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Extra

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Chen Li was awakened by the smell of food. Groggy and half-asleep, he rubbed his eyes, got out of bed, and only stepped out of the room after folding the blanket and washing up.

The moment he looked up, he saw Fu Moyang in an apron. As soon as Fu Moyang saw him wake up, he trotted over and gave him a kiss—like a clingy big dog.

“Are you cooking?” Chen Li pretended to be surprised.

The truth was, this ghost had been spending every day lately obsessively studying how to cook, completely immersed in it.

Every day, Chen Li could find failed attempts in the trash can.

Fu Moyang could perfectly recreate the look and smell of delicious food, but the taste was always a little off.

Chen Li sat down at the dining table with lowered eyes and immediately noticed the only dish that wasn’t in a takeout box—a plate of tamagoyaki.

Without thinking, he picked one up with his chopsticks and took a bite.

“…”

His expression froze slightly.

Just as the man was about to frown and take the plate away, he suddenly burst into laughter.

Fu Moyang paused mid-motion, a rare flicker of surprise in his silver-grey eyes—he looked like a large dog caught in a daze.

Chen Li picked up his chopsticks and stuffed half a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth: “Try it.”

The rich flavor of egg spread across his tongue—no burnt taste, no overly sweet clumps—just a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

It was a very successful tamagoyaki.

Fu Moyang chewed a couple of times and swallowed. Realizing he had been tricked, he leaned down and gave the little fox in front of him a punishing bite on the throat.

Chen Li let out a soft laugh, which quickly melted into a low moan: “W-wait, we have to go out today…”

. . . . .

Chen Li huffed angrily as he looked into the mirror, and sure enough, there was a string of red, swollen kiss marks on his neck.

He tried to cover them with his collar, but unfortunately, it was June—dressing too heavily would only draw more attention.

Fu Moyang had a faint smile on his lips. After admiring the view for a while, he reached out and said: “Let me help you.”

The slightly rough pads of his fingers deliberately brushed over the marks, sending tiny jolts through Chen Li’s skin. Once infused with his ghost energy, the marks vanished completely.

Chen Li’s waist went weak, a flush rising at the corners of his eyes: “Is it gone?”

Fu Moyang’s hand paused. On the back of Chen Li’s neck—just where he couldn’t see—a vivid kiss mark was intentionally left behind.

“All gone,” he replied.

Chen Li nodded trustingly, greeted System 001 who was staying behind to watch the house, then opened the door. He reached a hand back toward the tall, handsome man behind him, smiling with eyes curved in a gentle arc.

“Let’s go, go on a date.”

. . . . .

Even though it was a weekday, the amusement park was still fairly crowded.

For Chen Li, places this lively were buried deep in the corners of his memory.

The air buzzed with voices and carried countless scents, yet—unusually—Chen Li didn’t feel nervous at all. He was being led by the hand, and although his body was that of a Ghost King, there was a steady warmth flowing into him.

A thin veil of ghost energy surrounded them, ensuring that no one could recognize who they were. People simply saw them as a strikingly good-looking couple.

Fu Moyang had done a lot of research to prepare for today’s date. Confident and well-prepared, his plan was to lure the little lamb onto a roller coaster—giving him the perfect chance to coax the trembling lamb into his arms.

But before he could even suggest it, Chen Li had already pointed excitedly to a strange, giant black building.

“Let’s go to the haunted house!”

Fu Moyang looked down and saw the sparkle in his eyes.

There was no way he could say no…

“Alright.”

Fu Moyang paused, just the thought of some clueless actor trying to scare his little lamb made a surge of possessive jealousy bubble up inside him.

But the cunning ghost still wore a gentlemanly smile as he held the hand of the innocent young man and led him to the end of the haunted house line.

The moment they stepped inside, everything went pitch black.

Chen Li held the glow stick given by the staff, barely able to see the path under his feet.

Fu Moyang, of course, had no trouble seeing in the dark. He watched his little lamb press close to him, and suddenly thought that maybe this haunted house wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

They hadn’t walked far when the fake torches on the walls suddenly lit up, revealing bloodied handprints smeared along both sides.

If “scared but loves it anyway” described anyone, it was definitely Chen Li.
He flinched in fright and tugged softly at the corner of Fu Moyang’s shirt: “L-let’s go, hurry.”

Fu Moyang wrapped an arm around him, savoring the feeling of being relied on.
He neither sped up nor slowed down, and spoke in a calm, leisurely voice: “They say this haunted house was modeled after an old psychiatric hospital.”

What kind of psychiatric hospital would be covered in blood?

Fu Moyang didn’t need to say anything more—Chen Li’s vivid imagination had already done the work. He clung obediently to the man beside him, his pale neck giving off an air of delicate fragility.

At the end of the hallway stood a large mirror. As they walked closer, their reflections gradually came into focus.

In the glass appeared a stunning young man and the imposing figure of the man behind him.

Behind the mirror, one of the haunted house staff members grinned mischievously. He especially loved scaring couples.

So, slowly, red liquid began to seep across the surface of the mirror, forming two chilling characters: “救命” — Help me.

“Tch. Pathetic,” Fu Moyang frowned.

A hint of his aura slipped out, spreading forward like a low, silent wave.

There was a loud thud from behind the mirror—someone had clearly fallen.

A few faint groans of pain followed.

Chen Li’s long, curled lashes trembled slightly. His fear had already scattered thanks to Fu Moyang’s unexpected interruption.

He whispered a soft “sorry” to the mirror, then quickly tugged the expressionless Fu Moyang upstairs—worried that he might flip the script and end up scaring the “ghost” behind the mirror instead.

The further they went, the more staff members appeared.

Headless ghosts, gut-spilling ghosts, hanging ghosts… all jumped out at random to try and startle them.

But each time, they were met with the sharp tongue and relentless critique of a certain someone—complaining about everything from their makeup to their expressions.

Fu Moyang practically stopped just short of saying: “None of you are as good as me.”

The haunted house staff were left completely speechless. They had never seen someone get jealous of ghosts before.

Eventually, Chen Li was left both laughing and helpless, apologizing one by one to the staff members as they passed.

By the time he led Fu Moyang out of the haunted house, the sunlight made him squint a little.

Unexpectedly, he realized he didn’t feel all that scared at all.

In a different kind of way, Fu Moyang had given him a sense of security.

It wasn’t until they had fully left the haunted house area that Fu Moyang suddenly remembered—his original plan had been to use the fear factor to coax the little lamb into clinging to him.

Somehow, things had gone a bit off course.

He looked over at Chen Li, who had run off to buy cotton candy. Sensing his gaze, Chen Li turned around with a big smile, holding up the cotton candy that had been pinched into the shape of bunny ears.

One hand held the candy, the other clutched a balloon, as he ran back over excitedly, eyes sparkling: “It’s so sweet! You have to try it!”

Fu Moyang looked down at him, and in that moment, the deep ravine of desire that usually roared within him was completely filled by those round, dark almond eyes.

“…Yeah. It’s really sweet.”

. . . . .

They went on to enjoy other rides, and finally, just before the park closed, they got on the Ferris wheel.

At the moment the Ferris wheel reached its peak, it felt like every happy couple, exchanged a kiss, carrying a rare hint of innocence.

Fu Moyang steadied his breath and whispered into his ear: “Don’t leave me.”

Until his soul bears his mark, forever entangled with you.

“Mm.” Chen Li suddenly smiled. “Haven’t you already dragged me back to your den?”

Fu Moyang’s silver-grey eyes narrowed slightly, a soft laugh escaping him: “Yeah, my little prey.”

---

Taw’s note:

So, this is the end of our journey together with our little lamb , Chen Li, and the Ghost King, Fu Moyang. ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

Thank you for the support, comments, and likes. Don’t forget to support the original author! ♡⸜(ˆᗜˆ˵ )⸝♡

You can check out other equally interesting BL novels at Wanderer Translation here. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

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Finale (2)

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After saying this, he looked up at the sky and was shocked to see the terrifying Horror Game’s monstrous core, once fierce and disgusting, now looked like a frostbitten eggplant.

Its cloudy yellow eyes had shriveled to just a few, barely peeking out from layers of wrinkled flesh.

Fu Moyang narrowed his eyes. Though he softened his sharp edge only toward his little lamb, when he looked up at that ugly thing in the sky, his gaze was still filled with fierce hostility.

He lowered his head to look at Chen Li, a rare moment of acknowledgment toward another being: “Yeah, they helped a lot.”

Chen Li: “Who did you just go to save?”

Fu Moyang’s face, which had relaxed moments before, darkened again.

When Chen Li got on the bus, he understood why the man looked so uncomfortable.

The one rescued was Gu Fu.

Fu Moyang’s tone was icy cold: “If I’d known it was him, I wouldn’t have gone.”

Gu Fu was in terrible shape. Old wounds had burst open, bleeding heavily, and his arm was unnaturally twisted backward.

But compared to the others who died in this space, he was still lucky.

Someone on the bus skilled in emergency medical care began bandaging and treating him.

Players’ vitality was stronger than ordinary people’s. Gu Fu’s breathing was weak, but he still managed to open his eyes slightly and lift the one arm that wasn’t completely ruined. He pointed feebly in a direction: “That way…”

Chen Li: “What’s over there?”

Fu Moyang closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he said with certainty: “The space leading to the core.”

This central instance was connected by several spaces. The core itself seemed to hover mid-air, following their jumps across the spaces to watch over them. But no one could touch it directly because it hid itself inside one of these spaces.

“I’ll go with you!” Chen Li reached out and grabbed him.

Fu Moyang didn’t refuse this time: “Mm.”

The others were sent off to keep searching for survivors in other spaces.

Standing in front of the space’s entrance—a pitch-black hole—Chen Li felt an eerie, crawling sensation, as if he were being watched.

Fu Moyang: “Scared?”

Chen Li admitted honestly: “I’m scared.”

The hand holding his didn’t loosen—in fact, it gripped tighter.

“Heh.” Fu Moyang suddenly chuckled. “You little lunatic.”

His willingly captured little lunatic.

Chen Li scowled at him, but then a wave of dizziness hit and before he knew it, he was lifted off the ground.

Fu Moyang carried him straight into the darkness.

. . . . .

Facing the indescribable monster before him, Chen Li showed genuine disgust for the first time.

His face scrunched up like a little bun.

He didn’t even notice when a black dagger with a dragon pattern was slipped into his hand. Fu Moyang lifted his arm, aiming the sharp tip straight at the creature’s core.

Chen Li’s wrist tensed, and he thrust the dagger forward.

“Wahhh—”

From the core came a sound like a baby crying.

Neither of them flinched.

Chen Li already knew this vile thing was constantly absorbing human emotions and knowledge. It knew how to make humans soften, but unfortunately, it looked so grotesque that even mimicking a baby’s cry was useless.

The dagger pushed two more inches deeper.

The baby’s cries stopped abruptly. The Horror Game’s core, realizing this tactic had failed, switched strategies, emitting a venomous low growl: “If you kill me, everything I created will disappear— including those guide NPCs who care deeply for you.”

At those words, half of the strength left Chen Li’s hand.

He pictured those clumsy NPCs trying to befriend him, but he also understood their very existence was a mistake.

The dagger’s tip got stuck and couldn’t move forward.

That ugly mass writhed proudly, trying to squeeze the blade out with its flesh. But in the next moment, a flash of red light shot through, and the dragon pattern on the dagger seemed to come alive, striking straight at the core. The creature only managed to let out a final scream before the blade pierced through its entire body.

Everything ended so suddenly.

Chen Li looked down in shock at his pocket, which was glowing red. Inside lay a single rose—the one Joker had given him.

. . . . .

The surrounding space began to collapse, everything visible was vanishing rapidly.

The terrifying Horror Game had never imagined that the thing that would kill it in the end was its own “weapon.”

Chen Li was held tightly by Fu Moyang as a white door appeared before them.

Even as everything disintegrated like a virus being wiped out, that door stood firm.

Chen Li stepped forward: “Wait, I want to go through!”

His heart raced uncontrollably.

Fu Moyang said nothing and opened the door for him.

His intuition had been right.

A gentle breath brushed through countless barriers and caressed this place.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

Hearing this, Chen Li’s eyes widened slightly: “…You’re leaving?”

He still had so much more he wanted to say.

