Chapter 24: 2.8

Now Jia Hyson wouldn't say that what happened next was the worst two weeks of Professor Shen's life. He wasn't Professor Shen. How the fuck would he know the highs and lows of that old fart's history?

But he was very confident that it was definitely not one of his best.

After the professor fainted, Li Guiren came in, apparently having witnessed most of the scene since Professor Shen hadn't left the door closed to provide a better escape route. Not that it did much for him. Also, Jia Hyson was a little worried that Li Guiren was going to grow up a little skewed now. He had just witnessed a.. 'hairy' situation after all.

Jia Hyson: *muffled hysterical laughter*

Bebe: '...This is a child's future you're talking about you piece of shit.'  ಠ_ಠ

'Go tell your dad that he went mad and destroyed the dolls himself.' He writes quickly down as Li Guiren dazedly stares at his doll, his little mind having some trouble comprehending the scene he had saw. 'Act scared, keep it simple, I'll do the rest.'

Li Guiren takes the note, and with a pale face, nods cautiously. He knows enough now to realise that his ghost friend was not simple. However despite feeling nervous he didn't feel any fear toward his friend.

Uncle Shen is a bad man anyway and Li Guiren felt that Wei was someone good. Wei was the only one who pays attention to someone like him, even when sometimes it's a bit obvious Wei gets a little bored of his ramblings Wei still takes the time to answer back and prompt for more. How could a bad person be so considerate? Even his dad won't- Even after watching Wei break the man's hands... Li Guiren silently thought it was very cool. Whatever Old man Shen did must have been pretty bad though.

Ripping the note in pieces, Li Guiren goes to intelligently flush the evidence down the toilet before going to his father. As an afterthought he uses the tap water to dap around his eyes and fake tears before looking at the mirror with some satisfaction, nodding to himself before running off.

Meanwhile, Jia Hyson was trying to drag Professor Shen's unconscious body using both Hair Control and [Psychic Terror] and pose him like he had accidentally fell back and hit his head on something. It was a little more difficult than anticipated. Like playing one of those shitty games where you had to control a person to walk with various buttons representing different leg muscles it was literally one step forward two steps back.

'Easy, easy,' Bebe supports as Jia Hyson slowly lifts the limp body and tries not to drop him for the nth time. On the bright side, it'll support the whole 'psychotic mental breakdown' thing he's trying to convince the other people of the Shen household and or medical professionals. It was more difficult than he had thought, for starters he couldn't hold the body too tightly with his hair unless he wants some strange unexplainable bruises appearing and his [Psychic Terror] was much weaker than he had first thought.

See, most special skills like [Psychotic Break] or [Burger Prince] have a maximum level of 20, 25 or 30 and generally along the way will produce other special, more advanced, skills once they reach certain points.

Some special skills like [Animal Charmer] due to it's versatility, leveling specifications or low effects can be leveled up to level 50 or even 100. In this case Jia Hyson only has a level of 2 for this particular skill because he has only been able to coax and establish a friendship or 'tame' more than three individuals in two different species- human and corvids, which are birds like ravens and crows for those less inclined to the realm of taxonomy. So [Animal Charmer] requires one to more or less become friendly and close with another species before the effect of the skill will automatically take place, which in this case is boosting his natural charm for the given (and to a lesser extent, related) species. Yeah. Less impressive than it sounds.

On the other hand there are special skills like [Gods Scribe] that cap at level 12 and are hell to level up. Jia Hyson saw the requirements for level 9 and he promptly gave up. Level 8 out of 12 was a very respectable level. Maybe if he was still the famous author with a fantastic reputation and global fan base he possibly could've done it but even then there's still a very good chance he wouldn't be able to accomplish it in his lifetime. Hell, he had barely made the requirements for level 8- produce five successful screenplays and five novels each over 150,000 words that are watched and read over 80% of the globe that have a rating of the equivalent of 4.2/5 stars and higher over the span of three years with at least two of these works creating a large impact politically, socio-economically, culturally or psychologically. Like damn, even he was impressed that he managed to accomplish this. That sort of shit was easier said than done. And it wasn't very easy to say either.

