Oh dear.
Xu Zhiyi felt embarrassed as she quickly retracted the little black bird, clasping her hands behind her back, looking up at the sky and down at the ground, trying to pretend nothing had happened.
"You grabbed the wrong one." Lin Yan bumped her hidden wrist with the little white bird's head, eyes curving with amusement. "Your sister is this one."
"Oh, oh…"
Xu Zhiyi kept a straight face, appearing perfectly composed, but lowered her head and made the swap in a hurry.
All the domineering energy she'd shown as the older brother over the past two days had completely vanished.
After returning the bird to its rightful owner, she decided to reclaim her dignity. With the thousand-plus yuan she hadn't spent, she first made a trip to the supermarket.
And bought two wristwatches that cost a hundred yuan each.
On the road to the newspaper office again, Xu Zhiyi's spirits remained high and excited. In just a short while, she'd already laid out many possible scenarios they might face.
The situations were complex and ever-changing, but without exception, eight times out of ten, they'd end up in a direct confrontation with the murderer.
Since conflict was unavoidable, seizing the initiative was crucial for them.
After all, once Lin Yan turned into his illiterate shadow form, they couldn't communicate anymore. What if the other side caught that weakness and picked them off one by one?
But Xu Zhiyi quickly came up with a solution: "Brother, let's set up a secret signal."
"Hm?"
"Like… some kind of hand gesture. When you're in Shadow State, if you see it, you'll know I have something to say and can change back. Later, if we're arguing with someone and I think you should transform to scare them, I can also use it to seize the initiative."
Xu Zhiyi analyzed this with sound reasoning, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt her idea was pure genius. A burst of brilliance struck her, and she settled on what the gesture should be on the spot.
She pressed her index finger and thumb together, forming a heart shape toward Lin Yan.
Lin Yan found it amusing and gently wrapped his hand around her tiny heart. "Using this to scare the other side?"
Xu Zhiyi shook her head, her eyes carrying an air of inscrutable smugness.
"This is a signal meant to confuse the other party."
She began explaining with great professionalism—if, in a tense standoff, one side suddenly flashed a heart at the other, the recipient would definitely be caught off guard. That's when they'd seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack in broad daylight.
Lin Yan rubbed her fingertips, easily prying her heart apart. He said unhurriedly, "You want to flash a heart at someone else?"
Xu Zhiyi was taken aback.
"It might be some hideous creature with two heads and holes all over its body. Zhiyi, when the time comes, can you really bring yourself to flash a heart at it?"
Lin Yan's voice was calm as he tossed out one terrifying hypothetical after another, his expression open and unbothered, as if his words carried no ulterior motive—he was merely analyzing potential flaws in the plan.
Under his guidance, Xu Zhiyi quickly devised a new approach: "Then I'll just flash it at you instead."
In a standoff between two sides, if one side suddenly started flashing hearts at each other, that scene would obviously also serve to stall for time effectively.
Lin Yan smiled and praised her for being very clever.
Outside the newspaper office building, from a distance, they could see the editor waiting at the entrance, as if she'd anticipated their return all along. Her face was smiling, and the only thing missing was a banner on the wall that read "Welcome, come die."
"…"
Before Xu Zhiyi could even shrink back from such eagerness, the other woman smiled and casually said something that dissolved her tension: "Two thousand per photo."
"……"
This was already their third time entering the newspaper office, and every time, Xu Zhiyi was quietly observing the layout of the surroundings.
The office was packed with items—magnifying glasses, steel rulers, layout sketches—all of which were related solely to newspaper work, with almost no personal belongings of the editor.
This made it impossible to further verify just how close the newspaper editor's relationship with that couple really was.
So, Xu Zhiyi told her about running into Zhao Zixun on the antique street, and carefully watched her expression.
This time, beneath the editor's flawless exterior, a crack finally appeared, as if something had touched a psychological defense line. She let out a faint sigh and lowered her eyelids.
It looked very much like the sadness of losing a friend.
What a perfect opportunity to press further. Xu Zhiyi immediately spoke up, "Were you very good friends with them?"
