Entangled with a Gloomy Creep in an Explicit Novel - Chapter 2

Jin Yongyi pursed her lips, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.

From the moment they met last night until now, Zhao Fuzhou had not caught a single break. If Jin Yongyi were in his shoes, she would have kicked this shameless, rogue-like character to the curb long ago.

Facing Zhao Fuzhou’s direct gaze, Jin Yongyi bared her teeth in an awkward grin. After hesitating for a long moment, she reached out her hand, intending to help cover him up. However, before she could touch him, he clutched his clothes around himself and scrambled up from the floor.

“…” She seriously suspected he was guarding himself against her.

“Miss,” Zhao Fuzhou called out, extending a hand to her. “You were injured last night, and the ground is cold.”

Jin Yongyi blinked and used his hand to pull herself up.

The male lead is actually a pretty decent guy.

Zhao Fuzhou helped her to the bed and instructed softly, “Rest for a moment, Miss. I will go re-brew the medicine. Do not worry about the shattered porcelain on the floor; I will handle it all.”

Jin Yongyi nodded, her guilt deepening. She pointed toward Zhao Fuzhou’s chest and offered a kind reminder: “I am fine. You should go change your clothes first.”

Zhao Fuzhou glanced down, said nothing, and left immediately.

Watching his retreating back, Jin Yongyi sighed. “Is the male lead angry?”

The System gave a cold snicker: [If he is exposed, he is exposed. Why did you have to say it out loud?]

“Should I not have reminded him? Being exposed in broad daylight is scandalous! Besides, he will catch a cold if he stays soaked. Where else is he going to find a caring sidekick like me?”

[Host, the male lead is the person you are going to spend your entire life with!]

“Fine, fine,” Jin Yongyi smacked her lips and stretched. “So, how long am I, this minor supporting character, supposed to stay with him?”

[In seventy-two years, the male lead will obtain a brand-new, noble identity. If all goes well, he will]

“How long?!” Jin Yongyi nearly leaped off the bed. “Seventy-two years? I have to work in this crappy book for seventy-two years?!”

She was ready to go down on her knees.

She could bet her life that no company in the world was this black-hearted.

“I am not doing it! Send me back! By the time seventy-two years are up, I am not even sure if my real-world self will still be alive.” Having said her piece, Jin Yongyi crossed her arms and lay flat on the bed.

Seeing her “dead-to-the-world” attitude, the System panicked. It hurriedly explained that time in the real world was paused; she only had to accompany the male lead until her character in the book died, and then she could return to her life. She still did not react, closing her eyes tight as if to say, I am not listening, I am not listening.

[Then tell me, what will it take for you to agree to carry out the character missions?]

Jin Yongyi opened one eye and wagged her index finger. “What are the perks? People follow the money. You cannot expect me to do unpaid labor without a salary.”

After three years of corporate drudgery back home, she had mastered the skill of “reading the colleagues and observing the boss” to perfection. She must be the “Chosen One” for this role, otherwise, the System would not be so desperate to recruit her.

Besides, she was already in the book. The System could have threatened her with punishment or death, but it did not. What did that prove? It proved that this role was the most vital among the male lead’s followers.

She was indispensable. They could not do it without her!

Jin Yongyi was not unreasonable. Plus, the male lead seemed nice, and he had not even charged her for viewing that male-model physique for so long. Fine. The real world felt like a prison of daily shifts anyway; she would treat this as a change of pace: a working vacation.

After an intense debate, she and the System struck a deal: for every mission completed, she would earn a lucky draw chance (rewards based entirely on luck). Once she retired and returned to the real world, she would receive a sum of money large enough to live in luxury for the rest of her life.

Still wary, Jin Yongyi forced the System to sign a labor contract, even though she knew it might be legally dubious.

As a worker, you cannot lose that anti-scam awareness.

For the next hour or so, the System briefed her on the world. The “ghosts” she encountered last night were actually the souls of people who died with grievances and could not move on. It was likely that many people from a nearby village had died and been buried in that small forest.

Jin Yongyi got goosebumps. How much resentment must be in those woods? The more the System spoke, the more terrified she became, wrapping herself into a caterpillar-like cocoon with her blanket.

She left only her eyes exposed, darting toward the window. The sunlight outside looked bright and cheerful.

“There should not be ghosts during the day, right? Why do I feel like something is watching me”

System: [No.]

Jin Yongyi hugged herself tight. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, the System added: [But there are demons.]

“…”

[If the Host is afraid, you can go find the male lead. He has the highest combat power in the entire book.]