“We’ve simply returned to our true selves, existing in a different form. This is the best resting place for us.”

All their obsessions began to fade the moment they saw him.

Chen Li silently stared at the pure white room.

This had once been his resting space in the game, but now it was filled with objects of all sizes.

A swan music box with a missing beak, strange magical dolls, and a teddy bear with button eyes…

Each item bore the marks of time and stories, some even ancient artifacts hundreds or thousands of years old.

Chen Li murmured: “Every guide NPC is an object that once witnessed tragedy—things attached with lingering grudges…”

His mind flashed with the system’s words to him.

His eyes gradually brightened again.

“So they don’t truly disappear. They can even break the rules of Horror Game because they all really existed in the real world!”

“Hm.” Fu Moyang’s gaze held a faint indulgence. “Now they’re all ownerless.”

Even the grudges that once clung to them had been cleansed, leaving just ordinary objects behind.

Chen Li pondered this deeply.

. . . . .

Several days passed.

It had been ten days since they eradicated the Horror Game.

After verifying a series of details, the authorities finally decided today to continue keeping the Supernatural Regulation Bureau active.

No one knew when the next supernatural event would strike.

Here’s the translation of your sentence into English:

After clearly refusing some official award and announcement activities, Chen Li still reluctantly accepted the huge cash prize and the title of an external advisor to the Supernatural Regulation Bureau.

Fu Moyang had directly replaced Gu Fu as the highest authority in the Supernatural Regulation Bureau. He needed a new identity to better blend into human society.

Gu Fu had been too badly injured and no longer fought for the position.

System 001: [Hmm, foolish humans. In the end, the Supernatural Regulation Bureau actually fell under the Ghost King’s control.]

Chen Li laughed at System 001’s comment, smiling with eyes curved for a long while before picking up his phone and opening his livestream.

Many viewers were already waiting eagerly in the chatroom, flooding the comments with “Pants flying!¹”

Some more serious comments asked: [Will the streamer tell us a story and do some drawing today?]

Chen Li replied earnestly: “Yes.”

He held up his phone and walked into a special art studio. Beautiful wooden cabinets held many items.

Oddly, these things seemed unrelated at first glance, yet somehow formed a magical harmony.

Chen Li took out a teddy bear with button eyes and introduced it: “This is Wendy, a little girl. She’s the one I’m going to draw today.”

His earnestness melted the hearts of the viewers.

[Aww, he’s so cute and well-behaved, so imaginative.]

[Wife, come closer.]

[Seeing the streamer gives me toothaches, need emergency…]

[The bear is cute, but the streamer is cuter.]

Just as Chen Li was about to prepare his paints, suddenly a large hand grabbed him by the waist.

He let out a small startled sound and turned around, holding his phone.

Fu Moyang was dressed sharply in a suit, a smile playing on his lips: “I’m back.”

Before Chen Li could say anything, the live chat exploded.

[Who is he?! Who is this man?!]

[Just from his voice, you can tell he’s a total heartthrob.]

[I’m jealous, I’m jealous! My wife’s living with someone else?!]

Chen Li glanced at the comments and smiled a little embarrassedly, pressing his lips together: “He’s my partner.”

Fu Moyang’s lips curved into a smile: “I discussed your art exhibition next month with Omicho, and this time it will be funded by the Fu.”

Chen Li’s eyes lit up, and the warm, romantic vibe between the two of them was felt by every viewer watching the livestream—even through the screen.

The live chat, caught completely off guard by the public display of affection, suddenly went quiet for a few seconds. Then the camera shook slightly and unexpectedly caught Fu Moyang’s face.

Even though it was only for a few seconds, the comments went wild again.

[Mom agrees to this marriage!!!]

The message flooded the screen, mixed with congratulations on Chen Li becoming Master Omicho’s disciple and on his upcoming exhibition.

Chen Li glanced at the screen, blushing fiercely, and hurriedly told everyone to calm down.

A lazy voice whispered by his ear as Fu Moyang hugged him and took the phone: “They’re not wrong.”

He glanced at the comments again, then, in front of tens of thousands of viewers, planted a kiss on Chen Li’s lips like staking his claim.

“Going offline now. What comes next is not suitable for kids.”

---

Author’s note:

THE END (Applause!)

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Finale (2)

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The people inside the bus tightly gripped the seats or the handrails on the roof, not daring to let go. The moment they did, they would be tossed around like popcorn popping wildly inside a can.

Xiao Li seized an opportunity and directly smashed through into another space to jump.

The bus hovered in midair for a moment, then came crashing down heavily into a graveyard.

The graveyard was overgrown with weeds. Several graves had their soil disturbed, revealing the edges of coffins. From certain angles, it was clear that the opened coffins were completely empty.

Someone in the bus tried to shout out, but before they could make a sound, another person quickly covered their mouth.

“Shh, what if we attract whatever’s inside?”

The next second, a thunderous explosion rocked the area, flipping over a section of the graves along with the turf and soil. When the tombstones fell to the ground, the bright red inscriptions on them looked even more sorrowful and filled with resentment.

The people inside the bus stared at the flames before them, their expressions gradually turning numb.

In an almost synchronized motion, they all turned their heads to look at the culprit who caused such a commotion.

Fu Moyang was tossing a grenade up and down, making a strange “Hmm?” sound.

They quickly averted their gaze again.

When a big shot is doing things, there’s no need to question it.

After being bombarded with firearms, the graveyard with the newly formed crater soon restored itself to its original state.

No one was surprised by this.

Before they set out, the experienced players had emphasized that firearms in the game don’t actually harm ghosts or monsters.

Fu Moyang looked toward the mist behind the graveyard, pleased to see someone startled by the explosion stepping out.

The sharp-eyed veteran immediately spotted them and said: “It’s the Guild Leader and Vice Guild Leader of the Hearts Guild!”

They walked over with complicated expressions, looking at the people on the bus waving at them. The others chatted loudly, pulling them onto the bus.

Chen Li: “Where are the ghosts here?”

As soon as he spoke, everyone on the bus fell silent. From the interaction just now, it was clear to everyone that compared to Fu Moyang, the young man he was protecting was even more dangerous not to mess with.

The Hearts Guild Leader sighed: “They were all killed.”

“By you?” Chen Li asked, surprised.

“No,” the Hearts Guild Leader paused, “It was an NPC—a little girl holding a teddy bear. She suddenly appeared in front of us and the zombies, and helped us kill them.”

“An NPC helped humans?” someone shouted in disbelief. “How is that possible?”

The Hearts Guild Leader: “At first, I didn’t believe it either, but she really just killed the zombies and left.”

An experienced player muttered: “For some reason, that NPC sounds familiar.”

Chen Li: “Wendy… it’s Wendy!”

“Oh, right.” The player’s eyes lit up but then turned troubled again. “She’s the guide NPC who led me through the first instance. That instance was a disaster because of her teddy bear causing trouble. Only two of us survived. How could she help us now?”

Xiao Fang: “Enough. It’s useless to talk more. Let’s go find the others. Our goal is to kill that disgusting thing, isn’t it?”

She raised her hand and pointed up. Everyone made disgusted faces.

This Horror Game entity, which has many eyes and many mouths, has always closely followed them, or rather, it was originally everywhere within this instance.

System 001: [I can feel it weakening. Once all the ghosts are cleared, it should disappear.]

Xiao Li slammed the accelerator hard, breaking into another space. Compared to the previous ones, this space looked much more brutal.

Blood and severed limbs were everywhere. Someone on the bus suddenly shouted: “Shitou!”

That was the nickname of one of their teammates.

Without waiting for the bus to stop completely, he jumped out, rolled forward twice, and threw himself onto a corpse to check for a pulse.

Fu Moyang, who had been sitting calmly inside the bus, suddenly moved. He kicked off with his long legs and got off the bus. He kissed Chen Li on the corner of his mouth, then rubbed his head: “Stay here nicely. I’ll be back soon.”

Before anyone could react, he boldly gave off a show of affection and left.

His eyes immediately turned sharp as he turned away.

After a few minutes of silence, the Hearts Guild Leader cleared her throat and broke the tension: “All the people in this dimension… they can’t all be dead, right?”

She was used to death, but even so, her voice carried a hint of heaviness.

Chen Li finally came back to his senses from the kiss that had been witnessed by everyone, his face still flushed.

He knew Fu Moyang was going to rescue someone and obediently looked out the window, waiting.

The Hearts Guild Leader glanced at him and thought, Such a good kid.

She wondered how someone as ruthless as Fu Moyang could have ended up with such a soft boyfriend.

Before she could finish her thought, she saw the once so “obedient” person suddenly open the window and jump out.

Jump… out…

Her eyes widened in shock: “Wait, you!”

Chen Li ran while apologizing, looking back: “I’ll be back soon!”

He didn’t mean to, but the system told him it detected the presence of a guide NPC nearby.

That pinky promise with Wendy kept lingering in his mind—he had to go meet them.

System 001: [You’re going to get scolded by Father.]

Chen Li pretended not to hear and ran toward the two o’clock direction.

The people in the bus were first shocked that the mascot actually ran off on its own, then quickly snapped back to reality.

“Chase after him!”

“If something happens to him, won’t the big boss drag the whole world down with him…?”

The person who said this didn’t mean it seriously, but everyone else shivered.

It almost felt… like it wasn’t impossible.

Relying on the system’s guidance, Chen Li surprisingly pulled ahead of them by quite a bit. Gasping for breath, he spotted a tall figure.

“Stop, stop!”

The tall figure ahead actually did stop, turning their back to him.

Chen Li hurried over, his expression gradually brightening: “So it really is you, Joker.”

Joker’s face was heavily painted with watercolor makeup, making his expression hard to see: “You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous.”

“But I promised you all!” Chen Li tilted his head and extended his pinky. “I promised I’d come find you.”

Joker hadn’t expected that answer. His gray-blue eyes shifted and rested on Chen Li’s face. After a long moment, he said: “Thank you.”

Thank you for existing. Thank you for showing up.

Looking at his “former colleague,” Chen Li’s initial fear had disappeared: “Did you kill the ghosts in this space?”

There were many ghost corpses lying around, clearly the work of the same person.

“Yes.”

“Are you helping us?” Chen Li’s eyes curved into a smile. “I should be the one thanking you.”

System 001: [This guy’s crazy. No wonder the main body is weakening so fast.]

Chen Li: “What about Wendy and the others?”

Joker’s gaze softened: “They’re waiting for you too, but first, we need to clear out the obstacles, make everything clean to meet you—and so do I.”

Clean?

Chen Li’s eyes showed some confusion, but before he could ask, chaotic footsteps sounded behind him, accompanied by voices calling his name.

Joker raised an eyebrow and said regretfully: “Looks like our date time is up.”

He pulled a freshly bloomed rose from his chest pocket and handed it to Chen Li, bowing very politely: “Let me show you a little magic trick.”

Chen Li pinched the flower, and in the blink of an eye, a pink smoke burst out. When the wind blew it away, both the smoke and Joker were gone.

“Mascot… oh no, Mr. Chen!”

Others chased after him from behind. They didn’t see Joker—only a finely featured young man. Upon hearing their calls, he turned his head, holding a single rose.

His striking looks and the stark red that clashed with the gray ruins around him became the only splash of color in the desolate landscape.

A look of awe appeared in everyone’s eyes.

Maybe in twenty, fifty years… memories of this place would fade, but this scene would never lose its vividness.

“Mr. Chen, did you do all this?” Xiao Fang’s face showed utter shock.

Chen Li looked down at the ground littered with ghost corpses. He was about to deny it but was immediately interrupted by the system.

[You can’t let them know Joker exists, it would be too hard to explain!]

The words stuck in Chen Li’s throat, and his face flushed slightly.

To the others, it looked like a classic case of “playing dumb to hide your strength.”

Their eyes toward Chen Li shifted. If before they saw him as just a mascot, now they regarded him as a hidden master.

Xiao Li’s gaze grew respectful: “Mr. Chen, come back with us first.”

Chen Li instantly knew they had misunderstood but found no way to explain why he suddenly ran off and why a pile of ghost corpses had appeared.

He had no choice but to rely on his usual NPC act, putting on a serious expression and following quietly behind them.

When they saw the terrifying Ghost Bus, their eyes reflected a strange mix of relief and joy, especially at the tall figure leaning against it—a comforting sight.

