Chapter 116, Chapter Seventeen: The Lost Manor
The demon left, the ant nun it possessed died, and the manor's ten clergy were one short.
At the same time, startled by the scallops, the crowd that had been gathered in the hall scattered like birds and beasts.
They realized the castle was not safe and dared not linger there any longer.
On the fourth night after the baptism, with no one to gather with, the four of them had to find a guest room on the third floor.
If she had to choose a room, Li Yufei naturally preferred her bridal suite on the seventh floor. Strangely, Song Xiaona and Dean were unable to enter it.
To investigate the cause, they tried other rooms and made a new discovery.
Different items have different prices. Eating noodles costs 1 Gray Faith, but eating premium steak costs 5.
Staying in a hotel is also a form of consumption, but entering the room does not deduct faith points; it depends on the amount of gold faith.
“Dean and I only have enough faith points to enter rooms on the third floor and below.” Song Xiaona looked at Li Yufei. “You’re under 20 just like us, so why were you able to enter that room on the seventh floor?”
Li Yufei blinked. How did she know?
Cheng Yuzhou chimed in, "I have a guess. That room on the seventh floor is obviously not a single room. Perhaps people with high religious beliefs can bring a partner in with them."
Song Xiaona summarized: "It's like how slaves can't enter high-class places, but if they're accompanied by nobles, they can come and go as they please?"
Cheng Yuzhou said, "Using 'guarantor' as a metaphor is more appropriate."
Song Xiaona glanced at Cheng Yuzhou.
“The rooms on the third floor are pretty good,” Dean said, oblivious to anything amiss. “The suite has two bedrooms. Should we sleep on the floor in the living room together, or in the bed?”
“Everyone’s tired, let’s go to bed,” Cheng Yuzhou suggested. “We’ve slept together in the living room for four nights now and nothing’s happened. The two rooms are right next to each other, it’s just a few steps away.”
They slept on the floor together for so long, and nothing unusual happened during the night.
Song Xiaona didn't object, but added, "Lock the windows, sleep with the door open, and use the bedside table to block the door."
Everyone agreed on this point. Li Yufei had just been locked in the confessional three hours ago, so it was best not to close the door.
"I want to be the first to shower." Li Yufei stood up, her hands still feeling the sticky texture of seafood after being swallowed by scallops. She had endured it all this time, and she had to be the first to shower.
Cheng Yuzhou got up as well, "I'll go find my pajamas."
The two seemed ready to wash up and go to bed, so Song Xiaona had to suppress her thoughts about discussing the devil.
The exhaustion from entering the manor culminated in a near-death experience, and everyone desperately needed rest. Even Song Xiaona needed a breather.
Li Yufei quickly took a shower and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.
The sound of Cheng Yuzhou showering filled the bathroom. Listening to the gurgling water, some of the details of tonight came to mind.
In the heat of the moment, Li Yufei didn't have time to think things through. But now, lying alone in bed, those details kept popping up, making it impossible for her to ignore or stop thinking about them.
She rested her head on her hand, her fingertips unconsciously touching the back of her head.
On the bedside table in front of her were two black hair clips that she had taken out of the back of her head.
Li Yufei hadn't washed her hair for three days, and it was a bit flat, so she used these two hair clips to hold it up.
The sound of water gradually subsided.
After a while, the blanket behind her was slightly lifted, and Li Yufei noticed that Cheng Yuzhou had quietly gotten into bed.
He moved with excessive caution, almost as if walking on thin ice. After lying down, he was two bodies away from her, occupying only a small side of the bed.
Li Yufei waited a long time for him to approach.
She pursed her lips, her mind a jumble of thoughts, and finally rolled over to sit next to him.
Her hair was touching his, and Cheng Yuzhou froze.
They never slept in the same bed.
Li Yufei closed her eyes and waited for a while, but the man was lying stiffly like a zombie.
Her brow furrowed involuntarily.
What kind of man could resist hugging her? Has he fainted?
"Zheng Jianbin!"
Cheng Yuzhou flinched, looked down at her, and asked, "Hmm?"
"Are you asleep?" she asked, patting his arm.
Cheng Yuzhou stared at her with his eyes open: "...Not yet."
"Then let's chat for a while."
Li Yufei looked up at him. "What are your thoughts on today's events? If demons can possess people... can ghosts do the same?"
Cheng Yuzhou's gaze narrowed slightly, and after a moment, he said softly, "Perhaps."
"Where did the possessed person go?" Did they die like that ant...?
“Perhaps he’s still in that body,” Cheng Yuzhou said, looking down at her long eyelashes. “Perhaps his game has ended, and he’s been kicked out of this manor and returned to the outside world.”
