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Join the ServerSu Mian awoke in a familiar warmth.
Xiao Moyuan’s arm was draped around her neck.
When she had returned last night, she had been barely conscious, remembering only being carried out of the car and gently placed on the bed.
He had stayed with her like this all night.
It seemed Xiao Moyuan had simply held her as he slept through the night.
Su Mian carefully turned over, using the morning light to observe his sleeping profile.
The usual cool aloofness had completely vanished in his sleep. Long lashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyelids, and his thin lips were pressed together, giving him an unexpected softness, almost like a young boy.
She found herself lost in contemplation until his eyes suddenly opened without warning.
His deep, pool-like eyes held no trace of grogginess; they were so clear it was as if he had never been asleep.
“Good morning.”
Xiao Moyuan’s voice was slightly hoarse from sleep.
Su Mian’s face flushed crimson.
“Good morning… When did you wake up?”
“When you turned over.”
He answered naturally, yet his arm showed no intention of loosening, instead pulling her even closer.
“How do you feel?”
Only then did Su Mian realize her body felt weak and fatigued, though her Dantian flow was unusually smooth. Her internal demon power, while depleted, was gently nourishing her over-exerted body.
Even more astonishing, she could feel tendrils of warmth seeping from the necklace on her chest into her meridians.
That warmth was infusing her meridians with demon power, thread by thread.
“I’m alright—just a little weak,” she admitted honestly, attempting to sit up.
Xiao Moyuan rose with her, naturally reaching out to check her forehead and then holding her wrist to feel her pulse.
His fingertips were cool, yet his movements were meticulous and gentle.
“About seventy percent of your demon power is depleted, but no fundamental damage was done. You should recover about eighty percent.”
He concluded, a rare hint of teasing in his voice.
“Rest well today. Tomorrow… about Chen Wan’s matter, is Lu Yang really alright?”
Su Mian recalled the last of last night’s events and couldn’t help but ask.
Xiao Moyuan got out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, his voice drifting from beyond the doorway.
“Chen Wan’s core obsession has dissipated. It’s not uncommon for a spirit body to form a deep bond with a living person. As long as her obsession is resolved, Chen Wan will naturally enter reincarnation. As for the process, Lu Yang needs to take responsibility for his words.”
Su Mian remembered Lu Yang’s wide-eyed stare at Chen Wan’s spirit body last night and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“He might actually be quite willing. Actually, I think…”
He paused, then turned to look at her.
“But for a living person and a ghost to fall in love…”
Su Mian carefully chose her words.
“Is that really viable?”
Xiao Moyuan served the fried eggs onto a plate, a slight curve gracing his lips.
“Well, Chen Wan’s matter is finally resolved for now.”
Su Mian’s eyes welled up, and she hastily turned off the video.
“What’s wrong?” Xiao Moyuan asked.
“It just feels like… someone finally remembered her.”
Su Mian said softly, lowering her head to drink her porridge, yet unable to hide the upturned corners of her eyes.
“Not as the subject of a ghost story, but as a person who truly lived and suffered injustice.”
Xiao Moyuan was silent for a moment, then reached out to ruffle her hair. “You did very well.”
This sudden intimacy startled Su Mian, and the tips of her ears subtly reddened.
***
The entire day passed in tranquility.
Su Mian followed Xiao Moyuan’s instructions, performing restorative exercises.
Xiao Moyuan didn’t eat much for breakfast, spending most of the time looking at his phone.
The buzz around the Chen Wan case at N University continued to climb, with public opinion overwhelmingly one-sided.
The school had issued a formal announcement this morning, declaring the establishment of a special investigative team and promising to erect a memorial at the original site of the old library.
“Public pressure is working.”
On the screen, the latest trending topic was #ChenWan’sBrotherSpeaksOut#.
Clicking on the video, a kind-faced middle-aged man choked back tears as he spoke to the camera.
“Thank you all for remembering my sister. Thank you, uncles and aunties, for helping our family. This is the day we’ve been waiting for…”
At the end of the video, he held his daughter and bowed deeply, the young girl’s tender voice saying, “Thank you, uncles and aunties, for getting justice for my auntie.”
