The Ghostly Embrace and a Dream’s Reality

The night’s bizarre experience left Chen Ran feeling as though he were dreaming—no, it was far more outlandish than any dream. Then again, perhaps not; it seemed just as fantastical as a dream.

His thoughts were in utter disarray.

He truly felt as though he had become Ning Caichen (TL Note: A character from ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’ who falls in love with a ghost), for the cold, tangible touch of Caihua, the female ghost, was undeniably real; a mere flicker of memory was enough to recall that distinct sensation.

It was cold yet soft, an indescribably comfortable sensation.

At last, Chen Ran understood why the female ghosts in this world possessed a physical presence.

After all, it simply wouldn’t do if they didn’t!

Indeed, if one intended to engage in ‘lewd acts’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘gao sese,’ referring to sexual activities), one certainly couldn’t do so with mere air!

Damn it all.

f*ck!!!

So, was he truly experiencing ‘ghost pressing the bed’ (TL Note: A phenomenon akin to sleep paralysis, often attributed to supernatural entities)?

The inky darkness of the room resonated with Caihua’s incessant, fragmented murmurs of ‘sleep, sleep, sleep.’ Yet, what had begun as a somewhat irritating sound slowly morphed into something languid, comfortable, and utterly alluring…

Chen Ran suddenly realized he could still move.

Beneath the covers, he was experiencing a veritable ‘duality of ice and fire’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘bing huo liang chong tian,’ describing a sensation of extreme hot and cold simultaneously). The thick duvet, draped over him, certainly provided ample warmth.

However, a female ghost lying atop him brought an incomparable chill, and what’s more, this entity wasn’t merely resting on him; she had already…

Hiss!

It seemed even colder within!!

He was instantly plunged into an experience of extreme hot and cold.

This only made Chen Ran’s head spin even more.

Caihua, still atop him, began to twist clumsily. Chen Ran, having realized there was no longer any turning back, then…

…began instinctively and actively to cooperate with her.

This was primarily due to his past experiences of always being ‘pushed down’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘tui dao,’ meaning to be sexually assaulted or seduced) by Duanmu Hui.

That particular national idol, a beautiful young girl, always enjoyed starting by sitting on him, then proceeding to twist her waist.

However, her rather poor technique often left him feeling somewhat uncomfortable. This compelled Chen Ran to begin adjusting himself, and gradually, he learned not only how to make himself comfortable but also how to ensure the other party’s greater pleasure…

Then, Chen Ran sensed that Caihua, still on him, suddenly became even more ‘frenzied.’

Or was it excitement?

In any case, ghosts, it seemed, differed significantly from ordinary girls.

The most significant distinction, naturally, was that ghosts, being incorporeal, were incapable of controlling their own emotions, often leading to rather extreme displays…

Such as now.

Due to the overwhelming pleasure, Chen Ran could distinctly feel Caihua, the female ghost, still pressed against him.

Both her hands and feet wrapped tightly around him, clinging with an octopus-like grip that nearly stole his breath.

The once bothersome murmurs of ‘sleep, sleep, sleep’ gradually softened into endearing, fragmented hums.

One could only say this much.

The scene was utterly chaotic, evoking a sensation of the very earth trembling. The entire room shuddered, as if being violently dismantled with a relentless barrage of thuds.

The sounds were extraordinarily frightening.

Yet, herein lay the problem.

The occupants of the adjacent rooms, upon venturing out, found themselves utterly unable to locate the source of such terrifying sounds.

Consequently, the rumors of the hotel being haunted gained yet another layer of chilling credibility.

Chen Ran, in all likelihood, would never have conceived that his actions this very night would give rise to yet another haunted urban legend circulating online…

****

A long, long time later.

The passage of time seemed to have solidified.

Chen Ran couldn’t even recall precisely when he had managed to extricate himself from Caihua’s embrace. Most likely, the satisfied entity had simply vanished into thin air.

The disheveled bed was drenched in cold, wet stains, perhaps a result of ‘cooling down’ after the exertions, or…

Or perhaps…

Chen Ran considered.

Not only did ghosts possess physical presence, but whatever flowed from within their bodies also had a tangible ‘physical presence.’

