The wound wasn't too severe, and it was treated shortly after. After the doctor and nurse left, Cen Yuebai walked up to the hospital bed under Ye Zhizhou's stare. They locked eyes for three seconds, then she bent down, cradling a cat in one hand while supporting herself with the other near his face. She lowered her head, and their lips met for a second. After a brief pause, she extended her tongue to moisten his dry lips. Without showing any emotion on her face, she then sat down beside him, reaching to unbutton his shirt.
Shen Zixia took a deep breath, feeling a slight heartache.
Ye Zhizhou pursed his lips, then vigorously shook her hand away as he continued venting his anger, "What are you doing? Who allowed you to kiss me? Who do you think you are to kiss me like that? And this hand, didn't you seem so happy hugging your sister? Go hug her instead of touching me!"
"I didn't hug her," Cen Yuebai replied, gripping his hand in return. She lowered her head and kissed the back of his hand. "I did some research, and I found out that you've had a secret crush on me all along. Now, I've decided to openly love you. Will you be with me?"
Shen Zixia, who had just caught his breath, was left dumbfounded this time.
Ye Zhizhou, after a brief moment of astonishment, quickly withdrew his hand, rubbing it on the bedsheet. His attitude softened slightly. "Don't try to deceive me. I saw you just a few days ago at the entrance of Twilight Café!"
Cen Yuebai squinted her eyes. "You were following me?"
Twilight Café was an on-campus café at the university Cen Yuebai and Shen Mengxi attended, but it was miles away from the school Shen Zixia attended. It would be quite a coincidence to "just happen" to see them.
"I, I was just coincidentally there when I was looking for Mengxi," Ye Zhizhou firmly denied any involvement in tracking. He emphasized that the former host was responsible for it, and he had no connection to it whatsoever.
Cen Yuebai studied him for a moment, then suddenly lowered her head to kiss the back of his hand again, her lips forming a small, teasing smile. "You're really cute."
Shen Zixia took two steps back, leaning against the wall, feeling a strange sense of calm after witnessing this unusual situation. He glanced at his younger brother, who looked pale and in a sorry state on the hospital bed, and pondered deeply. Had Cen Yuebai gone blind?
A handsome man with a cold demeanor was complimenting him as cute, and the impact was... Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but move the hand that was being held. His ears turned slightly red, and he cleared his throat, saying, "Don't change the subject! I clearly saw you two hugging; don't try to fool me!"
The cat cradled in Cen Yuebai's arms cautiously poked its head out and meowed at him. Ye Zhizhou shifted his gaze to the cat, his angry expression softening as he reached out to touch it. "You're here too? Were you scared yesterday?"
"Meow," the cat affectionately nuzzled his fingertips, its tiny paws reaching out as if wanting to get closer.
Cen Yuebai gently bent over and placed the cat on the bed, her expression unchanged. "I didn't hug her; she did."
Ye Zhizhou exclaimed, "Stop with these half-hearted lies! Why don't you admit that it was your clone who hugged her?"
"I don't have a clone," Cen Yuebai said as she took out a piece of red paper from her pocket and folded it carefully. In a low voice, she murmured something and then flicked the paper into the air. In a casual tone, she said, "This replication talisman seems to work."
The paper unfolded in the air, gradually taking on the shape of a human body. The body was enveloped in a subtle glow, and when the light faded, another "Cen Yuebai" stood in the middle of the hospital room, looking at him with an indifferent gaze.
Ye Zhizhou's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This, this is... what's going on with this mission world?" He tightly hugged the cat in his arms, poking it frantically. Anxiously, he asked, "Tongtian! What's this unscientific thing? Isn't this mission world supposed to be a world rooted in science?"
[System has provided all available information.]
But your information didn't mention anything about the occult or supernatural!
Shen Zixia was also shocked, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
A few seconds later, the "Cen Yuebai" in the center of the room turned into smoke and disappeared on the spot, leaving behind only the burnt smell of scorched paper.
Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but hold the cat tightly in his arms, and the cat comfortingly rubbed against him.
Cen Yuebai lowered her gaze, reached out, and gently picked up the cat from his arms, placing it aside. She calmly said, "I happened to find your sister under unusual circumstances. She asked for my help, and I determined that my fate was entwined with her family, so I agreed."
He pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the neatly folded talisman paper. Then, he picked up the piece of gauze the doctor had used to treat Ye Zhizhou's wound and dipped it into the blood. Afterward, he rubbed the talisman paper, igniting it with a breath. He explained, "Later, I came across your sister's body and found traces of a soul transfer on the stolen soul fragment. So, temporarily, I allowed your sister to inhabit my body in an attempt to restore her soul."
