Chapter 76 - My Costar Takes Me Out

Yao Shen almost bites down on his tongue. Is Xin Hulei trying to kill him?

Before he can spew any more filth, Yao Shen lifts a hand and places it over Xin Hulei's mouth, hovering a hairsbreadth away from his lips as to not ruin his makeup.

"Shut up, that's not it," he hisses. "Keep your voice down."

Xin Hulei frowns minutely and pulls Yao Shen's hand down. "Speak."

His tone is slightly petulant, Yao Shen preens inwardly at the knowledge that Xin Hulei is disappointed.

"Ye Fang seems to be under the impression that our hotel is riddled with ghosts."

Xin Hulei's expression grows serious at once. "Have you seen any?"

Yao Shen shakes his head. "But I don't spend much time outside my hotel room, and if I remember correctly her room is near Gao Wu's."

He omits the fact that Ye Fang believes there are also demons around, because 1) there are, and 2) unlike the ghosts, Yao Shen knows who they are.

"It's probably getting worse, because he has more reasons to be upset lately," Xin Hulei says, his tone even, but in his inscrutable dark eyes a little flicker of inner satisfaction glints.

Yao Shen is becoming better at reading him.

He punches Xin Hulei softly on the side of the arm. "Don't gloat about other people's misfortune."

"Why not, if their misfortune is my good luck?"

Xin Hulei's smooth voice and his silky words get to Yao Shen fast, his ears stinging from the sudden heat.

Perhaps noticing the state he has reduced Yao Shen to, Xin Hulei changes the subject. "I'll come by your hotel room later and we can investigate it. It won't be good for too many ghosts to walk around unchecked."

One corner of his lips ticks up and he straightens the collar of Yao Shen's robes. "Your grandfather was a daoist priest, it's your duty to exorcise the restless spirits and protect the common people."

He leaves Yao Shen with those parting words, who wonders once again, why he keeps telling lies he can't get out of.

He was the top of his class in Marxist studies! What the fuck does he know about putting restless spirits to rest?

---

It's an universal rule than when he wishes time would slow down, it only speeds up faster because the universe enjoys spiting down on downtrodden people like Yao Shen, so the rest of the day passes by in a breeze, and by the time he notices he's already in the car with Bi Jialu returning to his hotel room.

Whatever he does, Yao Shen cannot give in to temptation and do anything with Xin Hulei in his bedroom, it's unlikely the ghoul will be back so soon, but it pays to be cautious. If the ghost kings get wind that he and Xin Hulei spent the night together they'll want to know why he didn't use the gu insect.

Of course there's the matter of the system too, Yao Shen doesn't know what it wants exactly, but he's sure that he doesn't want to let it listen in while he and Xin Hulei get intimate.

It's obvious that the only safe place for the two of them is Xin Hulei's apartment.

Yao Shen will have to do his best to steer Xin Hulei away from any funny business while they are in his hotel room.

There's the system reward 'exorcism' to consider too. It probably would come in handy with the ghost infestation, but there's the issue of hiding it from Xin Hulei.

So many things to consider, only one Yao Shen and his limited storage human brain.

He grows anxious pacing his hotel room, waiting for Xin Hulei to show up whenever, and decides to text him.

[Naughty Ghost: when are we doing this?

[Xin Hulei: ?]

[Xin Hulei: after everyone has gone to bed, of course]

Great, more waiting for Yao Shen, just what he needs.

[Xin Hulei: unless you have any ideas about how we can keep ourselves busy until then?]

Dangerous territory, potential minefield, better not even suggest going to Xin Hulei's place instead or he'll be like a shark smelling blood in the water, asking a lot of questions.

[Naughty Ghost: no ideas, rest :)]

Crisis averted.

Maybe he shouldn't have besmirched his brain's storage capacity so soon.

---

Not five minutes later Yao Shen is playing a mobile game when Xin Hulei appears in the middle of his living room, cloaked in flames.

"So you haven't been possessed," Xin Hulei says, giving Yao Shen an appraising look.

"What?" 

"I wondered what happened to the person who brazenly sent me nudes yesterday," he asks, sitting down next to Yao Shen, trying to bridge the distance between them. 

