Chapter 283

Chapter 283

◎Defiant◎

Yan Yue didn’t mention the ghost sighting to her boyfriend. After learning from the Taoist that a ghost was haunting him, she tried to get him to come: "I’m so bored in the hospital. No one’s with me today. Can you come keep me company?"

Lv Honglin was already overwhelmed by his professor’s research project and just wanted to pass out. He had no time to spare for his girlfriend. After dismissing her with a few comforting words, he quickly fed her empty promises: "I’ll come as soon as I finish this project. You’re just sleeping in the hospital anyway. If you’re bored, lie down and rest. The better you rest, the faster you’ll recover. My advisor’s calling me again. Gotta go. Love you."

He hung up instantly.

Anyone could hear the dismissal in his voice—he clearly didn’t want to come to the hospital and was just blowing her off.

Yan Yue’s face fell. When things were fine, their relationship seemed great, but now that she needed him, she was starting to see his true colors.

Still, this wasn’t reason enough to break up—not yet. Especially since a ghost was haunting him. She could deal with their relationship issues after resolving the ghost situation.

After the call ended, Yan Yue looked embarrassed toward Ji Nanxing. "He doesn’t want to come. He might really be too busy."

Xiao Ye scoffed, "Too busy? More like he just doesn’t care enough. Small things reveal big truths. You’re young—you’ve got plenty of time to date around. No need to tie yourself to one guy."

She was young and sensitive, and since they weren’t close friends with Yan Yue, pushing too hard would just embarrass her. Zhang Yuan stepped in to mediate: "Let’s focus on dealing with the ghost first."

He turned to Ji Nanxing. "Are you sure the ghost is with her boyfriend?"

Ji Nanxing nodded. "Yes, it’s clinging to him. The Grudge is very strong."

Fu Xun suddenly asked, "Master, is the ghost male or female?"

At that, Yan Yue also looked at Ji Nanxing.

Ji Nanxing replied, "Male."

Fu Xun drew out an "Oh," his expression neutral, but the tone carried a hint of disappointment.

Ji Nanxing turned to Yan Yue. "Give me your boyfriend’s school and dorm address. I’ll take a look at him tomorrow."

Yan Yue quickly provided Lv Honglin’s details but hesitated before adding, "Will anything happen tonight?"

Ji Nanxing told her flatly, "No. The ghost holds a deep Grudge against him. If it wanted to kill him, it would’ve done so the moment it latched onto him. Besides, only one of his three life fires has gone out—the other two are still burning. He won’t die tonight."

Yan Yue wanted to know why the ghost was haunting her boyfriend. If it was just bad luck or looking for a replacement soul due to fate compatibility, resolving it would be straightforward.

But if there was more to it—like her boyfriend having harmed someone and the ghost seeking revenge—she definitely wouldn’t stay with him.

So she arranged with Ji Nanxing to go together the next day.

Meanwhile, after hanging up, Lv Honglin irritably ran a hand through his hair. Anyone woken from deep sleep would be in a bad mood. After lying in bed for a while without managing to fall back asleep, he got up and went to the bathroom to splash water on his face.

As he bent over the sink, the mirror reflected a ghastly pale man behind him, hands slowly tightening around his neck. But Lv Honglin felt nothing. After rinsing his face, he straightened up, wrung out the towel, and wiped his face dry.

When he opened his eyes, the ghostly figure in the mirror had vanished. He even leaned closer to check himself out—his average looks inflated by sheer confidence into something he deemed perfect.

After hanging the towel, Lv Honglin left the bathroom. The moment he turned away, the ghost reappeared in the mirror. Unaware, he walked off without a backward glance, the ghost still clinging to his back.

Too busy to visit his sick girlfriend in the hospital, but not too busy to gather friends for gaming. After several rounds, a terrible teammate made him rage-quit. Cursing, he rubbed his shoulders.

Maybe it was from hunching over his computer for days, but his whole body ached, as if weighed down by something.

After a few more frustrating matches, Lv Honglin gave up. "Forget this. I’m exhausted—my back's killing me. Tomorrow, I’m getting a massage."

The guy on the other end of the phone, who had been dragged into playing games with him, let out a sleazy laugh: "Why go to a massage parlor? Get your girlfriend to do it. You have a girlfriend and don’t even know how to use her. One good session, and all your aches and pains will be gone."

Lv Honglin laughed and cursed back: "Buzz off. Just jealous I have a girl, huh? Go find one yourself if you’re so envious. It’s late, I’m hitting the sack."

