Being back in Room 415 felt… off.
Not because of the ghosts, or the faded wallpaper, or even Zhou Zhi's chaotic snacking habits.
It was because of him.
Fu Yunshen didn't speak much.
But his silence wasn't the same as before.
Now, it watched her. Quietly. Closely. As though trying to read pages she hadn't written yet.
Shi Mu noticed.
Of course she did.
But instead of addressing it, she threw herself into work—and something else that didn't involve feelings.
Gaming.
"Are you seriously grinding again?" Zhou Zhi asked, poking his head over her shoulder.
"I'm close to unlocking the next skill tree," Shi Mu muttered, thumbs flying over the controller.
"You've played that dungeon five times."
"It keeps glitching."
"Maybe the game's tired of you ignoring your real problems."
She didn't dignify that with a reply.
Just then, Fu Yunshen walked in from the hallway, towel slung around his neck, hair slightly damp from a shower.
Shi Mu didn't look up.
But the air shifted.
Zhou Zhi, sensing incoming awkwardness, excused himself with the classic line:"Suddenly remembered I left my charger in the library—back in ten hours!"
Door closed.
They were alone.
The game music played in the background as Shi Mu kept tapping, focus a little too intense.
"You always game when you're anxious," Fu Yunshen said quietly.
She paused.
Then resumed.
"I game when I'm bored," she corrected.
He walked over and sat beside her bed, watching her screen for a few moments.
"Boss is about to ambush you."
"I know."
"You're under-leveled."
"I know."
He leaned in slightly. "Then why are you going in unprepared?"
The question lingered.
But it wasn't about the game.
And they both knew it.
Shi Mu finally dropped the controller, the character on-screen collapsing in a burst of pixelated light.
She turned to him, tone sharp. "What do you want me to say?"
"That you're not fine."
"I'm not."
Silence.
"But that doesn't mean I need saving," she added.
"I'm not here to save you," Fu Yunshen said. "I just don't want to watch you pretend you're invincible."
That hit too close to the bone.
Suddenly, the room lights flickered.
A chill swept through the space.
Both turned to the window.
A shadow darted past.
Shi Mu shot to her feet. "That wasn't wind."
Fu Yunshen's eyes narrowed. "It's here again."
They grabbed their tools—she, a charm-laced dagger; he, his jade pendant.
As the temperature dropped further, the console screen glitched violently—static and flashes of distorted game sprites.
A voice whispered through the speakers:
"Not everything can be reset…"
Shi Mu exhaled. "Great. Now my favorite game's possessed."
[System Notification]
Paranormal Encounter Detected: Digital Entity Manifestation – Type: Echo Spirit
Brotherhood Value +60 (Shared Emotional Confrontation + Combat Preparation)
Current Total: 1,675 / 1,000,000
Standing side by side, facing the pulsing screen and the shadows now crawling up the walls, Fu Yunshen said, "Ready?"
Shi Mu tightened her grip. "Always."