Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Chu Yue had been able to quickly regain his composure despite all the strange things he had encountered in the game world.

But now, faced with this situation, Chu Yue fell silent.

He thought back to the shadow in the game.

On the first night, when Li Ergou came, that thing had saved his life.

On the second night, while he was in the bathroom using a basin of water to sponge down his body, he had felt that sensation of being watched again.

However, the thing never appeared again after that, so he had pushed it to the back of his mind.

The identity of that thing had remained a mystery.

But now that he was out, he could actually feel its presence once more.

The feeling of being watched was truly unpleasant.

Even worse, that thing had actually followed him from the game world into reality!

Chu Yue stared at the mirror without blinking, wanting to drag the thing out.

Drip. Drip.

The small space was terrifyingly quiet, save for the sound of water slowly dripping from the faucet.

“What exactly are you? Why do you keep following me? What’s your goal?”

He stared into his own eyes in the mirror, throwing out several questions in a row.

No one answered. Nothing happened.

His already heavy mood grew even worse.

After rinsing his mouth and wiping his face, Chu Yue left the bathroom.

Lying on the bed, he knew deep down that this feeling wasn’t exactly fear; it was more of an unease that came from something being outside of his control.

He didn’t turn off the light, lying on his side like that the entire night.

The next day, it was the butler’s knocking that woke him up.

He checked the time; it was already 9:00 AM. Xiao Wang and Xiao Li had arrived.

Chu Yue rubbed his brow as he got up. After changing his clothes and eating a quick breakfast, he headed to the study.

The three of them discussed matters continuously. Midway through, another partner from the company called to ask what was going on.

Chu Yue didn’t explain too clearly. No matter how unhappy the other party was, they were currently abroad and it would take time to return.

The matter of the shares was mostly handled, but there was other ongoing work at the company that required his follow-up.

This overtime lasted straight until late into the night.

By the time he emerged from the study, it was already past 1:00 AM.

The Hall was silent. The butler had already retired to his room, and the lights in the living room were dim, with only a small nightlight left on.

Rubbing his neck, Chu Yue headed toward the small bar. Halfway there, his peripheral vision caught something, and his footsteps abruptly stopped.

He flipped the wall switch, and the entire Hall instantly brightened, allowing him to see the objects on the coffee table clearly.

It wasn’t anything important-just a box of chocolates. A client the company worked with had given it to him, saying it was brought back from abroad and seemed quite expensive.

However, Chu Yue had been allergic to chocolate as a child; he would break out in a rash every time he ate it, so he hadn’t touched the stuff since growing up.

He had accepted the gift and tucked it directly under the coffee table after bringing it home, never moving it. Now, the chocolate packaging had been opened.

Aside from Chu Yue and the butler, there was only the cook in this villa.

Neither of them were the type to touch his things. Even with items he didn’t care about, they would ask and only act after receiving his permission.

Not to mention that right now, the box wasn’t just open; the contents had been eaten.

Thin wrappers were scattered across the tabletop, looking like the deliberate prank of some mischievous child.

As Chu Yue walked over, his foot suddenly stepped on something.

He looked down to see a jelly cup casing.

This was something the butler had prepared for his little niece when she came over to play last time. The little girl hadn’t taken them when she left, saying she’d eat them the next time she visited.

He didn’t know where the butler had eventually stored those things, but now, the “corpse” was lying right here.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the collection of wrappers on the table. There had originally been five chocolates in the box; now, not a single one remained.

For some reason, Chu Yue thought of the ghostly shadow he had seen the night before.
It hadn’t tried to scare him on purpose since following him home, nor had it done anything particularly outrageous-until now. This latest development was certainly bizarre.

That thing had followed him back just to steal his food and drink?

Chu Yue turned around, his expression blank.

He didn’t know how much longer he had to live anyway, so why should he be afraid of it?

Clatter, clatter…

As soon as he stepped into the small bar area, Chu Yue’s foot kicked something. The crisp, melodic sound of a glass bottle rolling across the floor echoed through the room.

Chu Yue paused, glanced down, and then abruptly looked up to check his wine cabinet.

The spot in the middle of the top shelf was empty.

Great. The premium imported liquor Zhao Sinan had given him for his birthday was gone.

Chu Yue clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. This was too much! He had kept that bottle in his collection for three years, never once bringing himself to open it.

That ghostly thing had chugged the whole thing in one go, not leaving him a single drop!

Taking a deep breath, he downed half a bottle of soda water and scanned the room.

He said flatly, “Anything else is fine, but don’t touch the things in the wine cabinet.”

Clatter, clatter…

Chu Yue’s gaze shifted toward the sound.

Clatter, clatter…

Clatter, clatter…

The bottle he had just kicked was now rolling back and forth on the floor like a blatant mockery. The sound of it grinding against the wood was grating.

Chu Yue stared at the bottle, gave it a sharp glare, and then turned to head upstairs.

His luggage was already packed. Early the next morning, he grabbed his suitcase and caught a flight to S City.

It was a long journey. After a two-hour flight, he had to take a nearly four-hour car ride to reach a small county town.

It wasn’t a particularly wealthy town; in fact, it was somewhat dilapidated and tucked away deep in the mountains. Transportation was inconvenient, and the economy was underdeveloped.

However, the architecture here was classical and elegant, carrying the poetic atmosphere of a water town south of the Yangtze River.

Chu Yue pulled his suitcase along the road. He couldn’t remember how many times he had walked this path, but he came here at least once a year.

The bluestone road was still the same, and the corner of the alley was still missing a brick.

After walking for nearly fifteen minutes, Chu Yue stopped in front of a small courtyard and knocked on the door.

An old man around seventy years old came to open it. His hair was a bit messy, and his complexion looked off.

Seeing the person outside, he smiled first. “It’s Xiao Yue. You have time to visit this old man again?”

“Are you sick, Grandpa? Have you seen a doctor? Are you taking medicine?”

Chu Yue immediately noticed the old man’s condition and asked in a rush.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” The old man waved his hand dismissively. “Just a minor ailment. I took a tumble a few days ago by accident. It’s no big deal, I just twisted my back.”

He chuckled, walked to the table, and poured a glass of water for Chu Yue. “Don’t look at me like this. I didn’t hurt my bones at all; I’m doing fine. It’s just a bit inconvenient to walk, but I’ll be better in a few days.”

Chu Yue took the water, set it down, and helped him toward the inner room.

“Don’t exert yourself. Hurry up and lie down. An injury like this needs proper rest.”

“Alright.” The old man didn’t argue with him and lay down as instructed. He asked, “How many days are you staying this time? Clean the room yourself; stay in the same one as before.”

“I know,” Chu Yue said. After a long silence, he added, “I won’t be staying long.”

“Mm. If you’re busy, you don’t need to make a special trip to see this old man. My health is fine.”

“I understand.”

Grandpa Shen must have been sleeping when Chu Yue knocked.

As soon as he hit the bed, he drifted back into a daze and fell asleep after only a few words with Chu Yue.

“Grandpa Shen,” Chu Yue called out softly, but the man on the bed didn’t hear him. “I will bring him back.”

His voice was very light, as if a small breeze could blow the words away.

He sat there without moving, keeping watch for a long time.

Looking at the old man’s withered, thin skin, Chu Yue’s expression became increasingly determined.

It wasn’t until the sun began to dip toward the west that he stood up to go clean his room.