They Are Very Hospitable (5)
The man was as agile as a jungle leopard, his leg muscles exploding with power. Chen Li barely had time to see the exact movement before the man was already standing beside him, having leapt from the tree.
Fu Moyang looked down at him from above, just like the night before, a malicious grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Are you lost?”
Chen Li froze for two seconds, until he saw Sana kicked in the chest, rolling a few times on the ground. It then dawned on him that the man’s taunting words were directed at her.
Fu Moyang lifted him as easily as one would pick up a chick. “Are you scared?”
He liked seeing Chen Li, like a frightened lamb.
He was enjoying it immensely.
He had never known before that he had such a bad habit.
Sana climbed up from the ground, glaring at Fu Moyang but dared not approach. Her animal instincts told her there was a dangerous, predatory aura around him.
Yet, as she looked at Chen Li, the scent emanating from him was too irresistible, so she suppressed her fear and refused to leave.
Fu Moyang ignored her and continued to toy with Chen Li, determined to make him speak.
“If you don’t talk, I’ll just hand you back to her.”
After saying that, he casually loosened his grip, giving the impression that he might walk away.
A voice, tinged with a slight whine, sounded: “No!”
Chen Li was terrified. The villagers not far away hadn’t regained their senses, and the sound of bones being chewed echoed in his mind.
He didn’t want to end up like that duck leg, chewed up and swallowed by Sana.
Fu Moyang looked down at him, about to tease him further, but then suddenly stopped, a hint of uncertainty in his voice: “Are you crying?”
His steady voice gave no hint of the turmoil inside.
Chen Li felt like he was being mocked, so all he could do was try to hold it together, his eyes reddening as tears welled up but didn’t fall. “No.”
His almond-shaped eyes shimmered even more under the glaze of tears, making him look pitiful in every way.
Hearing that still-trembling voice, Fu Moyang clearly didn’t believe him. His gaze darkened with unexplained irritation, and he suddenly looked up at Sana, silently mouthing: Get lost.
The oppressive pressure that hit her like a wall made Sana instantly realize the vast difference between her and this man—it was far greater than she’d imagined. She wouldn’t last half a minute against him.
No—he wasn’t human at all.
He was an evil ghost. A terrifying, monstrous evil ghost.
The villagers felt the danger too and quickly scattered. This time, Sana didn’t hesitate—she turned and left as well.
Only Chen Li remained completely unaware of what had just happened. Like a lamb that had accidentally wandered into a predator’s den, its innocent bleating had softened the beast’s heart… and earned a gentle lick in return.
Watching everyone leave, Chen Li blinked in confusion. “Why did they all leave?”
Fu Moyang set him down and said lightly, “Probably went to catch the others. Next time, don’t eat meat in this village.”
Even without that reminder, Chen Li felt like he wouldn’t want to see meat for the next three days.
He poked at the system in his mind—no response.
It failed him again, right when he needed it most.
Standing there, he felt stuck, unsure what to do next.
He hadn’t even gotten to eat, and now after running so far on an empty stomach, his delicate stomach was starting to complain.
Suddenly, a yellow food box appeared in front of him, topped with golden, crispy fried pieces. Startled, Chen Li instinctively backed away.
Fu Moyang let out a low chuckle. “It’s fried vegetables. No meat.”
Then he picked up a piece and held it to Chen Li’s lips.
He was definitely doing this on purpose.
Chen Li was grateful Fu Moyang had helped hold Sana off earlier, but seeing the man deliberately teasing him made his temper flare again.
He always looked soft and easy to bully, but in truth, he was quick to get angry. Turning his head slightly, he said, “I don’t want it.”
Fu Moyang sounded a little troubled. “But I ordered it just for you.”
Feeding the little bunny was becoming addicting. Watching the boy chew slowly seemed to soothe all the violence in his heart.
“Points are precious. Players can’t buy extra lifespan without them. So this food box… I exchanged it using my own life points.”
The man’s voice was deep, and when he deliberately slowed down his speech, it sounded almost like a kind of enchantment.
Chen Li felt a little dizzy. He didn’t fully understand the game’s rules yet, or realize that for someone of Fu Moyang’s level, those points were probably insignificant.
The naive little prey took the bait—though it wasn’t particularly luxurious—and stepped willingly into the predator’s trap.