Those beautiful fox-like eyes widened instantly, staring straight at him: "Really? You're just going back like that?"
"Yes, that's what I think."
He saw relief in her eyes.
Cheng Yuzhou knew exactly what Li Yufei wanted to ask.
A dull ache spread through my heart, which had long since stopped beating.
Even if the appearance is the same, if the inner soul is different, then it will no longer be the way she likes it.
"I told you you're annoying!"
"No, it's me who's annoying! Lately, whenever I see you, it feels like I'm looking at someone else."
Does he really make her hate him that much...?
The return of someone who had been dead for six years to her side was indeed terrifying and confusing for her.
Did she break up with him simply because she didn't like him as "Zheng Jianbin"? Or did she want to protect her boyfriend, believing that breaking up with "Zheng Jianbin" would make him leave "Zheng Jianbin's" body?
A faint sense of apology arose from the bitter taste.
He was too hasty. If he had known she cared so much about Zheng Jianbin, he shouldn't have killed him. He should have helped her train that man.
Now that Zheng Jianbin has left the ghost stories, it will be difficult for him to come back on his own initiative. Even if he does come back, his spirit will be broken after crossing the barrier of the ghost stories twice in a row, and he will become a complete idiot.
Zheng Jianbin is gone, so can't he take his place and stay by her side...?
“You,” Cheng Yuzhou’s sleeve dipped, and he lowered his eyes to catch a glimpse of Li Yufei’s tightly furrowed brows.
She looked at him, gazing intently at him, clearly wanting to say something.
"you……"
The struggle in those fox-like eyes was so obvious that Cheng Yuzhou held his breath.
But in the end, she looked away and asked him softly, "When do you think we can get out?"
Cheng Yuzhou was taken aback. The melancholy between her brows looked incredibly familiar, even overlapping with Fang Yuzhou's for a moment; and he even subconsciously wanted to ask her the same question as Cheng Yandong:
Isn't it nice here?
The sense of mission and honor I felt when I killed Zheng Jianbin was instantly shaken.
Since the beginning of the ghost story, Li Yufei has been living in constant fear.
Cheng Yuzhou knew this was temporary; people would quickly become numb and adapt once they got used to this routine. But these days, her appetite and sleep had decreased by a third, and she was terrified tonight.
Is this really the right thing to do?
He needs to talk to her and understand her thoughts.
Dark gray smoke billowed from Cheng Yuzhou's body, climbed to the doorway, and sealed the room, creating a closed space.
Looking at Li Yufei, who was so close to him, Cheng Yuzhou spoke: "Feifei..."
Li Yufei casually hummed in agreement.
Does being tied down by your lover cause you pain?
This wasn't the first time they had discussed this topic.
When she was young, Li Yufei retorted that people who love each other deeply have no time to care about the outside world and only think about each other.
After all these years, Cheng Yuzhou wasn't sure if she had changed her mind.
Li Yufei frowned. "What strange question?"
Cheng Yuzhou pondered: "For example, your partner is unable to leave the hospital, and he asks you to stay at the hospital with him."
"Just spend time with them whenever you have time."
"No, he won't let you leave the hospital."
"Why? Can't I go out occasionally? I can buy him some food and supplies, and take some photos and videos of him outside."
"The situation is... rather special. If you leave, you may never see him again when you come back."
"He's so sick, he probably doesn't have much time left. I'd better stay with him."
"But what if he doesn't die, and just keeps clinging to life like this..."
Li Yufei asked suspiciously, "Why are you asking this kind of question? Do you have a terminal illness?"
Cheng Yuzhou looked back at her. "I want to know what you're thinking."
That strange black light reappeared in his eyes.
On a few occasions, she made eye contact with Cheng Yuzhou; his eyes were deep and bright, making it impossible for her to look away.
Li Yufei was momentarily dazed before speaking her mind: "I definitely wouldn't refuse at first, but how long I can hold on... depends on how much I love you."
Cheng Yuzhou was slightly surprised.
She has always been proud and hardly pays attention to anyone. Cheng Yuzhou did consider that those words she once said were just childish ramblings, her youthful ignorance and arrogance.
"Feifei, are you really willing to give up your own life for someone else?" He hadn't expected that she would still think this way.
“Do you think I’m happy about this?” Li Yufei said with a hint of annoyance. “‘Don’t worry about others, the most important thing is to live happily’ is easy to say, but it’s not actually like that at all.”
"You think it's that easy to leave your ex-boyfriend, who's on the verge of death, in the hospital?!"
"Anyone with a conscience can't live with peace of mind. Every time I eat, drink, and have fun, I'll think of him. I'm the same age, and I'm living such a carefree life, while he can only wait to die in the hospital. Maybe he's being resuscitated while I'm drinking right now; maybe he's already dead when I sleep with my new boyfriend."
