"Squeak—"
Just as Meng Qingluan was feeling helpless, the door was pushed open.
Turning her head, Meng Qingluan saw a familiar figure dressed in white.
Meng Qingluan was overjoyed, "Chen Yan?!"
"..."
"Chen Yan?" He didn't speak, but slowly closed the door, still with his back to her.
While happy, Meng Qingluan did not notice anything unusual and continued to complain.
"Why did you take so long to get here? I was terrified. I woke up to find myself tied up here."
"Did that pig wake up and tie us up here while I was sleeping?"
"..."
"Chen Yan?" He was still facing away from her, motionless.
Meng Qingluan realized something was wrong and whispered his name again.
"Why aren't you saying anything..."
"Chen Yan??" Finally, there was a reaction. His white robe fell to the ground instantly, as if there was no internal support.
Meng Qingluan's eyes widened, her pupils contracted.
This isn't a sunken inkstone!
The man slowly turned around, revealing a familiar yet terrifying face: Young Master Zhu.
Young Master Zhu remained in the horrific state of being knocked unconscious by Meng Qingluan, his face covered in blood, his eyes wide open.
Soon, his face suddenly became severely rotten, and his facial features became distorted. Several plump white maggots wriggled on his face.
Meng Qingluan almost vomited. She tried to close her eyes, but she couldn't close them no matter what she did.
Unable to bear what she was seeing any longer, Meng Qingluan cried out.
"Get out! Get away from me!"
Young Master Zhu ignored him and limped toward the bedside, a drop of blood falling to the ground with each step he took.
He grinned sinisterly, "Weren't you very fierce when you hit me with the vase?"
"You know the principle that murderers must pay with their lives, right?"
"Get out of my way!"
Meng Qingluan glared at him and cursed him; this was the only way she could relieve the fear in her heart.
"What are you afraid of?" Young Master Zhu tilted his head. "Aren't you a wandering ghost too? We're the same."
"Who do you want to call for help? If others know who you are, they'll just tie you up and burn you alive."
"..."
As the deepest secret was revealed, Meng Qingluan felt dizzy and her vision blurred.
"Come, come, keep me company."
Young Master Zhu grinned menacingly, revealing his dark teeth, and his fleshy hands were about to touch Meng Qingluan's face.
"Don't touch me, get away from me!"
Meng Qingluan kicked wildly and waved her hands, trying to kick away the filth.
Later on, Meng Qingluan even wanted to bite her tongue.
"Hmm... Be good, don't bite."
Just as Meng Qingluan took a bite, she heard a muffled groan coming from above.
Meng Qingluan looked up with hazy eyes and met Shen Yan's concerned gaze, only then realizing that she was lying in his arms.
She still had his finger in her mouth, with a row of teeth marks on the web of her hand, and the flesh under her skin was already faintly visible.
Meng Qingluan had not yet woken up from the shadow of the nightmare, and had not yet wiped away her tears.
Meng Qingluan remained silent, her breathing erratic as if she had just climbed a mountain and was now leaning against Shen Yan's chest, seemingly having survived a near-death experience.
Chen Yan raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears from Meng Qingluan's eyes, and then used a handkerchief to wipe away the fine sweat on her forehead.
"……woke up?"
Chen Yan's voice was very soft, and his fingertips gently pulled away the strands of hair stuck to her forehead.
Meng Qingluan moved her eyelids, wanting to speak, but found her throat dry and sore. The slightest movement caused a sharp pain in her throat.
Chen Yan brought over the water.
Meng Qingluan immediately took it and gulped it down in one go.
After drinking a glass of water, Meng Qingluan was finally able to make a sound.
How long did I sleep?
Chen Yan estimated, "About two and a half hours."
"So long..."
Meng Qingluan murmured softly, looking out the window. Sure enough, the sky outside was beginning to lighten, and it was already the early hours of the next day.
Shen Yan pulled the blanket that Meng Qingluan had just kicked off back over her and covered her with it again.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Shen Yan gently stroked her back with his palm, trying to soothe her fear.
Meng Qingluan nodded, tears welling up in her eyes again.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. It's just a nightmare."
Meng Qingluan was still a little dazed, and her heart was pounding.
"How about you sleep a little longer? I'll stay with you," Chen Yan asked softly.
"No, I'm not going to sleep."
Meng Qingluan immediately shook her head, turned around in his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
Shen Yan's back stiffened, and the hand that was stroking his back hung in mid-air, momentarily at a loss.
"...Hmm, I won't sleep."
Following her words, Chen Yan loosely wrapped his arms around her waist.
Meng Qingluan breathed softly, spraying her breath all over his Adam's apple. That area was already sensitive and vulnerable, and the sound of her breath sent shivers down his spine.
"..."
Chen Yan tried to grab her hand and raise it, then lower it again, repeating this two or three times, but it remained suspended in mid-air.
never mind.
If she just bears it, she won't notice anything unusual.
Meng Qingluan was unaware of his inner turmoil; after all, in her mind, gay men wouldn't have feelings for girls…
Waking from a nightmare, all she wants now is to cling to the only familiar person she can rely on.
Meng Qingluan sniffed, "Chen Yan?"
"Yes, I'm here."
"Chen Yan?" she called again.
"Yes, I'm here. Chen Yan is here."
“Sinking inkstone?? Sinking inkstone?? Sinking inkstone??”
"Yes, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here."
"..."
Meng Qingluan kept calling his name over and over, without saying a word.
Shen Yan let her hug him and responded patiently.
“Chen Yan, I just dreamt of Young Master Zhu,” Meng Qingluan murmured.
Shen Yan frowned slightly, guessing that she had probably been frightened in the afternoon.
"Don't be afraid, he won't come after you."
"Do you think... ghosts really exist?"
Meng Qingluan suddenly asked, her fingers fidgeting nervously with her clothes.
Chen Yan's eyes flickered slightly.
If it were him before, he would have said without hesitation that ghosts and gods never existed in the world...
But what does it all mean to have lived so many lifetimes?
After a long silence, Shen Yan slowly answered.
"If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't."
Meng Qingluan's eyes flickered. So, it's true?
I died and transmigrated here. Will Young Master Zhu become a vengeful ghost and come to take my life?
Meng Qingluan was somewhat frightened.
On second thought, I realized that I would die many times earlier than him, and he might even call me "Grandma"!
Meng Qingluan's eyes darted around, then she looked at Chen Yan, who was leaning against her.
As the saying goes, it's good to have a big tree to lean on for shade.
The good girl is one of the male leads, so she must have a lot of advantages, right?
What if Young Master Zhu's arrival awakens Shen Yan's potential and directly activates his ghost-catching skills?
Recalling Zhu Gongzi's words in her dream, Meng Qingluan hesitated before speaking.
"Chen Yan, I'm asking you, what if, I mean what if."
Shen Yan listened intently to her nonsense.
"Hmm, what if?"
"If one day I suddenly turned into a ghost, would you hire a Taoist priest to kill me?"
Will you hate me?
Shen Yan chuckled silently, then slightly raised his head, his chin touching the top of her head.
Even if you are a female ghost who devours human essence, I will still use my flesh and blood to nourish you.
Meng Qingluan was deeply moved, a relieved smile spreading across her face as she gave Shen Yan a big hug.
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