Chapter 61: The Sacrifice in Red

Qin Wu asked: “Can I bring someone along?”

Pei Liu replied: “No problem.”

Qin Wu immediately added: “It’s my dad. He is very eager to meet Shen Jin and you.”

Eager to meet? You?

Pei Liu felt a bit weird, as if he had suddenly become some elder of a very high generation.

He remembered a little about what happened back then—Xie Wuyu had recorded a dating show with him under Qin Wu’s identity and even gave him a small deity statue. That was the deity the Qin family had worshipped for generations.

He knew some things about this, but didn’t have a concrete concept.

Pei Liu turned to ask Xie Wuyu, “Do you want to go together? Do you mind Qin Wu’s dad coming along to eat?”

Xie Wuyu naturally was going to go. He didn’t care at all whether Father Qin came, but hearing Pei Liu ask this, he found it strange: “You don’t want me to go?”

“I didn’t say that.” Pei Liu typed on his phone keyboard. “Then I’ll tell him it’s a deal.”

***

On the day of the appointment.

Pei Liu and Xie Wuyu went to the pre-booked, highly private restaurant together.

At this point, Pei Liu finally realized the reality of Xie Wuyu being the worshipped deity.

Before they even entered the door, Father Qin and Qin Wu were already waiting there, as if welcoming VIP guests, their demeanors solemn and reverent.

Pei Liu paused in his steps, feeling a bit intimidated by this grand display. After all, strictly speaking, Father Qin was around his own father’s age, so he should be the one showing respect to his elders.

But the subsequent dinner was even more exaggerated.

Father Qin had booked the entire restaurant, yet he refused to sit down, insisting on standing to serve him and Xie Wuyu.

Pei Liu: “…”

Usually, when a waiter stood beside him to serve food, he felt very uncomfortable and extremely awkward. Father Qin’s attitude was even more… it looked as if he might kneel down at any second, giving him the illusion of being in a feudal era.

Pei Liu looked at Qin Wu, hoping he would persuade his dad.

But Qin Wu was dragged over by his dad, standing together with him. How could he argue? He could only shrug silently, indicating he was completely powerless.

Ultimately, it was Xie Wuyu who cooled his face, directly commanding: “Sit.”

Father Qin didn’t dare disobey, sitting down in a flash, with only the very edge of his seat touching the chair.

Only then did this meal become a bit more normal.

But, it was still only a little bit.

Father Qin was like a diehard fan who had finally met his idol—anxious, tense, and fanatical, cautious to the extreme, terrified that Pei Liu and Xie Wuyu would show the slightest hint of displeasure.

He even wanted to gift all of his family businesses to them.

Pei Liu was helpless; he really had just wanted to have a meal.

He declined firmly, stating that this was a treat to thank Qin Wu for his acting guidance. Xie Wuyu also nodded. Only then did Father Qin try his best to suppress his excitement and eat seriously.

After dinner, Father Qin escorted them all the way to their car, wanting to open the door for them, and finally watched them leave.

In the car, Pei Liu slumped in his seat, let out a sigh, patted his stomach, and said: “The atmosphere just now was too bizarre; I didn’t even eat my fill.”

Xie Wuyu said: “I’ll cook something for you when we get back. What do you want to eat?”

Pei Liu decisively ordered: “Sweet and sour pork ribs and lotus root shoots stir-fried with shrimp!”

Back home, Pei Liu indeed got his wish, eating the sweet, sour, crispy, and tender ribs. The lotus root shoots were also very crisp, matching the fresh shrimp perfectly, and the sauce mixed with rice was delicious.

He ate with great satisfaction, finishing all the lotus root shoots. At night, the tender, fresh willow tip was also stir-fried, full of juice and sweet in flavor. Xie Wuyu liked it immensely, eating to his heart’s content.

***

A few days later, the menswear commercial they shot was released, receiving an excellent response.

The fans cheered and screamed, excited to a blur.

Even though they couldn’t afford it and couldn’t boost their idol’s sales, they had a new source of spiritual food.

CP fans of all kinds showed off their skills: Butler X Young Master, Prince X Little Rose, Noble X Canary, Demon X Angel… it was a complete blossom of creativity.

It had to be said that the fans’ imaginations were incredibly powerful. The fan fiction and fan art were so wonderful that even the main party couldn’t stop reading.