However it was nothing compared to the task in order to level up to level 9- Produce three works that will shake the world. They must obviously be of top tier quality with a global popularity of the equivalent of 4.5/5 stars, seen, read or heard by over 90% of the world's population or over an average of 75% in five planets'. Must have one work that wins an award not directly related to literature such as a Nobel Prize etc.

...Etc? Etc his sister! Was he writing a story or the cure for cancer?! Not to mention, over 90% of the world? Aren't they underestimating that 10% increase? There's no such thing as a story that can fit everybody's taste, not to mention the differences in entertainment values between nations and generations! Does that mean he has to wait for an intergalactic type story before he can even try? Peh, he can't be fooled, as if the intergalactic option is easier- to cross the boundaries between countries was already hard enough, interplanetary communication between completely different species is just asking for death!

The greatest achievements anyone had ever made via written word in the fiction department in his original world was probably the fucking bible okay? Or possibly Lord of the R*ngs. He doesn't fucking know. He didn't really read either of them to be perfectly candid but he knows that they don't hold the requirements to achieve a level 9. How can he beat the Bible? He's not fucking Jesus! He can't walk on water or turn stone into bread or destroy a magical ring in an epic journey to the world's meanest volcan-oh wait, he thinks he may have mixed something up there.

Anyway... What was he on about?

The sound of Professor Shen's body accidentally slamming into the nearby shelves was heard as well as the sound of creaking 18th Century carve wood.

Ah, right. That.

The point was, special skills come in all shapes, sizes, rarities and usefulness. And while [Psychic Terror] has the potential for being the most treasured special skill any host, hell, any individual would cherish, it, like it's name implies, was a damn terror to max. [Animal Charmer] is the type of skill that has many levels but rather easy to understand or accomplish. [God's Scribe] is the opposite, with a rather small amount of levels before reaching it's peak but with incredibly hard to the point of impossible requirements.

[Psychic Terror] is both of these types of skills in the worst way. Over a hundred levels. The requirements to move up a level constantly change and since it's so rare Bebe has little in the way of information to provide other than usually it needs certain levels of other skills alongside actual tasks provided to pass. In this case, to reach level 2, his Hair Control must be over 75, [Cruel Caress] must be over level 5 and he must indirectly kill or save 10 people by using [Psychic Terror (active) Level 1]. It should be once again reiterated that [Psychic Terror (active) Level 1] was weak as chicken shit.

'No no no.... yeah, fine, okay that should be okay Bebe supposes,' Bebe backseat drives with the air of someone forced to do so yet can't stand watching Jia Hyson's shoddy work. It really was a pity that Jia Hyson didn't buy Bebe a corporeal form. He wouldn't mind killing his system a few times with his bare hands.

Bebe: '...I think I'll exchange that therapy class coupon for one on couples therapy QAQ'

By the time Li Guiren, his father Li Du and a nervous looking Shen Wan entered the room was even more of a mess than before. It really looked like a madman had gone berserk in that place.

Jia Hyson, as the one perfectly intact doll in the room, had dropped himself onto the floor and rolled under a shelf to give the illusion of a 'lucky escape' rather than the image of a suspicious doll. Which was hard. Because all dolls were inherently suspicious.

Bebe: 'Woah, never pegged my host for a racist.'

Jia Hyson: 'Ain't a stereotype if it's true Bebe. Dolls can never be trusted. Now that I'm also a doll I can officially confirm it.'

Bebe: '...isn't that just because Host himself can't be trusted and is a shady bitch? (¬_¬)'

Jia Hyson: '...was the shady bitch part really necessary.'

Bebe: (∩❛ڡ❛∩)

Jia Hyson: ‎(ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻ My System doesn't love me

He had thought that it would take a few days of cleaning up the mess before he was found but to his surprise, Li Guiren seemed to zero in on his hiding place with the accuracy of a bloodhound. However his family's dumpling restrained himself well, pulling his sharp gaze away before looking tearily at his shocked father. "See! See! I told you! Uncle Shen went crazy and then slipped and fell! Daddy what should we do?!"

"I-" Li Du falters. How should he know?! Silently he curses Shen Wan. He had only wooed her because she came from a well off family, not bad looking and seemed quite kind if a little gullible and ditzy. If he knew that her brother was a crazy violent person he wouldn't have dropped his son into her care. Li Du knew he wasn't very attached to the title of father but he would never knowingly put Li Guiren in an unsafe environment. "Wan Wan, go call for an ambulance. Guiren, daddy is going to move Uncle Shen out of the room, you should stay out too there's a lot of... broken things there."

