This entry is suspicious.

At the entrance of Wangyue Pavilion.

"Didn't you say you'd be here soon? Why aren't you here yet?"

"Don't rush, it's not even 10 o'clock yet."

Song Ci crossed her arms and said, "Ming Shu is never early, but she's never late either. If she says she'll be there at ten o'clock, then she'll definitely be there at ten o'clock sharp."

"It's already 9:59:50, there are still ten seconds left. You mean she'll appear soon?"

Zhou Ran looked at the end of the street with some skepticism.

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep engine sound came from the night sky.

A jet-black hovercar descended from the sky and hovered on the street in front of Wangyue Pavilion. Its body lines were smooth, without a single unnecessary edge, and it had a low-key yet expensive matte finish.

The car door opened, and Ming Shu stepped out.

"See?" Song Ci smiled and raised an eyebrow at Zhou Ran.

Zhou Ran glanced at the time displayed on his phone, and his eyelids twitched involuntarily. It really was exactly ten o'clock, not a second more or less.

After Ming Shu got out of the car, the hovercar turned into the underground parking lot. She walked straight up to the two of them, glanced at Song Ci first, and then nodded slightly to Zhou Ran: "Good evening."

She was about 1.65 meters tall, wearing a long dress, with jet-black hair like flowing ink satin. Her features were delicate and bright, and even without makeup, she exuded elegance. She had a gentle and quiet temperament.

The first thing that comes to mind when you see her is a summer afternoon, with dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves onto the pages of a book, the distant chirping of cicadas, and her sitting there quietly reading a particular page.

Zhou Ran had never seen Ming Shu up close before. Now she finally understood why so many male classmates liked her and called her their "white moonlight." Her looks and temperament were top-notch; she was practically the epitome of perfection.

[Ming Shu], [Eighth Level of Enlightenment], [Top Student in Grade], [Noble Lady from a Prestigious Family], [Perfectionist], [Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder], [Gentle on the Outside, Strong on the Inside], [Severe Sweet tooth], [Avid Fan of Bad Movies], [Popular Ideal Woman], [Fantasy Lover], [Moonlight Style]... [Cultivation Dilemma (Gold)]

Seeing the destiny entry appear on the other person's body, Zhou Ran was slightly startled.

Moonlight Style?

Does Ming Shu actually have a special constitution?

Zhou Ran recalled that this seemed to be a physique that made cultivation twice as effective at night, and that under the moonlight, it could also accelerate the recovery speed in all aspects.

Sure enough, besides coming from a wealthy family, such a top student must also have excellent personal qualities; this one special physique is worth more than many people's lifetime of opportunities.

While Zhou Ran was sizing up Ming Shu, Ming Shu was also observing him.

She looks like an ordinary person, but she has an inexplicable aura about her, and her eyes are not as clear and naive as those of a high school student. She is definitely the kind of person who has experienced life and death and great terror... She had similar feelings about some of her uncles and aunts in her family.

It seemed the bottle was telling the truth... Ming Shu understood the situation and immediately said, "Let's go in."

……

Upon entering Wangyue Pavilion, the hostess bowed, and Song Ci gave a room number. The three of them were then led through a long corridor, onto an elevator, and into their reserved private room.

The room was brightly lit, and tableware was already laid out on the round table. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of Qinghe City, with towering buildings and neon lights flashing in the night, weaving together a flowing curtain of light.

Song Ci pulled out a chair and sat down casually, and Zhou Ran followed suit.

Ming Shu glanced at the seats where the two were sitting and couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly.

"Bottle, move a little to the left."

"Oh." Song Ci moved her chair a little to the left.

"A little more to the left... um, that's fine."

Ming Shu then looked around, pulled out a chair and moved it a few centimeters to the left, then a few centimeters to the right, then a few centimeters to the left again... He adjusted it three times until the three seats were perfectly symmetrical on the round table before he sat down with satisfaction.

Then she started arranging the tableware, placing it neatly in front of her, not putting the chopsticks on the bowls or plates, but on the chopstick rest.

Zhou Ran was stunned. Could it be said that he was a perfectionist with obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Soon after we sat down, one dish after another was served. The dishes were so exquisitely presented that they looked like works of art. Even the flower petals used for garnishing were the freshest ones. Each dish was a signature dish of Wangyue Pavilion, with prices starting at a thousand yuan.

"I heard from the bottle that you've experienced strange events?"

