That thing wasn’t stirred by this name, in fact, its two ash-coloured claws were clutching Chi Yan’s shoulder tighter, and its hollowed eye sockets were staring straight at him.
It was no longer a human being but an irrational and vengeful spirit. It was totally different from the quiet and shy girl that Chi Yan had seen before.
Chi Yan felt that those two eyes were getting closer to him, and the ear-piercing sound, similar to an old radio station’s sound waves going on and off, ringing in his ears with a slight “hissing” noise—
“Why wasn’t it you who should have died…
“You should be the one to die… “
A coldness rose from his heart. He finally knew what those hissing sounds he had heard before, which had been inaudible, were saying— they were asking him why it wasn’t him who had died.
Chi Yan struggled to turn his head and looked towards Ye Yingzhi’s bed as if clutching onto his last hope.
Ye Yingzhi, look at me. Take a look at me. Just one glance, please…
His throat was convulsing rapidly as he struggled to say the word “Ye”.
Chi Yan could clearly feel the pain on his shoulder. His strength seemed to be drained away with the approach of this cold and smelly thing.
He felt his body seemingly getting colder and colder, almost like he was fusing together with that thing.
“Ye Yingzhi…”
Why aren’t you looking at me?
He tried to stay awake, but the continuous waves of feebleness pressing onto him was as heavy as iron.
“Bang.”
Radiance abruptly shone into his vision, followed by a feeling of lightness in his body.
Chi Yan opened his eyes and saw that the bedroom lamp had been turned on. The room was bright. Ye Yingzhi stood in front of his bed and gently grasped his hand and called his name, “Chi Yan, Chi Yan? What’s up? Did you have a nightmare?”
Chi Yan looked at him with widened eyes as if he was confirming the existence of the man in front of him. He glanced sideways at the top of the bed, and the ghost, who looked like Jin Ying, had disappeared.
Just now, he was so nervous and desperate that he didn’t notice when Ye Yingzhi had appeared in front of him.
He slowly took out another hand from the quilt and covered the hand Ye Yingzhi had used to hold his. He clutched it tightly until the familiar touch settled on his skin before gradually calming down.
He unconsciously picked up that hand, placed it on his cheek and rubbed against it for a moment. Although such a move was childish, it made him feel safe.
Ye Yingzhi’s hand slightly curled up momentarily, but it soon relaxed, letting Chi Yan hold his hand and rub it against his cheek.
It took quite a while before Chi Yan felt better. He was still somewhat sluggish as he blinked before softly calling out, “Ye Yingzhi?”
Ye Yingzhi climbed onto his bed and laid beside him. “It’s me. Ah Yan, what’s the matter?”
He held out his hand and tapped at the corner of Chi Yan’s eyes. “Your appearance right now… looks very pitiful.”
Pitiful? Chi Yan didn’t know what his appearance was like right now, but he naturally leaned closer to him, closer to the smell he was familiar with and lay silently with his eyes closed. Gradually releasing those negative emotions that were accumulating in his heart just now.
After a long time, he then remembered something important. “Yingzhi, do you remember Jian Ying? She might have been… murdered.”
Although if Jian Ying was really killed, if might be too late to save her now.
Seeing Ye Yingzhi looking at him doubtfully, Chi Yan made up a story and said, “I had a nightmare just now, and I dreamed that she was killed. Her eyes were dug out.”
Ye Yingzhi handed over his mobile phone. “I don’t remember this name. If you’re really worried, I can call her classmates who frequently hang out with her.”
“She’s a classmate of Gu Xixi. She often stays with her and even came to our dormitory with her before. She seems like a quiet person,” Chi Yan reminded Ye Yingzhi. In fact, he wasn’t familiar with Jian Ying either. He met her through Gu Xixi and spoke no more than five words with her. He didn’t expect her to meet such an incident.
He looked at the time; it was 3:34 a.m., which wasn’t a good time to call anyone, but he could care less now that a life was involved. He picked up his phone and opened his address book and saw “Gu Xixi”— he was the target of the demon, and now Jian Ying had become a victim, and the thing connected them together was Gu Xixi.
So… was Gu Xixi one of the targets too? Was she safe now?
So what if… she was the killer?
The latter idea suddenly emerged in his mind and it made him shudder as it grew rapidly like weeds— what if the person he wanted to contact wasn’t human?
