Chapter 31: The Ghost Thought I Was Asleep

Pei Liu had no choice but to reluctantly step into the room and stand by the bed, trembling with fear.

Xie Wuyu let go of his hand and asked in confusion: “Why are you standing there? Aren’t you going to shower?”

Pei Liu’s hands, hanging by his sides, curled slightly. He forced a natural tone: “I’ll wait a bit. You go shower first.”

“Are you sure?” Xie Wuyu asked.

Pei Liu didn’t want him to ask further. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached out, pushed him, and urged in a light, familiar tone: “Yes, you go quickly. You know how lazy I am; I want to just collapse for a while first.”

Xie Wuyu gave him a look without saying much more. Slowly, he grabbed his clothes and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Only then did Pei Liu finally let out a secret sigh of relief, his tense nerves loosening slightly.

Constantly pretending in front of a ghost was as dangerous as being an undercover agent; he had to breathe so lightly he felt like he was suffocating.

Pei Liu lowered his head, pressing his lips tightly together, the rims of his eyes faintly red.

His hands gripped the edge of the bed tightly, crumpling the sheets into a mess.

He glanced at the bathroom, then turned to look at the room’s door, feeling an overwhelming urge to just dash out regardless of anything. That door exuded an immense attraction.

Pei Liu couldn’t help but stand up and slowly walk over, standing hesitantly before the door.

Suddenly, the door was scratched, making a scraping sound.

Pei Liu immediately took a step back.

At the same time, he heard a loud, enthusiastic bark.

“Woof, woof.”

A dog? Was it that ghost dog?

Pei Liu frowned. Before he could decide how to react, the ghost dog impatiently used its paw to pull down the door handle, opened the door, and bounded inside enthusiastically.

Compared to the dim, yellowish lighting in the living room during the day, the incandescent light in the bedroom was much brighter, clearly revealing the ghost dog’s appearance.

Perked-up triangular ears, pitch-black, bright eyes, a wet nose, a very beautiful brownish-yellow coat with a snow-white belly, and a fluffy, curled-up tail.

Pei Liu was a bit surprised because this ghost dog didn’t look scary at all. Its breed traits were excellent, its demeanor endearingly clumsy; it seemed just like an ordinary, clingy big dog.

People are visual creatures. A large part of the fear of ghosts stems from their ugly, terrifying appearance, filled with malice and lethal danger. It’s human nature to seek safety and avoid harm.

But the Shiba Inu before him was different. It squinted its eyes, stuck out its tongue, and wore a classic, smiling expression—adorable and harmless.

Pei Liu was instantly charmed. His hands itched; he really wanted to pet it.

The Shiba Inu took two steps forward, rubbed its head against his leg, and whined endearingly—an absolutely foul play of cuteness.

Not only that, but this Shiba Inu had also retrieved the ball and stuffed it into Pei Liu’s hand. It looked up at him with eager eyes, its fluffy little tail wagging happily, wearing an expression that practically screamed: Hurry and praise me, aren’t I amazing?

Pei Liu immediately thought of the Golden Retriever he used to have. Unable to resist any longer, he expertly reached out to pet its head. His fingers brushed past the fluffy triangular ears and smoothed down the fur on its back.

Aside from being a little cool to the touch, the soft, smooth fur felt incredibly good, making it hard to stop petting.

Pei Liu’s petting skills were expert. After just a few strokes, the Shiba Inu squinted its eyes, lay down on the floor, tucked its paws in, and made an enjoyable, rumbling sound in its throat.

Even though it was a dog, it acted like a cat high on catnip, lying intoxicated on the floor and displaying its soft, snow-white belly to Pei Liu in complete trust, rolling around.

Pei Liu found it amusing, entirely forgetting his fear of ghosts. Or rather, this dog was simply too adorable and harmless, so he unconsciously excluded it from the “ghost” category. Compared to a ghost, it felt more like a guardian spirit.

Thinking of this, Pei Liu couldn’t resist petting it a few more times, treating it like a koi fish in hopes of rubbing off some good luck.

But after a short while, there was a click.

The bathroom door handle moved.

The dog, which had been rolling on the floor, suddenly scrambled up as if sensing danger. In the blink of an eye, it slipped through the crack of the door and fled swiftly with its tail between its legs.

