6 Nightmare

Luo Wen lay at the foot of the bed, curled into a small ball, occupying only a tiny sliver of space. His hands, with their prominent knuckles, reached into the air and grasped at nothingness a few times before falling back uselessly.

The corners of his eyes were stained a faint red. A large tear traced a winding path down his cheek, flowed over his sharp, thin chin, and dripped silently onto his collarbone, where it shimmered like crystal.

In his dream, the child-like Luo Wen ran and wandered through a narrow, dark alleyway. Ahead of him was a tall, straight figure. He chased with all his might, running until he had lost one of his shoes without even realizing it, yet he still could not catch up to that figure.

The adolescent Luo Wen did not want to give up. His feet were pierced by the rough gravel on the ground, drawing blood, and he took a hard tumble. He lay on the ground, disheveled and wretched, his eyes wet as he stared at that figure, trying to chase it with his gaze.

Perhaps his look was too persistent; the figure finally stopped its pace and slowed down.

Luo Wen wiped the tears from his face and chased after him, his heart full of joy.

The figure slowly turned its face, but it was a face of mangled flesh. His head wobbled like a stack of crooked blocks as he slowly extended a hand toward Luo Wen, his bright red mouth opening and closing.

"...Son."

Cold sweat beaded on Luo Wen's forehead. He bit his lower lip tightly, and within moments, his pale lips were chewed into a bloody mess.

The seeping sweat slid down his jaw, mixing with his tears and constantly soaking his clothes.

His chest heaved, gasping in pain, his eyelashes trembling as if trapped in an endless nightmare. His fingertips tightened and loosened, and he emitted suppressed moans, his expression desolate, like a trapped beast.

"No... don't come over!"

Lu Mingzhou looked at him, medicine and water in hand, a trace of worry in his eyes.

He did not know what Luo Wen was dreaming about. After a moment of hesitation, he set the items aside, bent down to grasp the hand that was clutching at thin air, and used his other hand to pat his shoulder and back gently.

"It's alright, it's alright." He whispered comfortingly, his tone rising slightly. The usual devil-may-care looseness he wore was gone, replaced by a low, gentle voice that wrapped around the room like silk. "You are dreaming. Everything in the dream is fake."

Almost the moment he touched his fingers, his hand was firmly gripped by Luo Wen.

The other man’s strength was immense, as if he were clinging to a lifeline. Lu Mingzhou felt a moment of pain, but he remained calm, continuing to soothe Luo Wen in a low voice.

"..." Luo Wen opened his eyes mistily. In his daze, that terrifying face gradually blurred and transformed into the handsome face that had frequently appeared before him lately.

As if he had found a shelter to rest in during a torrential downpour, he instinctively leaned toward Lu Mingzhou, like a small animal searching for a warm nest.

Seeing him constantly pushing against him, his cheeks burning red and his eyes hazy, Lu Mingzhou could tell he was quite ill.

He exhausted every bit of the good temper he had accumulated in his previous life, sighed, opened his arms, and pulled the person from his side into his embrace.

The moment he was held, Luo Wen found his most comfortable position. He leaned against the crook of Lu Mingzhou’s neck, his burning, feverish breath almost merging with the scent of the other man.

"Take your medicine." Lu Mingzhou paused. He did not avoid the position, but simply gave the person in his arms an unsentimental shake, forcing him to open his dazed eyes.

Luo Wen finally broke free from the nightmare, though the terrifying, shattered face seemed to still flicker before his eyes. He closed them for a moment, barely regaining a shred of sanity, and cooperated as he swallowed the medicine Lu Mingzhou brought to his lips.

Afterward, he subconsciously resisted lying back on that cold bed devoid of warmth. Blinking his damp eyelashes, he nestled into Lu Mingzhou’s embrace, which carried a woody fragrance, and remained half-asleep, refusing to let go.

The patient comes first, especially since he himself was the culprit. Unable to ease his conscience, Lu Mingzhou had no choice but to climb onto the bed with light steps.

His hand was still held tightly in the other’s grip, unable to move, so he could only lie on his side.

He watched the now-quiet Luo Wen in his arms in silence.

The other’s cheeks were flushed with fever, his brows deep, his lips pale, and a trace of tear stains remained at the corners of his eyes. His expression was weary yet permeated with a touch of melancholy, as if he would dissipate with a single gust of wind, yet he held onto Lu Mingzhou firmly.

In this moment, the thin, tragic paper character from the plot and character card seemed to come vividly to life.

He was not the Professor Luo that Lu Mingzhou knew well, nor should he become a tragic, negative character whose entire life of blood and tears was scripted in a few lines for others to pity.

Lu Mingzhou lowered his head and reached out a finger to poke Luo Wen’s cheek gently.

The sensation from the other’s cheek was hot and clear—this was truly a living person. He could be sad, he could be angry, and he was even pure—purer than most people in this world.