Even the Ghost Bus itself hadn’t expected to become like a safe haven for ordinary humans.

Only Chen Li felt uneasy. Head lowered, he hung back at the end of the group, like a child who’d done something wrong and dared not meet his parents’ eyes.

Fu Moyang’s voice came from above, emotionless and unreadable: “Where did you go?”

As he spoke, the temperature around them dropped sharply.

The oppressive aura made everyone struggle to breathe—except Chen Li. He understood this man needed to be handled gently, so he blinked innocently and said: “Sorry.”

Miraculously, just those three words brought warmth back to the air.

Everyone glanced at Chen Li and then at Fu Moyang, wordlessly agreeing to board the bus, leaving space for the two of them.

Even the Ghost Bus seemed to understand the situation, shielding its windows and doors.

Chen Li reached out to grab him and smelled a mix of gunpowder and blood on his breath.

Fu Moyang: “Did you find an NPC you know?”

He had already guessed what happened but nearly lost control when he saw no one upon returning.

The world seemed unreal to him, only the person in front of him felt real and tangible.

Why did he leave? Did he have to be locked up with chains…

Fu Moyang’s obsession deepened. His pupils narrowed to silver-grey slits, and dark ghostly energy churned uncontrollably beneath his feet. He reached out, trying to grab the man in front of him.

Suddenly, Chen Li moved—not away in fear, but forward, arms opening to embrace him.

Fu Moyang’s hand froze mid-air.

Chen Li lifted his head and said softly: “I’m sorry.”

He gently leaned his head against the man’s left chest, like a trusting little animal rubbing against him.

A simple act of comfort.

Any onlooker would have thought this frail, pitiful-looking young man would be torn apart by the beast before him—but miraculously, the furious predator calmed down because of this clumsy yet tender gesture.

Though a storm still brewed in his eyes, the surrounding dark ghostly energy settled in tune with its owner’s heart, as if tamed.

Chen Li reached out and petted the ghost’s head like stroking a pet: “I just wanted to see them once. It seems they’re resisting this game… for me.”

---

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Finale (1)

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Chen Li had braced himself to see a scene of brutal bloodshed. He was mentally prepared when he opened his eyes—but all he saw was a street he knew all too well.

Just a couple of steps further in was his residential complex, beyond that lay the bustling city center.

Except for the two of them, the street was completely empty—no sounds of people or traffic.

Everyone who had entered the core area with them had vanished without a trace. The world was so quiet it felt as if only they existed.

Fu Moyang lowered his head and asked: “Are you scared?”

Regretting that you came in with me?

“No.” Chen Li shook his head and glanced at their hands, still tightly clasped together. A faint smile quickly appeared on his face. “This time, we weren’t separated.”

His heart felt as if a feather had lightly landed on it, yet it was heavy.

Fu Moyang responded softly: “Mm.”

They moved forward, and as the Horror Game detected the source of danger and began to react, those sinister NPCs finally appeared.

Countless grotesque, cannibalistic monsters charged at them, intent on tearing them apart. But a massive black ghostly force instantly formed a huge barrier, blocking the frenzy of mindless creatures.

These monsters were hideously distinct in their ugliness—one even had multiple heads supported by a few spindly legs, making you wonder if it might collapse under the weight of its own dozens of heads. Its body defied all logic and biology. All its heads drooled foul-smelling saliva as they lunged forward, only to dissolve instantly when they met the black mist Fu Moyang summoned—like moths drawn to a flame.

Chen Li was so frightened he took a step back, but his eyes didn’t waver for a moment: “I think I’ve seen this monster somewhere before.”

System 001: [The mutant monster from the A-67 instance. It’s normal to find it familiar—remember the circus instance where Joker deliberately caught a terrifying monster during Fu Moyang’s beast-taming performance? That’s where it came from.]

Hearing Joker’s name made Chen Li momentarily dazed again: [Joker, where are they now?]

He hadn’t forgotten the pact he made with the other guide NPCs, especially Wendy—he promised to come back for them.

That was still part of his purpose this time.

He really wanted to see them again.

System 001: [Strange. The guide NPCs should all be here. They are objects filled with resentment and shouldn’t disappear just because the instance collapsed.]

But right now, only several mid-level instance bosses kept arriving endlessly, rushing to their deaths. Not a single guide NPC appeared.

This was completely different from what he had expected.

Chen Li soon had no time to dwell on it because the number of ghosts and monsters arriving kept increasing. Even the shop windows along the street reflected ghastly, peeled faces mouthing silent screams.

Everywhere was full of vicious ghosts and monsters, cries and wails echoing around. Though the trees and grass around were familiar, the place had turned into a hellish nightmare.

This was exactly the scene the Horror Game wanted to create—it wanted to turn reality itself into such a hell.

Chen Li was protected behind Fu Moyang like a precious child as they moved forward. Suddenly, he asked: “Can we use any props here now?”

“Mm,” Fu Moyang glanced back, understanding his meaning instantly.

Chen Li skillfully opened the in-game system backpack and summoned the Ghost Bus.

In reality, it was just a toy car, but inside the game it transformed back into its eerie, ghost form.

Fu Moyang pulled Chen Li onto the bus, quickly taking the driver’s seat and flooring the accelerator, crashing through the chaos.

Unlike ordinary bus, the Ghost Bus was completely unaffected by the wailing ghosts.

The little ghosts cheerfully reached for the wheels, hoping to pull a prank and cause a crash—but they all got crushed under the tires.

Little ghosts: ?

Some vengeful ghosts blocking the road pushed aside the hair covering their faces, revealing bloody ghostly faces without any features: “Ah!”

Then they were sent flying by the impact.

Vengeful ghosts: ?

They smashed through everything on their way. Fu Moyang didn’t forget to unleash his ghost energy to devour enemies as he drove—his ease and control made it seem less like “hell” and more like a carefree outing.

As the origin of all ghosts, the ghosts created by the Horror Game were like snacks to him. Consumed, they turned into ghost energy, which he used to devour even more, endlessly feeding himself.

Plus, with Chen Li’s innate ghost-attracting physique, the rogue ghosts not bound by the game’s rules all wanted to consume him, creating an unprecedented frenzy.

From a god’s perspective, it was like a buffet where the food jumped straight into the guest’s mouth.

And this guest was quite rude—driving wildly, crashing into buildings, leaving nothing intact.

The Horror Game was furious—especially because the guide NPCs suddenly stopped working, and its low intelligence caused it to constantly issue warnings to them.

Just the sound alone alerted Fu Moyang, who was driving recklessly around the city, to the location of its main body. Within half a second, all the wild black mist suddenly surged upwards.

The sky shattered like a thin layer of glass, revealing a gray, hazy core beneath.

Looking out through the car window smeared with bloody handprints, Chen Li felt nauseated: “What is that?”

A massive, purplish-red flesh orb hovered in the sky, countless yellow eyes blinking on its surface, dozens of gaping blood-red mouths wide open. The clouds and sky around it turned completely black, clashing starkly with the distant blue sky.

System 001: [That is the core of the Horror Game—the entity you are trying to destroy.]

The moment the core revealed itself, the surrounding horde of monsters went even more berserk, fearlessly throwing themselves forward to attack. The Ghost Bus were covered with malevolent ghosts; once one was devoured, new malevolent ghosts quickly surged forward again.

Ahead of them, the perfectly replicated streets of reality vanished, replaced by several strange, otherworldly spaces.

Fu Moyang gripped the steering wheel and drove toward a wooden door that suddenly appeared in the middle of the street. The bus smashed through the spatial barrier separating them and crashed into what appeared to be a cozy house.

Xiao Li tightened his face and raised his gun. When he saw someone suddenly driving a bus to break open the door he couldn’t open no matter what.

A large bus forcibly squeezed into the living room, overturning tables and chairs into shattered debris.

He and several others trapped here looked numb.

There was probably nothing that could surprise them more than this.

But when they saw the terrifying Ghost Bus followed by a string of malevolent ghosts and monsters, expressions of sheer terror flashed across their faces—likely the most intense facial expressions they’d ever made in their lives.

Chen Li opened the car door and waved at them: “Get in quickly.”

Without hesitation, they grabbed their weapons and climbed in.

In that moment, Chen Li looked like an angel to them.

After getting in, Xiao Li popped his dislocated shoulder back into place. Just as he was about to say thank you, he caught sight of Fu Moyang in the driver’s seat, looking like a demon.

Xiao Li: “…”

He stood up with righteous resolve: “Mr. Fu, let me drive.”

Fu Moyang’s face, which had been visibly darkened by their interrupted private moment, immediately cleared up. He gave up his seat without hesitation, reminding them: “Just crash into anything.”

Xiao Li: “…Alright.”

The others in the bus finally snapped out of their shock, still uneasy as they glanced at the ghosts chasing after them—ghosts that kept lunging and getting taken down one after another.

Finally, someone couldn’t help but ask: “How did you end up running into so many ghosts?”

Chen Li blinked innocently: “Don’t know.”

One experienced player inside quickly analyzed the situation: “Looks like we’ve been split into different spaces. Our numbers were already small, and this is how they’re trying to pick us off one by one. We have to regroup first.”

The Horror Game’s tactics were clever, but things didn’t go as expected. They never imagined most of the ghosts would all chase after Fu Moyang, who had the highest combat power.

That drastically eased the pressure on the rest of them.

Chen Li asked: “What were you guys doing in that house just now?”

They all looked a little battered.

Each had some shame on their faces, but the experienced player finally spoke up: “We were ordered by an invisible ghost in the living room to find all the corpses inside the house. Every five minutes, it comes out to attack us.”

Facing just one ghost was tough enough; it was terrifying to think that without Fu Moyang and the others drawing most of the firepower, they would’ve been wiped out within minutes.

Chen Li clearly felt their respect for him grow as they glanced his way. He half-laughed, half-grimaced: “So what about that ghost?”

“It got run over and killed by your bus when you crashed in.”

Chen Li suddenly understood why their expressions had looked both shocked and numb earlier.

He probably would’ve questioned his life choices, too.

Xiao Li’s driving skills weren’t as steady as Fu Moyang’s. Plus, the Ghost Bus was a very peculiar vehicle: when its beloved owner sat in the driver’s seat, it behaved like a well-trained cat; with the owner’s terrifying boyfriend behind the wheel, it obeyed like a loyal dog. But with a stranger, it swayed and jolted wildly, completely wild and uncontrollable.

The passengers quickly felt queasy from the rough ride. Chen Li, however, was safely sitting on Fu Moyang’s lap, steady as a rock.

This new space was much smaller than the first one. Xiao Li quickly found the next space and crashed the bus right into it, as instructed.

They plunged into a lake, but the Ghost Bus somehow drove on the water as if it were solid ground.

Beneath the surface were countless ghostly hands reaching up.

The ghosts chasing them were caught off guard and all fell into this bloody lake. The water ghosts, lacking any brains, grabbed whatever they could, instantly pulling them under.

Once submerged, there was no coming back up. Soon, countless white bones floated on the water’s surface.

Someone pointed to a house floating on the lake: “They’re over there!”

Xiao Li yanked the wheel sharply and drove up to the wooden cabin in the middle of the lake. Someone opened the door and shouted: “Get in quickly!”

They all saw the various degrees of fright on their companions’ faces.

Ha, so I was the dumb one earlier.

These people also didn’t hesitate to get in the bus. It wasn’t that they doubted the people inside the car, they just didn’t think their enemies would go through such elaborate efforts to kill them. The water ghosts in this lake alone were enough to wear them down.

Eight people got on this time, but the bus still wasn’t cramped; it was just as spacious, somehow its body stretched a little longer.

System 001 explained: [One of the Ghost Bus’s functions is to accommodate all players participating in the instance. Although you were split into different spaces, logically speaking, all fifty-two of you are here for the same instance, so it can fit everyone.]

The Ghost Bus continued to bounce and jolt wildly across the lake. Most of the ghosts behind them sank without Fu Moyang needing to lift a finger—an unprecedented spectacle.

Fu Moyang and Chen Li were like the biggest bugs in this game. Wherever they went, things fell apart. They basically turned this instance into a full-team co-op—on cheat mode.

---

---

Invasion of reality (11)

---

On the way back, Chen Li rested with his eyes half-closed. His body had been cleansed and refreshed by the black mist. The mist that had once enveloped the car had vanished, and no one knew what had just happened.

