Qin Feng slowly woke from a deep coma, his head feeling as heavy as if it had been run over by a truck.
Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, making him squint.
"What time is it...?"
He fumbled for the phone by his bed and found two missed calls as soon as he turned it on.
"Damn, how long was I out?"
He checked the time. Three days.
A full three days and three nights.
Looking through the call log, Shen Bingyue's name was prominently listed, along with a number saved as "Lin Fu Ge."
"Lin Haoran?"
Qin Feng frowned.
"Why is this guy suddenly contacting me?"
Lin Haoran was a well-known rich second-generation kid in their class. His family supposedly owned mines, and he loved flaunting his wealth.
He drove a Maserati to school and wore nothing but luxury brands, a textbook spoiled playboy.
He usually acted rich in class and looked down on poor students like Qin Feng. The two of them had barely ever interacted.
Just as Qin Feng was wondering about it, his phone suddenly rang.
Caller ID: Lin Fu Ge.
"Hello?" Qin Feng answered.
"Damn! Brother Qin Feng, you finally picked up!"
Lin Haoran's unusually excited voice came through the phone.
"I was worried sick! I thought something had happened to you!"
Qin Feng froze for a moment.
Since when did this guy care so much about him?
"Ahem, it's nothing. I've just been busy lately and had my phone on silent."
"Busy? Busy with what? Still delivering takeout?"
There was a faint trace of mockery in Lin Haoran's voice, but it quickly turned warm again.
"Forget it, forget it. Brother Qin Feng, are you free tonight?"
"What is it?"
"I'm holding a small cocktail party at my villa. It'll be people from our school, plus some first-year girls from the archaeology department."
Pride colored Lin Haoran's voice.
"You know I've been pursuing Junior Su from the archaeology department lately. I want to use this chance to get closer to her."
"Why invite me?"
Qin Feng's tone was flat.
"I don't know any of those archaeology girls."
"Oh, come on, Brother Qin Feng, don't be so modest."
Lin Haoran laughed.
"Although you usually keep a low profile, I know you're a good student and incredibly knowledgeable, especially about history. Those archaeology girls will definitely enjoy talking with a top student like you."
Qin Feng shook his head. "Forget it. I don't really like those kinds of occasions."
"Don't turn me down so quickly!"
Lin Haoran suddenly sounded somewhat anxious.
"Besides... Su Qinghui will be there too."
There was a pause on the other end of the call. Then Lin Haoran lowered his voice, carrying a strange hint of amusement.
"Of course, Su Qinghui is my target, Lin Haoran's target. But Brother Qin Feng, you probably want to see the legendary campus beauty too, right? Even if you can't win her over, it's still worth it to see her from afar. Don't you agree?"
Qin Feng fell silent.
Su Qinghui?
For some reason, Qin Feng's heart skipped a beat.
The image of that figure at the school gates that day surfaced in his mind: a girl in a long white dress, with an otherworldly air about her.
Ever since their brief encounter at the school gates that day, that figure had surfaced in his thoughts from time to time.
Although reason told him she was most likely not the girl from his memories, deep down, his childhood memories and inexplicable longing kept stirring.
What if?
"So? Are you coming or not?"
Lin Haoran urged.
"This is a rare opportunity. Junior Su hardly ever attends gatherings like this. I put a lot of effort into getting her to come this time."
"What's the address?"
Qin Feng asked the question almost against his will.
"Haha! I knew Brother Qin Feng was a sensible man!"
Lin Haoran laughed excitedly.
"I'll send you the address in a bit. It starts at eight tonight. Oh, and dress casually. No need to be too formal. Just think of it as relaxing."
After hanging up, Qin Feng lay on his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Why had he agreed?
He clearly knew his current situation was dangerous, that he could be dragged into supernatural incidents at any moment. The wisest choice was to stay away from ordinary people like Su Qinghui.
But...
"Forget it. I'll treat it as a chance to unwind."
Qin Feng muttered to himself.
"I really have been too tense lately."
He got up, washed up, and checked his condition while he was at it.
After three days of deep sleep, his body had mostly recovered, and he was in good spirits as well.
In the bathroom mirror, he saw a new tattoo on his arm—a simple sketch of a bus.
Ghost Bus.
Thinking back to that night's experience, Qin Feng curled his lips into a faint smile.
The process had been dangerous, but the gains had been plentiful. Besides taming Ghost Bus, that mobile fortress, he had also obtained a total of 310 Cleansing Points.
"About time I leveled up."
He opened the Sin Clearing System and checked his status:
[Host: Qin Feng] [Spiritual Awareness Level: Form Observation Realm (Late Stage)] [Next Level: Wenyan Realm (Early Stage). Cleansing Value Required: 1800] [Cleansing Points: 310] [Legendary Armament: Scissors of Truth (D-Class), Gluttony Stomach (D-Class), Death Notice (D-Class), Lonely Game Box (D-Class)] [Ghost Bus (C-Class Exclusive Vehicle)] [Abilities/Items Mastered: Item Affinity (Passive), Ghost Bus (C-Class Exclusive Vehicle)]
1800 points? Why not just rob me!
Since he had not met the requirements to level up, Qin Feng first replied to Shen Bingyue's message.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I was just too tired and slept for a few days. I'll submit the mission report later."
Shen Bingyue quickly replied, "Your health comes first. Get plenty of rest. By the way, is there any problem with that bus?"
"Everything's normal. It's very obedient."
By the time he finished handling those trivial matters, it was already afternoon.
Qin Feng ate something simple, then began considering his plans for the evening.
Lin Haoran's invitation this time was indeed rather unusual.
That guy usually could not care less about him, yet he was suddenly being so enthusiastic.
"Forget it. If soldiers come, I'll block them with troops; if water comes, I'll stop it with earth."
Qin Feng stretched his muscles. "At worst, I'll kill him."
Toward evening, Lin Haoran sent him the address: Lan Shan Ju, an upscale detached villa in the outskirts of Donghai City.
Looking at the address, Qin Feng clicked his tongue in amazement. "This guy's family really is rich."
He changed into a reasonably presentable outfit. Although he was worth quite a bit now, he had never really bought anything for himself.
Everything was ready. It was only an ordinary white shirt and black casual pants, but paired with his straight frame and handsome features, he still looked rather dashing.
Qin Feng stepped out of his room. The setting sun stretched his shadow long.
Before you continue