LABMY CH44

On the white hotel bed, the slender and beautiful young man lay with his eyes closed. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly. Soon, after a night of sweet dreams, the young man opened his eyes.

There was still a hint of drowsiness in his gaze. He stretched out his hand from under the blanket, covered his mouth, and yawned. After looking around and seeing no one, he softly called out in his heart, “Brother-in-law?”

After a brief silence, Jian Yuanbai responded helplessly, “I’m here. How do you feel?”

Jiang Tang couldn’t help but yawn again. Because of his drowsiness, a bit of moisture welled up in his eyes. Thinking Jian Yuanbai was speaking to him from within the jade pendant, Jiang Tang replied, “No problem at all.”

As he spoke, the clueless and beautiful young man was unaware that a tall man, radiating ghostly energy, was holding him in an extremely possessive embrace, trapping him entirely in his arms.

The 1.75-meter-tall youth looked quite small in the arms of the 1.93-meter man. Jiang Tang leaned against the man’s chest, yet he thought he was just sleeping on the bed.

Jiang Tang sat up, gently rotated his neck, and felt his body. There was no issue, just some slight muscle soreness. Before falling asleep last night, he only rinsed off the sweat on his body. So, after getting out of bed, he went straight to the bathroom.

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Meanwhile, on the messy bed that seemed empty, a human figure slowly appeared. When a fierce ghost’s power far surpasses that of a Ghost Tamer, even if contracted, the ghost can still hide its form from the Ghost Tamer.

Jian Yuanbai, who had secretly held him in his arms all night, felt absolutely no guilt. Jiang Tang was his “little pillow.” Secretly hugging his wife to sleep felt completely justified to him.

This was the treasure he had lost and regained. He would never let go again. Due to the influence of his identity as a fierce ghost in this world, Jian Yuanbai was more or less affected by the obsession typical of ghosts. When no one could see, his gaze toward Jiang Tang was filled with a chilling possessiveness.

He was his. Only his.

The two beautiful lovers that Jiang Tang was destined to have in the original storyline? Dream on.

In the bathroom, steam filled the air. Unaware of anything, Jiang Tang stood with his back to the mirror, warm water flowing from above, cascading down his pale body. On the fogged-up mirror, faint reflections of his smooth shoulders and back could be seen.

On his lower back, a few scattered plum blossom petals extended upward. On his back, which he couldn’t see, large patches of enchanting pale pink petals bloomed.

Jiang Tang couldn’t see it, nor did he know that he had already been marked by the most powerful ghost in the world.

Even when he came out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe, completely clueless, he smiled innocently at the true culprit behind the marks on his body.

With a bit of concern, he asked, “It’s daytime now. Is it okay for you to come out?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “I’m in the room, and I’ll only stay out for a moment. It’s fine.”

He then asked, “How long of a leave did you get from school?”

Jiang Tang: “One month. I couldn’t get more.”

“I want to use this time to catch as many ghosts as possible. For a Ghost Tamer, the more ghosts contracted, the stronger you become, right?”

Jian Yuanbai paused for a moment and said, “You’ve just started learning the Ghost-Taming Technique. Be careful not to be consumed by the ghosts.”

Jiang Tang’s body was still slightly damp, and his face was flushed from the heat of the shower. His beautiful eyes were full of trust as he looked at Jian Yuanbai. “Isn’t that why I have you?”

Jian Yuanbai’s eyes darkened instantly. But in the next second, Jiang Tang softly called him, “Brother-in-law.”

Isn’t that why I have you, brother-in-law?

Jian Yuanbai gritted his teeth and asked the system, “If I fail the mission, will this world reset?”

System: ?

It replied coldly, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Jian Yuanbai sighed gloomily, “I want to see if the protagonist will lose his memory if the world resets.”

…

The system’s fur stood on end. “Don’t make me smack you with my cat tail.”

“If you fail the mission, you’ll just move on to the next world.”

That wouldn’t do. He hadn’t left his mark on his little pillow yet. He didn’t want to lose track of him again.

