Chapter 109: The Vulnerable Beauty, Ji Xingchen.
The phantom chains began to manifest over Ji Xingchen's heart, releasing a multitude of dark energies that slowly engulfed him.
Ji Xingchen, now fully enveloped in the darkness, had eyes that glowed red, making him appear like a malevolent spirit that had crawled out of hell.
Chi Shen's gaze towards him was curious. He studied Ji Xingchen for a moment, then tilted his head, exposing his pale and delicate neck, "Want a bite?"
The dark energy around Ji Xingchen intensified, seemingly dancing jubilantly, especially upon seeing Chi Shen.
In contrast to the lively dark energy, Ji Xingchen remained motionless, his expression fragile as if it might shatter at any moment.
Chi Shen was witnessing this expression on Ji Xingchen for the first time. Finding it peculiar, and even more strangely, not wanting to see Ji Xingchen in such a state, he exposed his neck even further to offer comfort.
Chi Shen could see the thirst for blood in Ji Xingchen's gaze. Oddly, despite Ji Xingchen's vulnerable appearance, his eyes bore a naked desire to consume him.
Perhaps he was too enticing?
Chi Shen thought to himself that although it was Ji Xingchen's secondary form, they shared the same body, making them essentially the same entity. It wouldn't be strange for Ji Xingchen to want another taste.
Seeing Ji Xingchen staring yet not moving, Chi Shen concluded it was shyness holding him back. Being ever the generous type, Chi Shen approached, reaching into the dark mist and embracing Ji Xingchen.
Ji Xingchen's form trembled slightly, slowly turning his blood-red eyes to meet Chi Shen's gaze.
Chi Shen embraced him amidst the overwhelming despair, positioning Ji Xingchen's head near his neck, whispering reassuringly, "Take a bite, it'll be okay."
Lips met the warm side of the neck, the unique sweet scent filling the nostrils.
Ji Xingchen opened his mouth and bit down.
In an instant, the dark aura surged, the chains around Ji Xingchen's chest tautened abruptly, and a black void appeared. Ji Xingchen, holding onto Chi Shen, pulled him violently into the abyss.
It might have been a few seconds or perhaps longer; the man and ghost emerged from the other side of the void, landing directly on Chi Shen's bed.
Across the bed, the chains around the chest of the upside-down Ji Xingchen No.2 jingled. Chi Shen glanced at Ji Xingchen No.2, realizing that Ji Xingchen had used their intrinsic connection to bring him back from Harbour City's Eleventh Middle School.
Chi Shen had initially wanted to ponder why Ji Xingchen brought him back, but he quickly ran out of time for that. He noticed that the bed was soaked in blood. While he had been bitten, the wound on his neck wasn't deep enough to bleed this much. The blood wasn't his; it was Ji Xingchen's!
It was odd that after biting him, Ji Xingchen hadn't moved.
In Chi Shen's plan, after Ji Xingchen bit him and drank his blood, the ghost's power should have surged, enough to control himself. But clearly, the opposite had happened.
With a stern face, Chi Shen pushed Ji Xingchen off him, turning him to lie face up on the bed. Ji Xingchen's body was riddled with wounds, bleeding profusely.
Ji Xingchen's eyes were now closed, his already pale face now taking on a bluish hue. His spirit seemed close to dissipating, almost transparent.
This wasn't good.
Chi Shen thought: if Ji Xingchen disappeared, who would cook for him? Decide what he should wear tomorrow? Remind him of things he shouldn't say that might scare others?
Thus, Ji Xingchen couldn't vanish.
Despite the inconvenience, Chi Shen decided to keep this ghost around.
He began to remove Ji Xingchen's clothes, inspecting the bleeding wounds.
—Furthermore, Ji Xingchen was the first to hold his hand; he couldn't leave him now.
The wounds on Ji Xingchen's body varied: knife cuts, bruises from blunt force trauma, marks from bat beatings. It all made Chi Shen frown. He tried various methods to treat them, but the bleeding wouldn't stop.
While Chi Shen frantically tried to stem the bleeding, Ji Xingchen No.2 kept moving about on the side. Although the movement was slight, the clanging of the chains was annoying. In frustration, Chi Shen left Ji Xingchen for a moment, staring menacingly at No.2, demanding, "Tell me how to save him."
No.2 instantly stopped.
Chi Shen squatted down, looking into Ji Xingchen No.2's face, gripping it, "He embodies your pain. You don't want him to vanish, right? Want to forever lose those memories? The ones that bring you pain now but were once your most cherished moments. Do you truly wish to lose them?"
