Chapter 17

Zhu Jia shook her head and quickly dismissed the fleeting glimpse of male beauty she had just noticed.

“By the way, could you help me play a movie in the media room?” Last time, Zhu Jia had wanted to take advantage of Xiao Wen falling asleep to go watch a movie in the basement media room, but she didn’t know how to use the equipment, so she gave up.

Zhu Jia first made herself a cup of milk tea in the kitchen, her favorite brand. This low-quality milk tea, full of artificial flavors, had accompanied her for many years. During university, she would drink it while writing papers. Fortunately, she was still able to enjoy her favorite taste now.

Mo Yichen took a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge. The two of them walked downstairs together to the basement and entered the media room.

Due to the lack of ventilation, the room felt a bit stuffy, and Mo Yichen turned on the air conditioning. Zhu Jia curled up on the couch, awkwardly clutching a cushion.

It was only when she entered the media room that Zhu Jia realized she was wearing the pajamas left by her previous self. The pajamas were all so thin, and this set she was wearing was the one with the most fabric. Yet, there were still parts of her body exposed, outlining her good figure.

“What’s wrong?” Mo Yichen noticed her unease and glanced at her.

Zhu Jia tried to cover up by taking a sip of her hot milk tea. “Nothing, just hurry and choose a movie.”

Soon, Zhu Jia relaxed. She thought, “There’s nothing to worry about. What relationship could the male lead have with me? Even if I’m wearing sexy pajamas in front of him, he wouldn’t pay attention.”

Now that she had calmed down, Zhu Jia’s expression became natural again. She stretched her shoulders, placed the cushion back, and began to focus on the screen. She liked horror films, especially the more intense ones.

They quickly decided on a highly rated Chinese horror movie, which Zhu Jia loved for its mix of thrilling horror elements and traditional folk culture.

Mo Yichen sat on the sofa, sipping his cold sparkling water, somewhat lost in thought, not sure why he had ended up sitting here with Zhu Jia watching a movie.

After his shower, he had planned to grab a drink and go back to his study to continue working. He had a meeting tomorrow and still had materials to review. Yet here he was, somehow sitting in a media room he hadn’t visited in a long time, watching a horror movie with a woman eating chips and drinking milk tea.

The lights in the media room dimmed, leaving only a faint, hidden light. The movie began.

Zhu Jia underestimated how immersive the small media room was. The visuals and sound were so powerful that it felt like she was really there. She had always watched horror movies on her computer screen before, never on a large screen.

A piercing suona sound made her scalp tingle… A remote mountain village, eerie legends, a wedding procession that mysteriously disappeared at night, a chicken crowing during a wedding ceremony, a terrifying shaman, and villagers who appeared numb to the horrors around them. The entire village seemed to hide dark secrets beneath its peaceful facade.

Zhu Jia unconsciously curled her toes, moving closer to the heat source beside her.

As the movie reached its climax, a drunken groom stumbled into the bridal chamber. When he lifted the veil from his beautiful bride, he discovered she was a headless bride! Her bloody neck was crawling with maggots!

Zhu Jia screamed in surprise, dropping the chips on the floor. She quickly sat down next to Mo Yichen, her body pressed against his. She covered her eyes with her hand, peeking through her fingers at the screen in fear.

The groom in red was horrified, stumbling backward in terror. His eyes were filled with despair and fear as the headless bride slowly approached him. Blood dripped from her neck, and maggots crawled out. She finally reached him and bit off his head, swallowing it whole…

Zhu Jia was so startled that she dropped her cushion, then grabbed Mo Yichen’s firm arm and hugged it tightly, as if this would chase away her fear.

Mo Yichen felt a sudden warmth and softness press against his arm. The scent of her was unavoidable, even if he held his breath. It still found its way into his chest.

He frowned and glanced to his side. In the dim light, he could clearly see a certain part of her body from this angle, and his vision was filled with smooth, white skin. His body stiffened, his breathing grew quicker, and the temperature around him rose.

It must be because the movie was genuinely scary, he thought, his throat drying up. Mo Yichen picked up the cold sparkling water beside him and took a sip, then lowered the air conditioning a few degrees.

After the intense part of the film, Zhu Jia finally released Mo Yichen’s arm. She found the cushion that had fallen on the floor and hugged it again.

But as she watched the movie, she began to feel something was off. “Mo Yichen, why is it so cold? What temperature did you set the air conditioning to?”

She shivered, her skin covered in goosebumps.

“Don’t you think it’s hot in here?” Mo Yichen’s voice was hoarse, and his tone sounded strange.

Zhu Jia grabbed the air conditioning remote from his hand, checked it, and gasped, her hands on her hips! Mo Yichen had set the air conditioning to 15 degrees, the highest wind speed!

Chapter 16: Going Home

Zhu Jia thought Mo Yichen must be sick, really sick.

When she reached for the air conditioning remote earlier, she had been so close to him that even through two layers of pajamas, she could feel the heat coming from his body.

Something was wrong with him. Zhu Jia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she suddenly had a thought. She leaned forward and touched Mo Yichen’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever, why are you so hot?”

In the darkness, Zhu Jia’s eyes shone brightly as she fixed her gaze on Mo Yichen’s face. Mo Yichen turned his head away and quickly resumed his usual cold and aloof demeanor. He pushed her hand, which had been resting on his forehead, aside and straightened the sleeves she had wrinkled. In a faint tone, he said, “I still have work to do. I’m going upstairs.”

He stood up and turned to leave.

Zhu Jia stared in surprise, wide-eyed. “What’s wrong with him?” she thought. Just a moment ago, everything was fine, but now he looked like someone who had been wronged. She shook her head. “Men’s hearts are like needles at the bottom of the sea, especially these old-fashioned male leads. They’re full of problems, from head to toe.”

She kept a piece of chips in her mouth and decided to finish watching the movie. After the scare earlier, she had gotten used to the intensity of the film and wasn’t as frightened anymore. She enjoyed the thrilling tension, savoring the excitement. Two hours quickly passed.

When the movie ended, she felt relaxed and stretched her body with a big yawn. She had a good time tonight. She looked around the media room again and thought, “Next time, when Xiao Wen falls asleep, I’ll come here again.”