LABMY CH52

Jian Yuanbai leisurely followed behind Jiang Tang. “At this hour, the dormitory should already be locked, right?” 

Jiang Tang didn’t look back, his entire posture radiating frustration. “We’re going to a hotel.” 

Jian Yuanbai quickly caught up with him in a few steps, placing a large hand on Jiang Tang’s shoulder. He tilted his head and smirked playfully, “Oh? You want to get a room with your big brother?” 

He deliberately dragged out his words with a teasing tone, “So this is what our little Tang Tang is like… such a straight guy.” 

Jiang Tang’s face flushed with anger. He stomped on Jian Yuanbai’s foot and used the power of their contract to force him to disappear. With his flushed face and swollen lips, Jiang Tang headed to the hotel alone. 

He and Jian Yuanbai shared a contract, but the binding force was weak. Jiang Tang couldn’t summon Jian Yuanbai, but he could forcibly make him disappear when necessary. 

Over time, Jiang Tang had vaguely sensed that something was wrong with their contract. 

This ability to make Jian Yuanbai disappear seemed more like the only self-defense mechanism granted to him through ghost-controlling magic. 

However, Jiang Tang didn’t know why, but he felt a strange sense of familiarity and closeness toward Jian Yuanbai. He never felt that Jian Yuanbai would harm him. 

With a sigh, Jiang Tang swiped the room card and opened the door. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. 

He collapsed onto the soft hotel bed in a starfish position, staring at the bright ceiling light, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts. 

Suddenly, a low, pitiful “meow” echoed. It sounded too deep to be a real cat, yet it had the helpless tone of one. 

Jiang Tang followed the sound and saw a pitch-black little cat floating outside the window, scratching anxiously at the tightly closed window with its paws. Its furry face was filled with grievance and pleading. 

“Meow~” 

Even though it was already in ghost form and could easily pass through the window, it deliberately acted pitiful, pretending to be unable to enter. 

Jiang Tang stared blankly at the little black cat, expressionless. Yet, under its continuous pitiful cries, he still reached out and opened the window. 

The little black cat leapt inside and jumped straight into Jiang Tang’s arms, rubbing its head against his palm. 

“Meow~” 

Jiang Tang rubbed its fur with some frustration. “I’ll take you to get neutered tomorrow.” 

“Meow!” 

The little black cat’s eyes widened in horror. Seeing Jiang Tang smile, it leaned forward and licked his slender, pale fingers, then softly meowed again, “Meow~” 

Its voice wasn’t soft and delicate like a regular kitten’s. Instead, it was low and raspy, more like a beast’s gentle growl toward its cub or lover. 

Jiang Tang placed the cat on the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. 

The sound of water splashing filled the bathroom as cold water poured from the showerhead. Taking advantage of the cold water, Jiang Tang began to undress. 

His hands crossed in front of him as he lifted the hem of his sweatshirt. Just as he turned around, his eyes met a pair of glowing cat eyes. 

“Meow~” 

The little black cat let out an innocent meow, lying obediently on the counter next to the sink. Its gaze seemed innocent yet filled with anticipation, as if urging Jiang Tang to continue what he was doing. 

It stared at him like it had just spotted a delicious fish. 

Jiang Tang glanced at the tightly closed bathroom door, then back at the little black cat. He couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. 

“Now you can’t phase through walls anymore, huh?” 

With a cold expression, Jiang Tang walked over, grabbed the scruff of the little black cat’s neck, opened the door, and tossed it out. 

The little black cat landed steadily on the bed, tucked its paws under its chest, and let out a long sigh. 

“I’m just a poor little kitty who knows nothing. What’s wrong with watching you shower?” 

Over half an hour later, Jiang Tang emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, his body steaming with warmth and his face flushed from the heat. 

The “innocent” little black cat stared straight at him, its gaze fixed on his damp, rosy face and smooth, pale shoulders. 

The more it stared, the more it sighed and eventually buried its furry face in the blanket. 

Jiang Tang dried his hair and lay down on the bed, silently allowing the warm little black cat to snuggle into his arms. 

The room lights went off, and the night grew silent. 

Jiang Tang suddenly spoke, “I was thinking… Should I ask Li Sui if he knows any clues about the ghost that killed my family?” 

“Meow~” 

The pretending-to-be-a-cat little black cat was smacked lightly on the head. 

Jiang Tang: “Speak human language.” 

Jian Yuanbai’s lazy voice echoed, “He doesn’t know, but you could try visiting his home.” 

Jiang Tang asked, “What’s his identity? A Taoist master?” 

Jian Yuanbai, who was quite good at smearing his rival’s reputation, immediately replied, “Just a half-baked exorcist. Useless.”

The little cat stuck out its tongue and licked Jiang Tang’s fingers. “Whatever he can handle, I can handle too.” 

“And whatever he can’t handle, I can still handle it.” 

Jiang Tang smiled silently. “Arrogant.” 

The cat immediately stood up, trying to muster all its aura and let out a loud, “Meow!” — No, I’m not. 

A flick landed on its head. “Speak human language.” 

Jian Yuanbai lay back down, lowering his voice a few notches and changing the subject, “You’d better move out of the dorm as soon as possible. Someone like Li Sui, who’s only half-competent, won’t provide you with any useful information.” 