Xiao Moyuan sat nearby reading a book.
His fingertips traced several runes in the air, creating a field around her that aided her recovery.
At three in the afternoon, a message popped up in the club chat.
[Qin Xuan]: Latest update:
The former principal has been officially arrested. Liu Wendong has turned into a tainted witness. The school has promised to announce the investigation results within three days and hold a ceremony to clear Chen Wan’s name.
[Xue li]: Chen Wan’s brother contacted me, saying he wants to thank everyone in person.
[Lu Yang]: Don’t! Absolutely don’t!
[Hua Liang]: How are you doing?
[Lu Yang]: I… I dreamed of Chen Wan last night… She was wearing that school uniform, sitting by my bed, asking me what kind of girls I liked.
He occasionally glanced up at her status, and faint spiritual energy flowed into Su Mian.
The group chat fell silent for a few seconds.
[Qin Xuan]: And then?
[Lu Yang]: Then I woke up and found it wasn’t a dream… She was really sitting by my bed!!!
Even through the screen, Su Mian could feel Lu Yang’s collapse. Xiao Moyuan glanced at her phone, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
[Su Mian]: Did you answer her?
[Lu Yang]: I was so scared I nearly rolled off the bed! How could I answer?! I just said, “Someone like you is pretty good!”
[Xue li]: ……Lu Yang, are you ok?
[Qin Xuan]: From a psychological perspective, this is a genuine emotional outpouring under stress. You’re exhausted from last night, I seriously feel drained… It’ll be fine once you get used to it.
[Lu Yang]: So I have to be drained like this? This is practically an in-depth exchange with you.
He still held a slight expectation in his heart.
Xiao Moyuan ignored his complaints and reached for her phone.
He typed a reply:
[Xiao Moyuan]: Maintain the current situation, observe for three days. Don’t do anything out of bounds, and don’t provoke her.
[Lu Yang]: Brother Xiao! Big Boss Xiao! Can you take her away?! I admit I like pretty girls, but there’s a fundamental difference between humans and ghosts!
[Xiao Moyuan]: You caused it, you deal with it yourself.
Xiao Moyuan returned the phone to Su Mian, who was now doubled over with laughter on the sofa.
“Lu Yang really… brought this upon himself.”
“Hey, hey, no…”
“It might not be a bad thing.”
Xiao Moyuan closed his book.
“Chen Wan needs this experience to resolve her obsession. Lu Yang also needs to learn to be cautious with his words.”
“But can this really resolve an obsession?” Su Mian sat up, asking earnestly. “An obsession like love… isn’t it only meaningful if it’s with a living person?”
Xiao Moyuan pondered.
“The essence of obsession is something unfinished. Chen Wan passed away at nineteen; her life was cut short, and all the experiences a girl should have had became a blank slate. Interactions with Lu Yang, even simple companionship and conversation, are filling those blanks.”
He paused, then added, “Moreover, Lu Yang possesses certain qualities that have been missing these past few days.”
“What qualities?”
“Pure enthusiasm and undisguised sincerity,” Xiao Moyuan said faintly. “Though he’s impulsive, his heart is simple: if he likes something, he likes it; if he’s scared, he’s scared. This straightforwardness, for a spirit body, makes it easier to build trust.”
Su Mian remembered Lu Yang’s usually boisterous yet reliable demeanor at critical moments and nodded. “That’s true.”
***
As evening approached, the setting sun painted the sky in gradients of orange and purple.
Su Mian stood on the balcony, watching the sunset, and suddenly asked, “What happens to Chen Wan after her obsession is dispelled and she enters reincarnation?”
“She might…”
Xiao Moyuan didn’t continue.
“Will Lu Yang remember her?”
Xiao Moyuan walked over to her side. “If she vanishes, she’ll be remembered, but the memory will fade with time, eventually becoming a blurred past, like a dream.”
His voice was calm, yet Su Mian detected a faint hint of melancholy.
She turned her head to look at him. “Have you… experienced something similar?”
Silence stretched between them.
