CPS Chapter 2: Xia Qing

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Xia Qing: "..."

System: "..."

Xia Qing was so startled that his hand trembled, releasing the suppression he had imposed on the system.

The system, regaining its ability to speak, was left speechless. Trembling violently, it darted into Xia Qing’s sleeve.

Lou Guanxue raised his eyes lazily and looked at the boy across from him. As expected, he met a pair of wide, shocked pupils. The boy’s eyes were a light brown, like agate, clear and bright. The corners of his eyes curved slightly, giving away all his emotions. His messy hair, oversized gray robe, and stunned expression made him look out of place. After a long pause, he stammered out, "W-what the hell?"

Could Lou Guanxue see him? Could he hear him? What exactly had he and the system been discussing just now?

Recalling their earlier conversation, Xia Qing wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

Stupid system! You’ve completely embarrassed me. I’ve never felt this awkward, even when I was alive.

But he quickly regained his composure. After all, he was now a ghost—a malevolent ghost. Shouldn’t Lou Guanxue, the living human, be the one who’s scared and disoriented?

Calming down, Xia Qing grabbed the timid system trying to burrow into his sleeve and placed it atop his head. In the eerie blue glow of ghostly flames, the boy’s clean and youthful face gained a sinister edge.

"You can see me?"

Lou Guanxue smiled faintly but didn’t answer.

Xia Qing stared at him coldly, then imitated the "gray-robed elder" trope from novels, cackling eerily. He bent over slightly, his voice raspy as he said, "Little one, so you can see me. You’re quite bold for someone so young. Do you know who I am?"

"..." The system, stuck on his head, was just as confused. Who are you, exactly?

Lou Guanxue, unhurried and elegant, watched him with a serene smile.

Xia Qing's voice grew hoarser, his gaze turning venomous. "Little one, I’ll tell you the truth. You’re cruel and heartless, a murderer who’s slaughtered countless. Heaven sees all, and karmic retribution spares no one. I was drawn here by the vengeful spirit of the dancer you killed today. Consider me your comeuppance."

Lou Guanxue’s lashes were long and thick, framing his beautiful, innocent-looking eyes as he quietly observed him.

"?"

No reaction?

Xia Qing felt his performance and identity were being insulted.

Frustrated, he ruffled his hair until it became a wild mess, letting it fall over his face.

With the blue ghost flames above his head, Xia Qing leaned forward onto the table, imitating the crawling approach of a horror movie ghost.

Objectively speaking, this scene should have been terrifying. The pale face under the ghostly blue light, combined with his disheveled hair and ghoulish grin, perfectly resembled a vengeful spirit. His raspy voice dragged as he said, "You wanted to know your fate, didn’t you? Let me enlighten you—your fate is to die here tonight, at my hands—uh."

His voice cut off abruptly, as something cold lifted his chin.

It was a blood-streaked bone flute made of white bone. The flute’s tip pressed against his throat, chilling his Adam’s apple. Xia Qing froze.

The hand holding the bone flute was elegant and pale, exuding a chilling grace.

Lou Guanxue leaned closer, exuding a faint, luxurious coldness. One hand held the flute, while the other propped up his face. They were so close their faces almost touched. Lou Guanxue smiled. "And what will you do to me?"

"..." Xia Qing struggled to maintain his sinister expression, his confidence wavering.

Lou Guanxue’s smile deepened with malice. Blowing lightly, he parted the hair hanging over Xia Qing’s face, revealing his stunned and rigid expression.

The breath brushing against his face sent shivers down Xia Qing’s spine. Startled, he tumbled off the table with a thud.

"Host!" The system finally found its voice, rushing to check if Xia Qing was okay.

Xia Qing, dazed and clutching his aching head, gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. Before he could confront Lou Guanxue, the enigmatic boy had already stood leisurely and approached him barefoot. His robe, woven from shimmering shark silk and draped with a light white veil, swayed as he crouched gracefully in front of Xia Qing.

Lou Guanxue chuckled softly. "Has Yan Lanyu grown so desperate that she’s now summoning malevolent spirits?"

Pushing his hair aside, Xia Qing met his gaze coldly.

Lou Guanxue’s tone turned mocking. "Does she know the spirit she summoned is so... useless?"

Xia Qing: Damn it.

Seeing his host on the verge of losing his temper, the system clung to his chest, pleading, "Host, calm down! Please!"

But Lou Guanxue wasn’t interested in arguing further. His dark eyes gleamed like thin ice as he smirked. "Let me guess—Yan Lanyu didn’t summon you. Who are you?"

Xia Qing's chest tightened with anger, and without thinking, he said, "I’m your father."

But this time, he reacted quickly, realizing that the bone flute in Luo Guanxue's hand could be used against him. After speaking, he immediately "scurried away" and floated up, sitting on top of the screen, rolling his eyes below.

Luo Guanxue remained calm and still, looking up.

Xia Qing, from his elevated position, smugly said, "Are you stunned? You’re human, and I’m a ghost. Even though I can’t touch you, don’t think you can threaten me." After thinking for a moment, he added menacingly, "Let me tell you, I’m the retribution for all the wrongs you’ve done. You’ve killed so many people; you deserve to be haunted by evil ghosts. You won’t get rid of me for the next six months!"

Luo Guanxue slowly showed a faint smile after hearing this, without anger, sarcasm, or interest. It was simply a clear, pure smile of a fifteen-year-old boy.

He innocently repeated, "Haunted by evil ghosts?"

