Chapter 1635

Rong Zixu did not want to recall everything from the dream.

He merely gazed at Jin Chen, as if never seeing enough; the youth's brows and eyes grew steadily steadier, his handsome features flawless.

Jin Chen was no longer the weak-bodied brat on Tianming Mountain.

Jin Chen let him look, then slowly moved closer, his nose brushing Rong Zixu's sideburns, his voice a whisper right next to his ear.

"Senior Brother, you look very sad."

Rong Zixu lowered his eyes and gave a low hum; his complexion remained somewhat pale, making his brows and lashes look like wet ink.

"Why, did I bully you in the dream?" Jin Chen coaxed gently, always feeling that Rong Zixu's state was more than just a nightmare.

Rong Zixu thought, nodded, and when he lifted his eyes to look at Jin Chen, there was a hint of accusation in his moist gaze.

Jin Chen silently thought nightmares harmed people, then he wrapped an arm around Rong Zixu's shoulders and pulled him closer, his fingertip brushing the corner of his eye, voice helpless: "How could I dare to bully you? Nightmares are the opposite; they don't count."

Nightmares are the opposite.

Rong Zixu repeated the words in his heart, his fingers under the blanket curling, slipping through Jin Chen's palm and locking tight.

"Why do you care so much about Chang Wuming and Bai Gongzi's relationship?"

After keeping the words in his heart for over a month, they finally spilled out, spurred by the nightmare; Rong Zixu didn't even know what answer Jin Chen would give.

Was the nightmare coming true, or the exact opposite?

Jin Chen was momentarily thrown off by the sudden topic, seeing Rong Zixu's eyes glistening with clear concern and insistence, he quickly caught on.

Jin Chen couldn't help a low chuckle, leaning in close with a calm demeanor and asked: "Senior Brother, do you think I dislike Bai Shiyun because I'm jealous of how close he is to Fourth Senior Brother?"

"Isn't it?" Rong Zixu saw him speak bluntly, his expression sinking further.

Of course not.

I suspect Bai Shiyun is... just a bad person, and Tianming Mountain's rules cannot be broken.

At the crucial moment, Jin Chen hadn't forgotten his promise to Chang Wuming either.

Jin Chen felt a pang of regret, hugging him and kissing his cheek: "It's my fault—I only thought about how to pull them apart, and didn't notice my own jealousy flaring."

Rong Zixu is ten years older than Jin Chen, but age and experience don't dictate feelings; decades of uniform cultivation on Tianming Mountain left emotions unfed, and upon his first awakening obsessions sprouted, turning into an impassable thicket.

Fortunately, the thicket is easy to break; sincerity is enough.

Rong Zixu was dazed by the kiss; all his wisdom and schemes were drowned out by his pounding heart and warmth, so Jin Chen held him and kissed him several more times, from his brow to the corner of his lips.

I've admired you for a long time; I can't see anyone else.

Jin Chen tightened his grip on their interlaced fingers a little more, asserting absolute possession.

The nightmare did not come true.

Rong Zixu took a few breaths, slightly at a loss as he touched the kissed corner of his lips, and finally found his voice.

Xiao Chen...

Senior Brother, will you be my Dao Lu?

Jin Chen lowered his gaze; beneath his lashes, his eyes brimmed with gentle expectation, and he didn't think Rong Zixu would refuse.

He was just being spoiled as usual, and he knew Rong Zixu would always agree to any request.

Rong Zixu didn't want to endure the anguish of being near yet far again, but deep down he still worried: "But you're still young."

Jin Chen, shameless, raised an eyebrow, firmly gripping Rong Zixu's hand and pulling it under the blanket: "Senior Brother, you're talking nonsense."

Rong Zixu: "……"

Rong Zixu's face flushed as well; he tried to pull his hand back but had no strength: "I didn't mean it that way!"

I don't care.

Jin Chen nibbled his chin, wolf-pup-like danger: "Senior Brother, being jealous means you admire me; why wouldn't that be allowed?"

Seeing Rong Zixu silent, Jin Chen went on to bite his collarbone.

All right, all right.

Rong Zixu, face red, stopped him, tugging at the clothes that had been pulled open, and sat up a little straighter in Jin Chen's embrace.

I agree, then.

All self-deception and inner obsessions dissolved at this moment.

The red mist reluctantly dispersed outside the window, sweeping entirely toward the house of another dreamer.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +10! Total 60!】

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -5, Total 27!】

Jin Chen teased Rong Zixu for a long time, literally bullying the warm, moist ice cube into turning soft like red jade, but gradually, both fell into an embarrassed pause.

Rong Zixu's clothing lay open, he turned his head slightly embarrassed, yet revealed several kiss marks on his collarbone.

Jin Chen threw off the covers, very angry.

"Not an ounce of ghostly virtue in the middle of the night." He muttered, eyes sharp as a knife scanning the tightly shut window.

Outside the window, a ghostly shadow flickered.

This time, Jin Chen caught the ghost with extraordinary ferocity, giving the shadow no chance to disappear or play mysterious.

The window flung open, Jin Chen coldly smirked at the blood‑smeared red shadow ghost: "Since you've come, why run? Come in and contribute some clues."

Red Shadow Ghost: "……"

Did this human eat explosives in the middle of the night!

She transformed into the semblance of a girl whose face couldn't be seen; Jin Chen instantly loosened his tight grip, changing to an angry glare.

The red‑shadow female ghost secretly shed tears, extraordinarily grieved, yet when she spoke there was no sound, silent as if separated by an impenetrable membrane.

Jin Chen dubiously poked his ears: "I'm not deaf."

The red‑shadow female ghost's tears flowed even more freely; she slowly lifted her broken neck, bound tight by red silk, revealing more horrifying wounds of split flesh than the ink‑stained plum.

Jin Chen: "Pretty grim."

Jin Chen again glanced with his peripheral vision at the obvious birthmark on the red shadow female ghost's hand, feeling as if he had seen it somewhere before.

"She seems to be asking for help." Rong Zixu came over wearing a long robe, speaking from behind Jin Chen in a gentle voice.

The red shadow female ghost nodded with tears in her eyes, stepped back slightly, performed a bow to the two of them, turned into mist and vanished, leaving a Jade Pendant where she stood.

Jin Chen dared not touch Min Dongcheng's belongings again; he lifted the Jade Pendant with a handkerchief, its back a speck of pigeon-blood red, inlaid with the character 'red'.

Rong Zixu: "A ghost of the Red Family Clan? How does she know we can help."

"I... feel her hand looks somewhat familiar." Jin Chen was still pondering; if he had taken a good look, such an obvious birthmark would not be forgotten.

He had seen many pairs of hands flash by somewhere...

"Screen!"

Jin Chen suddenly understood, explaining to the still-doubting Rong Zixu: "The place I mentioned where the man-eating ghost dragged people in, ten newlywed brides were hanged there, and this ghost was also inside."

Rong Zixu furrowed his brows: "Today, after dawn, at dusk is the Red Family Clan's grand celebration; could it be another ghost bride marriage?"

"Let's check again after dawn."

Jin Chen put his arm around Rong Zixu and went to the bed: "I won't bother you anymore; let's sleep a bit more."