The newspaper editor was taken aback, and only after a long pause did she say, "…I suppose so."
"Then—"
"It's fine. He'll come back."
…That was exactly the problem!
Not even eight thousand yuan could restore Xu Zhiyi's composure. She instinctively gripped Lin Yan's hand, her eyes screaming "let's get out of here"—sure enough, this editor still wanted to trade them for her two friends.
Lin Yan gently patted her tense fingers with his other hand, then looked toward the editor, diverting her gaze away from Xu Zhiyi. "Since you're friends, could you tell us more about them?"
A long silence filled the office.
Finally, she spoke: "We… actually weren't all that close, to be honest."
"Lu Youqing studied painting… she's only a junior now. I've heard others say she has great talent in painting, full of creative spark, but she'd never produced anything particularly famous before. In the future… she probably won't get the chance either."
"As for Zhao Zixun… he was a rather timid person, a student in the Chinese literature department, I believe. Very indecisive. If it weren't for that incident, they probably would never have gotten together."
"Actually, they didn't love this town all that much. It's just that with the New Year approaching, they had to come back here. That's why they ended up like this—lost and unable to find their way even in a place they knew best…"
These descriptions had nothing to do with friendship.
She was judging them with something close to hatred.
"Isn't that the serial killer's fault?" Xu Zhiyi couldn't help but say.
"They lacked resolve themselves," the newspaper editor said coldly. "They could have lived very well here."
That was far too victim-blaming. Xu Zhiyi frowned, wanting to say more, but Lin Yan held her back.
"May I ask your name?"
"…Guan Lin."
Not long after Xu Zhiyi and Lin Yan re-entered the wire fence, the newspaper office received its second wave of visitors.
Three people in total, each holding a camera priced at three hundred yuan.
Ning Siyu and Cen Xi were not among them.
"Welcome, welcome," Guan Lin smiled as she ushered them into the office. "The newspaper recently launched a crime-themed column, and we're in great need of photographs…"
The wild grass inside the wire fence grew up to knee height, and the vines spread with unusual aggression.
Last time, they had only clung to the ground, grabbing at their ankles in an attempt to trip them. This time, many hung down from the tree branches as well, the tips of the vines occasionally brushing against the tops of their heads.
Utterly audacious!
As someone who cherished her hair dearly, Xu Zhiyi simply couldn't tolerate this faint, intermittent friction. After walking a few meters, she was so irritated that she turned around, ready to go back and buy a few lighters before returning.
Lin Yan placed his palm over the top of her head, acting as a human barrier to protect her hair. "Want me to turn into my shadow form and carry you like before?"
Xu Zhiyi hesitated again.
Admittedly, these vines were quite annoying, and their numbers were increasing, but unlike yesterday, they didn't make her feel drowsy the moment they touched her.
In fact, they seemed to hang their heads in defeat—after brushing against her, they would silently curl back, listless, as if their efforts had been in vain.
Since there was no real danger, she didn't want to lose sight of Lin Yan's face.
While she was still caught in her indecision, a rustling sound suddenly arose around them—the sound of snakes slithering quickly through the grass. Judging by the commotion, it seemed to be a whole group of snakes.
Lin Yan transformed into his shadow form almost instantly, wrapping himself around her protectively. But these creatures weren't targeting her.
In the blink of an eye, he was yanked and dragged into the depths of the grass more than ten meters away, vanishing from Xu Zhiyi's sight.
It all happened too fast.
Xu Zhiyi trembled with fear, but she didn't care that vines were still trying to poke into her head from above. She stumbled and ran in the direction Lin Yan had been dragged, her mind completely blank.
Maybe he was already covered in wounds from snake bites.
After frantically pushing through several meters of grass, Xu Zhiyi, with red-rimmed eyes, finally found Lin Yan.
He seemed to have suffered a heavy blow. He had reverted to his human form, standing there, with thick rope-like green vines binding his body.
So it wasn't snakes after all.
Seeing her arrive, Lin Yan looked up and smiled at her. "I was just about to go find you."
"Brother!" Xu Zhiyi flew to his side and immediately began tugging at the vines. "Are you okay? Why did this happen?"
