Chapter 1897: Living with Mr. Ghost: Miscellaneous Affairs 13

You slept your way to the top, otherwise how could you have risen so smoothly?

You think I'm the only one at the news agency who feels this way? Behind the scenes, who knows how many people are cursing you!

……

The splashing water sound was especially clear in the bathroom; Xia Tan half lay in the bathtub, letting the shower overhead pour water down.

After a moment, Xia Tan pushed the voices from her mind aside, pressed her lips tightly, and made a phone call.

After several busy signals, the other end finally connected after a delay.

Mother…

Xiao Tan, why are you calling Mother again? Didn't you say your uncle wouldn't be happy? If you have something to say, say it quick.

Xia Tan tightened her grip on the phone, blinked her moist eyelashes, her tone showing nothing unusual: "Nothing, how have you been lately?"

Everything's fine, I hope your work is going well. You haven't sent me money lately, but it's fine—otherwise your uncle would get angry.

Xia Tan lowered her gaze to the bubbles in the bathtub, her voice sounding as if dampened by steam: "Mom, my work… hasn't been going well."

On the other end of the computer, silence fell for a few seconds: "What can Mother do? Worrying about your brother's studies already gives me a headache. Xiao Tan, you're grown up now—don't make me worry anymore."

Xia Tan's hopeful brows and eyes completely drooped: "I understand."

The call ended, and the water in the bathtub turned completely cold.

Xia Tan felt chilled to the bone, as if soaked in ice water, her body and mind losing warmth.

His Adam's apple moved, but it felt as if something was blocking it; only scorching hot tears fell, making no ripples in the bathtub full of cold water.

The bathroom door opened silently.

Jin Chen paid no heed to anyone's privacy as he walked in, lifted Xia Tan's chin to look, and said, "Why are you crying again?"

He turned off the shower, then reached out to test the bathtub water temperature, saying somewhat dangerously, "Do you want to soak until you become a little ice person?"

Xia Tan silently tilted her head back to look at him, gripping her own shoulders tightly, tightly, her voice betraying her inner unrest.

Are you going to control me?

Xia Tan didn't know why she asked that, but inexplicably, she just suddenly wanted to hear Jin Chen's answer.

"I don't care who else controls you." Jin Chen said.

Xia Tan seemed to want to confirm something, staring intently at Jin Chen for a long time.

Jin Chen rolled up his sleeves halfway, lifted Xia Tan straight out of the water, his adjusted body temperature being no different from a human's, yet at this moment it was actually a few degrees warmer than Xia Tan.

People always cling to warm things.

Xia Tan clung to Jin Chen's shoulders, whispering, "I haven't put on clothes yet…"

"What clothes to wear to sleep?"

Jin Chen answered righteously, grabbed a towel, wrapped Xia Tan in it, and straightaway carried her out.

The person in his arms was tense all over, still trembling.

Jin Chen held the person, bent down to lay her on the bed, lifted a hand to gently stroke Xia Tan's back, then lightly patted her, as if soothing a child.

"Do you really want to control me? Why?"

Xia Tan curled up in his arms, stubbornly asking again; even though that slight intoxication hadn't faded, she earnestly gazed at Jin Chen's brows and eyes, and at this moment she didn't even care whether he was human or ghost.

Even ghostly words sound pleasant.

Jin Chen lowered his gaze to look at him, wiped away the tear intention at the corner of Xia Tan's eye, and teased, "Be obedient, let me kiss you."

"You're mine, so of course I'll control you."

As his words fell, Jin Chen kissed the corner of Xia Tan's lips, pressing against her nose, lips and teeth entwining.

Xia Tan went limp all over from the kiss, sinking into the blankets as if, unable to muster any strength; her fingers that wanted to push away felt more like they were resting on Jin Chen's shoulders, hesitant yet yielding.

Fear of the malevolent ghost could not overcome loneliness and unease.

Moreover, for him, Jin Chen was visible and tangible now, fervent and with a strong presence; in a daze he often forgot Jin Chen wasn't human.

Until being tossed into the blankets, he was easily dominated by Jin Chen, leaving no room for refusal.

Xia Tan's neck was covered in fine, dense love-bites, and new tears fell, only to be instantly kissed away by Jin Chen.

"I'm scared…"

Xia Tan sobbed softly, more like she was acting coquettish.

