INSIDER Chapter 90

After hanging up the phone call from this body’s mother, Lu Chu began to browse the apps on his phone.

So far, Lu Chu had not had a chance to understand or use the applications on his phone. When he was blind, he couldn’t operate it. Later, in every “round,” there was no situation where he could use a phone, including becoming a high school student. Due to strict school regulations, he also had no opportunity to use his phone.

Now, looking at the numerous strange apps on the phone, Lu Chu felt a bit emotional.

This phone was unlocked with a fingerprint, saving Lu Chu the trouble of figuring out a password. Although he had never truly seen phone applications, his sharp wit allowed him to fully grasp the usage in just over ten minutes.

He found the original owner’s train ticket purchase records in an app and, after confirming the train schedule, time, and destination for the winter break trip home, he felt relieved.

——————

In the evening, Lu Chu received another call, this time from Tang Shizhe.

“Hey, Lu Chu, want to eat at the third cafeteria?”

Lu Chu was unfamiliar with the layout of the school buildings and didn’t know the exact location of the third cafeteria. If he randomly pulled someone aside to ask and it happened to be someone who knew him, it would be hard to explain.

Of course, there are usually a few maps posted around campus, but looking at a map would take time, and he might not be able to reach the cafeteria in time to meet Tang Shizhe.

With this in mind, Lu Chu replied, “I’ve already eaten, you guys go ahead.”

“Did you order takeout?” Tang Shizhe asked, “Alright then, we’ll go on our own. I’ll hang up now.”

Lu Chu said, “Okay.”

After hanging up, Lu Chu put on a jacket and left the dormitory.

He decided to walk around the school to familiarize himself with the locations and functions of all the buildings. The campus was large and divided into northern and southern parts. Even at a jogging pace, it took him nearly two hours to complete this task.

When Lu Chu returned to the dormitory in the evening, he saw Tang Shizhe and Gao Yong sitting at his desk under the lamp, staring at their calculus books.

Seeing Lu Chu return, Gao Yong asked, “Where did you go at this hour? Did you secretly go on a date?”

Lu Chu laughed, “No, I went for a run.”

Seeing the light sweat on Lu Chu’s forehead, Gao Yong believed him and turned his attention back to his textbook, sighing, “Chen Hong is the lucky one. He’s already found a girlfriend, and they’re probably stuck together in the library even during finals review. They’ll only leave when the library closes.”

“Tell me about it,” Tang Shizhe said enviously, “His girlfriend is also a top student. It seems he won’t fail his exams.”

It was hard to tell whether Tang Shizhe was more envious of the relationship or the fact that Chen Hong wouldn’t fail his exams.

Lu Chu didn’t think much more about it and returned to his desk, taking out his books. Due to the bunk bed and desk arrangement, the lighting was a bit dim, so he also turned on his desk lamp and made a show of studying hard.

——————

The exam period arrived in the blink of an eye. They had four exam courses this semester; the rest were assessment courses that had ended before the exam week.

Lu Chu easily completed the exams and used an early train schedule as an excuse to avoid Tang Shizhe and Gao Yong’s invitation to a joint event with the Art Department. After packing his things, he boarded the train home.

Before leaving, Lu Chu received a call from the parents of this body, asking if he needed them to pick him up.

Not being someone who relied on others, Lu Chu had no choice but to tell them his arrival time, as he didn’t know where “his” home was. He asked them to pick him up.

The train journey took over ten hours. During the trip, Lu Chu watched the scenery change from mountains and rivers to houses and buildings outside the window, marveling at the vastness of this “round.”

Lu Chu’s destination was a remote small county town. The train station was simple and rundown, and upon stepping off the train, he smelled a strange odor in the air.

Dragging his luggage out of the station, he encountered many people holding signs and shouting destinations, swarming around him asking if he needed a ride. After much effort, he managed to extricate himself from the crowd, saying he had someone picking him up.

Not recognizing “his” father, Lu Chu wandered around the station entrance, pretending to look for someone in the crowd.

At this moment, someone tapped his shoulder.