While waiting at a red light, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Half-asleep, Chen Li blinked in confusion and turned toward the source of the noise.

Through the gaps in the crowd, he could just make out a blood-covered man being carried into an ambulance on a stretcher.

Chen Li’s face paled: “What happened?”

Fu Moyang released a trace of ghostly energy, scanned the area, and replied: “There’s an apartment in that building that’s been vacant for years. Today, out of nowhere, a food delivery order came from there. The person they just carried out was the delivery guy.”

No one knows if it was a cruel prank, or if something was inside…

If it’s the latter, it means these vengeful ghosts are getting increasingly skilled at blending into human life.

Even without doing anything reckless, people could easily stumble into a trap.

The light turned green, and they drove forward with the flow of traffic. A heavy feeling settled in Chen Li’s chest.

Suddenly, Fu Moyang turned the steering wheel and took a detour.

Chen Li blinked in surprise: “Where are we going?”

Fu Moyang smirked: “To eat.”

He used Fu Yan’s VIP status at an upscale private kitchen, skipping the need for a reservation entirely.

Because of a contract made a thousand years ago, anyone who knew Fu Yan instinctively treated Fu Moyang as the head of the Fu family.

They ended up spending over two hours at the restaurant. As if already knowing something, Fu Moyang then dragged Chen Li to the mall for a walk.

It was a weekday, and thanks to recent supernatural incidents, the huge mall was nearly empty.

Still dazed, Chen Li was led around by Fu Moyang and ended up with a pile of new clothes. His waist was still sore, and Fu Moyang just swiped his card for everything—no need to even try them on.

Finally, Chen Li couldn’t take it anymore and insisted they go home, managing to stop Fu Moyang’s spree.

The moment they arrived at the front door, Chen Li suddenly understood why Fu Moyang had insisted on staying out a bit longer.

Gu Fu, who had parted ways with them just that morning, was leaning against Chen Li’s front door, smoking a cigarette. His head was lowered, expression hidden, and when he heard them approaching, he quickly stubbed it out in a fluster.

“Lizi…”

His voice held a faint bitterness.

Only a few hours had passed, yet his mental state had visibly deteriorated. The bloodshot veins in his eyes betrayed the intense inner turmoil he’d endured just to show up here.

But he’d come, nonetheless.

Chen Li quickly reached for his keys: “Come in and sit.”

“No need.”

Two voices rang out simultaneously.

Chen Li looked up in a daze at both of them.

Gu Fu smiled faintly: “I’ll leave right after I say this. I’ve got a lot to do.”

If he’d still had a shred of wishful thinking before, that vanished the moment he saw the two of them returning home, chatting and laughing together. He could no longer lie to himself. If he hadn’t already been thoroughly beaten down by Fu Moyang earlier, maybe he would’ve kept struggling.

But now, just seeing Fu Moyang made his wounds ache.

Looking at Fu Moyang again, Gu Fu’s expression stiffened. He forced the words out: “Tell me how to enter the core of the Horror Game.”

Fu Moyang tossed him a card casually: “Tomorrow at 6 PM, go to this address. Only fifty people can come.”

Gu Fu glanced down. The card read in bold characters: FuTech Tower.

Pocketing the card, his face grew even more grim: “Also, as a Supernatural Regulation Bureau squad leader, I formally request that you join us. I’ll assign you a special invite. Once this mission is completed, the case will be recorded under your name.”

From Fu Moyang’s attire alone, it was clear money wasn’t something he lacked. So Gu Fu had to negotiate another way.

Even though deep down, he knew—someone like Fu Moyang wouldn’t care about something as hollow as reputation.

“Alright.”

The indifferent reply caught him off guard.

Gu Fu stared, stunned that he had agreed so easily.

Then his gaze shifted to Chen Li—and in that moment, he understood why.

Gu Fu gave a bitter smile: “Then I’ll go.”

Time was short. He had reports to file and personnel to gather. Every minute counted.

Fu Moyang pressed the elevator button without ceremony: “No need to see you out.”

Chen Li opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Fu Moyang grabbed him and dragged him inside.

Fu Moyang raised an eyebrow: “Not tired anymore?”

Chen Li read the danger in his eyes instantly. He trembled, kicked free, and bolted straight into the room, pulling the blanket over his head.

“Tired. Going to sleep!”

. . . . .

At exactly 6 PM the next day, they arrived at FuTech Tower as planned. Fu Yan had already cleared the place in advance.

Because the operation was confidential, the entire area was sealed off.

Gu Fu leaned against a car, smoking. Next to him stood a cold-faced domineering woman and a cute, sweet-looking girl.

Xiao Fang tilted her head: “Does that person really know how to get in?”

The domineering woman was the guild leader of the Hearts Guild. She flicked her red hair: “No idea. I’ve only met him once—and he’s dangerous.”

Gu Fu said nothing, silently smoking.

The cheerful persona he usually wore around Chen Li was gone. What remained was a shadowy, brooding presence.

The Hearts Guild Leader shrugged: “Looks like our second-ranked player isn’t in the best mood today.”

At Gu Fu’s feet were five or six crushed cigarette butts.

When Chen Li arrived, he saw this scene—and when he spotted Xiao Fang, his heart nearly skipped a beat.

Even though she looked a little different now, he immediately recognized her.

She was the same twin-tailed girl who had played the role of puppeteer in the circus instance.

It was originally her who gave him an invitation card to the Hearts Guild, which almost caused him to be exposed in front of Gu Fu.

He never expected to run into a familiar player here. His first reaction wasn’t happiness but to cover his face, afraid of being recognized.

System 001: [Don’t be afraid. Although after the Horror Game invaded reality, players who removed the restrictions can recognize each other in real life, this restriction still applies to you because you’re an NPC.]

Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, the look Xiao Fang gave him was one of amazement, with no hint of familiarity or suspicion.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the two of them, especially Fu Moyang, who seemed like a natural spotlight—wherever he went, all eyes followed.

The Hearts Guild Leader approached: “Hello, Consultant Fu.”

Fu Moyang raised an eyebrow: “Hello.”

The Hearts Guild Leader’s voice wavered slightly: “I didn’t expect you to actually come. I thought someone as ruthless as you would—”

She suddenly caught sight of Chen Li’s curious face and swallowed the rest of her words.

A woman’s intuition is sharp.

If she dared to speak ill of a man in front of this young man, nothing good would come of it.

The Hearts Guild Leader changed her tone and smiled warmly at Chen Li: “And who might this adorable young one be?”

She thought Chen Li looked familiar, then after a closer look, recognition dawned.

“Oh, it’s you! I’ve seen you on the trending searches.”

Under everyone’s gaze, Chen Li shyly shrank back behind Fu Moyang: “I’m already an adult.”

“Uh-huh?” The Hearts Guild Leader chuckled, about to tease him more, but suddenly felt a hostile glare directed at her.

She wisely raised her hands and stopped talking.

Gu Fu stepped forward with a dark expression: “Why did you bring Lizi here?”

Chen Li blinked and answered quickly: “I want to go in with you all.”

Gu Fu clenched his fists, then loosened them, glaring angrily at Fu Moyang: “What do you mean by this? Is this how you take care of people?!”

Fu Moyang remained indifferent.

He had planned to go solo, only reluctantly agreeing to bring some humans along after Chen Li joined.

When it came to anything involving the lamb, he wanted everything to be perfect, without a single flaw.

The atmosphere instantly turned icy until a man in military uniform walked over, breaking the tension. His dark eyes carried authority: “Is this the special consultant you said could get us into the core?”

Gu Fu forced down his anger: “Yes.”

The man in uniform looked at Fu Moyang with surprise in his eyes.

What a lone wolf, licking the blade’s edge.

Xiao Li saluted, gave a brief introduction, then gestured to the well-trained soldiers behind him: “These are my men. Over there are the top-ranked players summoned by the special unit. Altogether, exactly fifty people.”

The two groups were clearly divided: one stood neatly in formation, fully equipped, like poised battle knives ready to strike; the other lounged casually, almost scattered, but their eyes were sharp and vigilant. Everyone here had survived several life-and-death battles and their blades already stained with blood.

Based on the average combat strength of ordinary people, everyone here was undoubtedly an excellent fighter.

But Fu Moyang just glanced over casually, indifferent: “Let’s go.”

Xiao Fang was taken aback: “Just leave like this? No further instructions?”

She had tossed and turned all night yesterday, unable to sleep, and had made up her mind to re-enter the game. Yet the leader seemed like they were… just going on a picnic??

She had to admit, this kind of attitude was oddly reassuring.

It even eased the deep-rooted fear she had of Horror Game.

Fu Moyang paused for a moment and reluctantly said: “The props you collected before entering the core are still usable. Don’t hesitate to use them all.”

With that, he grabbed Chen Li’s hand and strode forward.

Xiao Li waved his hand: “Keep up!”

He had never witnessed the horrors of the Horror Game but still dared not be careless.

The Hearts Guild Leader stuffed the allocated items into her waist and snorted: “If I can use props, that would be great. Compared to guns, I’d rather use the players’ methods to get a feel for this.”

They followed Fu Moyang down to the Basement Level 2 of the FuTech Tower. Two golden dragons, which had once rested on forbidden stone pillars, suddenly seemed to come alive. Their ruby eyes shone down on the few dozen people below. Opening their mouths, they let out ethereal sounds—a long dragon’s roar that echoed across the sky, as if sending off the brave warriors on their journey.

Or perhaps as a thunderous warning to anyone who dared enter the unknown.

Everyone’s faces showed shock, yet no one hesitated.

Standing next to Chen Li, System 001 explained: [The Horror Game fears Father, so it set up traps in this Forbidden Area to force him to require external stimuli to awaken from his slumber. At the same time, it made a critical mistake—it left behind a heavy trace here.]

After all, it wasn’t very smart, leaving its weakness in the most dangerous place.

Thanks to that trace, Fu Moyang was able to tear open the space between dimensions and enter the game directly.

All other instances had been cleared. Now, only the final instance remained—the Core.

---

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Invasion of reality (10)

---

An eerie silence spread throughout the cafe. The owner seemed completely unaware and turned away, satisfied, then left.

Chen Li carefully picked up the menu. Gu Fu immediately looked over and smiled brightly, saying: “Want your favorite latte? They even have rabbit-shaped ice cream today.”

The familiarity in his tone made Fu Moyang’s expression darken, though he didn’t show it. He reached out and rubbed Chen Li’s head gently: “You ate so much this morning, be careful you don’t end up with a big belly.”

Chen Li, seriously reading the menu, snapped back: “I’m not that stupid!”

Fu Moyang chuckled softly, indulging him: “Mm.”

Now it was Gu Fu’s turn to scowl. He gritted his teeth and asked: “Did you two have breakfast together?”

Fu Moyang’s mood suddenly brightened: “We were together all last night when you sent the message.”

And since they had breakfast together, that basically meant they were living together.

Gu Fu’s face turned utterly sour. He didn’t know how many days he’d been in the ICU or what had happened around Chen Li in that time, but whatever it was, it was definitely a change he didn’t want to see.

It felt like something important was about to be taken away from him. This unease completely pushed away the vague fear he had of Fu Moyang, replacing it with extreme irritability.

Sensing the atmosphere turning strange again, Chen Li quickly closed the menu and said to the owner: “Two spring lattes, please.”

“Alright.” The owner, who had been dozing off, turned around to prepare the drinks.

There were no other customers in the cafe—very quiet and relaxed.

Chen Li couldn’t help but ask: “Aren’t you going to close and take a break?”

The owner replied: “Worried about the dirty things outside? Hmph! I’m an old man, they can come if they want.”

He was a man with a rather strange temper.

The owner added: “It’s just that no customers come anymore. Everyone’s scared. People like you two are really rare.”

After placing the lattes on the table, he went back to dozing off.

Chen Li stared at the latte in front of him, his mood visibly sinking. He felt once again the changes the Horror Game had brought to the real world—everyone was afraid of the supernatural. Even if you never encountered it, life was still changing.

Human resentment and hostility were growing year by year. Ghosts and monsters were only increasing, never decreasing. Soon, the whole world would become bleak and tense, with everyone looking over their shoulders.

Seeing his odd mood, the two who had been bickering at the table lost their energy and instead tried to cheer him up.