The chains around Ji Xingchen No.2's chest twitched, producing a crisp sound. Blood gushed from his chest, trickling down the chains.
A sleepless night passed.
When Ji Xingchen woke up again, daylight had broken. He blinked, a bit dazed. Turning his head, he saw Chi Shen's solemn face.
Chi Shen sat on his newly changed sheets, lost in deep thought, observing Ji Xingchen.
Subconsciously, Ji Xingchen averted his gaze.
"Impressive," said Chi Shen, noticing that Ji Xing Chen had awakened, "You've learned to commit suicide, have you?"
Ji Xing Chen remained silent, lips sealed.
Chi Shen drew the curtains of the bedroom to prevent sunlight from entering, fearing it might evaporate the newly revived Ji Xing Chen. The quality of the curtains was quite good, making the room appear pitch-black. Currently, their conversation took place in this gloomy atmosphere.
The tension between the living and the ghost mirrored the room's ambiance – dark and somber.
"Why are you so confident that even in your irrational state you could harm me?" Chi Shen asked, looking intently into Ji Xing Chen's eyes, preventing him from averting his gaze.
"I just..." Ji Xing Chen began but stopped midway.
Completing the sentence for him, Chi Shen said, "You're afraid that regaining your memories might change who you are?"
After a long pause, Ji Xing Chen finally nodded.
"It seems you lack trust in both yourself and me," Chi Shen remarked, realizing that his intense stare wasn't intimidating Ji Xing Chen and was therefore ineffective.
About Ji Xing Chen's sudden hemorrhage the previous night, Chi Shen, through a mix of threats and persuasion, had managed to get all the details out of Ji Xing Chen No. 2. This physical counterpart of Ji Xing Chen shared all with much exaggeration and malign intent, but Chi Shen grasped the core issue: Due to his uncertainties, Ji Xing Chen had implemented a fail-safe. If he ever harmed Chi Shen, he'd lose control over his spirit and bleed to death.
This revelation was new to Chi Shen. He wondered when and how Ji Xing Chen had established this safeguard. Did Ji Xing Chen really believe that he could harm him one day?
The possibility of Ji Xing Chen harming him had never crossed Chi Shen's mind. That's why he had willingly offered his neck for Ji Xing Chen to bite, not anticipating the near-fatal consequences.
Ji Xing Chen's actions left Chi Shen perplexed. He had resolved Ji Xing Chen's issues within two hours, spent about fifteen minutes tidying the room and changing the bed linen, but he spent the remaining time pondering Ji Xing Chen's audacity.
Ji Xing Chen's response further confounded Chi Shen.
"Forget it," sighed Chi Shen deeply, deciding not to dwell on it any further. The issue was resolved, but he added, "You're forbidden from doing such things in the future. If you ever consider it, discuss it with me first, so I don't accidentally kill you."
Ji Xing Chen looked at Chi Shen, hesitating to speak.
Most people wouldn't discuss such matters openly, right?
But Chi Shen wasn't most people. Oblivious to these social norms, he felt he had made his point clear. Without further ado, he reached out and pulled Ji Xing Chen up, "Stop playing dead and make me breakfast!"
Ji Xing Chen's gaze settled on Chi Shen's neck. Not avoiding the topic this time, he softly inquired, "Does it hurt?"
Chi Shen glanced at his shoulder. He couldn't see the bite mark, but he understood Ji Xing Chen's implication. Touching the wound on his neck, he remarked, "Oh, this? It's not an issue."
He gently brushed his fingers over the wound, which quickly healed.
What he didn't see was that after the wound healed, Ji Xingchen's eyes deepened even more.
In a short while, Ji Xingchen carried out blood-stained sheets, using Chi Shen's body as a shield. After washing the sheets, he began to cook.
The few ghosts outside looked at the state of the sheets, utterly baffled. They had no idea what had happened. No one dared to peek into Chi Shen's bedroom, especially since a terrifying aura emanated from it the previous night.
The bloodied appearance of the sheets made it hard for the ghosts not to imagine what had transpired the night before. The blood even carried Chi Shen's distinct scent.
Thankfully, though they couldn't enter, there was already a ghost residing in the bedroom. Bai Wan knocked on the cupboard ghost's door and asked with concern, "What happened last night?"
The cupboard ghost replied with a been-there-done-that tone, "Youngster, things got a bit wild, but it's not a big deal."