"That’s right," the evil ghost Xia Qing immediately regained his villainous composure, giving a sinister smile. To avoid showing his dimples, which would make him seem silly, he twisted his expression in an exaggerated way. "From now on, I’ll stay by your side day and night, sucking your yang energy until you waste away and die."

Luo Guanxue didn’t respond.

Xia Qing thought he was scared and, with his genius-like demeanor, added, "Of course you are not entirely hopeless. You can save yourself."

All you need to do is stop killing people and do more good deeds.

But he only hinted at this, cutting his words short to seem wise and waiting for Luo Guanxue to ask, "How do I save myself?"

However, this young emperor was not following the script at all. Luo Guanxue scoffed, ignored him completely, and suddenly started... taking off his clothes.

Taking off... clothes?!

Xia Qing: "???" Seriously, I’m a ghost in your room, and you can’t even show me some respect?

The young man, with his long and jade-like hands, slowly undid his outer robe and loosened his belt, casually brushing his black hair behind his ear. Xia Qing, sitting on the screen, could see Luo Guanxue’s collarbone, which formed a beautiful jade-like arc that was stunning.

But as a straight man, Xia Qing couldn’t appreciate such beauty.

Frustrated, Xia Qing growled, "Do you understand what I mean?"

Luo Guanxue nonchalantly replied, "Mm."

Xia Qing exploded, "Then what are you doing?"

Luo Guanxue glanced at him lightly and said as if it were obvious, "Taking off my clothes to sleep."

Xia Qing was stunned. "Do you know you're being haunted by evil ghosts and are about to die?"

Luo Guanxue thoughtfully replied, his beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with a smile, "I know. So, do you plan to keep haunting me while I sleep?"

Xia Qing, choking on his words, shouted, "I’m not haunting you! You’re dreaming!"

Luo Guanxue slowly said, "I don’t dream those kinds of dreams."

After a pause, he seemed to think of something and smiled ambiguously, "This is probably for the best. After all, you know, I have... special preferences when it comes to the bed."

Xia Qing: "..." Damn system, you really got me into trouble!

Sensing the drop in the host's mood, the system felt like it was going to faint right then and there.

Luo Guanxue, wearing a snow-white nightgown, with black hair flowing to his waist and barefoot, walked toward the bed.

Xia Qing got even angrier, turned around, and tried to jump out the window, ready to leave, feeling carefree and untethered.

However, the system grabbed the hem of his clothes and timidly reminded, "Host, your soul is bound to Luo Guanxue right now, and you can’t leave him within a hundred meters."

Xia Qing gave the system a cold glare, wishing he could strangle this incompetent troublemaker to death.

The system, realizing his intent, quickly ran off.

Xia Qing didn’t chase it. He floated down from the screen and sat at the desk.

The room had incense burning, the flames flickering gently.

In truth, Xia Qing didn’t really hate or dislike Luo Guanxue. Most of his frustration came from his failed attempts at scaring him. But when he thought about how he and the system had spoken ill of Luo Guanxue right in front of him, he had no reason to stay angry and could only suppress it.

Xia Qing felt like he needed to talk to him. "Hey, stop right there."

Luo Guanxue didn’t even acknowledge him.

Xia Qing, irritated, tugged at his messy hair and said, "I’m not lying to you anymore. Let’s have a serious conversation."

Luo Guanxue coldly replied, "I don’t want to talk to you."

Xia Qing froze, "Aren’t you curious about what we just said?"

Luo Guanshue smiled, his expression pure and innocent, "Honestly, I’m not curious."

Xia Qing was dumbfounded.

This... was not what he imagined.

Luo Guanxue didn’t seem to care to explain. He casually fiddled with the bedside lamp, and when the room darkened, he lowered his raven-like lashes, seemingly tired, and lay down to sleep.

Xia Qing: "..."

Xia Qing sat by the desk, carefully reviewing his conversation with Luo Guanxue.

Eventually, he pieced together some logic. So—after confirming he wasn’t a threat with the bone flute, Luo Guanxue just ignored him? Even though the system had said many cryptic things, including prophecies involving Luo Guanxue’s fate, he didn’t seem interested?

Incredible.

Unable to resist, Xia Qing floated over, watching the cold, indifferent figure asleep under the moonlight, and whispered, "Although I was just playing tricks, what the system said is true. It’s like a glimpse of the future, don’t you want to know?"

This ghost was really interesting.

Luo Guanxue slowly opened his eyes, his dark gaze briefly showing a deep, bloody killing intent, hidden deep inside. He smiled and said, "If I were curious, would you tell me?"

Xia Qing froze.

A bad feeling crept up inside him—was he being set up? Trapped?

Luo Guanxue instantly saw through his thoughts and gave an enigmatic smile. He took the bone flute from his pillow and gently tapped Xia Qing’s face. His voice was cold, "The Thousand Machines Tower divines for me every year. Fire, drowning, being stabbed a thousand times—each year, my death is different. According to you, I die because of love?"

His icy breath brushed past Xia Qing’s ear as he smiled, "That sounds nice, dying after tasting all the seven emotions and six desires."

Xia Qing was stunned by the tap from the flute and instinctively said, "It’s not like that. If you know the future, you..." maybe you can avoid the outcome.

Luo Guanshue almost smiled but didn’t. His voice was light, laced with an alluring tone, "Believe it or not if I kill that Wen Jiao tomorrow, the future you predicted will disappear?"

Xia Qing: "..."

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