Chapter 41: Little Ghost 9

09

Chen Zheqin stood by the bed, watching all of this. His gaze lingered on Jiyue's face for a moment, then traveled downward. He saw the hem of that white shirt lifted up a corner by the man, revealing a stretch of fair, soft thigh.

Jiyue wasn't wearing a dress today, but a men's white shirt, whose owner was unknown. It barely covered his backside, and the fabric was thin enough to be somewhat sheer—under the light, the outline of the skin beneath was visible.

Gu Chiming scooped him up into his arms and carried him into the master bedroom.

From outside the door, Chen Zheqin watched the two of them press down onto the bed, thick black disheveled hair spilling across the sheets, winding on and on.

Gu Chiming took off his glasses, braced one hand beside the pillow, and bent down to kiss him.

A sticky, wet sound. The faint friction of tongue against mucous membrane. Some whimpering gasps.

Gu Chiming was still saying something, very patiently, as if teasing him, or as some kind of foreplay.

Chen Zheqin closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

He entered the bedroom. Without looking at Jiyue, he looked toward Gu Chiming: "Enough. Stop bullying him."

His voice was cold as wind over winter snow.

"As Jiyue's second boyfriend, you do get to speak with some confidence."

Gu Chiming let go, straightened up, and put his glasses back on.

Chen Zheqin lowered his head to look at the person on the bed.

Jiyue was curled by the pillow, long hair scattered, one corner of the shirt hem crumpled, barely covering his thighs.

His body trembled faintly, his breathing not yet settled, his chest rising and falling slightly, the flush on his face strikingly vivid against his white skin.

A pair of dark blue eyes was looking at him, the corners tilted upward, lashes thick as if ringed with eyeliner, brimming with tears, rims very red, lips ravished into a watery red, wet and glistening.

"Don't want to do it today? Or is it that you want to call Chen Zheqin to join in?"

Gu Chiming sat beside him, continuing to speak in a low voice.

Beneath the lenses, his gaze had a sharp edge to it.

Finally, he received a response.

"Stop."

Jiyue's icy tone, like commanding a disobedient dog.

Gu Chiming's eyes curved behind the lenses. He caught Jiyue's hand, held it in his palm, fingertips slowly stroking.

"You don't want either of us. Do you prefer Zhong Xian?"

As he spoke, his other hand was restless too, slipping in under the shirt hem, fingertips pressed against his thigh, drawing circles with measured pressure.

A little higher up and he'd reach the base of the thigh.

Jiyue's life had no great emotional fluctuations; he gave no one any surplus feeling to spill over, because there simply was none.

Today was an exception.

A fierce ghost shouldn't be treated like this...!

That famous line from the system leapt out of his memories at an inopportune moment.

—He wants to fuck you.

[My program has kept pace with the times. It's now "they want to fuck you"!]

[Host, you have to work hard to protect your little-sister identity! At the very least you can't get fucked during this period! If you're discovered to be a boy ahead of schedule, our plot collapses again!] The system banged gongs and drums at his side, cheering him on.

The crease between Chen Zheqin's brows deepened. He paused for a few seconds, then stepped forward and lifted Jiyue off the bed.

"He's not willing."

Chen Zheqin said.

"Do you think Jiyue's not willing, or do you just want to do it yourself and need an excuse to take him away?"

Gu Chiming smiled.

[omg, Chen Zheqin is at full salute down there too!]

[Is this their nightmare or their wet dream?! Is this punishment or reward?!]

'...'

When Jiyue opened his eyes again, he was already in a car.

The interior was black, the leather seats soft, cushioning beneath him. Cold air poured down from the AC vents, chilly. He shivered. Chen Zheqin was buckling his seatbelt for him; he paused, took off his own jacket, and draped it over Jiyue's legs.

"Cold?"

He turned the AC temperature down a bit.

[If it weren't for the tent he's still pitching, I'd think Chen Zheqin was a normal person!]

Jiyue didn't speak, only looked out the window.

A hand tapped lightly on the glass a few times.