Fu Moyang was blunt: “Why did you call us here?”

Gu Fu showed no expression: “Just so you know, I only invited Lizi. You came along by chance.”

He naturally wouldn’t admit that he actually needed Fu Moyang’s help.

Turning to Chen Li, his expression softened: “Lizi, you’ve probably heard of the Supernatural Regulation Bureau, right?”

Chen Li nodded and widened his eyes: “Yeah. Are you part of it too?”

Gu Fu suppressed the corners of his mouth: “Yeah, I’m the leader.”

Chen Li was stunned into silence.

Gu Fu glanced at Fu Moyang: “The only way the government can access information about this game is through players. Almost all the top twenty players on the leaderboard have been recruited into the special unit—except one player. We’ve never been able to contact them.”

Then he suddenly raised his eyes to Fu Moyang and coldly twisted his mouth: “Number one ranked player, Fu Moyang, do you have anything to say?”

Chen Li was shocked. He never expected it to go this far.

Fu Moyang had just come out of the Forbidden Area yesterday, so naturally, no one had been able to find him.

If he got discovered now, it might even expose his identity as the Ghost King…

No, wait.

Who knows how much the authorities already knew?

In the last instance, several players had seen Fu Moyang suddenly appear as an NPC. Maybe his non-human identity had long since been leaked.

If he had known Gu Fu was in the special unit, he definitely wouldn’t have recklessly brought Fu Moyang here today.

It was all his fault.

Chen Li’s face paled slightly. Suddenly, his hand under the table was grabbed.

Fu Moyang: “What do you want with me?”

The sarcasm in his eyes made Gu Fu’s expression sour, as if his thoughts had been seen through.

He couldn’t deny it—after all, he was indeed tasked with finding Fu Moyang but had no choice but to meet through Chen Li, who was familiar with him.

Who knew this would just end up exposing him—and using Chen Li in the process.

He came without any doubt and naively thought he was just here to check on his safety.

With his body still not fully recovered and a sudden surge of guilt, Gu Fu’s face instantly turned even paler than Chen Li’s. He opened his mouth weakly but didn’t know how to explain himself.

Any explanation would just sound like sophistry.

In the heavy silence, Fu Moyang was the first to break the atmosphere: “Ask whatever you want to ask.”

Gu Fu dared not look at Chen Li’s disappointed expression. Taking a deep breath, he said: “How much do you know about the Horror Game? And how did you become an NPC in that game?”

Hearing the word “NPC” made Chen Li shiver slightly, just as he felt a gentle scratch on the palm of his hand.

Fu Moyang answered seriously: “I only know a little more than you do. As for the second question, I used a certain item.”

“How…?” Gu Fu hurried to speak but suddenly his eyes locked with the silvery-grey eyes in front of him.

His pupils dilated for a moment, and he muttered: “An item… right, it’s an item.”

His eyes cleared up again, no longer dwelling on the question. Instead, he asked: “Will you cooperate with our investigation and tell us what you know?”

His doubts about Fu Moyang’s identity slowly began to fade, as if some invisible hand was rewriting his awareness.

System 001, who had been watching quietly on the side, suddenly spoke up: [Host, you don’t have to worry about Father getting exposed. He has his own ways to fool everyone.]

Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Fu Moyang with a smile.

Fu Moyang returned his gaze with softened eyes.

Between them, there seemed to be a barrier no one could break through.

Gu Fu clenched his fists little by little.

System 001, floating nearby, suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for this big brother who was eating “dog food” alongside him.

Fu Moyang: “In the world, there was no concentrated resentment, so there were no ghosts or monsters. All supernatural things were just human imagination—until one day, a small mistake happened, and then the Horror Game appeared. It absorbed all the excess resentment in the world. Since resentment comes from complex human emotions, the game’s instances are all based on human society.”

“Including—but not limited to—horror stories, scary settings, and even extensions of real events.”

Chen Li’s eyes lit up: “So that thing you mentioned before, ‘□□ seeing ghosts,’ actually works?”¹

“Mm, very clever.” Fu Moyang reached the key point. “What the authorities want most now is probably how to stop it.”

Hearing this, Gu Fu straightened up, pressing his lips tight and silent.

Fu Moyang wasn’t in a hurry. He stretched out his legs slightly, openly radiating an imposing aura—as if born to dominate negotiations.

Finally, Gu Fu couldn’t hold back: “Do you have a way?”

Fu Moyang: “Not exactly a method. You’re at least the second-ranked player, so you should know that everything the Horror Game creates—NPCs, instances—they all have a core.”

He deliberately emphasized the “second.”

Gu Fu’s face darkened: “I’ve heard a little about it.”

“So the Horror Game itself has a core,” Fu Moyang casually dropped a bombshell, “If you want to drive it off this world, you have to crack its core—like solving a game.”

Gu Fu frowned: “You make it sound easy. Where do you find its core? And what’s inside?”

Fu Moyang thought for a moment: “Probably all the fear it has collected so far.”

It would be a scene like hell itself.

Silence fell again in the cafe. Gu Fu clenched and unclenched his hands, his voice rough: “If we just leave it alone…”

“This world will become hell itself.”

After saying this, Fu Moyang pulled Chen Li up and said: “I’ll give you half a day to think it over.”

This time, Gu Fu could only watch helplessly as Chen Li was taken away, unable to say a word.

Chen Li didn’t understand the silent exchange between the two, so once he got into the car, he couldn’t help but ask: “What exactly was he supposed to be thinking about?”

Fu Moyang replied: “For an ordinary person, going into the core is basically risking your life. He could have chosen a safer route—for example, securing his position in the special unit and only stepping in when something spirals out of control. Even though lives might still be lost from time to time, at least there wouldn’t be a massive drop in population within the next couple of years.”

But after two years, who knows? The Horror Game grows stronger by absorbing fear.

Before Chen Li could get too anxious, Fu Moyang added: “But that’s for ordinary people. I’ll handle cracking the Horror Game, so you don’t need to worry.”

There was no way he’d tolerate ghosts everywhere eyeing his little lamb.

This was his sacrifice, his prey—meant to belong to him entirely.

As for why he deliberately told Gu Fu, of course, it was to watch his rival’s expression when forced to come to him for help.

What surprised him was how strongly the little lamb reacted. Chen Li almost immediately said: “I want to go too!”

Fu Moyang refused outright: “No, it’s too dangerous.”

Chen Li: “Oh.”

So obedient?

Fu Moyang glanced at him—and sure enough, he saw Chen Li’s back of the head puffing up in frustration.

Chen Li stared out the window: “Then I’ll go in with Gu Fu and the others.”

Fu Moyang’s eyes darkened: “How can you be sure he won’t back out and pretend today’s conversation never happened? Do you really know him that well?”

And that cafe today—that was a place Fu Moyang had never stepped into. It was part of Chen Li’s past.

“I…” Chen Li’s words trailed off as his eyes suddenly widened, staring at the swirling black mist outside the car window.

“Don’t worry. No one is paying attention here right now.”

In the cramped car space, a glowing ball was tossed out.

It silently drifted away from the scene, planning to wander around for a couple of hours before coming back.

In the slightly dizzying sway, Fu Moyang stared without blinking and said: “I want to invade your future—I want every memory you have from now on to include me.”

He was just that selfish and obsessive.

Overwhelmed, Chen Li choked back tears and reached out to wrap his arms around Fu Moyang’s neck: “Then don’t ever let me go.”

Never leave him behind.

The hard-won clarity shattered into chaos.

It wasn’t until much later that Chen Li finally heard a soft, low “Mm.”

---

Author’s note:

Someone has always been afraid that the little lamb would reject his possessiveness, but the little lamb was willing to offer himself up (?) from the start. His love is obsessive in its own way, too.

These two were made for each other.

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1. The original text: 陈栗双眼一亮:“所以你之前说的□□见鬼才真的有效。”, maybe some of you can guess it? ↩︎

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Invasion of reality (9)

---

Half an hour after reading the text message, a certain Ghost King, overwhelmed with jealousy, had kissed Chen Li until he was whining and limp. Now, Chen Li was hugging a blanket and heading toward the sofa with a pout.

Fu Moyang had a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, but his words were deliberately tinged with sadness: “Are you really going to make me sleep on the couch?”

Chen Li, fuming, placed a soft pillow down for him: “Yes, really!”

Fu Moyang: “Alright then.”

Chen Li shot him a suspicious look: “No causing trouble. No sneaking into the room in the middle of the night.”

Then he glanced at the three little creatures shivering in the corner of the living room and quickly added: “And don’t bully Pipi and the others!”

Fu Moyang nodded and watched him disappear into the bedroom.

Though Chen Li acted fierce, he still worried Fu Moyang wouldn’t sleep well, so he’d given him plenty of pillows and blankets.

But he’d overlooked the fact that Fu Moyang had long limbs—when he lay down on the sofa, his arms and legs stuck out everywhere.

Not that Fu Moyang minded. He simply lay there, smiling as he stared at the bedroom door.

With a hint of mischief, he completely suppressed his ghostly aura.

The ghosts that had been intimidated by his presence earlier now began to stir again, sensing that the pressure had vanished.

All because of that faint, enticing scent—irresistible to ghosts.

Chen Li fell asleep quickly, his soft, steady breathing soon filling the room.

But around midnight, a rhythmic knocking suddenly started.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

Chen Li groggily opened his eyes and looked toward the door: “Fu Moyang?”

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The knocking didn’t stop.

This time, Chen Li snapped fully awake. His spine tingled with fear, and a cold chill shot up from the base of his neck.

Because the knocking wasn’t coming from the door—it was coming from under the bed.

The sound was heavy, like it wasn’t made by a hand alone.

Knock knock knock.

A ghostly voice whispered: “Why won’t you let me in—ah!!!”

Before it could finish, Fu Moyang strode over and yanked the ghost right out from under the bed.

Without mercy, he slammed the disembodied head to the floor, then casually pulled out an alcohol wipe to clean his fingers.

The head hit the ground with a thud like a basketball, even bouncing a few times.

Fu Moyang turned, pulled Chen Li into his arms, and whispered soothingly: “Don’t be scared. I’m here.”

System 001 witnessing all of this from the doorway: …

As expected, there was no keeping up with father’s level of cunning.

Fu Moyang gave it a glance and ordered: “Take care of it.”

With a rumble, the Ghost Bus rolled in out of nowhere, sucked the ghost head away like a vacuum, then smoothly closed the bedroom door for the two of them.

System 001 suddenly felt a deep sense of crisis—its top henchman position might be in danger.

Chen Li hadn’t seen what exactly had been tossed out. Burying his face in Fu Moyang’s chest, he asked in a wronged tone: “It’s gone now?”

“Mhm, gone,” Fu Moyang lied without hesitation. “But your body isn’t suited to being too far from me. We have to sleep together, or more ghosts will come after you.”

As he spoke, he released his ghostly aura again and silently devoured all the malicious ghosts that had gathered nearby.

Chen Li, easily fooled, mumbled: “Okay then.”

He yawned and began to drift off in the familiar warmth of Fu Moyang’s embrace, but still insisted on finishing his sentence: “Then you’re not allowed to bully me anymore.”

Fu Moyang gently pinched his fingertips: “Sleep.”

But he never gave a clear answer.

. . . . .

The consequence of spending the night with a wolf was waking up covered in marks—and some areas were even swollen.

While washing up, Chen Li looked in the mirror. Lifting his shirt, his face instantly turned beet red and he quickly dropped it back down.

A trail of ambiguous marks stretched from his shoulder blades all the way down into his pants.

No wonder he’d dreamed all night of being a piece of toast—bitten, licked, and nibbled over and over.

Footsteps sounded behind him. Fu Moyang walked over and wrapped his arms around him from behind. He glanced at the shattered mirror: “We’ll move to a new place in a few days.”

Humans usually need a new house when they get married. Now that he and the little lamb were officially wed, of course he had to give him the best.

Chen Li thought for a moment. He had been chased by ghosts in this place and even in the neighborhood, which did leave a bit of a psychological shadow. So he nodded: “Okay. Where did you go just now?”

He hadn’t seen Fu Moyang beside him when he woke up in the morning, which made him panic for a moment. But the sharp pain across his chest quickly brought back the urge to beat him up instead.

Fu Moyang didn’t answer. Instead, he took his hand and led him outside.