“Hard pass.” Jin Yongyi had no desire to see the “boss” when she was not on the clock. She ducked her entire head under the covers. She firmly believed that as long as she hid under the blanket, no monsters could hurt her.

After an unknown amount of time, she smelled a thick, metallic scent of blood in her sleep. Struggling out of her blanket cocoon, she saw Zhao Fuzhou standing by her bed with a bowl of medicine.

He had changed his clothes and was wearing an outer robe.

Glancing at the bowl, Jin Yongyi frowned instinctively. She did not know which herb in the prescription smelled so strongly of rust; who could possibly drink that?

After confirming with the System that her health was fine, she politely declined: “I feel much better after my nap. Thank you, Young Master, for your hard work in brewing this for me.”

Hearing her underlying meaning, Zhao Fuzhou smiled, placed the bowl on the small bedside table, and said, “Since you are fine, Miss, you should leave this place as soon as possible.”

“…” Is he kicking me out?

Having said that, Zhao Fuzhou turned to leave.

The System could not sit still and immediately dropped the first mission.

[Mission: Please use any means necessary to make the male lead take you with him.]

If Jin Yongyi had any virtue, it was this: as long as the money was right and the contract was active, she would walk through fire.

Thinking of the “little money,” she felt a surge of adrenaline. She was one step away from doing a Thomas flare on the bed for a grand “opening ceremony” before getting up.

“Wait! Do not go!” Jin Yongyi did not even have time to put on shoes. She reached out a hand like the “Erkang” meme and chased after him. “I do not want to be alone. Can I go with you?”

Zhao Fuzhou stopped and turned back to refuse her. “I am burdened with important matters, and this journey is fraught with danger. I am afraid I cannot travel with you.”

“It is fine! I am very tough! I can roll on a bed of nails or jump into a vat of boiling oil! I am not afraid of any danger!”

Yeah, right.

She remembered her first job interview back in the real world. She had been honest about everything and ended up with a meager salary. Later, she saw a colleague who had lied through their teeth about their skills during their interview, and that person’s starting salary was double hers!

Jin Yongyi’s heart had burned with regret then.

Does not matter if I can actually do it; just land the job first.

Feeling like a seasoned corporate veteran, Jin Yongyi looked at Zhao Fuzhou with shimmering eyes.

“Not afraid of anything?” He stepped closer, his gaze tracing her figure before settling on her face. Meeting her eyes, he smiled, a dimple appearing on his cheek. “Miss, please do not joke.”

Jin Yongyi: “…”

This hurt worse than if he had called her a liar to her face. His look said, “You? What could you possibly do?” It was pure, unadulterated disdain.

“Miss, have you ever encountered a demon?”

Jin Yongyi did not know how to answer and just stared at him.

Zhao Fuzhou explained, “I hear the demon race consists of heinous villains. Traveling with me means inevitably dealing with them.”

Jin Yongyi had heard all this from the System. Demons and ghosts were just “difficult clients” to her. The truly hard one to manage was the boss!!

“Demons love women with your graceful appearance most of all.”

Before he could continue his warning, Jin Yongyi shouted, “I am not afraid!”

Even if her character setting required her to be devoted to the male lead, that was still better than having a monster literally rip her heart and lungs out. The male lead was the strongest person in the world; being by his side might look dangerous, but it was actually the safest place to be.

Jin Yongyi had convinced herself.

Zhao Fuzhou stopped the intimidation. After staring at her for a while, he gave a cold, mirthless laugh. He walked to the bedside, picked up her embroidered shoes, and placed them by her feet.

“It seems the lady’s injuries have not fully healed. Rest for one more day. The medicine is still warm; remember to drink it.”

“…”

How should I describe how annoying you are?

Jin Yongyi kicked her feet into her shoes and took a vicious swing at the air toward the door.

System: [Host, the male lead was not implying you are stupid. Do not be so sensitive.]

“So? Did I give you permission to speak?”

[So the mission must continue. I predict the male lead will leave tomorrow. You must do your best!]

Jin Yongyi rolled her eyes, picked up the medicine bowl, walked to the window, and splashed it all out without missing a beat.

She felt much better instantly.

Still, Zhao Fuzhou meant well. This world was plagued by demons and ghosts. If he had not appeared last night, she might have kicked the bucket already.

Thinking of this, she felt a lingering fear and huddled back onto the bed, looking listless.

