Thud, thud, thud...
In the dim yellow glow of a lone kerosene lamp, the boundless silence made each knock at the door pound against their hearts.
There was no mistaking how eerie it was.
Xie De was a little frightened, but the thought that the protagonist, an expert exorcist, was right here put him somewhat at ease.
He desperately hoped Wei Yanchi would hurry up and show what he could do as a Taoist priest who moonlighted as the world's protagonist, dispatching the ghost outside in a few quick moves. Ideally, Xie De wouldn't have to help at all and could coast to victory.
But Wei Yanchi's expression remained unchanged at the presence outside. Infuriatingly, he ignored it instead of rushing to deal with it. He simply stared blankly at Xie De, his voice unconsciously tinged with apology. "I'm very sorry for disturbing your rest."
39's casually tied low ponytail was loose, his disheveled hair spilling over his shoulders and back. Perhaps because he had just gotten out of bed, his inner shirt wasn't perfectly arranged either, exposing a little of his cool, pale collarbones.
Much of his intimidating chill had faded, and the warm light lent him a measure of serenity and gentleness.
For a moment, Wei Yanchi couldn't look away. His mind stalled, going blank. He simply felt that Mr. 39 seemed more approachable like this, no longer as distant as a biting winter wind.
But that was ultimately just his fantasy.
39 knew what he was thinking. Mockery entered his eyes as he said coldly, "What are you staring at?"
The tips of Wei Yanchi's ears reddened. He averted his gaze and apologized with practiced ease. "Sorry. I've overstepped again."
"Hmph." 39 gave a disdainful snort.
Seeing Wei Yanchi fail to look for a way to deal