The moment they stepped into the living room and the smell of food hit his nose, Chen Li understood—he had gone to prepare breakfast.

Looking at the overly lavish breakfast spread across the entire table and the man beside it watching him with a smile in his eyes, Chen Li was dazed for a second.

This kind of simple yet warm feeling was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Fu Moyang: “I threw away all the frozen sandwiches in your fridge.”

“Oh.” Chen Li replied slowly and sat down.

A soup spoon was immediately placed in his hand.

Fu Moyang ladled out a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee for him, then added crab roe soup dumplings and other treats to his plate.

Chen Li blinked: “Is this from that really popular breakfast place?”

“Mhm.”

In just one night, Fu Moyang had gathered a ton of information. With Fu Yan’s help, he’d taken on a brand-new elite identity. It had taken him less than twenty-four hours to go from a ghost to someone blending seamlessly into human society.

Even though ghosts didn’t need human food, Fu Moyang still ate slowly alongside Chen Li.

Unlike before, when he would eat just to keep up appearances, this time he was seriously trying to savor and study the flavors.

He wanted to memorize the taste and learn how to recreate it.

His intense, almost obsessive possessiveness made him want to insert himself into every detail of Chen Li’s life—food, desire, everything.

Watching the way Fu Moyang was treating the meal like a battlefield, Chen Li suddenly chuckled: “I remember you not knowing how to cook.”

He still recalled that sweet-to-the-point-of-nausea plain porridge from the morning after their “wedding night.”

Fu Moyang calmly put down his spoon and changed the topic: “Do you want to live in a suburban villa or in the city center?”

Unusually, Chen Li didn’t let himself get distracted this time. This was the first time he’d seen Fu Moyang like this—it was actually kind of amusing. He stood up with a grin: “Did you try to cook something?”

He was just teasing, but Fu Moyang raised his eyebrows and quickly denied it: “No.”

Which, of course, meant yes.

Chen Li walked straight into the kitchen and immediately spotted a black, unidentifiable lump still sitting in the pot—it hadn’t even been thrown out yet.

Fu Moyang frowned: “…It was the pot’s fault.”

The egg burned the moment it hit the pan.

Chen Li hardly ever used the stove himself, and the pot was practically new. Hearing that, his eyes curved with laughter: “Alright, alright, the pot’s fault.”

He dragged out the last syllable of “fault,” and his naturally soft voice made it sound like he was coaxing a child.

Except the person in front of him wasn’t a child—it was a ferocious beast.

And the consequence of teasing a beast too much was being pounced on.

“Mm!” Chen Li was suddenly pinned against the wall, an arm around his waist, and before he could react, Fu Moyang had already bitten his lip.

The pain made him open his mouth instinctively—and gave someone just the opportunity they were waiting for.

Fu Moyang deliberately lingered, pressing hard against his lips: “Hmm?”

Chen Li finally seized a chance to breathe and pleaded pitifully: “S-sorry… I won’t laugh at you anymore.”

He felt like his poor lips were about to swell from all the kissing.

The man who had finally found an excuse to act out clearly wasn’t ready to let him off the hook. In the end, it was only when Chen Li complained that he was hungry, looking genuinely aggrieved, that things stopped before anything more outrageous could happen in the kitchen.

During breakfast, Chen Li was exceptionally obedient, because across the table sat a certain man who hadn’t been satisfied and was now simmering with frustration, eyes locked on him like a predator watching its prey.

That intense, hungry gaze made Chen Li feel like he was the meal.

After all the fussing, it was already 8:30 by the time they finished eating. Chen Li quickly interrupted him: “I have to meet Gu Fu at nine!”

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but when he said the name Gu Fu, Fu Moyang’s gaze seemed to turn even more dangerous—just for a split second—before returning to normal. Fu Moyang stood up and gently wiped Chen Li’s mouth: “Alright, I’ll drive you.”

He was clearly enjoying taking care of his little lamb like one would a child.

At first, Chen Li felt a bit embarrassed, but after realizing resistance was futile, he let him be. Tilting his head, he asked curiously: “You know how to drive?”

Fu Moyang’s expression instantly turned meaningful: “Of course I do.”

That suggestive tone made Chen Li completely forget his follow-up question.

It wasn’t until they reached the apartment complex’s parking lot and he saw a flashy luxury car that stood out like a sore thumb that he suddenly remembered.

He turned to the man beside him: “Do you even have a license?”

Surely Fu Yan couldn’t have gotten even that sorted in such a short time?

Fu Moyang casually grabbed a booklet, waved it in front of him, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a driver’s license.

“Just using a little illusion for now,” he explained briefly.

“Oh.” Chen Li obediently climbed into the passenger seat, a bit curious about the car’s understated yet undeniably luxurious interior.

He took a closer look—then his gaze froze on the man in the driver’s seat.

Fu Moyang didn’t even glance over: “What is it?”

Chen Li tilted his head and stared: “You look… a little different from usual.”

The reflective black watch, tailored suit, and even the carefully chosen cufflinks—everything about him had been meticulously put together.

Fu Moyang had always been handsome, with broad shoulders and a slim waist—he looked good in anything. But now that he’d made an effort, he was downright stunning, exuding an overwhelming aura that felt like it could drive other males away instinctively.

Watching from the backseat, System 001 silently thought to itself: Isn’t this just a peacock spreading its tail?

Fu Moyang was gripping the steering wheel: “Nothing much.”

Of course, it was because he was about to meet his rival in love.

But since his slow-witted little lamb hadn’t noticed, he didn’t bother to point it out.

Chen Li didn’t have the habit of digging too deep, so after hearing him say that, he turned his attention back outside.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but there seemed to be even fewer people out on the streets this morning.

With smooth traffic, they arrived at the coffee shop in just fifteen minutes. Chen Li had been worried the shop might be closed, but not only was it open, Gu Fu was already waiting there early.

Gu Fu’s lips had just curled into a smile as he lifted his Americano to take a sip, but the moment Fu Moyang walked in, he instantly lost his composure. He slammed the cup down and stood up abruptly, his voice strained as if squeezed out: “Fu Moyang!”

Fu Moyang glanced up at him, then reached out to wrap his arm around Chen Li’s waist: “Watch your step.”

“Oh.” Chen Li felt a bit nervous. “You two, please don’t fight…”

He had asked Fu Moyang last night if he could come along, and he’d been silent for a long time before answering.

He hadn’t expected their meeting to be so tense.

Gu Fu fixed his gaze on the hand awkwardly resting on his old friend’s waist, gritting his teeth: “No fighting.”

He wanted to punch someone.

Fu Moyang clicked his tongue impatiently, deliberately giving a challenging glance at the hand still wrapped in bandages.

Gu Fu’s veins bulged: “You—!”

“Hmph!” The cafe owner suddenly walked over, slammed down a menu, and glared, stroking his beard. “Keep it friendly in the cafe!”

---

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Invasion of reality (8)

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With a bang, the stone door was knocked open from the outside.

Fu Yan stumbled in awkwardly, having anxiously waited outside for a long time before finally getting in. He hurriedly looked up and said: “Are you okay—”

But his voice suddenly cut off.

He looked up in shock at the scene before him: two people tangled closely together. A handsome young man, cheeks flushed red, was leaning against a man whose face was hidden from view. The young man was biting the other’s ear in a coquettish way, his slightly disheveled clothes failing to hide the faintly reddened kiss marks on his collarbone. The contrasting reds and whites of the marks carried an undeniable, intoxicating intensity that seized the heart at a glance.

Fu Yan’s mind momentarily short-circuited from the shock—though it lasted less than two seconds, his eyes burned fiercely, forcing him to cover them: “Ugh!”

Years of experience in ruthless business battles suddenly sharpened his perception, making him realize what was happening.

This was a warning from that noble person.

Suppressing the painful cry threatening to escape his throat, Fu Yan ran back out of the forbidden secret chamber without looking back. Even though it was his first time seeing Fu Moyang, he clearly understood that this was the person he was destined to devote his life to—the one their Fu family had been bound to follow for generations, etched deep in their bones.

The fear rising from his heart was telling him that if he looked again, his eyes would be gouged out.

The system 001, which had rushed in alongside him, wasn’t so lucky. It was forced to freeze in place, and the moment it faced Fu Moyang, a feeling of submission overwhelmed its entire being.

Chen Li only had time to hear a loud crash. When he turned around like a frightened little animal, he caught sight of Fu Yan’s fleeing back and the trembling system.

Fu Moyang brushed the stray hair from his forehead and said softly: “It’s okay… come here.”

The last two words were addressed to the system.

System 001 cautiously edged closer, its light flickering gently: [Father.]

Fu Moyang didn’t bother with formalities—he reached out and grabbed it, pulling up some of its recent memories.

System 001 was unusually obedient in his hands.

Whether it was Chen Li’s imagination or not, the system even seemed a little smaller, scared and subdued.

It showed none of the domineering attitude it displayed at home, bullying Pipi and Ghost Bus and defying everything and everyone.

Chen Li couldn’t help but smile and found it amusing, so he reached out and poked the system.

Just then, Fu Moyang, who had just opened his eyes, saw this. He released System 001 and said calmly: “From today on, you belong to him completely. You no longer need to obey my orders.”

System 001 was originally created to find Chen Li and guide them to reunite again. Even though it didn’t remember this mission clearly and had only blindly dragged Chen Li into the Horror Game, it had worried it was no longer useful. Hearing Fu Moyang’s words, it couldn’t help but brighten up, its light shining two degrees stronger.

But before it could enjoy this happiness for more than two seconds, Fu Moyang said cryptically: “From now on, he is also your father.”

Chen Li blushed and glared at him angrily.

System 001, however, shrank back in fear, realizing Fu Moyang had just reviewed its memories—and that its earlier secret mischief with the host had been discovered, as well as its blatant disrespect in calling him by his name.

Trembling with tears, System 001 responded: [Yes.]

Fu Moyang reached out and straightened Chen Li’s clothes. Unable to resist, he lowered his head and gave him a quick kiss, then said with lingering affection: “Let’s go.”

Chen Li’s face flushed bright red, and with a hint of innocence, he asked: “Where to?”

Fu Moyang raised his hand to shield Chen Li’s sparkling eyes, his voice turning husky: “Don’t look at me like that.”

Chen Li blinked, suddenly feeling that the huge presence sitting below was about to raise its head. His face, already tinted with a rosy glow, now had ears flushed bright red as well. Flustered, he hurriedly stepped down from the man and stammered: “L-let’s go.”

He wasn’t curious about where they were headed anymore.

When they emerged from the secret chamber, Fu Yan was waiting by the elevator with an expression as if his entire worldview had been shattered and rebuilt.

Turns out, the mysterious expert wasn’t an ancestor’s friend—but the ancestor’s lover.

Fu Yan didn’t know whether to lament how his brief crush had been broken in less than a day or to marvel that the ancestor had truly awakened.

Either way, it was as shocking as learning about a terrifying game invading Earth.

Fu Moyang came out without even glancing at him and tossed something his way.

Fu Yan caught it and immediately got excited: “Master!”

As a modern man, Chen Li found it a little odd hearing him call Fu Moyang “Master” so casually. Remembering the even more outrageous names he’d used for the ancestor before, he felt his ears burning.

Noticing that the little lamb he was holding had its attention drawn elsewhere, Fu Moyang frowned and pinched Chen Li’s earlobe with his other hand in mild annoyance.

Around him still lingered some black mist that hadn’t dissipated—signs of a beast hidden in the abyss awakening. At that moment, the eerie black mist was cozying up to Chen Li, trying to rub against him.

To Chen Li, the black mist—which could kill both humans and ghosts without leaving a trace—looked like shameless little bullies picking on him. He flared up, swatting the man’s hand away and deliberately scolding him with a serious face: “No touching!”

Fu Moyang, charmed by how cute he was, obediently withdrew his hand and nodded: “Okay.”

So cute—he just wanted to take a big bite out of him.

Chen Li was satisfied. Yeah, he really was fierce.

The two of them, each harboring their own thoughts, got on the elevator. Since there was only one, Fu Yan had no choice but to follow reluctantly, then got pushed into a corner by the pink, impenetrable bubble of affection between the two.

If someone had to describe their current state in five words, it would be: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”¹

When the elevator reached the first floor, Chen Li finally noticed that it was already dark outside.

