Antique Sister Shen Buyao: The Daring Shop That Lights Up in the Ghost Market

Once a day, there's a single chance to enter someone's dream.

According to the priority list of "Push-Push Joy,"

Ying'er doesn't need dream entry—she's already a "prepared joy."

Chi Qingshui is the first in line for dream entry—a soul cultivator turned body cultivator, shifting from online to offline.

Perhaps she could play a useful role.

The second in line should be Aunt Qimeng and Xia Yiwei, tied for the spot.

The former has a high enough intimacy level and received dream-entry enhancement this morning.

The latter just had an intimate moment earlier today—another dream entry might yield surprising results.

So.

Lin Yu chooses to enter the dream of… the little painter, Ye Mengfu!

No convoluted logic or reasoning here.

Simply because Ye Mengfu is right beside him, close at hand.

This daily ability isn’t some rare treasure that needs to be carefully rationed after endless deliberation.

With a long-legged beauty sitting right next to him,

surreptitiously injecting a bit of himself into her—

what further justification is needed?

Immediate gratification is the greatest justice!

[Ding!]

[Dream-Entry Technique activated!]

[Tonight, the host will appear in the dream of the Joyous Sect’s Talisman Master (dream type randomized)!]

Lin Yu turns to Ye Mengfu with a beaming smile.

Tonight, the little painter will have a rendezvous with spring.

……

6:00 PM.

Hotel room.

[Ding!]

[Dining with two high-ranking sect members, filled with laughter and lively conversation—the host’s status within the sect is poised for a rise!]

[Reward: 20 spirit stones.]

After happily devouring the feast Mo Shangying had packed for him,

Lin Yu hesitates for a long while.

In the end, he decides not to use the Ghost Hand Talisman on Mo Shangying.

What if it transfers something unsavory? He’s not about to become a fanboy.

Better to test its effects on someone safer.

During their post-meal break,

Lin Yu casually broaches the real topic:

"Ying'er, that sister in our apartment who deals with antiques—where’s her shop?"

"I hardly ever see her around the apartment."

It’s not that Lin Yu’s post-rebirth memory is faulty.

The truth is, even in his past life, he rarely interacted with the antique sister.

Only slightly more than with the socially anxious little painter beside him.

Mo Shangying swallows a mouthful of milk before answering:

"You mean Sister Yao? Of course you wouldn’t run into her often, Master."

Lin Yu presses curiously, "What do you mean? Why so sure?"

Mo Shangying lowers her voice ominously: "She’s at… the Ghost Market."

Lin Yu’s eyes widen in realization.

The Pingchuan Ghost Market!

A local tradition with a long history.

It’s called a "ghost" market

because the vendors and shopkeepers only open for business late at night, vanishing by daybreak.

Hence the name.

Ghost markets exist all over the country, each with different operating hours and unique wares.

After Mo Shangying’s thorough explanation,

Lin Yu finally learns the Pingchuan Ghost Market’s hours: 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM.

The antique sister he’s curious about, Shen Buyao,

doesn’t just have a stall on Xiping Street (also called Ghost Market Street)—she owns a shop!

"Master? Master!"

"Your eyes are practically sparkling."

"Looking for Sister Yao—do you need a watch fixed or have some treasure to appraise?"

Mo Shangying leans in,

studying him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Lin Yu snaps out of it and explains:

"Ah, it’s nothing special."

"Just an old item I have—wanted Sister Yao to take a look, see if it’s worth anything."

In this case, Lin Yu opts for honesty.

Others might be fooled,

but Mo Shangying, with her uncanny ability to uncover secrets, can’t be lied to.

If the [Common Mundane Object] he obtained actually sells,

and Mo Shangying later checks his bank balance on a whim,

a sudden windfall would be hard to explain.

Better to stick to the truth from the start—playing it straight.

Mo Shangying shows little interest in other people’s "treasures."

A few casual remarks, and the topic is easily brushed aside.

She even helpfully tells Lin Yu that Shen Buyao’s shop is called "Treasureless Pavilion."

The name carries a playful hint of "protesting too much."

……

After parting ways happily with Mo Shangying and Ye Mengfu,

Lin Yu doesn’t head home.

Instead, he makes his way to the bustling, dimly lit Ghost Market Street by 9:00 PM.

Whether by design or neglect,

the street’s sparse lighting casts an eerie glow.

From the outside, the most visible sights are the beams of flashlights bobbing through the crowd.

Many come hoping to strike gold,

but few succeed.

Most end up as the vendors’ easy marks—"sheep ready for shearing."

"Early bird catches the worm, no need to hunt for vintage goods here!"

"Young man, buying or selling? How about a rare Game Boy?"

"Hey, college kid, take a look—no charge just for browsing!"

"Got any old coins? I pay top dollar."

"See anything you like? Name your price, brother!"

"……"

Before arriving,

Lin Yu had theatrically bought a high-powered flashlight.

He’s read enough to know the unwritten rules—

shine it on the goods, not the people.

Don’t linger too long, don’t ask prices too quickly.

And never inquire about an item’s origins.

After a few laps around the market,

he has to admit—

some of the retro toys and flawed vintage game consoles are hard to resist.

If he were here just to browse,

he’d probably leave with an armful.

"Hey, bro, mind pointing me to Treasureless Pavilion? Can’t find it on the map."

Lin Yu stops to ask a friendly-looking young vendor.

The man eyes him up at the mention of the shop:

"First time at Ghost Market Street, huh?"

Lin Yu nods awkwardly.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Does not knowing Treasureless Pavilion automatically brand him a newbie?

Is Sister Yao some kind of legend here?

Soon,

he understands the vendor’s reaction.

The man points down the street:

"See all these stalls and shops, brother?"

"The one with lights on? That’s Treasureless Pavilion. Easiest damn place to spot."

Lin Yu: "???"

As an outsider, he has no clue what "daring to keep the lights on" signifies.

But it sounds badass.

"Thanks, man."

Lin Yu follows the glow.

True to the vendor’s word,

as soon as he reaches the illuminated storefront,

he spots Shen Buyao through the open wooden window.

Her wavy hair is pinned back with a wooden crescent clip, neat and elegant.

Her delicate features and petite face exude a timeless, serene beauty.

Under the warm light,

her loose, white mandarin-collar blouse shimmers with a silken sheen.

The embroidered cuffs and collar enhance her graceful, vintage charm.

At this moment,

Shen Buyao is carefully rolling up a scroll of calligraphy.

Across from her sits a male customer—

perhaps a buyer, perhaps a seller.

The scene is so idyllic that Lin Yu can’t help but step closer to the window, captivated.

Indeed.

A quiet, refined girl is even more captivating... He absolutely adored this type!

Once the scroll was fully rolled up,

Shen Buyao—

suddenly hurled it forward, exploding at the man in the shop:

“How dare you bring this trash to my store and try to fool me!”

“I’ll screw every last male in your damn family!”