He should not end up in such a miserable state.

The high-spirited Professor Luo from when they first met was much more suited to his image.

Many chaotic thoughts flashed through Lu Mingzhou’s mind. He silently tightened his embrace. The other seemed to have started having nightmares again, sleeping extremely restlessly, his lips parting and closing, still murmuring in pain.

Lu Mingzhou snapped out of his thoughts, thought for a moment, and began to hum a song, imitating the lullabies from his own childhood memories.

***

That night, Lu Mingzhou did not sleep well, repeatedly changing towels and wiping Luo Wen’s body. Perhaps his care had worked, for the other’s fever finally broke, and his tightly knitted brows smoothed out.

Lu Mingzhou finally let out a sigh of relief, held Luo Wen’s hand, and fell into a daze.

What he did not see was that a moment later, Luo Wen opened his eyes.

A trace of dangerous red light flashed through those dark, quiet pupils. Outside the window, the wind blew and the trees swayed, and countless black shadows danced outside the curtains, as if approaching.

Luo Wen closed his eyes, opened them again, turned his gaze to the man beside him, and finally let his eyes drift to his own hand, which was being held tightly. He slowly closed his eyes again.

When a sliver of dawn peeked through the half-closed curtains, Lu Mingzhou woke from his sleep, but Luo Wen was already nowhere to be found.

Lu Mingzhou rubbed his head, which felt heavy from the all-nighter. Knowing that Luo Wen was a model student who would surely go to class, he couldn't help but marvel at his extraordinary perseverance while also feeling a bit worried.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Mingzhou felt for the pillow beside him, pulled out his phone, and typed a message.

"How are you feeling? If you're uncomfortable, remember to ask for leave. Don't push yourself."

The other should be in class, as he hadn't replied yet. Lu Mingzhou had been busy all night, so since he was already late, he couldn't be bothered to get up and simply lay in bed, scrolling through unread messages.

[Who knows where Young Master Lu went yesterday? Why no news all day?]

Friends with benefits were usually idle, constantly calling each other to arrange outings. To align with the plot of this world, the original body had been the most active among these hedonistic friends, clubbing and drinking, living a life of debauchery.

Lu Mingzhou had previously enjoyed excitement and extreme sports, often pushing the limits of life and death in his youth. Once he reached a certain age, he stopped playing, fearing his family wouldn't be able to handle it.

As for drugs or gambling, he had never touched them. Once his own games started showing promise, he had even less interest in such things.

To be honest, it was his first time feeling so sorry for someone, especially for Luo Wen.

Lu Mingzhou didn't want to keep hanging out with this crowd. He lay half-slumped, tapping on his phone, and replied lazily.

[Get lost, don't worry about me.]

[Young Master Lu's heroic rescue last night has spread throughout the circle. Won't you bring your little sister-in-law out for a gathering?] His friends immediately began teasing him in the group chat.

Lu Mingzhou narrowed his eyes, too lazy to respond. Just as he was about to toss the phone aside, a message window popped up.

It was his friend, Tong Hao. He was the friend Lu Mingzhou had mentioned to Lu Jingshan about wanting to collaborate with.

The other’s hacking skills were formidable; he had almost been recruited by the government.

[The internet stuff has been cleared up for you. No need to thank me. When I get back, will you do me the honor of a gathering?]

Lu Mingzhou was slightly stunned. Before he could reply, the other sent a few screenshots. They were all about him and Luo Wen, including a couple of short videos and posts. Judging by the engagement, the heat was quite high.

Lu Mingzhou was used to being overbearing and didn't really care about these comments, but he thought that Luo Wen might mind. Since the other’s circle was relatively conservative, these rumors could affect him.

*I was careless,* Lu Mingzhou thought, his long fingers gently tapping the screen.

[Fine, you were overqualified for this.]

The other sent a dancing monkey emoji, and Lu Mingzhou glanced at it before closing his phone.

He fished a cigarette out from the bedside table, bit the filter, his eyes languid, and asked internally, "System, have any new plots unlocked?"

"The 'Rumor' character card has unlocked a small plot. Bystanders posted photos and videos of Luo Wen being humiliated, which triggered cyberbullying. But your friend intervened, so it seems to be resolved." The system, which also had sleep cycles, checked the records and its eyes widened. The joy in its voice nearly burst out: "Also, host, Luo Wen’s hatred value has actually dropped to sixty! It’s incredible!"

Lu Mingzhou lit the cigarette. A ghostly blue flame flickered in his deep, dark eyes. He remained calm, not as overjoyed as the system.

*Luo Wen is really easy to please...* he thought, frowning.

But being soft-hearted wasn't a good thing here. Lu Mingzhou exhaled a stream of gray smoke, the swirling mist slowly rising, blurring his deep and overly sharp brows.