Her mental state was not great all day. Even though it was a sunny day, she felt a chill whether she was in the room or the courtyard. That creepy sensation only vanished when Zhao Fuzhou brought her food.

Jin Yongyi had to marvel once again: the male lead of a “harem/power fantasy” novel really does have a lot of Yang energy.

Fearing the ghosts in the woods would come out, she wrapped herself tightly in her blanket before dark.

Night fell as expected. Jin Yongyi was drifting off to sleep when a rustling sound suddenly erupted by her ear, like long fingernails scratching against a rough wall. She snapped awake, immediately yanking her foot back under the covers. She breathed shallowly and crawled slowly across the bed, peeking over the edge.

The skin-crawling sound vanished. There was nothing in the room.

The room was well-lit by candles, which was comforting. Jin Yongyi glanced at the window; it was shut tight, ensuring no wind could blow the candles out.

Having confirmed everything, she closed her eyes, only to be startled by the sound of rhythmic slapping. She bolted upright and saw the window being pushed open by countless ghostly hands. A gale rushed in, extinguishing every candle and plunging the room into darkness.

The window slammed shut eerily. As the air fell silent, Jin Yongyi’s breath hitched.

The blanket would not save her now. If she did not run, she was dead!

With her chin trembling, she threw off the covers and stumbled toward the door. A chill brushed her cheek and scraped her ear, as if a small ghost was clinging to her shoulder and breathing into her ear, whispering blurred words.

“So beautiful”

“Want you”

The strange whispers echoed in the confined space. Jin Yongyi’s legs went weak; she was nearly scared to death. Covering her ears, she followed her memory toward the door and transformed into a “four-wheel drive” of panic, screaming as she broke through the darkness.

The moment she burst out the door, fresh air filled her lungs. Jin Yongyi opened her eyes, her heart racing. The moon was massive, providing enough light for her to see everything clearly.

Blue, slime-shaped ghosts floated in the air. Their faces were pale white, with inverted features and crimson blood slowly oozing down.

“So beautiful, truly beautiful”

“Get you, get you, I want to get you!!”

All the ghostly faces turned toward Jin Yongyi simultaneously. With eerie smiles, they floated toward her in unison.

“AAAAHH! Help! Help!”

Jin Yongyi felt her face must look as ghastly as theirs. She did not know where she found the strength, but she bolted like a sprinter.

“System! Hiccup! System, get out here! Save me!” She was so scared she started hiccuping.

This useless System was always there to make sarcastic remarks when she did not need it, but when she did, it acted like it was dead. What a pig of a colleague!

She remembered the System mentioned people from a nearby village might be buried in the woods. Judging by the number of ghosts, the entire village must have met a violent end.

Summoning every ounce of courage, she bowed in all directions as she ran: “The debt has its debtor! I did not kill you! Why are you chasing me?!”

As she slowed down for a split second, a ghost reached out a claw and nearly grabbed her shoulder.

“Eek!” Jin Yongyi swerved, dodging the claw, but her feet tangled, and she tumbled through a nearby door.

She landed hard on the floor. The door creaked twice before slowly closing. The ghosts outside clearly had time to follow, yet they remained hovering in mid-air, their milky eyes staring fixedly at her.

The world fell into darkness again.

Jin Yongyi clutched her chest and exhaled heavily.

Terrifying. She knew being a sidekick in a male-protagonist novel was dangerous, but nobody mentioned the psychological warfare. If this chase happened every day, she might as well give up now.

She tried to calm down and scanned the room. It was pitch black. Even the bright moonlight could not penetrate the interior. She guessed the ghosts were probably plastered against the window just like they were at her room.

She could not go back out.

Jin Yongyi crawled along the floor, feeling her way forward. Soon, her left hand hit something hard: similar to what had tripped her in the woods last night. She steered right, but a moment later, her right hand knocked into another hard object.

There were so many obstacles in such a small space; was the world bullying her because she could not see?

Frustrated, Jin Yongyi kicked the object next to her. A series of clattering and clanging followed as things fell to the floor. She sat in silence for a few seconds until the noise stopped before crawling again.

Aside from her own movements, there was no other sound. She assumed this was a storage room; otherwise, anyone sleeping here would have started cursing at her by now.

Finally, her hand brushed against a bed and a blanket. Her joy outweighed the confusion of why a storage room would have a bed. She scrambled onto it and pulled the blanket over her head.

Just as she was hesitantly poking her head out to summon the courage for one more look at the window, a slightly hoarse voice spoke from behind her.

“It is the middle of the night. Miss, why are you in my bed?”