Pei Liu was awed. While reading, he was accidentally caught by Xie Wuyu. The phone happened to display a fan art: Xie Wuyu pinning his wrists against the wall, him kneeling with his back against Xie Wuyu’s chest. It was said that this was an inescapable…

Startled, Pei Liu instinctively turned off the screen, but Xie Wuyu still saw it, and remarked with great interest: “Shall we try?”

“…”

Pei Liu regretted it bitterly; he shouldn’t have opened it out of curiosity!

Online, the fans of both sides celebrated like it was New Year’s, a spectacle of screaming chickens and groundhogs holding hands.

The internet was crowded and messy; along with praise came haters and trolls. Some said Pei Liu wasn’t famous enough, and Shen Jin was a newcomer, so why did they get a luxury brand endorsement when other stars didn’t? Pei Liu must have a sugar daddy behind him, right? There were even photos; how could they still be fans of this kind of person? Wasn’t it disgusting?

The so-called photos were sneakily taken by paparazzi. On the day Pei Liu treated Qin Wu to dinner, Father Qin had escorted him and Xie Wuyu to their car. The paparazzi had intentionally found an angle to make him look very close to Father Qin, appearing somewhat ambiguous. Using this photo as evidence, they claimed Pei Liu had an elderly sugar daddy behind him.

The text was entirely made up.

Before the rumor could ferment, Qin Wu couldn’t help but fire back first— “You really know how to take photos. I was there too, why didn’t you put me in? Do you think I’m ugly?”

The fans didn’t really believe it anyway. Paparazzi were too good at making things up; they could construct any fake news for traffic, and with plot twists later, they didn’t want to be manipulated like fools.

Now, seeing a Best Actor like Qin Wu immediately stand up for Pei Liu, the fans were very moved and thanked him.

Later, even Father Qin personally made an appearance—verified on Weibo as the chairman of Hongxing Group.

His wording was extremely serious: My respect for Pei Liu, and claiming his relationship with Pei Liu is a sugar daddy arrangement is an insult to Pei Liu. Our group’s lawyers will pursue this to the end and will not let it slide easily.

The fans and onlookers were completely bewildered.

“Is it my imagination? Why do I feel like the Qin family respect Pei Liu so much, taking him even more seriously than themselves? This doesn’t look like a sugar daddy’s attitude at all.”

“You’re not the only one. I even suspect if Pei Liu is some high-generation ancestor of the Qin family.”

“Hahahaha, I can feel Father Qin’s fury through the screen, as if saying: Sycophants, don’t harm me!”

“The legal team of a large group is incredibly formidable. The paparazzi kicked a steel plate this time. Didn’t they just rely on those bosses being too lazy to care about these things to make up scandals before?”

“So, am I the only one who wants to know what relationship Pei Liu has with the Qin family?”

“I’m like a silly badger running around the melon patch, unable to understand the melon at all, so miserable.”

Because of Qin Wu and Father Qin’s appearance, the rumor ended almost as soon as it began.

It was solved so quickly that the main party didn’t even have time to find out, let alone be troubled by it.

When Pei Liu woke up and received a call from his manager, he was still very bewildered: “What rumor shouldn’t I care about? What happened to Little Qin?”

“…Little Qin?” Sister Yu froze.

Pei Liu reacted, immediately correcting himself: “I mean President Qin.”

Because of the last dinner, Father Qin had sincerely requested that he call him that. Pei Liu was successfully brainwashed, subconsciously saying so.

Sister Yu: “Tell me honestly, are you actually some real wealthy young master who was swapped at birth and is about to inherit a billion-dollar family business?”

Pei Liu: “…Sister Yu, you’ve read too many novels.”

Sister Yu: “Can you blame me? Netizens are already guessing you’re some prince of a country who drifted out by accident.”

Pei Liu smiled helplessly, turning his head to look at the “culprit” behind this.

Xie Wuyu stood before the counter, dicing potatoes. His knife skills were fast and beautiful, his fingers slender and pleasing to the eye, and he didn’t cut himself at all.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Wuyu fed him a piece of cold cucumber.

Pei Liu felt there was nothing to say, so he brushed it off, standing beside Xie Wuyu to assist him, handing him things and such.

