A gentle breeze rustled the green grass. Frogs croaked, and cicadas sang.
Jiang Luo buried Ji Yaozi’s body in a feng shui-blessed spot in the mountains near Dazhao Temple.
Ji Yaozi had only been the vessel for the heart of the Fated One, just like how Chi You now inhabited the body of a divine statue. The divine statue had absorbed enough yin blood to gain consciousness, and the heart had given Ji Yaozi self-awareness as well. But once he died, he was truly gone—no three souls, no seven spirits, not even the chance to reincarnate.
The gravesite was peaceful. Jiang Luo took up the duty of a disciple, sweeping the grave and burning paper offerings for Ji Yaozi. He had been doing so for three days.
“Nothing gets done without some money,” Jiang Luo sat cross-legged before the grave, feeding one 100-yuan bill after another into the brazier. “I’m your disciple—now all your yearly extravagance is up to me. I won’t let you go short on spending money.”
Chi You sat beside him and tossed a paper-made cellphone into the fire.
Chi You was naturally cold-hearted, and Ji Yaozi’s suicide didn’t stir any emotion in him. But for Jiang Luo’s sake, he gave Ji Yaozi the respect he deserved.
After everything had finished burning, Jiang Luo stood up. He looked at the tombstone for a moment, brushed the ashes off his clothes, and said, “Let’s go.”
The two of them strolled along the mountain path.
After the Fated One died, to prevent any accidents, everyone unanimously agreed to grind his corpse to ashes. They even brought in Cyril—who had just rescued Ge Zhu—and had him channel Hei Wuchang to examine whether the Fated One still had any chance of resurrection.
Only after Hei Wuchang confirmed that resurrection was impossible did everyone finally breathe a genuine sigh of relief.
Jiang Luo casually plucked a leaf from above his head. “In the end, the Fated One didn’t die by your hand.”
Chi You said nothing.
Back when Jiang Luo was still at the Lian family home, the malicious ghost had already implanted a suggestion into Feng Li. A Heavenly Master under suggestion would follow his commands for a limited time. So the Fated One dying at Feng Li’s hands was, in effect, dying by the malicious ghost’s hand.
A fleeting sneer passed across the malicious ghost’s lips.
Jiang Luo rambled on, “Hei Wuchang still hasn’t found Teng Bi’s soul. Looks like it’ll be a while before we hear anything. I’m not planning to sell Ji Yaozi’s shop—keeping it feels like a way to remember him. Selling it would be too much of a waste. Oh, by the way, I didn’t see Lisa this time…”
Chi You didn’t like him talking about other people. He raised a hand and covered Jiang Luo’s mouth, impatiently saying, “If you’re going to talk about them, you might as well talk about you and me.”
Jiang Luo rolled his eyes and pulled Chi You’s hand away. “What’s there to say about me and you?”
The malicious ghost said, “Oh? So you don’t plan on saying anything to me at all?”
Jiang Luo shivered at his half-mocking tone, but also found it a little funny. “Alright, fine, I do have something to say. Ge Zhu is almost healed. Let’s stay at Dazhao Temple one more night, then head down the mountain tomorrow. Lu Youyi and the others are saying we should treat them to a meal—after all, I was the first in the whole class to get into a relationship.”
He looked rather pleased with himself as he spoke. He gave Chi You a critical once-over. “You still have a lot of flaws, but they’re tolerable. As my first man, don’t embarrass me, alright?”
Chi You slung an arm over his shoulder and casually toyed with a strand of Jiang Luo’s hair between his fingers. Hearing that, he chuckled darkly, “First man? You planning on having others?”
“…” You really are great at focusing on the wrong part of the sentence.
By the time they returned to Dazhao Temple, the sun had set. Thunder rumbled across the sky. Not long after, a cold rain began to fall, shrouding the temple complex in a curtain of misty rain.
Jiang Luo asked Chi You to fetch hot water for a foot soak. The water was too hot, and he squatted at the sides of the foot basin, too timid to put his feet in. In the end, the ruthless malicious ghost got involved—he stepped directly on Jiang Luo’s feet and forced them into the water.
“Sh*t,” Jiang Luo tried to pull away, “It’s hot!”
The malicious ghost calmly continued pressing down, “A little heat is good for your body.”