She gripped Cheng Yuzhou's sleeve tightly. "How can I possibly live happily if I'm always filled with guilt and unease, always tormented by my conscience, and even in my dreams I won't be spared?"
A mist welled up in her beautiful eyes, and she suddenly lowered her head and muttered, "So annoying... so incredibly annoying!"
That's why she's always being dumped by men and being called a control freak.
She didn't care whether they were cheating or what; she just wanted to make sure they didn't die in any accident while she was around!
Sometimes Li Yufei really wanted all those men to get lost, but she didn't want to appear trapped in Cheng Yuzhou's shadow, putting on an act of being aloof from men and a widow after his death.
She wouldn't do that; she wouldn't put on an act of hypocrisy after his death!
"I'm sorry!" Cheng Yuzhou said in a panic and shock. "I'm sorry, Feifei... I didn't know, I didn't know you had been working so hard all this time."
He had caused her unrest, but instead of feeling guilty and remorseful, Cheng Yuzhou felt a despicable surprise arising from the dense, astringent feeling.
It turns out she had always been thinking of him; she had never forgotten him...
Ah, he was so important to her.
"I didn't want you to know either," Li Yufei said in a muffled voice. "It has nothing to do with you; it's just that I can't let go of it."
It's strange that she said those things, as if she were accusing him.
"It has nothing to do with you"
Cheng Yuzhou paused, half-lowering his eyelids.
The newly emerging secret joy vanished in an instant.
Her fiancé died unexpectedly before their wedding, which would naturally leave her traumatized.
It has nothing to do with who he is.
"So, you've chosen to stay in the hospital?" he concluded her words.
"I guess so. I'll stay with him until I stop loving him. Then I won't feel guilty about leaving."
Li Yufei thought, "If Cheng Yuzhou had cheated on me or done something to wrong me, I wouldn't be suffering like this, always thinking about him."
"I understand." Cheng Yuzhou breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Feifei, thank you."
Li Yufei glanced at him, her expression revealing concern, "Why ask such an unlucky question?"
"Feifei," Cheng Yuzhou gently smoothed her hair, "how do you feel looking at me now?"
“What could it be…” The moment she met his eyes, Li Yufei couldn’t help but relax, her speech becoming slower and more relaxed, “I don’t know… It’s all a mess, I’m happy and angry at the same time.”
She must have sensed something. Cheng Yuzhou's eyes darkened, and he gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Why are you angry? We're lovers, we love each other. We shouldn't hold grudges. We need to resolve the issue that's making you angry."
Li Yufei gazed into his eyes and murmured, "How do we solve this..."
"Let's make a deal."
Thinking of what was about to be said, Cheng Yuzhou's ears burned with blood. He tried to breathe and remain calm. "If you have any complaints about me in the future, you don't have to hold back. You can take action to resolve them on the spot."
“Every touch will dispel the negative emotions in your heart.”
"With each touch, you will forget the Zheng Jianbin of the past;"
“With each touch, you will strengthen your memory of the new ‘me’.”
His unfocused fox-like eyes revealed a hint of confusion.
"Don't quite understand? Let's try it out."
Cheng Yuzhou took her hand and slapped it against his own face.
The delicate skin brushed against him, and the manicured nails at the end gently traced his face. It was a gesture he had taken upon himself, yet it made Cheng Yuzhou's heart flutter.
"Feeling better?" His Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed his thunderous heartbeat. "Don't hold back at all. You can vent all your negative emotions on me as you please."
“We have the closest relationship, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’ll feel comfortable, and our relationship will be more stable and healthy.”
“It’s a bit strange…” Her brain accepted Cheng Yuzhou’s suggestion, but Li Yufei wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
“It’s not surprising, it’s good. You’ll get used to it after doing it a few more times.” Cheng Yuzhou guided her again, placing her hand on his chest. “Instead of bottling up your emotions, expressing them on the spot is the right thing to do.”
That makes a lot of sense.
“Then come here.” Li Yufei accepted.
Cheng Yuzhou readily moved closer. He noticed that Li Yufei was raising her hand toward his head, so he lowered his head and offered his face to her.
The next moment, his hair was pulled tight, and she grabbed his hair and pressed him down.
A rich, sweet fragrance filled Cheng Yuzhou's nose and mouth. Without feeling any pain, she kissed him.
It wasn't gentle; it was a violent kiss.
As he said, she was simply venting her emotions, biting his lips, thrusting into his mouth, and sucking hard on the back of his tongue, bewildered, confused, and violent.
