Wenren Lian’s smile was gentle but not overly warm. Even asking such a blunt question didn’t provoke any discomfort.
If Kuang Zheng was a mountain, and Ge Zhu a breeze, then Wenren Lian was a cunning fox. He didn’t approach through his usual expertise in divination, nor did he observe silently like Zhuo Zhongqiu. Instead, he laid his curiosity bare, asking a question that was easy and yet difficult to answer.
Jiang Luo, of course, had never slept with Chi You.
There was only one possible answer to that question, and Wenren Lian knew it too. According to the story recounted by Lu Youyi and Ye Xun, Jiang Luo only realized he loved Chi You after Chi You died.
When Chi You was alive, how could they have possibly slept together?
But…
Jiang Luo turned his head and looked out the window, his chin resting in his hand.
The morning sunlight filtered through the glass, casting slanted rays on his body, peaceful and serene. A small sparrow suddenly fluttered to the window ledge and quietly watched him with its beady black eyes.
Jiang Luo gently stroked the sparrow, his gaze sweeping over the golden auspicious energy floating in the air. In a place with such strong feng shui, a ghost like Chi You shouldn’t be able to appear.
So he boldly said, “No.”
Wenren Lian squinted with amusement, unsurprised. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Luo added, “But last night, I experienced sleep paralysis*.”
* written as a ghost suppressing bed
The sparrow at the window stared intently at Jiang Luo.
A flush the color of peach blossoms slowly crept up Jiang Luo’s delicate face, deepening like ripples on water. The sparrow’s inhuman eyes reflected his face, not missing a single detail—even the tremble of his long eyelashes.
His blushing face gave everyone nearby a bad feeling.
Sure enough, Jiang Luo coughed lightly, a bit awkward. “I had a spring dream.”
Wenren Lian’s eyes widened in surprise.
Since Chi You was portrayed as the shou in Devil, Jiang Luo naturally imagined himself as the gong. Even if his face was more beautiful than Chi You’s, it didn’t shake his confidence.
Looking somewhat shy, Jiang Luo covered his face with one hand. His black hair fell forward, veiling both hand and face. He said slowly, “In the dream, he was very… proactive.”
Jiang Luo resisted laughing and, with a honeyed voice, described some details from the book about Chi You’s body. “I only then realized he had three little moles on his waist, all joined together.”
Ever since their last confrontation, Jiang Luo and Chi You had completely torn apart their pretenses.
Chi You wanted to kill him when he wasn’t interested. And when he was interested, he still wanted to kill him. A total lunatic. Since a lunatic would try to kill him regardless, Jiang Luo could only resort to whatever means he had to survive.
Right now, he was gleefully adding fuel to the fire, taking sweet revenge for the time he got strangled.
“I wonder if he got hurt,” Jiang Luo said with mock concern, lowering his eyes as if about to weep. “He’s always been like that… doing everything just to make me happy, never thinking about himself.”
Everyone else: Hss—
They all drew in sharp breaths at once.
They were even more familiar with Chi You than Jiang Luo was. Some of the guys had even seen him in the hot springs behind the school. Naturally, they knew Chi You had an unusual set of three moles on his body.
In their field, the placement of moles had different meanings. But none of them could decipher what Chi You’s three moles meant.
Still, for Jiang Luo to know such a hidden detail proved the truth of what he was saying.
Everyone’s expressions grew strange.
Why did it sound like Jiang Luo was the one on top?
Jiang Luo continued slandering Chi You happily, lips curled in secret delight. But then his peripheral vision caught the small sparrow on the windowsill staring at him.
He froze slightly, reaching out to touch it. The sparrow stayed still under his fingers, but just as he was about to pull back, it suddenly pecked his fingertip and flew off.
A stabbing pain shot through him. Jiang Luo raised his hand. A small red mark had appeared, along with a bead of blood the size of a grain of rice.
He pulled out a tissue and wiped away the blood, staring at the wound for a while before muttering, “The little birds here are fierce.”
“Sleep paralysis and a spring dream…” Wenren Lian slowly sat upright. “Truly unexpected.”
After a moment of reflection, he smiled and asked, “Jiang Luo, are you staying on campus tonight?”
Jiang Luo nodded.
The students in their major were technically required to live on campus, but the original host had looked down on the school’s modest lifestyle. Plus, everyone in the class was stronger than him, so relying on his family background, he came late and left early, never caring about the rules.
In reality, the school’s regulations weren’t strict. Even the eldest daughter of the Zhuo family, Zhuo Zhongqiu, obediently stayed on campus and only left for official missions. It wasn’t about rules—it was because no one wanted to leave such a feng shui treasure.
Vital energy and spiritual energy converged here, vaguely forming the effect of a dragon vein. With such fortune to be had, who would willingly leave?