They had spent that long inside the secret chamber.

His face, which had cooled down so much, was now heating up again. Chen Li secretly gritted his teeth, thinking that his earlier bite was way too gentle.

He should have bitten harder.

Just as the elevator doors began to close behind them, Fu Moyang suddenly reached out and grabbed at the invisible air.

In his hand instantly appeared a restless soul.

It screamed: “Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me!!”

Chen Li jumped in surprise and cautiously peeked out: “Is that the ghost from the elevator?”

“Yeah.” Fu Moyang’s eyes remained steady as he tightened his grip slightly, “She just swallowed that male corpse ghost in the elevator.”

So its strength had improved a little, but in the face of absolute power, that small increase was as insignificant as a mayfly trying to shake a mighty tree.

The female ghost was crushed so completely she couldn’t even make a sound, and then she dissipated into a wisp of blue smoke, vanishing into the air.

Fu Moyang stared silently at that wisp of smoke. Deep down, a cruel urge flickered inside him, wanting to wreak havoc—ideally to make those fierce ghosts who had bullied the little lamb while he was away experience the torment of being trapped in the Avici Hell cycle for a thousand years, endlessly tortured until their souls were completely destroyed.

But that violent impulse barely surfaced before it was shattered by a moist, concerned gaze. Chen Li anxiously shook their joined hands and asked: “What’s wrong?”

In those clear eyes was complete, unwavering trust.

Fu Moyang suppressed the darkness inside and curled his lips into a faint smile: “Nothing.”

He was willing to hand over the chains that bound him to the little lamb—so long as the little lamb never left him, the Ghost King would happily hide his terrifying fangs and remain a gentle, loyal wolfdog.

Chen Li smiled softly at him.

Fu Yan, trembling beside them, finally seized the moment to speak up: “Do you need a place to stay? I have three clean, unoccupied apartments in the city center…”

He even considered handing over his black card, but then remembered the countless priceless treasures in the ancestral secret chamber—just one of those could spark a bidding war. Money wasn’t an issue. In fact, in a way, the entire FuTech company should belong to him.

What mattered more right now was a place to live.

Chen Li tilted their head: “I thought you had nowhere to go.”

If Fu Yan had ears, they would have drooped in disappointment.

Fu Moyang glanced expressionlessly at Fu Yan.

The cold, icy stare made Fu Yan suddenly realize that his flattery had completely backfired.

His survival instinct kicked in, and he awkwardly pulled out his phone, pretending to check it. His acting was painfully unconvincing: “Ah, I forgot—none of those three apartments are livable right now. I’m such an idiot.”

Fu Moyang lowered his gaze to Chen Li, voice low and serious: “Can you take me in?”

Living together!

Chen Li’s eyes brightened, and they mumbled: “Okay then.”

In fact, his heart was bubbling with happiness.

Fu Moyang took a deep breath and turned his face away.

Really… too adorable. It would take a lot of willpower not to kiss him until he cried.

Fu Yan suddenly had an idea and quickly added: “Master, you go ahead. I’ll find someone to help get your ID sorted.”

Fu Moyang nodded and responded to him directly for the first time, looking quite satisfied.

Fu Yan immediately burst out like a wild husky on a sugar rush.

Leaving the space to the two of them.

Chen Li: “Let’s go catch a ride. But I don’t know if we’ll be able to get a car this late at night. It seems the buses have stopped running for safety, and the trams only run until sunset.”

Several night-shift taxi drivers in the city have died one after another. As soon as the news came out in the morning, no matter how bold or eager to make money people were, hardly anyone dared to go out.

Chen Li was muttering to himself, completely focused on trying to come up with a solution. His serious expression made him look especially adorable.

Fu Moyang couldn’t resist—he reached out and kissed Chen Li on the lips, gently biting down on the tempting lower lip.

Startled, Chen Li hurriedly covered his mouth. Even though there was no one around, he still felt like it was too out in the open. Puffing up in frustration, he shot a glare at the mischievous man.

The flush at the corners of his eyes made him look more enchanting than fierce.

Suddenly, Fu Moyang scooped him up in a princess carry, a smile gleaming in his eyes: “Let’s go home.”

Black mist swirled up around their feet, engulfing them both in an instant. Before Chen Li could react, he found himself standing inside his own home.

He looked around at the familiar surroundings in a daze: “This ability is so convenient…”

Still marveling at it, he didn’t even notice the man with other intentions carrying him into the bedroom. The black mist reached out to shut the door behind them, completely cutting off System 001, Pipi and the Ghost Bus’s prying eyes.

It wasn’t until he was laid on the bed and felt weight press down on him that Chen Li snapped out of it. He reached out in vain: “W-Wait!”

The corners of his eyes flushed even redder.

Fu Moyang gently stroked them with his thumb: “Not waiting.”

“Mmm… mm…”

The heated clash of lips and teeth filled the room.

Thankfully, the chime of a new text message interrupted them in time. Struggling, Chen Li reached for his phone: “S-Someone’s looking for me!”

Fu Moyang’s silver-grey eyes narrowed as he took the phone with an icy aura and tapped open the message.

Chen Li caught his breath and, seeing he didn’t say anything, asked curiously: “Who is it?”

Fu Moyang gave a cryptic smile and slowly read the message aloud: “Tomorrow morning at nine, let’s meet at the usual cafe.”

Sender: Gu Fu.

---

1. 小别胜新婚 (xiǎo bié shèng xīnhūn) ↩︎

---

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Invasion of reality (7)

---

Chen Li abruptly grabbed the still daydreaming husky-like CEO: “Let’s go, hurry up!”

Fu Yan took a long stride to catch up with him. Glancing at his own biceps—sculpted from his daily two-hour gym sessions—and comparing them to Chen Li’s thin arms and legs, he decided it was better to walk ahead.

He straightened his chest, his serious expression still intimidating: “Are you saying you have some kind of ghost-attracting physique?”

“Yeah.” Chen Li gave a bitter laugh. “Actually, since last night, I’ve already encountered five of them.”

Most people wouldn’t experience that many supernatural incidents in their entire lifetime.

Suddenly, Chen Li felt like a walking disaster magnet—like a certain grim reaper elementary school kid who always brings trouble wherever they go—only his case was worse: even if he stayed home doing nothing, ghosts would still come knocking.

Hearing the number, Fu Yan took a sharp breath and noticed Chen Li’s mood dropping. He quickly reassured him: “Don’t worry. Once we find that noble person, there’ll definitely be a way to solve this. How can mere ghosts stand against a god?”

Chen Li hesitated, unwilling to tell this goofy husky that Fu Moyang wasn’t actually a god, but a Ghost King.

Seeing the blind admiration in Fu Yan’s eyes, Chen Li decided it was better to hide some of the harsher truths.

As they talked and walked, they finally realized something was wrong with this floor.

Chen Li stopped and said: “…Mr. Fu, is your company’s third floor always this empty?”

Fu Yan was taken aback, looking around: “No, the third floor is the marketing department. They should all be at their desks by now.”

But the truth was, after walking around, they hadn’t seen a single person.

It was as if everyone had vanished into thin air.

Chen Li picked up a file, opened it, and saw the pages were completely blank. Deep in thought, he quickly walked over to a large window and looked outside—it was pitch black, as if a dark raven’s wings had covered the entire view.

He furrowed his brow, realizing the gravity of the situation. It wasn’t that the others had simply vanished into thin air—they were trapped inside some kind of space.

And the ghost that created this space was incredibly clumsy. Compared to the entire city-sized spiritual realm once crafted by Fu Moyang’s core, this space was crude and poorly made. Chen Li spotted the flaw immediately.

Fu Yan followed behind, completely confused, not understanding why Chen Li suddenly dashed toward the elevator area: “But aren’t there two ghosts fighting over there?”

“The other elevator!” Chen Li glanced at him and explained: “When we first ran out, didn’t we only see one elevator?”

That was the one they had taken.

Fu Yan suddenly understood: “Oh, right. There’s the employee elevator!”

They had just taken the executive elevator reserved for the CEO and distinguished guests. In their panic to escape, they naturally overlooked the other elevator right beside it.

They rushed to where the original elevator should have been—but there was only a smooth wall. The elevator they had ridden was covered in bloody handprints.

Fu Yan nervously patted the wall: “Now what?”

Chen Li took a deep breath: “It’s fake. It’s all an illusion.”

They couldn’t trust their eyes.

He reached out to touch the flawless wall in front of him and told Fu Yan: “You try too. See if you can find any trace of the original elevator.”

Fu Yan’s eyes lit up: “You think it’s a trick—an illusion?”

“Exactly.”

The two of them blindly felt along the wall like blind men, until Fu Yan—who knew the building better—found a button. Excited, he said: “Got it!”

Two round buttons: one for down, one for up.

Though the wall looked perfectly smooth, his finger felt the cold, hard metal of the buttons.

Without hesitation, Fu Yan pressed one.

Two seconds later, a “ding” sounded and an elevator door slowly slid open in front of them. At the same time, a female ghost’s wailing came from the other elevator.

It seemed that between the long-sleeved corpse ghost and the female ghost, the elevator ghost had the upper hand.

Without thinking, Chen Li grabbed the terrified Fu Yan and dashed into the elevator. Just as the door was about to close, they saw a bloodied, horrifying female ghost lunge forward, reaching out with a clawed hand: “Don’t go—”

Fu Yan finally reacted in time and kicked the ghost away, allowing the elevator doors to shut tightly.

With a loud clang, the elevator plunged downward as if malfunctioning again.

“Ah!” Fu Yan, a towering man at 1.83 meters, screamed in fright.

The intense sensation of weightlessness made them snap their eyes open, as if suddenly waking from a nightmare.

They were still in the elevator, and at this time, the display was showing Basement Level 2.

Breathing heavily, Fu Yan looked at his reflection in the elevator wall: “So that was just a nightmare we had?”

Chen Li nodded: “You could say that.”

Fu Yan wiped the sweat off his forehead and stepped out onto Basement Level 2. “This is the Forbidden Area. Only the CEO’s private elevator can reach here. The regular elevator only goes down to the parking lot on Basement Level 1.”

His legs still felt weak—standing here triggered an old, ingrained fear from childhood.

System 001, following close behind, shouted excitedly: [I can sense it! His aura!]

Unlike the dark and gloomy basement he had imagined, Chen Li wouldn’t have believed this was the second basement level if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

Everywhere was dazzlingly magnificent. The two golden dragons coiling around the stone pillars had real rubies set into their eyes. Even the two stone lions guarding the door were gilded.

Fu Yan strangely understood Chen Li’s sudden silence and quickly distanced himself: “This is my dad’s aesthetic.”

“Very grand,” Chen Li said dryly.

He couldn’t imagine what expression Fu Moyang would have when he woke up and found that this was where he had been sleeping.

Chen Li followed Fu Yan forward, who whispered an explanation: “This door is a taboo set by that noble person himself. None of us can open it.”

The massive door before them clashed completely with its surroundings, its imposing presence almost suffocating. The three-dimensional carvings of blue-faced, fanged demons and monsters seemed almost alive, ready to devour everything. Standing beneath it, just looking was enough to inspire awe.

Fu Yan noticed Chen Li staring intently without looking away and whispered again: “You can’t touch it. If you do, it will repel you. When I was a kid, I got mischievous and came down here myself. This door bounced me against the pillar so hard I almost broke a rib. My dad told me that if anyone outside the Fu family touches it, their life could be in danger…”

He stopped abruptly because Chen Li, in a daze, had already reached out and touched the door. His neatly trimmed nails and soft, pink fingertips sharply contrasted with the fierce demons carved into the door.

Chen Li’s eyes cleared, and he blinked in confusion: “Ah, I didn’t mean to.”

He didn’t know why, the moment he saw the door, a voice inside him had called out strongly, as if from the depths of an empty heart.

It was only a light touch, but the heavy stone door immediately swung open as if by magic.

Fu Yan felt the door was playing favorites and even his ribs started aching again.

Inside, it was pitch black. Chen Li hesitated and stepped in. Suddenly, thick black mist emerged, wrapping around his wrists, ankles, and waist, pulling him into the darkness.

Fu Yan’s pupils narrowed: “Wait…!”

The stone door slammed shut mercilessly, whipping up a gust of wind. If Fu Yan hadn’t dodged quickly, his nose probably would’ve been swollen.