The guy checked the time—it wasn’t even 11 yet—and cursed under his breath as he logged off.

Lv Honglin lay back in bed, this time successfully drifting off to sleep. But before he did, he thought about how he’d have to sweet-talk Yan Yue tomorrow at the hospital. Girls these days were all so selfish and quick-tempered. Men were getting walked all over these days.

But before Lv Honglin could go to the hospital to calm down his girlfriend, she showed up first.

Lv Honglin was surprised but quickly walked over to Yan Yue with a smile. "You’re discharged today? Why didn’t you tell me yesterday? I would’ve picked you up."

Yan Yue ignored his excuse. "I need to talk to you. Let’s go over there."

Lv Honglin immediately grew uneasy, afraid she was here to break up with him over last night’s refusal to visit her in the hospital. The whole way, he tried to charm her, even promising to buy her an expensive bag.

Only when she led him to Ji Nanxing and the others did Yan Yue finally ask, "Is there anything you’re hiding from me?"

Lv Honglin didn’t know Ji Nanxing or the others, but he recognized Fu Xun. His eyes flicked between Fu Xun and Yan Yue. "What are you talking about? What could I possibly be hiding?"

Yan Yue spelled it out: "There’s a ghost following you right now. Ghosts don’t just haunt people for no reason. Are you keeping something from me?"

Lv Honglin clearly didn’t believe her. "What crazy talk is this? You must still be sick. Ghosts? There’s no such thing! If ghosts were real, all those emperors who died unwillingly in their quest for immortality, all those veterans who died in battle, all those innocent civilians slaughtered by enemies—they’d all be back for payback. The world would be in chaos!"

Yan Yue insisted, "It’s real! Here, I’ll show you the photo!"

She told Fu Xun to produce the photo, but the ghostly face in it was gone. "It was there yesterday! Where did it go?"

Lv Honglin sneered. "Where’s this photo you’re talking about? Show me. Seems to me someone’s trying to scam you, stir up trouble, and ruin our relationship!"

Yan Yue turned to Ji Nanxing. "Master, why is the photo different now?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "Because it’s been obscured by Grudge."

Lv Honglin grabbed Yan Yue and pointed at Fu Xun, Ji Nanxing, and the others. "I’m warning you all—stop scamming people here, or I’ll call the police and have you arrested! Especially you, Fu Xun. Don’t think no one knows what you’re up to. You’ve always carried on with Yan Yue and wanted to sabotage us. Well, let me tell you, Yan Yue is my girlfriend. Cut that crap!"

Yan Yue pushed him away. "Stop twisting things! I really saw that photo. There really is a ghost!"

Lv Honglin scoffed. "They’ve got you fooled, just like those old folks buying bogus health products. And you call yourself educated."

Seeing that Lv Honglin wouldn’t listen no matter what, Yan Yue turned to Ji Nanxing. "Master, is there any way to prove the ghost is real?"

Ji Nanxing glanced at Lv Honglin and smiled. "No need for proof. That ghost isn’t haunting him for no reason—it’s here because of karmic debt. Mr. Lv, the ghost clinging to you is seething with hatred. If you keep denying it, not heaven itself can help you. Ms. Yan didn’t fall ill from the resort’s food—it happened at Dayao Creek. That place shouldn’t be unfamiliar to you, should it?"

At the mention of Dayao Creek, Lv Honglin’s expression shifted from anger to panic.

But afraid of showing guilt, he quickly covered it with tough talk. "Familiar or not, it’s just a tourist spot, nothing special. Yan Yue, don’t listen to these people. They’re spouting the same old scammer BS!"

As Lv Honglin tried to drag Yan Yue away, Fu Xun grabbed her other arm. "Don’t take her down with you!"

Lv Honglin shoved at Fu Xun, but Yan Yue blocked him. "We’re trying to help you. What are you hiding?"

Lv Honglin shot back, "Help me? More like you and Fu Xun are carrying on together and looking for an excuse to break—"

Before he could finish, Fu Xun socked him in the jaw. "She’s your girlfriend, still recovering, and she left the hospital early to help you! And you say something like that? Are you even human?!"

Lv Honglin went at Fu Xun, and the two started trading blows. He’d long despised this guy for plotting to poach his girlfriend—and now he had the gall to confront him.

Seeing the fight break out, Xiao Ye stepped in and had Lv Honglin pinned.

Zhang Yuan quickly moved to block Fu Xun.