Gu Chiming stood by the car, looking down at Jiyue, still with that cold, indifferent face, immaculately dressed, shirt collar buttoned properly—nothing about him suggested the man who had just been poaching his brother's corner in the bedroom.

"What is it?"

Chen Zheqin asked him.

Gu Chiming's gaze skipped past Chen Zheqin and landed on Jiyue.

Seeing this, Chen Zheqin simply got out of the car, telling Jiyue to wait inside.

"So annoying."

Chen Zheqin heard this sentence come from behind him.

The next second, his dream warped abruptly into an unbelievable scene.

The ground of the residential complex split open. From the cracks burst green sprouts, one after another, monster-like, sprouting and growing rapidly in the fissures of the earth. Within seconds, those sprouts grew into person-tall plants, trumpet-shaped, mouths gaping wide, bodies swaying, round little eyes staring ahead.

[Oh my god, it's your favorite Peashooter! I knew you'd use this plant!]

The Peashooters lined up in neat rows, surrounding Chen Zheqin and Gu Chiming. Their mouths gaped open, basketball-sized peas poised in their throats, just waiting for their master Jiyue's command.

Jiyue sat upright in the car, cold and ruthless like a warlord. He flicked his hand lightly, and the next second, one giant pea after another smashed out in continuous succession—

Chen Zheqin dodged the first one; the second grazed past his shoulder and slammed into someone's car behind him, denting the roof.

A pea smashed down at Gu Chiming's feet, followed closely by another. He had no choice but to retreat two steps and take cover behind a car.

Even a battle-hardened infinite-flow veteran player was momentarily stunned by this bizarre scene.

Gu Chiming looked up at the sky helplessly and tugged at the corner of his mouth: "Xiao Yue, you like Plants vs. Zombies parodies? You should have said so earlier, I'd have brought some zombies over."

Just as he finished speaking, Jiyue strolled unhurriedly out of the car.

Only a second passed, and the black car behind him instantly began to melt, dripping down like wax, the body warping and stretching, gradually transforming into an enormous Coconut Cannon, mouth gaping wide.

He stood beside the coconut cannon, tilted his face up, and operated it expressionlessly.

The muzzle adjusted its angle, aiming at the two men before him—Chen Zheqin and Gu Chiming.

Then Jiyue lit the coconut cannon's fuse, and covered his ears.

"BOOM—!!"

The coconut shell shot out wrapped in violent wind, together with the pfft-pfft of the Peashooters. The ground shook fiercely, dust and smoke billowed, and the two figures were instantly swallowed up, gone without a sign of life.

[The wet dream turned into a nightmare!]

The system couldn't help bursting into laughter.

------------

Chen Zheqin jolted awake from the dream.

He stared at the ceiling, gasping for breath.

His body still carried the pain of being smashed by giant peas, as if struck by a lead ball—bruises were already forming on his arm—and the grotesque impression of being bombarded by the coconut cannon lingered in his mind.

But even more delicate than that was the fact that he had dreamed of...

Jiyue.

A mysterious little ghost, always clinging to Zhong Xian.

In the dream, Chen Zheqin had watched him being held and kissed by another man.

He knew perfectly well that the dream's scenes might be happening every day in the real world—the man kissing him was Gu Chiming, and the one lifting his skirt on the bed was Zhong Xian.

...He couldn't think about it in detail.

In the dream, he had poached his brother's corner and carried on a sustained secret affair with Jiyue.

Only in the dream, not in reality.

To disregard friendship the way Gu Chiming did, to go straight up and seduce Jiyue—he found that hard to do.

...You don't covet your friend's wife.

Chen Zheqin breathed deeply, threw off the covers, glanced downward, and immediately headed for the bathroom.

A cold shower couldn't suppress the engorged...

His phone suddenly buzzed a few times.

Chen Zheqin, panting, swiped open the phone with his left hand. Several WeChat messages popped up on the screen.

Pig Ear Pain with an Earphone Clip: [(angry)(fist)]

Pig Ear Pain with an Earphone Clip: [(devil)(fist)]

Pig Ear Pain with an Earphone Clip: [I'll kill you!]

