Chapter 13: Come with me into the bathroom

“They even have middlemen for talismans.”

I took the talisman paper and examined it for a moment, but where there’s a market there’s demand; ordinary people who can’t get a master to draw a talisman have no choice but to buy second-hand ones.

“These used talismans lose spiritual power over time, but I bought this one six months ago, and it still has quite a bit left.I pressed it under a box before to let some of the printed talismans soak up the remaining authentic qi, and it seems to have helped a little.” Ou Zhiqin said.

Indeed, the printed talismans she produced also gave off a faint spiritual glow, although compared to that genuine Daoist talisman they were palpably inferior.

“Next, we’ll paste talismans on the windows and doors of the room; maybe then the Painted Skin Ghost won’t dare come in.”
Ou Zhiqin was about to hand me a talisman when her bedroom door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Qing’s father carried in a plate of watermelon and said, “You two must be tired from studying, right? Have some watermelon. Wait—Qing’er, are you showing off your strange collection to a classmate again?”

He frowned at the talisman in Xiao Qing’s hand, which suggested Xiao Qing had shown these talismans and artifacts to other classmates before, and I realized something else: her father had no idea she was involved in occult or supernatural stuff; he probably thought it was just a hobby and didn’t believe in ghosts.

“Dad, can you knock before coming in? I’m grown up now.”
Xiao Qing said, displeased.

“Heh, Qing’er is getting picky with her old man now.”
He set the fruit plate on the table and was about to leave.
“I’ve also got hot water ready; you two can go wash.”

“Oh, Dad, you and Mom should go to bed early tonight, you have work tomorrow, right?” Xiao Qing suddenly said.

“Mm, your mother and I will sleep when we’re tired.”
Her father nodded and went out.

“Won’t hiding here accidentally hurt your uncle and aunt?” I asked anxiously, since I’d run out of options but didn’t want to endanger Xiao Qing’s family.

“No problem, I’ve arranged it.”
Xiao Qing said as she took a small bottle of liquid from a drawer.

Then she carried the fruit plate and chatted with her parents in the living room.
During the conversation, her parents were extraordinarily warm to me; they made tea, offered fruit and snacks, and asked polite questions about my well-being.

I couldn’t help but think a pretty face really makes a difference.
If I were still myself and simply stayed beside Xiao Qing, her parents would likely have treated me coldly, but since I wore the beautiful, innocent school beauty’s appearance, their attitude changed completely.

They mainly asked about Xiao Qing’s studies and friendships at school, which I luckily knew well enough to answer plausibly.

After a while, Xiao Qing’s mother said, “The hot water should be ready; you two go have a bath together.”

“All right, we’ll go then; please wait here a moment, Mom and Dad.”
Xiao Qing stood up smiling and pulled me toward the bathroom.

“Hey—wait—why don’t you go first and I’ll wait until you’re done?” I stammered nervously, unsure why Xiao Qing was insisting I go with her.

“Don’t be so formal; it’s not like we’ve never bathed together. Come on.”
She laughed and pulled me along, but lowered her voice and added, “Come with me now; you can’t stay in the living room.”

I could only let her drag me, and from the living room I heard her mother laugh, “Such a shy child, and you’re both girls, how bashful.”

‘Both girls?’ I thought, inwardly offended—I’m very much a boy.
It was true that Xiao Qing and I had bathed together back in elementary school, before life got complicated: back then my family wasn’t ruined, my father didn’t drink, and Xiao Qing’s parents didn’t mind us playing together.

We were kids and didn’t guard ourselves, so I had seen nearly everything of Xiao Qing’s body then; I knew she had a mole on her butt.
Her parents probably just assumed the school beauty had once bathed with Xiao Qing.

But since Xiao Qing insisted I follow, she must have her reasons, so I complied and we reached the bathroom door.
Only then did she say, “I left a hypnotic incense burning in the living room; they’ll be asleep soon. If you stay in the living room, you’ll sleep too.”

I suddenly realized—no wonder the small glass bottle she took from the drawer had disappeared; that must have been the hypnotic incense.
Whether we needed to arrange the room or prepare to fight the Painted Skin Ghost, it would be noisy and might endanger others, so putting them to sleep was the safest option.

“Then we’ll go in and pretend to bathe; once they’re asleep, we’ll come out. Hey! What are you doing?”
I watched as Xiao Qing had already started undressing.

“What, what else? Taking a bath—hurry up and undress, Brother Xiao.”
Xiao Qing had removed her school uniform and skirt, wearing only plain white underwear.

“No, you’re a girl and I’m a boy—we can’t bathe together!”
I quickly covered my eyes.

“We used to do it all the time, and besides, you’re wearing Xia Yubing’s body now; it’s her body on display, not yours. I’m not embarrassed, so you shouldn’t be either.”
Xiao Qing began to take off her bra.

“There’s no need to actually bathe together, right? You can go first and I’ll go after.”
I turned away and offered that alternative.

“No, Brother Xiao, bathing is necessary. We encountered a ghost trap back at school; our bodies are tainted with bad qi and malign energy. We must wash it away—that’s the ancient cleansing ritual.”
Xiao Qing said, and she had already stripped everything off and placed her clothes in a wooden basin.

“I could just wash myself.”
I dared not look back and could only voice that suggestion.

“That’s the problem, Brother Xiao—do you know the orthodox cleansing method?” Xiao Qing asked.

“Huh? Isn’t normal washing with water enough?” I froze.

“Of course not. The cleansing ritual has a full set of procedures and techniques. If we had time I could teach you the theory and you could learn by washing a dozen times, but with the Painted Skin Ghost imminent, I have to help you cleanse properly.”
Xiao Qing said firmly.

“All right, I understand.”
I sighed in resignation; I hadn’t expected such ceremony and began to undress.

When the Painted Skin Ghost devoured me earlier, it had shredded every piece of Xia Yubing’s clothing.
Although Xiao Qing had brought clothes for me now, she hadn’t brought underwear, so I’d basically been naked all along; once I removed the tracksuit the clothing was gone—only the black over-knee stockings were a bit hard to get off.