Xie Wuyu didn’t care, not asking further.

Instead, Pei Liu suddenly remembered the matter he hadn’t gotten an answer to before, leaning against the counter and asking: “By the way, what did you mean when you said before that I wouldn’t die? Stopping halfway is too teasing.”

Xie Wuyu sliced onions unhurriedly, not answering directly, but asking instead: “Have you ever thought about what impact eating so much ghostly energy would have on your body?”

Pei Liu’s heart skipped a beat. He had naturally worried about it, but since his body hadn’t felt any discomfort, he had slowly ignored it.

“…Is there some problem?” Pei Liu’s face couldn’t help but display a tense expression, his eyes watery as he asked. He wasn’t crying, but was merely irritated by the onions nearby.

Xie Wuyu quickly finished slicing the onions, washed his hands, pulled Pei Liu to the side, and helped him wipe his tears.

Pei Liu raised his hand, resting it on his arm, saying he would do it himself. But Xie Wuyu grabbed his wrist, his movement carrying an undeniable force, and continued to help him.

“No need to worry, devouring ghostly energy is beneficial to you. At first, when I saw you in the villa, your soul was unstable, not integrated with this world. Now it’s fine. After you absorb the ghostly energy, it becomes your power.”

Pei Liu was surprised, completely unaware of this: “Becoming mine? Then can I manipulate ghostly energy like you do, to condense coal-like balls?”

He was referring to the little black mists Xie Wuyu had created before, which were responsible for cleaning and would squeak when their little tentacles were patted.

Xie Wuyu’s movements paused. He knew Pei Liu liked those clumps of black mist, but he hadn’t expected him to think of them first. Xie Wuyu smiled: “You can try.”

Pei Liu genuinely began to try, but he couldn’t find the feeling no matter what, and had to ask for guidance: “Teacher Xie? can you guide me a little bit?”

Xie Wuyu was very patient, reaching his hand over from behind to grasp his arm, sliding down slowly to encircle his wrist, his thumb gently rubbing the delicate skin on the inside of his wrist. Pei Liu was very sensitive, trembling slightly from the itchiness.

Teacher Xie indeed taught him, but halfway through the lesson, Teacher Xie grew hungry, cooking once again—stir-frying the fresh, white, and delicate willow tip, which held the emerald green of spring, releasing a lot of sweet juices, and accidentally splattering a few drops onto the counter, leaving a patch of wet marks.

Pei Liu was also stuffed, feeling his stomach ache slightly, so he had to stand on the balcony to catch the wind and digest.

When Xie Wuyu walked over, he was still a bit alert, instinctively dodging to the side.

Xie Wuyu smiled: “I’m just accompanying you to catch the wind, want to sit down?”

Pei Liu tilted his head to study him for a moment. Confirming he didn’t have the intention of “eating the willow” here, he sat down on the rattan chair on the balcony.

Just then, Pei Liu’s phone rang.

It was Zhao Hai, asking if he had visited that temple, saying that making a wish required fulfilling it, otherwise it was disrespectful to the deity.

Pei Liu nodded. He now believed in the existence of ghosts and gods, and held reverence for them in his heart.

After hanging up the phone, Pei Liu discussed this with him.

Xie Wuyu smiled unreadably: “Sure, I’ll go with you.”

***

During the night.

Pei Liu slept very soundly in bed, unaware that Xie Wuyu was lying beside him, gently touching his flushed cheek. His earlobes, collarbone, and the skin of his shoulders bore faint bite marks; earlier, Pei Liu had even cursed at him, asking if he was a dog.

The corners of Xie Wuyu’s mouth curled up, smiling as he accepted the title, and bit him a few more times.

In the pitch blackness, Xie Wuyu’s voice was deep, almost as if talking to himself: “I know what he wants to do, but that won’t affect me, and the same goes for you… right?”

His thumb brushed over Pei Liu’s lips, and he said slowly: “Don’t disappoint me. Even if you regret it and want to leave, I won’t let you go.”

Pei Liu let out a low grunt, instinctively leaning forward and burrowing into Xie Wuyu’s chest. He was now used to sleeping with Xie Wuyu, and if he wasn’t there, he would feel something was missing.

Xie Wuyu smiled, wrapped his arm around his waist, kissed him, and closed his eyes.

***

The next day.