However, leaving a mark wasn’t easy. He needed Jiang Tang to fall in love with him. Otherwise, he’d scare him away.

So Jian Yuanbai immediately changed his tone, “Forget it.”

Besides, this world’s protagonist, who would cry when encountering ghosts, was quite cute.

…

Following Jian Yuanbai’s suggestion, Jiang Tang planned to visit places heavy with yin energy, such as hospitals and funeral homes, to try his luck. Since it was still early, he left the hotel room to get breakfast first.

The hotel provided breakfast, and when Jiang Tang came down, the restaurant was already filled with people. He held a tray, carefully selecting his food when, suddenly, his elbow was hit hard. The metal tray slammed against his bone, causing Jiang Tang to instinctively hiss in pain.

He turned his head and saw a girl with heavy dark circles under her eyes, looking flustered as she repeatedly apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was distracted. Are you okay?”

The steaming millet porridge had mostly spilled onto the floor, along with the bowl, while a small portion had visibly splashed onto Jiang Tang’s clothes.

The girl looked quite young, with a slightly round face. Her otherwise ordinary appearance seemed somewhat gloomy due to her thick dark circles. She anxiously wanted to reach out and wipe the porridge off Jiang Tang’s clothes, but she hesitated, feeling awkward about touching a stranger’s back.

Her eyes darted around the room in a panic before she quickly ran to a nearby empty table, grabbed a handful of napkins, and handed them to Jiang Tang in a fluster, “I’m really sorry, really sorry.”

Jiang Tang took the napkins and gently wiped himself while giving the apologetic girl a smile. He spoke in a warm tone, “I’m fine. But you, did you hurt yourself?”

The girl tightened her grip on her now empty tray, blushing slightly as she looked at Jiang Tang’s delicate features. Her voice became even softer, “No, no, I’m fine. I’m really sorry.”

Jiang Tang replied, “No need to keep apologizing.”

Noticing the heavy dark circles under her eyes, clearly a sign of sleep deprivation, Jiang Tang extended an invitation, “Would you like to have breakfast together?”

The girl let out a surprised “Ah?” and seemed a bit excited, “Can I?”

In the end, the two sat together at an empty table. Jiang Tang asked gently, “I noticed your dark circles are quite severe. Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?”

Liu Hong, who had introduced herself earlier, couldn’t help but sigh with worry at his concern. “Yes, I can’t seem to fall asleep at night.”

Jiang Tang looked at the faint black aura surrounding her and immediately knew she was likely haunted by a ghost. It was his first time dealing with such a situation, and he wasn’t sure how to bring it up subtly. After some thought, he asked, “Have you encountered anything strange lately?”

“I can sense some ghostly energy around you. It seems like something is attached to you.”

As Jiang Tang spoke, he was completely unaware of the man standing behind him with his arms crossed and an aura of resentment filling the air.

Jian Yuanbai, upon seeing the girl, knew that Jiang Tang’s plot had officially begun. Because of this girl, Jiang Tang would eventually meet one of his future wives, Liu Zhuqing.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t interrupt their conversation, but his face darkened as he silently listened.

Liu Hong was stunned for a few seconds. Her eyes scanned Jiang Tang up and down with a strange expression, “Excuse me, are you… some kind of scammer?”

Such a handsome guy, and he’s out here pretending to be a psychic?

Jiang Tang was also taken aback by her question and wasn’t sure how to respond. After a moment of thought, he said, “I don’t think I am? But if you need help, feel free to contact me. I won’t charge you.”

After speaking, he stood up to leave, but Liu Hong quickly stopped him, “Wait, I did encounter something strange recently.”

Since it was free, she figured there was no harm in trying.

Liu Hong continued, “A while ago, my cat passed away.”

At the mention of this, Liu Hong’s expression turned sad. However, Jiang Tang quickly noticed that aside from sadness, there was also fear in her eyes.