Chen Zheqin stared at these lines of emoji and guessed that Jiyue had once again used his boyfriend's WeChat to message him.

At this hour, they should be sleeping in the same bed, Jiyue secretly sending provocative messages while his boyfriend was off showering afterward.

Chen Zheqin moved his fingers, intending to ask for his WeChat ID.

A drop of water fell on the screen, his fingertip slipped, and he accidentally tapped a voice call instead—

The WeChat ringtone jingled away, like a death-knell curse.

The next second, the other side actually picked up.

Chen Zheqin didn't speak.

He didn't know what to say.

[Hm?? Why is Chen Zheqin making a voice call in the middle of the night? Does he really want to steal his brother's wife?!]

[Something's wrong! He's panting like that—he's jerking ( ), isn't he???]

[Oh my god, calling you on voice specifically to listen to your voice while doing handiwork?! Host, you need to be careful from now on—the odds of him fucking you are definitely not zero!]

'...'

Jiyue had snuck into Zhong Xian's room in the middle of the night, swiped the phone, and sent a bunch of emoji purely to rage at Chen Zheqin's dream behavior.

Now, hearing the suppressed panting on the other end, his heart was utterly unmoved.

He said: "You're disgusting."

Chen Zheqin froze.

The expression Jiyue would have while saying this rose before his eyes.

...Cold, looking down, a gaze like looking at garbage.

So disgusting.

A white light flashed before his eyes—

The voice call hung up.

-----

The mansion, dining room.

A servant tidied the table, setting out breakfast one dish at a time.

Gu Chiming's parents sat at either end, chatting idly: "Didn't Chiming say he was coming over today? Where is he?"

Just as they spoke, a figure walked into view, dressed casually, no glasses, expression cold. The moment he sat down he had the servant pour him a glass of water.

"Didn't sleep well?"

His mother asked.

"Young people like staying up late." His father was unconcerned.

Gu Chiming's parents had once been a pair of professional infinite-flow players; after retiring they'd settled down to live in the transit world, occasionally meeting up with their kid.

Both parents could see he was in poor shape, but didn't ask more—it was probably dungeon business, nothing unusual.

Gu Chiming held his cup and abruptly asked his father: "Back then, why did Mom agree to marry you?"

His father didn't respond, unwilling to engage.

His mother looked knowing: "You've run into relationship trouble. Got dumped."

"No."

"Got rejected."

"Not that either."

"Then you were a homewrecker and got beaten up by the official spouse."

"..."

Gu Chiming unhurriedly wiped his glasses, put them back on, and returned to his usual state.

Last night's wanton dream was still before his eyes.

Soft lips, the tip of a tongue, fleshy thighs.

A pair of tear-soaked blue eyes, gazing at him icily.

...Only if Jiyue fell in love with someone else could Zhong Xian escape the sea of suffering.

To save his good friend's life, he had to take Zhong Xian's place and become the man haunted by the little ghost.

His mother: "You came over today to share your journey of being a homewrecker? Are you repenting or showing off?"

Gu Chiming smiled faintly: "Nothing of the sort."

------

Today was a big sunny day, scorching hot. The sun beat down until the plants on the balcony drooped listlessly, as if poisoned.

Jiyue lay on the bed with his eyes closed, blissfully enjoying the air conditioning.

The vacuum cleaner hummed; Zhong Xian was cleaning nearby.

"Is your third grand-uncle's funeral over?"

He suddenly remembered this matter.

"Not yet."

"Do you still have to go keep vigil in the village tonight?"

"Right. Remember to lock the door yourself. No matter who comes barking, don't open it."

"Including your good bros?"

"Of course."

Zhong Xian knew perfectly well that his friends were paying excessive attention to Jiyue.

Were these people trying to rescue him from the little ghost's side, or had they set their sights on their brother's wife?

Hard to say.

