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?
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: …