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It was hard to tell if it was Song Bunan's excessive enthusiasm, but the kiss ended with their lips crashing together. If it had just been flesh against flesh, it would have been fine, but the problem lay in the fact that humans have teeth. The almost brutal collision made Song Bunan wince in pain, tears welling up as he covered his mouth and sat across from Xin Yi, who was also nursing a sore mouth and too preoccupied with his own pain to care for himself. He hurriedly reached out to help his boyfriend rub his lips, creating a chaotic scene.
"I think I've developed a phobia of kissing," Song Bunan said in the bathroom, examining his bruised lip in the mirror. He couldn't help but chuckle at Xin Yi, who appeared much calmer. Standing by the door with his arms crossed, Xin Yi wore a rare expression of barely contained laughter, though it was hard to ignore his own swollen lips.
Xin Yi shrugged it off, tilting his head slightly as he told Song Bunan that kissing like that was pointless; they were lucky not to have knocked any teeth out. Song Bunan disagreed vehemently, arguing that he had seen many dramas where people kissed like that, even spinning around and falling over while kissing.
He even pulled out his phone to find relevant video evidence for Xin Yi. After watching a couple of clips, Xin Yi turned off the screen and seriously advised him, "You should watch less of this stuff." He didn't voice the words "dumbing down," as he knew his boyfriend was quite intelligent; he just seemed a bit clueless when it came to romance.
Feeling somewhat dejected by such an assessment, Song Bunan pouted on the sofa, grumbling that he knew all along dramas were misleading. Noticing Song Bunan's odd mood, Xin Yi moved to sit beside him, gently touching his smooth, pale face and locking eyes with him. As they gazed at each other, he leaned in softly.
There was no forceful collision this time, no painful impact—just their soft lips meeting and gently rubbing together, carrying a faint scent of tobacco. Song Bunan closed his eyes, savoring the real kiss and greedily inhaling Xin Yi's essence. He could even hear the rapid beating of his own heart in his chest.
When the kiss finally ended, he felt reluctant to part. With their foreheads pressed together, Xin Yi spoke softly in an unfamiliar tone, saying that this was what kissing truly meant. The embarrassment that had filled Song Bunan dissipated entirely, replaced by joy and laughter as he shyly poked at Xin Yi's firm abdomen, teasingly asking if he had a lot of romantic experience before him.
The man replied honestly that he would never lie about such things; in truth, he had only had two significant relationships—one shortly after turning eighteen and another ten years ago—neither lasting more than three years. His honesty left Song Bunan momentarily speechless. The man opened his mouth slightly as if wanting to say something but hesitated before quietly asking why those relationships ended.
"They thought I only knew how to work and didn't understand romance or how to love someone. Even though I had some savings, I couldn't provide the love they wanted, so they gave up," Xin Yi said lightly, exuding an air of someone who had long since moved on. Song Bunan, nestled beside him, smacked his lips in response and remarked that he was still too young.
"Who?" Curious about who this "young" referred to for the first time, Xin Yi listened as Song Bunan explained: "Everyone! You were too young back then and hadn't learned how to date properly. Plus, you were focused on working hard; there would definitely be an imbalance there. They were also looking for someone wealthy while wanting someone who understood love—at least I think that's unrealistic."
Just as Xin Yi was about to ask why he thought that way, he heard Song Bunan suddenly speak with pride: "That's how dramas portray it! The rich don't know how to love; those who understand love are broke—it's impossible to have both! Unlike me—I’m rich and know how to love; I'm a little genius!"
He turned around with a playful expression on his face as if asking for praise. Xin Yi felt his heart swell with affection and reached out to stroke Song Bunan's soft hair, praising him for being a little genius who is both wealthy and understanding of love. Satisfied with this affirmation, Song Bunan giggled and grabbed a bottle of soda from the table, declaring it worthy of celebration—provided they finished their meal first.
Xiao Mei and Shui Su both chose to sleep as soon as they got home. After briefly explaining the situation, they dove into the bedroom and embraced each other in slumber. It had been forty hours since they last closed their eyes, and while Shui Su felt fine, Xiao Mei was truly exhausted.
The floor of the Gu Family Old Residence was covered in Bluestone Slabs, which had absorbed the chill of the night and released it under the morning sun. The cold was so intense that several people who had been sitting outside got up to walk in circles on the ground to keep warm. Xiao Mei, curled up in her uncle's embrace, could hardly speak; her limbs felt stiff, and even her spine seemed frozen.
Before dawn, they could still hear whispers from the surrounding houses, but once daylight broke, the entire area fell silent as if no one else was alive—there were no sounds of insects or birds. This eerie stillness was far more frightening than any conversation; if something were to suddenly appear at that moment, it would surely trigger a panic response.
"Why don't we check that house? I really can't shake this feeling of unease," said the uncle, looking worriedly at the child in his arms who had fallen completely silent. He exchanged glances with the others, contemplating breaking Shui Su's rules to see what was going on inside.
A few agreed with him, but Xiao Mei rejected the idea. She tugged at her uncle's clothing and whispered for him not to go. "He knows what he's doing; let's wait a bit longer." It was difficult for her to express this thought clearly because of the cold; her mind felt foggy, and it took her a while to organize her words.
The others, unable to press further after her refusal, gathered around to form a circle of warmth, trying to help her feel warmer. The uncle sighed and wrapped his clothing around her more tightly.
"I wonder if our brothers outside have come in; this place is too strange. There are clearly grass and trees, yet not a single bird is singing—it's like a cursed graveyard," someone in the group couldn't help but complain, lighting a cigarette in an attempt to calm himself.
Their conversation opened up again as they began voicing their frustrations about the oddities of their surroundings, cursing not only this place but also the infamous managers of the laboratory whom they had never met but had heard terrible things about.
Their complaints echoed through the quiet air, reaching the ears of those still bargaining with Shui Su inside. The Ghost Messengers, who had been treated with respect by living people for centuries, suddenly darkened their expressions. Their fierce glares seemed almost tangible as if they could burst out and turn those who spoke carelessly into Swiss cheese.
Shui Su observed this transformation with disdain and scoffed. "You’re not wrong to be cursed out; after all, those matters are serious enough to disturb ancestral graves. These people are refraining from coming in out of respect for me. If they found you here after entering, they would definitely kill you all."
"Jiang Shui Su!" shouted one person who was particularly irritated by him, banging on the table. "What do you think you are? A mere young Ghost Messenger daring to shout at us!"
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