MS Chapter 37

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire garden fell into silence.

Everyone’s gaze fell on the hand that was gripping the water ghost’s neck. That long, powerful hand, with its prominent knuckles, was now bulging with veins, clearly showing the owner’s strength.

The water ghost had just been revived and was unsure whether to be called a person or something else. Perhaps it could be considered a kind of rebirth?

The beginning of a brand new life.

And what you call a warm encounter, making someone feel at ease, is actually choking them until their eyes roll back?

Not to mention Zhong Liyu, even the other three felt embarrassed by Lu Qingjia’s behavior of stabbing someone in the back right in front of them. How did they end up looking like the villains?

Where was the righteousness that should be present when defeating the antagonist?

Zhong Liyu looked into the well and knew this guy wanted to pull the same stunt as last time, killing the ghost in a few moves so he could escape easily.

So he coolly mocked, “But I see that guy in the well doesn’t seem to want to have a long chat with you.”

Lu Qingjia replied, “How could that be? Just look at his expression, pale yet filled with surprise.”

“That’s from being soaked in well water.”

“His eyes are rolling back in excitement.”

“That’s from you choking him.”

“He’s so excited he can’t even speak.”

“Why don’t you let go of his neck and see what he really wants to express?”

At this point, the back-and-forth between the two at the well was making Doctor unhappy.

He still wanted to put on a show and regain the lost ground in front of Ji Yu. After being intimidated like that, he had been feeling a bit unsettled.

So a scalpel appeared in his hand, and he grinned at Ji Yu, saying, “You still have the time to chat?”

“Since you can manipulate hair, it means you have red silk in your body, right? We’re about to have a tough battle, how about you contribute a little, Dean Ji?”

As he spoke, he moved forward but was pulled back by Yang Qian and Nurse.

“What are you two doing?”

“Have some sense.” The two girls said, “There’s clearly something going on here. Why would you go up to someone Jiajia is avoiding?”

The two girls hadn’t guessed that far yet, only speculating, “Earlier, didn’t you guess that Jiajia might have used a beauty trick to get the information from Ji Yu?”

“What if? What if it’s just as you guessed?”

“Then Ji Yu would be getting played by Jiajia, right? Setting aside other positions, just this point means Jiajia can’t hold his head up in front of him.”

Hearing this, Doctor suddenly recalled that remark, gasping in realization. The joke he had forgotten about seemed to be coming true in this situation.

Meanwhile, in the well, Lu Qingjia had been choking the water ghost for quite a while, and the bones had cracked several times, yet he hadn’t killed it. Instead, it was making annoying clucking sounds from its throat.

Lu Qingjia then pulled out the scalpel and stabbed the water ghost three times in quick succession.

Zhong Liyu took a deep breath, “What are you doing? You promised warmth, but I don’t see any tenderness in your treatment of him.”

Lu Qingjia wiped the sweat from his forehead, “What are you talking about? The water ghost said it was itchy and asked me to scratch it. That’s understandable, after all, it’s been in the water with so many disgusting bugs for nearly ten years. Who knows how many water lice it has on it?”

Just as the water ghost was about to speak, it received two more stabs to the top of its head, and Lu Qingjia stirred around inside, turning its brain into mush.

Even the water ghost, at this moment, had a twisted expression of pain on its face, which was quite unsettling from across the water.

Lu Qingjia even gave a thumbs-up gesture, signaling that everything was fine: “Don’t worry, we hit it off right away, we’re in sync. Even if you don’t say anything, I know where you’re itching.”

Zhong Liyu opened his mouth, feeling a twinge of sympathy for a ghost that had done so many evil deeds.

The other three also felt a sense of regret. Originally, they had planned for a grand battle with the revived water ghost.

But who would have thought that it would be ambushed before it could even stabilize its breath, suffering inhuman torment before the fight even began?

Doctor couldn’t bear to watch any longer and added, “Look at the hair flowing out of its wounds; it shouldn’t be able to die from this, right?”

Lu Qingjia nodded, “True—ah no, how are you speaking? It sounds like I’m wishing for it to die. I don’t know why my actions are always misunderstood.”

Don’t you have any self-awareness about your own ridiculous actions?

While he was inwardly cursing, Lu Qingjia realized that it was indeed useless and reluctantly withdrew the scalpel.

Zhong Liyu quickly regained his composure and chuckled lightly, “What’s wrong? Tired of talking? Are you reconsidering?”

Lu Qingjia declared with righteous indignation, “Coming to my brother’s house as a guest without treating him to a meal? Are you looking down on my brother?”

As he spoke, he produced several talismans, all effective against ghosts, and stuffed them into the water ghost’s mouth.

