My Family Is Very Odd

Chen Yuanyuan took three pictures in a row.

The first one was Li Xiaogui peeking at Shen Chen while he helped her open the straw.

The second one was Shen Chen handing Li Xiaogui the strawberry milk.

The last one captured the moment Shen Chen gently rubbed Li Xiaogui's hair. She lowered her head, scrolling through the photos several times.

Chen Yuanyuan looked at them again and again.

Her finger stopped on the first picture, her eyes lingering on Li Xiaogui's cute, sneaky expression.

'This is pretty interesting,' she thought. 'Shen Chen was wrong.'

After enjoying the photos, she sent them to a friend, the older brother of a little ghost. She and this "Little Ghost Brother" had maintained a good relationship over the past few years, communicating through their phones.

They were both photography enthusiasts who loved taking portraits. They got along quite well. Chen Yuanyuan's first camera was even a gift from Little Ghost Brother.

Speaking of which, although Chen Yuanyuan was very familiar with Little Ghost Brother and had even visited his house a few times, she couldn't recall his real name. His contact in her phone was simply saved as "Little Ghost Brother." She also couldn't quite remember what he looked like. Her memories of him in real life were not as vivid as their online conversations.

However, she didn't dwell on it, simply attributing it to her poor memory.

Chen Yuanyuan watched as "Little Ghost Brother" sent back several excited emojis, asking for more photos, specifically of the little ghost.

Chen Yuanyuan smiled and, understanding completely, sent a few more.

Little Ghost Brother was a typical siscon.

On the other side of the phone, Burly Ghost received the photos from his friend, Chen Yuanyuan. While charmed by the little ghost's cuteness, he sighed at the young man in the photos. He then privately forwarded these heartwarming photos to Female Ghost, Ghost Granny, and Ghost Grandpa – everyone except Young Ghost.

He didn't dare send them to Young Ghost. It would throw a huge tantrum, and with Little Ghost not around, nobody could calm it down.

Ding dong! The sound of WeChat message notifications echoed throughout the ghost house.

Except for Young Ghost, all the other ghosts received the photos Burly Ghost shared.

The notification sounds came from all directions, yet Young Ghost received nothing. Its radar instantly went up. Its ghostly figure materialized, its voice cold and eerie, "What was that sound?"

Burly Ghost hurriedly sent the other photos that his friend had sent later to Young Ghost. These photos only had Li Xiaogui, with everyone else blurred out.

Burly Ghost said loudly, "Yuanyuan sent some photos! I sent them to everyone!"

Young Ghost was satisfied but couldn't resist being a little mean, "You could have just sent them in the group chat. Why individually? How troublesome."

Burly Ghost gave an awkward laugh, not daring to speak.

These ghosts were surprisingly adept at using technology from the human world. They were quite trendy. Not only did they use mobile phones and send photos, but they even had a group chat! There was nothing they couldn't do! If they didn't need to breathe, they could practically pass as humans.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaogui, inside the ghost house through her phone, sipped her drink through the straw, the pink liquid gurgling as it traveled upwards.

"Ah, right," Li Xiaogui said, taking the straw out of her mouth. "After school, Xiaxia and I are meeting up with a friend."

Chen Yuanyuan put down her phone. This was the first time she had heard Li Xiaogui mention this name. "Who's Xiaxia?"

Li Xiaogui replied, "A girl I met in the bathroom yesterday."

Chen Yuanyuan nodded in understanding. If Li Xiaogui was meeting a new friend with another new friend, then Chen Yuanyuan wouldn't tag along. "Then I won't wait for you after school. I'll head back myself."

Li Xiaogui nodded. "Okay."

Shen Chen, who was beside them, spoke up. "I'll go with you."

Li Xiaogui replied, "Okay."

Chen Yuanyuan looked up. "You know her too?"

"Yes," Shen Chen said. "That mirror ghost from the bathroom last night." He reached into the yellow cake box and took out a piece of snow skin mooncake. He had asked the lady at the convenience store to freeze it, so it was still cold and refreshing to the bite, soft and cool.

Although the name "Xiaxia" sounded feminine, Chen Yuanyuan couldn't help but ask, "Is 'Xiaxia' a boy or a girl?"

If it were a boy, she would definitely tag along with her camera, no matter how thick-skinned she had to be.

"A girl," Li Xiaogui answered. "Very tall and pretty."

Chen Yuanyuan nodded, her interest waning.

After school, the two humans and one ghost sat in the corner of a milk tea shop. This spot provided a clear view of the counter without being easily noticed.

