Chapter 142

Chapter 142

An outrageous request.

Le Ziyou almost couldn't maintain his facade of affection. Kill Mi Jin? Make him kill someone? He wasn't a truly evil person; he was just a petty scammer who conned people out of a bit of money.

At this moment, he became even more acutely aware that ghosts are, indeed, ghosts—unbound by morality or law. Their hearts had turned cold the moment they died, and from then on, they acted with impunity.

If today Chen Zui could make him kill Mi Jin, one day he might make him kill himself.

And he still expects me to love him?

Le Ziyou didn't think he was that foolish.

Le Ziyou: "Why?"

Chen Zui gently stroked his cheek: "It's a way to prove your love for me."

Le Ziyou's eyes dropped briefly before lifting again: "Then how will you prove your love for me?"

Ao Tian: [Oh, your little mind works fast.]

Le Ziyou: "If you don't make me kill my friend, if you don't make me kill anyone, then I'll believe you love me."

He looked at the invisible figure, pouting playfully, as if to say, "If you don't agree, it means you don't love me."

Chen Zui: "Alright, then how will you prove your love for me?"

He anticipated Le Ziyou's answer, wondering how his clever, quick-witted mind would try to deceive him.

"As a Celestial Master, when I encounter ghosts like you, I'm supposed to eradicate them," Le Ziyou replied instantly, then gazed at Chen Zui with feigned infatuation: "But I can't bear to see you perish. I'm willing to defy my principles as a Celestial Master, to betray my faith, for the sake of loving you."

What sweet lies.

Chen Zui pinched his cheek, making his lips purse: "You tried to attack me before."

Le Ziyou stated firmly: "That's because I hadn't fallen in love with you then. But now, I have."

Chen Zui: "Then why did you run away?"

Le Ziyou pulled Chen Zui's hand from his face and held it in his own: "I wasn't running away. It's just that I fell in love with a ghost, and I was confused, lost. I was avoiding it. But you found me again, and I think we're destined. From now on, I'll never run away again. I'll bravely face this love that transcends life and death with you!"

What a smooth talker. No wonder he made money by scamming people.

Ao Tian: [Learning.]

Even though it was all lies, Chen Zui found it pleasing to hear. The hand Le Ziyou held intertwined with his, their fingers tightly clasped: "Then let's face this love that transcends life and death together."

Le Ziyou grinned.

This ghost is such a lovesick fool. But at least he managed to talk his way out of it.

Sounds continued to emanate from the door. The locksmith was finally about to admit that his career had met its Waterloo—this lock was beyond him. The locksmith sniffed, heartbroken. All those years of painstakingly honing his skills had been in vain!

Le Ziyou looked toward the door: "Darling, let me go reassure my friend and send him off so he doesn't disturb our alone time."

He got up from Chen Zui's lap and ran toward the door. The moment he turned around, the smile vanished from his face. The road ahead was pitch black. He sighed...

Chen Zui: Darling? Hah—he really knows how to talk.

Le Ziyou opened the door and saw Mi Jin comforting the locksmith. As soon as Mi Jin saw him, he yanked the locksmith aside: "Le Ziyou! You..."

Before he could finish asking, "Are you human or a ghost?" Le Ziyou's hand landed on his shoulder: "I'm fine. You should go back first."

Mi Jin breathed a sigh of relief: He's human!

Mustering his courage, he peeked into the room but saw nothing. Lowering his voice, he asked: "You want me to go back? Aren't you coming with me?"

Le Ziyou sighed inwardly. There was no escape for him now. The forced smile on his face was tinged with bitterness: "I've already taken care of the trouble. Everything's fine now. You go back first, and message me when you get home."

Pushing Mi Jin toward the elevator: "Hurry, go, go."

If Chen Zui changed his mind, it would be over.

The locksmith stared in surprise at Le Ziyou, who had emerged from the room. So there was someone inside, and they still called him over? Were they messing with him?

Le Ziyou turned to him: "Sorry to trouble you so late, sir. How much do I owe you? I'll transfer it."

The locksmith immediately stopped being angry.

Mi Jin still wanted Le Ziyou to leave with him, but Le Ziyou, acting annoyed, pushed him into the elevator: "Hurry back. I'm fine."

The elevator descended.

Le Ziyou's head drooped, looking somewhat dejected. But after a moment, he lifted his head again, straightened his posture, and gently patted his cheeks to cheer himself up. It was still good—both he and Mi Jin were unharmed.

