."

He said.

"I read some posts today and they seemed a bit fishy."

“Well, you even replied to one of the posts.”

"you know?"

"After all, I care about my brother's every move."

An Zhizhen was halfway through her speech when she started laughing to herself.

"Ah, does that sound a bit like a stalker spying on you? Haha."

Cen Dongsheng couldn't laugh. He asked back in disbelief:
"……real?"

"Oh, you're joking, of course?"

Seeing his suspicious look, An Zhizhen took out her cell phone, opened the web page, and waved it in front of him.

"Look, this post is now popular."

Cen Dongsheng took a look and found that it was true.

"…Why?" He recalled, "Did that post mention anything important?"

"Because of you, Dongsheng."

She put her phone on the table.

"You underestimate your influence in the forum. In fact, this thread itself mentioned that once you encounter a difficult supernatural incident, someone will think of you."

"..."

Cen Dongsheng looked at Sister Zhizhen's face, blinked his eyes, and said nothing.

"Don't look at me like that. I am definitely the driving force behind this, but without your efforts during this period, and without those forum users who sincerely supported you and regarded you as their savior after being helped, your reputation would only be undeserved."

An Zhizhen felt a little emotional.

"When I said you were a 'workaholic', I wasn't kidding. Although we have discussed making you a famous figure...yet your speed is too fast. In just a few weeks, how many paranormal cases have you solved? And it's basically all voluntary work. No wonder everyone is paying attention to you, just like watching someone breaking a record."

Really? He was used to it.

In the future society ruled by the "ancestors" and where teachers are banned, at least the Tiannan region where he is located is indeed a relatively stable era, but the price is that the front-line members of the ruling bureau like them work hard day and night at the risk of their lives.

Therefore, Cen Dongsheng did not take this level of task seriously at all, and did not care how many people he saved in the process.

There was no tricky haunted house and no powerful ghosts among the enemies. It was really easy for him.

But people like him are rare in the eyes of people of this era.

“That’s what we expected, isn’t it?”

"Yes." My sister sighed, "But I still hope you don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"It's okay. I don't feel tired."

"Really... Never mind. It's better for you to know the situation."

Seeing that he really didn't seem to be forcing her, An Zhizhen stopped talking. She took out a document from her bag and handed it to him.

"This is……"

Cen Dongsheng flipped through a few pages and found that it was an investigation report with a very standard format and detailed content.

"This is information obtained from the police. This time it was commissioned by the government, so it can be considered a briefing."

An Zhizhen held his chin with his hand and casually spoke out the seemingly extraordinary information.

"After all, this isn't the wilderness or an abandoned apartment, but a school... a school that had students attending classes until recently. If the situation can't be controlled, it could lead to serious consequences."

"Although the school was closed when certain signs occurred, there were indeed several students and teachers... who stayed there."

Cen Dongsheng flipped through the file and frowned more and more as he read.

"It's a bit troublesome."

"So, I just have one question for you. Dongsheng, do you want to get involved in this?"

Cen Dongsheng did not answer immediately.

An Zhizhen's phone was quietly placed on the desktop. On the forum page, his last reply was also the only sentence -

"【Winter Life】18:50
I gonna go see. "

At this moment, there are already hundreds of replies to this post, and you can even see his supporters and opponents arguing with each other...

Cen Dongsheng pondered for a moment, and finally gave the same answer as the one in the post:

"I'll go take a look, Sister Zhizhen."

"Then, I'll go with you..."

"No need. Sister Zhizhen must be busy with her own things."

"Yes. But matters concerning you are the top priority..."

An Zhizhen blinked, realizing that his attitude was firm.

"…Really not necessary?"

"of course."

Cen Dongsheng answered.

"While you are providing trials for me, I am also looking for trials for myself. This is the only way to become stronger quickly, isn't it?"

“…Although you seemed hesitant when I told you to aim to be the strongest in the world, you really have the potential.”

She laughed.

"Sister likes boys who are hardworking and capable of fighting. But if you really encounter an enemy that is difficult to defeat, please don't forget that I will always be your support."

Cen Dongsheng thought to himself, of course, otherwise it would be a waste of time to hold on to this thigh.

But he was still moved by An Zhizhen's words and nodded slightly.

Maybe... even without "Tiankui Quanshou", I would have fallen into this woman's trap long ago, he thought.

(End of this chapter)