Lin Yan wasn't sure what had caused the mutation.
Just moments ago, these vines had indeed passed through the barrier of his shadow form and entered his skin. But just as he was about to grab them, they slipped away like loaches, leaving behind only these lifeless vines on his body.
But those things didn't matter much.
His little sister was about to cry.
Tears were welling up in her eyes, and her hands, which couldn't pull the vines apart, were still trembling.
As Xu Zhiyi pressed her lips together and hung her head in distress, in the blind spot of her vision, dark shadows slowly crept out from Lin Yan's body, gripping the vines she couldn't pull.
The green ropes that had been held snapped and fell rustling at their feet.
Xu Zhiyi, glad to have been of help, finally showed a hint of joy on her face. As she continued to pull, a gentle voice suddenly came from above her head. "Zhi Zhi."
After calling her name, he said nothing more.
She looked up, her gaze full of confusion as she regarded him. She was about to call him "brother," but the words died in her throat.
At some point, these vines had begun to wrap around him in a peculiar manner, like… some kind of restraint straps. The vines bound his chest and waist tightly, pinning his arms behind his back, making his tall and upright silhouette appear unusually pronounced.
Xu Zhiyi's hands, raised to rescue him, froze, and she inexplicably slowed down.
Why did these vines feel…
So strange?
"Zhi Zhi." Lin Yan looked down at her. "Keep helping me untie them."
Xu Zhiyi obediently nodded and grabbed the vine again. But her brain, already turning pale, mulled it over for a few seconds before she inexplicably blurted out, "How about… you beg me?"
In truth, after saying it, she didn't dare look at him at all.
A light laugh sounded from above her head. "Me beg you?"
…Ahhh!
Just as Xu Zhiyi, feeling guilty, was about to wave her hands and say he'd misheard—that she hadn't said anything at all—Lin Yan leaned down, and the hair at his forehead brushed against the hollow of her shoulder. "Okay."
"!"
He leaned against her, his fine strands of hair pressing against her pale neck, easily sending her blood racing and making her body tremble in a way that meant something entirely different. "I beg you."
Xu Zhiyi nearly lost her grip on the vine. "Brother… brother…"
"Help me, little sister." His low voice sounded by her ear, tender and hoarse.
This was hardly the tone of someone begging!
The more he spoke, the less Xu Zhiyi knew how to move. Her fingers clawed uselessly at the vine, her body going weak, while the breath brushing against her earlobe lingered with an unbearable presence.
She seriously began to wonder if those vines were draining her energy again.
It was just as her gaze drifted, looking into the distance to distract herself, that a human-shaped silhouette flashed past in the grass far away.
Xu Zhiyi immediately pointed. "Brother! Someone's over there!"
The moment her words fell, the vines around Lin Yan snapped completely. He swiftly transformed into his shadow form, scooped Xu Zhiyi into his arms, and gave chase in long strides.
The wind howled as Xu Zhiyi curled up in Lin Yan's arms, trying to use his icy chest to cool the heat on her cheeks.
The person was easy to catch.
Within a few steps, they saw his staggering back.
Because he was human, Lin Yan shed his shadow form. Even so, the two of them quickly blocked his path again.
This person was also a player, clutching a camera, his face full of panic. His coat was tattered, smeared with mud from who knows where.
Seeing fellow humans, the young man instinctively appealed to them for help: "Someone's chasing me! There's a Specter in this forest!"
Having just caught up to him, the pair—one of whom was literally a Specter—fell silent. "…"
Xu Zhiyi paused for a second. "This Specter you mentioned—what did it look like?"
Please don't say tall and handsome.
"It—it's a woman! She's holding a sharp knife, chasing me nonstop, and saying things like I shouldn't be here, get out now, and stuff!"
"Did you get a picture of her?"
"I…" The young man hesitated, his face full of wariness, as if they might steal his things. But one person couldn't fight two, so he soon wisely pulled out a photo hidden against his chest. "I did manage to take one."
Of course, the fingers gripping the edge of the photo were clenched so hard they'd turned nearly white.
Lin Yan glanced down at it first, confirming there was nothing bloody on it, before stepping aside to make room for Xu Zhiyi.