Ming Shu took the initiative to start a conversation.

Zhou Ran nodded: "That happened a week ago. I almost died there, but I also turned misfortune into blessing and gained enlightenment on the brink of death."

"Could you explain in more detail?"

Ming Shu is very interested in strange events; in fact, that's why she came here.

As for tutoring... she didn't think Zhou Ran, who was the same age as her, could teach her. However, since she had promised Song Ci, she naturally had to keep her promise. She would go to the practice room to observe for a while, but in the end, she would definitely find an excuse to decline the tutoring.

"You like weird things...?" Zhou Ran glanced at the "weirdness enthusiast" entry above Ming Shu's head and really couldn't understand why anyone would have such a hobby.

Anyone who has experienced bizarre events would find it impossible to have any interest in such terrifying things.

However, on the other hand, people who have never experienced darkness often do not react with awe and distance when they hear about the horrors others describe, but rather develop fantasies about the darkness.

Mystery breeds curiosity, curiosity leads to interest, and thus the group of enthusiasts of the bizarre was born.

These people are keen on collecting information on all sorts of bizarre events, studying the abilities of the supernatural, and even seriously compiling a combat power ranking to compare which supernatural being is stronger.

Experiencing bizarre events through dream-like videos and writing fictional bizarre stories are commonplace. Some enthusiasts even travel to the locations where bizarre events occur to film firsthand footage, essentially teetering on the edge of death.

The internet compresses all the terrible things into text, pictures, and audio, smoothing out the sense of distance, diluting the sense of despair, and coating the eerie horror with a layer of entertainment. That strange atmosphere and the pressure of death have become a novel seasoning, used as a stimulating way to relieve stress and for people's amusement.

Every era is obsessed with entertainment to the death, trying to structure everything, but the bizarre is the one thing that should least be entertained.

Zhou Ran used only four words to describe this kind of person—"Lord Ye loved dragons but was terrified when faced with something truly strange."

But if a big client likes this... then it's fine. The boss can do whatever he wants. If he can afford it, he can accompany them on a tour of the eerie world.

Then he began to recount what had happened in the alley that night.

Ming Shu took out paper and pen from his storage artifact and drew as he listened. He quickly sketched the scene in the alley according to Zhou Ran's description.

"Do you think it looks like it?" Ming Shu handed the sketchbook to Zhou Ran.

Zhou Ran took the sketchbook, his hand trembled, and he almost dropped it.

It must be said that Ming Shu has a great talent for drawing. He drew the Stopper so vividly just from the description that the eerie and unique sense of terror was brought to life on the paper. He must have drawn a lot of paintings in his spare time.

Especially those dark eye sockets outlined with messy coils, as if the Stopper was really staring at the person outside the painting, making people feel uneasy.

Zhou Ran remained silent for a moment.

Stab it!

He tore the drawing paper to shreds, his expression more serious than ever before: "I suggest you stop drawing this kind of thing in the future. The power of the supernatural is mysterious and unpredictable. The images you draw might become some kind of medium, attracting real supernatural invasions."

Song Ci was stunned. What was going on? She instantly switched to a fighting expression!

Is this right? Zhou Ran is completely different from usual. He seems like a different person, calm, decisive, and with a seasoned experience.

And do you even know what you did? That was the top drawing in the grade! High school has a strict hierarchy; if the other students find out, you'll be gone!

Ming Shu was also stunned.

She looked at Zhou Ran's serious and solemn expression.

boom!

My heart felt as if it had been struck by something, and it began to beat faster involuntarily.

Wow...so handsome!

My heart rate increased.

Ming Shu's face also began to turn red and hot, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

No, no, what am I thinking! Ming Shu shook his head violently in his heart, trying to suppress the inexplicable palpitation, but his heart simply wouldn't listen to him, still pounding wildly, as if it were about to jump out of his chest.

She couldn't explain it, but she felt that Zhou Ran had suddenly become very stylish, just like... her favorite and most admired expert in handling strange situations—mature, calm, decisive, and reliable.

Ming Shu forcibly controlled the flow of qi and blood to cool down her face, but she could still feel the heat lingering on her face no matter what she did, which made her feel extremely embarrassed.

Blushing in front of a guy I've just met...it's so embarrassing!

But in Zhou Ran's eyes, the sky had fallen.

Ming Shu was flushed red by his own actions!