After all, in certain ‘doujinshi’ (TL Note: A Japanese term, ‘benzi,’ referring to self-published works, often adult manga) plots, female ghosts were even capable of conceiving babies!

Therefore, Chen Ran was no longer surprised by anything that might occur.

He had, in any case, stopped taking things so seriously. The moment he realized this might very well be some sort of ‘doujinshi world,’ everything suddenly clicked into place, becoming utterly logical.

Hmm.

So, he had come to this ‘doujinshi world’ to be the male protagonist?

For a fleeting moment, he even connected it to his past relationship with Duanmu Hui. Consummating their ‘love’ (TL Note: A euphemism for sexual activity) every week with a national idol seemed to align perfectly with the logic of a doujinshi plot.

So that was it.

This made it all perfectly ‘logical,’ didn’t it…

As if!!!

His head began to throb with a dull, insistent hum.

In the profound darkness of the night, Chen Ran’s mind felt utterly blank; he was only aware of the profound weakness that now gripped his body.

His hands and feet were icy cold, and his lower back ached with a dull, persistent throb.

Evidently, becoming some sort of ‘Phantom Knight’ came with its own steep price.

Consequently, he remained utterly oblivious to the fact that his room door was, at that very moment, slightly ajar, and a pair of beautiful, dark eyes belonging to a young girl were furtively peering into the room…

****

Chen Ran subsequently fell into a dream.

Before him lay an abandoned village. The night was steeped in absolute darkness, devoid of stars or moon, as heavy layers of clouds obscured everything.

Chen Ran found, inexplicably, that he held a flashlight in his hand.

Upon switching it on, he could discern a small, winding dirt path ahead. For reasons unknown, his dreaming self continued to walk forward, until he arrived before an old, dilapidated mansion.

The dilapidated mansion appeared to have been uninhabited for ages. White cloths draped everywhere, and white lanterns bearing the character ‘奠’ (TL Note: A Chinese character, ‘dian,’ signifying an offering to the deceased) suggested that a funeral might be underway within.

However.

As he ventured further inside, Chen Ran discovered a single red candlelight flickering in a room deep within the mansion, drawing him relentlessly onward.

It seemed simultaneously within reach and impossibly distant.

When he finally reached that room, pushing the door open, he saw only a young girl in a wedding gown seated upon a large, crimson wedding quilt deep within the room, quietly awaiting his arrival.

…

At this point.

Chen Ran realized he was experiencing a nightmare.

The pitch-black room, the eerie, dim yellow light, and the girl in a blood-red wedding gown.

Wasn’t this precisely the setup for a horror movie?!

‘What exactly is going on here?!’ he thought.

He had just experienced ‘ghost pressing the bed,’ and now, immediately afterward, he was to endure a nightmare, was that it?!!

They wouldn’t even spare him in his dreams, insisting on continuing this ‘ghost pressing the bed’ business, would they!!

But… he had already ‘been with’ a real female ghost. What was there to fear from a mere dream ghost?!

As he considered this.

Chen Ran even briefly entertained the thought that this dream ghost might be Caihua, or someone similar…

It was not.

As Chen Ran drew closer, the maiden in the wedding gown, seated on the bed, proactively lifted the crimson veil from her head, revealing Duanmu Hui’s exquisitely beautiful face.

Eh?

Chen Ran froze for a moment, thinking, ‘Why am I suddenly dreaming of Duanmu Hui?’

And in a nightmare…

Ah, no, this was no longer a nightmare at all.

For the very next second Duanmu Hui’s face appeared before his eyes, the girl very actively reached out and pulled him towards her.

Immediately afterward, he found himself expertly pinned to the bed by her.

The nightmare, in an instant, had transformed into an erotic dream.

Before Chen Ran could even fully process what was happening.

Duanmu Hui, still clad in her wedding dress, had already settled atop him, then began to twist her waist with practiced ease, and in a flash…

Hiss!!

Regarding everything that was unfolding before him, Chen Ran had only one lingering question.

That was.

Why, in this dream, did everything he felt now… seem so incredibly real!!!