Chapter 3: Come Catch Me, If You Can~

“All right, what do you want to play?” Although puzzled, Ji Linmo still agreed. The situation before him was undeniably strange, but he had to keep his composure.

“How about we play hide and seek right here in the room, darling?”

The young man opposite him smiled, lacing their fingers together.

“But let’s make it the undressing version~”

“I’ll wear the red bridal veil while seeking you out. Each time I catch you with my hands, you’ll have to remove one piece of clothing. When you have nothing left, you lose.”

“And the same goes for me—though, I only have one piece of clothing on~”

Ji Linmo’s expression froze instantly.

Never mind the perverse amusement behind this game, the room itself was barely furnished—just a table and a bench, cramped and narrow. Even if the “Ghost Bride” covered his eyes with the red veil, where could he possibly hide?

“Let’s begin, then. Three… two… one…”

The words had barely left his lips when the youth in the phoenix coronet and scarlet wedding robes seized Ji Linmo around the waist from behind.

“Got you~”

The “Ghost Bride” grinned with a hint of delight. Without waiting for Ji Linmo’s reply, he slid cold fingers along Ji Linmo’s toned waist, trailing upward, and slipped off the black overcoat.

“Raise your arms~”

Ji Linmo frowned, gazing at the “Ghost Bride,” but obediently lifted his arms.

As the coat dropped to the floor with a soft thud, a chilling dread crawled up his spine.

“Now, round two. Begin.”

This time, as the last syllable of “one” echoed, Ji Linmo darted backward.

— In the dim, eerie room, the bride in crimson wedding garb, feet shod in blood-red embroidered shoes, tapped her toes on the ground and extended razor-sharp claws, swiping through the air.

“Hah, missed…”

Ji Linmo lightened his steps, holding his breath as he maneuvered through the cramped space, evading the “Ghost Bride.”

But soon, he found himself being forced into a corner. Frowning, he glanced at the nearby scissors.

Bang!

A sound came from the right of the Ghost Bride, as if something had been knocked over.

Yet, instead of heading toward the noise, the “Ghost Bride” lunged for the dead angle.

“Caught you again, darling~”

Ji Linmo lowered his gaze in silence, once again seized tightly by the “Ghost Bride.”

This time, the youth’s cold hand slipped beneath his thin shirt. As icy fingers brushed across his skin, gliding slowly, every muscle in Ji Linmo’s body tensed.

“Be good, relax, raise your arms~”

A soft laugh drifted from beneath the red veil.

Ji Linmo gritted his teeth and lifted his arms.

A faint rustling broke the silence as a black shirt was gently tossed aside by the “Ghost Bride.”

Ji Linmo’s eyes darkened.

He had two chances left. If he lost two more pieces of clothing, it would mean his end.

He scanned the room, and suddenly an idea occurred to him. He walked slowly toward the table.

“All right, let’s start. Three… two… one.”

This time, the “Ghost Bride” didn’t rush toward him but stood in place. Tilting his head, he sniffed the air lightly, then chuckled.

“Come down now, don’t make me get rough.”

Perched on the door frame, hands braced against the wall, Ji Linmo hung suspended in mid-air without a word.

It was the best spot he could find, out of the Ghost Bride’s reach.

He was sure the Ghost Bride was bluffing.

But in the very next instant, a fierce gust swept through the room, and the iron door rattled violently for no reason.

Bang!

Startled by the loud crash, Ji Linmo lost his footing and dropped to the floor.

Almost as soon as he landed, a large, red embroidered shoe appeared before him.

“I told you, I don’t want to get rough.”

Before he could react, the youth in wedding finery grabbed him by the neck and flung him hard to the ground.

A soft rustling sounded.

Ji Linmo gasped, lowering his eyes to see the “Ghost Bride” pulling off his belt.

“Only one more piece left~”

A frigid draft swept over his legs as he lay quietly on the floor, pondering his final strategy.

Only one last chance remained.

But the “Ghost Bride” not only had keen hearing but also an acute sense of smell. There was nowhere to hide, no chance to win.

Unless...

Ji Linmo sat up, a slight frown creasing his brow, a glimmer of cold light flashing in his ink-black eyes.

The game began again.

This time, the moment the “Ghost Bride” announced the start, Ji Linmo spun around and seized the other’s wrist with such force that veins stood out on the back of his hand.

“Ghost Bride, you said, every time you catch me with your hand, I lose.”

“Now, your hand can’t touch me.”

In the dead silence, a chilling aura radiated from the “Ghost Bride.”

The blood-red veil drifted closer to Ji Linmo, the voice beneath it sharp and icy.

“You’re clever, but do you really think I’ll allow this?”

[Warning! You have angered the other party. Act quickly to avoid death!]

Seeing the alert flash before his eyes, Ji Linmo lowered his gaze, slowly leaning toward the “Ghost Bride.”

“You will…”

Like a dragonfly skimming the surface, he pressed a kiss through the crimson fabric.

[Don’t forget, nothing delights your beloved more than a kiss.]

The “Ghost Bride” stood motionless.

Ji Linmo drew back, watching the “Ghost Bride” intently.

— This was a risky move. He wasn’t sure if it would work.

After a long pause, a soft chuckle sounded beneath the red veil, and the phoenix coronet trembled lightly.

“So this is your idea of a kiss? You really need some lessons.”

With that, the “Ghost Bride” lowered his hand, trailing his fingertip across Ji Linmo’s lips.

“This round, you win.”

“Let’s have the nuptial wine~”

It was that cup—the wedding wine.

Ji Linmo watched the frosty goblet in the Ghost Bride’s hand, and without a second thought, drank it down in one gulp.

Crackling! Crackling!

Firecrackers sounded at the door.

“The bride is leaving for her new home! Wishing the newlyweds a hundred years of happiness! A hundred years of happiness!”

Stiff, mechanical voices droned in his ears. After a burst of rustling, everything fell silent.

Was it over?

Ji Linmo opened his eyes. The cramped room was empty, save for the snow-white joss paper scattered across the floor.

And amid the pale paper, the Ghost Bride in red wedding robes still stood before him, the veil swaying gently in the chilling breeze.

Not gone yet?

Ji Linmo instinctively glanced at the clock above the room. It was already past two in the morning.

Judging by past experience, the malevolent spirit likely wouldn’t leave until dawn.

After a moment’s thought, Ji Linmo quietly picked up his clothes and began to dress.

[Warning! You have angered the other party. Act quickly to avoid death!]

What, not even allowed to put on clothes?

Ji Linmo frowned at the “Ghost Bride,” unsure whether to continue.

But then, he froze where he stood.

The “Ghost Bride” stretched out slender fingers and pinched his chin.

“Darling, the night is long—haven’t you forgotten something?”