Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The roaring flames crackled and hissed, casting flickering shadows within the strange formation. Two figures clung tightly to each other, their bodies slick with sweat, the air thick with a heady, ambiguous scent. Their breaths mingled as the man showered the youth in his embrace with fervent kisses, tracing a burning path from his tightly shut eyelids to the tip of his nose.

The youth in his arms merely furrowed his brows, his eyes and brows flushed with a rosy hue. He leaned limply against the man, his lips slightly parted, emitting broken, helpless whimpers. His slender arms hung half-limp, beads of sweat rolling down his pale skin, only to be greedily licked away by the man’s tongue.

Like a man possessed, the man inhaled deeply, savoring the youth’s scent, his eyes dark with desire as he gazed痴迷地 at the dazed figure. Gently, he laid the youth on the ground and lifted his thighs.

Lin Xingshu was roused by a jolt of pleasure. The moment his eyes fluttered open, he was met with a familiar face—the man grinning wolfishly, his dark eyes brimming with lust. Seeing him awake, the man’s smile widened, his eyes curving into crescents.

"Darling, you’re awake."

Still groggy, Lin Xingshu barely had time to process his surroundings before another overwhelming surge of pleasure crashed over him. Dazed, he lowered his gaze—only to freeze in horror at the sight of his own naked body. He instantly sobered.

Every inch of him was marked—red streaks marred his skin, and provocative crimson bindings held him in place. Frantically, he grabbed the diaphanous red gauze beside him, attempting to cover himself, but the translucent fabric did little to conceal anything. Instead, it only accentuated the sensual allure of his already pale form.

His face drained of color. Humiliation and fury flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth, trying to shield himself. But another wave of pleasure struck, leaving him trembling and breathless, his mind blanking momentarily.

Now he understood—Xie Guan hadn’t wanted to possess his body. He had simply been lusting after him all along!

The realization that he had just been intimate with a ghost who had been dead for years sent a chill down his spine, his flesh erupting in goosebumps.

Yet Xie Guan shamelessly pressed closer, scattering kisses along his ear. Rage surged through Lin Xingshu, and without thinking, he kicked the man square in the face. Xie Guan let out a muffled grunt, gazing up pitifully.

"Why did you kick me...?"

Lin Xingshu clutched at himself protectively, his glare venomous. "Do you find it amusing to humiliate me like this? Get lost!"

"I won’t leave... Darling, don’t cover up. You’re adorable."

Xie Guan leaned in again, undeterred, his grin never faltering. "I wasn’t humiliating you. You were enjoying yourself earlier—you even pleaded for me to go faster—"

"Shut up! I don’t want to hear it! Get away from me!"

Lin Xingshu’s face burned as he interrupted harshly, slapping his hands over his ears. He couldn't fathom he could have said such things!

"Darling is so cute."

Xie Guan happily burrowed against him, nuzzling against Lin Xingshu. When Lin Xingshu tried to kick him again, Xie Guan swiftly caught his ankle. Lin Xingshu flinched, trying to pull free, but Xie Guan only tightened his grip, grinning.

Still smiling, he lowered his head and pressed a worshipful kiss to Lin Xingshu’s ankle, making the younger man’s skin prickle with goosebumps.

"You’re insane! Let go of me! Who’s your wife? Stop calling me that!"

"We’ve sealed our union. From now on, you are my spouse."

"You—"

Before Lin Xingshu could retort, another wave of sensation crashed over him. He glared up at the man holding him, eyes burning with rage.

"Xie Guan... You—you’re a pervert! A lecher! I swear, if you don’t kill me tonight, I’ll tear you to pieces—ah!"

A startled cry tore from his throat as he instinctively wrapped his arms around Xie Guan’s neck, nails digging deep into his skin. Not satisfied, he sank his teeth into Xie Guan’s shoulder.

Xie Guan let out a muffled groan before lowering his head, his voice rough with barely restrained amusement near Lin Xingshu’s ear.

"Mmm, I am a lecher. And this lecher adores his wife."

Lin Xingshu bit down harder, as if trying to crush bone. "If you don’t kill me tonight, I swear—the moment I leave Xiushan Village, I’ll find someone to exorcise you."

Xie Guan chuckled, pressing a light kiss to Lin Xingshu’s cheek, his eyes teasing. "Why wait until you leave? You can subdue me right now."

He leaned closer, his hot breath fanning over Lin Xingshu’s ear.

"With your body."

Lin Xingshu’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe how brazen this man was, uttering such lewd words without hesitation. He had never met someone so shameless. He opened his mouth to curse at him, but another wave of pleasure stole his voice, leaving him unmoored like a small boat adrift on a vast ocean.