Once the door closed, the only source of light vanished. Chen Li could only timidly curl up, deprived of sight and sound, the cold sensation magnified.

The black mist gently lifted the edge of his clothing, revealing his pale waist and abdomen, as if several hands were caressing him.

Chen Li gasped a few times, tears threatening to fall, his voice trembling as he called out: “Fu Moyang! Fu Moyang!”

The moment he called out, the black mist paused for a moment, then grew even more agitated. It surged forward and even slipped into his mouth, swirling inside.

Though the air was filled with familiar scents, the man’s physical form still hadn’t appeared.

Suddenly, a pair of rough, calloused hands grabbed his waist. Chen Li blinked, a tear slipping down his cheek, his reddened eyes making him look vulnerable.

He felt something wet and soft brush against his face, wiping away the tear. Chen Li choked out: “Fu Moyang?”

A familiar but slightly hoarse voice whispered in his ear: “I’m here.”

. . . . .

Chen Li covered his face, hardly believing he had just been doing those things with Fu Moyang’s soul form.

He couldn’t even see him—he could only feel the intense pleasure the other gave him.

Fu Moyang lazily half-closed his eyes: “You found me.”

Seeing him so satisfied, Chen Li couldn’t help but remember how he had been tossed and turned in the darkness, and in frustration, he bit Fu Moyang’s shoulder.

Fu Moyang reached out and ruffled Chen Li’s smooth black hair: “Sorry, I missed you too much.”

Chen Li’s cheeks flushed pink, unsure if he was more angry or shy: “Then you shouldn’t have just…”

Fu Moyang looked sincere: “Actually, I only fully woke up after sensing your presence. My mind hadn’t fully gathered yet.”

It was more like an instinct, a beast’s hunting instinct, roaring to drag him back to its den and claim him completely.

What he didn’t say was that the moment Chen Li called out to him with tears in his voice, he was already fully awake.

Chen Li, naive and easily fooled, said: “Then you can’t bully me like that next time.”

Fu Moyang suddenly changed the subject: “What happened outside?”

Chen Li’s attention shifted quickly. Tilting his head, with a hint of dependence even he hadn’t noticed, he began recounting recent events.

Like a young cub coming home upset after being bullied, whining to his parent.

Fu Moyang’s normally calm eyes grew wild and terrifying when he heard about the ghost incident, his narrowed pupils shrinking to a thin silver line, resembling the fiercest predator: “You got hurt?”

“No, they couldn’t hurt me,” Chen Li lifted his chin proudly, like a precious little cat.

Fu Moyang’s gaze softened: “Impressive.”

But the hand resting at Chen Li’s waist tightened, veins standing out. The murderous intent was hidden beneath the surface.

Ha, who dares covet his lamb?

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Author’s note:

Yes, that’s right. The very first thing Fu wakes up to is clinging to Li Bao—and only after that does he fully recover.

Meanwhile, two cheap descendants (?) are anxiously waiting outside.

001: Even though I was born after you, by seniority you still have to call me great-grandfather.

Fu Yan: …

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Invasion of reality (6)

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Startled by his sudden movement, Chen Li widened his dark, shiny eyes and shifted a little deeper into the sofa: “What’s wrong with you?”

Fu Yan’s tone grew excited, completely losing the cold arrogance he had moments ago. Like a husky off its leash, he rushed over and stopped just half a meter away: “How do you know that noble person?”

His eager gaze was almost like it could set Chen Li on fire.

Chen Li had lived for twenty years without ever encountering someone like him, and for a moment, he was too stunned to respond: “That noble person?”

Fu Yan nodded and, disregarding his dignity, knelt on the sofa staring at him intently: “The one you just asked about…”

“Fu Moyang?” Chen Li blinked.

Hearing him say the full name again, Fu Yan gasped sharply: “You know him?”

“Yeah, I came looking for him,” Chen Li nodded somewhat bewildered. “What’s your relationship? Brothers?”

Right after asking, he regretted it. Although he didn’t know how long Fu Moyang had lived, as the world’s first and only ghost, there was no way he could be brothers with a human.

Fu Yan’s reaction was even stronger than he expected, nearly falling off the sofa: “No way!! He’s my ancestor!!”

Chen Li nervously tugged the sofa cushion: “Ancestor?”

His expression grew more complex. Though it was obvious from Fu Moyang’s obsession with strange marriage rituals that he had lived a very long time, this was the first time he had such a direct sense of the gap between them.

He hadn’t expected his “descendants” to be this grown up.

Then he suddenly realized: Fu Moyang had said he was the first and only human he liked—so where did these descendants come from?

Seeing his expression shock in just a few seconds, Fu Yan hurriedly explained: “Not a real ancestor, but recognized. More precisely, our Fu family worships him.”

“Worship?”

Fu Yan nodded: “Yes, worship. My great-great-grandfather nearly died in a famine, but that noble person saved him, gave him a surname, and granted him wealth, honor, and protection from ghosts and spirits. So our Fu family has thrived ever since, all thanks to that noble person.”

Chen Li was dazed. “Oh… so that’s how it is.” What nonsense!

It all sounded so mystical.

But the person himself spoke so earnestly, unlike how players in the game feared Fu Moyang, he only had pure reverence mixed with genuine admiration. As he spoke, Fu Yan even looked a little embarrassed: “Every one of our family’s children has achieved something in their fields. From childhood, we were taught to do everything possible to fulfill any request from that noble person. Unfortunately, since my grandfather’s generation, that noble person hasn’t appeared—maybe because he finds this world too boring.”

At this, Fu Yan showed a look of regret.

Chen Li’s thoughts went even deeper, feeling a bit of sympathy.

Though he was a Ghost King, living alone for so long must be lonely.

That’s probably why he let his core escape.

After finishing his story, Fu Yan turned to Chen Li expectantly: “Why did you come looking for the noble person? What’s your relationship?”

Being stared at so warmly by a dignified CEO almost overwhelmed Chen Li.

He braced himself: “Um, because I promised to find him. We’re… friends.”

Though it wasn’t intentional, explaining further would be too complicated, so he chose to downplay their closeness.

Fu Yan’s face lit up with sudden understanding: “Is it related to that Horror Game that invaded Earth recently? If we wake that noble person, it should solve the problem, right?”

From his oddly silly face, Chen Li saw his unconditional trust in Fu Moyang.

He caught the key word: “Wake?”

Fu Yan suddenly lowered his voice nervously: “Yes, actually I had a dream yesterday that if someone came looking for him, I should take them to the Forbidden Area. I thought it was just a random dream, since it was only a voice. But now it must be true!”

No wonder he believed him so easily—Fu Moyang had paved the way.

Chen Li blinked, eyes slightly reddened.

Sure enough, the Horror Game invading Earth had also affected Fu Moyang.

He was originally the world’s first and only ghost. As the Ghost King, he had gathered all the ghostly energy in the world. Now that a force of ghosts not originally from this world is invading, he must be feeling very distressed.

Thinking this, Chen Li couldn’t help but ask: “Can you take me to see him?”

“Of course,” Fu Yan replied, his gaze on Chen Li shining with admiration.

Anyone who could be friends with an ancestor like that had to be extraordinary!

Chen Li smiled gratefully at him.

Fu Yan’s face instantly flushed red.

Yeah… a true expert is a true expert—even their smile looks amazing.

Fu Yan stood up: “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the Forbidden Area right now.”

He moved almost mechanically to open the door. The moment it swung open, his expression switched back to his usual cool and world-weary look. He cleared his throat softly, drawing the secretary’s attention.

The secretary dutifully stepped forward: “Sir, where are you headed?”

Chen Li followed behind, stunned by the sudden change in expression.

No wonder he commands the whole company.

Fu Yan: “Any appointments this afternoon?”

The secretary held a file: “You have a meeting with the Li family in half an hour, and then at 3 PM—”

Before she could finish, Fu Yan raised his hand to stop her: “Cancel it.”

The secretary was surprised: “All of them?”

“Mm,” Fu Yan said coolly, hands in his pockets. “I have plans today.”

Secretary: “Understood, sir. Have a good day.”

Fu Yan stepped toward the private elevator, glancing back to make sure Chen Li was following.

Every move showed the decisive efficiency expected of a CEO at a publicly traded company.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Fu Yan’s true nature showed again—his expression turned nervous: “It’s been a long time since I went to the Forbidden Zone!”

Chen Li thought for a moment: “Is it outside the city?”

It sounded dangerous.

Fu Yan paused: “No, it’s on the company’s B2 floor.”

Chen Li was surprised again. That casual?

Fu Yan hurried to explain: “The Forbidden Zone was set up by my great-great-grandfather. Back then, it was a remote, uninhabited Feng Shui treasure spot. But after all these years, it’s now in the city center. Luckily, our Fu family has powerful patrons, so we’ve always maintained absolute control over this precious land.”

Fu Yan suddenly spoke up proudly: “Thanks to the protection of our ancestor, no one in the Fu family has ever had an accident—even our employees are completely safe. Our FuTech Tower is probably the safest place in the entire world.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the elevator suddenly jerked to a halt.

Both of them grabbed onto the elevator walls tightly to keep from falling.

Chen Li said awkwardly: “…Sorry, I forgot to tell you—I have a ghost-attracting physique.”

Everything is meaningless in front of a ghost-attracting physique.

Fu Yan tried one last desperate hope: “No, this must be a mechanical failure.”

Chen Li looked up at the floor indicator—it had stopped exactly on the third floor.

A chill ran down his spine. Something wasn’t right.

Last night, when “Xiao Qian” called him out, he also ran into elevator trouble—it stopped dead on the third floor then too. He thought it was caused by “Xiao Qian,” but now he realized it was another vengeful ghost.

And it had followed him here.

Fu Yan, still skeptical, pressed the emergency button repeatedly, nearly smashing the small red button before the little speaker above finally came to life.

A female voice came through: “Please do not panic. Remain calm and wait patiently.”

Fu Yan tried to speak through the tiny intercom: “Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Two people are trapped here!”

But the voice only mechanically repeated: “Please do not panic. Remain calm and wait patiently.”

“What does that even mean?” Fu Yan snapped, banging on the elevator buttons.

Chen Li shivered uneasily: “Maybe we should try shouting for help outside?”

He had just checked his phone—no signal, as expected.

Fu Yan shook his head: “That would just drain our energy faster.”

Just as they were feeling helpless, the elevator door was suddenly pried open. Outside stood a man in long sleeves, his smile stiff as he looked at them: “How did you get stuck in here?”

Fu Yan sighed in relief: “The elevator broke down. Please get us out.”

“Please do not panic. Remain calm and wait patiently!”

The voice inside the elevator rang out again, this time sounding more like it came from within, growing sharper and more chilling: “Please do not panic. Remain calm and wait patiently!!”

The voice seemed like it wanted to rip them apart.

Fu Yan and Chen Li were both terrified—now anyone could tell something was very wrong with this elevator.

The creepy announcement didn’t stop, and the man outside seemed to be deliberately provoking the elevator ghost. He stretched out his hand: “Grab my hand and come out.”

But when he extended his arm, a patch of decaying, mottled rot showed on his wrist.

Fu Yan instinctively pulled his hand back.

“Please do not panic. Remain calm and wait patiently!”

“Hurry up, come on!”

The two loud voices overlapped, stabbing their eardrums.

Chen Li’s face darkened. Trapped between a tiger and a wolf.

He gritted his teeth and chose to exit the elevator first.

The long-sleeved man’s gaze gleamed with blatant malice: “Good child.”

Fu Yan was terrified but didn’t want to be left alone, so he followed: “We—”

The next moment, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Chen Li reached out without hesitation and shoved the long-sleeved ghost away. The ghost hadn’t expected to be betrayed by such a tempting “treat” and fell straight back into the elevator.

At the same time, the elevator doors shut tight with no support.

The elevator ghost inside finally emerged and immediately clashed with the intruding ghost.

Even through the closed elevator doors, Fu Yan could hear the two ghosts’ angry howls and screams—it sounded like a fierce battle.

Fu Yan swallowed nervously and looked at Chen Li with new respect.

No wonder he’s an expert—truly terrifying.

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Author’s note:

Someone will appear in the next chapter!

Some readers guessed they might be brothers—haha, you’re playing it safe!

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