By bringing up the dragon vein, Daoist Elder Wei He had already made his stance clear. After finishing Jiang Luo’s diagnosis, he spoke stiffly: “Until you find the dragon vein to temper his body, I’ll try to relieve his pain. I hope you’ll release my clansmen—or at least prepare rooms where they can rest.”
He didn’t dare look at Chi You, but Chi You, instead, was amused. His low chuckle grew into full laughter. Only when Daoist Elder Wei He’s body visibly stiffened did Chi You stop laughing, lazily replying, “Once you show me real progress, I’ll naturally agree to your request.”
Daoist Elder Wei He was so rattled by the laughter that his heart clenched. He dared not speak further and left grim-faced with Teng Bi.
In order to prevent his clansmen from suffering further, Daoist Elder Wei He began treating Jiang Luo’s pain early the next morning.
His shamanic medicine was highly skilled—by the end of the day, Jiang Luo’s symptoms showed slight improvement.
Finding both the dragon vein and the Fated One would take time—but life still had to go on.
To Jiang Luo, the days were growing harder. Not because of his body, but because of Chi You.
Ever since agreeing to become Chi You’s lover, Jiang Luo felt an odd discomfort every time he saw him—though he didn’t show it.
In the three days since confirming their relationship, Jiang Luo had avoided any private time alone with Chi You. But he did it subtly—so much so that although they were often in the same space, Chi You always found Jiang Luo either sleeping or busy when he came by.
Every night while Jiang Luo pretended to sleep, he could feel the malicious ghost’s intense gaze on him. That gaze was like a wild wolf or fierce tiger—hot and dangerous—yet also like a cold, clinging serpent. Each day it grew stronger, more impossible to ignore. Whenever Chi You stared at him like that, Jiang Luo swore he could feel two holes being burned into his back.
He pretended not to notice and curled farther away, trying to put more distance between himself and the malicious ghost.
Sleeping next to a malicious ghost was like bargaining with a tiger. But despite several days of this, Jiang Luo hadn’t been bitten once.
His feelings were complicated. Whenever he saw Chi You, he couldn’t help but want to provoke him—teasing and flirting, like testing fate with a tiger’s whiskers. The thrill was addictive. But once Chi You wasn’t around, Jiang Luo’s rational mind would immediately return—wanting to pull away and return to their former enemy dynamic.
On the fourth evening, Jiang Luo finished his bath and tried to pull the same trick—rushing to bed early to fake sleep. But as soon as he opened the bedroom door, he saw the malicious ghost already waiting inside.
The malicious ghost was impeccably dressed, tailored trousers and neat lines—like he was about to attend a formal banquet. He sat in a chair with infinite patience, who knew how long he’d been waiting for Jiang Luo.
The moment Jiang Luo saw him looking ready to go out—with that thin-lipped smile lifted high—his scalp tingled. He feigned calm as he dried his hair and subtly tightened the sash of his bathrobe. “Going out tonight?”
“Yes,” the malicious ghost curled his lips. “Since becoming lovers, we haven’t spent any real time alone. Tonight is a great opportunity.”
Jiang Luo was nearly lured into mischief again, but he suppressed it with reason. “…Maybe not. It’s kind of late.”
The malicious ghost raised an eyebrow and looked at his watch. “It’s just past seven.”
“It’s already seven…” Jiang Luo couldn’t even finish the excuse, so he cleared his throat. “You’re free tonight?”
The malicious ghost responded lazily, resting his head on his hand, clearly entertained by Jiang Luo’s floundering. His face practically said, Let’s see what excuse you come up with next. In a slow, deliberate voice, he asked, “As my lover—don’t you look forward to a world just for the two of us?”
What else could Jiang Luo say?
He clicked his tongue, rubbed his hair vigorously with the towel a few times, tossed it onto the bed, and went to the wardrobe to grab some clothes.
Whoever was so thoughtful—on the second day after Jiang Luo was brought back by Chi You, this place had been stocked with all sorts of items specifically for him. From winter and autumn clothes to the smallest items like toothbrushes, combs, and hair ties—it was thorough to the extreme.
Since the malicious ghost was so well-dressed, Jiang Luo inevitably put a bit of thought into his own outfit too. He finally chose a slim-fitting ensemble: a dark turtleneck sweater, casual suit pants, and a black overcoat. After a moment’s thought, he also picked out a grey scarf in a British style.
Holding the clothes, Jiang Luo was just about to undo his robe. The belt was already loose when he suddenly realized something. “Oh,” he said belatedly, hugging the clothes to his chest as he headed for the bathroom. “Sorry, I almost forgot you were still here. I’ll go change outside.”
Chi You watched him disappear from view, eyes narrowing slightly.
Of course he knew Jiang Luo did it on purpose, but even knowing that, he still found himself successfully hooked.
After Jiang Luo changed, he looked at himself in the mirror. The person in the mirror was striking—long hair fell casually over the turtleneck, and his features, beautiful and cool, carried a sense of distance. He looked refined and elegant. Jiang Luo nodded in satisfaction, but felt the all-black outfit was a bit plain. Instinctively, he looked around for something to add.
Behind a cluster of bottles on the sink, he found a familiar set of ruby accessories.
A rose-shaped brooch, ruby cufflinks, and a pair of dark-red gemstone earrings—almost black in hue.