He thought, *What should I do? I need to be good to him, but not too good, otherwise, he’ll be like a domesticated beast—once released, he’ll still be shackled by an invisible cage, unable to grow freely in the vast world.*

Seeing his silence, the system asked curiously, "Host, we are one step closer to completing the mission. Aren't you happy?"

Lu Mingzhou held the cigarette with his long fingers and twitched the corner of his lips. In the end, he didn't pour his heart out to a system he’d only known for a short time. He flicked the ash and denied it: "Of course I'm happy." He was just worried.

The ball of light looked at his melancholy face through the swirling smoke and couldn't help but wonder: are all humans such dishonest creatures?

No plot events occurred for the next few days. Luo Wen’s hatred value stabilized, and everything seemed calm. The tension in Lu Mingzhou’s heart, which had never relaxed since he transmigrated into this world, finally eased.

***

A few days passed. During this time, Lu Mingzhou finished his game plan and sent it to Lu Jingshan, and he hadn't seen Luo Wen again.

The other was about to graduate and had to take care of his mother; he was likely very busy.

Since there were no new plot developments, Lu Mingzhou did not want to disturb his peace.

However, after that day, Luo Wen had sent a "thank you" to Lu Mingzhou. Lu Mingzhou had spent a few days with Luo Wen, and if nothing else, he had received several thanks.

[Ding! Hatred value target met! Character card unlocked!]

[Character card unlocked: Night Nightmare]

[Key plot unlocked: Inescapable Fear]

Lu Mingzhou browsed the plot roughly; it was unbearable to look at. It was another long sequence of the original body’s various humiliations of Luo Wen, only this time it was more excessive, and in front of many onlookers.

Lu Mingzhou’s face darkened, the corners of his lips twitching slightly: "You 'Huashi' novels really know how to play."

The variety of tricks left Lu Mingzhou silent. Browsing the plot description, he suddenly stopped his gaze at a certain location and couldn't help but frown.

"Where are you guys holding the welcome banquet for Tong Hao later?" he asked in the friends' group chat.

Someone quickly sent a location and urged Lu Mingzhou: "We’re all here. Just waiting for Tong Hao and you, Young Master Lu."

Ke Tianyu, whether he was undeterred or just forgetful, didn't seem to care about the humiliation Lu Mingzhou had dealt him earlier. He sent a voice message to the group, his voice cheerful: "We all brought companions. Young Master Lu, don't forget yours. Everyone is curious about the one you heroically saved."

Lu Mingzhou lifted his eyelids. It seemed this guy was still undeterred, still eyeing Luo Wen, whom he hadn't managed to get his hands on in the plot.

He couldn't be bothered to deal with this scum. He dialed Luo Wen’s number, his brows furrowed, a trace of anxiety染 in his dark eyes: "Where are you?"

He didn't waste words, asking directly, which made his voice sound a bit cold.

Luo Wen’s calm voice came from the other end of the line, stating an address.

Lu Mingzhou curled his lips. *As expected, this is the inertia of the plot.*

"Are you working part-time there?" Lu Mingzhou rubbed his temples and asked in a low voice: "Can you leave that place? If you need money, you can tell me."

There was a long silence on the other end. Lu Mingzhou knew his request sounded inexplicable to Luo Wen, but since it was the fastest way to avoid the plot, why not?

"May I ask why?" A light, rhythmic breathing came from the other side of the phone.

Unexpectedly, faced with Lu Mingzhou’s forceful tone and the direct offer of money—which should have easily caused Luo Wen’s hatred value to rise—he did not get angry, and the system showed no reaction at all.

His voice on the phone only sounded a bit puzzled.

Lu Mingzhou couldn't explain, because the system was uncharacteristically serious, issuing a stern warning: "You must never expose the existence of the system or the plot! If you do, it could cause a chain collapse of the world!"

"Host, please organize your language carefully to avoid arousing the villain's suspicion!"

The consequences it emphasized were too severe. Lu Mingzhou completely gave up on testing him; he didn't want his own world to be implicated. After a long silence, his voice lost its earlier anxiety.

There was no smile on Lu Mingzhou’s face, but his voice carried a hint of banter, full of the playboy’s looseness: "Nothing, since you’re there, I’m still missing a companion for my friend’s gathering."

This was originally written into their agreement, so Lu Mingzhou’s request wasn't too abrupt.

Luo Wen: "...I am working; I cannot accompany you at the same time."

Lu Mingzhou’s eyes sank: "You don't need to worry about that."

He was still uneasy, and said in a slightly cold, hard tone: "Wait for me at the entrance. Don't run anywhere until I arrive."

The other side was very quiet, and after a long time, he gave a soft "Mm."

Lu Mingzhou suddenly felt his heart soften. *Why was I so fierce?* He paused, his voice softening slightly: "Wait for me."