Only the original host, this big idiot, thought he was something special and secretly looked down on Zhuo Zhongqiu.
Since Jiang Luo hadn’t lived on campus in a long time, his dorm had long since become a storage room. Wenren Lian explained, “For now, we’ll place you in Chi You’s room. Do you mind?”
That was probably a test.
If Jiang Luo was lying—or worse, if he had killed Chi You—then staying in the dead man’s room would make him uncomfortable or afraid. He’d rather not stay at school at all. But Jiang Luo gratefully replied, “I’ve been wanting to see his room for a while.”
The dorms were located just behind the teaching building. Their class of eight students occupied a massive area. Along the way, Jiang Luo saw a training ground, meditation rooms, a music classroom, a swimming pool, hot springs, and various sports facilities.
Jiang Luo: …
This was what the original host remembered as “crude” living conditions?
Chi You’s room was larger than the students’. As a teacher, he had more space. When Jiang Luo opened the door, he felt the room was a bit too spacious.
He estimated it at about 180 square meters. For just one person, it felt quite empty. Jiang Luo explored every room. Lu Youyi and Ye Xun stayed with him, worried he might get emotional.
Ye Xun said, “If you don’t want to stay here, you can room with us.”
Jiang Luo asked, “How big is your room?”
Lu Youyi thought about it, uncertain. “Maybe fifty square meters?”
Jiang Luo immediately replied, “No thanks, I’ll stay here.”
“That’s fine,” Ye Xun said coolly. “But don’t hold out hope that Chi You will show up to see you. This is school grounds. No evil spirit can enter or leave. Even if you live here, you won’t see him.”
Jiang Luo showed a look of being seen through, and his face suddenly turned pale.
Ye Xun, clearly expecting that response, added, “We’ll have someone clear out your old dorm over the next couple days. You can only stay here for one night. Jiang Luo, the living and the dead walk different paths. It’s time you woke up.”
Jiang Luo sat on the sofa, lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled.
Everyone else looked on with complicated expressions. Ge Zhu shook his head and sighed, leading the group out to give the “doomed lovers” a moment alone.
Wenren Lian was the last to leave. Just as he was about to close the door, he heard Jiang Luo whisper, “Wenren, can I have a cigarette?”
Wenren Lian froze for a second, then smiled. He walked back to the sofa, elegantly pulled a pack of slim women’s cigarettes from his purse, and placed them on the table. Then he took out a delicate lighter etched with roses and thorns and set it beside them. “You smelled the smoke on me?”
Jiang Luo replied with a quiet “Mm.”
Wenren Lian chuckled again, pulled his shawl around him, and turned to leave. “Jiang Luo, don’t smoke too much.”
The sound of high heels faded, and the door closed behind him.
After making sure everyone had left, Jiang Luo lazily leaned back on the sofa. He kicked off his shoes, stood up, and walked into the bedroom, opening Chi You’s wardrobe.
Chi You had only been dead a few days—everything was still clean and tidy. His wardrobe was filled with suits and no casual wear. Jiang Luo found a slightly oversized new shirt, put on some music, and hummed as he walked into the bathroom.
Water splashed. Half an hour later, Jiang Luo came out with dripping hair.
Barefoot, he walked to the fridge, took out a bottle of cold beer, rinsed a glass, and sat at the table. Using his teeth, he bit off the bottle cap.
Jiang Luo was in a great mood. The drops of water from his hair soaked into the gray towel draped around his neck. His shirt was oversized, reaching his upper thighs.
Nothing felt better than a cold beer after a shower. With a sigh of satisfaction, he poured himself a glass, lit a cigarette from the pack, and slowly walked onto the balcony.
The noon sun was bright, the breeze comfortable against his freshly bathed skin. Jiang Luo leaned against the railing, contentedly blowing out a puff of smoke.
The wind lifted the hem of his shirt, then let it fall again. A sparrow flew lightly to the tip of a nearby tree, looking down at Jiang Luo from above.
His damp black hair quickly dried under the sun. It tousled in the wind, and his long legs stretched out freely. One cigarette after another, Jiang Luo quietly admired the campus scenery.
The sparrow watched every movement clearly. Its pupils were dull and hollow—at a glance, it looked like a dead bird.
Jiang Luo’s mood naturally improved while enjoying the view. After an afternoon of calm, he finally went inside to nap.
The air in the academy was crisp and fresh. It didn’t take long before Jiang Luo drifted into a deep sleep.
Night fell.
The sparrow in the tree spread its wings and landed on the balcony. It walked into the bedroom, flapped its wings, and jumped onto the bed.
It leaned forward and dripped a drop of blood onto Jiang Luo’s forehead.
The dark blood gleamed ominously. Jiang Luo furrowed his brows and was pulled into an even deeper sleep.