Jiang Luo’s brow twitched at the sight of them.
He had once thrown these things into a lake, but they had been returned to him by Chi You.
This time, however, Jiang Luo didn’t toss them away. Instead, he slowly put them on.
He wasn’t very practiced, but he managed to insert the earrings. These small accessories had a surprisingly striking effect. The rubies glinted faintly in his black hair with every movement, adding a touch of mysterious danger to his usual aloof elegance. Beneath the cool exterior, there was a sharpness that couldn’t be ignored—contradictory, but captivating.
Jiang Luo’s lips curled slightly. After one last look in the mirror, he walked out at a leisurely pace.
Chi You had been patiently waiting. When he saw Jiang Luo, his smile deepened, and he stood up to approach, staring at him intently. “You look a bit different tonight.”
“Do I?” Jiang Luo changed the subject. “Weren’t we going out? Let’s go.”
It was already March. Jiang Luo had thought his coat would be too warm, but when he stepped outside, he was surprised to find a light snow falling.
As expected, Chi You had chosen an underground location as their base. After walking through the maze-like basement and stepping outside, Jiang Luo took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling energized as he looked at the snowflakes under the lights.
“Didn’t expect to see snow in March.” He reached out to catch a flake. “I haven’t been out in days—I’m practically molding.”
The chill entered his lungs like he had swallowed a mouthful of mint leaves.
The snow drifted gently. Jiang Luo, dressed warmly, didn’t feel too cold. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the malicious ghost beside him.
Chi You had his head lowered, adjusting his cuffs. The dark embroidery on his suit was elegant and luxurious. His body temperature was so low that even the snowflakes landing on his shoulders didn’t melt.
In the snowy night, the handsome malicious ghost gracefully smoothed the final wrinkle in his clothes. Noticing Jiang Luo’s gaze, he raised an eyebrow slightly and looked over with eyes black as ink, brimming with malicious intent.
Great. The malicious ghost didn’t look cold—but he was making the people looking at him feel cold.
Jiang Luo tucked his chin into his scarf for warmth and involuntarily shivered.
Chi You asked casually, “Are you cold?”
Before Jiang Luo could reply, he reached out and took his hand, long fingers forcefully lacing through Jiang Luo’s.
Jiang Luo: “…”
Seriously? You think your hand, cold as a corpse, is warmer than snowflakes?
Jiang Luo tried to pull his hand away, but Chi You’s fingers were like iron. Unless Jiang Luo cut off his own hand, there was no escaping.
So he gave up and let Chi You hold it. On this snowy night just after 7 p.m., it felt like he was holding onto a block of solid ice. But soon, his warmth seemed to seep into Chi You’s hand, and the temperature between their palms began to rise.
As the warmth spread, Jiang Luo realized something—they were holding hands.
Holding hands—a simple, meaningless gesture. It should have meant nothing to either of them.
But once he truly became aware of it, Jiang Luo felt a strange discomfort rise within him.
Being lovers meant being in a romantic relationship.
It was Jiang Luo’s first time dating someone.
And his first time holding hands with a lover.
His fingers grew stiff, and Chi You’s grip only tightened. Chi You’s fingers began to stroke Jiang Luo’s slowly and rhythmically, until even the joints of his hand ached.
A faint layer of sweat formed on his palms.
Jiang Luo struggled again, only to have Chi You clamp down harder. Chi You turned his head, eyes flickering with warning, clearly telling him to behave and let him hold on.
Irritated, Jiang Luo felt sweat trickling down his forehead and neck. He used his free hand to loosen the scarf around his neck, then tugged at the high collar to let in some air. “Let go. It’s hot.”
The malicious ghost pressed down hard on the back of his hand again—an unspoken display of naked aggression and domineering instinct. He said leisurely, “I’m quite comfortable holding it.”
Jiang Luo should’ve laughed out of sheer frustration, but upon hearing that line, aside from anger, he actually felt a faint trace of pleasure.
Realizing his own mood, the black-haired young man’s expression twisted slightly.
The malicious ghost brought Jiang Luo to a quiet lakeside.
It was a man-made lake, with thick willow trees planted along the shore. The willows had just started budding this season, and their long branches drooped down to the lake’s surface. There wasn’t any snow piled on the ground, but there was still a pitiful layer of thin white snow clinging to the leaves of the greenery lining the path.
The lake was calm, reflecting the scenery around it. Jiang Luo casually asked, “What are we doing here?”
Chi You curved his lips. He glanced at the lake, then up at the sky.
Jiang Luo couldn’t help but look up too. Amid the misty snowfall, he actually saw the faint light of the moon.
That was a rare sight. Normally, when it rained or snowed, the moon wouldn’t be visible—but tonight, even with the light snow falling, the moon still shone dimly yellow through the haze.
Jiang Luo looked up, intrigued by the beauty of the scene. The malicious ghost said lazily, “Back at the Heavenly Master Residence, someone once boasted—while possessed by me—about his ‘relationship’ with me.”
“He said,” the malicious ghost’s voice lowered with malicious amusement as Jiang Luo instantly froze, “that when I was alive, I was madly obsessed with him, and even after death, I couldn’t let him go. That I used my position at school to take him out for ‘tutoring,’ and we’d end up by the lake, watching the moon together. Student Jiang, tell me—doesn’t this scene look exactly like that so-called ‘date’ he described?”
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