Chapter 549: Why Aren’t You?

    Noticing that his reckless attempt worked this time around, Shen Nianzu’s eyes lit up ever so slightly and the tension he wasn’t even aware of slowly ebbed away from his body. His clenched fists loosened in a mix of relief, joy, and apprehension, and it was only then that he realized his palms were clammy with sweat.

    Good... it’s good that Jin Jiuchi was still lucid. He hadn’t yet become completely salvageable.

    As the person closest to him, Shen Nianzu vividly perceived that something was off with the man’s temperament. He seemed twice as irascible and cranky somehow. And if Shen Nianzu had to pinpoint where it all started, then it should be after Jin Jiuchi consumed the Mad Hatter’s concoction.

    Shen Nianzu wasn’t so nai?ve to believe that Jin Jiuchi would turn out perfectly fine despite the fact that he wasn’t at all human. He reckoned that the concoction must have affected Jin Jiuchi’s SAN Value, bringing out his feral and unhinged side.

    And his suspicion was proven true when Jin Jiuchi revived from death.

    He had not asked for details of what had transpired on the other side due to the time constraints, but the image of those deranged and furious eyes when Jin Jiuchi first snapped his eyes open remained fresh in his mind even until this very second. The sight reminded him of the black-eyed Jin Jiuchi he had confronted back in the Temple of Anubis, yet this time it was more... dangerous. The fact that Jin Jiuchi had not fully lost his mind made him all the more dangerous, like a ticking time bomb which could explode at a moment of inattention.

    He knew he should be afraid. Should have kept his distance like Gu Luoxin and Noir and dealt with this man from afar. After all, this man... this creature or whatever he really was... could tear him apart as easily as slicing through tofu. If he still valued his life, keeping some distance was the right thing to do!

    Yet for some inexplicable reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it— to not approach and call out to that slightly unfamiliar visage.

    God, I must be down so bad, Shen Nianzu mused helplessly.

    "Jin-Ge," he uttered again, impossibly tender and careful, and a strange sense of satisfaction bloomed within him as he noted how every micro body language of Jin Jiuchi showed that the man was fully attuned to his voice. He relished in this power he held over Jin Jiuchi. It was like having a leash on a big bad wolf that would bare its fangs to the world but become docile in front of him— only him, and no one else. "Can you still recognize me? Do you know who I am?"

    "Of course," Jin Jiuchi let out a derisive scoff at the question. "How can I not? You’re my Nian’er."

    "Mn," a slight smile crossed Shen Nianzu’s face. "That’s enough. Let that player go and come to me."

    Extreme reluctance radiated from every inch of Jin Jiuchi’s body as he glared daggers at Claw, who was teetering on the brink of death possibly for the hundredth time. "But he hurt you, Nian’er. That’s unforgivable."

    Shen Nianzu fell silent, knowing that no words would be enough to persuade Jin Jiuchi in his current mind frame. The man was dead set on prolonging Claw’s agony as long as possible.

    With a helpless sigh, he drew a dagger from his prop storage and, with a flick of his hand, embedded it into the side of Claw’s neck where the major artery was, nearly severing his head from his body. He caught a flicker of relief crossing the other person’s face when he breathed his last— but that was not important right now.

    Shifting his gaze back to Jin Jiuchi, he remarked in a light tone, "There, all done. I avenged myself."

    Yet Jin Jiuchi remained motionless still, his expression cold and inscrutable. Perhaps it had to do with their connection, but Shen Nianzu only needed a glance to know that he was feeling very, very dissatisfied inside. He exuded a low and oppressive pressure from head to toe which was capable of deterring most people away, but in Shen Nianzu’s eyes, he looked no different than a big sulking husky, not reconciled that his toy had been snatched away.

    Somehow, the notion gave Shen Nianzu a slight urge to laugh. He promptly covered it with a clear of his throat, but before he could say a few words to coax his lover, Jin Jiuchi parted his lips, asking,

    "What did you call me just now?"

    The corner of Shen Nianzu’s lips twitched. He could not for the life of him figure out why Jin Jiuchi was so obsessed with hearing him call him ’Ge’. But one thing for certain, Shen Nianzu wouldn’t have yielded easily had this been under normal circumstances. Jin Jiuchi could only force that word out of his mouth through coercion or teasing in the bedroom!

    But considering his current state...

    Telling himself that special situations required special measures, Shen Nianzu took a deep breath and muttered in a voice as quiet as a mosquito buzz, his tone full of reluctance, "...Jin-Ge."

    "Huh?" Jin Jiuchi tilted his head slightly, indicating that he had not heard.

    "Jin-Ge!" Shen Nianzu’s fair face flushed red, though it was unknown whether it was due to embarrassment or anger.

    Muffled chuckles spilled out of Jin Jiuchi’s lips, but before Shen Nianzu could snap back in anger, he finally stepped away from the corpse and turned to face Shen Nianzu, revealing his striking features splattered in crimson stains. Nevertheless, he did not step closer, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing as he studied Shen Nianzu from head to toe. "It’s nice to hear that, but Nian’er..." he dragged on his last syllable with a light and playful tone, yet his fiery and obsessive gaze remained fixated on Shen Nianzu’s face, taking in each and every shift of his expression, like an experienced butcher weighing a sharp cleaver in his hands.

    "Are you not afraid of me? Xinxin, Noir, and everyone else... they’re all afraid and cautious of me. Why aren’t you? They call me a lunatic, do you think so too?" he tilted his head innocently.

    However, when combined with the blood stains all over his face and body, it painted a horrifying and creepy image instead. He did not even need to do anything to perfectly portray the aura of a psychotic serial killer.