41: You Are Our Little Brother.

As Zhou Shurong reveled in his newfound strength, he suddenly felt a strong resentment.

He glanced at Zhou Langxing, who was slumped in the seat. The latter’s eyes were half-open, struggling to recover, but his face was twisted in a fierce expression, as though he was staring at an enemy.

If he were to die now, he would surely turn into a vengeful ghost immediately.

Was he scared silly?

Zhou Shurong scratched his cheek, suddenly feeling displeased. He had died suddenly, and his last thoughts were only regret for not making it to his date.

So, after becoming a ghost, he was the lowest level wandering soul, only gaining consciousness after the seventh day.

But Xiao Hei, who died today was different. After enduring various negative emotions and physical torment, he regained his consciousness right after death. At the very least, he would be a mid-tier wandering soul.

Zhou Shurong thought for a while and came to a highly probable conclusion. Maybe there was more and more material in this world that could allow ghosts to exist?

The evidence was the ghost face in the elevator at Ping’an Community. It had been dead for more than three years, and had died so horribly that even a baby ghost couldn’t overcome it.

(Baby ghosts were an exception. They became stronger by sticking to their mother’s body and absorbing yang energy, a different way of gaining power.)

It was like an online novel he read in middle school—a story about supernatural invasions.

After a moment of thought, he politely asked Zhou Langxing, “May I ask, what is your relationship with the ghost in the back seat? Can I eat it?”

Xiao Hei was staring blankly at his own corpse, and when he heard Zhou Shurong’s words, he was immediately scared stiff, jumping up and sticking his head out of the car.

“Ahh, my neck is stuck in the car!”

Zhou Shurong lost interest and turned his gaze away. Eating it would make his brain dull.

He was just scaring him.

Just now, Zhou Langxing had been in a dangerous situation, but the newly born ghost was indifferent, staring blankly at its own corpse. He had already said it: Zhou Langxing’s friends were unreliable!

“Bro, good evening.” Zhou Langxing said vacantly, “Is there food in the underworld? I’m hungry.”

Zhou Shurong: “…”

Zhou Shurong remained silent for a moment, then poked Zhou Langxing’s forehead and cursed a few times.

Zhou Langxing tilted his head from the poking.

“Am I deaf? I can’t hear you speaking…”

Zhou Langxing wasn’t deaf. The meat ball, which was a gathering of yin energy, had been wandering in his mouth, absorbing the yin energy, and for now, he could only see Zhou Shurong.

As for Xiao Hei, he couldn’t hear or see anything. The stronger the ghost, the more visible it became to humans. Although Xiao Hei died with resentment, and became a mid-tier wandering spirit after death, he was still weak, belonging to the lower class of ghosts.

Zhou Shurong wasn’t interested in Zhou Langxing anymore. Since he was safe, after experiencing what happened, he should know better. He was going to find some tasty meat balls!

When Zhou Langxing saw his brother float out, he instinctively tried to follow and float out too, but the seatbelt stopped him.

“Huh? Did I not die?”

Zhou Langxing touched the seatbelt, the steering wheel, and his own face. Everything felt real. Outside, the car owner, who had been forced to rear-end, was still there, not giving up, eagerly calling out to him.

“I really didn’t die?!”

Zhou Langxing unbuckled the seatbelt, opened the car door, and the car owner finally saw the culprit, excitedly trying to throw a punch at Zhou Langxing’s face.

“You finally got out! Let me tell you! Even if your car is higher class than mine, it’s still your full responsibility!”

Zhou Langxing grabbed his fist, nodding absently, while looking around for Zhou Shurong.

No results. Was it just a hallucination?

The routine felt familiar; he had once thought that what Qin Yan said about seeing Zhou Shurong was just his imagination.

The car owner’s voice calling “Hey, hey!” brought him back to reality.

Zhou Shurong snapped back to focus and said in a calm tone, “I know, it’s my full responsibility, leave me your phone number…”

He suddenly stopped speaking.

The car owner thought he was trying to back out of responsibility.

But Zhou Langxing said, “Why don’t you take me home now? Consider this car as my apology to you?”

It was unlucky for the car to be involved in an incident as soon as it was out, and he didn’t want it anymore! Besides, he needed to hurry back. As Qin Yan said, things outside were really dangerous and chaotic!

Seeing the car owner’s look of disbelief, Zhou Langxing opened the car door and introduced, “Brand new, see for yourself—”

Both of them saw the corpse in the back seat.

Zhou Langxing: “…I didn’t kill this person, do you believe me?”

The car owner immediately called the police.

Xiao Hei’s head was stuck on the roof of the car, mournfully crying out, “Can anyone see me? Why am I stuck here? This isn’t right!”