Pinching its mouth shut, he said, “A little local specialty as a token of respect. Let’s see if it suits your taste; if not, just swallow it down, okay? Consider it a favor for my brother.”

Even if the water ghost was powerful, it was still a low-level ghost. The talismans might not be able to kill it outright, and their effectiveness might be relatively low, but under defensive and external conditions, stuffing a dozen of them into its mouth was unbearable. It was even more stimulating than pouring water down its throat.

The water ghost’s entire face began to swell and turn red, looking like it was about to explode at any moment. Its head made sizzling sounds, as if something was being corroded. It struggled in pain, but it couldn’t match Lu Qingjia’s strength.

If its hair hadn’t been restricted, it might have been fine, but Lu Qingjia had almost gathered all the red silk by now and caught the opponent off guard.

The water ghost, with all its abilities, hadn’t even had the chance to use them before being beaten down in a series of relentless attacks.

And that wasn’t enough; the water ghost’s hair was wildly growing and flailing in an attempt to save itself. Lu Qingjia pulled out scissors and snipped away, leaving it bald.

Logically, the hair was as tough as steel and not easily cut, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a pair of red scissors.

They resembled the iron scissors commonly found in households, but were entirely red, shining like heated iron when they touched the hair.

They didn’t pose much threat to people, but were incredibly sharp against those strands, and once cut, the hair couldn’t quickly regrow.

Lu Qingjia had found these at the dean’s house. Although that guy wasn’t local, such items couldn’t possibly be carried around.

Lu Qingjia had previously speculated that if these hairs were cultivated by black bugs, then the ones the Doctors used for self-defense were not very long and showed signs of being cut.

While industrial cutting was a possibility, Lu Qingjia still believed there were specialized harvesting tools. After all, someone who could develop red silk to replace mother Gu, and who had been an assistant at the previous club and now the hospital dean, would naturally have good stuff, and he had indeed found it.

After cutting the hair, Lu Qingjia looked up and smiled at the heads by the well: “My brother hasn’t been out for over ten years and looks disheveled; he asked me to give him a haircut.”

Everyone looked at the water ghost, now covered in blisters, with eyes filled with pus and blood, and a scalp that looked like it had been chewed by a dog.

Yang Qian couldn’t help but say, “Jiajia, this, killing someone is just a matter of hitting the head, right? We’re at least the protagonists here—”

Doctor looked at her strangely: “You still believe he’s a good person? Do you also believe him when he says he’s a farm stay owner?”

“He is a farm stay owner,” Ji Yu interjected from the side.

“Shut up, a fool who got himself wanted nationwide has no right to speak. Did he tell you that? That’s called a high-level con artist who lies without leaving loopholes, you know? He’s about to be caught by the big hat and is still feeling proud? At first, I thought you were someone to be wary of, but turns out, pfft! You’re just a fool mesmerized by beauty.”

Ji Yu seemed to have hit a sore spot, glaring at Doctor with a terrifying gaze: “I think that thing in the well should resonate with you quite well. Lu Qingjia has been comforting it for so long with no effect; why don’t you give it a try?”

As he spoke, he was about to throw Doctor into the well.

Doctor was dumbfounded. How could this guy, without using hair, possibly lift a Player like a chick?

Yang Qian and the others also gaped, realizing that things seemed different from what they had imagined.

Zhong Liyu watched Lu Qingjia in the well, fearing he would kill the ghost and then run away, feeling anxious while maintaining a calm demeanor.

“I see the water ghost isn’t very appreciative of your kindness; how about I help you switch to someone else?”

Before Lu Qingjia could respond, the water ghost desperately nodded, struggling with all its might to scream—

“Let someone else come in; anyone is fine, just don’t let this bastard touch me!”

It shivered and tried to shrink back into the well, away from Lu Qingjia.

Zhong Liyu laughed heartily: “Did you hear that? That’s what it said. If you know how to read the room, you should hurry up and come up.”

“The well water is so cold; staying here for so long, aren’t you afraid of feeling—no, mainly, how much have you been despised? Out of humanitarianism, let’s not disturb it, okay?”

Lu Qingjia threw out Soul Shackles to hook the water ghost’s neck, showing a sinister smile: “Brother, I just told him we hit it off.”

“You can’t let me be embarrassed in front of this fool; it’s truly heartbreaking.”

He suddenly had a chainsaw in his hand, turned it on, and charged toward himself—

“Wait, what are you trying to do? Don’t come over— I was wrong, I was really wrong. I shouldn’t have done such insane research, I shouldn’t have had those ambitions. You see, I’ve been punished too, trapped for ten years in a living hell.”