He shudders at the sight of a hundred shattered and ripped up dolls in the room. Limbs and hair and broken faces staring back at him in the dim light. Even though they weren't alive Li Du felt a profound sense of grief, malice and an indescribable wrongness emanating in the room. Though a man collecting such girly items was a little weird, the atmosphere was off, giving the whole place a rather uncomfortable vibe. A moron can tell this room was not something good. Li Du looks at Professor Shen with disgust. He had never thought much of the old man, a haughty stuck up conservative with no appreciation for music but who knew his kid was right? That he really was hiding a mysterious sinister secret. What exactly it was Li Du truly didn't care or want to learn.

"But..." Li Guiren glances at where Jia Hyson had hidden, "Dad I want to clean up," the excuse was especially flimsy given the bear child's rather naughty personality. He was the type to set small fires in the garden with his homework and hide his vegetables in various places around the house like a small drug smuggler. So Li Du who was aware of this was not fooled.

"Go to your room."

Li Guiren frowned and clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Tch, Daddy, to have no trust... this is why all your pretty friends leave you all alone."

Li Du: ...this unfilial kid. Wasn't the reason half of them left because you were such a little monster?

Helplessly he says, "Fine, you can clean up a bit before I come back. I think I saw a dustpan somewhere in Uncle Shen's room, go get that and push the mess to one corner. I'll be back in ten minutes or so."

Li Guiren smiles widely, giving his father a hug before running off to find the dustpan. "Thanks dad! Love you!"

Jia Hyson who was eavesdropping was also a little speechless. It seems his family's sweet dumpling was unexpectedly a little spicy too... he rather likes it.

Bebe: 'You're disgusting.'

Disgusting Jia Hyson: 'Oh fuck off you know I didn't mean it like that you sick fuck.'

Sick Fuck Bebe: '...'

Once Li Du left, dragging an unconscious Professor Shen unceremoniously behind him, Li Guiren wasted no time to crouch down by the shelf on top of Jia Hyson expectantly. Feeling a little embarrassed by the enthusiasm, Jia Hyson enters his doll body to awkwardly half crawl, half drag himself out of hiding in front of the kid. Even though he looked rather pathetic, with his beautiful clothes and body now messed up and dirty from the dust and cobwebs where he lay, Li Guiren still watched him like he was the most entrancing fairy in the world. It was very flattering.

"Wei!" Li Guiren cheers before excitedly cupping his hands and pushing it toward the doll. "I didn't know you can move! Come! I'll carry you!"

Jia Hyson looks at those small hands and hesitates. It should be known that while Jia Hyson isn't exactly life-sized he was definitely larger than the average Barbie. Maybe about the length of a slightly large baby and half as heavy given he was made out of porcelain and was filled with blood. He was very worried this child was overestimating his strength and would drop him.

Surprisingly though, the bear child was strong. Easily hefting up Jia Hyson's deceptively delicate body with his arms much to his shock. Damn, what were kids eating these days?!

Bebe: 'Not everyone was as weak and un-athletic as Host as a kid.'

Jia Hyson: 'I wasn't un-athletic! I was artistic and sensitive!'

Bebe: 'Yeah. Okay. Sure.' ╮(╯∀╰)╭

Jia Hyson: Hoho, his system has gotten bolder (°ㅂ°╬)

Gently but ultimately clumsily, Li Guiren tries to brush the dust and grime off Jia Hyson's body. Of course, even if the boy used steel wool to rub his porcelain body while he was inside the doll Jia Hyson would not feel anything except probably a sense of alarm and indignation over such a stupid act. Still, Jia Hyson greatly enjoyed the thought behind the action.

Given all the terror and such that he had recently collected courtesy of ATM Shen, he decides to indulge the kid a little and show him his more human form. To be honest, not even he had seen his own face since there weren't exactly any mirrors around and he didn't have much energy to waste on vanity in the first place. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous about showing himself despite knowing full well he was written to be a stunning pinnacle of human perfection.