"Th-that's my friend," Mirror Ghost whispered. "The one standing next to that… that… unattractive one. The pretty one!"

'Pretty?' Li Xiaogui looked over curiously.

"The one next to the very, very thin boy. Isn't she pretty?"

"Pretty" was a rather vague descriptor. The milk tea shop was full of girls coming and going, making it difficult for Li Xiaogui to pinpoint who Mirror Ghost was referring to. However, when Mirror Ghost mentioned "boy" and "thin," these more specific details provided a clue. There was a boy at the counter preparing milk tea. He wore a black apron and cap, and he was very tall. However, compared to his height, he was quite thin. His features were sharp and somewhat gaunt, with deep-set eyes that, instead of appearing alluring or mysterious, gave off an unhealthy vibe. His lips were also pale.

He exuded an aloof aura, especially when interacting with others. Only when he was with the girl at the cashier did his expression soften. Apart from making milk tea, he mostly stood beside her. He was very tall, at least 1.8 meters, and standing next to the girl, he resembled a telephone pole.

With this starting point, Li Xiaogui immediately identified the person Mirror Ghost was talking about. The girl had a bright, infectious smile that seemed to light up her entire being. It was hard to look away once your eyes landed on her.

"She has such a beautiful smile!" Li Xiaogui exclaimed.

"Y-yeah," Mirror Ghost agreed. "But she never used to smile like that. It's only because of us that she started smiling."

Li Xiaogui asked, "Do you want to go talk to her? Is there anything you want me to ask her?"

"N-no! No need! I'm fine just watching! Just watching!" Mirror Ghost said, panicking. Its head shook rapidly from side to side.

Their milk tea and cake arrived.

Shen Chen silently took the tray from the waiter and placed Li Xiaogui's order in front of her.

Li Xiaogui cut a small piece of cake and put it in her mouth. The cream was rich and smooth, melting instantly in her mouth along with the soft bread. It was sweet but not overly so.

Li Xiaogui's eyes widened. "This is so good!"

Touched by the deliciousness, Li Xiaogui exclaimed, "I want to work part-time here! I wonder if they're hiring?" As she spoke, she scooped up a large piece of cake and stuffed it into her mouth.

Beside her, Mirror Ghost muttered resentfully, "All he does is try to make her happy!"

Shen Chen reached out and gently wiped a smudge of cream from the corner of Li Xiaogui's mouth.

After swallowing her mouthful of cake, Li Xiaogui asked, "Why don't you want to talk to her? I can help you. I won't expose you."

"Won't expose me?" Mirror Ghost looked at its friend with confusion. Suddenly, its expression turned serious. "But what if I told you that I actually want her to know about me?"

"No, no, it's more like… I both want her to know and don't want her to know," Mirror Ghost confessed. "I want her to think I'm still alive, but I also want her to know that I'm dead. It's strange, right?"

"If she knew I was a ghost, that I was dead, she would be heartbroken, right?" Mirror Ghost continued. "The thought of her being sad actually makes me happy!" It said, a twisted smile creeping onto its face. However, the smile didn't last long, quickly replaced by a melancholic expression. "…But then, I'm also terrified that her sadness will fade away too quickly. I want her to always be sad, but nobody grieves forever for someone who's passed away, right? I don't want to know how long she'll grieve for me. Just thinking about the day she moves on, accepts the fact that I'm gone… it makes me feel so uneasy. Like a part of me is missing. Like I've truly ceased to exist. Like I've vanished from this world."

Its words were a mixture of conflicting emotions.

Li Xiaogui reached out and took Mirror Ghost's hand. She had promised to hold its hand whenever it felt scared.

"It's better if she thinks I'm still alive," Mirror Ghost said, its gaze fixed on the girl at the cashier. "That way, she'll keep waiting for me, thinking about me, believing that one day I'll come back to her. That's just the kind of person she is." Its voice was filled with a tender affection.

Li Xiaogui finished her cake. "Let's go."

Mirror Ghost turned to her, startled. "Huh?"

Li Xiaogui stood up. "We can come see her again another time. And another time after that! Then, one day, when you're ready, we can try talking to her. We won't tell her you're dead. We'll just talk to her as Xiaxia's friend, Li Xiaogui. Just two friends of Xiaxia, talking about Xiaxia. That's the only way to make a lasting impression, you know? Don't you want to hear her talk about you too?"

Mirror Ghost stared at her blankly.

Li Xiaogui smiled. "Don't worry. Until you're ready, we can keep watching over her. Always and forever. I'll be here with you."

Author's Note:

Mirror Ghost's Black Box: I seem to always fall for people with beautiful smiles.

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