Chapter 81: So Hot

It was raining in the cemetery, cold and wet. Tan Xueci wrapped his arms around He Xunye’s neck, burying his face in his chest as he sobbed. He cried until his nose and eyes were red, then looked up.

His tears clung to his eyelashes. With a wilted face, he asked, “You can’t guarantee you won’t get hurt, can you?”

“…”

He Xunye’s eyes looked even darker in the cold rain, almost sinister. He reached out and cupped Tan Xueci’s face, wiping his tears. Finally, he admitted, “No.”

He felt no hatred for that evil god. He didn’t even think he had done anything wrong to it. To be honest, he found those terrified faces amusing. They were so afraid of ghosts, but in the end, they all became ghosts themselves. Was there anything more interesting in the world than that?

But his wife clearly didn’t think it was fun.

He just wanted to give Little Lamb a home, let him happily make movies and play games every day, with no one around him dying. He wanted many people to love him, so he could live happily until he grew old. Even if the day came when he had to leave, he would leave joyfully, his eyes bright as he said to him, “He Xunye, I’ve lived a really happy life. I’m so lucky.”

He didn’t want to see Tan Xueci’s tears.

The evil ghost’s throat felt tight. He lowered his head and kissed his wife’s tear-streaked face, whispering, “I’m sorry.”

That thing had already become a god. People in this world prayed to gods and buddhas, but even the successive heads of the He family had probably never seen a real deity. No matter how powerful he was, he was just a malevolent spirit.

He didn’t know his odds.

The evil ghost lowered his eyes and pressed his palm against his wife’s lower abdomen. If he ultimately failed, he would erase Tan Xueci’s memory, make him forget him.

Little Lamb was so good; he would find someone else who loved him even more.

He was just a bit reluctant. That’s why he wanted to leave a part of himself inside his wife’s body. No matter how dark the path of reincarnation, he wouldn’t be afraid. That was his selfishness.

Otherwise, if he just wanted to protect Tan Xueci, he could have directly given him his severed corpse parts. He didn’t actually have to eat them.

The evil ghost’s eyes gradually turned a sinister red, and his Adam’s apple involuntarily rolled. Whenever he thought that even if he was utterly destroyed, a part of him would still exist in his wife’s body, and would even stir unconsciously, he felt a thrill that made his scalp tingle.

This was bad.

He was hard.

Tan Xueci hadn’t noticed yet. He lifted his head, tears blurring his vision as he wanted to cry again. He Xunye quickly wiped his tears, promising to do his best to come back to him, but Tan Xueci kept crying.

He lowered his head while crying. The evil ghost’s eyelid twitched. He grabbed his chin and lifted his little face, not letting him look down.

Otherwise, he’d get another fragrant slap from his wife. Fragrant as they were, getting one every day did hurt a bit.

Tan Xueci blinked his wet eyes in confusion, thinking He Xunye just wanted him to look at him.

“Husband,” he sobbed even harder, sniffling as he asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He Xunye kissed his lips, his eyes still bloodshot and cold. “I want you to eat my heart,” he said.

Tan Xueci was stunned.

He Xunye took him home. It was already past eleven at night. Most of the He family were asleep. He Xunye led him directly to the ancestral hall.

Outside, sleet was falling. The hall was dark and oppressive, lit only by a few dim candles and plastered with talismans. The altar was filled with ancestral tablets of the He family.

Tan Xueci’s heart raced. He held He Xunye’s hand, unsure if he was scared or excited.

He really loved this feeling of doing bad things with He Xunye. It was like they were two naughty little mice, but it made him feel like they were a team.

Past the rows of tablets, there was a room behind the hall. It was equally dark, the door covered in yellow talismans with glaring cinnabar. He Xunye ignored them and pushed the door open.

Tan Xueci clung to He Xunye’s arm, peeking out from behind him. He saw a black coffin in the center of the room.

“Little lamb,” He Xunye said, pushing him gently. “It might be a bit scary. Wait over there, okay? I’ll get it for you.”

Tan Xueci’s palms were sweaty. He had already guessed: this was He Xunye’s real coffin, the one He Wuling had buried as a decoy.

Although the He family all knew He Xunye had been resurrected, they still pretended otherwise on the surface, acting as if he had been buried peacefully.

Tan Xueci swallowed, his eyelashes trembling. He knew the body in the coffin wouldn’t look good, limbs and head missing, just a bare torso. But he still whispered, “I… I want to see.”