…

Qin Yan was watching a video where someone had recorded the process of a victim’s death. At this point, the authorities were still covering things up. He had just refreshed the comment section, and the video was gone.

Then the official account released a message, claiming it was a new type of parasitic organism.

Qin Yan could only think: “Parasitic my foot!”

He couldn’t stay any longer. Zhou Shurong and Zhou Langxing were both out there, and he had no idea what had happened to them. He could only helplessly scroll through online updates.

With the official response, those rumors started disappearing.

He pulled out a cigarette and, for the fifth time, called Zhou Langxing. This time, it finally connected.

“Langxing! How are you? Please, tell me!”

“I’m fine, now staying in the hospital. Please don’t come out, have you locked all the doors and windows?”

“I know, I know, everything’s locked!”

“Ah Yan…”

His voice carried a kind of suppressed fervor. Qin Yan cautiously asked, and he laughed, “Ah Yan, I misunderstood you. Turns out there really is… really is… I saw him. He saved me!”

“Shurong?”

“Yes!” Zhou Langxing slumped in his chair, letting the doctor check him. He sighed, “Turns out there really are ghosts!”

The car owner outside heard this and pointed at his head, signaling the police that Zhou Langxing was crazy.

“You can see Shurong?” Qin Yan exclaimed. “Where is he now?”

Zhou Langxing said he didn’t know.

Meanwhile, Zhou Shurong was happily hunting. He ate one meat ball, then another, and another… It was so good, like eating a buffet.

However, there was also some danger involved.

The Observation Society was also collecting all the meat balls. This time, the higher-ups allowed them to keep 50%, and everyone was working hard to increase their strength.

Although there were not enough hands, casualties were slowly decreasing.

While Zhou Shurong was extracting the 18th meat ball, he encountered someone from the Observation Society.

The man and the ghost stood still, sizing each other up. Zhou Shurong saw the man making an exaggerated face and muttering “Oh my God!” before turning and running away.

Zhou Shurong had some questions he needed answers to. He ate the meat ball, instantly floated over, and stopped the member of the Observation Society.

The weak man immediately knelt and begged for mercy, knowing that wandering souls retained all their humanity.

“Big Brother, spare my life! I have a family to support. My family of five relies on me to feed them!”

“Enough!”

Zhou Shurong was speechless and directly asked, “What level do you think I am now?”

The man cautiously raised his head, “You’re a top-tier wandering spirit, you’ve almost reached the next level.”

Zhou Shurong said “Oh” and approached him, “Do I seem like a living person now?”

“Speak.”

“Flickering, disappearing, not like a living person.”

Zhou Shurong took a deep breath. He still needed to become a vengeful ghost to have a solid form and blend in with ordinary people’s lives! But after eating so many meat balls, he felt powerful and thought he was ready to advance.

But… he couldn’t turn into a vengeful ghost.

“What do I need to do to become a vengeful ghost?”

Hearing Zhou Shurong’s question, the man’s face changed, and he lowered his head, silently rejecting the question.

Zhou Shurong smiled slightly, stretched out a pale, boneless-like hand, and slowly reached for the man’s neck.

The man immediately tilted his head back and said, “You need to have resentment. Only with resentment can you become a vengeful ghost! Otherwise, you will remain a wandering soul forever!”

“Resentment…”

The man in the ivory-white vest jacket gently chewed the word, and the evening wind brushed across his face, leaving only faint traces.

From the words of the member of the Observation Society, Zhou Shurong learned a lot of things.

For example, the supernatural invasion started three months ago, and it was getting worse over time.

For example, wandering souls needed resentment to level up into vengeful ghosts. After becoming a vengeful ghost, they would gain their own abilities.

And lastly, the Observation Society used humans to contain ghosts, using ghosts to deal with other ghosts. The ghosts they collected were mostly their own relatives, which made it easier to merge them without resistance.

And so on…

The man who answered honestly had thick eyebrows and big eyes. While not radiating an aura of righteousness, it was clear he wasn’t a bad person.

Zhou Shurong emptied the ink from his stomach and let him go, rushing home. He was lucky this time, only encountering an Observation Society member who couldn’t withstand his observations. Next time, he might not be so fortunate.

Moreover, his strength had reached a bottleneck—no matter how many meatballs he consumed, it was useless.

The resentment!

He pondered, looking up at the sky. It had grown quite dark, and the resentment seemed to wrap itself into mist, forming clouds as if it were about to rain.

He thought about what the man had said, glanced at his strong yet pale arms, and his gaze swept over the shadows under the buildings. Without hesitation, he dove straight into them.

The buildings on the street were densely packed, and the shadows they cast formed a new path. Zhou Shurong moved swiftly, sensing the lingering yin energy on Zhou Langxing. It was coming from the car that had just passed by.

