After Lu Zhi finished bathing, he received a message from Jiang Yue saying that everyone was safe and out of the divine tower. The school had something urgent to discuss with them, so they had already left.
With the last of his worries settled, hunger consumed all his reason. Lu Zhi eagerly grabbed Shen Qi, who had already changed his clothes, and they left the hotel.
A light snow was falling, and the city lights at night were colorful. The streets were unusually crowded with people.
Shen Qi was wearing a gray long coat and a brown knitted hat, the kind that elderly people usually wore. Lu Zhi had picked it out because he couldn't stand the sight of several pairs of people approaching Shen Qi to ask for his contact information.
The problem was, no matter how old someone looked, even if they wore a trash bag, they would still be a striking and dazzling presence.
As Shen Qi waited by a roadside barbecue stall, more and more girls began to surround him. Lu Zhi, meanwhile, focused intently on the barbecue, occasionally reminding the owner to flip the skewers.
Suddenly, he heard a woman ask Shen Qi, who stood nearby like a sentry, "Hello, uh, I wanted to ask where you bought such a beautiful hat? Could you give me the purchasing link?"
Lu Zhi finally pulled his gaze away from the roasting meat and cast a languid look at the incredibly ugly hat on Shen Qi's head, then at Shen Qi's charmingly handsome face that attracted bees and butterflies.
Oh, a fifteen-yuan knitted hat for the elderly had become high fashion.
"Young man, do you want it spicy?" the barbecue stall owner's business was booming. He was sweating profusely in the cold weather, his smile never fading.
Lu Zhi withdrew his gaze and nodded, "Yes, yes, yes, make it extra spicy."
"Alright," the barbecue stall owner expertly packed for Lu Zhi.
After Lu Zhi scanned and paid, he quickly took out a skewer and took a bite. The taste was simply delicious.
"What about mine?" Shen Qi, who had somehow dealt with the girls, lowered his head and took a bite directly from the skewer in Lu Zhi's hand.
Lu Zhi's eyes widened. protectively, he hid the skewer behind his back and said fiercely, "This is mine. I waited for a long time. If you want one, buy it yourself."
Shen Qi raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on Lu Zhi's sauce-smeared lips, which were slightly swollen from the spice but looked very sensual. "Didn't you buy ten skewers? Can't you give me one? Are you that possessive?"
The word "ya" at the end carried a hint of indulgence and amusement.
Lu Zhi coughed guiltily. "You were busy talking to girls and didn't say anything about buying one yourself, what does it have to do with me?"
As he spoke, Lu Zhi deliberately walked towards the more crowded food street. Suddenly, Shen Qi grabbed his hand. Before Lu Zhi could react, Shen Qi reached out and wiped his mouth, the touch warm and inexplicably tingly.
"What are you doing?" Lu Zhi asked blankly.
Shen Qi lowered his head and licked the sauce off his fingertips. "It was dirty."
Lu Zhi stared at his action, his ears inexplicably turning red. He suddenly shoved a skewer into Shen Qi's mouth, speaking quickly and disdainfully, "Look how greedy you are. Here, here, here, I'll give you one, okay?"
Shen Qi, biting the skewer, gave him a half-smile and a sidelong glance.
Lu Zhi felt an inexplicable guilt, as if he had been seen through. He quickly turned and walked into the food street, his attention soon captivated by the aroma of other foods.
Shen Qi finished the skewer in a few bites, casually tossed the stick into the trash can, and followed Lu Zhi through the night market.
The noisy streets were bustling with people, music blared from the shops, and the air was filled with the atmosphere of life.
"It's so lively," Lu Zhi exclaimed, holding food in both hands. Shen Qi, at some point, had bought a cup of milk tea. Every time Lu Zhi finished a meatball, Shen Qi would naturally bring the milk tea to his lips.
Lu Zhi took a sip and looked at Shen Qi's face, illuminated by the surrounding light. His downcast eyes and picturesque features showed no trace of impatience or annoyance, but rather a romantic sense of peaceful companionship that life should have.
Then, Lu Zhi's calm heart skipped a beat without warning.
"What's wrong?" Shen Qi noticed Lu Zhi's dazed eyes and flushed face. He instinctively reached out and touched Lu Zhi's cheek, saying, "Is it too hot?"
Lu Zhi shook his head quickly, his mind racing, and changed the subject. "No, not hot. Do you want to eat this?"
Shen Qi was not interested in food, but he never refused what Lu Zhi offered.
After biting into the last fish ball, the layers of seasoning, chili, and a slightly less fresh frozen taste made Shen Qi frown.
"Is it delicious?" Lu Zhi casually threw the bamboo skewer into the trash can next to the stall and asked with sparkling eyes.
Shen Qi licked his lips, a slight smile at the corners of his mouth. "It's okay, just a bit spicy."
Hearing this, Lu Zhi covered Shen Qi's hand and pushed the milk tea towards his mouth, saying somewhat anxiously, "Is it very spicy? Quickly drink some milk tea to calm down."