[Ooh-hoo-hoo, another day with the hubby not home!] The moment Zhong Xian closed the door, the system started cackling. [Actually he's figured out you're the ghost, hasn't he! Maybe he's going to the village to find some exorcist granny.]

[According to the plot timeline, the male lead breaks up with you tomorrow!]

As the plot progressed, Jiyue had an important mission today—attack the male lead's good brother Gu Chiming, get imprisoned in turn, and escape with considerable difficulty.

After last night's incident, his fists had long since hardened; attacking Gu Chiming was only natural.

[I believe Gu Chiming is also hard, just not his fists. My advice is to be careful about getting fucked!]

'I'm a ghost. I can't get fucked by a human.'

[Not necessarily!]

Jiyue paid it no mind.

As an infinite-flow player, Gu Chiming was likewise only temporarily on vacation in the transit world. These players were scattered across the world like cookie crumbs. City A was huge, and Jiyue wasn't sure where the man lived.

He opened WeChat and received a series of harassing messages from [Gorgeous Straight Guy].

The latest was twelve (going crazy) emojis, accusing him of ignoring him, and declaring that if this kept up he'd crawl into his home through the internet cable along with the cockroaches.

Jiyue: [Do you know where the male lead's friend lives?]

Gorgeous Straight Guy: [You finally chat with me and it's to ask this? (sobbing)(sobbing)]

Jiyue: [Have you eaten?]

Gorgeous Straight Guy: [Just had pasta, you? Is your boyfriend home? I can come over and cook for you (playful)]

Jiyue: [Where does Gu Chiming live?]

Gorgeous Straight Guy: [(angry) You treating me as a search engine?]

Gorgeous Straight Guy: [Hey, why'd you stop replying?]

Gorgeous Straight Guy: [[Location]]

He replied with a thank-you, and the next second reaped a whole pile of demands—Kong Youzhuo begging to be rewarded with a dinner, or else he'd hang himself at his doorstep.

Another message popped up on the screen: [What's so good about your boyfriend? Where can he compare to my youthful vigor? I really want to kill him and make you a widow (covering mouth laughing)]

[Ugh ugh ugh, better delete him sooner rather than later!]

'...'

Evening finally arrived.

When the sun set, the streetlights of the wealthy district hadn't yet come on.

A ghost drifted in over the villa's wall without triggering the sensor lights at the gate.

The villa's owner lived alone; no one noticed an extra ghost in the house.

Jiyue drifted around the first floor, touching the goblets, browsing the bookshelf, creaking the wardrobe open, deliberately making some noise in the bedroom—

A glass cup shattered on the floor, tea spilling everywhere, soaking the carpet.

Gu Chiming leaned against the edge of the bathtub, listening for a while.

There were lots of stray cats in this area; sometimes they slipped into the villa to play. He'd seen it a few times.

Black-padded paws lightly pawing at things on the table, pushing all the little trinkets off, and when discovered, the cat would look utterly innocent.

Gu Chiming picked up the glass of sparkling wine from the poolside and took a sip.

The lights went out.

The bathroom's two spotlights, along with the bedroom and hallway lights, all dimmed at once.

His vision was eroded by darkness; he could see nothing.

Gu Chiming set down his glass and felt around by the pool, but couldn't find his phone—it seemed he'd left it on the nightstand before coming in.

The bathroom door stood open, pitch black. There was nothing indoors to light the way.

Just then, a set of footsteps gradually approached from outside the door, light-footed, stepping over the water stains on the floor, coming closer and closer.

—Human, or ghost?

[Gu Chiming will definitely bring his phone next time he bathes!]

Jiyue stood before the bathtub, looking down at Gu Chiming by its edge.

Many thriller plots flashed through his memory—

The ghost pressing a person down into the bathtub, struggling hands slapping the water's surface, water splashing everywhere, frantic thrashing until strength gave out, the surface slowly calming. The next day, police discover the corpse floating in the tub.

A nice script, very suitable for a fierce ghost like him.

Like a thriller ghost, Jiyue swiftly reached out, preparing to press the victim down.

Yet the moment he touched Gu Chiming's hair tips, his wrist was seized.

