Chapter 57: A Bite of Jealousy

If Xie Wuyu liked him, how could he possibly think of devouring his soul?

Just like humans, it was impossible to like their own food.

Pei Liu’s heart relaxed, and after saying goodbye to Sister Yu, he walked onto the set to prepare for the next scene.

Xie Wuyu asked him: “What did you chat about?”

“Nothing, just work arrangements after this drama wraps up,” Pei Liu said, and then, thinking of something, his eyes glinted as he remarked seemingly casually, “My manager gave me a few scripts, but I don’t plan to choose any of them.”

“Why?”

Pei Liu said matter-of-factly: “Aren’t I going to die soon anyway? In the last moments of my life, of course I should enjoy myself freely. Working myself to death would be too tragic.”

Hearing this, Xie Wuyu said nothing.

Pei Liu thought, As expected.

It really was just my own overthinking.

Aside from filming, there was also rest time.

Most of the time, Pei Liu stayed in the hotel studying the script. The closer they got to the finale and the climax, the harder it was to act well. Pei Liu didn’t want to hold anyone back, so he lowered his head and focused on his research, naturally ignoring everything else easily.

Xie Wuyu discovered that he had practically become an invisible person.

Previously, when they stayed at home, Pei Liu would ask him to play games and watch dramas together when he was bored. But now, Pei Liu stared at the script constantly, muttering to himself, and when he thought of something, his eyes would light up, and he would immediately write it down.

Xie Wuyu found himself doing nothing but cooking, his gaze unconsciously fixed on Pei Liu, watching him busy himself with thinking about his character’s mood in a certain segment, what his expression should be, which word to emphasize when speaking his lines, and so on.

In between, Pei Liu suddenly looked up, as if looking for someone to rehearse lines with. In reality, the vast majority of Pei Liu’s scenes as Yu Chu were with Xie Wuyu, and living together made practicing very convenient.

But Pei Liu only lifted his head halfway before suddenly remembering something, picking up his phone, and calling Qin Wu. He politely asked if he had time and if it would be a disturbance, and upon hearing it was fine, Pei Liu asked him some questions about acting.

This phone call lasted a long time. During the second half, Pei Liu was smiling, his smile brilliant, saying he was very grateful to him and wanted to treat him to dinner after they finished filming.

Xie Wuyu watched him hang up the phone, narrowed his eyes, and said seemingly casually: “You had quite a pleasant chat, and you even want to treat him to dinner?”

Pei Liu didn’t think much of it. In a good mood, he nodded instinctively: “Yeah, he helped me a lot. Come to think of it, Qin Wu really has a great personality. He became a Best Actor at such a young age, and even with his high status, he isn’t arrogant at all. He’s very supportive of a newcomer like me, never finding it annoying when I ask questions, and answering very patiently.”

“Is that so?”

Terrified of forgetting what he had just discussed with Qin Wu, Pei Liu immediately began writing down the points to note, not catching any anomaly in his tone at all, and responded without thinking: “Yeah.”

With guidance from his senior, Pei Liu untangled the messy thoughts in his mind, his lips curling into a smile.

In contrast to him, Xie Wuyu beside him didn’t look very happy.

***

That night.

Just as Qin Wu was preparing to sleep, he turned around and discovered a mass of pitch-black, viscous fog appearing out of thin air by the door, surging and slowly condensing into a human form.

The god had suddenly descended.

Qin Wu was startled. It took him a few seconds to react before he hurriedly knelt in reverence.

He assumed the god had descended to give him some instructions.

But five minutes passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Twenty minutes passed.

…

Qin Wu was somewhat confused.

Did the god want him to figure it out on his own?

He thought hard but simply couldn’t come up with anything, so he stealthily looked up, hoping to get some guidance. But he discovered the god was merely staring at him, his gaze cold, and seemingly… disgusted?

What did he do wrong???

Panicking, Qin Wu immediately began to recall if he had done anything unethical. Before he could think of anything, he discovered the god had left again.

Qin Wu: “…?”

So, why on earth did the god come here?

Qin Wu knelt on the floor, not daring to stand up for a moment. His assistant walked in, shocked to see him like this: “Brother Wu, what’s wrong with you?!”

Qin Wu: “You don’t understand.”