Surprisingly, the ashes from the red talisman paper burned brightly red. The ashes slowly formed a thin red thread in the air, gently drifting down to Ye Zhizhou's hand, delicately encircling his little finger, loop after loop.
"More than one lifetime of destiny," Cen Yuebai suddenly curved his lips into a faint smile and lifted his hand to kiss his fingertip, speaking softly with a tender tone, "I like this outcome." Then, he looked at the meowing little cat and lightly tapped its forehead. "Unfortunately, the soul restoration spell failed, so I'll have to find another way."
Both Ye Zhizhou and Shen Zixia were dumbfounded by his words and the red thread. They stared at the cat, then the thread, and finally at Cen Yuebai's face, which emitted an otherworldly and cold aura. Their brains worked furiously to process the information. Ultimately, it was Ye Zhizhou, who had witnessed numerous extraordinary situations in various worlds, who regained his composure first. He reached out to pick up the cat beside him and asked in amazement, "Are you... are you Shen Mengxi?"
The little cat blinked its eyes and let out a soft meow.
"You really are Shen Mengxi? The one who blew up the kitchen with me?"
The cat meowed again and then nodded.
Damn... Ye Zhizhou put the cat down, feeling that his previous understanding of this mission world was too narrow. The original plot never mentioned what happened to Shen Mengxi's soul after it was removed, nor did it indicate that Cen Yuebai possessed occult abilities or that he approached the protagonist to help Shen Mengxi's soul return. Wait a minute, if Cen Yuebai approached the protagonist to help Shen Mengxi's soul return, and later Shen Mengxi's body died, shouldn't he have no reason to continue pursuing the protagonist five years later after her soul returned to her own body?
"Heartless man!" He glared at Cen Yuebai again, his gaze chilling as it swept over Cen Yuebai's lower body. "Unforgivable!"
The cat was bewildered by his sudden change in demeanor, and it timidly licked him and let out a soft meow.
However, Cen Yuebai seemed to understand what he was thinking. He reached out and stroked his hair, explaining, "I've entered the realm of the mystical arts, and my fate and destiny have been determined. If my destined person doesn't appear, my virgin body cannot be deflowered. Otherwise, I'll perish without reincarnation, doomed for eternity."
Ye Zhizhou's expression immediately changed. "Perish without reincarnation, doomed for eternity? That's ruthless!"
Shen Zixia, whose brain was finally catching up with the information overload from Cen Yuebai's words, stepped forward and looked at the cat nestled beside Ye Zhizhou. He asked in a deep voice, "Are you Mengxi?"
The cat seemed a bit afraid of him and huddled closer to Ye Zhizhou, letting out a low meow.
The hospital room door suddenly knocked, and then Fang Lang, wearing a smiling face, pushed the door open and walked in with a fruit basket. He greeted everyone, saying, "Big brother and Yuebai are here too. Second brother, I've come to see you. Thanks for pushing me away back then."
The little cat suddenly let out loud meows, and the fur on its nape bristled.
"Hey, why is it this cat again?" Fang Lang put down the fruit basket, walked over curiously, and then disdainfully averted his gaze. "Yuebai, are you really planning to adopt it? Let me tell you, it's vicious. You should just get rid of it." He then walked to the bedside and patted Ye Zhizhou's chest forcefully, saying, "Second brother, you're so useless. You got stabbed just once, and your face turned this pale. Back in the day, I fought street hooligans and got stabbed three times..."
"Fought street hooligans?" Shen Zixia turned to look at her, his expression as calm as water. "When did you fight street hooligans? I don't remember hearing about that."
Fang Lang quickly covered his mouth, trying to cover up his past with a nervous laugh. "I just happened to see someone else fighting street hooligans while I was out shopping... Let's not talk about that. Second brother, when can you leave the hospital? I'll treat you to a meal, and we can invite Zhang Lin and Cao Yu too. We'll go for a drink, and we won't return until we're drunk!"
Indeed, he was a playboy rich kid who only cared about eating, drinking, and having fun in life. What did the male leads see in him, after all? Thinking of this, he glanced at Shen Zixia, and his stomach churned with mischief. He intentionally said, "Big brother, haven't you been worrying about Mengxi a lot lately? How about you go have a drink with her on my behalf? I'm not feeling well these days and can't go out..."
"Drink alcohol?" Shen Zixia sternly interrupted him, his eyes fixed on Fang Lang, filled with scrutiny and inquiry. "No alcohol! Don't ruin your stomach. Girls have delicate bodies and can't handle such indulgence."
"Big brother, you're so old-fashioned." Fang Lang had thick nerves and thought Shen Zixia was playing around with him. He stepped forward, patted Shen Zixia's shoulder, and chuckled, "If you're a man, don't be a coward! It's just a drink, no big deal."
