“Help, Yang Yang, the ghosts are coming for us…”

Yu Sen, dizzy and desperate, pressed himself forcefully against Si Xuanyang.

“What’s wrong!” Si Xuanyang, startled awake, instinctively tightened his arms, carefully lifting Yu Sen’s face from his neck: “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Yu Sen rested his hand over his eyes, weakly groaning, “The nightmare is on the ceiling.”

Si Xuanyang suddenly looked up and froze.

Above their bed, on the ceiling, a female ghost in a white dress with long hair was staring directly at them with hollow, dark eyes.

White mist, just like last night, seeped through the door crack, as if alive, attaching to the female ghost. This made her already ethereal form become more solid and obvious.

Her face looked even whiter than her white dress in the ghostly blue night, exuding a deathly pallor. Her black hair spread out like seaweed, floating around. Except for her relatively delicate face, her neck, hands, and calves… any visible skin was covered in horrifying cuts.

The cuts didn’t seem random; the direction of the blade was consistent, and the cuts had a certain artistic quality.

The wounds, having been there for years, had turned from dark red to nearly black, making the frail body look particularly tragic.

This was probably one of the unfortunate souls who had become the vampire’s drink in the old castle. Si Xuanyang understood this and calmly propped himself up. Under the vengeful gaze of the female ghost, he calmly covered Yu Sen’s head with the quilt.

Female Ghost: “……”

Do you think I’m blind?

Seeing that the female ghost had no intention of attacking, Si Xuanyang slowly felt around under the pillow, and asked, “Was it you who knocked on the door last night?”

The female ghost seemed taken aback, making an unintelligible ‘huh’ sound from her throat, but Si Xuanyang knew she was admitting it.

He asked again, “Was it you who also caused trouble in the bathroom earlier?”

The female ghost smiled coldly, revealing her white teeth. Her gaze shifted to the bulge under the quilt, and her voice was dry, “I’m looking for him.”

Si Xuanyang’s gaze turned colder. “What do you want with him?”

The female ghost’s throat moved up and down, and one could even hear the swallowing sound. Her crimson tongue licked her lips, and a hint of beastly greed appeared in her shadowy eyes.

“His blood… smells so good…”

She had been slashed with hundreds or thousands of cuts by a vampire until she bled to death. As a malevolent ghost, she naturally had a greater interest in human blood.

Especially blood that… smells delicious. If she actually drank it, it would be the finest nectar for them.

Si Xuanyang’s expression darkened even further. He sneered, “It’s ridiculous that you were killed by a vampire and now you’re in league with them.”

The female ghost’s face twisted in anger, but Yu Sen suddenly couldn’t hold it in. He poked his head out from under the covers and weakly said, “Actually, some things might smell good, but they might not taste as good…”

“Shut up!” Si Xuanyang glared at him fiercely. “Put your head back in!”

Yu Sen looked at Si Xuanyang’s reddened eyes with a pitiful expression, nervously swallowed, and kept his thoughts to himself. He obediently buried his head back into the pillow and pulled the quilt over his head.

Holding his breath.

Female Ghost: “… He’s really obedient.”

She then revealed a malicious smile. “I wonder if he’ll also obediently offer his tender neck to Lance…”

Si Xuanyang’s eyes flashed with a fierce glint. He pulled out a book from under the pillow—it was the hardcover Bible they had received on their first night.

On the other hand, he tightened his grip on a dining knife.

He didn’t actually know if the Bible had any deterrent effect on the female ghost, but everything given by the clock should be useful, so he decided to try it out.

At the moment the Bible appeared, the female ghost indeed changed her expression. Her features twisted as she bared her teeth, looking as if she wanted to pounce and tear them apart but hesitated, like a beast facing a trap near its prey, roaring unwillingly.

Si Xuanyang coldly curled his lips. Fortunately, they had always been cautious to keep the items given by the clock nearby. He had the Bible, and Si Nan had the crucifix, all kept under the pillows. If they had placed them further away, with the white mist on the floor resembling dry ice, getting to the items would have cost them numerous cuts.

However, with the female ghost staying on the ceiling and the white mist on the ground not dissipating, the temperature in the room dropped further.

Si Xuanyang glanced at the tightly wrapped bundle beside him and furrowed his brows.

He placed his hand on the Bible’s cover, looked up, and smiled. “Still not leaving? Then I’ll read you a bedtime story.”