“How about this, you call the police, how about that? I’m willing to accept legal punishment; just get me out of here—I really don’t want to leave the well.”

Outside was so dangerous; only the familiar well water inside could give it a hint of warmth.

Zhong Liyu: “…”

Doctor, Yang Qian, Nurse: “…”

This villain was even feared by ghosts.

However, at this moment, the confession was meaningless, as screams began to echo from the corresponding floors of the hospital.

They were the doctors who had wielded the knives back then and the high-ranking officials involved in this matter. The screams were piercing and filled with pain, echoing endlessly, haunting the night.

But the innocent souls who had been tortured to death on the operating table to refine this formation probably screamed a hundred times more desperately than this.

After the water ghost’s hair was cut, the bindings on the ghosts of each floor disappeared. Finally avenged, their souls broke free from that confined space and appeared in the garden.

One by one, they stepped into the well, grabbing the water ghost’s body and pulling it down into the endless abyss.

The water ghost’s already miserable face showed a look of terror and despair. Just moments ago, it had wanted to escape Lu Qingjia, but now it only wanted to hold onto him tightly.

“I don’t want to go down, I don’t want to go down! Help me, help me!!!”

Lu Qingjia pried its fingers open one by one, sighing regretfully: “Brother, I’ve thought it through. Since we don’t hit it off, there’s no need to force it.”

After saying that, he watched the water ghost’s body gradually sink into the water, disappearing into the endless darkness.

Lu Qingjia tried to use red silk to control it but found no trace of the corpse. He didn’t know where those vengeful souls had taken it.

Instead, the hair he had cut earlier gathered around, in astonishing numbers, and with the water ghost no longer possessing mother Gu, it was now entirely under Lu Qingjia’s control, becoming a useful tool.

At that moment, a voice came from the well: “Is the mission complete? You should come up now, right?”

Lu Qingjia stiffened, then sighed.

Indeed, he couldn’t just run away every time he saw this fool. Although this fool’s crazy behavior gave him a bit of PTSD, as long as they were in the game, opportunities for interaction wouldn’t be few. Moreover, he couldn’t let every mission end with him being chased down; what was the point of that?

So he reached out toward the well, his long fingers slightly pale from being soaked in the well water, the tips a bit wrinkled.

Seeing this, Zhong Liyu desperately suppressed the smile that wanted to break out, putting on a cool demeanor as he pulled him up.

When he came to find Lu Qingjia, he had already thought about how to act.

First, although he was here to seek reconciliation, he absolutely couldn’t appear too eager (?), wagging his tail and rushing over. How would he live his life after that?

This guy would definitely take advantage of it. Besides, he had made some impulsive mistakes in the past, but showing that he had already forgiven him so easily would only imply that he could continue to fool him in the future.

This was a line he absolutely couldn’t cross—though when he was fooling him, he would act particularly gentle—maybe he could occasionally open the floodgates.

After rehearsing the pre-planned approach, Zhong Liyu took a deep breath and was about to speak when he saw Lu Qingjia standing up straight.

It was summer, and regardless of gender, everyone was dressed lightly. Lu Qingjia was only wearing dark long pants and a light gray top.

At this moment, he was soaked in the cold well water, his hair damp and slightly curled, water droplets sliding down his face from the tips of his hair, dripping onto the prominent and beautiful collarbone of his V-neck shirt.

His clothes, now wet, clung to his body, clearly outlining his physique, showcasing a perfect body and beautiful muscles, radiating lethal hormones.

It seemed that the hair in front of him was a bit distracting, so Lu Qingjia ran his fingers through his damp hair, pushing it back.

Two unruly strands of hair on either side of his forehead playfully refused to leave, falling beside his eyes and brushing against his long eyelashes.

His narrow, upward-turned eyes opened and looked over—

Who could withstand this?

If it weren’t for the presence of others, Zhong Liyu would have already rushed over.

Not just him, even Yang Qian and Nurse gasped, finding it more stimulating than scenes from movies. It was no wonder so many people were charmed by this guy.

Being charmed by him was definitely a gain.

Fortunately, there was an unromantic straight man present to break the atmosphere.

Doctor loudly interjected, “The mission completion prompt has arrived; did you all receive it?”

Pointing at Ji Yu, he continued, “But it doesn’t make sense; this thing is still here. As one of the big bosses on the perpetrator’s side, if we don’t catch him, similar incidents will definitely happen again, right?”

Moreover, this guy was quite capable; he could actually fight against a Player barehanded, indicating that there was something even more formidable behind him. Letting such a person go would make it hard to say if the instance would be breached.

Yang Qian coolly remarked, “I previously thought you were somewhat clever; I take that back. I misjudged you.”