Jiang Luo gave him a strange look.
Coming from Chi You, those words sounded downright bizarre. “You’re taking revenge on me, aren’t you?”
The malicious ghost asked with interest, “What makes you say that?”
Jiang Luo said, “You didn’t like me ordering you around, so you deliberately got me a bucket of boiling water…”
Halfway through speaking, even he couldn’t continue—he was the one who had asked Chi You to get hotter water.
He sulkily shut his mouth. Seeing this, Chi You’s heart softened slightly—but just then, Jiang Luo slipped his feet out from under Chi You’s, turned the tables, and stepped on Chi You’s feet instead, laughing, “Caught you! The water at the bottom is the hottest—how does it feel now?”
“…” Chi You grinned viciously, “Oh, it feels fantastic.”
After soaking his feet, Jiang Luo broke into a light sweat. He sprawled comfortably on the bed, even hearing the sound of his joints loosening. He stretched, glanced to the side, and saw Chi You lying beside him, reading a book with his right hand—while his left hand, under the covers, was slowly moving along his thigh.
Jiang Luo was starting to feel something, but he wasn’t in the mood for that. He kicked his leg against Chi You’s rock-hard thigh and said, “Go dump the water.”
Chi You paused, not quite sure he heard correctly. “What did you say?”
Jiang Luo spoke with full confidence, “Go pour out the water.”
The malicious ghost turned his head and looked deeply at Jiang Luo. Jiang Luo met his gaze without fear. After a moment, Chi You suddenly let out a cold chuckle. “Alright.”
He got up to pour out the footbath water.
Jiang Luo let out a breath of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned his head—Chi You’s phone was lying right next to the pillow.
Curious, he picked it up. The phone matched its owner’s personality perfectly. There wasn’t even a lock screen password. After unlocking it, it was clean and tidy inside. On WeChat, there was only one contact—Jiang Luo himself.
Jiang Luo was pleased and exited the app, then tapped on the photo album.
But despite having no lock screen, the album required a password.
Jiang Luo’s suspicion instantly rose. He tried Chi You’s birthdate—wrong. He narcissistically tried his own—also wrong.
Just as he was about to hit the limit for incorrect attempts and trigger a lockout, a sudden inspiration struck him. He typed in the date of their first time having s*x.
The album opened.
Jiang Luo: “…”
Pervert.
With curiosity, he quickly skimmed through the album. Upon seeing the contents, his expression immediately darkened.
The album was full of ugly photos of him!
All of them were candid shots taken while he was sleeping the past few nights. In some, his face was obscured by messy hair. In others, he was curled under the blanket like a bird egg. One photo showed Chi You hugging him, with Jiang Luo sleeping soundly against his chest. Both of them were shirtless, the blanket covering their waists. Jiang Luo’s lips were slightly parted in sleep, and there even seemed to be a suspicious bit of drool at the corner of his mouth—he looked utterly foolish.
Meanwhile, Chi You looked devilishly handsome, raising an eyebrow at the camera and giving a suggestive glance toward Jiang Luo.
“???”
Jiang Luo’s eyes widened in shock.
Once he processed it, he exploded. He couldn’t believe there were such idiotic-looking pictures of himself, sticking to Chi You like an octopus—how could that be?
He always slept normally!
He nearly crushed Chi You’s phone on the spot. At the last moment, he let out a cold snort and restrained himself. He started deleting the photos one by one. But when he got to the one where they were embracing, he hesitated.
A few seconds later, he picked up his own phone, transferred the photo over with a cold face, then deleted the original from Chi You’s phone.
Just as he finished, footsteps sounded outside the door. Jiang Luo quickly put everything back and turned to glare at Chi You.
The malicious ghost’s shoulder was a bit wet from the rain. When he noticed Jiang Luo’s look, his expression shifted subtly. “What?”
Jiang Luo shook his head silently. “You got caught in the rain?”
Chi You had never fetched footbath water for anyone before. Now he wore a half-smile, “Wasn’t it for you?”
Jiang Luo: “Like you didn’t soak in it too. Come on, sleep.”
The rain outside created a sleepy atmosphere. The weather had been bad all day, and by six in the evening, it was already dark outside.