The image on the photo was very blurry, but it was still possible to make out a figure wearing a pale yellow dress.
"This is the woman who was chasing me…"
He lowered his voice, still clearly terrified by the whole ordeal.
The face in the photo couldn't be made out, so they couldn't tell whether it was Lu Youqing.
"And also, also my friend—he was caught by that editor! I don't dare go out alone now. Could you two come back with me…"
Caught by Guan Lin?
Xu Zhiyi was taken aback. "What happened?"
After all, it hadn't even been half an hour since they'd parted ways with Guan Lin, and already they'd gotten into such a major conflict.
The young man's gaze darted around evasively for a long while, until finally, seemingly convinced that his words would win their sympathy, he steeled himself and said, "My friend was planning to ambush her, but that woman isn't normal! She just waved her hand, and vines sprouted right out of the ground, dragging him away! She hung him in the air, swinging him around…"
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Xu Zhiyi's hand—perhaps seeking comfort—but the faint glance Lin Yan cast his way made him pull back.
Lin Yan smiled, though his tone didn't soften back into politeness. "Why were you ambushing her?"
The young man's victimized expression stiffened.
"It's just… she can pay out that much in one go, so the newspaper office must have plenty of money…"
Xu Zhiyi: "…"
Lin Yan: "…"
The young man grew increasingly uncomfortable under their wordless stares. "I—I'll get going now."
He grabbed onto a tree for support, his feet moving as if on a conveyor belt, stumbling but quickly hurrying off into the distance.
Though Xu Zhiyi hadn't planned to accompany him back anyway, that phrase "hung up and swinging" still made her a bit nervous.
"I won't let that happen to you," Lin Yan said suddenly.
"Huh?" Xu Zhiyi clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise. "I didn't say that out loud."
Lin Yan pinched her furrowed brow—which had been creased just moments ago—his eyes brimming with a smile.
It was that kind of smile that said, "How could a big brother not know what his little sister is thinking?"
Xu Zhiyi suddenly felt very guilty.
Because just now, watching Lin Yan tangled in those vines, she'd been thinking some very improper things.
She wanted to keep it hidden, but facing her brother, she couldn't hold her thoughts in for long—he'd always see through her.
After barely managing to hold it in, she still pretended to ask casually, "Brother, um… weren't you able to untangle those vines yourself? Why were you begging me for help back there?"
Lin Yan patted her head. "You looked like you were having fun."
…Oh dear!
Xu Zhiyi's face flushed bright red. She shook her head in denial at first, but then, afraid he might actually think she hadn't enjoyed it, she let out two embarrassed little "mm-hmms."
"Want me to find some new vines and tie myself up again?"
"…"
There was truly nothing more to find in the thicket, so they trekked back to the cabin, trying to discover new changes in this empty space.
After a thorough carpet search, a fruitless Xu Zhiyi slumped wearily against the fireplace, staring at the flames, utterly bored.
She was starting to empathize with the host who'd been running around in vain last night.
This was so mentally draining!
Standing behind her, Lin Yan cupped her face in his hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Heading back?"
Xu Zhiyi let him hold her face lazily. "What for?"
"To review."
"…"
The listless Xu Zhiyi instantly snapped back to full alertness and began carefully re-examining the entire room.
Her gaze landed on the blazing fire.
Say what you will about studying being the ladder of progress—within two seconds, Xu Zhiyi exclaimed excitedly, "Found something off!"
Lin Yan followed her pointing finger.
In the fireplace, the wood burned just as it had yesterday, the flames flickering softly. At first glance, there was nothing particularly unusual about it.
But the lack of change was precisely what was strange—they looked far too similar to when they had first arrived yesterday.
Whether it was the size of the logs or the way they were arranged.
"And this fire—it's not even burning the wood at all!" Xu Zhiyi eagerly reached out to poke at it, only for her guardian to swiftly smack her hand back.
Xu Zhiyi: "…"
"Let me do it."
He reached his hand into the flames. Sure enough, the fire was nothing but an illusion, causing him no harm—though it did leave his hand feeling pleasantly warm.
