Chapter 21: Human or Ghost?

While he was unconscious, Fu Qinghuai held him and stayed by his side the whole time.

Upon seeing him wake up, Fu Qinghuai's peach blossom eyes instantly lit up, and his voice was so sweet it could be drawn out like silk.

"Does your head still hurt?"

As he spoke, he gently touched his face and began to complain pitifully, "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't dare to move, my legs are numb."

Xie Xun: "..."

Do ghosts also experience leg numbness?

He got goosebumps all over, raised his hand to push Fu Qinghuai's hand away, and propped himself up to sit up.

Looking around, he saw that he was in the living room of the Liu family's haunted house. Just now, he had been held by Fu Qinghuai and sitting in the corner, which was the cleanest place in the entire living room.

It was pitch black all around, and the only thing that filled my nostrils was a stale, putrid smell.

He picked up his phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it around.

Not far away, Brother Qiangzi, Xiao Chen, Ye Zi, and Master Liu lay sprawled out, unconscious, breathing weakly, but they didn't seem to be in any immediate danger.

Fu Qinghuai, on the other hand, was like a piece of chewing gum that he couldn't shake off. When he stood up, he rested his chin lightly on the top of his head, his breath brushing against his earlobe, and he clung tightly to his side.

Xie Xun ignored the sticky ghost, suppressed his physical discomfort, and quickly checked his condition.

Aside from being exhausted, there's nothing seriously wrong.

He had forced out his heart's blood in the illusion, and there was still a sharp, dull pain in his chest, but it wasn't anything serious. He checked his inner pockets again; the injured Little Green was fast asleep. He touched the snake's body; its breathing was even.

Xie Xun was relieved.

Seeing that he only looked at the dead snake after waking up, and that even saying a word to him was like taking his life, Fu Qinghuai was displeased.

"Xunxun used me and then abandoned me?"

Fu Qinghuai's black mist wrapped around his wrist again, while his hands wrapped around his waist from behind, his voice filled with obvious grievance, "So you're the kind of person who cuts off all feelings, I'm so sad."

Xie Xun pursed his lips, feeling his ears burning, which annoyed him greatly.

What nonsense is this guy spouting? Where did this thousand-year-old evil spirit, sealed away for hundreds of years, learn all these internet slang terms from?

How could you be so shameless!

He abruptly turned his head to try and escape the sticky scent, but Fu Qinghuai's icy fingertips gently pinched his earlobe.

"Xunxun, you're so red here."

Fu Qinghuai's voice was innocent, but a closer listen revealed a malicious curiosity. He slowly caressed the sensitive skin with his fingertips and whispered, "Are you... shy?"

"Shut up!"

Xie Xun finally couldn't take it anymore and deliberately avoided Fu Qinghuai's gaze, which seemed to want to devour him whole. "...Don't get so close, it's cold."

His tone was stiff, trying to project his usual composure, but the reddened earlobes betrayed his unease.

Looking at his forced composure, Fu Qinghuai saw a dark, almost obsessive look surging deep in his eyes.

He didn't press further, but obediently loosened his grip slightly, though his gaze remained fixed on Xie Xun, as if using his omnipresent, sticky gaze to peel away his clothes little by little and see into his heart.

"Okay, I'll listen to Xunxun." Fu Qinghuai replied with a wronged expression, but did not immediately back away. He simply released his arms from around Xunxun's waist.

The black mist binding Xie Xun's wrists and ankles remained neither too tight nor too loose, showing no sign of loosening its grip.

"I let go of your hand, Xunxun, can you hold my hand? It's so dark here, I'm scared..."

As he spoke, her peach blossom eyes sparkled as she looked at him, showing not a trace of fear. Her tone was so soft it could melt hearts, and coupled with her handsome face, it almost gave the illusion of being irresistible.

Xie Xun's temple throbbed. "You, a thousand-year-old evil spirit, are afraid of the dark?"

"I'm scared."

Fu Qinghuai didn't feel ashamed at all, and was quite self-righteous. The hand that had just been around his waist instead grabbed his wrist. "Especially when Xunxun isn't around, I'm most afraid."