His heart softened. “Okay… thank you.”
The little prey even rolled over and showed its belly, thanking the one who wanted to devour him whole.
Fu Moyang’s lips curled into a smile as he held another piece of fried eggplant to Chen Li’s mouth. “Eat.”
Something about this felt a bit off.
But Chen Li obediently opened his mouth and bit down, chewing carefully—exactly fifteen times per bite, not one more, not one less.
Fu Moyang found himself entranced again, and before he realized it, he’d fed the boy most of the food box.
Chen Li finally stopped himself before he got too full. “I’m done.”
Fu Moyang frowned, looking like an internet addict suddenly cut off from Wi-Fi.
He knew this strange new obsession with feeding was a bit weird, but he’d never been one to play fair. When he wanted something, he just took it.
If he wasn’t afraid of making the boy cry, he might’ve seriously considered locking him up and feeding him every day—hopefully fattening him up a little more.
Adopting an NPC—if someone said that out loud, they’d probably get scolded to death on the forums. But when it came from Fu Moyang, somehow, it weirdly made sense.
In this horror world, strength was the only language that mattered.
Chen Li had no idea what kind of beast he had provoked. Fu Moyang was dangerous and brutal, though at this moment, he was merely keeping his fangs hidden.
From Chen Li’s perspective, the man had simply gone quiet.
So he tilted his head curiously.
That one small gesture scattered the dark, twisted thoughts swirling in Fu Moyang’s mind.
So cute.
Without knowing why, he took the half-eaten meal and returned it to his player inventory. That limited space was packed with rare items—any one of them could spark a frenzy of envy and competition. Yet now, among those priceless treasures, he had stored something completely useless. Anyone else would call it a waste.
But Fu Moyang’s mood had improved.
Even Chen Li, usually slow to pick up on others’ emotions, noticed the shift.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Can I leave now?”
But when Fu Moyang heard it, his mind automatically added an extra word: we.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere.”
Chen Li widened his eyes slightly. “That’s not necessary…”
Fu Moyang turned around and casually grabbed his hand. “What are you afraid of? You think I’m gonna eat you or something? Don’t you NPCs have tasks to complete and performance targets to hit?”
How did he know that?
Chen Li was stunned. He forgot to resist as he was pulled along.
This man who’d just said he wouldn’t eat him was now gripping his wrist tightly, with a possessiveness that didn’t match his words.
. . . . .
When Chen Li saw where he was being taken, fear crept into his heart.
Even before they entered, a pungent stench of blood rushed to greet him.
Fu Moyang didn’t give him a chance to refuse—he dragged him straight into the slaughterhouse.
There was blood everywhere. Blood-soaked aprons and butcher knives were laid out on the counter.
Beside them were several massive iron hooks, meant for hoisting up dead pigs and sheep. They were just the right height to lift a human body.
The layers of bloodstains had built up so thick, they couldn’t be washed off anymore. The filth had turned a deep, permanent black.
The entire slaughterhouse was shrouded in a deathly atmosphere.
Not even sunlight could penetrate.
Every part of Chen Li’s body screamed in discomfort, urging him to run.
But his feet seemed to be out of his control, unable to move even an inch.
Fu Moyang: “Are you scared?”
The little lamb is so timid, seeing so much blood must be terrifying.
It would be perfect if he panicked and ran right into his arms.
But only Chen Li knew that, beneath the fear, another hidden impulse was rising within him—he wanted to paint.
The dried-up inspiration inside him, at that moment, felt like a refreshing rain in the desert. It was as if he stood at the edge of an abyss, just one step away from falling into it and never coming back, but he couldn’t control himself from staring into it.
This made him recall the original reason for his career change, which had come from that strange dream.
His teachers and classmates had sighed in regret, but he had resolutely chosen a completely different style.
Everyone said his paintings had lost their spirit.
But no one knew that it all started with a dream.
He wanted to capture the face of the person from his dream, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring it to the canvas. Even when he forced himself to create a painting with a terrifying atmosphere, it felt stiff and unnatural.
The issue that had troubled him for so long seemed to be loosening at this very moment.
Author’s note:
Someone: Come crash into my arms. (muttering)
Li Bao: I want to paint…
#How to talk about love when thoughts are not in the same dimension#
I imagine he watches Chen Li like those kids watching subway surfer videos