Bringing My Rival Back to Life (Accidentally) - Chapter 12
The next day, Zhu Xiao arrived at school with dark circles under his eyes, just like Zhang Yue. The students in the classroom were all taken aback.
Zhang Yue whispered to the person next to him, “He must have watched that horror movie I mentioned last time. I told you, that movie is really scary. It’s bound to cause insomnia. Even Teacher Zhu can’t avoid it.”
The person next to him rubbed his arms and said, “Really? But I didn’t expect he would actually go and watch it…”
Of course, the reality was completely contrary to Zhang Yue’s guess.
Zhu Xiao didn’t sleep at all last night, purely because of the dream he had.
They chatted until the early hours of the morning, and around four o’clock, they finally decided to turn off their phones completely and force themselves to sleep.
After a long struggle, they finally fell asleep and entered the dream.
The environment in the dream was similar to reality, but the people who appeared in the dream were… a bit abstract.
“Wu Jiu?”
The person turned around at the sound of his name, but his face was still unclear, hidden behind thick bangs.
Long hair, pointed nails, a blood-stained white dress, and feet that floated in the air without touching the ground.
That probably couldn’t be called a “person”—it seemed more appropriate to call it a “ghost.”
Fortunately, Zhu Xiao had already mentally prepared himself. Although Wu Jiu’s appearance was a bit abstract, it was similar to the characters in the movies he had recently watched and was within his tolerance level.
…
Wu Jiu had a hard time falling asleep, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in Zhu Xiao’s dream.
Since it was Zhu Xiao’s dream, everything was subject to Zhu Xiao’s will. Wu Jiu looked around and recognized this place as Zhu Xiao’s home.
Before he had time to explore like Grandma Liu in the Grand View Garden, he turned his head and saw Zhu Xiao.
He was about to call out when he noticed Zhu Xiao was looking up, talking to something that was neither human nor ghostly.
“Lower your head,” Zhu Xiao said, “Don’t you cut your hair down there?”
Zhu Xiao frowned, but his tone wasn’t one of disgust; if anything, it was tinged with a bit of pity.
The thing listened to Zhu Xiao and obediently lowered its head, allowing Zhu Xiao to play with its hair.
Wu Jiu watched this scene in disbelief.
To be honest, he had never seen such a gentle side of Zhu Xiao.
Zhu Xiao’s beautiful hands should be used for something more dignified, like flipping open the lid of a coffin. How could they be used to comb this thing’s hair?
Moreover, he was pretty sure it was supposed to be his and Zhu Xiao’s dream visitation time. Where did this abstract creature come from, butting in?
The atmosphere between them was a bit too ambiguous. Wu Jiu even saw the creature’s face turn shy after its hair was combed, looking at Zhu Xiao with a hesitant expression.
“……”
Wu Jiu could bear it no longer. He walked up and deliberately coughed loudly.
“Hey,” he called out Zhu Xiao’s name with obvious displeasure, enunciating each syllable: “Zhu—Xiao.”
The voice was familiar, and Zhu Xiao turned his head.
Zhu Xiao had tried several times to talk to “Wu Jiu,” but this person seemed to have forgotten to bring their mouth when they arrived, unable to speak at all—a completely abstract mute.
It wasn’t until he turned his head and saw Wu Jiu’s face that he realized he had been mistaken all along.
“Wu Jiu?”
Wu Jiu was not very satisfied with this greeting and hummed, “It’s me.”
“You’re Wu Jiu,” Zhu Xiao pointed to the creature beside him, which now had a shy expression on its face, “Then what is this?”
Wu Jiu stepped forward and awkwardly inserted himself between Zhu Xiao and the ugly creature, “How should I know? This is your dream; of course, you came up with it.”
The familiar tone immediately confirmed to Zhu Xiao that this was the real Wu Jiu—unless drugged into silence, he would never shut up easily.
Wu Jiu didn’t disappoint Zhu Xiao’s perception of him. The next second, he began to speak sarcastically: “Am I interrupting you two? Sorry, I thought it was my turn now.”
Zhu Xiao calmly silenced him with a metaphorical dose of “mute potion”: “It came first.”
Wu Jiu arrived later than it, so how could he be blamed for the mix-up?
Wu Jiu, who arrived late due to insomnia: “……”
At a loss for words, Wu Jiu had no choice but to take it out on the ghost beside him: “Move aside, I’m cutting in line.”
