The group, having barely escaped the possessed people who had attacked them, now sat in the living room, trying to catch their breath.
Lu Ningfei was the first to break the silence, his usually cold demeanor softened slightly by the exhaustion that tugged at his features. He reached for a glass of water, his hand steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
Lin Yuxi, her face still pale, took a deep breath before speaking.
"Those people we ran from… they're not alive anymore," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "Whatever is inside them… it's taken full control. There's no saving them. From a medical standpoint, they're just… gone."
Zhang Wei, who had been sitting quietly beside her, frowned deeply.
"But they were just two people. We don't know how this possession happened. How did they get taken over so quickly? And why only them?" His words hung in the air, heavy with uncertainty.
Lu Ningfei heard his words and thoughtfully looked at the red clouds outside the window.
Lu Ningfei, his expression thoughtful, set his glass down and leaned forward.
"The resentment energy in the atmosphere has risen significantly since the acid rain began. In Chinese ghost theory, when the Yin gate opens, all the ghosts escape from hell. They're not just random spirits—they're vengeful, and they're looking for a way to manifest in the living world. What we're seeing is just the beginning."
He learned about these things in his last life from his orphanage teacher, She was quite into these things.
Shen Tianmeng, who had been listening quietly, nodded in agreement.
"Ningfei is right. This kind of manifestation isn't unheard of in ancient texts. When the balance between Yin and Yang is disrupted, the spirits of the dead can cross over into our world. However why this is happening..."
Shen Zhiling, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, his voice calm but with a hard edge.
"If the Yin gate is indeed open, then we need to figure out how to close it—or at least minimize the damage it can cause. The longer it stays open, the more spirits will escape, and the more dangerous it will become."
Because there is already an apocalypse to occur.
This is no longer just simple matter between survival but mass extinction if things developed this way.
It was one thing to deal with zombies and natural disasters, but ghosts—actual spirits from the underworld—was a whole different level of problem.
"We need to find a way to protect ourselves," Zhang Wei said, his tone firm. "If these spirits are possessing people, then we need to figure out how to stop them."
Lin Yuxi nodded in agreement.
"We also need to find out why this is happening now. If it's true that the Yin gate is open, there has to be a way to close it."
Shen Zhiwei chewed a bubblegum and said.
"And from where the hell is such a huge amount of resentment energy is coming from?"
Lu Ningfei's frown deepened as he considered Shen Zhiwei's words. The plot has deviated from what he knows, there was no such resentment energy, no possessed people or dark red clouds and mysterious events.
And the way there is no sign of the prota--wait why didn't the protagonist team come downstairs?
He thoughtfully glanced at his phone, Should he check the pinhole camera's recording?
He mumbled under his breath.
"The plot was not this..."
Shen Zhiling's eyes flickered with something unreadable as he turned his gaze to Ningfei.
"The plot… what are you talking about, Ningfei?"
Lu Ningfei looked up at Shen Zhiling and felt he had made a blunder...
Before he could decide, the ground beneath them rumbled, a deep, unsettling vibration that made the walls shudder and the lights flicker. It was a small earthquake, but strong enough to make everyone in the room freeze in fear.
"An earthquake?" Lin Yuxi gasped, her eyes wide with panic.
Zhang Wei immediately wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to protect her as the tremors continued. Wang Lei, who had been sitting near Shen Zhilan, instinctively moved closer, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. Without thinking, he reached out and shielded Shen Zhilan with his own body, pulling him down and covering him as best he could.
Shen Zhilan's face flushed slightly at the close contact, but he didn't resist. When the tremors finally subsided, Wang Lei realized what he had done and quickly pulled back, his face turning red with embarrassment.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to—" Wang Lei started, his voice awkward.
"It's okay," Shen Zhilan interrupted, his own cheeks slightly pink. "You were just reacting. It's natural."
Both men shared an embarrassed look before quickly glancing away, their discomfort palpable in the air. The moment passed quickly, but the awkwardness lingered, making it clear that something had shifted between them.
On the other side of the room, Shen Zhiling had also reacted to the earthquake by instinctively pulling Lu Ningfei close. His arm wrapped around Lu Ningfei's waist, holding him securely against his chest as the ground shook. His other hand cradled Lu Ningfei's head, protecting it from any potential impact.
When the tremors finally stopped, Shen Zhiling loosened his hold, but didn't let go entirely. He looked down at Lu Ningfei, his expression unreadable as their eyes met. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other, the intensity of the moment making it hard to breathe.
Lu Ningfei, usually so composed and detached, found himself struggling to process the sudden closeness.
His mind raced with thoughts he had never allowed himself to entertain before. Did Shen Zhiling like him? Was there something more to the way he had been treated, the way Zhiling's gaze lingered on him, the way he was now holding him so protectively?
But...Is he allowed to like him back?
The questions swirled in his mind, but before he could find an answer, Shen Zhiling's gaze softened slightly, something subtle but unmistakable flickering in his eyes. It was a look that spoke of concern, of care—of something deeper that Lu Ningfei couldn't quite define.
"Are you okay?" Shen Zhiling asked, his voice low and filled with an emotion Lu Ningfei couldn't place.
Lu Ningfei nodded slowly, unable to tear his gaze away from Zhiling's. "Yes… I'm fine."