41. A Special Hobby

Chi You smiled; what a truly peculiar hobby.
"Where will I be staying?" Chi You asked, looking around after slipping into a pair of slippers.
"The guest bedroom," Jiang Pan said, walking over to the refrigerator upon entering, opening the door, and taking out two drinks.
He handed one of the bottles to Chi You, and with a calm expression, said, "I don't have any spare clothes for you to change into today. I'll have someone send a set over."
Sitting on the sofa, Chi You's gaze fell upon the photographs scattered around.
They were filled with all sorts of bloody scenes—people whose heads were bitten clean off by monsters.
There were people torn in half by monsters, blood staining the ground while the monster lay quietly beside them.
With its eyes wide open, it stared straight at Chi You through the photograph.
Chi You looked at the photo in silence. If one were to encounter this scene in the dead of night, they would surely be scared out of their wits.
The living room was quiet. Jiang Pan was there typing away, engrossed in chatting with someone.
To ease the awkwardness, Chi You deliberated for a moment and asked, "Is your bedroom... also full of these?"
Jiang Pan raised his eyes to glance at the photos plastered against the white wall, then quickly lowered his head. "Yes, you can go in and take a look."
Granted permission, Chi You stood up, took her drink, and walked toward the master bedroom.
Jiang Pan's master bedroom was very large and very empty.
Not many items were placed inside. A few cameras and a computer sat on the desk. Furthermore, to capture better photographs, he had set up a specialized equipment station there.
A terrifying monster was painted on the pristine white wall, and every element in the room was related to horror.
Chi You walked in and began looking around.
Posters of horror movies were pasted on the wardrobe, and even the bedside table and bedsheets featured horror-themed motifs.
"No wonder he wasn't afraid in the instance; no wonder he lives in this horrifying atmosphere every day," Chi You muttered to herself. Having finished looking around, she turned to leave when the alarm clock on the bedside table suddenly went off.
A chilling piece of music instantly filled the air.
This startled the completely unprepared Chi You quite a bit.
Turning her head, she saw a doll moving about. Its eyes were large, round, and blank, with its lips upturned and fixed in a permanent smile that looked as mocking as it was cheerful, dressed in a black and white suit.
It looked exceptionally like a doll from a horror movie.
The doll jerked back and forth, and the terrifying music emanated directly from it.
"Damn it..." Chi You, who usually possessed a very mild temper, couldn't help muttering a low curse. Jiang Pan was truly a lunatic!
Having been cursed at, Jiang Pan walked over to her side, looked at the singing doll, and said, "It's already one o'clock."
"Time to wash up and go to sleep."
"No thanks, I think it's better for me to go stay at a hotel," Chi You said earnestly.
She had no wish to subject herself to this kind of environment at every moment, keeping her nerves constantly on edge.
It was simply too exhausting.

"The guest bedroom isn't set up yet," Jiang Pan said.
With that, he turned and opened the door to the guest bedroom. There was nothing inside except for a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk.
Chi You felt relieved.
If it had been decorated like the rest, she would have booked a hotel room right then and there.
"Aren't you scared, Senior Jiang?" Chi You asked.
"This is a hobby. Do you really think I'd be scared?" Jiang Pan retorted.
Chi You shrugged. Fine, this man was simply too hardcore.
At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Jiang Pan went to open it.
The person outside handed over three paper bags, exchanged a couple of words, and left.
"Go take a shower," Jiang Pan said, handing the bags to her.
Chi You took them, opened the bags, and saw pajamas and a change of clothes inside.
Not only that, but he had also bought her a pair of new shoes. Jiang Pan was surprisingly considerate.
Just as Chi You was about to step into the guest bedroom, Jiang Pan stopped her. "When are we entering the next instance?"
"Are you really in that much of a rush?" Chi You retorted. She had just emerged from one instance and hadn't even recovered yet, and now he wanted to plunge straight into a third one without stopping.
It was way too rushed.
"Yes, I wouldn't mind living inside the instances," Jiang Pan nodded.
"Then go by yourself. When final exams are over, I'm going on vacation." With that, Chi You slammed the door shut, locking him outside.
Jiang Pan let out a sigh, gathered his things, and returned to his own room.
The next day, they entered the school gates carrying bags of steamed buns, dough sticks, and soy milk.
Jiang Pan was handsome, and walking through the campus attracted the gazes of numerous girls.
After admiring Jiang Pan's handsome face, they noticed Chi You walking beside him, and their brows furrowed.
Was this woman Senior Jiang's girlfriend?
You Ni and her roommate were on their way to the classroom and witnessed this scene while climbing the stairs.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Her roommate spotted the two of them and said in confusion, "It's them again. Could they actually be a real couple?"
"How could Chi You possibly be worthy of Jiang Pan?" You Ni was the first to deny it.
"That Chi You has the face of a homewrecking mistress; you can tell at a glance she's no good woman. Why would Senior Jiang ever like her? Don't guess wildly."
Upon arriving in the classroom, Chi You took her seat in the very front row, right in the first spot—it had practically become her exclusive seat.
Today was an 8 AM class, and the professor instructed everyone to review diligently.
Chi You's grades were always exceptional, and she listened attentively to the professor's words.
She spent both classes diligently reviewing, completely unfazed by the noisy environment.

After class, Jiang Pan's messages came pouring in one after another.
[Jiang Pan: Where are you planning to go on vacation?]
[Jiang Pan: Have you made an itinerary yet?]
[Jiang Pan: If not, take me with you. I'll handle the itinerary, and I'll cover all the expenses.]
Just as Chi You was pondering how to reply, You Ni sat down right beside her.
With her sharp eyes, You Ni instantly caught sight of her chatting with Jiang Pan, and her hand tightened into a fist.
"Classmate Chi, why have you been hanging out so closely with Senior Jiang lately?"
"Is there some competition going on?"
Chi You paused her typing and looked over at her with a hint of incomprehension.
As the class belle, You Ni was arrogant.
She disdained sitting with ordinary mortals like them, and she disdained chatting with them even more.
Even so, plenty of people still fawned over her.
Yet, despite her usual disdain for speaking to others, today she had deliberately sat next to her to inquire about Jiang Pan.
True to form, the most handsome man in the entire school had successfully captured the proud You Ni.
"No, we just bumped into each other and happened to chat," Chi You replied indifferently.
Her hands didn't stop typing on her phone.
[Chi You: Alright, thanks, big shot.]
[Chi You: Since you're paying, I'll follow wherever you go.]
[Chi You: Oh, right, I refuse to go anywhere where supernatural events have taken place.]
Seeing that the two of them were still chatting, You Ni grew even more displeased.
"What are you two talking about?" You Ni asked with a smile.
She was strikingly beautiful, and her smile was exceptionally radiant.
No wonder so many boys trailed behind her, willing to play the fool—perhaps by sucking up to her, they might actually stand a chance of becoming You Ni's boyfriend?
"Oh, just chatting about random things."
[Jiang Pan: Tsk, aren't you usually fearless when it comes to these things?]
[Jiang Pan: Regretful.jpg]
She might not be afraid, but that didn't mean she was willing to court danger deliberately.
Fine, Chi You still harbored some misgivings about those things after all.