Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

The words fell.

She tiptoed and kissed those full, rosy lips that kept appearing in her dreams.

The hand that had been gripping her wrist suddenly stiffened, and the pressure abruptly loosened.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chai Xiaomi broke free, climbed onto the boy's chest with both hands, grabbed his clothes and pulled him down.

He was too tall; even when she tried to stand on tiptoe, she could only barely touch his cold lips.

Her arms were thin and her strength was light, yet she pulled so gently—

The boy suddenly lost his balance and bent over unexpectedly, his fall so sudden that he almost knocked the slender girl down onto the table.

He quickly reached out and braced himself against the edge of the table to steady himself.

The wooden table was knocked a few inches off course, its legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound, making the cups and saucers on it rattle softly.

Chai Xiaomi, however, was completely unaware.

She tilted her head back, stubbornly pressing her lips against his, and pressed them hard against his soft lips.

As their breaths mingled and intertwined, the exhaled breaths were scorching, incredibly hot.

Wu Li felt as if something had struck her heart hard.

My mind exploded, leaving a complete blank.

He stared in astonishment, as if struck by lightning. His burning nerves were repeatedly whipped, and it felt as if thousands of blood-red silkworms were writhing in his veins, causing his internal organs to tremble.

A strange, tight throbbing sensation came from my heart, like the reaction of being manipulated by the mother gu, yet completely different.

...Was he seized by something else?

He was unable to move; every inch of his body seemed to be frozen in place, and he could not exert any strength.

A soft, moist touch landed on my lips, carrying a honey-like scent, like a light drizzle, falling gently and softly, settling on my lips and seeping into my heart...

I have never tasted such sweet and lingering drizzle.

Wu Li suppressed his rapid, unbearable breathing, letting the slightly tipsy girl run wild.

After an unknown amount of time, Chai Xiaomi slowly backed away.

She gazed at him hazily, then suddenly smiled, her eyes crinkling, her voice as soft as a whisper: "Just as I imagined, we're so close, Lili..."

Her voice trailed off, and she closed her eyes, gently pressing her forehead against his chest.

She fell asleep right there.

After just a few sips of rice wine, he became so drunk that he lost consciousness.

Wu Li looked down at the girl in his arms. Her eyes were closed, a faint blush rose on her porcelain-white cheeks, and her cherry-pink lips were still glistening with moisture.

I don't know if it's hers or his.

His breathing became slightly heavy, and he even wished that the moistness was his.

The stain on her lips actually looked quite nice.

I had intended to make her suffer a bit, but now, inexplicably, all that resentment vanished instantly, without a trace.

"He really is a freeloader."

The boy, his voice hoarse, muttered a rebuke.

But his movements were incredibly gentle. He slowly and carefully lifted her up in his arms, as if afraid of waking the sleeping girl and disturbing her peaceful dream.

Wu Li himself was unaware that he, who was usually decisive and efficient, was now moving as slowly as a snail; he usually despised stupid people, but just now he almost tripped over the corner of the table.

The journey from the desk to the bed was only a few steps, but his journey was fraught with difficulties.

After carefully wrapping the girl in the blankets, night had already quietly crept into the room.

Wu Li glanced at the open window, stepped forward and gently closed it, then his gaze returned to the pot of rice wine, his eyes gradually turning cold.

He recalled the four screens in the front hall of the inn, and a mocking sneer appeared on his lips.

He slowly and deliberately pricked his fingertip with his knuckles, drawing out a bead of blood, which he then pressed onto the Five Poisons tattoo on his forearm. Instantly, the centipede in the tattoo faintly glowed, and a live centipede burst from the skin, its delicate legs climbing up the door frame, making a circle, and finally silently clinging to the beam.

"You will guard this place tonight," he instructed, and the centipede then disappeared into the shadows.

"I want to see what this soul-locking formation is all about." A hint of interest flashed in the boy's eyes, as if he had discovered some interesting game.

To lock away wandering ghosts in this place, denying them freedom even after death—how deep must the hatred be?

It was even more interesting than his planned revenge.

Even if Chai Xiaomi has a low alcohol tolerance, she wouldn't get drunk after just a few sips of rice wine.

She quietly opened her eyes only after the candlelight went out and darkness completely enveloped the room.

In the pitch black, she pursed her lips, crumpling the blanket in her hands into a tangled mess.

Good heavens! What did she just do?!

Drinking leads to trouble. She was only slightly tipsy, but in a moment of impulsiveness, she actually did what she had been dreaming of!

I am so grateful that Wu Li didn't turn her to ashes instantly.

Since he really didn't know how to end things, he had no choice but to pretend to be drunk, unconscious, and escape into sleep.

After a moment of shame and indignation, Chai Xiaomi regained her composure.

She was pretending to be asleep and didn't dare to open her eyes, but she heard what Wu Li said.

What is a Soul-Locking Array?

After the candle went out, he left the room and disappeared.

She looked up and saw that the windows were tightly closed, but a strong wind was blowing outside, and the occasional cooing of birds could be heard in the distance, which sounded particularly eerie at night.

The moonlight cast the shadows of the trees onto the window paper, the branches swaying and casting indistinct shadows, like countless ghostly figures clinging to the window with bared teeth and claws.

Her back stiffened, and she suddenly remembered that Wu Li had said to have "something" guard the house. Where was that thing now?

The room was pitch black and nothing could be seen, except for a faint rustling sound coming from the roof beams, like something tiny brushing against the wood grain.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, so she simply buried herself completely under the covers.

That night seemed exceptionally long.

She only felt sleepy in the latter half of the night.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a faint sobbing sound, like a cold spider's web, crept into her ears.

It didn't come from outside the door, nor from outside the window; the sound... seemed to permeate the air in the room, carrying endless sorrow and resentment.

Chai Xiaomi woke up instantly, held her breath, and her body stiffened under the covers.

The crying was intermittent, mixed with indistinct murmurs.

Immediately afterwards, she felt the bed shake slightly. It wasn't an earthquake, but more like... something heavy was being dragged across the floor.

"Wu Li..." she called silently in her heart, her fingers gripping the corner of the blanket tightly.

Just then, a series of rapid rustling sounds came from the roof beam.

Seemingly carrying a peculiar sense of unease and warning after being disturbed, the crying soon ceased.

But not long after, "Squeak—"

A soft, teeth-grinding sound of a door hinge turning rang out.

It wasn't a door; it sounded like a cabinet door or a wall in the room had opened by itself.

Chai Xiaomi almost screamed. She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to stay still, but in her heart she was praying frantically: Wu Li, come back soon!