Then, under Doctor’s disgruntled gaze, she added, “Didn’t you hear that he should have been recognized long ago?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Yu’s form changed. The refined and handsome Doctor image vanished, replaced by a dangerously alluring handsome man.

With this transformation came the restoration of their understanding of the world, and only then did the group realize that the true vice president was someone else, even the wanted poster of the other party posted in the hospital had changed.

Zhong Liyu said, “Don’t worry, that thing is in its own home; the police are already on their way. You all completed your mission perfectly.”

As he spoke, he ignored the astonished and confused expressions on their faces, which were filled with questions.

Zhong Liyu looked at Lu Qingjia, seeing him take off his top to wring it out, and he restrained himself from reaching out to help.

He glanced sideways and asked, “How did you figure out it was me? I thought I didn’t show any flaws.”

Lu Qingjia smiled, “If you weren’t waiting for me in my bathroom stall in real life, I would believe that tricky NPCs could appear in the instance.”

“Just because of that? You think I couldn’t wait two seconds?”

Lu Qingjia glanced at him, the meaning in his eyes was clear—fool, what misunderstanding do you have about yourself?

He continued, “Since there’s this premise, I naturally have to be wary of people appearing in the instance, and as a result, I caught you off guard.”

Lu Qingjia put on the wrinkled shirt he had just wrung out: “But your actions at least made me understand one thing, which is that before the mission ends, to avoid hindering the progress, you also have to follow certain rules.”

Zhong Liyu raised an eyebrow: “So when you saw me near the end of the mission, you jumped into the well?”

“Am I some kind of natural disaster? More terrifying than the corpse in the well?”

Lu Qingjia replied matter-of-factly, “Turning around and running is a normal reaction when seeing a creditor, isn’t it?”

After saying that, he struck a pose as if ready to roll: “Come on, what do you want from me?”

Finally getting to the point, Zhong Liyu cleared his throat, adopting a proper posture, looking at Lu Qingjia with a ‘you can be happy now’ expression—

“I came to say that I forgive you.”

Lu Qingjia was taken aback. To be honest, in such a serious situation, he really wanted to give this guy some respect, not to look at him like he was an idiot.

However, the other party didn’t give him the chance.

Once the conversation started, it flowed much more smoothly.

Zhong Liyu said, “I forgive you for the deception you played on me, for your ulterior motives in getting close, for deliberately befriending me, and for using our romantic relationship to extract information from me, treating me differently based on whether I spoke or not, encouraging me to reveal business secrets through your actions.”

“After the matter was exposed, you didn’t repent; you just wanted to shake off the trouble by setting my father on fire, even unhesitatingly wanting to end the relationship.”

“Such heartless and ungrateful behavior, I choose to forgive you.”

At this moment, the garden was filled only with the sound of crickets, and Doctor and Yang Qian were both stunned.

So this is what a love story between a scumbag and a sycophant looks like? Is this the realm of the perverse?

Doctor suddenly realized, pointing at Zhong Liyu and asking Lu Qingjia, “Is this the convenient and cheap source of information you mentioned?”

It is indeed cheap; they’re practically giving it away.

Seeing that the other party could casually alter the perception of the world, what kind of big shot must that be? Such a high-level big shot was fooled by Lu Qingjia; Lu Qingjia, you’re impressive.

After Zhong Liyu finished speaking, he looked expectantly at Lu Qingjia, filled with hope that the other would take the opportunity to back down, even if it was just verbally admitting his mistake.

Then the two would resolve their conflict and reconcile. It was still afternoon in the real world; they could—

Before he could think that far, Lu Qingjia coolly smiled: “Oh really? Then I thank you for not holding a grudge against me.”

Zhong Liyu waited for a long time but didn’t hear anything else, feeling as if he had stepped into thin air.

“Is it just like this?”

“What else?” Lu Qingjia raised an eyebrow, “You might not see it on my face, but you know I usually have a serious demeanor. Actually, I’m overjoyed and immensely grateful right now. Really, thank you.”

Zhong Liyu stared at him for a long while, his expression darkening: “Are you angry?”

Lu Qingjia replied, “Should I be happy?”

Logically, he understood this guy’s logic and what made him tick very well. He knew exactly how to brush him off.

But Lu Qingjia just couldn’t bring himself to choose the option that would allow him to escape smoothly.

He pointed at Zhong Liyu’s chest: “Forgive me, huh? I didn’t do anything, but you did? How did you treat me back then?”

Zhong Liyu’s face turned red, and he flustered, “Wasn’t it because you wanted to leave?”

Lu Qingjia couldn’t bear to recall the suffering he had endured; it was like a ten-thousand-word description in a green Jinjiang novel that would be harmonized.