The Strangest of Worlds

Chen Ran had originally planned to break up with Duanmu Hui.

To be honest, whether or not it could truly be considered a ‘breakup’ was debatable, as their relationship wasn’t like that of a typical couple.

Previously, he had intended to discuss this with Duanmu Hui, but the national idol never gave him the chance to speak, and she wouldn’t even respond to his messages.

So, after accepting Jiang Zilin,

Chen Ran decided to send a message to Duanmu Hui: ‘Let’s not meet again.’

Surprisingly, she responded quickly this time.

‘Duanmu Hui: Is there someone else?’

To which Chen Ran simply replied with a single word.

‘Yes.’

Then, the national idol beauty sent a message that left Chen Ran utterly bewildered.

‘Why not both?’

???

Suddenly, he recalled the bizarre events of the previous night, feeling as if he had been pulled from reality into some strange ‘otherworld.’

No, this was clearly a sci-fi world!!!

Chen Ran was momentarily at a loss for how to respond to Duanmu Hui.

But the story didn’t end there.

On their way down the mountain, Chen Ran was with Jiang Zilin and her sister in a cable car.

Sitting in the small cabin, gliding down through the forest, was far more exciting than any Ferris wheel at an amusement park.

The red leaves danced across the mountains, bathed in the setting sun, creating an indescribably melancholic beauty.

Yet, despite such a stunning view,

Jiang Zilin had eyes only for Chen Ran, practically clinging to him the entire time, her affection almost smothering.

And amidst all this, Chen Ran heard Jiang Zilin whisper something in his ear.

‘It seems like Cold Cold also likes you, Chen Ran.’

Her voice was soft and sweet, invitingly playful, as she continued,

‘Maybe we can all be together. You must be excited, right, Chen Ran?’

‘…’

Chen Ran turned to look into Jiang Zilin’s light blue eyes.

She had removed her mask, revealing a round, slightly chubby face, flushed with happiness. Her eyes sparkled with joy, and when she noticed Chen Ran looking at her, she shyly averted her gaze, her expression adorably shy.

But, cute as she was,

Chen Ran knew that Jiang Zilin was serious about what she had said, especially the part about ‘both of us.’

He could tell the difference between when Jiang Zilin was joking and when she was serious. Just then, she was genuinely considering being with Cold Cold…

Chen Ran glanced over at the elegant girl sitting across from them.

Jiang Lengleng maintained her usual stoic expression, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside the cable car window.

😶😶😶.

Uh-oh. Chen Ran felt a growing certainty that he had indeed entered a ‘manga world.’

Upon returning to the hotel at the foot of the mountain, Chen Ran considered whether to tell Jiang Zilin about the ghost, Caihua, he had encountered the night before, as well as the situation with Duanmu Hui.

But he hesitated, thinking that the ghost story might be too frightening for her.

As for Duanmu Hui, Chen Ran was worried that if he told Jiang Zilin, things might escalate into an even more bizarre scenario—like something straight out of a harem manga, where Jiang Zilin and Duanmu Hui would both try to outdo each other in pleasing him, leading to…

Just the thought of it made Chen Ran’s head spin. He felt he needed some time to digest all of this.

At the very least, he needed to figure out what was really going on with Duanmu Hui and find a chance to talk to her properly.

They casually found a restaurant in the scenic area and had dinner before returning to the hotel, where Jiang Zilin insistently pushed Chen Ran back to their room, clearly intending for him to stay with them that night.

Chen Ran, however, was still thinking about checking on the ghost, Caihua, from the previous night.

He also wanted to let her know not to cause any trouble that night, so he and Jiang Zilin could sleep peacefully without waking up to find a ghost in their bed.

That would be too scary!!

So, he made an excuse to Jiang Zilin, saying he needed to go back to his room to get some fresh clothes.

On the way, he also stopped by a convenience store outside the hotel and bought a few bottles of strawberry milk.

When Chen Ran reached his room, he was unexpectedly stopped.

‘Excuse me.’

The person who called out to him was familiar, and after a moment, Chen Ran remembered—he was the pale young man with a top hat he had seen on the bus when they first arrived at the scenic area.

‘I am Ugudu, sir.’

Ugudu’s manner of speaking was unusual—something about the grammar seemed off, but Chen Ran couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

It reminded him of someone, and after a moment, he realized who it was: Ipinas, the tall convenience store clerk he had recently hired, who spoke in a similar way.

‘Forgive me, sir, I mean, do you have some time? I need to speak with you.’

‘What about?’

Chen Ran asked, puzzled.

‘Do you believe in ghosts?’

‘…’

Chen Ran’s expression turned serious, and he counter-questioned,

‘Do you know Master Tenryu?’

Huh? Master Tenryu? Who was that?

Ugudu, of course, had no idea, nor did he understand why Chen Ran had suddenly asked about this person.

But he assumed that since Chen Ran had mentioned a famous exorcist after asking if he believed in ghosts, he must be trying to gauge Ugudu’s credibility.

So, Ugudu nodded.

‘I know, I do.’

He spoke in a strange way again, but Chen Ran simply remained silent, took out his phone, and seemed to make a video call.

Ugudu saw that a bald monk appeared on the screen, holding a small baby and feeding it.

‘Hey, what’s up, brother?!’

The bald monk seemed to be busy with the baby and was a bit distracted.

‘Nah, do you recognize him? This is Tenryu.’

Chen Ran flipped the phone to show Tenryu’s face to Ugudu.

‘Nah, I don’t know him.’

The monk’s voice sounded confused through the phone.

‘Alright, then that’s settled.’ Chen Ran hung up the call.

Ugudu was completely bewildered, wondering if his lie had been exposed. But why did the boy seem relieved instead?

‘Looks like you’re genuine.’

In Chen Ran’s mind, not recognizing Tenryu, who was known for his shady antics, only made Ugudu more credible.

‘Ah?’

But Ugudu was even more confused. Why was he believed more because his lie was exposed?

However, at that moment, Chen Ran turned to Ugudu and nodded, then said,

‘I believe in ghosts, and…’

And what? Ugudu thought, don’t leave me hanging!!

Then, he felt a chill behind him.

‘She’s right behind you. Can you see her?’

‘…’