The moment Lv Honglin was pinned down by Xiao Ye, he stopped struggling. He could clearly feel the change in his body temperature. Despite the summer heat, the chill he had been feeling was somewhat masked by the external warmth. But the moment Xiao Ye touched him, it felt like being suddenly plunged back into summer—the contrast between the heat and the cold was unmistakable.

When would someone feel cold in summer? Aside from illness, the first thought that crossed Lv Honglin’s mind was being haunted by a ghost.

But how could that be possible? When people die, they’re just gone—their bodies cremated. There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world. They're just made up by the living to cope with grief.

In the brief moment he was lost in thought, Xiao Ye pushed him away and let go. The chill returned almost instantly.

Lv Honglin couldn’t help but shiver from the cold. His look at the group accusing him of being haunted changed.

Before he could speak, Ji Nanxing said, “Let’s go. If someone won’t believe, there’s no point wasting any more time.”

Yan Yue hurriedly called out to Ji Nanxing. Lv Honglin’s thoughts had also changed, but he stayed in denial, unwilling to back down. He kept up his arrogant act and said, “You claim ghosts exist—why should I believe you? Unless you show me proof.”

Ji Nanxing chuckled. “I’m not the one haunted. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

Zhang Yuan also released Fu Xun and turned to Yan Yue. “Let’s go. Some people are stubborn. They’ll only get it when they’re in deep trouble.”

Lv Honglin didn’t want Yan Yue to leave, and Yan Yue hesitated too. After all, he was her boyfriend—she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

Just as she wavered over whether to plead with the Young Celestial Master again, Ji Nanxing said to her, “He owes a debt. Repaying what’s owed is only natural. If he refuses to repent, no amount of help from you will change anything. Choose more carefully next time.”

Zhang Yuan whispered in Yan Yue’s ear, “Right now, he won’t believe anything we say. Let him experience it for himself. He’ll be begging for help soon.”

Hearing this, Yan Yue felt a little better, realizing they hadn’t completely abandoned Lv Honglin. She nodded. “I understand.”

Then she turned to Lv Honglin. “Since it’s your debt to repay, we can talk when you're ready. If you don’t believe me, fine. I won’t interfere anymore.”

Lv Honglin tried to stop her, but the moment he took a step forward, his body suddenly felt heavy, frozen stiff. Panic and terror washed over him. It wasn’t until the group had disappeared from sight that he could move again.

Once they were out of Lv Honglin’s view, Yan Yue finally blurted out, “Why is he so stubborn?”

Zhang Yuan comforted her. “That's actually normal. People doubt what they haven't seen. If you hadn’t seen that photo yesterday, would you have believed you were haunted?”

Yan Yue stayed silent. She probably would have believed it, but not with the same certainty she had now.

Ji Nanxing left her his phone number. “You can contact me if anything happens. Also, Lv Honglin isn’t the right person for you. I suggest you take a good, hard look at this relationship.”

Ji Nanxing and the others left by car. Fu Xun stayed by Yan Yue’s side. They walked for a long while before Yan Yue remembered he was still there. When she turned around and saw him following her, she lowered her head slightly, unsure what to say after Lv Honglin’s earlier accusations.

Fu Xun smiled. “Don’t overthink it. That Taoist said Rong Rong and I picked up some negative energy from being around you. Even though he said he could handle it, I won’t relax till I see it's really gone.”

Yan Yue said quietly, “Oh… I’m sorry for dragging you all into this.”

Fu Xun shook his head. “What are you apologizing for? It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong, so you don’t need to apologize for anyone. Come on, are your parents still at the hotel? I’ll take you to them. For the next few days, don’t meet Lv Honglin alone—safety first.”

Lv Honglin returned to his dorm, his face pale. He remembered some folk methods for warding off evil from his childhood—placing scissors under the pillow, gold… gold could supposedly repel spirits too. In a panic, he tore through his stuff until he found a bracelet of tourmaline beads strung with a golden pixiu. Gold wards off evil, and so does tourmaline.

There was also paper money—he'd heard money could scare off ghosts. Lv Honglin scrambled to gather as much cash as he could and stuffed it into his pockets. After doing all this, he sat on the edge of his bed, soaked in sweat, desperately trying to convince himself: *There are no ghosts in this world. They're just con artists after money. When you're dead, you're dead—no ghosts.*

Maybe his self-reassurance worked, because Lv Honglin didn’t feel as terrified as before.

But the ghost behind him pressed closer. And closer.