Chapter 46: Black Eyes

    Nian tried to break free from Jin Jiuchi’s grip only to find that he could not budge at all. The man was holding him so tight as though not caring that he would accidentally break Nian’s bones in the process. His weight bore down on Nian’s small body, so heavy that Nian was quickly losing breath.

    A few nights ago, he had pinned Jin Jiuchi on the window and at that time, he gauged that their strength was more or less the same. But right now, not only could he not break free, he was completely under the other person’s mercy just like a helpless butterfly ensnared in the intricate webs...

    Damn it, had Jin Jiuchi been hiding his real strength all this time?!

    Nian had no idea how they ended up in the current predicament.

    He had just been warning Jin Jiuchi that the nightmare creature might show up in their room later tonight when he turned his head and found that Jin Jiuchi had fallen asleep with his eyes peacefully shut. Nian had scoffed at how nai?ve and defenseless he was, but then everything abruptly changed as soon as the hour hand of the clock struck ten and the paper dolls began to perform their celebration dance around the apartment.

    As the eerie upbeat music of gongs and trumpets reverberated through the air, Jin Jiuchi snapped his eyes open and Nian immediately sensed something was off from the way the man looked at him.

    He propped himself up and silently summoned his needles, his wary gaze fixed on Jin Jiuchi without moving.

    Though he had not experienced it himself, he had read a few discussions in the forum where players were possessed in a supernatural type Cycle. He assumed that it was what had happened to Jin Jiuchi.

    Not wanting to alert the man, he loosened his tense muscles and pretended to ask in a casual tone, "Why aren’t you sleeping? We still have to save our energy for tonight."

    Jin Jiuchi stared at him for one long moment with those glowing, inhumane silver eyes of his. One second he was lying on the bed, and the next second, he abruptly pounced on Nian!

    Nian’s eyes widened in shock. Fortunately, he had not lowered his guard even a bit and his physique, which had been enhanced by the Nightmare, enabled him to roll off the bed and evade Jin Jiuchi’s hand only by a hair’s breadth. Shock coursed through his entire body, not because of the man’s sudden attack, but his agility. He was fast, so fast that if Nian had not prepared himself, he would have been caught for sure!

    Nian rolled on the ground and came to a stop in a crouching position, one knee on the ground and the other bent in front of him, poised and ready to spring into action. Three gleaming needles appeared between his fingers as his purple eyes shone in a fierce intensity. "Yang Rouchuan!" he growled out and threw the needles forward with a flick of his hand. "Don’t get affected by whatever you are seeing! You have to snatch your body back!"

    The needles cut through the air with a faint whistle, and once again, Jin Jiuchi managed to catch him by surprise when he dodged the needles with a tilt of his body, causing them to strike the bed instead and leaving three long marks behind.

    As Nian continued to fight Jin Jiuchi amidst the narrow and enclosed space, doubt began to gnaw on the back of his mind.

    Was this man really possessed or not...?

    As far as he knew, possession allowed the ghost to take control of someone’s body just like a marionette moved by invisible strings. It meant that their movements would be sluggish and draggy akin to a drunkard, and their eyes would roll backwards to show only the whites as an indication that their subconsciousness was invaded by a foreign force.

    However, the man in front of him moved with the easy and lazy grace of a predator, quiet and deadly. His attack was brisk and precise, and his eyes... those piercing, intense eyes pinned on Nian as if wanting to swallow him whole...

    Shivers ran down Nian’s spine at being the recipient of that predatory gaze, and that slightest carelessness caused him to trip on the leg of the chair. Eyes widening, he let out a surprised ’ah!’ as he fell backward along with the chair and Jin Jiuchi took the chance to lunge forward and pinned him down to the floor!

    "Damn!" Nian intended to flip himself up and change their position, but Jin Jiuchi grabbed hold of his wrists and locked his movements. He raised his leg to kick the man’s stomach, but again it was as if Jin Jiuchi had seen through him as he grabbed Nian’s leg before the attack could land, while his other hand quickly moved to restrain both of Nian’s wrists on top of his head.

    Nian’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach as he stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar man above him.

    His hair had gotten disheveled due to their tussle earlier and strands of it fell over his forehead to cover his eyes slightly. His breathing did not even change, as opposed to Nian who looked as if he had just run a marathon. He was staring down at Nian with a half-lidded gaze that was heavy in intent, and once again Nian shivered, feeling as if he could feel the stare like a tangible caress on his skin.

    Was this it? Was he going to die by the hands of this silly husky? No... how could he still take this man as a husky when he finally showed his true colors? It seemed like he had truly misjudged Jin Jiuchi’s character!

    Alas, even when the death scythe was looming over his neck, Nian refused to show any fear whatsoever. He raised his chin and challenged in a haughty tone, "So, are you going to kill me now?"

    Jin Jiuchi blinked at him slowly as though weighing his choices, and then he leaned toward Nian’s neck.

    Nian shut his eyes tight when the heated exhale fanned across his skin, jaws painfully clenched. But then, just as he thought that his neck would be torn apart and he would really die a meaningless death, Jin Jiuchi... pressed his nose to the crook of his neck and took a deep inhale.

    Nian stiffened. What—?

    "Haa..." Jin Jiuchi let out a heavy exhale and as though not enough, he breathed in again, this time longer. His voice was deep, low and rumbled from deep within his chest, and somehow it made Nian feel as if all the oxygen around him had been sucked away.

    "Nian’er, you smell so..." he trailed off, unable to find the perfect word to describe the allure it held toward him.

    Nian’s eyes flew wide in shock. So Jin Jiuchi still recognized who he was! This was really not a case of possession! He gritted out, half in anger and half in embarrassment at the perverted way Jin Jiuchi was smelling him, "What do you want."

    Jin Jiuchi pulled back a bit with his eyes narrowed and Nian’s breathing abruptly stuttered to a halt when he looked into the man’s eyes, for they were no longer the silver he had gotten familiar with, but pitch black in color. At such a close distance, he could see the ring of gold around Jin Jiuchi’s thin irises. Instead of looking strange, it added a sinister and evil air to his aggressive features instead.

    Nian gaped at him, "Your eyes..."

    "If I tell you what I want," a lazy smirk hung over the corner of his lips. "Will you give it to me?"