Chapter 32: Would You Still Love Me If I Went Bald? (32)

Bai Yao’s presence here was unexpected by everyone. Cradling the dusty, gray heart in her hands, she saw the man on the floor begin to stir and promptly kicked him again. The sound alone betrayed the strength behind her blow; Wei Suo lay prone for quite some time, unable to recover. Shen Ji stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move a muscle.

Wei Suo guessed that at least one of his ribs was broken. He coughed painfully, raising his eyes to Bai Yao, hatred flickering in his gaze. “That’s mine!”

Bai Yao laughed. “Yours?”

She took a few steps forward and forcefully stomped on Wei Suo’s hand. “His heart belongs to me. Who do you think you are to threaten my man?”

Her man.

Shen Ji pressed his hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating strong and fast. He bowed his head, his ears flushed red, shy once more.

At that moment, the moon broke through the clouds, its pure light illuminating the room. The art studio, once dilapidated, now shone with vibrant color. The shadows of the boy and girl intertwined; perhaps it was only natural they should be so entangled.

Wei Suo finally saw the boy clearly. His eyes widened. He had always known more than the others at school—he knew there were strange things lurking here. But he had never imagined that Shen Ji would be one of them.

No, he wasn’t Shen Ji!

Wei Suo shouted at Bai Yao, “He tricked you! He’s not Shen Ji at all—he’s a demon! Give me the heart, hurry, or we’ll all die here!”

Wei Suo struggled upright, blood still streaming from his head, but he had no time to care. He reached toward Bai Yao, as if grasping for a dream just within reach.

“Give me the heart! You have no idea what he is—he’s not human, he’s a ferocious demon…”

Bai Yao replied, “So what?”

Wei Suo froze. “What did you say?”

Bai Yao spoke calmly, “So what if he’s a demon?”

Wei Suo stared at her in disbelief. “You… you knew all along?”

Bai Yao smiled slightly, saying nothing.

The shock in Wei Suo’s heart was beyond words. If she already knew Shen Ji’s true nature, how could she remain so calm, so at ease in his company?

Shen Ji stood behind Bai Yao, gazing at her in a daze, not even blinking. The moment transcended everything he understood. His anxiety, his fear, and a tentative joy all surged together, making him tremble from head to toe.

He edged closer, trembling, gently tugging at her sleeve.

Bai Yao turned to look at him.

He whispered, “Yao Yao, when did you find out?”

Bai Yao answered, “I always suspected, but I was sure last Friday.”

Shen Ji’s lips moved, “That day… the day we did it… why?”

He looked bewildered. “Since you knew, why did you still…”

Bai Yao frowned, “What kind of question is that? I like you, so I wanted to be with you. What does knowing your identity have to do with it?”

Wei Suo: “…”

Were they discussing something explosive?

Shen Ji sank into a joy unlike any he had ever felt. He’d thought Bai Yao’s pampering had brought him utmost happiness, but her love was so much more than that.

The satisfaction radiating from his chest made him feel he could barely contain his feelings for her. His heart burned, his body burned, and he was so excited he almost seemed to be smoking.

Bai Yao looked at the mist rising from his head. “You’re smoking.”

Shen Ji hugged his head, shyly squatting on the floor. He dared not look at her, afraid that one glance into her unconditional, loving eyes would make him lose control and cry.

He shuffled into the shadowed corner between the cabinet and the wall, curling himself up, muffled breaths sounding now and then.

He didn’t want anyone to see him cry, but for him, that was easier said than done.

Bai Yao felt as though she’d raised a small animal.

There had been countless hints—how he could enter her fourth-floor dormitory through the window every night as if the world belonged to him; the vanished people who hovered around her; his peculiar habits…

It would have been impossible for Bai Yao not to notice something was amiss. Just last Friday, summoned by a courage she couldn’t quite explain, she was certain the strange legends would not come true for her. She brought home the supposedly cursed disc and dropped it into the sink.

Nothing happened.

She said leisurely, “Come out.”

The sink remained quiet.

Bai Yao took out the disc and produced a lighter. “Sorry to get you wet. Let me help you dry off.”

“No!” The disc shuddered, slipped into the sink, and bubbles rose. A ghostly face, half-shrouded in black hair, appeared on the water’s surface. Once, female ghosts only frightened humans; now she was reduced to trembling before Bai Yao.

The ghost truly had no way to deal with Bai Yao.

A ghost’s power over humans depended on how much fear they inspired. But Bai Yao not only refused to fear them, she denied their existence, and with a terrifying boyfriend by her side, no ghost dared lay a finger on her.

Bai Yao faced the ghost without fear, feeling only a sense of confirmation. She crossed her arms and said, “Tell me everything you know.”

The ghost asked nervously, “About what?”

“About Shen Ji.”

The ghost whispered, “I arrived late. Xiao Hong has been here longer and knows more.”

Bai Yao asked, “Xiao Hong?”

“The one who lives next door—the hanged ghost.”

Bai Yao: “…”

So her neighbor was a ghost!

That night, before Shen Ji came to find her, Bai Yao took Xiao Bai to Xiao Hong’s room. She brought her teacup, moved a chair to sit in the center, and Xiao Bai and Xiao Hong stood side by side before her, confessing all they knew.

When her tea was nearly finished, she had learned almost everything.

Now, in the silent art studio, only the sound of the boy sniffling in the shadows could be heard.