“Good girl.” He Xunye seemed to smile. He hugged him again, lowering his head to suck on his already red lips.

Tan Xueci was used to his random kisses anytime, anywhere. He figured he was numb to it now. As long as He Xunye didn’t mount him in public, he could accept almost anything.

After kissing him a few times, he finally let go and lifted his own coffin lid.

His eyes were dark and gloomy, unmoved by the sight of his own pale corpse.

Tan Xueci felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He held his hand, interlacing their fingers.

The body’s hands were the same as before, bloodless white, as if all the blood had been drained.

He Xunye reached into the coffin, groping around until he found a box. He handed it to Tan Xueci. “Open it, little lamb.”

Tan Xueci let go of him and took the box with both hands. It was heavy, much heavier than a heart should be. He swallowed, then opened it, and froze.

Inside the box was indeed a heart, but this heart was bright red, redder than a normal heart. It looked like a mass of boiling blood wrapped in a thin layer of skin.

“He drained all my blood,” He Xunye said, stepping back slightly. “And injected it into the heart.”

He could still touch his own corpse, but not the heart and blood. Direct contact would burn him to ashes.

He Wuling had kept this from the rest of the He family. He had injected all the blood from He Xunye’s body into the heart, planning to keep it for himself as a last resort.

Tan Xueci had too much yin energy. If the capital really became a ghost city, Tan Xueci would be the first to be torn apart by vengeful spirits. There wasn’t enough yang energy on his corpse to protect him from serious danger.

Tan Xueci held the heart, at a loss. His hands were soft, and he could feel the blood still flowing inside. He couldn’t help but want to back out.

Did he really have to eat it?

He felt like he had developed a taste for strange things.

But He Xunye was looking at her. In the candlelight, his peach blossom eyes were dark and murky. He Xunye was a very deep dead ghost, and Tan Xueci rarely saw such a clear expression of anticipation on his face.

His husband was just a small ghost too. Tan Xueci tremblingly raised his hand; husbands needed coaxing.

He had already eaten so much; this little bit wouldn’t make a difference. Tan Xueci steeled himself and took a bite of the heart. The moment he swallowed, he started sweating all over. He had never felt so hot. His snow-white cheeks flushed crimson.

The evil ghost’s eyes became excited, a sinister red rim forming around them. Seeing Tan Xueci about to vomit, he suddenly stepped forward, pressed the back of his head, and kissed him.

Tan Xueci’s pupils dilated. He made panicked sounds, wanting him to let go.

There was a strong bloody taste in his mouth, and he felt like throwing up. If he did, it wouldn’t just be disgusting, his husband would truly be reduced to ashes.

But He Xunye pressed him against the wall. Tan Xueci despairingly felt something rigid like rigor mortis poking at him, and he was gripping his shoulders tightly, his tongue trying to pry open his tightly shut lips.

He Xunye liked wearing black suits. The fitted trousers made the bulge very obvious.

It was grotesquely swollen, like a corpse in advanced decomposition.

Afraid that He Xunye would touch the blood in his mouth, Tan Xueci swallowed it all in one gulp, suppressing his nausea.

His head was buzzing. He clutched his burning stomach. It felt like a branding iron inside him, scaldingly hot. He touched his forehead; it was hot as molten iron.

He felt like he was on fire.

Though he had no idea what he was burning about.

The evil ghost’s dark red peach blossom eyes curved, and the corners of his lips lifted. He wasn’t worried; it would just be a little hot, but it wouldn’t hurt Tan Xueci.

His heart and blood were filled with intense yang fire, but it was still a dead man’s heart. It was a mix of yin and yang, just like Tan Xueci, who was heavy with yin like a ghost, but still alive with some yang.

His heart was perfect for him.

Anyone else who ate it would be burned to death.

Tan Xueci was so hot he stuck out his tongue like a dog, panting. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at He Xunye, but the dead ghost was unmoved, clearly satisfied. He probably thought they were a perfect match, looking very pleased.

He Xunye crouched beside his coffin, waiting for Tan Xueci to adjust to his temperature. Tan Xueci reached out to touch the corpse, thinking maybe he should steal it too. It was so pitiful lying there cold.

The evil ghost tilted his head. He sat on the ground, hugging his wife, resting his chin on his shoulder as his little hand rubbed the abs of his corpse.

His long lashes lowered. A pale finger reached out and flicked the thing down there.

Tan Xueci: “…”

What was that dead hand doing?

Tan Xueci’s already flushed face burned even more. His eyes grew misty as he turned to stare at He Xunye.