Before sleeping, Jiang Luo made a point of adjusting his sleep posture. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced—there was no way he looked that foolishly attached to Chi You in his sleep, drooling on him and all. Whether it was self-deception or self-comfort, Jiang Luo blamed it all on Chi You. After all, he never slept like that when he was alone!
Jiang Luo cursed Chi You silently in his heart. Just then, Chi You suddenly sneezed. The malicious ghost was sitting with knees up at the head of the bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a puzzled look.
Feeling guilty about his inner cursing, Jiang Luo peeked out from under the blanket. “What’s wrong?”
The malicious ghost enjoyed the concern. “Nothing.”
Jiang Luo cleared his throat. “Then I’m going to sleep.”
He ignored the suggestive look Chi You gave him and closed his eyes, trying to drift off. In a half-asleep state, Jiang Luo suddenly felt a pair of hands moving across his body.
The fingers were cold, slithering up his spine like a snake.
Undoubtedly Chi You’s hands.
Jiang Luo woke up instantly but didn’t open his eyes. He kept his breathing steady, wanting to see what Chi You was up to.
Chi You’s movements were slow and almost… indulgent. He gently turned Jiang Luo from facing away to facing him.
Jiang Luo arched an eyebrow in his mind.
The next moment, his head was lifted and placed against Chi You’s chest. Chi You took Jiang Luo’s hand and repositioned him, making it look like Jiang Luo was actively clinging to him.
Suddenly, Jiang Luo had a new thought about that photo from earlier.
So… it wasn’t him clinging to Chi You. It was Chi You who “framed” him?
Jiang Luo was debating whether to lash out now or wait a bit, when Chi You suddenly pried open his lips. The malicious ghost kissed him with the ferocity of someone surveying his territory—hungry, greedy, and dominant. Their tongues tangled, desire blazing between them in an instant.
The kiss was long, like a battle of flame and steel. When it finally ended, Chi You reluctantly pulled back. A thin line of glistening saliva stretched from Jiang Luo’s lips to Chi You’s chest.
Jiang Luo’s breathing was unsteady, his face burning red.
Then—flash—even with his eyes closed, he felt the camera light.
The heat in his chest turned into cold rage. Jiang Luo clenched his teeth. So that’s how you got those stupid photos!
So the “drool” was from this, huh?!
His fists itched, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Heh. He’d find the perfect time to get his revenge.
After a full night’s sleep, the next day, the group packed up and left Dazhao Temple.
After the Fated One’s true intentions were exposed and he died, the upper ranks of the metaphysics world fell into chaos. The Research Bureau took the chance to intervene deeply, planning to take this opportunity to bring the entire metaphysical world under state control.
To be honest, Jiang Luo and his team were actually very busy, with a lot on their plates. Especially since Jiang Luo held the title of national university competition champion—he was a representative figure of the younger generation, which meant there were more things he could do, and some that only he could handle.
The only reason they got a three-day break to recuperate at Dazhao Temple was because someone had been severely injured and the Fated One had been defeated. The higher-ups had reluctantly approved three days for them to rest. As soon as the three days were over, they dove right back into their hectic work.
Jiang Luo was so busy that not only did he not have time to take his friends out to dinner with Chi You, he didn’t even have time to go home—he was sleeping on the floor at the Research Bureau.
While he was busy, Chi You was also focused on recovering. They were both occupied for a full half month, until things gradually started to fall into place. That’s when Hei Wuchang brought some good news: he had finally found a remnant of Teng Bi’s soul.
Teng Bi had died twice, and his soul was incomplete. The remnant soul Hei Wuchang found was so weak that even a malicious ghost would disdain to devour it. But when Jiang Luo saw that faint wisp of soul, glowing ghost-blue in Hei Wuchang’s hand, he was overwhelmed with excitement.
Lu Youyi was even more emotional, choking up with tears.
Teng Bi’s remnant soul was placed in his black blade for nurturing. Lu Youyi kept stroking the blade over and over, so happy that he didn’t know what to do with himself. “Dead Ghost, you better get better, and when you do, we’ll go to Dragon Eye and find your body, then we’ll keep eating, drinking, and gaming like always…”
Suddenly he burst into silly laughter and shot to his feet. “Tonight’s on me, order whatever you want!”
Ge Zhu’s eyes lit up immediately, applauding like crazy. “Yes, yes, yes!”