Pei Liu went to the temple with Xie Wuyu.

On the way inside, Pei Liu asked casually: “Since you are both deities, do you know each other?”

Xie Wuyu nodded calmly: “We do.”

Pei Liu turned his head in surprise. He had only asked casually, not expecting him to genuinely know him. He was curious: “How do you know him?”

But Xie Wuyu said: “You’ll find out soon.”

Pei Liu frowned, always feeling there was a double meaning in his words. Just then, a familiar figure walked past ahead—it was the young monk from before.

He raised his hand to greet him, but Xie Wuyu suddenly said: “Look at his feet.”

Pei Liu instinctively looked down, discovering there was no shadow beneath the monk’s feet.

…He’s a ghost?!

Pei Liu was very surprised, because that monk looked too much like a living person and he hadn’t felt any ghostly energy. But thinking about it, he indeed hadn’t seen him speak to anyone other than himself, and when he walked past, others didn’t look at him at all, as if he didn’t exist.

The monk was compassionate; after dying, he hadn’t turned into an irrational, vicious ghost, and the deity in the temple hadn’t driven him away. But what obsession kept him here, preventing him from reincarnating?

Holding his confusion, Pei Liu slowly walked into the temple.

He saw the deity statue under the dim light, of human height, looking lifelike. But looking too much like a human actually brought a difficult-to-describe bizarreness.

The moment he crossed the threshold, it was as if he passed through an invisible mirror; Pei Liu’s consciousness blurred, and his vision went black.

After an unknown amount of time.

Pei Liu slowly opened his eyes, his head spinning, his body weak.

He looked around, and everything in his sight was red.

Furthermore, the clothes on his body had changed—vibrant red, exquisitely embroidered, looking like… ancient wedding garments?

He was swaying, feeling as if he were sitting inside a sedan chair.

What was going on? Had he traveled through time again?

Pei Liu struggled to reach out, wanting to lift the window curtain to look outside.

But the moment he saw a bit of the mountain forest scenery, a hand pressed down on the curtain. At the same time, an old woman’s voice came, whispering a stern warning: “Don’t move around. Being able to offer yourself to the deity is your honor. We’re almost there.”

Pei Liu frowned. Groggy, he heard the old woman say: “This is a sacrifice for the deity. Watch him closely, all of you. If he goes missing, watch out for your worthless lives.”

His head was very dizzy, his mind in a muddle. He had definitely been drugged. In this situation, even if he wanted to run, he wouldn’t get very far from the sedan chair.

He remembered that he was just in the temple. Crossing the threshold, he had suddenly arrived here. Then where was Xie Wuyu? Where was he?

The moment he thought of Xie Wuyu, a weathered, authoritative voice echoed in his mind: “I brought you here just to let you see clearly what kind of inhuman, unghostly monster he really is.”

Whose voice was this? The deity in the temple?

Did “he” refer to Xie Wuyu?

While Pei Liu was thinking, the sedan chair stopped and landed. Someone supported him to help him out—one could also say they forcefully propped him up to walk forward, not giving him a chance to escape.

He was led into a building resembling an ancestral hall—ancient and gloomy. Passing through the vermilion main doors, beneath his feet were bluestone slabs bearing wet water marks from a past rain.

A beaded curtain hung before the door, dark red, looking as if stained with blood.

Throughout, the people supporting him didn’t make a single sound, not speaking, and even their breathing could barely be heard, as if terrified of disturbing some exceptionally terrifying presence.

Pei Liu was pushed inside forcefully, his head colliding with the beaded curtain without warning, the beads clinking together crisply. Then came the sound of those who had held him running away swiftly. The heavy main doors closed, letting out a dull thud.

In the ancient room, only Pei Liu remained.

He stumbled a couple of steps before barely standing steady, but his entire body was weak and limp.

The wedding garments on his body were very magnificent, layered, with a large sash bound around his waist—it was tied too tightly, choking him.

Pei Liu’s waist ached from the tightness, and he couldn’t help but reach behind to untie the sash. But ancient garments were too complex; he struggled for a long time before finally untying it, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

With the sash loosened, the wide outer robe slid off along with it, revealing layers of thinner inner garments.

At this moment, Pei Liu suddenly looked up. He felt a gaze.

It was right behind the shrine on the offering table.