Turning around, Lu Chu saw a man who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, with graying temples, a dark and wrinkled face, standing behind him.

The man smiled kindly, “What’s wrong, college student? Have you become so bookish that you don’t recognize your uncle?”

Lu Chu apologized with a smile, “I’m a bit nearsighted, couldn’t see clearly just now.”

“That’s not good, you need to protect your eyes,” the man said, pointing into the distance. “Your dad is looking for you over there. Let’s go.”

Lu Chu responded, “Okay,” and followed the man, dragging his luggage.

The man waiting there looked to be in his forties or fifties, with a face full of the marks of hard labor. When he saw Lu Chu, joy flickered in his eyes, but he forced a stern expression, not wanting to show his emotions. After a few glances, Lu Chu confirmed this was his father.

The man reached out to take Lu Chu’s luggage, but Lu Chu smiled and refused, “I can carry it myself.”

The man’s eyes showed a mixture of pride and a hint of inexplicable sadness, then he asked, “How is school? Are you adjusting well?”

Lu Chu nodded, “It’s good. My classmates are easy to get along with.”

The man asked again, “How are your studies?”

Lu Chu replied, “Pretty good…”

Thus, they chatted briefly as they walked out of the station.

From the short conversation, Lu Chu learned that his uncle and father had borrowed someone else’s van to pick him up since his father didn’t have a driver’s license. His family valued him highly as their only college student, so his uncle came along without hesitation.

Their village was some distance from the town, the road to their home was smooth, and on either side were fields of young green wheat. As they entered the village, the van turned onto a dirt path in the fields, and the ride became bumpy. The van jerked up and down, making Lu Chu feel a bit dizzy.

After another ten minutes, the van finally stopped, and they arrived at Lu Chu’s home.

His mother came out to greet them, pulling Lu Chu into a round of enthusiastic conversation.

.

Lu Chu arrived at the train station a little after nine in the morning, and by the time they got home, it was already past noon. His mother had prepared lunch. The family consisted of his father, mother, Lu Chu, and his younger sister, Lu Ling.

Soon, his uncle returned after returning the van, and his mother invited him to stay for lunch. The five of them chatted about Lu Chu’s experiences at school over the past six months while eating, and an hour passed quickly.

After the meal, the family saw his uncle off at the gate and then returned to the courtyard.

Lu Chu’s mother led him to his room, where she retrieved a necklace-like object from under his pillow and handed it to him.

Lu Chu took it and found it was a red string with an ancient bronze coin tied to it.

His mother said, “Xiao Chu, keep this close to you for three days, then take it off and hang it on the handle behind your room door.”

Lu Chu asked in confusion, “Mom, what is this?”

“I got it from the fortune teller in the neighboring village. It’s for good luck and safety in your studies next year,” his mother explained. She then went to the bed, lifting the top mattress to reveal a two-meter-long red cloth underneath, saying, “And this, you should sleep on it. When you go back to school, take it with you and put it under your mattress there. Bring it back home during holidays.”

Understanding his mother’s intentions, Lu Chu asked no more and wore the coin necklace.

Seeing this, his mother smiled with relief, gave him a few more instructions, and then said, “You must be tired from the long train ride. Get some rest; I won’t disturb you.”

With that, she left Lu Chu’s room.

Lu Chu was indeed tired, but as he lay in bed, his mind was restless, and he couldn’t sleep. Thinking of the hint for this round, he took out his phone to see if he could find any related information.

The signal in the countryside was poor, and it took a while for the search results to load. When they did, Lu Chu clicked on the first entry—

“Corpse Marriage, which appeared during the Han Dynasty and persisted until the late Qing Dynasty in Beijing, refers to the practice of holding wedding ceremonies for the deceased, known as ‘Corpse Marriage.’ Once the marriage is completed, the families of the deceased are considered in-laws, known as ‘Corpse Marriage In-laws.’”

Lu Chu was stunned.

This meant, in plain terms—ghost marriage.

Author’s Note: Silly author: Sorry, you still haven’t appeared in this chapter.

7: …

Silly author: Calm down, there’s sweetness after the bitterness.

7: …