What’s more, he couldn’t come up with any strong evidence to refute this idea. He and Gu Xixi originally knew each other from the Internet. In reality, they didn’t know each other very well. He had no knowledge of her origin, history, family…. Basically everything.
He sat on the bed and froze. Ye Yingzhi sat beside him and accompanied him. He took his phone and looked through it, seeing a piece of news. He slowly said, “Ah Yan… the news just came out that a female corpse with no eyes was found in the alley outside the east gate. The preliminary check had confirmed that it was a student of the Department of Foreign Language of our school. The place where the corpse was thrown was not the place where the crime was committed. Other situations are still under investigation.”
He didn’t continue saying the rest of the article, but Chi Yan understood what he meant. He finally pressed his finger on the name “Gu Xixi”.
Sounds of “Du–Du–” rang out as the phone was being connected. Chi Yan turned to look at Ye Yingzhi and said softly, “Let me ask.”
It wasn’t long before the phone was picked up, Gu Xixi’s voice sounded surprised. “Brother Chi Yan? Why are you calling so late? What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing,” Chi Yan tried to keep calm, “I haven’t slept yet and I saw the news that there was a girl from the foreign language department who had an accident. I wanted to ask if you are fine.”
“Ah… I’m fine. Thank you, Brother Chi Yan.” He couldn’t distinguish Gu Xixi’s tone through the phone but he could hear her slightly lowered voice. “However, it was Jian Ying that met a mishap.”
Something happened to Jian Ying. It was really Jian Ying.
While Gu Xixi was still safe.
Chi Yan closed his eyes, and he comforted Gu Xixi for a while before hanging up the call. He had obtained the information he wanted.
Ye Yingzhi looked at him from the side with curved lips. “You know how to coax people. No wonder you attracted so many peach blossom debts.” footnotes: love affairs
“Where’s the many peach blossoms?” Chi Yan glanced at him before lowering his head. “I misled her.”
Then he directly flipped over Ye Yingzhi was who blocking his way, went off the bed and took his phone to call Hu Xing. He deliberately suppressed his volume. “Sister Hu, you know what happened just now? En… I know the victim this time. I just remembered that there’s someone I should bring to let you have a look… I think she should be more important.”
Since a long time ago, only Gu Xixi who had the most connection between him and the victims.
He hung up the phone and looked at the gloomy sky outside before opening the balcony door to return to the room.
Ye Yingzhi was still on his bed and didn’t return to his own bed. Chi Yan silently climbed up, flipped over him to the inner side of the bed and lay down quietly.
“Tsk,” Ye Yingzhi clicked his tongue and shook open the blanket to wrap him in. “Why are you so cold? Why didn’t you wear more clothes?”
Chi Yan closed his eyes and called his name gently, “Ye Yingzhi…”
“En?”
“Good night.”
Fortunately, there was such a person around him. Fortunately, he met Ye Yingzhi.
The next day, as soon as Chi Yan woke up, he called Gu Xixi to have lunch at noon, and at the same time, he sent a message to Hu Xing.
Ye Yingzhi lay beside him and listened to Chi Yan’s conversation. “En, because such an incident had happened, I want to ask you to go out and relax, don’t let those negative feelings harbour in your heart. And, didn’t we agree a long time ago to have a meal together? But we never get to set up an appointment. Then I’ll see you at “Ten Drunk” restaurant that’s outside the east gate this noon.”
He waited for him to finish his conversation before slowly saying, “Aren’t you too protective of her? Didn’t you say that it will be better to have less contact with her?”
Chi Yan seriously explained, “I really have something important to look for while I’m with her,”
He turned to Ye Yingzhi and begged softly, “Yingzhi, please help me with something…
“I’ll be meeting her at twelve o’clock, and I’ll probably finish at one. If I send you this expression in the middle, please call me and pretend that you need me for something.”
Ye Yingzhi smiled and looked at him. “Aren’t you asking someone out? Why do you still need to escape halfway?”
Because if there was something wrong with her, I’m afraid I don’t have the courage to continue eating the meal with her.
“I’m not telling you.” He picked up one of Ye Yingzhi’s arms and shook it gently, just like how he would do in the morning when he had to call him up. “Old Ye, please? Will you help me this time? In return, I will fulfil one of your requests.”
Although he felt that Ye Yingzhi had always looked like a man who had no desire nor need.
“Then okay.”