The demon's fingertips were icy cold, yet carried a stubborn tenderness, even going so far as to rub the inside of Xie Xun's wrist a few times.

The eerie touch made Xie Xun stiffen. He tried to shake it off, but met the other's eyes, which were filled with a pitiful and aggrieved expression. Although he knew it was an act, he had only escaped from the endless loop of death thanks to this evil spirit.

Xie Xun pondered for a moment, then inexplicably relaxed his strength.

He cannot abandon his supporters in this dangerous place, at least not now.

Although he didn't want to admit it, he did have to rely on Fu Qinghuai to get out of this place safely.

"...Whatever you want." Xie Xun turned his face away, but the blush on the tips of his ears deepened.

He ignored the large ornament that was practically glued to him and turned to look around. But because he was distracted, he stumbled and accidentally bumped into a small, half-closed door next to him.

With a loud crash, the door slammed against the wall.

It was a cramped and cluttered storage room, with two rotten and shriveled corpses curled up in the corner.

One of them was wearing a dark green work jacket, while the other was wearing a pink hoodie covered in stains.

Beside the two corpses, a pile of things lay scattered.

Xie Xun stared intently, and his blood seemed to flow backward instantly, his limbs feeling icy cold as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The clothes the corpses were wearing were already familiar enough, and the things scattered around them were even more familiar, but he couldn't be sure whether this was an illusion or reality.

Therefore, Xie Xun decided to step forward and see clearly what it was.

His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, making his eardrums buzz.

As you get closer, a stench of decay hits you. The two corpses are extremely shriveled, with dark brown skin tightly wrapped around the bones. The flesh is stuck to the clothes, and they look like they have been dead for at least several months.

Xie Xun's heart skipped a beat. He suppressed the feeling of something stuck in his throat, frowned, covered his mouth and nose, and squatted down to examine it carefully.

With trembling hands, he picked up a broom from the ground and ruffled the scattered items.

The light focused on a half-open wallet, revealing an ID card inside.

The photo is a bit blurry, but the name and date of birth are clearly visible.

Ye Lu, the photo clearly shows Ye Zi's cute baby face.

With a slight shift of the phone's light, another ID card lay not far away, bearing the name Chen Guoqiang, while the photo was clearly visible—it was the photographer, Xiao Chen.

A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and Xie Xun felt his scalp tingling.

If the two corpses in front of us are Xiao Chen and Ye Zi, then what is lying unconscious in the middle of the living room outside—a person or a ghost?

Or perhaps, they are manipulated paper puppets?

More and more thoughts assaulted Xie Xun, and he felt his mind spinning. He almost fell onto the corpse as soon as he got up, but he was held firmly by Fu Qinghuai's black mist and managed to stand up.

"What's wrong, Xunxun?"

Fu Qinghuai's voice came from behind, carrying a dismissive tone, "Isn't it just two stinking rats that died here? Xunxun, don't look, it'll dirty your eyes."

Xie Xun snapped back to his senses and realized he was covered in cold sweat. He forced himself to turn away and not look. Just then, he heard rustling sounds outside, followed by the sound of several people standing up.

"Strange, what's wrong with us?"

"Where is Master Xie?!"

"This place is dangerous; young friend Xie is likely in grave danger!"

"Master Xie! Master... what are you doing here? Did you find something?"

Xie Xun quickly turned around and met Qiangzi's curious yet nervous gaze. He forced himself to show his usual calm expression, even though his legs were still a little weak.

"nothing,"

His voice was steady, and after a few exchanges, he turned the tables and threw the question to Brother Qiangzi, continuing, "There are only two corpses, and we can't figure out any identification information. Do you want to take a look?"

After saying that, Xie Xun deliberately turned to the side to give Qiangzi a clear view of the two corpses in the storage room.

"No, no need..."

Qiangzi's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, and he subconsciously took a step back. "Master Xie, you can't see my identity information, and I don't want to face a corpse directly; it's just too unlucky..."