Just as Su Mian thought he wouldn’t answer, Xiao Moyuan spoke.
“When I was little, our family once took in a geolocated spirit. It was a seven or eight-year-old child, whose obsession was waiting for his mother to come home.”
“What happened later?”
“We stayed with him for three months, until he remembered his mother had already passed away from illness, and he was just waiting to go with her.”
Xiao Moyuan’s voice was very soft. “The day he left was a clear day.”
Su Mian gently took his hand.
His cool fingers slowly intertwined with hers as she touched him.
“That was the first time I realized this ability isn’t just a responsibility; it can also be a gift,” he said, “to guide those lost souls on their final journey.”
***
As dusk deepened, the two had a simple dinner, after which Xiao Moyuan began preparing items that might be needed tonight—talismans, cinnabar, several ancient copper coins, and a small peach wood sword tied with a red string.
“What are these for?” Su Mian asked curiously.
“Backup,” Xiao Moyuan said, neatly categorizing the items.
“Although Chen Wan’s deterrence has diminished, a vengeful spirit is still a vengeful spirit, and her emotions might be unstable. Moreover…”
He looked out at the deepening night sky.
“The commotion from purifying Chen Wan yesterday was quite significant; it might attract some uninvited guests.”
“Uninvited guests?”
“Creatures sensitive to spiritual power, or… people.”
Xiao Moyuan’s tone grew slightly serious. “The energy released when a vengeful spirit’s core grievance dissipates, especially one from thirty-four years ago, is a rare resource in the eyes of certain entities.”
“Many evil cultivators might consider taking this power for themselves, or even making Chen Wan their shikigami.”
Su Mian’s heart tightened. “Then are we still going tonight?”
“Absolutely,” Xiao Moyuan said decisively.
“Someone needs to keep an eye on Lu Yang, and if there’s real trouble, we’ll be better equipped to handle it on site.”
He walked in front of Su Mian, placing his hands on her shoulders, his gaze serious.
“Don’t easily use your demon power. If anything happens, protect yourself.”
He lightly kissed her forehead.
Su Mian, however, remained frozen until Xiao Moyuan had already started walking, at which point she hastily followed. The lingering coolness on her forehead was strangely calming.
***
The strange phenomenon prompted the school to tighten its management.
Lu Yang was the last to arrive.
He had two obvious dark circles under his eyes and looked utterly drained.
“Lu Yang, are you alright?”
“Do I look alright?” Lu Yang said with a mournful face. “I recited poetry to Chen Wan last night, and I seriously feel exhausted…”
Qin Xuan pushed up his glasses. “Chen Wan absorbed your vital essence; it counts as a deep interaction with you. Maybe you’ll have more opportunities for deeper interaction in the future.”
Lu Yang blinked.
Xiao Moyuan ignored his complaints and pointed at the area around the seven-star formation from last night.
He raised his hand and traced a few glowing blue patterns in the air. After a careful inspection, he frowned slightly.
“Someone tampered with the barrier.”
“Although Chen Wan now possesses self-awareness, her previous resentment was sealed in its original place.”
“If someone with impure intentions had crooked ideas, they might use this powerful energy to do bad things.”
“What?” Qin Xuan immediately sensed it. “However, they temporarily didn’t break the seal, but rather…”
Xiao Moyuan’s fingertips brushed over a faint glowing pattern; there were clear traces of spiritual power, distinctly different from his own.
Hua Liang walked over to examine it, his expression grave.
“This kind of spiritual trace… it’s very ancient, not like modern cultivators’ methods.”
“Can it be traced?” Qin Xuan asked.
Xiao Moyuan shook his head. “The traces are too faint, and the other party used anti-tracking techniques.”
He looked at Lu Yang.
“This resentment comes from Chen Wan; she should be able to perceive what happened last night…”
Lu Yang froze. He closed his eyes, seemingly communicating intently, then opened them a few seconds later, his expression peculiar.
“She said a stranger did come last night, but she couldn’t see their face. She only felt a very strong pressure, and an ‘uncomfortable aura.'”
“…”
Xiao Moyuan and Qin Xuan exchanged a glance.