The evil ghost nuzzled into his neck, acting like he was cuddling. His peach blossom eyes looked at him, his voice seductive as he whispered in his ear, “Baby, really don’t want to eat it? I’d much rather have you eat this.”

Tan Xueci: “…”

Tan Xueci blushed furiously and covered his ears. He wondered what sin he had committed in his past life to hear such hell-worthy words in this one.

The evil ghost stared at his soft red lips, then at his slender throat. Regretfully, he said, “It might be a bit big. Baby couldn’t swallow it last time.”

But nothing is impossible for a dead ghost. He Xunye lowered his eyes, gesturing with his fingers. Hugging his wife, he cheerfully suggested, “It’s okay, we can cut it. Does baby want to cut it horizontally, vertically, or chop it into pieces…”

“…”

Tan Xueci’s ears were bright red. He couldn’t take it anymore. With a big slap, he struck him hard. The sound echoed throughout the ancestral hall, enough to startle all eighteen generations of the He ancestors.

After slapping him, Tan Xueci frantically straightened the thing he had poked out of place. Otherwise, if anyone saw it, they would think it was his doing, how perverted.

Stealing a heart was one thing, but why did they have to play with that?!

Furious and humiliated, Tan Xueci stood up and walked out. He didn’t want to stay in that place anymore. He finally understood why people called ghosts dirty things. This wasn’t just dirty; it was obscene.

More like a slutty thing.

Tan Xueci stormed ahead, almost crashing into the butler in the courtyard. He was on his way to He Wuling’s place.

The butler yelped, then looked up to see He Xunye lazily following behind Tan Xueci, covering half his face. The butler asked curiously, “What’s wrong with the young master?”

“…” Tan Xueci bit his lip. His cheeks, which had just cooled down, flushed again. He mumbled vaguely, “Nothing. He’s got internal heat. His mouth hurts.”

“Oh, oh.” The butler didn’t think much of it and walked away with his hands behind his back. But halfway there, he sensed something off.

A dead ghost getting internal heat?

Things were heating up.

Tan Xueci was burning up all night. He didn’t want to cover himself with a blanket while sleeping. Before, he had found He Xunye too cold, but now he felt cool only when he burrowed into his arms.

The dead ghost had taken all the benefits and didn’t dare provoke his wife, afraid he’d get mad and not want him. For once, he behaved all night.

Tan Xueci woke up the next day feeling dazed. Too much had happened lately; his brain was shutting down.

He saw the phone box on the nightstand and remembered that Tan Shangli was dead. Whether good or bad, he had no brothers left. Tan Xueci was silent for a moment, then put the phone box away and headed to the set.

He was the third male lead, with not too many scenes. After filming the scene where the brothers turned on each other, and then the scene where his character, a strategist for his brother, helped the male lead rise to power and then left, he would be done. At most, another half month.

Tan Xueci arrived on set, feeling very hot. He only wore a thin sweater and was drinking an iced cola.

Before, with his heavy yin energy, his body hadn’t been in good shape. He looked okay on the outside, but felt numb and insensitive. Now, it was as if his whole body had come alive. He was much more sensitive, and his chest… felt very chafed.

Blushing, Tan Xueci pulled open his sweater collar and looked.

He Xunye loved to squeeze and bite him. He felt like his breasts had gotten bigger. He was a bit scared and wanted to go to the hospital, but hospitals these days… who knew how many ghosts were there.

Tan Xueci hesitated, then took out his phone and posted on the forum he used before.

His previous post had gotten a lot of hate, so he sneakily started a new one with a different ID.

[OP: What do I do if my husband keeps biting me?]

But he didn’t know how to hide his profile. Anyone who clicked on his avatar could see his previous posts.

Just seconds after posting, he dumbfoundedly saw himself being insulted again, worse than last time.

[3L: ??? Why is it you again?]

[5L: I was wondering who this shocking debut was from. Old acquaintance, I see.]

[16L: Stop, stop, stop. This isn’t a no-go zone, okay? No one wants to know what you and your husband do every day.]

[39L: What is even going on?]

[102L: I’m done. Imagining that burns my eyes. Take your pig-headed husband and leave, okay?]

Tan Xueci was furious. They had never even met her husband; how could they insult him?

[OP: Don’t say that!]

[OP: My husband is very handsome.]

[214L: … I can’t. How can every word someone says be such a classic?]

[362L: I get it, I get it. The last stand of a pica sufferer.]

