Eldritch Horror Theatre

Even with sunglasses covering most of her face, the young woman still possessed a delicate nose, bright red lips, and alluring long hair.

Upon receiving Qin Mingze’s affirmative reply, she took off her sunglasses, revealing a radiant, captivating face.

She looked Fu Qian up and down twice before nodding in satisfaction and waving him over.

”Get in!”

At these words, the nearby grandpas and grandmas stared wide-eyed.

Fu Qian didn’t budge. He just stared at Qin Mingze, expecting an explanation.

”Just get in first!”

Qin Mingze looked completely dead inside.

For the sake of the two boxes of local souvenirs.

Fu Qian shot him a look and climbed into the passenger seat the woman had opened for him.Only when the sports car had driven into the distance did the elderly crowd at the gate finally snap out of it, instantly bursting into gossip.

They simply could not fathom how the Fu family’s boy, an unemployed loafer, had such a gorgeous girl coming to pick him up, and acting so eager at that.

”Start talking.”

Fu Qian led his two uninvited guests all the way into his home and motioned for them to sit on the sofa.

Stripped of his usual swagger, Qin Mingze offered an apologetic smile.

”You’re not busy these next couple of days, right?”

”I’m not.”

Fu Qian shook his head.

”I have the next three days off.”

”Didn’t you just find a new part-time job?”

”The job is pretty grueling, so I work four days and take three off.”

...

”All right, here’s the situation.”

Young Master Qin pointed at the long-haired woman and sighed heavily.

”I found you a part-time job too.”

Hmm?

Fu Qian glanced at the long-haired woman.

Despite her deliberate, heavy makeup, the girl was definitely young. She was a year or two older than him at most, and probably still in school.

Right now, she was scanning him without blinking, clicking her tongue with a distinctly wicked gleam in her eyes.

”A word in private.”

Young Master Qin rushed up, grabbed Fu Qian’s arm, and dragged him aside.

”Do me a favor...”

”Explain yourself first.”

”Uh... it’s nothing major. I just need you to be a figure model once.”

”A figure model?”

”Yeah.”

Young Master Qin looked deeply embarrassed.

”Remember that photo I took of you last time, where I photoshopped my own head onto your body?”

Oh!

Fu Qian instantly understood.

”You got exposed?”

”Yeah...”

Qin Mingze nodded helplessly and pointed at the woman behind them.

”Getting exposed is no big deal. My thick skin can handle that much.

”What I didn’t expect was that the girl on the other end was this chick’s roommate. When I was bragging to her, she recognized the body...

”This girl is Tan Ying. We grew up together in the same social circle, and she goes to the art academy nearby.

”She blackmailed me into finding the real owner of those muscles to be her model. Otherwise, she’ll make me the laughingstock of our circle.”

Qin Mingze finally explained the situation clearly.

”Your job is incredibly simple. Just sit there and let her draw you. I made sure—you only have to expose your upper half at most.”

”I can pay extra for the lower half.”

Unexpectedly, the woman named Tan Ying had sharp ears and immediately chimed in.

”Does the art academy really have trouble finding figure models?”

Fu Qian looked at her in disbelief.

”We have them, but they’re all elderly grandmas.”

Tan Ying sighed.

”Of course, I’m not saying grandmas are bad. But as an artist, having finally discovered such a perfect physique, there’s no way I could let it slip away.”

I see.

”Fine.”

Fu Qian frowned and agreed right away.

Not expecting him to be so straightforward, Young Master Qin was overjoyed, and Tan Ying was pleasantly surprised, covering her mouth and giggling.

”Thanks for your cooperation!”

”Don’t mention it.”

While exchanging pleasantries, Fu Qian spread his fingers, revealed the Dream Ring, and chose to activate it.

The next moment, the starry river across the ring’s surface swirled, and an invisible veil expanded outward.

Is this the dream reality created by the ring?

Fu Qian looked around.

If he didn’t explicitly know he was in a dream, he would barely be able to tell the difference.

He had zero interest in being a model, so he had to resort to some special methods.

Considering he couldn’t just knock these two out and throw them outside, he finally decided to try out this never-before-used Dream Ring, which would conveniently test its effects as well.

Looking at it now, this dream seemed entirely based on reality. The three of them were still sitting in the living room.

And from their appearance, Tan Ying and Qin Mingze clearly hadn’t realized they were already inside a dream.

In that case, there was a high probability that after waking up, they would treat everything that happened here as reality.

Fu Qian observed his own state. He felt a sense of absolute freedom, as if he could arbitrarily alter the logical rules of this dream.

Was it really that magical? Let’s test it out on this side first.

”Actually, I’m somewhat of an artist myself.”

He targeted Tan Ying first, beginning his mental hijacking.

”In my eyes, pure depiction doesn’t even fall into the realm of art.”

Fu Qian recited the lines he had prepared.

”True art should unearth something much deeper.”

”Something much deeper?”

Tan Ying asked subconsciously. Under the influence of the dream, her thoughts had clearly slowed down.

”Exactly. Like the collision and tearing apart of flesh and spirit.”

Fu Qian looked into her eyes, his tone unhurried.

In this dream, Fu Qian realized that his words carried extraordinary persuasive power.

The others were in a slight trance, entirely stripped of their vigilance and defenses.

”What do you mean?”

”Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

”Okay.”

Tan Ying agreed, almost on instinct.

Fu Qian then turned to Qin Mingze.

”As the old saying goes, a person must bear the consequences of their own actions. You’re the one who caused this mess, right?”

”...Right.”

”Then shouldn’t you take the initiative to clean up your own mess?”

”I should, but what am I supposed to do?”

”Simple. Put this on.”

Fu Qian waved his arm, and a black pleated skirt appeared in his hand.

This dream really is handy.

”Women’s clothes... why do you have women’s clothes here?”

Qin Mingze questioned out of reflex.

”A client’s.”

Fu Qian spouted nonsense, having absolutely no desire to dwell on the topic.

...

Fine!

Qin Mingze fell silent for a moment, then quickly agreed.

He really was the one who caused this mess. As disgusting as it was, a man had to take responsibility.

Qin Mingze didn’t doubt for a second that this thought originated from his own mind, that it was his truest sentiment.

Five minutes later, inside the dream.

”What is this?”

Seeing Qin Mingze appear in a black skirt, Tan Ying, who had been waiting for a while, stood frozen in shock.

”True art must touch the soul.”

Fu Qian’s tone was gentle.

”I believe that as an artist, you can sense the omnipresent contradiction between this model’s spirit and flesh.”

...

Tan Ying was quickly convinced.

She forced herself to face Qin Mingze and examine him with an artistic eye, yet her hand holding the paintbrush trembled so violently she couldn’t bring it down.

After a long while, she let out a heavy sigh and tossed her brush aside.

”I’ve realized my artistic refinement is still lacking. I need to go back and hone my skills.”

”What a pity. Are you sure you aren’t going to draw?”

Beside her, Fu Qian let out a sigh of lament.

”I’m sure.”