CHAPTER 687: DÉJÀ VU

Shen Nianzu stumbled out of the bathroom in a daze, feeling like his head was about to split apart from the sharp, drilling pain.

The bloody mark was still there. He dared not touch it carelessly. Instead, he simply grabbed the showerhead and sprayed the mirror in a frantic attempt to wash it away, but his clumsy attempt only made things worse— the streaks of red now splattered across the tiles, the sink, and even the floor, turning the pristine bathroom into something that resembled a crime scene.

Looking at the mess, Shen Nianzu decisively and tiredly decided to let Qing Mo and the housekeeper deal with it tomorrow. He was, after all, a young master who had been pampered since birth. Adding to his frail body, when had he ever personally taken part in household chores?

It could be said that his survival skill was a solid zero.

Without his parents and Qing Mo taking care of his daily needs, he would have dropped dead somewhere unknown.

He collapsed to the bed, groaning. Today had been really strange, to say the least. He had lived in this house all his life and never encountered any supernatural events— until now! He could not even begin to describe everything he had experienced, or he would be labeled as a madman for sure!

But it was real! Shen Nianzu punched his pillow in frustration. Everything was real!

Okay, maybe previously he had hallucinated a bit, but the figure of bloody Shen Nianzu in the mirror... it was too vivid and unsettling. He was certain it couldn’t have been a mere illusion on his part! Just wait, he harrumphed and turned over on the bed. Tomorrow, he would show Qing Mo his bathroom and everyone would then know that he was not hallucinating things!

"Seven..." he murmured in confusion. "Does it have any meaning? And did he just tell me to run? But why?"

Shen Nianzu thought and thought and ended up falling asleep without realizing.

The next morning, he woke up naturally.

Not bothering to open his eyes, he groggily stretched out an arm to the side, murmuring, "Jin..."

But when he touched nothing but empty air, he jolted awake in an instant.

For a while, he simply lay there, staring at the cold and untouched side of his bed in a daze. Since when did he develop a habit of sleeping on the left side of his bed instead of the center? And... what was he about to say just now?

Frowning, Shen Nianzu racked his brain, but along with his returning awareness, the fleeting thought also slipped away just as quickly as a wisp of mist dissolving under the morning sun.

Shen Nianzu couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling right now. There was a sense of hollowness, and also a faint sorrow... as if he had forgotten something very, very important.

But what was it...?

In an absentminded state, Shen Nianzu reached for his phone and checked the time.

8.03 AM/ 11th December

The battery was a glaring red 7%. Shen Nianzu instantly felt annoyed. Had he forgotten to charge his phone again?

Grumbling to himself, he sat up and connected his phone to a charger, but as the phone screen lit up, showing the date and time of today, a strange sense of déjà vu struck him.

Wait... wait a moment...

Today, wasn’t it supposed to be December 12th? How come it was 11th again?

Shen Nianzu sat rooted on the spot, staring at his phone in stunned silence. Was there something wrong with it, or was it his memory—

Knock knock

"Young Master, this is Qing Mo. Have you woken up yet? Do you need me to come in and help you?"

A familiar sentence spoken by a familiar voice. Shen Nianzu tensed up and instinctively blurted out the same answer he had once given, "N-No need, I can do it myself..."

Even the hint of surprise in Qing Mo’s tone was the same as in the one in his memory. "Ah, okay. Then... I will wait for you outside. Please call me if you need help, Young Master."

The morning sun spilling into his room was dazzling and warm, but somehow Shen Nianzu felt chilled down to the bones. His teeth couldn’t help but chatter faintly. He glared viciously at the door as if he was facing an enemy, waiting for his assistant to walk away...

However, there was only silence.

He could not hear the sound of Qing Mo’s retreating footsteps.

Had he... had he not left yet?

Shen Nianzu’s mind instantly conjured up the image: Qing Mo, his meticulous life assistant who was always dressed in a neat suit, standing right behind his door with a blank, lifeless face. He did not move, and even the sound of his breathing could not be heard.

Maybe when Shen Nianzu pulled open the door, he would instantly come face-to-face with the other person—

SLAP!

Shen Nianzu slapped both of his own cheeks, his chest heaving as if he had run a marathon. What the hell is wrong with you, Nianzu?!How can you think of Qing Mo that way?! He could have misremembered the date. And Qing Mo’s familiar words... they meant nothing at all. He would give the same greeting when he woke Shen Nianzu up every single morning, so of course it would sound familiar over time!

So was it him? Was it all in his head...?

Shen Nianzu paced back and forth, as anxious as a trapped beast. How could such a thing be possible? Had his hallucination gotten worse in a single night? A sharp pain jolted him back to his senses, and only then did he realize that he had reverted to his old habit: biting his nails when he was anxious. His nails had been bitten all bloody by him, with residual caked blood beneath...

That’s right, blood! The bloody mess left by the mirror ’Shen Nianzu’ was still there!

This was the only way for him to prove that he was not hallucinating, that the incident last night truly existed!

Shen Nianzu couldn’t care less where his life assistant was hiding at the moment and shouted urgently, "Qing Mo!"

Qing Mo reacted right away, swinging the door open while scanning the room alertly. "Young Master, is there something wrong?!"

But Shen Nianzu remained unresponsive as he stood in front of his bathroom. He trembled, his face turning as pale as a sheet. Disbelief filled his entire being.

—For the mirror and sink was squeaky clean, with no traces left from the previous night.