Closing the door shut and locking the door, the room becomes several degrees colder making Li Guiren shiver. Suddenly a cold but familiar pale white hand touches his face, smelling faintly of ash and charcoal. Stroking his soft cheek before tilting his chin up slowly, the hand lets the boy see how silky black smoke seemed to curl upwards like dark mist from the doll in his arms, becoming less and less translucent the further up his gaze travels until he sees the darkness form a chest with broad but thin shoulders and slender, toned arms covered in what looked like a black long-sleeved traditional Tang shirt. The neck coming out of the collar was like the moon peeking behind a cloud on the darkest night and long black hair was billowing out everywhere like delicate strips of seaweed in the deepest ocean. Finally Li Guiren reaches Wei's face and even he, a child with little concepts of attraction and beauty could not help but suck in a breath at the sight of that face. It was indescribable. Those slanted peach blossom eyes that gave the young man a mournful yet enticing air, those soft lips, the soft yet sharp angles of his face... everything fit so well it was almost eerie how beautiful the man was.

Li Guiren felt this man was like one of those princesses from the fairy tales his mother loved to tell him. Hair as black as coal, skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood. A possessive feeling that had long sprouted in the little boy's heart bloomed violently.

"Xiao Ren," Jia Hyson smiles, his hand moving to affectionately stroke Li Guiren's hair, making sure to not scratch him with his nails. His voice was also just as pleasing as his appearance. Clear but soft, a gentle voice suited for sweet words and reassurance. However it was also a little hoarse and roughened with an underlying demonic echo, a hint of something monstrous, "You've done well," he praised and while it was said genuinely and his voice was very good, it somehow came out a little sinister.

Jia Hyson: '...Oh my god, I really do sound like a pedo supervillain talking to his underage sidekick.'

Bebe: 'What would that make Bebe?'

Jia Hyson: 'My Alfred supercomputer.'

Bebe: ...Aiyah, is it bad that I'm a little flattered? (／≧ω＼)

"Wei, you can talk?!" Li Guiren exclaims in amazement.

Jia Hyson gives the child an embarrassed look, "It takes a lot of energy right now but yes." His expression quickly turns serious, "Time is of the essence Xiao Ren. If you want to stay by my side you must tell me now, if not, throw me away and wait for your father to find me." This is Li Guiren's last chance to change his path, Jia Hyson no longer has the humanity to truly feel guilt if the boy changes his mind and he doesn't have the patience to wait until he grows old enough to fully comprehend his decisions. It was already kind enough he was offering to break their relationship off at all given his attachment to the kid. Or maybe it was because of this attachment he was even willing to offer it.

Li Guiren's eyes flash in a panic at the thought of Wei being helped by someone else other than him, being so close to someone else other than him. Even his own father was not acceptable. "N-No!" He shouts, fiercely hugging the fragile body tightly against his small chest, "I want to help! I can help! Really! I won't leave!"

Jia Hyson sighs, feeling moved by the indignant and reluctant cry. Once again he feels he really should warn the child, after all, has anyone seen any horror movie where a child is around a possessed doll and doesn't come out of it fucked up? Either turned demonic, psycho, reclusive, insane or dead. Sure there's always those happy endings one where the kid and his family walk hand and hand out of whatever haunted shitshow they stumbled into but come on, we all know that kid is being sent straight into therapy right after. "Xiao Ren, I think you already know that my spirit is tainted and my aims are impure, if you stay with me I fear you too will become twisted," he explains carefully. Jia Hyson was a little reluctant to be too crass and admit he planned to murder a bunch of people in a bunch of different ways.

"I don't care!" The obstinate boy declares, "No matter what I, Li Guiren, will be your friend forever! No! Matter! What!" If he had his hands free he would have probably thumped his chest to emphasize his conviction.

Jia Hyson: 'Bebe, record this.' He May need it for future emergency fluff withdrawals aka legitimate psychotic murder ghost breaks.

Bebe: 'Already on it.'

Aaahh, despite their constant fighting, they really had quite compatible wavelengths. While they felt a little bad (more Bebe than Jia Hyson) they were truly reluctant to get rid of their family's small dumpling. However it will be okay! They (Bebe) will make sure to minimize anything to graphic in front of those pure eyes and also be helpful in other aspects like, like homework! Yeah! Jia Hyson's biology, English and literature marks had been very high back in the day and Bebe was one of the most advanced pieces of technology! Even if the kid becomes a reclusive demonic insane psycho he'll be a damn smart one!