“I buried it, and at first, everything seemed fine…”

“But recently, I’ve been hearing cat cries every night,” Liu Hong shivered in fear. “The sound is terrifying, so mournful, and a bit like a baby crying.”

“It lasts all night, and I can’t sleep at all.”

Hearing this, Jiang Tang frowned and asked Jian Yuanbai in his heart, “Brother-in-law, can a cat become a ghost after death?”

“A cat that has long interacted with humans and has come into contact with something extremely spiritual can indeed become a ghost.”

Standing right behind him, Jian Yuanbai immediately answered, but of course, he still didn’t reveal his presence to Jiang Tang.

Jiang Tang asked again, “Then can ghost-taming techniques contract such a ghost?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “Yes. As long as it’s a ghost, ghost-taming techniques can contract it. When your strength reaches its peak, you can even contract a ghost king.”

Jiang Tang’s eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly suppressed his excitement. He had just started learning and couldn’t afford to be too ambitious. “If possible, can you take me to the place where you buried the cat?”

Liu Hong looked troubled. “I buried it under the tree where I first met it, but not long after, the area was taken over and turned into an orchard. All the original trees were removed and replaced with fruit trees. I can’t find the body anymore.”

Jiang Tang shook his head but comforted her, “It’s fine. I’ll go back to your place with you tonight and check the situation.”

He added, “If you’re worried, you can bring a few friends or ask the police to come with us.”

Liu Hong quickly waved her hand. “I trust you. Besides,” she chuckled, “do you think the police would believe in ghosts?”

Jiang Tang laughed along. “Of course, we won’t tell them that. Just say there’s strange noises disturbing the peace.”

This small interaction slightly narrowed the gap between them. However, a certain ghost who had been hiding in the shadows grew even darker in expression.

Jian Yuanbai let out a dissatisfied sigh in his heart, wishing he could hide his “little pillow” away from the world, only for himself to see.

Realizing that his current possessive behavior was influenced by his identity as a ghost in this world, Jian Yuanbai simply returned to the jade pendant’s space.

Time passed slowly as they waited. As night fell and darkness enveloped the land, the shadows within a particular house seemed deeper and more eerie than elsewhere.

Originally, Jiang Tang and Liu Hong were sitting on the sofa, staying alert and waiting for the cat’s cries. But unknowingly, both of them fell asleep.

A black cat anxiously meowed at the slumbering Liu Hong, but she didn’t respond.

Suddenly, the black cat arched its back, its fur standing on end, and let out a shrill cry toward a certain direction.

A dark shadow slowly approached, completely ignoring Liu Hong and inching closer to the sleeping Jiang Tang.

Just as the black shadow was about to attack Jiang Tang, a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of him. The man bent down and scooped the beautiful sleeping boy into his arms.

The moment Jiang Tang fell into the man’s embrace, the black shadow let out a miserable wail and disappeared like burning paper behind the man.

Jian Yuanbai sighed softly and placed a gentle kiss on Jiang Tang’s forehead. “Silly little pillow, you didn’t even realize you were being targeted.”

At this moment, a cold voice echoed in his mind, filled with resentment comparable to a ghost who had died unjustly for ten years: 

“What the hell are you doing?”

Jian Yuanbai felt guilty for a second but then replied confidently, “Kissing him.”

The system was stunned: “If I remember correctly, didn’t you say you didn’t want to get too close to Jiang Tang? You even claimed to be his brother-in-law.”

It took a deep breath and roared, “Is this something a brother-in-law should be doing?!”

“Kissing your own brother-in-law?! Are you a pervert?!”

Jian Yuanbai calmly and firmly replied, “Yes, I am a pervert.”

System: ?

“Do you even hear yourself?”

“Don’t think that just because you’re shameless, I can’t do anything to you.”

Jian Yuanbai smirked, “Oh? What can you do?”

Are you kidding? When it comes to choosing between dignity and his wife, Jian Yuanbai has always known what matters most.

…

After a brief silence, the system cursed viciously and gritted its teeth, “Fine, you win.”