The assistant’s head was filled with even more question marks, wondering if his boss had some unknown, bizarre illness.

***

The next day.

Xie Wuyu asked Pei Liu what he wanted to eat.

Ever since Xie Wuyu started cooking, this question had been asked with high frequency. The food Xie Wuyu cooked was very delicious, making it almost impossible to be picky, but people always had preferences. The first time Pei Liu tasted how fresh the fish Xie Wuyu cooked was, he couldn’t help but sigh, wanting to drink fish soup.

Unexpectedly, in the very next meal, crucian carp tofu soup genuinely appeared on the dining table. The soup was a milky white, savory and delicious, the fish meat tender, melting in his mouth.

Pei Liu ate with great satisfaction.

Delicious food could always break down many things, even the fear and vigilance between humans and ghosts.

Pei Liu had fallen in love with the meals Xie Wuyu cooked. His stomach was conquered, and his body was very honest. He felt a fond appreciation and admiration for the chef who could make such gourmet food. Moreover, no matter what dish he requested, Xie Wuyu could make it; there seemed to be nothing he couldn’t do.

Today, he licked his lips and said: “I want to eat boiled large shrimp.”

The room they stayed in had a kitchen, allowing guests to cook on their own, and the necessary ingredients could be bought nearby. Of course, they could also have the hotel provide them.

However, to cook a delicious meal, the ingredients were very important.

Xie Wuyu planned to go out and buy the shrimp, wanting to pick them out himself to ensure they were fresh. But that wasn’t the main point. He just suddenly wanted to go out with Pei Liu.

As the person who proposed eating shrimp, Pei Liu naturally felt embarrassed to just wait at home, so he went along with him.

They went to a large shopping mall in the city center. The supermarket inside had a seafood section, and the quality was on par with a seafood market.

Pei Liu had prior experience of being recognized when going out, so this time, he covered up even more carefully. Unless someone was extremely familiar with him, they generally wouldn’t recognize him. Even if something did happen, Xie Wuyu was by his side, so there was absolutely no need to worry.

Since they were already at the supermarket, looking at the dazzling array of goods, they naturally wouldn’t just buy some shrimp and leave.

Pei Liu unconsciously wandered into the snack aisle.

Potato chips, shrimp strips, biscuit sticks, small fish crackers, squid shreds, chicken feet, duck necks…

He wanted them all.

Unable to resist, he grabbed quite a few, wanting to put them in the shopping cart.

But right at that moment, a pale, slender, bony hand reached over, effortlessly took the snacks from his hands, and put them back in their places.

Pei Liu froze.

Xie Wuyu said: “Didn’t you say you wanted to lose weight recently and eat low-calorie food?”

Pei Liu: “…”

His heart felt a bit guilty, but he was reluctant to let go.

He said persistently: “Just a little bit, it won’t affect anything.”

He reached out again to grab a bag of tomato-flavored potato chips.

Xie Wuyu grabbed his hands, holding both his wrists with a single hand, stopping him. Pei Liu struggled, but couldn’t break free.

The two fell into a deadlock, standing very close.

Pei Liu refused to give up, struggling for a bit, before suddenly noticing a four- or five-year-old girl not far away. Holding a lollipop, she was watching them, her round eyes filled with curiosity.

Panicking, Pei Liu said quickly: “Hurry up and let go!”

Xie Wuyu didn’t care at all. After a few more seconds, noticing Pei Liu’s ears had turned red, he slowly let go. He then casually pushed the shopping cart, continuing forward.

Pei Liu followed slowly behind him, maintaining a distance of a few steps. He vaguely heard the little girl’s childish voice behind him, saying crisply: “Mom, I just saw two big brothers playing a game. They were standing so close, and one brother’s face even turned red.”

The young mother, who knew what she had imagined, let out a laugh and said: “Ah? Children shouldn’t watch these things. Forget it quickly.”

Pei Liu felt helpless and embarrassed, walking faster, terrified the child behind him would point at him and say, That’s the brother.

Only after this did they go to buy the large shrimp.

The shrimp in the water tank were very fresh and full of energy, their little legs paddling constantly as they swam in the water—very cute, and looking very delicious.