A man's hand, dripping wet, reached out from the water and, in the darkness, fastened unerringly onto his wrist bone.

The wrist twisted forcefully, yanking Jiyue toward the bathtub. Water flooded in; he choked, a hand caught his body and flipped him over, his back pressing against Gu Chiming's chest.

"Xiao Yue?"

The man's voice brushed past his earlobe, tinged with a bit of laughter.

Breath grazed the back of his ear, warm and damp. Jiyue dodged a little, and the hand at his waist tightened further.

He was now soaked through, his thick black long hair tangling in the water like a blot of ink blooming outward.

The water was hot, freshly drawn bathwater whose temperature hadn't yet dropped. Steamed by the heat, a thin layer of pink rose over his cheeks, wet and glistening, like a peach just fished out of hot water, vivid and dripping.

The tub was large, the water rippling, submerging him to the shoulders in an instant. Jiyue was pressed in front of Gu Chiming, his gripped waist going numb and achy.

[Oh, infinite-flow players really do have strong physical stats. No wonder in the original work the ghost got imprisoned instead—so this is why!]

Just then, the motion-sensor light outside came on, its glow faintly spilling into the pool.

In the hazy steam, Gu Chiming beheld a pair of blue eyes, gaze cold, lashes wet and clumped together like smudged eyeliner, a few strands of soaked hair stuck to his cheeks.

He wiped the water from Jiyue's face and said gently: "You came all this way to bathe with me?"

"I came to kill you."

Jiyue was expressionless.

"And if you can't?" Without the lenses blocking them, Gu Chiming's pale pupils carried an aggressive edge. He said slowly, "Xiao Yue, once you've come in here, you can't leave."

This was the imprisonment from the original work. Before coming, Jiyue had guessed it would be something like a formation array.

He looked toward the ceiling. The light was dim; faint red patterns hid in the shadows, converging from the four corners toward the center, slowly tightening, weaving into a net that enclosed him inside.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Gu Chiming. The man's expression remained mild, but his hand didn't loosen, fingers sinking into the soaked fabric at Jiyue's waist, the pressure neither light nor heavy.

The bathroom gradually fell quiet, the water swaying gently. The sensor light went out, and darkness and pool water wrapped around the two of them.

Gu Chiming's hand stayed locked on Jiyue's waist, pulling him closer still.

Jiyue struggled once, without success.

He didn't understand—what exactly did Gu Chiming want to do?

[He wants to fuck you!]

Jiyue didn't quite agree: 'Don't talk nonsense. Dreams and reality are different. He and the male lead are very good friends.'

[Sure, dreaming about stealing your brother's wife is just a dream, but in reality it's a very bad thing! However, you can't use normal people's logic and morals to understand these characters!]

'...'

[If you get fucked tonight and your boy identity is exposed, our plot is completely wrecked!] The system couldn't help shedding tears. [Getting fucked AND failing the mission—too tragic!]

In the darkness, Jiyue was drawn into an embrace.

Damp, scorching hot.

Something was pressing against him.

"Aren't you and Zhong Xian good friends?"

He didn't understand.

"We're good brothers."

Gu Chiming spoke by his ear, his breath burning hot.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm helping him break up with you." Gu Chiming said. "Whatever you want to get from Zhong Xian, I can give you."

[Hmmm?? He's really poaching the corner under the banner of doing right by his brother?! Would he dare say a single word of this to Zhong Xian?!]

[Bro, I'm doing this for your own good, that little ghost wife of yours is too much for you to handle! Bro, if it weren't to save you, why would I sacrifice myself, strip naked, and soak in hot water with a little ghost! Bro, once your wife falls in love with me, you'll be free, no need to thank me! Bro, if someday I fall in love with your wife, and your wife falls in love with me~~~ (a burst of hard-hitting music)]

'...'

Jiyue was getting dizzy from the word "brother."

At the same time, a restless hand wound around his leg like a snake, sliding all the way up.

[Not good! If he touches that, you won't be a "girl" anymore!]