Lu Zhi regretted it. He himself was fond of spicy food, and he had asked the owner to add layer after layer of chili powder.
A smile flickered in Shen Qi's eyes. He lowered his head and took a sip of the milk tea from Lu Zhi's hand.
Suddenly, a flash of light passed by them. Lu Zhi abruptly turned his head and saw a man holding a camera, apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help but take a picture just now, seeing how good your chemistry was."
Shen Qi reached out. "Give it here."
The man instinctively obeyed Shen Qi's command and handed him the camera.
The man was using a Polaroid camera, and as Shen Qi took it, the photo just emerged.
"Let me see," Lu Zhi grabbed it and was immediately startled by his own expression in the photo. Without letting Shen Qi see, he quickly tucked it into his pocket, saying nervously, "It's not a very good picture, I'll keep it for now."
Shen Qi looked thoughtful and returned the Polaroid camera to the man.
"I'll take the photo," Lu Zhi said.
Regardless, the act of secretly taking photos without the consent of the subjects was really not good, even though the photo itself was beautiful.
The man quickly apologized and soon disappeared into the crowd.
"Let's go eat a bowl of noodles and then go back?" Lu Zhi patted his stomach and quickly spotted a crowded noodle shop, pulling Shen Qi along.
Shen Qi glanced at the retreating figure of the man with the camera, a flash of red light in his eyes.
The man holding the Polaroid camera walked to a secluded street with a pale face, pulled out his phone, and said to the person on the other end, "Damn it, that scared me to death. I almost thought I was discovered."
A woman's voice came from the other end of the phone, asking, "Have you got the photos? Send them to me..."
However, in the next second, the man inexplicably burst into flames on the spot, his horrified screams drowned out by the sudden sound of fireworks.
In just three seconds, the man turned into a pile of ashes, his phone and camera also completely incinerated.
*Boom—*
Brilliant fireworks briefly painted colorful patterns in the night sky, a fleeting beauty that was here one moment and gone the next.
"Huh?" Lu Zhi looked up at the sky behind him and muttered, "Did I just hear someone calling?"
Shen Qi said, "Are you referring to him?"
Lu Zhi looked in the direction Shen Qi was pointing. A little boy was crying and rolling on the ground, insisting that his parents buy him the toy he wanted.
Lu Zhi was amused and exasperated. "No, I must have misheard."
"Your noodles are here," the auntie at the stall placed two steaming bowls of noodles on the table and quickly went to the next customer's order.
Lu Zhi picked up the noodles covered in red oil and slurped them down with gusto.
Shen Qi propped his chin in his hand, staring at Lu Zhi. The men and women around them who noticed him clearly understood their relationship and gave up any thoughts of pursuing him.
"This is the third group already?"
"Isn't it? The police have put up tape to cordon off the area two or three times, preventing people from getting close."
"My friend secretly took a photo. The appearance of the corpse... tsk tsk tsk. All the blood was sucked dry, like a corpse that had been dead for decades. What's the use of the police? It's obvious it wasn't done by humans, but by ghosts..."
Lu Zhi's interest was piqued, and he strained his ears to continue listening.
Shen Qi glanced at him and picked up a tissue to wipe the chili oil from the corner of his mouth.
Lu Zhi roughly understood. They were talking about a tourist attraction in City I, a very well-preserved ancient castle.
Every year, many tourists visited. Two days ago, three groups of tourists who entered had accidents. When they were found, their blood had been drained, and their bodies were shriveled like dried corpses.
"Could it be... vampires?" Lu Zhi's eyes sparkled. He stopped eating and took out his phone to search for the location.
"What's so interesting about bats?" Shen Qi said disdainfully.
Lu Zhi didn't care. If this vampire was an extension of the supernatural, it was necessary to deal with it, otherwise more people would suffer.
Who knew if the things inside would escape the castle and harm people?
"It's very close, we can get there by taxi in five minutes," Lu Zhi said, pulling him along.
Shen Qi looked down at their clasped hands. Tonight, it seemed he had been led around all along.
They soon arrived at their destination. From afar, the ancient castle, towering in the city center, was the only place without lights. It was as if it was surrounded by an invisible barrier, isolating it from the surrounding light sources.
Perhaps it was because his physical abilities had been enhanced by Shen Qi's power, but with just one glance, Lu Zhi could feel the ominous aura emanating from the ancient castle.
"It's earlier than expected," Shen Qi said unexpectedly. "The invasion has already begun, this is just the prelude."
Lu Zhi's pupils constricted.
Just then, he heard the voices of several men and women talking behind him. Lu Zhi turned around and saw the badges on their clothes, recognizing them as people from the guild.
"You two, don't you know that outsiders are forbidden from entering here?" Two police officers rushed over, shouting at Lu Zhi and Shen Qi, "Leave quickly."
After speaking, they turned respectfully to the guild members and said, "Please follow me, the gate has been opened."
Lu Zhi's eyes flickered.
The gate has been opened?
What was that?