"Hoo..." Li Yufei brushed aside one side of her loose hair, her eyes still unfocused. She stared at Cheng Yuzhou's lips and muttered to herself, "It seems... I do feel a little better?"
Her gaze shifted upwards, meeting Cheng Yuzhou's shocked and dazed eyes.
His expression was one of utter astonishment, astonished that she had kissed him.
Li Yufei was confused. "Didn't you say that? Why are you so surprised?"
"I..." Her lips moved, and a swollen, painful sensation pierced her skin.
Cheng Yuzhou quickly looked away, his cheeks and lips flushed red. "No, no, Feifei, that's not what I meant."
"Hmm?"
He explained in a very awkward voice, "What I mean is, you can hit me when you're unhappy, and then you won't be angry with me anymore."
"I've always been like this," Li Yufei said, puzzled. "Do you really need to tell me this?"
She realized what was happening and exclaimed in disbelief, "You don't mean 'touching'? It was just a simple fight?"
Cheng Yuzhou's earlobes were so red they were practically dripping blood, and he nodded while covering his swollen mouth.
How dare he defile her and try to make her like him in this way?
Cheng Yuzhou never imagined that his first kiss with Li Yufei would be like this.
He was completely unprepared; his mind was racing, his breath was trembling, and he couldn't muster any rationality to determine whether she had recognized him or not.
The tall man resembled a cat peeking out from the box, his body partially hidden, filled with surprise and uncertainty, his dilated pupils timidly fixed on her.
They kissed...
At the moment their lips touched, was it Zheng Jianbin in her eyes, or him...?
"You made it sound so ambiguous, I thought it was something else." Li Yufei patted him. "Don't worry, you don't need to tell me, I'll definitely beat you up when you piss me off."
"Okay, come a little closer, why are you so far away from me?"
She forcibly pried his hand off his mouth and pulled it into her arms to use as a pillow.
The room fell silent.
It was time to sleep, but Li Yufei couldn't fall asleep no matter what she tried.
When she got tired of lying in one position, she threw off Cheng Yuzhou's arm and turned to lie on her back. After a while, she turned back to him.
"...Zheng Jianbin."
"Hmm?" Cheng Yuzhou, who was also unable to sleep, responded immediately, his voice too fast and slightly cracking.
He looked at her, his eyes wet with tears, nervous and apprehensive, still caught up in that sudden first kiss, as if she might kiss him again at any moment.
"You..." Seeing his expression, Li Yufei swallowed the words she was about to say.
Is it him...?
Can she ask?
What exactly is he...?
"You..." She opened her mouth several times, but finally turned her back and muttered, "Your kissing skills are terrible."
Cheng Yuzhou was struck dumb.
He sat up abruptly. "I wasn't prepared. I'll improve."
"Is this the only reason you men can give?"
"No, I..." He tried to explain, but Li Yufei, afraid he would see through her, interrupted him forcefully, "Alright, lie down, go to sleep, and don't talk!"
Cheng Yuzhou lay there with his eyes open, stunned, the memory of that soft, moist fragrance lingering on his lips, along with her irritated words—
"Your kissing skills are terrible."
This sentence echoed over and over again.
...Is it really that bad?
He could hear even breathing around him. Cheng Yuzhou carefully turned to the side and looked at Li Yufei's sleeping face.
The moon was bright and the stars were few, the silvery glow was hazy like gauze, and her sleeping appearance with her eyes closed was no different from the goddess statues standing in various parts of the manor.
No, she was full of a vibrant life that statues lacked; compared to the lifeless statues, she shone brighter than the sun.
Feifei...
Cheng Yuzhou murmured silently, merely repeating two words in his heart, yet his heart was filled with uncontrollable surging emotions.
During the years when Cheng Yandong dragged him into the dark room, and during those days when he was all alone, he relied on his mind to recall this unshakable light that no one and nothing could shake, and to strengthen his direction.
Tonight's conversation solidified Cheng Yuzhou's wavering faith.
The approach is correct.
Between "the outside world" and "being with her lover," she clearly chose the latter.
She is so righteous and kind, he will never let her down.
The world is too small. If it could be bigger, even bigger—if it could expand into a vast enough world, then she wouldn't have to face the difficult choice between "freedom" and "love."
He will strive to become her "lover" and will also give her his freedom.
Therefore, he needs more negative emotions and more strength.
-----------------------
The author's note: Yes, this is the moment when the "sparrow" makes a "cage" for love.
Normally, when he is a sparrow, a cage of about 300 square meters is enough (if it is smaller, the sparrow will be very uneasy and feel that the environment is too barren and not suitable for him to live and nest with his mate).
But now, to create another cage, we would need at least 3,000 square kilometers (half of Shanghai).
Forcing a bird into a cage is a real waste of resources.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