As for the rest... take it slow. There would be a way.

Full of fighting spirit, Le Ziyou walked back. At the door, he put on a bright smile, closed the door, and trotted over to throw himself at Chen Zui: "Darling, I'm back~"

Chen Zui, who had floated away from the bed, drifted back and caught Le Ziyou.

Le Ziyou looked up, feigning exhaustion: "Darling, let's sleep. I was scared by you tonight, and I'm tired and sleepy. Be good to me and don't torment me, okay?"

Chen Zui found it a bit cheesy. He was more used to normal conversation—flirty banter was fine, but this overly sentimental act? If he were still human, he'd probably have goosebumps.

Without a word, he carried Le Ziyou back to bed, and the room's lights went out.

In the darkness, Le Ziyou breathed a sigh of relief. Dealing with Chen Zui for extended periods kept his nerves on edge, and it was exhausting. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

As a ghost, Chen Zui didn't need to sleep. He gently patted Le Ziyou.

A 10% fondness level was actually quite low, but considering what he had done to him, it wasn't low at all.

Since he was willing to put on this act of loving him, he wouldn't scare him anymore from now on.

Chen Zui thought.

He could use gentler methods to make him fall.

——

"I'm going to the hospital to see my grandma," Le Ziyou said, having finished getting ready. "Although I'd love to take you with me, you're a ghost, and your ghost qi is too heavy. I'm afraid it might harm my grandma, so I won't bring you along."

Le Ziyou spoke earnestly toward the bed.

But Chen Zui was now standing by the window. Clearly, this was just an excuse to leave him behind. Hospitals had more ghosts than people; one more wouldn't make a difference.

Just as Chen Zui was about to speak, his eyebrows raised slightly. He sensed that the ghost qi binding Xu Shuhuai had vanished.

Xu Shuhuai, in his current state, absolutely could not have broken free on his own.

Le Ziyou had already reached the door, staring blankly ahead: "Then I'm leaving."

He turned to open the door but then turned back, reaching out toward the front: "Let me get a hug."

Chen Zui was still by the window.

Le Ziyou wrapped his arms loosely around nothing: "Baby, I'm so into you, I'll definitely come back early."

He even looked up and kissed the air before finally leaving.

Ao Tian: [I'm starting to think there's a ghost in this house that we can't see.]

Chen Zui couldn't help but laugh at Le Ziyou's antics: [Quite adorable.]

He also grabbed an umbrella and went out. Xu Shuhuai was still stuck under the bed in the previous house.

When Chen Zui arrived, a family of three was already moving in and tidying up the room. As for Xu Shuhuai under the bed, he was gone.

He’s the Shou Protagonist, so he shouldn't die. That means he made it out alive. He definitely couldn't have done it on his own—who saved him?

Le Ziyou really was going to the hospital; he didn't lie to Chen Zui.

But before going to the hospital, he first went to the mall to pick out some new clothes for his grandma. He didn't want her to spend her final days always in hospital gowns; the elderly also like to wear pretty clothes.

He also picked out a set for Auntie Zhang. As he was leaving the mall, a young man was on his way in from outside, and their eyes met.

Le Ziyou immediately looked away, not paying any attention.

The other, however, stopped him and said right away: "There's darkness over your brow; an evil spirit has latched onto you recently."

Le Ziyou: !

Le Ziyou sized him up—a handsome guy, probably around his own age, too young to be some powerful Celestial Master.

Probably running the same grift as him.

When he tries to attract new customers, his opening line is never that. No one is happy to hear they're about to have bad luck. You have to say they're going to get rich, have good fortune, and then say it's just being blocked by a minor spirit.

You lead them on gently.

Le Ziyou brushed past him: "You won't make any money with that opening line."

The man stopped him again: "I don't want your money."

Le Ziyou looked at him, and the man said very seriously: "I'm here to save your life."

Le Ziyou chuckled: "What treasure are you planning to use to save my life, and how much do you want me to 'donate' to get it?"

He squinted disdainfully, putting on a cocky act: "Bro, we're in the same business. Move aside, don't waste my time."

He shoved past the man and left.

The man was persistent; this time he caught up and directly took something out of his bag: "This is the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter. Plunge it into the evil spirit, and you'll be fine."

Le Ziyou looked at the golden Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter in his hand, about the size of a hand, and it looked very intricately crafted.

The man: "Seriously, it's free."

Le Ziyou: "For free?"

The man nodded, and only then did Le Ziyou take it. It was quite heavy. Can't turn down free stuff.