“It seems someone did tamper with it,” Qin Xuan murmured.
“Proceed as planned,” Xiao Moyuan decided. “Hua Liang, reinforce the barrier. It will be safer that way.”
Su Mian wanted to help, but Xiao Moyuan stopped her.
“First, recover and observe.”
Sitting at the core of the formation, Su Mian was temporarily sidelined, unable to even leave.
“But…”
“No buts.”
Xiao Moyuan’s tone was unequivocal.
“Your demon power hasn’t recovered. If an uninvited guest were to appear and you were to forcibly act, you would only become a weak point.”
Su Mian bit her lip, ultimately heeding Xiao Moyuan’s words.
***
The night deepened, and the moon ascended to its zenith.
Lu Yang paced back and forth at the edge of the clearing, somewhat agitated, occasionally glancing at Xiao Moyuan in the distance.
However, he suddenly stopped, his expression turning a little bewildered.
“Chen Wan said… she wants to come out for a walk.”
“Now?”
Qin Xuan frowned.
“She said the moonlight is beautiful tonight,” Lu Yang relayed, his eyes gradually becoming vacant.
“…”
Xiao Moyuan pondered for a moment. “Let her out, but don’t let her leave the barrier’s range.”
Lu Yang nodded and closed his eyes.
Seconds later, his demeanor underwent a subtle change—his posture became more restrained, his gaze more serene, and he raised a hand to adjust his collar.
When he opened his eyes, though it was still Lu Yang’s face, the gaze belonged to another soul.
“Chen Wan?” Su Mian tentatively asked.
“It’s me.”
Lu Yang—or rather, Chen Wan—smiled faintly, a gentle smile tinged with a maiden’s shyness.
“It’s me. I borrowed his body for a while; it won’t be long.”
The voice was still Lu Yang’s, but the tone was entirely different.
This eerie contrast made Xue li unconsciously step back half a pace.
Chen Wan, controlling Lu Yang’s body, walked unhurriedly to the center of the clearing and looked up at the moon.
Moonlight bathed his face, imbued with the sentiment of a young girl gazing at the moon.
“Thirty-four years…” Chen Wan whispered softly. “The moon is still the same moon. The night I died, it was like this too.”
‘The moon was red, like blood.’
The atmosphere instantly froze.
“That night…” Chen Wan continued, her voice terrifyingly calm. “When I died, my parents, and those who framed me… hatred coiled around my heart like vines, tightening more and more.”
She lowered her head, looking at her hands with a hint of bewilderment.
“Then I died. But my consciousness didn’t disappear; instead, it was trapped in this land, year after year, watching people come and go, watching my story turn into a legend, then into baseless rumors. The human world has changed so much.”
Chen Wan slowly turned in a circle under the moonlight. “Such a moonlit night. Except that night, the moon was red…”
“Senior sister…” Su Mian called softly.
Chen Wan looked up, tears welling in her eyes, Lu Yang’s body weeping.
“For these thirty-four years, my heart has been snowing. I thought I would never find release.”
“Until you all appeared.”
She wiped away her tears, revealing a faint smile that was more genuine than any Su Mian had ever seen. “Thank you all, truly.”
As her words faded, Lu Yang’s body began to sway, and Chen Wan’s spirit body drifted out of him, coalescing into form in mid-air.
Compared to last night, her body was more solid, clearer; her school uniform was pristine white, her face clean, and her eyes held no more resentment, only clear sorrow and a faint trace of lingering attachment.
“I’ve understood,” Chen Wan said. “Instead of clinging to what I never had, it’s better to say a proper farewell and go where I belong.”
She looked at Lu Yang—who had just regained consciousness and was dazedly rubbing his temples—and softly said, “Thank you, you big oaf.”
“…”
Lu Yang was stunned, opening his mouth but unable to say anything.
Just then, an anomaly occurred.
From the east side of the barrier came a sound like shattering glass, and a dark shadow shot in like an arrow, heading straight for Chen Wan in mid-air!
“Look out!”
Lu Yang, almost by reflex, shielded Chen Wan.
“…”
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