Lin Yan moved the logs aside, revealing a wooden plank that could be lifted. When he pulled it open, a long staircase stretched down beneath it, plunging into darkness with no visible end, its destination unknown.
Fortunately, they had been foresighted enough to buy flashlights at the supermarket earlier. Even without any light in this basement, nothing could stop them from exploring further down.
The stairwell was narrow, forcing them to walk single file. Xu Zhiyi took the rear, straining her ears for any possible sound, wary that an uninvited guest might come chasing after them from behind.
However, thanks to Lin Yan's unique nature, once they entered, he simply seeped through the cracks and rearranged the wood back on top of the plank.
Even if the basement's owner came by, they would never suspect that two guests were slowly making their way down below.
Having a brother who was a Specter was just too convenient.
The air lacked the damp, musty staleness typical of basements. Instead, the deeper they descended, the more pronounced a faint, refreshing fragrance became.
It was subtle, like the scent of a tree that would bloom with small white flowers.
The more Xu Zhiyi breathed it in, the more dazed she felt. A craving for this fragrance gradually rose within her heart, as though only it could grant her a sense of peace.
She unconsciously loosened her grip on Lin Yan's hand. Before she could pull away, he caught her wrist and held on tighter.
After descending the long staircase, the view suddenly opened up into a vast space.
In the earthen ground stood a thick tree so large it would take several people to wrap their arms around it. Its leaf veins were a vivid red. In the darkness, countless red threads extended upward from its branches, piercing through the ceiling and stretching to who knows where.
Those reds nearly stole away all of one's attention.
A small door was hidden behind the tree trunk.
But the darkness didn't hinder Lin Yan's vision. He could see as clearly as if it were daylight, easily locating the door and leading Xu Zhiyi to stand before it.
The room inside was empty.
Xu Zhiyi raised her flashlight, sweeping it across the walls. As the beam of light moved, hundreds of eyes lit up.
Every inch of the walls was crowded with faces of people, like one enormous family portrait. Everyone faced forward, smiling gently. Some even had vegetable baskets slung over their shoulders.
It seemed like the most ordinary day in a small town.
And someone had frozen that single moment in time, painting it across the walls of this room.
The fragrant scent lingered stubbornly around the tip of her nose.
An indescribable melancholy surged into Xu Zhiyi's heart. She stepped closer to the wall, her fingertips brushing against the rough painting, and suddenly said, "If only they could come back to life."
"Xu Zhiyi." Lin Yan gripped her wrist and called her name.
She snapped back to her senses somewhat, blinking hard, though she still seemed a little absent-minded.
Upon closer inspection, the crowd painted on the walls was rather strange.
The wall didn't have the people they knew best—like the host, the funeral home owner, and that black-hearted hooded man.
It also didn't seem to have Guan Lin, Zhao Zixun, or Lu Youqing.
After repeatedly confirming that none of them were there, Lin Yan patted the back of Xu Zhiyi's hand. "Let's go."
Xu Zhiyi took one last reluctant look at the wall.
As she stepped out of the room, she murmured again in a dreamlike whisper, "If only they could come back to life…"
Before she could finish speaking, Lin Yan covered her cheeks, blocking the breath she was about to exhale back into her mouth.
"There's something wrong with the air here. Xu Zhiyi, this isn't your thought. Don't let it deceive you."
Most of Xu Zhiyi's face was covered by Lin Yan's hand, and the breath she inhaled was filtered through his scent—a clean, mixed fragrance. The melancholic, world-weary emotion in her mind vanished, replaced by a clinging attachment to her brother.
She blinked, her lowered lashes brushing against his fingers as she obediently hummed in acknowledgment.
Lin Yan released her and took her hand to continue walking back.
But just as he was about to dissolve into shadow form and seep through the wooden planks to open the door, a muffled conversation suddenly buzzed from the planks above their heads.
Someone was coming.
"There's nothing in this forest at all," a voice complained. "Can we really get photos?"
"…"
"Hey, you think they might have killed someone first, then moved the body into the forest to take the photos? Otherwise, how could we not find it while they could?"
