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!”