Bai Wan, entirely innocent in emotions, responded, "Huh?"
Huang Lingling, upon hearing this, fiercely said in a seasoned adult voice, "I'm sure Ji Xingchen devoured Chi Shen last night, which is why there's so much blood. I always knew that one day Chi Shen would be consumed by Ji Xingchen! He was bound for a grim fate!"
The red-clad female ghost beside her eagerly shouted, "Devoured! Devoured!"
Gui Lian, standing by with a cool gaze, remarked, "If he really got devoured, you won't get any candies anymore."
At that moment, Chi Shen's voice echoed beside them, "Holding a meeting here so early? Share what you're discussing?"
Huang Lingling immediately shut her mouth in fear.
The red-clad female ghost cheerfully pointed at Huang Lingling, exclaiming, "She said 'devoured you'!"
Huang Lingling lunged to cover her mouth, but the red-clad female ghost resisted. The two ghosts soon started a playful skirmish. Chi Shen observed and, figuring it was all in good fun, paid them no mind. He went into his bedroom, put on a jacket, and prepared to go to work.
Ji Xingchen mentioned that normal people would put on an extra jacket at this time, so he came in and added one.
As he was about to leave, Chi Shen glanced at the doorframe, muttering to himself, "I feel like I've forgotten something."
Ji Xingchen, expressionless, adjusted his glasses from behind him, "You forgot the driver."
"Oh!" Realization dawned on Chi Shen. The driver, Zhong Yi, who drove them the previous night and waited for them outside the school, had no clue they had already left. "I forgot to get his number last night. I'll call Yuan Yiping and ask. I wonder how he spent the night, whether he went home on his own. I hope he's smart about it."
Outside an inconspicuous wall of Harbor City's Eleventh Middle School.
With dark circles under his eyes, Zhong Yi stared spiritedly outside as swarms of students passed him by, filling the area with activity. However, it soon grew quiet again, signaling the start of class.
He had waited here all night, staying awake out of fear of unforeseen events.
He kept picking up and putting down his phone. Although he had saved Chi Shen's number, he hesitated to call. Worried he might interrupt some vital task or unintentionally expose Chi Shen, he always erred on the side of caution.
And so, he awaited a call from Yuan Yiping.
Chapter 109: The Vulnerable Beauty, Ji Xingchen.
The phantom chains began to manifest over Ji Xingchen's heart, releasing a multitude of dark energies that slowly engulfed him.
Ji Xingchen, now fully enveloped in the darkness, had eyes that glowed red, making him appear like a malevolent spirit that had crawled out of hell.
Chi Shen's gaze towards him was curious. He studied Ji Xingchen for a moment, then tilted his head, exposing his pale and delicate neck, "Want a bite?"
The dark energy around Ji Xingchen intensified, seemingly dancing jubilantly, especially upon seeing Chi Shen.
In contrast to the lively dark energy, Ji Xingchen remained motionless, his expression fragile as if it might shatter at any moment.
Chi Shen was witnessing this expression on Ji Xingchen for the first time. Finding it peculiar, and even more strangely, not wanting to see Ji Xingchen in such a state, he exposed his neck even further to offer comfort.
Chi Shen could see the thirst for blood in Ji Xingchen's gaze. Oddly, despite Ji Xingchen's vulnerable appearance, his eyes bore a naked desire to consume him.
Perhaps he was too enticing?
Chi Shen thought to himself that although it was Ji Xingchen's secondary form, they shared the same body, making them essentially the same entity. It wouldn't be strange for Ji Xingchen to want another taste.
Seeing Ji Xingchen staring yet not moving, Chi Shen concluded it was shyness holding him back. Being ever the generous type, Chi Shen approached, reaching into the dark mist and embracing Ji Xingchen.
Ji Xingchen's form trembled slightly, slowly turning his blood-red eyes to meet Chi Shen's gaze.
Chi Shen embraced him amidst the overwhelming despair, positioning Ji Xingchen's head near his neck, whispering reassuringly, "Take a bite, it'll be okay."
Lips met the warm side of the neck, the unique sweet scent filling the nostrils.
Ji Xingchen opened his mouth and bit down.
In an instant, the dark aura surged, the chains around Ji Xingchen's chest tautened abruptly, and a black void appeared. Ji Xingchen, holding onto Chi Shen, pulled him violently into the abyss.
It might have been a few seconds or perhaps longer; the man and ghost emerged from the other side of the void, landing directly on Chi Shen's bed.