Without thinking, Zhou Shurong jumped from the shadows of the buildings into the luxury car.

Zhou Langxing remained unaware, continuing to drive. Zhou Shurong looked at the back of his head, calmly sitting in the backseat. The body that had been lying there was now gone, and the wandering soul had also vanished.

Zhou Shurong closed his eyes, casually speculating that Zhou Langxing must have left the body in the morgue, and that the slightly foolish ghost probably still stubbornly followed its corpse, hoping to revive.

He pressed his thumb to his lips, thinking about the direction in which resentment could transform into a vengeful spirit.

From the words of the Observation Society member, he learned that vengeful spirits could arise either from resentment or obsession. But for a wandering soul to evolve into a vengeful spirit, there was only one way: the birth of resentment.

That is, making oneself hate something, someone, or some event.

Powerful ghost tamers often had certain character flaws, which stemmed from this.

What should I hate?

Zhou Shurong thought anxiously. He only wanted to live an ordinary life with Qin Yan. He didn’t need to carry any grudges, unless Qin Yan betrayed him.

Unless Qin Yan betrayed him…

Unless…

Zhou Shurong’s eyes reddened. He felt short of breath, his chest burning with a raging fire, threatening to burn away his sanity.

Zhou Langxing felt a chill on the back of his neck, especially around his throat, as if cold tendrils were wrapping around him. His heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that Xiao Hei’s soul wasn’t resting?

He tried to stay calm, slowing the car down, mentally preparing himself. When he glanced into the rearview mirror, Zhou Shurong’s face appeared, hazy, with eyes that seemed to be losing control.

Holy hell! Is he going dark?

He yelled, “Brother!”

Zhou Shurong was jolted awake as if struck on the head. After hearing the sound of urgent braking, his mind quickly replayed the images from just before death and he instinctively frowned, saying, “Watch the road!”

Zhou Langxing smiled and continued on his way.

“Brother, what are you doing in my car? I thought it was Xiao Hei’s soul asking me to accompany him.”

“I’m your real brother. Would you come to accompany me?” Zhou Shurong said in a ghostly tone.

Zhou Langxing awkwardly smiled and glanced again at the rearview mirror. Zhou Shurong’s face kept flickering in the mirror, paired with the now darkening sky—truly scary.

“Brother, could you stop flickering? My eyes hurt.”

It really looked like a damaged TV screen!

“You think I want to?”

Zhou Shurong also saw himself in the rearview mirror. He felt a mix of happiness and unease. How could he appear like this in front of Qin Yan?

Ahead, a hesitant voice came through:

“Brothee, when did you become like this?”

“You want to ask if I know about your little tricks these days, right?” Zhou Shurong said. “By the way, that wonton you’ve been craving? You won’t be able to eat it anymore.”

Zhou Langxing quickly sat up straight, focusing intently on the road. The rearview mirror reflected his serious face, his eyes conveying “drive, don’t disturb.”

Zhou Shurong gave a faint smile, and the car interior returned to silence. His thoughts drifted back to the word “unless.”

How could he, wanting to put a green hat on himself?

This resentment wouldn’t work. If he clung to it, once he became a vengeful spirit, he would constantly suspect Qin Yan of cheating, driving him mad, maybe even costing him his life.

The consequences were too severe. This path needed to be explored carefully!

Zhou Shurong looked at the rearview mirror, slowly disappearing from view.

Zhou Langxing only heard a sigh, soft and faint, lingering like mist, dissipating into the air.

He turned his head, but Zhou Shurong was no longer there.

Searching around, he still couldn’t see him, just like that sigh—light and airy, vanishing in the air.

He seemed lost, and after the frenzy of learning his brother was still “alive,” a few traces of sorrow appeared in his eyes.

His path with feelings now seemed distant.

Suddenly, it started to rain.

Strangely, the rain appeared gray.

Qin Yan reached out his hand. The rain fell onto his palm, causing a sharp pain. He pulled his hand back in surprise, noticing a faint reddish mark on his palm. It felt like a drop of melted wax had landed on his skin.

It didn’t hurt much, but it was uncomfortable.

Moreover, if it started pouring heavily, it could be as harmful as acid rain.

Worried, he called Zhou Langxing. Zhou Langxing had told him when he left the hospital. At this moment, he hoped Zhou Langxing wasn’t walking outside.

The phone was quickly connected. Zhou Langxing greeted him, then complained in a somewhat aggrieved tone:

“Ah Yan, I’m downstairs, but I’m stuck in the car. This rain is so strange—it hits the lawn and turns it yellow. I’m afraid to get out.”

“Oh my God, is the car sturdy?” Qin Yan could hear the rain pounding on the car.

