Chapter 107: A Jealous Man

    For one suspended moment, their gazes collided in midair, and violent sparks seemed to fly from that single line of contact.

    W–Was the skill card not working, after all?

    Shen Nianzu felt his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. Indeed, he was taking a gamble by using the skill card on Jin Jiuchi. On one hand, he had no idea whether mind control would work on Jin Jiuchi whom he suspected to be a nightmare creature, but on the other hand... if it did work, then it was equivalent to putting Jin Jiuchi on a leash, where Shen Nianzu would be able to control him as he pleased!

    Alas, it looked like this skill card’s level was still too low to achieve the effect he wanted...

    Just as he was planning to move to plan B – that was to break away by brute force – Jin Jiuchi suddenly let go of him, catching him off guard.

    "Holy shit..." an astonished look crossed his features as he stared at Jin Jiuchi’s dazed look. "Is it really working?!"

    Jin Jiuchi blinked, seemingly muddled, "Is what really working, Nian’er?"

    "Shut up," Shen Nianzu snapped at him fiercely. "You’re not allowed to talk unless I allow you to."

    Lo and behold, Jin Jiuchi really clamped his mouth shut and sat still with a sullen look on his face!

    This was the first time Shen Nianzu had ever seen such a docile appearance on the black-eyed Jin Jiuchi, and he could not help but sneak a few more glances. The skill card was really effective... right? Or was this just another act to deceive him? When he recalled the trick Jin Jiuchi had just pulled on him, a flicker of anger ignited in his heart.

    No, he should not trust what he was seeing right now. Whether the skill card was truly working or not, he only needed to put it to test and discover the truth for himself!

    He cleared his throat and pondered for a while before deciding to ask the most basic question, "What’s your name?"

    "Jin Jiuchi...?" The man tilted his head in confusion. "I thought you knew it already?"

    Shen Nianzu glared at him. "So what? Just answer the damn questions and don’t ask anything in return!"

    If it was the usual Jin Jiuchi, he would have proceeded to press Shen Nianzu with questions and provoked him to the brink of anger, but this time, the man merely let out a hum and stayed silent. Looking at him like this, the suspicion in Shen Nianzu’s heart started to ebb away, and relief trickled into his heart. He could finally loosen the tension on his shoulders and allow himself to relax.

    There should be no problems. Jin Jiuchi’s behavior right now was just like Zhi when Sister Hong first used the skill card on him — docile, tame, and blindly following orders.

    Shen Nianzu wrapped the blanket around him tighter, trying and failing to chase away the biting chill on his body. His eyes widened when he saw Jin Jiuchi suddenly reaching out to him, and he brandished his blade in a defensive reflex, just like a spooked cat. "W–What do you want to do?!"

    "You look cold," he remarked with an innocent face. "I just want to hold you just like he did earlier. Can I?"

    Shen Nianzu cast him a suspicious look. However, upon recalling how warm and toasty Jin Jiuchi’s embrace was, his steel-like resolve instantly shook like a fragile house of cards. It should be okay... right? After all, this man was under his control now, and if he had a natural heater in such close proximity, why shouldn’t he take advantage of it?

    "Then..." As soon as a sliver of hesitation showed on his face, Jin Jiuchi immediately swooped in like a hawk to grab him, forcing a startled gasp out of his lips.

    S–So fast! The man was so fast that he was practically a blur, and the next thing Shen Nianzu knew, he was already being cradled in a firm and familiar embrace. It was the exact same position as the one he had woken up in earlier.

    But there was an extremely grave problem.

    "C–Cold!!" His teeth chattered uncontrollably as he tried to push Jin Jiuchi away, "Why the hell are you so cold?! You’re practically a block of ice right now!"

    However, Jin Jiuchi’s arms were akin to unyielding steel that refused to budge. Holding the jade doll close to him, he tutted, "How ruthless, Nian’er. Even if I’m cold, won’t I heat up soon if we snuggle like this? Moreover, isn’t it that fool’s fault? If only he had not fallen into the lake of the afterlife, I would not be in such a pathetic state right now." He gnashed his teeth in anger, "Had I been a tad slower, I would have been dragged together with him!"

    "Wait, wait a moment..." There was so much information in Jin Jiuchi’s words that Shen Nianzu had no idea where to start. He cradled his throbbing and sluggish head, while Jin Jiuchi took the opportunity to draw him closer until not even a sheet of paper could pass between them. Too exhausted to resist, Shen Nianzu simply rested his head on Jin Jiuchi’s chest.

    Unaware that above him, a glint of crazed delight flashed through Jin Jiuchi’s black eyes, and his expression revealed an intense greed as if he could not wait to gobble up the fragrant jade doll in his arms.

    When Shen Nianzu raised his head, not even a trace of the previous emotions remained in the man’s face, replaced solely by a well-behaved appearance. "You said he fell into the lake of the afterlife? And you have the ability to separate yourself from him? Wait, is that why your heart is not beating?!" The more he asked, the more enthusiastic he was. He grabbed onto Jin Jiuchi’s arm and continued to press for answers, "Why are you aware of his existence, but not the other way around? Why were you locked in the asylum? Are you... really a nightmare creature?"

    Jin Jiuchi let out a faint chuckle. Unable to help himself, he reached out to play with the strands of Shen Nianzu’s silver hair, fiddling it between his long fingers. "First, yes. That fool got himself into a mess and slipped into the lake of the afterlife, that’s why his spirit is not here now. But..." he narrowed his eyes and squeezed the jade doll in his arms. Each word was spat out through gritted teeth, dripping with venom, "Why are you so concerned about him every single time? Hmm, Nian’er?"

    "You brute! Do you want to suffocate me to death?!" Shen Nianzu flailed around in an attempt to struggle, forcing Jin Jiuchi to loosen his hold. He noticed that the black-eyed Jin Jiuchi seemed to despise it whenever they talked about his counterpart, which was utterly ridiculous. He snorted,

    "Do you know what you look like right now?" He reached out to grab Jin Jiuchi’s chin, shaking it back and forth with a mocking look. "A jealous man. Why would you be jealous of him? Aren’t you two, like you’ve said earlier, one and the same?"

    "We are," Jin Jiuchi replied, his gaze darkening as if thinking of a horrible past. "But not in the past. We used to be two individuals, but since I ate him..." he revealed a sharp grin upon noticing that Shen Nianzu had frozen with a horrified look. Without a warning, he suddenly changed his tune, his eyes twinkling in mirth, "Or was it him who ate me? What’s the difference? Didn’t we become one in the end?"

    He winked at Shen Nianzu, "Right, Nian’er?"

    "Y–You..." Shen Nianzu gaped at him in disbelief. "You damned psycho!"