Across the bed, the chains around the chest of the upside-down Ji Xingchen No.2 jingled. Chi Shen glanced at Ji Xingchen No.2, realizing that Ji Xingchen had used their intrinsic connection to bring him back from Harbour City's Eleventh Middle School.
Chi Shen had initially wanted to ponder why Ji Xingchen brought him back, but he quickly ran out of time for that. He noticed that the bed was soaked in blood. While he had been bitten, the wound on his neck wasn't deep enough to bleed this much. The blood wasn't his; it was Ji Xingchen's!
It was odd that after biting him, Ji Xingchen hadn't moved.
In Chi Shen's plan, after Ji Xingchen bit him and drank his blood, the ghost's power should have surged, enough to control himself. But clearly, the opposite had happened.
With a stern face, Chi Shen pushed Ji Xingchen off him, turning him to lie face up on the bed. Ji Xingchen's body was riddled with wounds, bleeding profusely.
Ji Xingchen's eyes were now closed, his already pale face now taking on a bluish hue. His spirit seemed close to dissipating, almost transparent.
This wasn't good.
Chi Shen thought: if Ji Xingchen disappeared, who would cook for him? Decide what he should wear tomorrow? Remind him of things he shouldn't say that might scare others?
Thus, Ji Xingchen couldn't vanish.
Despite the inconvenience, Chi Shen decided to keep this ghost around.
He began to remove Ji Xingchen's clothes, inspecting the bleeding wounds.
—Furthermore, Ji Xingchen was the first to hold his hand; he couldn't leave him now.
The wounds on Ji Xingchen's body varied: knife cuts, bruises from blunt force trauma, marks from bat beatings. It all made Chi Shen frown. He tried various methods to treat them, but the bleeding wouldn't stop.
While Chi Shen frantically tried to stem the bleeding, Ji Xingchen No.2 kept moving about on the side. Although the movement was slight, the clanging of the chains was annoying. In frustration, Chi Shen left Ji Xingchen for a moment, staring menacingly at No.2, demanding, "Tell me how to save him."
No.2 instantly stopped.
Chi Shen squatted down, looking into Ji Xingchen No.2's face, gripping it, "He embodies your pain. You don't want him to vanish, right? Want to forever lose those memories? The ones that bring you pain now but were once your most cherished moments. Do you truly wish to lose them?"
The chains around Ji Xingchen No.2's chest twitched, producing a crisp sound. Blood gushed from his chest, trickling down the chains.
A sleepless night passed.
When Ji Xingchen woke up again, daylight had broken. He blinked, a bit dazed. Turning his head, he saw Chi Shen's solemn face.
Chi Shen sat on his newly changed sheets, lost in deep thought, observing Ji Xingchen.
Subconsciously, Ji Xingchen averted his gaze.
"Impressive," said Chi Shen, noticing that Ji Xing Chen had awakened, "You've learned to commit suicide, have you?"
Ji Xing Chen remained silent, lips sealed.
Chi Shen drew the curtains of the bedroom to prevent sunlight from entering, fearing it might evaporate the newly revived Ji Xing Chen. The quality of the curtains was quite good, making the room appear pitch-black. Currently, their conversation took place in this gloomy atmosphere.
The tension between the living and the ghost mirrored the room's ambiance – dark and somber.
"Why are you so confident that even in your irrational state you could harm me?" Chi Shen asked, looking intently into Ji Xing Chen's eyes, preventing him from averting his gaze.
"I just..." Ji Xing Chen began but stopped midway.
Completing the sentence for him, Chi Shen said, "You're afraid that regaining your memories might change who you are?"
After a long pause, Ji Xing Chen finally nodded.
"It seems you lack trust in both yourself and me," Chi Shen remarked, realizing that his intense stare wasn't intimidating Ji Xing Chen and was therefore ineffective.
About Ji Xing Chen's sudden hemorrhage the previous night, Chi Shen, through a mix of threats and persuasion, had managed to get all the details out of Ji Xing Chen No. 2. This physical counterpart of Ji Xing Chen shared all with much exaggeration and malign intent, but Chi Shen grasped the core issue: Due to his uncertainties, Ji Xing Chen had implemented a fail-safe. If he ever harmed Chi Shen, he'd lose control over his spirit and bleed to death.
This revelation was new to Chi Shen. He wondered when and how Ji Xing Chen had established this safeguard. Did Ji Xing Chen really believe that he could harm him one day?