At the corner of the corridor, a little girl hugged the Shiba Inu, patted its head, and scolded it like an adult: “Don’t run around, or you’ll get eaten!”

The Shiba Inu tilted its head, let out a goofy whine, and then had its cheeks pinched and petted vigorously.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Xie Wuyu walked out of the bathroom.

Hearing the sound, Pei Liu, who was crouching on the floor, instantly froze—a complete contrast to his relaxed posture while petting the dog just moments ago.

As the footsteps approached, a pair of long legs appeared in Pei Liu’s field of vision.

“Why are you crouching here?”

A deep, melodious voice sounded above him. The other person leaned over, grasped his hand, and pulled him up.

The cold palm carried the dampness of steam, wetting Pei Liu’s hand and leaving a slight trace of water. It felt like being licked by a snake’s tongue—soft, smooth, and clammy—coiling around his wrist, creating a bizarre yet shivering sensation.

Xie Wuyu’s silk-like dark hair was wet, draped over his shoulders and back like slightly messy, intertwined threads.

The soft moonlight poured in through the window, fluid and milky, giving his long hair a beautiful, lustrous sheen. Contrasted with his striking appearance and aura, it left one in a daze, helplessly bewitched by his beauty.

Even Pei Liu, who already knew he was a ghost, was momentarily spellbound before snapping back to reality. Following Xie Wuyu’s motion to stand up, his expression was stiff, resembling a puppet.

When Xie Wuyu let go, his wet hair brushed against his arm, leaving a chilling sensation.

Pei Liu retracted his hand. A wisp of black mist brushed against it like a feather, causing a tickling sensation.

He quickly suppressed his trembling and mumbled an excuse, saying he was going to take a shower.

Without waiting for Xie Wuyu’s response, he immediately walked to the wardrobe, quickly grabbed his clothes, and entered the bathroom.

Inside still lingered the warmth and steam from Xie Wuyu’s shower, along with the faint scent of body wash.

Do ghosts even need to shower? He’s really dedicated to the act.

Pei Liu instinctively averted his gaze, avoiding the mirror, and lowered his head to undress.

Under the showerhead, the water flowed continuously, steam rising.

Pei Liu washed very slowly, dawdling because he simply didn’t want to go out.

Even knowing clearly that such stalling was useless, he still did it; he just didn’t want to face Xie Wuyu.

Over forty minutes passed.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the bathroom door.

Through the frosted glass, a blurry black silhouette was visible.

“Pei Liu, are you alright?” A gentle, concerned voice came through.

Pei Liu looked at the door and quickly replied: “I’m fine!”

Xie Wuyu reminded him: “Don’t shower for too long; it’s bad for your health.”

“…Okay.”

Pei Liu gave a dry response, saying he would be done soon.

But when he turned his head and saw the silhouette still at the door, his heart skipped a beat.

“You… why haven’t you left?”

Xie Wuyu replied naturally: “Didn’t you ask me to wait at the door before?”

That was because I was afraid of ghosts. But having a ghost stand guard right outside the door is even more terrifying; I can’t even relax while showering.

After tactfully refusing once again, Xie Wuyu finally listened to him and walked away, telling him to call again if he needed anything.

This gentle, considerate demeanor felt deeply bizarre to Pei Liu. Not daring to delay any longer, he turned off the water, dried himself, and put on his pajamas.

As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw Xie Wuyu sitting on the bed. The other half was empty, a spot saved for him.

He instinctively glanced at the room’s door, desperate to escape.

When he didn’t know before, at most he felt the awkwardness typical of straight men. But now, it was a matter of life and death. Who knew if Xie Wuyu would suddenly get up in the middle of the night, stand by the bed staring at him with venomous eyes, and strangle him to death?

If I have to sleep with a ghost, I’d rather it be that Shiba Inu. Hugging a fluffy ball is so much more healing.

Seeing him standing still, Xie Wuyu asked: “What’s wrong?”

Pei Liu’s gaze immediately snapped back from the door. He pursed his lips, pretending everything was fine.

Then, he walked to the wardrobe, crouched down, and pretended to tidy up his things. He folded and unfolded clothes, creating an illusion of being extremely busy.

“Need help?”

