Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR KNOWS WHERE WE ARE GOING

Before Yao Shen can say anything, he feels Xin Hulei's hand close over his shoulder. "What exactly did you see?" Xin Hulei asks Gao Wu, his attention solely focused on him.

Gao Wu shrinks a little under the intensity of Xin Hulei's gaze, probably recalling the circumstances in which they last met.

"The nightmares were usually disconcerting, like anxiety fuelled illusions," he shakes his head and frowns, as if just recalling them is enough to upset him. "To start off it was just random scenes, like being suffocated under a pile of my own talismans, or constantly falling down the window of the hotel, but never reaching the ground, being chased by cameras..."

He circles his hand in the air, indicating that the pattern went on in that vein.

All those descriptions are similar to Yao Shen's own experiences, from the cicadas to the eyes crushing him under their gaze -- except his nightmares never progress past that.

Likely due to Xin Hulei's intervention.

What would have happened afterwards otherwise?

"And then?" Xin Hulei asks, his grip on Yao Shen's shoulder tightening without him noticing.

Yao Shen can tell by the thin line of his lips how much this issue is upsetting him.

He's probably looking at Gao Wu sitting in the Wuji pavilion as a ghost and thinking that if it wasn't for that stupid blood contract, it could be Yao Shen sitting there instead of him.

Gao Wu swallows drily and looks towards Jia Hao, his eyes lowered in quiet guilt. "After that...it was always the same thing, I was sitting down on a bench in that rundown garden and Jia Hao walked up to me." He pauses and rubs the back of his neck.

"He said 'this won't hurt a thing', and then he kissed me. After that, I choked and died."

Jia Hao who has been silent the entire time sits up a little straighter, putting down his teacup with a clink. "I would never do that."

Gao Wu gives him a weak smile. "I know that, that's why I didn't want to tell you fully what happened in the dreams, just that they were...you know...a problem." He sighs. "I didn't actually think you'd end up here."

Jia Hao shrugs, unbothered. "Well, it worked out, now both of us are here." He notices the implications of his words, and corrects himself. "I mean, it's very sad that you're dead, I never wanted that to happen...but I'm glad I can be here, uh, for you."

Xie Bian clears his throat. "I know Youdu has been a mess for the past two years, even before that, but you people realise that the point isn't staying here indefinitely, right?" he asks, pointing between Jia Hao and Gao Wu. "All the ghosts in Youdu are supposed to reincarnate and its a travesty that this city just keeps growing bigger and bigger."

Fan Wujiu gives him an aggrieved look. "Bian, you can't just make souls reincarnate if they aren't ready for it." He sighs. "Actually, this used to all be decided by the ghost king courts, but I can't even remember the last time any souls were put to trial, instead of just being let to walk around aimlessly."

Xie Bian slams his hand down on the tabletop. "That's what I'm saying! This city is in shambles, and everyone has forgotten the proper way to do things."

Yao Shen refrains from pointing out that instead of doing something about it, Xie Bian decided to throw a two-year temper tantrum, because he couldn't be bothered to have a conversation with Fan Wujiu. Even if time passes differently for immortals, he considers it a bit excessive.

Xin Hulei cuts through the conversation by clearing his throat pointedly. "And in the nightmares, you saw the exact garden where you later died?" he asks, looking directly at Gao Wu.