“I can’t tell you. It’s the rule.”
The rule required them to go to the rooms alone for the courage test. If someone knew in advance, it would violate the rule.
In the Instance, rules were not to be broken.
Fu Zhen didn’t say it outright, but the implication was clear. Anyone calm enough would understand what lay hidden beneath the word “rule.” But at this moment, Liu Yajun was so consumed by anxiety and panic that he had no mind left to think.
His eyes reddened as he roared frantically, “You’re a fucking liar! You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? Trying to make me let him go, right? I knew you had a thing for him! Last night, you followed him like a creep, picking up the handkerchief he dropped, sniffing it like a pervert, practically wanting to lick it! You’re sick in the head!”
“……”
Three faces wore different expressions at the same time.
Wen Di, tears streaming down his face, felt dazed, barely able to process the words coming from Liu Yajun’s mouth. Or perhaps he heard them clearly but doubted it was a hallucination.
Fu Zhen’s expression instantly darkened terribly.
Shen Wangqing was only briefly stunned before refocusing intently on the hand gripping the knife.
“Fine, fine, none of you will say it, huh?” Liu Yajun fixed his frenzied eyes back on Wen Di. “You won’t say it either? Then you can die! You think I don’t dare kill someone?!”
As he spoke, his face twisted grotesquely, and he raised his hand to stab down!
But the moment his hand lifted, Shen Wangqing seized the opportunity, swiftly kicking out. The blade was sent flying to the ground. Another kick followed, and Liu Yajun was sent sprawling out the door.
At the same time, Wen Di was pulled into Fu Zhen’s embrace.
Wen Di’s body trembled.
Fu Zhen frowned, looking down at him. He was about to deliver his usual sharp-tongued remarks out of habit when the little ghost in front of him actively burrowed into his chest. Lifting tear-filled, fearful eyes to look at him, his lips quivered: “Scared…”
After saying this, he buried his face in Fu Zhen’s collar, letting out soft sobs.
“……” Damn it, who could withstand this?
Fu Zhen felt his heart skip a beat.
He bent down, picked the person up, and strode out of the red room.
Passing by Liu Yajun, who was clutching his stomach and moaning at the doorway, he didn’t hesitate to lift his foot and stomp hard on his face, grinding the pointed leather shoe forcefully a couple of times.
In just two or three moves, the face was bleeding, and Liu Yajun cried out even louder.
Withdrawing his foot and without a glance at Shen Wangqing nearby, he carried the person away.
Bringing him to his own room and placing him by the bed, Fu Zhen rummaged through his bag for ointment and bandages before sitting down beside him.
His thumb and forefinger lightly pinched the little ghost’s chin, forcing him to look up, finally revealing the wound—the bleeding looked frightening, but the cut itself was just a thin line.
As he brought a cotton swab soaked in iodine closer, the little ghost flinched in fear, one hand clutching Fu Zhen’s shirtfront until it was crumpled. Fu Zhen firmly held his chin, not allowing him to retreat.
After applying the medicine, the little ghost’s tears had washed over his face, gathering glistening at his chin before dripping onto the bed, forming a small pool.
Fu Zhen watched him cry with a cold expression, neither speaking nor offering comfort.
He pulled out a soft tissue from nearby and awkwardly wiped the little ghost’s face, finally drying the damp cheeks somewhat.
Actually, Wen Di had snapped out of his fearful state halfway through the medicine application. Realizing Fu Zhen was treating his wound, he slowly recalled what Liu Yajun had just said—
Fu Zhen followed behind him like a pervert, picking up the handkerchief he had dropped on the ground, sniffing it with his nose like a freak, almost as if he wanted to lick it with his mouth.
Wen Di was so ashamed he didn’t know what to do with himself.
He couldn’t help but size up Fu Zhen—Fu Zhen’s face looked sour. Even though he was injured, he still wore such a grim expression.
How could a Fu Zhen like this possibly do such perverted things?
Liu Yajun must have had a mental breakdown and started talking nonsense.
“Thank you…” Because he had been crying for so long, his voice carried a nasal tone when he spoke, making it sound even softer and more delicate.
Fu Zhen tossed the soaked tissue into the trash can.
His thin eyelids made his gaze particularly cold and ruthless as he looked down at Wen Di from above, showing no mercy: “Is a simple ‘thank you’ all it takes?”
Wen Di was taken aback, his face confused: “Huh?”
Fu Zhen sneered, suddenly pinching the other’s tender cheek with one hand, squeezing it until it pouted like a goldfish’s mouth. Like a bully, he leaned close to his ear and said, “Do you know how provocative you looked clinging to my clothes?”
“Why do you follow anyone who takes you to a room?”
His other hand gripped Wen Di’s soft, boneless waist, causing his body to arch backward.
Wen Di’s heart trembled, his eyes widening in disbelief as he met Fu Zhen’s unfathomable gaze. He shakily pushed at the man: “Get away from me!”
He seemed genuinely frightened, his face pale.
Even his cursing lacked force. Like a foolish kitten that its owner could easily pick up with one hand.
“Me, get away? This is my room.” Fu Zhen reminded him coldly, “I’m the one who brought you here, kept you away from that madman Liu Yajun, and even applied medicine for you.”
Even though he had just scared the other person, he now spoke as if expecting gratitude.
Wen Di wasn’t buying it, his dark lashes trembling: “You bullied me, I’m leaving…”
As he spoke, he stood up, but before his legs could fully straighten, he was pulled back by the waist and pinned firmly onto the bed.
Fu Zhen stared at his face: “I bullied you? Shouldn’t you think carefully about who it was that you threw yourself at, yet still kindly didn’t abandon you? Who applied medicine for you while you were just crying, making sure you didn’t pass out from losing too much blood?”
Wen Di was so aggrieved that tears threatened to fall again, protesting angrily: “I didn’t throw myself at you.”
“You didn’t?” Fu Zhen’s gaze enveloped Wen Di’s face like a cage. “I really should have recorded everything you just did with a camera, so you’d have nothing to say now.”
The other’s intense, oppressive stare made Wen Di feel particularly tormented. He knew he had been helped, but he hated the way Fu Zhen spoke. How could someone speak so bluntly, without any pretense, leaving no room for dignity?
“I’ve already thanked you. What do you want?”
“What do I want? It’s about what you can do.”
Wen Di looked at him in confusion as Fu Zhen pinched his face and leaned closer, his hot breath brushing against Wen Di’s ear: “I’ll give you some time to think it over. If you can’t give me a satisfactory repayment, then I’ll take it myself.”
“You can leave now.”
“……”
Wen Di left the room, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye, pursing his lips in grievance. His deer-like eyes were dark, moist, and innocent—
This was the first time he had ever met someone who, after helping someone, so shamelessly demanded repayment.
And if he couldn’t give a satisfactory repayment, Fu Zhen would take it himself. How could he be so thick-skinned?
If he bullied him like this… then why did he help him in the first place?
Wen Di arrived at the red room feeling dejected. From Shen Wangqing, she learned that Liu Yajun had already gone to the haunted cabin and completed the fifteen-minute challenge, and had now returned to his room.