So, under the furious expression of the female ghost, he opened the Bible to the first page and began to read aloud.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”

As soon as he began the first sentence, the female ghost let out a piercing scream as if she was hit by a fatal blow. The white mist on the ground swirled, and the cold air surged. She plunged down and, in Si Xuanyang’s terrified gaze, turned into a cloud of white mist, merging into the ground, and the mist quickly retreated through the cracks in the door like a receding tide.

The room returned to calm.

Si Xuanyang paused for a few seconds, slowly exhaled, closed the Bible, and looked up at the empty ceiling.

“She’s gone.”

“I’m cold…” Yu Sen said weakly from under the pillow.

Si Xuanyang gripped the quilt tightly, hurriedly feeling his forehead and then his hands. “Is it because of the cold air just now? Where are you cold?”

“…My heart is cold.”

“!!” Si Xuanyang panicked. “Is it that serious!?”

“Yes, you haven’t read me a bedtime story, and a female ghost beat me to it. My heart is cold, my heart is frozen, my heart is like dead ashes!”

Si Xuanyang: “… Are you crazy?”

“I’m not crazy, I’m sick,” Yu Sen peeked out from under the pillow with one eye, “If you don’t read me a bedtime story today, this cold-hearted illness won’t get better.”

Si Xuanyang looked at his pale face, his expression darkened, and he sternly said, “Lie down properly!”

And resignedly opened the Bible again.

Yu Sen rolled over and lay down properly, even extending his hands to wrap around Si Xuanyang’s waist, looking up. “I’m ready.”

Si Xuanyang: “…”

He sighed and continued reading from the book: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”

Outside the door came the sound of frantic, hasty footsteps.

Yu Sen immediately looked outraged. “Damn it, the female ghost likes to eavesdrop too! Is there no morality, eavesdropping on others’ private moments!”

Si Xuanyang, with a dark face, said, “Shut up! Are you still listening or not?”

“I’m listening, I’m listening… stop scolding!”

Si Xuanyang glared at him for a few seconds and repeated the sentence for the third time: “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth…”

The room was quiet, his deep voice reading as if it were poetry.

Not long after he began, less than a minute had passed, and he felt the arm around his waist relax significantly. Looking down, he saw that the person had once again furrowed his brows and fallen asleep, looking very restless. His face, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared even more pale.

Si Xuanyang’s heart was pierced with a slight but dense pain, slowing his breathing.

He gently closed the book, carefully removed Yu Sen’s arm from his waist, tucked it back under the blanket, held his cold hand for a moment, and then draped his coat over the blanket.

After settling everything, he lay back down, held the person close, and closed his eyes.

The faint, cold, yet warm fragrance lingered around his nose, making even the dreams sweet.

---

The next morning, Si Xuanyang was awakened by Si Nan’s shouting and banging on the door.

“Yang Yang! Why is my life so miserable—!”

Si Xuanyang irritably opened his eyes, only to be greeted by Yu Sen’s face, as pale as paper, his lips losing all color.

Yu Sen seemed startled, clutching the collar of his shirt with his left hand, but his eyes remained closed.

Si Xuanyang panicked, frantically lifting Yu Sen’s head, covering his ears, and placing one hand on his chest to help him breathe.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid… nothing will happen, nothing will happen…”

But Si Nan was still shouting outside. Yu Sen shivered, moaning and gripping Si Xuanyang’s shirt tightly. Si Xuanyang felt like his head was about to split open, but the pain in his chest was even more intense, like a large hand squeezing his heart, continually compressing it, making him taste blood in his throat.

Si Xuanyang dared not let go, but the knocking continued. He could only slowly call out to Yu Sen, trying to wake him from his panic and nightmare.

A woman’s sinister laughter seemed to echo in the air.

Yu Sen struggled to open his eyes, curled up and gasping, his body drenched in cold sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water, weakly waving his hand at Si Xuanyang: “I’m fine, go open the door for him. He’ll think something happened to us if you don’t.”

Si Xuanyang gently smoothed Yu Sen’s damp black hair, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and tucked the blanket tightly around him, ensuring that no cold wind could seep in. This wind was the most dangerous right now.

Then, his eyes flared with anger, and he walked towards the door with a murderous aura.

Yu Sen, curled up in the blanket, his eyelashes trembling, felt the unease growing stronger. He sensed that staying here longer would only worsen his condition, and if it continued, even standing might become difficult.