Ye Yingzhi also didn’t remain reserved and soon agreed. Anyway, he wouldn’t suffer any losses in this transaction. Instead he would be receiving a big profit.
————————
“Ten Drunk” Restaurant’s seatings were separated by bamboo and wood decorations. If she wanted to, Hu Xing could easily observe Gu Xixi but Gu Xixi herself wouldn’t be able to perceive the existence of the people from the other side.
Chi Yan, Hu Xing, Old Yuan, and Xiao An—a junior high school classmate of Old Yuan, all arrived early. They tacitly selected positions that enabled them to easily make their observations but difficult to be discovered by the target. If you intentionally looked from Chi Yan’s angle, then Hu Xing and Xiao An’s figures could be seen.
Chi Yan was sitting with his back to the entrance of the restaurant. After receiving the news that Gu Xixi was about to arrive, he slightly turned toward the door’s direction and quietly observed Hu Xing’s expression.
Today, Gu Xixin was wearing a pink overcoat. She looked very young and beautiful, likewise, she had also applied light make-up on her face. Obviously, she had made preparations in order to meet Chi Yan. But as she got closer and closer, Hu Xing’s face became more and more grave.
Chi Yan’s heart clenched and he subconsciously tightened his hold on his phone.
Gu Xixi went over to Chi Yan’s front and pulled the chair to sit down. A shallow smile was on her face. “Brother Chi Yan, have you waited long?”
Chi Yan quickly shook his head, handed over the menu to let her order the dishes. He only felt the smile on his face had completely frozen.
Gu Xixi didn’t decline and soon ordered the dishes. Chi Yan did a rough look and unexpectedly, it was all his favourite dishes.
Gu Xixi looked gently at him. “I remember you said that you like to eat these dishes, right?”
He should have told “Baby Yan” about this in the game before. He never expected her to still remember his words.
It’s no wonder that Yang Qing had judged that she was interested in Chi Yan when he had only met her twice. The girl never concealed her love and liking for Chi Yan. Even when she faced him, she had a kind of conniving, pampering, and ingratiating behaviour that she didn’t even realize herself, and this feeling was not fake at all.
The hesitation and bewilderment in Chi Yan’s heart expanded a little bit. He and Gu Xixi only knew each other for a short time in reality. Why did she like himself so much? He didn’t think he could have such a fascinating charm. Was it just because of his company in the game?
Did Gu Xixi have any connection with that thing? Did he get it wrong? If she was a demon, would she really have feelings for humans? Or was it just a way to hide her true intentions? A method to enchant humans?
What’s more, no matter what she was, would she actually harm a person she really liked?
He was so confused that he didn’t even pay much attention when the dishes were served. He only took two symbolic bites when Gu Xixi asked him, “Brother Chi Yan, dig in.”
At this time, his phone slightly vibrated twice. It was a message from Hu Xing.
There were only four words in it——
“Stay away from her.”
Its meaning was very clear.
He was so nervous that his hands were sweating. He didn’t even dare to look at Hu Xing’s direction.
He quickly closed Hu Xing’s chat, tapped Ye Yingzhi’s name and opened the expression keyboard.
He heard Gu Xixi complaining delicately, “Brother Chi Yan, what have you been looking at?” She sounded like she was grumbling about being neglected.
Chi Yan’s shaky hand pressed an expression and sent it toYe Yingzhi. He then hurriedly put away his phone and looked at Gu Xixi. “It’s nothing, the problem seems to have popped in my group project.”
“Oh,” Gu Xixin responded with a smile, and she passed a shrimp ball into his bowl, “Brother Chi Yan, try this. Their shrimp balls are well cooked.”
“Okay.” Chi Yan then picked up the chopsticks with a stiff smile, but he just couldn’t stretch them out no matter what.
He believed in Hu Xing’s judgment. But if Hu Xing’s judgment was right, then the wife who had been with him for two years in the game wasn’t human? So Gu Xixi’s appearance was because of him and then she commited all those murders? So that was the reason why those vengeful ghosts that looked for him, and saying that he should be the one to die?
He slowly picked up the shrimp ball and put it to his mouth. He painfully waited for Ye Yingzhi’s call. In order to avoid Gu Xixi’s suspicions, he was going to force himself to eat the shrimp ball when he heard a familiar voice call out to him, “Chi Yan, you are here indeed, I have been looking for you for a long time.”