The Broken Promise and the Deep Sleep

“I promise, this time it will be very, very light. It definitely won’t be like last time.” Upon seeing the expression of resistance and fear surfacing on Ye Shengge’s face, the man guaranteed in an urgent tone.

Ye Shengge hesitated, not knowing whether he should believe him.

Sensing the youth’s hesitation, the man pressed his advantage, his voice low and magnetic: “After the kiss, I can tell you the answer to that previous question, and I’ll give you one more chance to ask a new one.”

The terms were enticing.

One could say that in order to get a kiss, the man was being utterly unscrupulous.

Ye Shengge’s beautiful eyes were full of unease. He looked up at the man tensely, his voice so small it was almost inaudible: “Then you have to be gentle. I’m very afraid of pain.”

He originally didn’t want to agree to the dungeon boss’s request, but he was worried about making the other party angry. If the man did something unpredictable, Ye Shengge would have no way to resist.

Rather than that, it was better to proactively give the other party a small benefit. This would maximize his own interests and allow him to ask a few more questions.

As for the kiss that sent his shame levels through the roof…

Since the man promised to be very light, he would surely exercise some restraint.

He would just treat it as being nipped by a clingy large dog and not take it to heart.

Hearing this, the man’s eyes instantly brightened. Overjoyed, he pressed the youth tightly into his embrace, nodding repeatedly and constantly promising to be gentle and never let the youth feel a bit of pain.

Ye Shengge couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

As long as he agreed.

Then, he realized that he had breathed that sigh of relief far too early…

The man, having received an affirmative answer, was far too excited. He hurriedly led the youth to the pitch-black corner of the stairwell and pulled the door shut. He was so stirred up he wished he could swallow the youth whole and never be apart again.

This excitement was displayed vividly when he kissed the youth. It was even more intense than the kiss in the woods; he failed to control his strength, and accidentally became too heavy-handed.

Feeling the familiar stinging sensation on his lips again, a mist instantly gathered in the youth’s hazy eyes, and his eyelashes trembled non-stop. Even though his legs were turned to jelly by the kiss and his body lacked a shred of strength—combined with the fact that he couldn’t see anything—his heart felt aggrieved and miserable. He couldn’t help but clench his fists and use all his might to beat against the man’s shoulders.

Liar! Big liar!! This is way too much!!!

He clearly said he would be light and wouldn’t let him feel pain.

And the result? The moment he touched his lips, this person was like a crazed dog cut loose, unable to control his strength at all. He was forceful and dominant, making it painful and hard for Ye Shengge to breathe.

The one biting him wasn’t a clingy large dog; it was a nasty, rotten bad dog.

He would never believe another word out of this man’s mouth!

At this thought, the youth grew even angrier and intended to bite the man back, just like he did in the woods.

But the man had long guessed the youth would use that trick and had been on guard. Consequently, the youth’s snap met empty air; he didn’t succeed in biting him.

Fortunately, the goal was achieved.

Coming to his senses and finally realizing what he had done, the man felt incredibly guilty. He looked remorsefully at the youth’s lips—which had been bitten until they were as soft and bruised as a overripe peach—and tried to organize an apology.

But as he looked, his gaze slowly deepened, and a restless urge began to stir in his heart again.

The youth’s lips had been kissed far too hard. Not only were they very red, but they also glistened with an enticing moisture. Anyone who saw them wouldn’t be able to resist kissing them again, wanting to see if they could taste juice as sweet and fragrant as a peach.

Especially the person who had already tasted such a delicacy.

“You can’t kiss me anymore. We agreed on only once.” Feeling the man’s gaze on his mouth becoming more and more terrifying, Ye Shengge abruptly reached out to cover his lips. He pushed the door open and ran out of the stairwell, standing not far from Zhou Yue’s dormitory door as he said fiercely: “I haven’t even settled the score for you lying to me yet!”

This sentence successfully turned the man’s disappointment into guilt. Not only did he stop trying to bargain for more favors, he even proactively told the youth what he wanted to know.

“She is a ghost with deep resentment.” The man’s tone was calm, as if he were saying it was a sunny day, completely devoid of any abnormality.

This sentence made Ye Shengge’s face, which had finally regained a bit of color, turn deathly pale in an instant.

He was most afraid of ghosts.

Seeing Ye Shengge’s terrified look, the man’s heart ached. He quickly spoke to comfort him: “But you don’t need to worry. Your soul is very clean; she won’t hurt you.”