*

As dawn broke, the village chief’s phone rang.

Startled awake, the old man hurried to answer, his heart pounding as if it would leap from his chest. With trembling hands, he lifted the receiver—and his clouded eyes brightened at the news from the other end.

"Y-You’re serious? Xiushan Village... is really going to be developed into a resort villa area?"

"Coming today? Wonderful! Thank you, thank you!"

Elated, the chief ended the call and grabbed his cane, hastily typing out the news of the impending demolition and sending it to the village group chat.

The moment the message went through, the inactive group exploded. Like the chief, most villagers had been too excited to sleep since last night.

Just as the deity had promised, they had received the news they wanted—and in less than a day!

Liu Rong, in particular, was ecstatic. Clutching her phone, she paced her room, eyes alight with avarice. She had heard that during demolitions, even a single tree or vegetable in the yard could be compensated.

The thought spurred her into action. Grabbing a hoe, she rushed to her garden and began frantically uprooting saplings from the nearby hillside, feverishly replanting them into her plot.

"Hahaha... I won’t have to stay here anymore! I’ll finally have money... I’ll finally be rich!"

She babbled compulsively, her eyes wild with frenzy—a far cry from her customary gentle facade.

True to the phone call, the local government soon sent people to survey the land. The villagers waited eagerly, faces glowing with anticipation—until the surveyors shook their heads at the chief.

"Xiushan Village has potential. We’ve inspected the sunny side—good terrain, mountains, water, ample sunlight. But the shaded area is unsuitable. Too damp, too cold. Not viable for development."

The chief fidgeted anxiously. "So you mean...?"

"After discussion, we’ve decided to only demolish and develop the sunny side. The shaded area holds no developmental value."

Silence fell.

The villagers from the sunny side beamed, while those from the shaded side—including Liu Rong—stood frozen, faces blank.

Unfortunately, her home was in the shaded area.

The chief, whose house was on the sunny side, beamed triumphantly. Eagerly, he began negotiating with the officials. Liu Rong, watching his obsequious smile, saw red.

"This isn’t fair!" she shrieked, her voice ragged with rage. "That ‘deity’ clearly said he would grant our wishes! But ours haven’t been fulfilled! He’s no god at all!"

Her words were like a stone tossed into water, rippling outward. Other shaded-side villagers quickly joined in, the crowd growing more unruly by the minute. Led by Liu Rong, some even threatened to smash the deity’s statue in the ancestral hall.

"How is it unfulfilled? The lord promised we’d get news within three days, and it came in less than one!"

"Exactly! Just because your side wasn’t chosen for demolition, you’re taking it out on the lord? That’s unreasonable!"

The favored villagers defended their deity, igniting fierce disputes that soon escalated into physical clashes. The officials, stunned, seized the chance to flee unnoticed.

The chief, frail with age, was dragged into the brawl. Driven by greed, the villagers battled like animals—some even snatching up makeshift weapons to attack their once-close neighbors without hesitation.

Their faces twisted with greed and hatred, their once-united front vanished completely.

Bang—

"Ahhh—!"

A scream tore through the crowd, the metallic tang of blood spreading through the room as the noisy chaos instantly fell silent.

"Murder!"

"Someone's dead! Someone's dead! Chief—! Call the police, call an ambulance!"

"Liu Rong, are you insane?! Why did you kill the chief?!"

The crowd scattered in panic, screaming as they fled. Among them, an elderly man lay twitching on the ground, his eyes wide open, blood seeping from his head.

Liu Rong stood rooted in place, staring blankly at the chief lying in a pool of blood. The brick thudded to the ground, and she collapsed weakly onto the ground.

Buzz—

The chief's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Someone cautiously pulled it out and answered with trembling hands.

As soon as the call connected, the voice on the other end echoed through the room:

"Hello? Is this the chief of Xiushan Village? Sorry, but after careful consideration, we’ve unanimously decided that Xiushan Village isn’t suitable for development. Our deepest apologies for the trouble."

The call ended, sucking the room back into silence. Liu Rong stared vacantly at the dead chief, her eyes hollow.

Finally, someone snapped back to reality: "The Deity deceived us!"

"After all these years of devout worship, he screwed us over! Let’s go! To the ancestral hall—I’ll smash that damn statue to pieces!"

The crowd charged into the ancestral hall, kicking the door open. But to everyone’s shock, the hall was empty—the Deity’s statue was gone. All traces of last night had vanished, including Lin Xingshu.

Everyone stood stunned into silence, disbelief etched on their faces.