The office instantly turned lively. As everyone lined up to tease Lu Youyi, Ye Xun suddenly looked around and asked, “Where’s Jiang Luo?”
***
In front of a certain prison.
The malicious ghost strolled slowly out of the building.
He wore an expensive black suit—fitted, sharp, and brimming with charm. The crisp click of his polished leather shoes echoed through the air, his pace unhurried, laced with a hint of menace.
The prison guards seemed not to notice him. The visitors and family members walking past didn’t see him either. The malicious ghost walked leisurely, removing the bloodstained white gloves from his hands. A blood-tinged smile crept across his pale face.
The prison’s long eaves cast an angled shadow, falling over his brows and eyes, dividing his face into stark light and dark. His twisted smile within the shifting shadows sent a chill crawling up from the bones.
He tossed the soiled gloves aside and had barely taken two steps before stopping abruptly.
His lover—whom he hadn’t seen in half a month—was leaning against a tree just outside the prison. Head tilted slightly down, his long black hair draped over his chest, slender fingers holding a cigarette loosely. He took lazy drags, each one brushing past his crimson lips. Now and then, he cast glances toward the prison gate—glances that somehow mixed roguish allure with a bold and unrestrained energy.
He wore a neat work uniform and boots—looking like an evildoer, but also like a soldier.
The dappled sunlight filtered through the tree leaves, flickering over his body. Jiang Luo’s movements were languid; it was obvious he was waiting for someone.
The malicious ghost walked toward him and soon reached the tree. Jiang Luo straightened up, stubbed out his cigarette, and raised his chin. “Let’s go. I drove here.”
Two equally eye-catching men walked side by side toward a secondhand car parked by the road.
Jiang Luo didn’t ask why Chi You was here. He didn’t need to. He knew Chi You had come for the members of the Chi family imprisoned inside.
Chi You had never been associated with words like “kind” or “generous.” The reason he had always wanted to break the curse was to take revenge on the Chi family’s collateral branch.
And now, he had finally done what he came to do.
There were few people on this road, but a roadside stall was selling popsicles and watermelons. Jiang Luo bought two bottles of cold water and tossed one to Chi You. Chi You caught it, then suddenly let out a low laugh. “Will you become my accomplice?”
Jiang Luo worked for the Research Bureau. Chi You, on the other hand, had just murdered members of the Chi family inside a human prison, clearly violating the laws of human society.
Jiang Luo understood what he meant, but scoffed at the question. “You should know—human laws only apply to humans.”
After a pause, he added, “Rather than being your accomplice, I’m more interested in being your arch-enemy.”
“Of course,” Jiang Luo added with a sidelong glance at Chi You, “if what you want to do also happens to be what I want to do, I might reluctantly act as your accomplice once or twice.”
The malicious ghost laughed silently.
Jiang Luo took a sip of cold water. The moisture on his lips made them curve into a deliberately seductive arc. “Chi You, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
The malicious ghost raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
Jiang Luo kicked a stone at his feet. It bounced a few times before rolling into a patch of weeds. “What am I to you?”
“Am I your mortal enemy, your rival, your lover—or the accomplice you mentioned, the only one like you in your malicious world?” he asked lazily.
The malicious ghost stopped walking.
Standing behind Jiang Luo, his pale, bony fingers ran through Jiang Luo’s hair, sending a tremor down his scalp.
From his breast pocket, the malicious ghost drew out a white hair tie. He gathered Jiang Luo’s long hair and tied it into a sharp, clean high ponytail.
Jiang Luo had come to find Chi You on his own. He hadn’t informed him beforehand. How had he not thought that Chi You would carry a hair tie just for him?
The malicious ghost said, “You are all of them.”
His fingers slid down from the white hair tie.
Before meeting Jiang Luo—
Chi You had no kindred, no rival, no lover.
He wandered alone, thrilled by the darkness of the world, yet endlessly weary of its unchanging gloom.
Then Jiang Luo appeared.
His heart started to beat. The world suddenly burst into color. He wanted to drag Jiang Luo into h*ll with him, but Jiang Luo was unwilling.
So, the malicious ghost willingly allowed himself to be bound by a rope, reluctantly pulling a part of himself out from h*ll, just to live alongside him in the human world.
—End of main text—