…
Jiang Luo felt drenched in sweat.
His breathing grew labored and difficult. His entire body felt like it was being roasted by fire, unbearably hot, and his nose caught the smell of something burning.
Inhale. Exhale.
His mind became clearer, but his body felt pinned down by a mountain. He couldn’t move an inch.
F**k.
Sleep paralysis.
Jiang Luo struggled to open his eyes. Suddenly, laughter echoed in his ears. The moment the laughter sounded, the heavy pressure pinning him down vanished instantly. He jerked his eyes open.
A wall of flames flooded his vision.
The room was on fire—and the bed he was lying in was the epicenter of the blaze.
Startled, Jiang Luo instinctively tried to sit up, but the next second, he was forcefully yanked back down. Looking down, he saw iron chains locked tightly around his wrists.
His expression darkened as he turned his head.
Next to the desk sat a tall figure. The man sat elegantly, holding a book in his hands, a gentle yet insincere smile curling his lips. He was the picture of a gentleman—clad in a tailored, luxurious black suit, polished shoes gleaming—like a nobleman from the upper class, the kind admired by all.
Feeling Jiang Luo’s gaze, the man smiled and placed the book on his lap. His long fingers rested lightly on the cover as he said calmly, “Good evening.”
It was Chi You.
Jiang Luo’s expression flickered uncertainly.
The corners were dim, and the whole room seemed to be engulfed in flames only where he lay. Jiang Luo didn’t believe that a soul shattered like Chi You’s could appear in this form—or that he could walk freely into the school.
He fought to ignore the heat, forcing his mind to settle. Soon, he noticed something wrong. In the real world, the desk had been on the right. Now it was on the left. He strained to glance at the window—outside, the sky was eerie and overcast, resembling the underworld. And the window handle? Also flipped to the left.
Everything was reversed.
Jiang Luo’s expression grew calmer. He looked at the figure by the desk, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. “Is this inside a mirror, or a dream?”
Without waiting for an answer, he muttered, “I think it’s a dream. You don’t have the power to drag me into the mirror from within the school yet.”
“Right, Chi You?”
Chi You smiled, placing the book from his lap onto the desk—the words on the cover were reversed, too.
The clicking of leather shoes joined the roar of the flames, forming a twisted, manic symphony. Chi You slowly walked to the side of the bed. The fire’s glow danced across his extraordinarily handsome face, casting it in distorted patches of light and shadow. He chuckled softly, stretching out a hand from the darkness.
Even though his hand hadn’t touched Jiang Luo, it felt like an invisible force was gripping Jiang Luo’s throat. His head was forced upward like a swan dying under someone’s grasp, his hair cascading down his back.
“As someone who loves you so much he wants to take you with him even in death,” the figure at the foot of the bed said, tone increasingly delighted—as if he’d discovered a new, fascinating toy. Though full of interest, it sent chills through the bones. “Of course, I have to grant your wish.”
He began to pace leisurely beside the bed, each step deliberate, the sound of leather shoes like a countdown to death.
The invisible hand vanished. Jiang Luo collapsed back onto the bed, gasping for air. A pale hand reached from above and twirled a strand of his black hair.
Looking up, Jiang Luo saw Chi You’s face, lit by firelight like a demon’s. He smiled, “Sleep paralysis?”
As the words left his mouth, the weight came crashing back down. The fire surged toward the ceiling and engulfed the bed.
Jiang Luo’s nostrils filled with the acrid scent of smoke and burning flesh. He could hear his hair sizzling. Agonizing pain coursed from his limbs to his core.
He couldn’t move a muscle—only his eyes could shift. The torment of burning alive was unbearable. His teeth clenched so tightly they creaked. He stared unwaveringly at Chi You at the head of the bed.
Chi You smiled coldly, a facade of gentleness barely masking the icy malice beneath. The firelight sliced across his chin and the cold curve of his lips, a vision of horror.
Jiang Luo burned to death.
The moment the searing pain ended, he opened his eyes again.
Still the same grim, eerie room. Still the same inverted dream.
Expressionless, Jiang Luo rolled out of bed. He strode quickly to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of beer, and smashed it against the edge of the table. Holding the jagged half of the bottle, he began to search the entire room.
He checked room by room until he reached the bathroom—where he was suddenly slammed into the bathtub by someone from behind.
The tub, which had been empty moments before, was now overflowing with freezing, bone-chilling water. A hand shoved his head down, submerging him completely.
“Looking for me?” Chi You’s refined voice sounded above the water. He smiled, repeating the words Jiang Luo had said earlier that morning, “That won’t do. After all, in this dream, I’m the one in control.”
Author’s Note:
Gong (top): If I love you, I’ll kill you mwah ♡
Shou (bottom): Heh.