“I… I’m not sure.”

“I’ll come down and get you!”

“Don’t move!” Zhou Langxing ordered, then softened his tone, comforting Qin Yan. “The rain is getting heavier. Wait a bit longer, I’ll be safe once it stops.”

“But…”

“Trust me, okay?” he said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Okay… okay…” Qin Yan wasn’t one to argue, taking a deep breath before agreeing. But he took a step back. “But don’t hang up on me, okay?”

He also said “okay” with a tone that, though soft, was filled with undeniable firmness.

Zhou Langxing replied, “Okay.”

They continued to listen to the rain, each hearing the other’s breathing. Time seemed to slow down, the rain outside tapering off. Zhou Langxing’s eyes were filled with reluctance. He knew all too well that this romance was stolen in the absence of Zhou Shurong.

Zhou Shurong’s existence had already clearly marked the path in front of Qin Yan and Zhou Langxing. Zhou Langxing could no longer hope to pry apart their bond.

Unless Zhou Shurong lost his mind and made Qin Yan leave of his own accord.

But, how could that be?

Zhou Langxing’s breath became heavy, and he began to drift into melancholy, unaware of the faint noises coming from his phone—the soft sound of a door closing, gentle footsteps, and the elevator’s quiet hum.

Suddenly, a knock on the car window startled him.

“Langxing, I’m coming down to get you!” Qin Yan’s slightly playful voice came through the phone, reaching his ear.

Zhou Langxing blinked, gripping his phone tightly while rolling down the window.

The delicate, porcelain-like face slowly appeared before him.

A pair of glazed eyes looked at him, shimmering and unblinking.

Qin Yan smiled slightly.

He held an umbrella, bent slightly, and said to the stunned man in the car, “Why did you lower the window? Open the door first!”

Then he said, “Huh, it’s just you? No driver? This car is so nice—could it be yours?”

Zhou Langxing opened the door dumbfounded, muttering, “It’s mine.”

“Come on out,” Qin Yan waved, curiously peering inside. “Wow, this really is your car! The back is smashed. Are you hurt? How did you deal with it? Was it your fault or theirs?”

Zhou Langxing unbuckled his seatbelt, bent down to get out of the car. “It’s my fault. The other party just asked for some repair costs.”

Qin Yan held the umbrella over his head. “So, are you injured?”

His gaze was warm and full of concern. Zhou Langxing rubbed his nose. “Just a shock, my head feels a bit dizzy.”

“Let’s go quickly. Thankfully, I bought a bigger umbrella when I left the hospital. Look, we won’t get wet. But you need to be careful of the rain on the ground.”

Zhou Langxing: “Oh.”

He took the umbrella. “I’ll hold it.”

Qin Yan didn’t argue. The umbrella was big and heavy, and to protect Zhou Langxing from the wind and rain, he had to hold it high, causing his arms to ache.

They walked a few steps, entered the building, and Qin Yan closed the umbrella.

Qin Yan pressed the elevator button, feeling discomfort underfoot. He stomped his foot, still not feeling right. Looking down, he realized the soles of his shoes had worn down a bit. He felt a pang of fear.

Before entering the elevator, Zhou Langxing shook off the umbrella, letting the strange rainwater fall to the ground, then walked into the elevator, careful to keep the umbrella far away.

Qin Yan looked at the dark gap in the door. “This day has been so nerve-wracking. You all wanted me to stay at home, but I can’t relax no matter what I do. Sigh! I’ve already made you some ginger soup. When you go up, you can have a hot bath first, and then drink it!”

Hearing the sudden shift in Qin Yan’s tone, filled with concern and care, Zhou Langxing’s eyes grew warm. He realized he would rarely experience such care again and couldn’t help but think of Zhou Shurong.

He sighed deeply, prompting a worried question from Qin Yan: “Is your head dizzy again?”

He turned his head away, unwilling to speak.

Qin Yan softened his tone again to ask, and he pretended to be serious: “I’m afraid I won’t get to drink your ginger soup again.”

Qin Yan blinked, puzzled.

“Brother’s back, and you two are going to have a quiet life. I’ll feel awkward visiting. And…”

“And what?”

“And he doesn’t want me to visit either.”

Qin Yan shook his head. “He really likes you, his younger brother.”

Zhou Langxing gritted his teeth and was about to speak up when he heard Qin Yan seriously say, “If you’re just a simple guest, we’d be very happy to have you!”

Zhou Langxing froze, staring at Qin Yan.

The elevator doors opened. Qin Yan slowly walked out, and he could only watch his back, helplessly hearing him say:

“After all, you’re our younger brother.”

His heart dropped like a stone into an icy, bottomless pit.