Even in Zhu Xiao’s dream, the ghost still felt the natural suppression from the King of Hell and dared not speak out, only leaving with a face full of resentment. It kept looking back as it left, only to be glared at each time.
This mix-up disrupted the tension, excitement, and agitation that had been building up from the sleepless night.
Zhu Xiao, seeing Wu Jiu sulking and unable to speak, ungraciously… laughed.
“Are you still laughing?” Wu Jiu glanced at the time, “It’s almost dawn!”
However, Wu Jiu didn’t expect that this absurd dream wasn’t over yet.
No sooner had he sent one away than another arrived.
This one was even more abstract—it had an extremely long tongue, which it flung against the window of Zhu Xiao’s home, shattering the glass and sending shards flying everywhere.
With a loud “crash,” Wu Jiu’s adrenaline surged. Even while cursing, he didn’t forget to turn around and shield Zhu Xiao from the flying glass with his back.
Fortunately, this was a dream, and no real harm could be done.
This time, Wu Jiu really couldn’t stand it anymore. He darkened his face, grabbed the long-tongued creature’s tongue, and crushed it fiercely.
“Zhu Xiao, what on earth is in your dream?”
Did he really have to have such a thrilling and terrifying dream on the day they were supposed to meet in a dream?
Zhu Xiao paused for a moment, but in the end, he still didn’t say, “All these things in the dream are my imagination of you.” Instead, he evaded the question by saying, “I’ve been watching some horror movies recently.”
Wu Jiu, still shaken, said, “Can you watch something like Baby Bus next time before you sleep?”
The King of Hell is not afraid of ghosts, but even he can be startled by sudden shocks.
“……” Who knew that Wu Jiu still looked presentable and didn’t need any mental preparation in advance? But Zhu Xiao knew he was in the wrong and simply admitted it, “My fault.”
Wu Jiu’s ears twitched; it wasn’t easy to hear “my fault” from Zhu Xiao’s mouth.
“Is that all it takes?” Wu Jiu seized the opportunity, “An apology needs to be sincere, otherwise how can I forgive you?”
Zhu Xiao raised an eyebrow, “What do you want?”
Wu Jiu replied without hesitation, “Burn a photo of you for me.”
He was very attached to this idea and would not give up until he achieved his goal, after all, his painting was still unfinished.
Zhu Xiao didn’t expect Wu Jiu to still remember this, “What do you want my photo for?”
Wu Jiu, of course, wouldn’t tell the truth: “None of your business.”
Zhu Xiao’s answer was still the same as before: “I won’t burn it.”
Wu Jiu threatened him: “Then I won’t forgive you again.”
Zhu Xiao was unmoved, “Oh, then don’t forgive me.”
Wu Jiu: “……”
Zhu Xiao asked again, “What do you want my photo for?”
“Tell me or no deal.”
Wu Jiu was about to say “for protection,” but Zhu Xiao seemed to know what he was thinking and said before he could speak, “Even if you say it’s for protection, I still won’t do it.”
“……To look.”
“Just to look?”
“What else can I do?” Wu Jiu made up a reason on the spot, “Down there are all spirits. Can’t I occasionally want to see a living person?”
Zhu Xiao was puzzled, “I’m right here. What photo do you need to look at?”
Wu Jiu began to talk nonsense: “It’s so dark here. How can I see clearly?”
He tousled his hair and continued, “Besides, my hair is long. It blocks my view.”
Zhu Xiao, hearing the implied meaning in the second half of his sentence, paused for a few seconds, as if understanding something.
He suddenly smiled and said, “Alright.”
Zhu Xiao beckoned to Wu Jiu, “Come closer.”
Wu Jiu leaned in, but he remained vigilant, “What for?”
Zhu Xiao reached out and patted his neck, “Lower your head.”
Wu Jiu acted before he thought and lowered his head.
Zhu Xiao thought it wasn’t low enough, so he pressed down on his neck, pushing him lower.
—So beautiful. Zhu Xiao’s face was suddenly right in front of him, and the direct beauty hit his eyes with great impact. Before his brain had time to react and start thinking, these three words were Wu Jiu’s first reaction.
Then he heard the teasing tone hidden in Zhu Xiao’s cool voice.
“Do you see clearly now?”
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Hate that cliffhanger, don’t you?
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