“Besides, with the yin energy in your body, staying with others under the same roof for a long time will affect their health.” 

“They’ll become weak and frequently fall ill.” 

Jiang Tang replied, “Alright, I’ll look for an apartment tomorrow.” 

His immediate trust without any doubt made Jian Yuanbai’s heart feel warm. 

It was like when he bet that even if Li Sui told Jiang Tang that he’d been pretending to be a cat all along, Jiang Tang wouldn’t get angry. And reality proved that Jian Yuanbai had won that bet. 

Even if his little pillow had lost his memory, he still instinctively felt close to him. 

Jian Yuanbai: “You trust me that much?” 

Jiang Tang was stunned for a moment, then said, “We signed a contract. Of course, I trust you.” 

He spoke calmly, but with the cat’s excellent night vision, Jian Yuanbai could clearly see Jiang Tang’s flushed earlobes in the darkness. 

……

There were many rental options outside the university town, so finding a place wasn’t difficult for Jiang Tang. By the afternoon of the next day, he went to check out an apartment. 

The landlord led him upstairs and took the elevator to the fourth floor. 

For some reason, the landlord seemed a bit nervous, being overly enthusiastic. “Look at this apartment, the conditions are top-notch.” 

“It’s close to the school, and the lighting is excellent.” 

He walked to the living room window, “Look, from here, you can see a lake. The view and the lighting are unbeatable.” 

“In winter, sunlight shines through the windows.” 

“There’s even a hanging chair on the balcony. You can sit here, bask in the sun, and take a nap.” 

Jiang Tang looked around and found the place quite decent, so he asked, “How much is the rent?” 

The landlord said, “We rent by the half-year. For six months, I’ll only charge you three thousand. This price is because you’re a student.” 

Jiang Tang was a bit surprised. 

A two-bedroom apartment for only three thousand yuan for six months was indeed cheap. Plus, it was close to the school and a nearby food court, with convenient transportation and a subway station right at the doorstep. 

“Alright, then let’s—” 

Before he could finish, the landlord pulled out a contract and said, “If you think it’s fine, just sign the contract.” 

The landlord smiled apologetically, “I’m leaving for a trip tomorrow and haven’t packed my luggage yet. If you hadn’t called me, I would’ve forgotten that I still had this apartment available for rent.” 

Jiang Tang fell silent for a second. 

Forgetting an entire apartment just like that? 

Without hesitation, he signed the contract and transferred the money to the landlord.

The landlord handed over the keys and said, “Here’s the key. If you have any issues, just contact me by phone.”

“I’ll head out now. You can take a look around or check if you need to buy anything for the room.”

“I haven’t provided personal items like bed sheets and covers, so you’ll need to get those yourself.”

Jiang Tang nodded politely. “Alright, thank you.”

The landlord waved his hand and hurried off.

Jiang Tang looked around the apartment again, mentally noting down the things he needed to buy. Then, he grabbed the keys and left the room.

After locking the door, he turned around and saw a man stepping out of the elevator, heading straight for the door of the apartment across from him.

The man’s face looked pale and uncomfortable. The weather wasn’t particularly cold, yet he was wearing a down jacket and still shivering as he hugged himself while walking.

Just as the man pulled out his keys to unlock the door, Jiang Tang called out, “Hello.”

The man turned around at the sound of the voice, his expression filled with confusion and vigilance. He didn’t speak and simply stared at Jiang Tang.

Jiang Tang said, “I just moved in. I’ll be your new neighbor for the next six months.”

With a polite smile, he walked over and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

The man’s expression relaxed slightly when he saw the keys in Jiang Tang’s hand and heard his words. He shook hands briefly and said, “Hello.”

He then turned back to unlock the door, but Jiang Tang called out to him again, “It’s not that cold yet, is it?”

“Aren’t you hot wearing so much?”

The man’s expression shifted to irritation, even showing a hint of fear. However, he forced himself to respond, “It’s fine, not too hot.”

This time, he directly opened the door, but Jiang Tang sighed behind him. He really wasn’t good at small talk, so he simply asked bluntly, “Are you being haunted by something?”

Hearing this, the man finally took a proper look at Jiang Tang, examining him from head to toe. No matter how he looked, Jiang Tang seemed like an ordinary young man in his early twenties.

The only thing unusual about him was that he was far more attractive than most people.

The man stared for a long time before cautiously asking, “How did you know?”

Jiang Tang replied, “I can see it.”

The two of them stood there, silently waiting for the other to speak.

The man finally asked, “Then… can you tell what’s haunting me?”

Jiang Tang shook his head sincerely. “No.”

“But I might be able to help you.”

The man’s expression showed obvious disbelief as he looked at Jiang Tang’s youthful and delicate face. 

At that moment, a pitch-black cat silently leaped onto Jiang Tang’s shoulder and locked eyes with the man. 

The instant the man met the cat’s gaze, he trembled as if he’d been targeted by some terrifying beast. Seeing how naturally Jiang Tang reached out to stroke the black cat’s head, the man’s dismissive attitude faded and was replaced with enthusiasm. 

“You… you can really help me?”

“What should I call you?” 

“Just call me Jiang Tang.” 

The man suddenly slapped his forehead. “Master Jiang! Please, come in!” 

“Let’s talk inside.”