He watched helplessly as that fair face gradually flushed red, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears—clearly a sign of extreme anger!

Even the destiny entry showed a "heart racing" state, clearly indicating that he was genuinely angry.

It makes sense. Tearing up a painting is inherently a form of disapproval and provocation. Even the most cultured person couldn't remain indifferent, right? Besides, they weren't even acquaintances; this was their first meeting!

Zhou Ran had just torn up the painting in a fit of panic. Now that she had come to her senses, her mind went blank for a moment.

Oh no, oh no, oh no! Did he really offend Ming Shu to death? She's the top student in the grade and the eldest daughter of the Ming family. If she holds a grudge against him, how will he ever get along at school again?

And the tutoring is definitely out of the question. Forget about tutoring, I might even be forced to sit in the ground and cosplay as a ginseng tonight!

As for leaving a good image, that's out of the question.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. Your drawing was so good that it triggered my psychological trauma, so I subconsciously tore it up. I'm really sorry." Zhou Ran apologized with his hands clasped together at lightning speed.

"It's okay."

Ming Shu realized that his voice had unconsciously changed tone, so he quickly coughed lightly and tried to regain his composure: "I think what you said makes sense, so I won't draw anything weird anymore. Um... thank you for recognizing my drawing skills."

Is he really that easy to talk to?!

Zhou Ran was overjoyed and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that as expected of a noble lady from a prominent family, she was so well-mannered and so obedient to advice.

He quickly waved his hand, "No, no, it's because you drew so well, I overreacted. Um... Shall we eat? The food's getting cold."

"Okay, let's eat." Ming Shu nodded and ate without saying a word, though his mind was a complete mess.

Song Ci looked at Ming Shu with a strange expression. As her best friend, she could tell that Ming Shu wasn't angry. In fact, she had never seen Ming Shu angry or cry since she was a child. She was a person with a particularly strong ability to withstand pressure and adjust.

If she wasn't angry, then what's with the redness on Ming Shu's face?

Surely it couldn't be that she fell in love with Zhou Ran at first sight?

Haha.

Song Ci was amused by his own words; how could that be?

Ming Shu, the eldest daughter of the Ming family, has seen countless outstanding young men and talented individuals since childhood, yet she has never seen one of them show affection for anyone. She once asked the other person what kind of person they liked, and Ming Shu only replied that she was single-mindedly pursuing the Dao, had sealed her heart from love, and was not considering such matters for the time being.

Therefore, it is absolutely impossible.

But what happened next shocked Song Ci to the core.

Ming Shu has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, as can be seen from the seating arrangement just now; she would only sit down if the three of them were seated symmetrically.

This is especially true when it comes to meals. Dishes must be categorized separately and arranged neatly on plates. She even has a maid at home to help her arrange the dishes; otherwise, she could spend an hour rearranging a whole table of food.

For example, when eating peas, you must use a fork, and the peas must be arranged in groups of three so that you can pick up three at a time; when eating fish, you must first remove all the fish bones and arrange them in order of length on the edge of the plate...

But now, Ming Shu shows absolutely no signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He eats all kinds of food without caring about whether they are categorized or not.

Song Ci's eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably. She had known Ming Shu for so many years and had never seen her abandon her principles when it came to eating.

This is wrong, this is so wrong.

There is only one reason why a person with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder can suddenly abandon all their principles—their attention has been completely occupied by something else, and they can no longer care about those obsessive-compulsive little habits.

And that other thing...

Song Ci slowly turned her head and glanced at Zhou Ran, who was secretly rejoicing at surviving the ordeal and burying his head in his rice.

Are you kidding me!

……

After a meal.

Zhou Ran put down his chopsticks and looked at Ming Shu: "Let's go to the practice room next. I need to show you what I'm capable of doing in tutoring classes, okay?"

"Ah? Okay, okay." Ming Shu shifted his gaze, somewhat hesitant to look Zhou Ran in the eye.

Song Ci leaned back strategically, took a breath, and ran her hands through her hair, confirming her suspicions: something big was going to happen!

Zhou Ran was completely unaware of what was happening; he was overjoyed and had already started planning how to make a good impression later.

He was full of confidence, believing that once people read his masterpieces, "One Hundred Explanations of Power" and "Thirty-Six Techniques for Opening the Mind," they would never have the thought of refusing his tutoring.

In other words, the Ming and Shu (the two sides) are already a foregone conclusion.

We've finally landed a big client!