Moreover, he wouldn’t give anyone else the chance to harm the youth.

“How do you know my soul is clean?” Instead of being comforted, Ye Shengge became even more afraid.

He suddenly remembered what he had subconsciously ignored.

Could a person who could trade with ghosts, look down on them, and act as if all of this were normal, really be a living person?

Was there a possibility that this person wasn’t a “human,” but a powerful, well-disguised vengeful spirit?

Aside from a vengeful spirit, Ye Shengge couldn’t think of any other identity that fit the dungeon boss better for the time being.

Just thinking about the fact that he had been kissing a ghost for so long made him wish he could pass away on the spot and never face such a horrific scene again.

“Don’t be afraid, I am not a vengeful spirit.” Upon hearing himself being guessed as a vengeful spirit, the man was displeased: “I am much more powerful than a vengeful spirit.”

Learning that the man wasn’t a spirit, Ye Shengge’s face slowly returned to normal.

But in the next second, he couldn’t stay normal.

A woman wearing a school uniform suddenly appeared. She looked like a corpse that had just jumped off a roof—limbs twisted, covered in blood, and walking with a wobbling, distorted gait. Her gaze was fixed straight on him and the man.

Ye Shengge: “!!!”

Ye Shengge was startled by the sudden appearance of the female ghost. He subconsciously backed away, only to find the wall blocking him; there was no room to retreat.

However, the other person being stared at remained calm. He even didn’t forget to take a small advantage, pulling the pale youth into his arms. His tone was calm and indifferent: “You’ve come at the right time. The person inside is yours.”

The female ghost nodded her pitted head forcefully and gave the man a grateful bow. Not wasting a single second, she entered the dormitory.

Seeing this, Ye Shengge instinctively wanted to speak out to stop her, but he suddenly remembered what the man had said earlier, and his heart was torn with conflict.

He frowned and asked: “Is it convenient to tell me what bad things Zhou Yue did?”

If Zhou Yue had truly done something unforgivable, he wouldn’t have to be so conflicted.

“He was the person who broke the ‘creditor’s’ final straw.” The man knew the old story of the suicide was common knowledge, so he didn’t hide it: “The shift in the live-stream’s sentiment back then was led by him.”

He didn’t say more, but Ye Shengge could guess the rest.

If Zhou Yue hadn’t distorted the facts online, the viewers who were comforting the girl in the live-stream couldn’t have changed their attitudes so quickly. In that case, the girl—who still had a sliver of comfort in her heart—might not have committed suicide.

Although he didn’t know why Zhou Yue did it, a deed is a deed. He was a different kind of murderer.

Without experiencing another’s pain, do not preach kindness.

Watching the female ghost who dripped blood as she walked, looking as if she would fall apart at any moment, Ye Shengge ultimately chose not to interfere.

“It will be over soon.” The man suddenly spoke, his voice gentle: “There is only one last game left, and then it will be completely over.”

He knew the youth didn’t like this game and was even very afraid.

But once his deal with the female ghost began, it could never be stopped. Furthermore, if he wanted to break free from the things that had always bound him, he had to complete this transaction and receive the reward the female ghost promised.

However, even if it couldn’t be stopped, moving the plan forward was possible.

“What do you want to do?” Hearing this reassuring sentence, Ye Shengge suddenly had a bad premonition.

The task duration was seven days, but could he really wait that long?

“Those things aren’t important. You only need to know that you will soon be able to stay here forever.” The man’s tone was pleasant.

Just as Ye Shengge wanted to say something, a piercing scream suddenly erupted from behind them.

The scream made Ye Shengge shudder.

It sounded like Zhou Yue.

The female ghost had made her move.

Seeing the youth like this, the man said thoughtfully: “You’re tired, aren’t you? If you’re tired, just take a nap. Everything will be fine very soon.”

Ye Shengge looked at him in surprise, not knowing what kind of nonsense he was talking.

Setting aside whether he was tired or not, given this situation and this place, how could he sleep? Where would he sleep?

But strangely, before he could speak, a wave of exhaustion swept over him like an overwhelming tide, completely submerging him. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy, closing slowly beyond his control.

He knew this sudden, eerie drowsiness was definitely someone’s doing, but he couldn’t resist it.

In the final second before falling into a deep sleep, Ye Shengge felt someone reach out to catch him, holding him firmly in their arms.

Someone spoke to him in a soft, gentle voice: “Sleep.”

For some reason, he felt this voice was somewhat familiar.

But before he could figure out who it was, he lost consciousness entirely.