AHAHAHA okay this is another guilty pleasure read of mine. I don’t think ANYONE has picked it up for translation, but the manhua is pretty cute!!! The only sad thing is that I don’t think this has been picked up for translation yet? But it’s mix of a lot of Chinese mythical creatures in the modern world, and is a great mix of slight plot, found family and a lot of comedy hahaha, and I really loveeee the visuals between the main CP!
Because there’s alot of interweaving in and out between like mythical creatures, deities and also the regular, modern human world, sometimes the plot feels like it doesn’t move as fast, but the relationship between the main CP is sooooo worth it! Found family!!! And so much hugging - if you’re touch starved and like this kind of details this is pretty nice XD
A lot of the character names are like word plays on the type of creature they are - for example Pi Xiu is actually a winged lion that is often seen as a sign of wealth while Tao Tie is a strange reptilian looking lion beat mix that is known for being carnivorous. Stone-carved Pi Xius especially (at least in China and Singapore hahaha that I know of) are worn by people working in the finance sector hahahaha because it is supposed to help bring wealth. In recent years they’ve been making really cute like rose quartz/jadite pi xiu pieces for bracelets or keychains - super aesthetic XD
Pi Xiu is the rich and stingy boss of a restaurant in the city, where he employs other creatures in human forms such as monkeys, merpeople and even spirits. A few hundred years ago, Pi Xiu’s mountains of wealth and treasures were stolen by Tao Tie, and ever since then, Pi Xiu has held a grudge again the man/beast. He’s been trying to find Tao Tie all these years, but when this man wants to stay hidden, no traces can be found, and so Pi Xiu ends up resentful and grumpy for centuries XD Pi Xius by nature are good at accumulating wealth, however, and at his lowest, he finds two other partners - Su An (put tgt it’s suan = 算 = counting/calculating - this guy becomes the restaurant’s accountant) and Ren Jiao (it’s Jiao Ren i.e. merpeople in Chinese read backwards) to open a restaurant together with him, and they start rolling in the dough again.
One day, as Pi Xiu is throwing out the trash, he comes across this white vase that is commonly used to store the ashes of the deceased, and then Pi XIu freezes because he can smell Tao Tie on the vase. Suddenly, out from the vase emerges a ghost spirit of a young man still in historical period clothes. As Pi XIu demands to know how this spirit is related to Tao Tie and if he knows where the man is, the ghost gets flash backs and snippets of his past and starts breaking down, leading to Pi Xiu having to knock him out.
Because Pi Xiu offended the gods of the heavens once after getting into an argument, he’s been punished with his body temperature running real hot and lightning flashing across the sky whenever he gets agitated/angry. As he’s always agitated and grumpy, he runs dangerously hot all the time without much relief. When the ghost falls unconscious into his arms, Pi Xiu suddenly realizes just how cooling and icy the ghost is, and what a relief it is for him to carry him.
He brings him back to his home above the restaurant, and the ghost Wen Xi ends up staying with him - at first, Pi Xiu intends only to lure Tao Tie out with Wen Xi and find out how the both of them are related, but the both of them get closer (because right from the get-go Pi Xiu is ALWAYS hugging him for the natural air conditioner, and they even sleep in the same bed!!) and fall in love naturally - also Pi Xiu finds out later that they are fated for marriage/love with each other as well.
They solve the mystery surrounding Wen Xi’s death and why Tao Tie decided to drop Wen Xi with Pi Xiu.
A delightful mix of mythical ancient creatures and deities living amongst humans in contemporary society, where Wen Xi learns about automated vehicles, Taobao and other things XD
1. 皮修 Pi Xiu - His name is a word play on the type of creature he is, the 貔貅. Stingy restaurant owner who hoards his money and riches like someone is gonna snatch em away at any time (because it happened before hahahaha with Tao Tie). Huge bulk, broad shoulders, looks like the type that hangs out at gyms XD very strong and powerful as well!