Jin Chen leaned in to soothe with kisses, but this time he wasn't so easy to talk to, his punitive actions never ceasing.

"Don't be scared, Xiao Tan."

Jin Chen kissed his earlobe, his voice low with danger, yet making one helplessly surrender: "Be good, don't be scared, I won't let you hurt."

Largely because the soft coaxing tone by his ear was too alluring, Xia Tan's fingertips lightly touched, gradually embracing Jin Chen's neck, rubbing against him affectionately, her eyes hazy.

Thus that night, he cried even harder.

Regardless of whether Jin Chen was human or a terrifying malevolent ghost, clinging to his shoulders, she bit without mistake.

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -5, total 42!】

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +10, total 30!】

——

A ridiculous night.

Xia Tan's waist ached and her back hurt all morning; after that incident she didn't want to go to the company at all, and Jin Chen didn't allow her to go out.

Probably it's punishment for running around wildly last night.

Xia Tan thought this control was too strict, yet somehow she couldn't bring herself to feel any resistance.

Being controlled by a ghost is quite a novel experience.

Xia Tan didn't know where the throbbing in her heart came from, nor could she suppress it; feeling indecisive, she didn't know what to do.

What Jin Chen saw upon entering was Xia Tan's expression, like a little bee all tangled up.

Jin Chen leaned forward, tugged at Xia Tan's face, smiling wickedly, "What are you thinking?"

If last night was due to drunkenness, now their gaze inevitably carries a different kind of ambiguity; Xia Tan was the first to avert his eyes, burrowing into the blanket, "I... I wasn't thinking about anything."

Jin Chen wouldn't let him get away, scooping him up into an embrace and firmly kissing Xia Tan.

"What did you find out with the police officer? Tell me."

Xia Tan didn't quite understand why he was only asking now, but he answered honestly; when mentioning the genealogy register, Jin Chen's expression shifted slightly.

The brutality and anger from seeing Jiang Wen's corpse surfaced again.

Jin Chen tightened his arm around Xia Tan, "Where is the genealogy register?"

"The police officer took it away, but I took a photo."

Xia Tan pulled out the photo from his phone to show him, carefully observing Jin Chen's expression, "Do you know anyone in it?"

"I don't know them yet."

Jin Chen enlarged the photo, a surge of gloom welling up in his chest, as if what he saw wasn't the genealogy register but a list of people bearing a deep grudge like a sea of blood.

Even worse than Jiang Wen.

"... Jin, Lan."

Jin Chen enunciated the name word by word, a foreign brutality filling all his senses, endless chill leaking from his eyes.

"... Jin Chen, what's wrong with you?"

Xia Tan was frightened by this manifested hatred, instinctively wanting to flee, after a moment's hesitation he lightly grasped Jin Chen's fingers, his voice trembling.

"You don't know them, why are you like this?"

Jin Chen indicated he wasn't sure either.

But to investigate who he really is, they still need to start with the Jin Family.

"Be good, tell me, where is the genealogy register?"

Jin Chen kissed the corner of Xia Tan's eye, his pupils devoid of warmth, the red mole at the outer left eye making his gloom more pronounced, evoking unfounded fear.

Xia Tan also shrugged his shoulders, feeling something bad would happen, "He probably went to the Strange Investigation Bureau; do you want to go get it?"

"I want revenge."

Jin Chen didn't say it outright, gently stroking Xia Tan's back with an ambiguous tone, "Xiao Tan, don't be afraid of me."

"Be good, I won't harm you."

Xia Tan's ears flushed, he obediently accepted Jin Chen's kiss, whispering, "Then don't kill anyone... okay?"

"Okay."

Jin Chen tucked him into the blanket, sat up, smoothed his cuffs, and gave Xia Tan a smirk.

In the next instant, Jin Chen's figure vanished from the room.

Xia Tan went limp, curling into the blanket, exhaling softly, his heart still pounding.

No matter how he convinced himself, Jin Chen just then still frightened him.

"As long as you don't kill..."

Xia Tan murmured softly, hugging himself in the blanket, not knowing who he was speaking to.

Vengeful ghosts who kill become increasingly ferocious.

Jin Chen is like that.

The phone buzzed—a message from the master saying he'd be able to come here in two days.

Xia Tan's fingertips hovered for a long time, unsure how to reply, and he finally buried himself in the blanket, giving up.