Before he knew it, Xie Wuyu had walked up behind him. A shadow fell over Pei Liu, completely enveloping him, exuding an indescribable, oppressive aura.

Pei Liu froze as if someone hit the pause button, his body stiffening, cold sweat seeping from his palms.

A few seconds passed.

He adjusted his expression, slowly tilted his head back, met Xie Wuyu’s face, and forced a natural tone: “No need, I’m almost…”

Because he had tilted his head back too far, he easily lost his balance and began to fall backward. Pei Liu locked eyes with him and tried to lean forward, but at that moment, a hand pressed against his back, gently steadying him.

It was that familiar feeling again.

It wasn’t the first time.

The chill forcefully penetrated the thin fabric, feeling as if it were pressed directly against his skin, causing him to shiver slightly.

Pei Liu pursed his lips, quickly muttered a “Thank you,” and used the motion of putting clothes into the wardrobe to lean forward, naturally pulling away from Xie Wuyu.

But he didn’t realize that by doing so, the back of his neck was completely exposed to Xie Wuyu’s gaze.

Snow-white, slender, and fragile—easily grasped with a single hand.

Xie Wuyu naturally noticed his evasion. He stared silently for a moment, then turned and returned to the bed expressionlessly, as if he didn’t care at all.

No matter how Pei Liu dawdled or delayed, he eventually had to get into bed and sleep.

He tried his best to suppress his fear and lay down.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Xie Wuyu’s arm reached over, pulling him into his embrace and hugging him with practiced ease.

Pei Liu tensed up completely. His hands resting on his chest unconsciously clenched, even wrinkling the bedsheets, as if hoping to vent a bit of the panic in his heart.

Their bodies were pressed closely together, without the slightest gap, as if wrapped tightly by vines.

Pei Liu suddenly remembered the feeling of being bound—like ghost paralysis—he experienced every night, as well as the lingering, widespread soreness and unexplained bruises on his body when he woke up the next morning.

…Is Xie Wuyu that ghost?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Pei Liu stiffened even more. Terror surged, almost instantly swallowing him whole, making it hard to breathe.

The corners of his eyes turned red, and tears welled up, sliding down his cheeks one by one onto the pillow.

A silent cry.

The silence stretched on in the darkness.

Until it was broken by a low voice.

“Are you asleep?”

Pei Liu panicked. For a split second, he even stopped breathing. Realizing this was abnormal, he slowly resumed breathing, kept his eyes closed, and pretended to sleep.

Then, he felt Xie Wuyu slowly let him go, move to the other side of the bed, and lie down in front of him, changing from holding him from behind to facing him.

Cool fingers touched his face, gently wiping away a tear.

Xie Wuyu sighed softly: “Why did you fall asleep crying?”

Pei Liu was extremely tense, not daring to move a muscle, terrified of being caught pretending to sleep.

The next second, he felt something soft press against the corner of his eye and lick it.

It was Xie Wuyu’s lips and tongue.

Pei Liu’s eyelashes fluttered, and the fingers resting by his side curled up discreetly.

He kept reminding himself in his heart: This is the last night. Endure it, and tomorrow I can leave. I absolutely must not dodge; I must not move. Otherwise, if I’m discovered, all previous efforts will be wasted.

Despite thinking this, he still couldn’t suppress the trembling of his body, looking incredibly pitiful.

And in the darkness, the entity’s vision remained unaffected, taking in his every reaction.

A long time passed, and it still hadn’t stopped.

Inch by inch, sucking away the tears, not missing a single spot.

Pei Liu was terrified, trembling, yet at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

He remembered what the little ghost had said about him eating ghosts.

If only that were really possible. I wish I could eat all the ghosts!

The instant he thought that.

The flame on his shoulder suddenly grew larger, unconsciously absorbing yin energy from the entity in a continuous stream.

The volume was far greater than ever before.

The entity naturally noticed as well. He was slightly surprised, but he didn’t stop it; he merely watched with keen interest.

After all, he had always felt Pei Liu ate too little and was quite eager to see what changes would occur after Pei Liu consumed an abundance of yin energy.

Pei Liu’s soul devoured it in large gulps, becoming fuller than ever before.

“Burp.”

He burped again.

His soul’s cheeks puffed up, round and chubby, like an angry pufferfish.