Watching Xie Wuyu scoop up the shrimp, Pei Liu was already imagining the braised large shrimp: bright red and alluring, the shrimp meat fresh, tender, and slightly sweet, with a tight and bouncy texture, rich and delicious, great for mixing with rice.

While Pei Liu was watching greedily, he suddenly heard someone call his name. He turned around instinctively, finding a strange young man about his age.

“Wow, it really is you.” The man looked delighted. “You wrapped yourself up so tightly I almost didn’t recognize you. Oh, right, you’re a big star now, I have to keep my voice down.”

Pei Liu was somewhat bewildered.

The man said: “No way, have you forgotten me? It’s me, Gao Yong. Back in our freshman year, I was your roommate, and the teacher always complained that I talked too much.”

Pei Liu said with difficulty: “…I have some impression.”

In reality, he didn’t recognize him at all.

Gao Yong sidled up to him and lowered his voice: “There’s a class reunion next week, are you coming? Let’s all gather together. My girlfriend really likes you. By the way, Liu Lu is also coming. You two were a famous campus couple back then, and many people felt sorry when you broke up after graduation. And I heard she’s single now.”

The other was too enthusiastic, and talking along, he was about to add him on WeChat. Pei Liu couldn’t easily refuse. He took out his phone, and Gao Yong’s sharp eyes spotted something: “Hey, so you and Liu Lu are still in touch.”

He immediately wore a knowing smile, teasing: “Then I’ll be waiting to drink your wedding wine.”

Saying this, he reached out, wanting to pat Pei Liu’s shoulder. But Pei Liu was suddenly pulled back by a strong hand on his shoulder, crashing into a familiar cool chest, and a cold, deep voice sounded above his head.

“What wedding wine?”

Gao Yong’s hand met empty air, and only then did he notice another person standing beside Pei Liu—tall, handsome, with a powerful aura, a presence impossible to ignore. Yet strangely, he hadn’t noticed his existence just now.

“This… is he your colleague?” Gao Yong sheepishly retracted his hand, even instinctively taking two steps back. For some reason, the other’s gaze made him cower.

Pei Liu glanced at Xie Wuyu, nodded, and said: “Yes.”

Although the situation was a bit strange, he still introduced them to each other according to social etiquette.

“Hello, hello.” Gao Yong’s talkative state vanished, and his mouth seemed completely useless as he said dryly, “So you stars also come out to buy groceries.”

Xie Wuyu asked: “What were you chatting about just now?”

At this mention, Gao Yong regained his talkativeness, rattling off a long story about Pei Liu’s past romance, how sweet it was, how good he was to his girlfriend, and naturally mentioned the wedding wine.

Pei Liu felt his head swell, because the person who had experienced this wasn’t him at all, but the other self. The other had already swapped with him. In his high school, indeed, a girl named Liu Lu existed, but they were merely ordinary classmates and had never dated.

Xie Wuyu’s face changed, turning cold, as he said softly: “So there’s such a story.”

“Yeah, yeah, Pei Liu was our big campus heartthrob, so many people liked him. Not just girls, but boys also played the guitar and sang love songs to confess to him…” Gao Yong smiled, but suddenly noticing Xie Wuyu’s terrifying expression, his voice stopped abruptly, as if his neck were being choked.

But soon after, Xie Wuyu smiled calmly, looking completely unbothered.

Yet Gao Yong felt his smile was even more terrifying than when he wasn’t smiling. Scared, he quickly said: “It’s getting late, I have things to do. Let’s chat again when we have time.”

Xie Wuyu glanced at the other’s retreating back, turned to Pei Liu, and said: “Let’s go too.”

Pei Liu nodded.

Xie Wuyu drove back. The car was exceptionally quiet along the way. When they came, the two would chat occasionally, and the atmosphere was very normal.

Pei Liu felt it was a bit strange. Was Xie Wuyu unhappy? He had been like this ever since Gao Yong appeared.

Back at the hotel.

Pei Liu helped carry the ingredients into the kitchen, asking: “Is there anything I can help with?”

Xie Wuyu said: “No.”

Pei Liu nodded, going out to organize and put away the other things. There weren’t many, so they were quickly put away.

He was just about to sit down and check his phone, but suddenly noticed it was snowing outside.

Fine snow drifted down gracefully, like a rain of petals.

On the balcony railing, a thin layer of white was laid out.