"Fine," Jia Hyson shrugs helplessly as his heart is moved by Li Guiren's words, "I truly hope you won't regret,"

"I won't!" Li Guiren insists feeling more sure than anything in his little life. It was very cute. "Believe me! I want to be with you forever!"

Awww.

Jia Hyson smiles softly, his slanted peach blossom eyes giving the expression a hint of melancholy which cannot help but stoke a desire to protect him. On his original face it was enough to make many passerby's heart skip a beat, tricking them into an impression of a pure-hearted scholarly man. Even the people who had known him well could not help but be pulled into a false sense of bittersweetness when he smiled so gently like that, it was how he managed to sleep with so many of his editors after all despite the fact they all wanted to beat him to death more times any acquaintance should have. Now with a face 300% more perfect and beautiful even his worst enemy would have fallen to his knees and proposed much less a child completely defenseless to these sorts of poisonous beauties.

Stroking the kid's fluffy hair affectionately, Jia Hyson impulsively kisses his forehead before slowly fading away, turning into black smoke and dissipating, the faint smell of ash and a soft echo of "Good boy," lingering in the room.

Dazed, Li Guiren touches his forehead where cold but soft lips had pressed against. He stayed frozen in this position until his father came back for him. Li Du stepped in and looked around the room first before exclaiming in mild surprise.

"Xiao Ren! You really cleaned?!" He really had thought the kid would have taken the opportunity to snoop around. But shockingly the majority of the floor was swept clean! All the debris and broken dolls were pushed to a single corner, making a small hill that was rather terrifying to look at. Not to mention it had only been around ten minutes too! How impressive! "Well done!"

If Jia Hyson heard this train of thought he would have applauded. As expected of the horror genre trope father character that cared about his family but was ultimately a little neglectful due to various reasons! Really has no suspicions of anything off until it's too late and hits him right in the face like having Professor Shen lying in the middle of a dark room filled with broken dolls. He wonders if Li Du is going to be the type of father character that is going to be greedy and ignorant and keep living in this nice house or is he going to be sensibly cautious and ditch the house oblivious to the fact that the demon responsible is following right behind?

Bebe: 'Bebe votes cautious, he's already been weirded out by the room. Also, it doesn't look like he wants to continue dating Shen Wan.'

Jia Hyson disagrees, 'I think Li Du will think about leaving at first but since they've been here for so long he'll be reluctant. Moving is hard and from what I see, Shen Wan is an easy doormat given she's been babysitting her boyfriend's kid for this long. Eventually Li Du will dismiss his own unease in favor of keeping this easy lifestyle, especially since the annoying brother-in-law will be sent to a hospital or something depending on his injuries.'

However it didn't matter either way. Li Guiren was now his. And the path they will walk will be paved with the bodies of those that have wronged Bai Li Wei.. and the unfortunate future victims that will fit his still undecided modus operandi of murder. He's thinking all middle aged men but that's a little too on the nose in his opinion. Also, that would leave him without a personal main character to victimize! How could he justify attacking a group of teens if all he ever killed was guys in their mid-life crises?

Also ugh, he didn't want to center his whole murderous calling around old dudes, what was he? The least enthusiastic old folks home therapist ever? Hell no.

Meanwhile Li Guiren looked blankly at his father, after all he certainly didn't clean up. However after looking around the room he realized it was indeed much cleaner than before. Thinking about how Wei had broke Creepy Uncle Shen's hands with his hair, he realizes that he had been so entranced by Wei's face that he hadn't been paying attention to what the ghost's flowing hair had been doing during the conversation.

Li Guiren felt his chest go warm at the thought of his ghost friend's thoughtfulness. After all, even though he was a troublemaking kid, no one liked to be scolded so Wei's help behind the scenes further cemented Li Guiren's trust and good feelings toward the doll spirit. Silently he congratulates himself for managing to convince Wei into staying forever with him.

Sometimes it's not just dreams that are capable of inverting black and white, turning the illogical into the logical. While Wei may think he's trapping Li Guiren by keeping him by his side, who says that is the true reality of the situation?

With a wide smile, Li Guiren hugs the doll tightly, unwilling to let go.

Until they do us part.