Xu Zhiyi was a bit confused and whispered, "They're not talking about us, are they?"
Lin Yan shook his head calmly. "Probably not. We've always acted very kindly."
The kind siblings waited in puzzled silence.
Little did they know, Ning Siyu had already painted them as rare killing gods—whoever touched them would die.
But some people's core code was stubborn—what? You've killed people and have insane combat power? Then I'll follow you and try to steal your stuff.
The kind siblings were still waiting.
To prevent the two above from suddenly attacking them if they discovered the passage, Lin Yan sat on the steps and, in shadow form, wrapped his arms around Xu Zhiyi, settling her in his lap.
The flashlight was aimed at the bottom of the stairs, illuminating any potential danger.
That clean fragrance still filled every corner of the basement.
This time, Xu Zhiyi didn't feel sadness from the scent. She could only smell her brother's presence, and her thoughts were all about him.
She fiddled with the two little birds in her hands.
The flashlight only lit the area below, unable to reveal her small movements, so this time, she very openly pressed the two birds' beaks together, making them kiss.
It was so dark—there was no way Lin Yan could see.
Xu Zhiyi played happily, and Lin Yan watched with perfect clarity.
His deep, pool-like eyes didn't blink as he silently watched his sister in his arms curl her lips, pressing the two birds together, then shyly burying her face in his chest afterward.
【So cute.】
Hmm? Xu Zhiyi raised an eyebrow in confusion.
She thought she heard Lin Yan's voice.
The basement was quiet. Xu Zhiyi pricked up her ears and listened for half a minute before the voice finally sounded again.
【Zhizhi.】
Xu Zhiyi lifted her face to look at him.
【How can you be this cute?】
Oh my, oh my.
There was no sound around her, and Xu Zhiyi guessed this must be her brother's inner thoughts. She was so happy she wanted to cover her face and giggle. She never expected that after turning into shadow form, he'd secretly praise her like this in his heart—actually, he was the adorable one.
Being praised like that, acting a bit bolder surely wouldn't be held against her. She raised one hand and very daringly touched her brother's face.
The cool shadow head nuzzled against her palm.
【Like like like like like like like like like like…】
Xu Zhiyi was stunned.
Why is this mind-reading ability stuttering?
But hearing the word "like," she was still very happy, and silently repeated it in her heart—like, like…
Until she heard one line.
[I want to kiss her.]
Xu Zhiyi's mind went into a frenzy for dozens of seconds.
Kiss?
Kiss where?
How?
She squeezed Lin Yan's finger and poked her own cheek with it, trying to see if this was really the voice from his heart.
[What an adorable baby.]
…It really was!
Xu Zhiyi made a tiny heart with her fingers, signaling him to hurry up and turn back into a human.
But this was a dim, dark basement.
Lin Yan chose to pretend he didn't see it.
Another five or six minutes passed before the people upstairs finally left.
During that time, Xu Zhiyi's ears were constantly filled with voices like "so fond," "so cute," "want to kiss," which left her face flushed an alarming shade of red by the time she crawled out from behind the wooden board.
She clutched the flashlight, hung her head low, and stared at the floor, feeling like steam was about to rise from the top of her head.
Lin Yan thought she was feeling unwell, quickly transformed back into a human, and pressed his palm to her forehead, checking her temperature as he asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No…"
"Then why are you keeping your head down?" he teased with a smile. "Don't you want to see your brother anymore?"
"I… it's not that," Xu Zhiyi's ears were red too. "Brother, I'm going to fulfill your wish."
She felt like she should close her eyes right now, but her eyelashes trembled nervously, making her look a bit pitiful.
"Really?" A smile spread across Lin Yan's eyes.
"Mm!"
"You're finally going to review your lessons?"
Xu Zhiyi: "…"
Was the influence of that scent still chasing after her?
She was so annoyed that most of the flush on her face faded, but she didn't dare repeat those words aloud—what if it was just an illusion? Then the atmosphere between the two of them would become extremely awkward, and maybe Lin Yan, who had just gotten so close to her, would retreat back into his shell again.
Xu Zhiyi swallowed this bitter loss with tears in her eyes.