Pei Liu was awed. Pushing open the balcony door, he walked out and sat on a chair to watch the snow. Being a Southerner, he rarely saw snow, and watching it always brought a sense of novelty.

The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

He pulled it out and saw it was a WeChat message from Liu Lu, asking if he was going to the class reunion.

Perhaps due to the cold snowy day, Pei Liu’s mood suddenly turned a bit low.

Although he looked exactly like the Pei Liu of this world, they were ultimately two different people, with different life experiences, memories, thoughts, and personalities. Facing people he newly met was fine, but the appearance of someone who used to know that Pei Liu clearly reminded him that he didn’t belong to this world.

…He wanted to go home.

Pei Liu lowered his head, his gaze resting on the phone screen, but he wasn’t looking, merely dazing off.

He didn’t even know when Xie Wuyu came over.

When he snapped out of his daze, he discovered Xie Wuyu was half-kneeling in front of him, holding his hand.

Looking up at Pei Liu from below, Xie Wuyu was in a lower position, yet his aura didn’t appear weak at all. On the contrary, there was an almost aggressive, irresistible sharpness to him.

He glanced at Pei Liu’s phone, saying softly: “Chatting with her? While I’m cooking for you?”

His voice was very calm, without any violent anger, yet it exuded a subtle danger.

Pei Liu was slightly startled, not yet recovered from his homesickness, his face carrying some sadness.

“Recalling your past with her, feeling sad, wanting to get back together with her, is that it?” Xie Wuyu’s lips curled in a smile, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Pei Liu opened his mouth, wanting to say no.

But Xie Wuyu suddenly pulled his hand, bringing it to his lips, touching it as if kissing it gently.

From Pei Liu’s angle, he could just see Xie Wuyu’s lowered eyelashes. Under the moonlight, they had turned a very pale snow color, making his mind wander.

In the next second, a sharp pain struck Pei Liu’s fingertip.

Xie Wuyu had bitten him.

Pei Liu had stayed outside for a bit too long, and his hands were already cold. His cold skin suddenly being licked by warmth brought a sensation of being scorched by fire—very hot, making him instinctively want to retract his hand.

But his hand was held very tightly, and Xie Wuyu’s breath fell on his fingers—hot and itchy.

Xie Wuyu looked up, locking eyes with him, and said deeply: “I can’t let you go find her. You lost to me, so you are my possession.”

He knew very well that Pei Liu’s soul and body didn’t belong to this world, and that absurd romantic relationship had nothing to do with him. Yet, when he heard it, he felt an inexplicable displeasure, as if his own property were being coveted, and wished he could kill the other person.

Xie Wuyu added: “Have you ever liked anyone? Not the Pei Liu of this world, but yourself.”

Pei Liu’s eyes widened slightly. He actually knew…

Pei Liu’s emotions were diluted by this, and after a few seconds, he was reminded by the slight pain in his fingertip, replying: “I had a crush before…”

He had never been in a relationship, but having a crush was very normal; almost everyone had crushed on someone during their school days. But the moment Pei Liu said it, a wave of pain hit his fingertip, much more forceful than the previous bite, surely leaving a prominent ring of bite marks.

Pei Liu was somewhat confused. What was he angry about? Acting like this, it seemed as if he were jealous.

***

Having stood in the cold wind on the balcony, Pei Liu’s weak body caught a fever that night.

He lay on the bed, the quilt pressing down on him, feeling very heavy. He almost couldn’t feel his hands and feet, his body limp and devoid of strength.

Hot sweat seeped from his forehead, sliding down his neck—burning, moist, and sticky. His clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging to his body. He felt as if he had been fished out of hot water, highly uncomfortable.

His eyelashes also grew damp, clumping together.

Pei Liu wanted to wipe away his sweat, but his hand was pinned above his pillow, unable to move.

He vaguely felt a burning gaze land on him, and someone kissed the side of his neck, licking away the sweat. Unable to resist, he could only let out a helpless whimper.

Xie Wuyu pressed him onto the bed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at his body, flushed red from the fever.

Very beautiful.

He kissed Pei Liu’s damp eye corner, saying softly and gently:

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

Pei Liu wanted to say something, but his head was heavy, and with a mere movement of his lips, his consciousness quickly plunged into a complete darkness.