Loves hugging Wen XI from the get-go because of how cooling the ghost’s body is, but he finds that he becomes naturally comfortable with being cozy/intimate situations with him.
They sleep together because Pi Xiu runs hot at night too, while Wen Xi, as a translucent ghost, also runs immensely cold. Whenever Pi Xiu gets angry, Wen Xi comes over to put his hands on Pi Xiu’s face to calm him down - their relationship seems ‘platonic’ in the beginning as they’re just taking what they need from each other, but then it moves into really caring for each other.
Pi Xiu ends up finding all sorts of ways to help Wen Xi’s soul and spirit become stronger and more opaque, and even heads into the kitchen to cook chicken soup for Wen Xi, even though he’s usually really sting about serving and selling the food he cooks. Although stingy, he’s willing to spend money on Wen Xi, much to everyone’s surprise.
2. 文熙 Wen Xi - The young master of a powerful official’s family in historical times, which ended up being exterminated entirely by the Emperor after they were framed with treason etc. It was so bad that all women in the family including servants would die from a waist cut (worser than beheading because they don’t die immediately) and all males would be executed by dismemberment. Unbeknownst to him, a creature was responsible for their demise back then.
As a newly-released ghost, he finds himself being tied to Pi Xiu immediately because the man wants to know where Tao Tie is, but Wen Xi literally cannot remember what happened in the past - he knows the gist of it, but a seal has been placed on his memories, and everytime he comes close to remembering he breaks down and freaks out.
Everyone calls him lady boss i.e. the boss’ wife in a sense, even though him and Pi Xiu are technically not of that relationship, at least in the beginning. He’s smart and knows how to adapt to situations, so to make sure that Pi Xiu doesn’t turn his anger on him, Wen Xi always offers his cooling service for Pi Xiu everytime the man so much as frowns hahaha.
He has to get used to modern society - when he first sees Pi Xiu, Pi Xiu’s shirt is unbuttoned and he freaks out at the indecency hahahaha and then afterwards when he’s asleep, Pi Xiu would take off his many layers of robes because he can’t get cool enough that way, and then when he wakes up Wen Xi is like wtf???!!
Adapts to modern society and also things like technology quite quickly XD Tells Pi Xiu later in the novel that he likes people that can drive and then poor Pi Xiu feels like he’s being challenged and then goes for driving lessons. Wen Xi would see something on Taobao and then hands his phone over to Pi Xiu to check out for him HAHAHAHA.
Other Things I Liked in the Novel:
SO MANY HUGS. SO. MANY. HUGS. MANY TOUCHES!!!
Ghosts are apparently scared of chicken blood, and Pi Xiu was in the kitchen killing a chicken because he wanted to brew some chicken soup for Wen Xi to strengthen his spirit, and then Wen Xi turns up in the kitchen rubbing at his eyes all sleepy because he just woke up from a nap, and he woke up BECAUSE HE GOT COLD BECUAE PI XIU WASNT SLEEPING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM!!! And then he sees the chicken blood and starts screaming and freaking out, and then look at strong, grumpy Pi Xiu gently coax Wen Xi into looking at him and then he front carries him upstairs for sleep AHHHHHHH fark i love it
Pi Xiu always encouraging Wen Xi to sleep after is the best thing - Such a mood, best thing your other half can do for you
Later they get like a miniature tower thing that’s supposed to further strengthen Wen Xi’s spirit, but he’s so scared because when he went inside, it was all dark, cue Pi Xiu buying all sorts of gold furniture and decor to spruce the space up all for his Wen Xi
They both co-parent a young broom spirit who was picked up by Pi Xiu, and as a broom spirit, all they do is like clean right, but Pi Xiu sends him to school, and his name is Sao Ba Jing (literally broom spirit), so he gets bullied in school cuz he doesn’t have a proper name right. Wen Xi encourages like Pi Xiu to name him and OF COURSE he names him Pi Ju Bao = Pi + amassing wealth XD I literally cannot XD
Found family at the restaurant!!!!