"Girls should behave like girls," Shen Zixia had completely confirmed that a stranger's soul had taken up residence in his familiar body. He couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at being deceived and at his family being hurt. He spoke coldly, "You're not allowed to go out recently. Go back to school and attend your classes properly. Don't force me to confine you."
Fang Lang was seeing this stern side of him for the first time. He frowned impatiently and shoved Shen Zixia, saying, "What's with this rotten temper? I've never seen a man like you." Then he turned to Cen Yuebai and asked, "Yuebai, why are you here? When did you meet my second brother? I don't remember you mentioning him before."
"We just met, and I came to pursue him," Cen Yuebai replied, tapping the furry cat's forehead and tilting his head slightly as he looked at Fang Lang. He asked, "How have you been lately?"
"Why are you here?" Fang Lang widened his eyes and rushed to Cen Yuebai. Stammering, he asked, "Aren't you pursuing me? I was... planning to... Why are you... What's going on?"
"I wasn't pursuing you," Cen Yuebai withdrew his gaze, held Ye Zhizhou's hand at his side, and interlocked their fingers. "He is the one I've chosen as my lover."
"Why have you been so concerned about me all the time then? Afraid I'd go hungry, cold, or get sick? And you say you weren't pursuing me?!" Fang Lang exclaimed in shock, then scowled, filled with anger. He swung his fists at Cen Yuebai, saying, "You damn closeted gay, pretending to be straight and deceiving me! Disgusting! I'll beat you to death!"
Shen Zixia, unable to tolerate it any longer, stepped forward and grabbed Fang Lang's hand, pushing him aside as he shouted, "Behave yourself! Who's the real deceiver here? Get out!"
"You're telling me to get out?" Fang Lang erupted in fury, pointing at Shen Zixia as he shouted, "You perverted man who wants to engage in incest, what right do you have to yell at me! If it weren't for... Let go of me! Fine, I'm leaving. I'll make your Shen family regret this in the future!"
Bang!
The hospital room door was forcefully slammed shut, and Shen Zixia, filled with anger, pounded the wall. "I must be blind! This kind of rude trash isn't even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Xiaoxue!"
Ye Zhizhou, holding the cowering cat, whispered in his heart that it served him right. Men with occasional brain malfunctions needed a good shock like this.
After his emotions had calmed down slightly, Shen Zixia approached the bedside and looked at the cat, which had turned its head away from him in disdain. Annoyed, he ruffled his hair and asked Cen Yuebai, "Mr. Cen, do you really have a way to bring my sister back to her own body? That person just now... despicable!"
"Yes, as long as we find the person who performed the soul-switching technique on your sister," Cen Yuebai helped Ye Zhizhou straighten out the bedsheet and added, "we also need to know the identity of the soul inside your sister and where that soul's original body is."
Shen Zixia furrowed his brows at these words. "With that person's temperament, I'm afraid..."
"I know how to identify the soul inside Mengxi's body." Ye Zhizhou interrupted their conversation and raised the cat's paw, waving it. "It's quite simple, actually. Just look into who suddenly appeared around Mengxi recently, and you'll find the answer."
"Zhang Lin and Cao Yu," Cen Yuebai mentioned these two names, paused, and then added, "as well as Yin Feiyu."
"I'll go check!" Shen Zixia glanced at the cat, then turned and picked up his coat from the hospital sofa, quickly heading out.
"Big brother, wait!" Ye Zhizhou hurriedly stopped him and reminded, "You can also bring along Cousin Su Yu. He should know the truth too. If that scoundrel who possessed Mengxi's body goes to deceive Cousin Su, it won't be good."
"I understand." Shen Zixia nodded hastily and left the room.
Now, only Ye Zhizhou and Cen Yuebai remained in the hospital room. The little cat looked at one, then the other, and instinctively hopped off the bed, curling up on the corner of the sofa, using its tail to cover its eyes.
Sisters always knew how to be considerate... Ye Zhizhou thought silently.
Cen Yuebai took out a piece of talisman paper, tore it, and scattered it around the two of them. He bent down, looked at Ye Zhizhou, and whispered, "She can't hear our conversation... Now, tell me, why are you in a body that doesn't belong to you?"
Thinking he was about to engage in something intimate, Ye Zhizhou was taken aback.
"Is your current situation body possession? Or soul swapping? Or..." Cen Yuebai lowered his head, his eyes still fixed on Ye Zhizhou, and his warm breath brushed against his face. "Evil spirit possession."
Ye Zhizhou snapped back to reality, feeling both embarrassed and angry. He looked up, bit his lip, and mumbled, "Of course, it's evil spirit possession! I'm here to haunt the traitor that is you!"
Cen Yuebai chuckled softly, cupped Ye Zhizhou's face with his hand, and deepened the kiss. "Even if it's evil spirit possession, I accept it."