"Thanks."

Le Ziyou continued walking out. This time the man didn't stop him. He got on the bus, took out the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter from his bag, and examined it carefully. It was engraved with dense Sanskrit text.

Looked like the real deal.

Though unsure if it would work, since he now had this thing, it was worth a shot on Chen Zui when he got back.

He put the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter away.

At the hospital, his grandma was talking to the person in the next bed. He took some photos and videos of her in the new clothes and then wheeled the elderly lady outside for a walk.

He picked a small flower and tucked it behind her ear.

"Wow~ such a beauty~"

The elderly lady was delighted by his sweet talk, beaming and patting his hand: "Sweetie, you seem down lately?"

Le Ziyou crouched in front of her, blinking innocently: "No, I've made a lot of money recently. I'm very happy."

"Ah... it's all my fault, this old woman, holding you back."

Le Ziyou cupped her face: "Grandma, even though you're old, don't talk like that. You have to stay with me for a lifetime."

—

Le Ziyou stayed at the hospital all day. When he reached his doorstep, he fumbled for the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter in his bag, took it out, and put it in his pants pocket.

Only then did he push the door open.

"Baby, I'm back~"

Chen Zui, sitting on the chair, looked up. He had learned from Ao Tian that Xu Shuhuai was saved by Gong 2, Liao Ziqi, a genuinely powerful, legitimate Celestial Master.

According to the plot, Liao Ziqi fell in love with Xu Shuhuai at first sight without realizing it. Though he saved Xu Shuhuai, he didn't understand why he did it.

Before he could figure out his feelings, Xu Shuhuai had already started non-consensual advances with the first male lead, Le Ziyou.

Liao Ziqi knew about this and was always getting in the way. He thought he was doing the right thing, but actually, he didn't want Xu Shuhuai to be with anyone else.

"Baby, where are you?" Le Ziyou looked left and right.

Chen Zui by the window hooked a finger, and ghost qi wrapped around Le Ziyou, pulling him into his arms.

He habitually drew in Le Ziyou's energy, and Le Ziyou felt his yang energy being sucked away. He leaned further into Chen Zui's embrace, his hand slipping into his pants pocket.

Chen Zui was lost in the sensation of the yang energy. Today, Le Ziyou smelled like disinfectant, making Chen Zui need to work to filter out that scent.

Le Ziyou gripped the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter. Next, Chen Zui would return the yang energy to him, and the pleasure would be so intense it was almost too much. He couldn't keep going like this.

He couldn't keep getting involved with a ghost.

Le Ziyou thought, his other hand climbing up Chen Zui's shoulder, playing the part of someone turned on. Then, subtly, he moved the other hand holding the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter.

Without hesitation.

He acted quick and clean.

At the closest range, he thrust the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter into Chen Zui.

In an instant, Chen Zui's ghostly form flickered before his eyes, and he heard a muffled groan echo in his ears.

Le Ziyou's pupils dilated as Chen Zui's ghostly form appeared and disappeared like a flickering light.

It seemed to really work.

He looked down; the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter in his hand was buried in Chen Zui's abdomen. He saw countless streaks of lightning radiating from the scepter, coursing through Chen Zui's limbs and entire body.

The sound of electricity crackling and sizzling made Chen Zui's body flicker incessantly.

Ao Tian: [You're hurt!]

Chen Zui lowered his gaze, his body wracked with indescribable pain, as if every bone and every piece of flesh were being electrocuted.

He even staggered, barely keeping his footing.

This stumble made Le Ziyou look up at him again, his hand still tightly gripping the Celestial Thunderbolt Scepter. It was the first time he had clearly seen Chen Zui's face—a lifeless face, with pitch-black eyes full of deathly stillness. It was quite different from the photo he had seen; the photo had a vitality to it, but the Chen Zui before him now was only eerie.

It made him nervous, it made him afraid.

Chen Zui stared expressionlessly at Le Ziyou, raised his hand to touch the weapon in his abdomen. It couldn't be pulled out, and it had sealed him, making him unable to control his ghost qi.

Le Ziyou's emotions were a tangled mess at that moment. He hadn't expected it to actually work! But he didn't know to what extent it was effective. He didn't dare run or let go.

Chen Zui took a step toward him, and he took a step back.

Under Chen Zui's gaze, Le Ziyou couldn't take it anymore. He suddenly cried out: "You're the one who came to haunt me! Terrify me! Torment me! Bully me!"