The possibility of Ji Xing Chen harming him had never crossed Chi Shen's mind. That's why he had willingly offered his neck for Ji Xing Chen to bite, not anticipating the near-fatal consequences.
Ji Xing Chen's actions left Chi Shen perplexed. He had resolved Ji Xing Chen's issues within two hours, spent about fifteen minutes tidying the room and changing the bed linen, but he spent the remaining time pondering Ji Xing Chen's audacity.
Ji Xing Chen's response further confounded Chi Shen.
"Forget it," sighed Chi Shen deeply, deciding not to dwell on it any further. The issue was resolved, but he added, "You're forbidden from doing such things in the future. If you ever consider it, discuss it with me first, so I don't accidentally kill you."
Ji Xing Chen looked at Chi Shen, hesitating to speak.
Most people wouldn't discuss such matters openly, right?
But Chi Shen wasn't most people. Oblivious to these social norms, he felt he had made his point clear. Without further ado, he reached out and pulled Ji Xing Chen up, "Stop playing dead and make me breakfast!"
Ji Xing Chen's gaze settled on Chi Shen's neck. Not avoiding the topic this time, he softly inquired, "Does it hurt?"
Chi Shen glanced at his shoulder. He couldn't see the bite mark, but he understood Ji Xing Chen's implication. Touching the wound on his neck, he remarked, "Oh, this? It's not an issue."
He gently brushed his fingers over the wound, which quickly healed.
What he didn't see was that after the wound healed, Ji Xingchen's eyes deepened even more.
In a short while, Ji Xingchen carried out blood-stained sheets, using Chi Shen's body as a shield. After washing the sheets, he began to cook.
The few ghosts outside looked at the state of the sheets, utterly baffled. They had no idea what had happened. No one dared to peek into Chi Shen's bedroom, especially since a terrifying aura emanated from it the previous night.
The bloodied appearance of the sheets made it hard for the ghosts not to imagine what had transpired the night before. The blood even carried Chi Shen's distinct scent.
Thankfully, though they couldn't enter, there was already a ghost residing in the bedroom. Bai Wan knocked on the cupboard ghost's door and asked with concern, "What happened last night?"
The cupboard ghost replied with a been-there-done-that tone, "Youngster, things got a bit wild, but it's not a big deal."
Bai Wan, entirely innocent in emotions, responded, "Huh?"
Huang Lingling, upon hearing this, fiercely said in a seasoned adult voice, "I'm sure Ji Xingchen devoured Chi Shen last night, which is why there's so much blood. I always knew that one day Chi Shen would be consumed by Ji Xingchen! He was bound for a grim fate!"
The red-clad female ghost beside her eagerly shouted, "Devoured! Devoured!"
Gui Lian, standing by with a cool gaze, remarked, "If he really got devoured, you won't get any candies anymore."
At that moment, Chi Shen's voice echoed beside them, "Holding a meeting here so early? Share what you're discussing?"
Huang Lingling immediately shut her mouth in fear.
The red-clad female ghost cheerfully pointed at Huang Lingling, exclaiming, "She said 'devoured you'!"
Huang Lingling lunged to cover her mouth, but the red-clad female ghost resisted. The two ghosts soon started a playful skirmish. Chi Shen observed and, figuring it was all in good fun, paid them no mind. He went into his bedroom, put on a jacket, and prepared to go to work.
Ji Xingchen mentioned that normal people would put on an extra jacket at this time, so he came in and added one.
As he was about to leave, Chi Shen glanced at the doorframe, muttering to himself, "I feel like I've forgotten something."
Ji Xingchen, expressionless, adjusted his glasses from behind him, "You forgot the driver."
"Oh!" Realization dawned on Chi Shen. The driver, Zhong Yi, who drove them the previous night and waited for them outside the school, had no clue they had already left. "I forgot to get his number last night. I'll call Yuan Yiping and ask. I wonder how he spent the night, whether he went home on his own. I hope he's smart about it."
Outside an inconspicuous wall of Harbor City's Eleventh Middle School.
With dark circles under his eyes, Zhong Yi stared spiritedly outside as swarms of students passed him by, filling the area with activity. However, it soon grew quiet again, signaling the start of class.
He had waited here all night, staying awake out of fear of unforeseen events.
He kept picking up and putting down his phone. Although he had saved Chi Shen's number, he hesitated to call. Worried he might interrupt some vital task or unintentionally expose Chi Shen, he always erred on the side of caution.
And so, he awaited a call from Yuan Yiping.