'He's trying not to get you killed!' Yao Shen thinks to himself, his heart rate picking up with Xin Hulei's proximity, three parts anxiety two parts arousal.

"I'm just tired, I didn't get much sleep," Yao Shen says, smiling through his gritted teeth.

Xin Hulei doesn't look like he believes him, he scoots closer to Yao Shen who immediately jumps out of the sofa.

This absolutely isn't a safe space for them to get close.

Realistically, the ghoul can show up anywhere, but it's more likely that he'll show up when he expects Yao Shen to be on his own.

Therefore, this is absolutely the one place they can't be together for extended periods of time.

"I'm hungry, how about you take me out?" Yao Shen says, trying to make his words sound casual. 

"Are you asking me to take you on a date, instead of directly asking me out yourself?" Xin Hulei asks, one corner of his lip struggling not to curl up.

"And what about you?"

In lieu of an answer, Xin Hulei gets up from the sofa and wraps one arm around Yao Shen's waist. "I know a place."

No sooner is Yao Shen finished rolling his eyes than they arrive on 'Hell on Earth' and flurry of flames.

"You know one place," Yao Shen says, stepping away from him and towards the stairs to the upper floor.

Xin Hulei holds him back by the elbow. "This place is bigger than you think."

He pulls Yao Shen behind a curtain on the left of the big aquarium running the length of the north wall.

It takes Yao Shen some time to adapt to the darkness. He takes the opportunity to cling to Xin Hulei's side.

"Spooky," he says, biting his lip not to laugh. "Maybe there's ghosts here too."

Xin Hulei lets out a huff of amusement, his fingers sliding down Yao Shen's side and cupping his hip.

"That's one thing you'll never find here."

The way he says, as if the very idea is preposterous, it makes Yao Shen go still.

"Why is that?" he asks, disguising his trepidation.

"Past resentments, present resentments," he turns to Yao Shen, his white teeth glinting in the gloom. "Future ones probably too."

That doesn't sound reassuring in the least.

All the more reason for Yao Shen to keep his mouth closed.

---

Xin Hulei takes him to a room that doesn't seem possible.

There are golden wallpapered walls surrounding what looks like a lake, complete with floating lotus flowers, swaying bamboos and swimming carps. The ceiling is so tall as to disappear out of sight.

From the doorway a wooden walkway leads to a platform floating in the middle of the lake, where a low table with several dishes has already been laid out.

"How is this place not rank with mildew?" Yao Shen asks, following Xin Hulei towards the table.

Xin Hulei takes a seat and immediately pours Yao Shen a cup of fragrant fruit wine. "'Hell on Earth' is the sum of everything we could save."

"Save from where?"

"Home."

Xin Hulei drinks his entire cup in a single swig and fills it up again. "Eat," he tells Yao Shen who is giving him an ambiguous look.

"I'm sorry," Yao Shen says, stirring his food listlessly.

He has an inkling who might be responsible for Xin Hulei not having a home anymore.

Xin Hulei shakes his head. "You have nothing to apologize for." He downs another cup, and rummages in the pocket of his jeans, producing a cigarette that lights itself up as soon as it touches his lips. "Unless it's for forcing me to invite you out."

Yao Shen scoffs, and makes a show of waving the smoke away from his face. "You could always not have taken me."

"I like spending time with you," Xin Hulei says, the corner of his lip finally quirking up all the way.

Yao Shen takes a sip of his own wine. "Must be going senile after being alive for so long." 

They're eating in companionable silence, and the mood is easy and relaxed, which is probably why Yao Shen feels compelled to ruin it.

"What would Yan Shuyi think of all this?"

He can never seem to stop himself from thinking about Yan Shuyi when he's spending time with Xin Hulei, especially lately. It's as if he has some bizarre loyalty to the man just because he plays him in a stupid drama.

Xin Hulei's gaze grows unfocused and distant, as if he's reminiscing. The sight of it makes Yao Shen want to take back his words immediately.

Then, it's as if the fog clears from his eyes. "I think he would like that I was treating you to a meal, and I think he would agree that you're much better than the last guy."