[478L: I’m literally dying of laughter. IDK, my husband’s figure is amazing.jpg]

…

Tan Xueci: “…”

His eyes reddening, he angrily went through his photo album. He had taken a photo of He Xunye before, just a back view without his face. In the night, the man looked broad-shouldered and long-legged. A bit ghostly, but to him, he was perfect.

Tan Xueci carefully uploaded that photo to the forum.

He proudly replied:

[OP: I’m not lying. My husband has really long legs.]

No sooner had he posted than he looked up and saw Lu Qi, bundled in a thick coat like a bear, shuffling into the greenroom. He was startled.

He turned off the phone’s screen reader, so Lu Qi wouldn’t catch him arguing online. He would definitely scold him.

He glanced one last time. The forum was buzzing with replies. Tan Xueci’s face grew even more smug; he was sure they were all jealous of him.

What he didn’t know was that in the photo he took, only he could see He Xunye. What actually appeared was just a vague white ghostly figure, faintly revealing a pale face with a chilly red smile curving in the thick fog.

On the other side of the screen, countless people were so scared they almost dropped their phones.

[586L: Holy shit, holy shit. Can’t take a joke? Can’t handle it so you post ghost pics???]

[875L: Reporting you.]

Tan Xueci caught the last comment out of the corner of his eye. He recognized that word, it was definitely “I envy you.” Happily, he put away his phone.

Lu Qi sat down next to him, shivering, with a look of utter misery.

“That Mist City Ripper,” Lu Qi sighed. “Didn’t he kill another family of three?”

Tan Xueci had heard about it from Jiang Caiwei, but before he could check the details, Tan Shangli died.

The family that died had two children. The eldest was a 17-year-old high school student, and the younger brother was just seven, suffering from severe ankylosing spondylitis that affected his heart and lungs.

They came from a poor mountain area. They had sold everything they could. Barely scraping by, they couldn’t afford the surgery. They planned to take the child home and figure out some other way to raise money.

It was their first time ever in the capital. The child kept looking toward the amusement park, but he was sensible and didn’t ask to go.

The parents themselves were not well, on medication. But they saved a few days’ meal money to take the child to the amusement park. Who knew if they would ever get another chance?

That evening, they came out of the park happily. On the way back to the hospital, the Ripper killed them.

The older brother knew his brother’s condition was life-threatening. He sold blood to raise a few thousand yuan, hoping to keep his brother in the hospital a few more days.

Joyfully carrying the money to find his family, he learned they were all dead. His parents and little brother were all killed, horribly mutilated, not even whole bodies left.

“Ah,” Lu Qi sighed again. “Then that kid committed suicide and became a red-clothed vengeful ghost. He’s been wandering around my place. Last night, he killed more than ten people. I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw a ghost in red outside the window. I almost peed myself. Luckily, Priest Yu arrived in time and saved my life.”

But that male red-clothed ghost was extremely resentful. Yu He couldn’t defeat him or capture him. Afraid the ghost would come back for Lu Qi, he had Lu Qi go with him to hunt the ghost.

Lu Qi had only been wearing a sweater in the middle of the night. He ran around with the Taoist all night, almost dying of cold rather than being scared to death by the ghost.

Yu He had once asked He Xunye for help, but now he didn’t come looking for him anymore. He knew that no matter how many ghosts they caught, it was useless if the source wasn’t cut off. They were just thrashing in their death throes.

Tan Xueci didn’t know what to do either. He Xunye had dropped him off at the set and left again. His face looked wilted. He kept rubbing his chest, looking uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong with your chest?” Lu Qi asked, puzzled.

He was thirty-seven, an old virgin who had never been in love. He didn’t understand why Tan Xueci was uncomfortable.

Tan Xueci blushed. He waved Lu Qi over. Afraid someone might walk in, he reluctantly pulled him to a corner, both of them facing the wall.

Tan Xueci was wearing a very loose sweater. He pulled the collar down hard to show Lu Qi. His face was bright red as he said, awkwardly, “Are my boobs getting bigger?”

His chest was covered in patches of red hickeys, the two peaks sucked a watery red.

Lu Qi didn’t see clearly at first because Tan Xueci hadn’t pulled the collar low enough. He had to lean in close. Their heads were almost touching.

Neither noticed the dark, blurry ghostly figure rippling like water on the wall in front of them.

The evil ghost’s long lashes drooped. His pale, bluish face came through the wall, pressing between them. His voice was low, cold, but his lips were smiling. “What are you looking at? Can I have a look too?”