I turned my head, but I still didn't see Ye Qing's face, but looking at the curve of his neck, he wasn't looking at me.

Pressing my hand was cold, and the cold temperature reached me.

I was about to ask when I heard movement outside.

It was a strange noise, I had never heard it before, like footsteps, but it didn't look like a human being, it didn't look like an animal. I couldn't help but hold my breath.

The footsteps were not outside the door, but from downstairs, and there was some echo in the hallway.

In addition to the sound of footsteps, I heard two breaths, which were heavy and loud, but very short.

The hand that pressed my shoulder was retracted.

"You're living here today." Ye Qing said.

I nervously asked, "What's that?" ”

"It's the year." Ye Qing replied.

I was dumbfounded, and looked up at Ye Qing in a daze, "The year you are talking about, is it the year I understand?" ”

Ye Qing sneered and turned to leave.

I jumped up and chased after Ye Qing, "You're not kidding, are you?" Year? The Year Beast in that myth? Chinese New Year's Eve cannibalistic beasts? ”

My head was a little dizzy, as if I was drinking hard.

I don't remember when I saw the legend of the Year Beast. That thing was like common sense, just like some five-clawed golden dragon and Xuanwu Vermilion Bird, it was imprinted in my mind.

But legends are legends!

Is this really there?!

"It'...... How long have you lived? "I was a little incredulous.

"It didn't take long." Ye Qing seemed to turn around, "It's a little different from the legendary Year Beast. ”

I don't know why, "Don't you eat people?" ”

The moonlight shone in from the window, blocked by the cellophane attached to the window, and swallowed up by the darkness of the room, but it still illuminated Ye Qing's figure, covering his jaw with a layer of hazy light.

I saw Ye Qing's lips curl up in a somewhat sarcastic arc.

"Cannibalism, but not human flesh." Ye Qing said.

"What the hell is going on?"

Ye Qing's words couldn't make me understand what the Nian beast outside was.

"You can understand its behavior as parasitic." Ye Qing turned around and walked to the window, standing where he usually stood, looking out the window, "It will pick the right human beings, parasitize them in their brains, and slowly eat away at the host's life force." The host will have problems with its bodily functions, as if it were a normal disease, and eventually die. ”

Ye Qing suddenly turned his neck.

I felt his gaze fall on mine.

"Now the year is more of a disease than a youkai. No one can destroy it. You're his favorite host. Ye Qing still had that sarcastic smile on his face.

Goosebumps were popping up on my body, "Yes...... It's a capable ......"

Ye Qing didn't answer, but it was tantamount to acquiescing to my statement.

I suddenly thought of what Gu Mo and Nangong Yao said, and Xuan Qing Zhenren also said similar things.

"That's why people like us often die...... One? I asked in a trance.

Legend has it that the man-eating monster who slaughtered the village was driven away by firecrackers, but now it has become a terminal illness for those of us.

I felt malice. If you want to say where this malice comes from, it is God, it is the world. This makes it even more frightening.

Ye Qing continued to be silent.

"Yes, what should I do?" I took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the feeling of despair and allowing my attention to focus solely on the young beast. I took out my phone in a bit of a hurry, "The fat man and Xue Jingyue will be in danger, right?" How can I prevent it? ”

"The old way will do it."

"What?" I watched Ye Qing while broadcasting the phone.

"Firecrackers, red couplets, red clothes......" Ye Qing said casually.

The call was not connected. I scolded and texted the fat man, not knowing when he would see it. Just in case, I also posted a message in the group.

The thin man immediately shouted. Chen Xiaoqiu and Guo Yujie were surprised.

"Year Beast, that Year Beast?"

"There's another thing you should be careful about compared to that year beast." Ye Qing said suddenly.

I looked at Ye Qing.

The corners of Ye Qing's lips had that sarcastic smile again.

I had that shivering feeling from head to toe again.

"Yes, what?" I asked tremblingly.

"The way it reproduces also follows tradition. When it is about to start reproducing, it will eat a lot on Chinese New Year's Eve, store energy, and then reproduce like mitosis. It will give birth to a human host, and within a few days, that person will become a new year beast. Ye Qing said.

"There's no way...... Is there no way to stop it? "I was in disbelief.

"Usually there is nothing you can do." Ye Qing said with certainty, "But when it reproduces, it will turn into a physical monster again." ”

I turned my head to look at the door.

"Don't think about it, you don't have the power to kill it right now." Ye Qing said lightly.

"Is that all? We...... Just hide it? "I'm a little confused.

"Idiot, don't you understand me?" Ye Qing asked rhetorically.

I couldn't react for a moment.

"During its breeding period, it will need a lot of energy and will start eating people, as legend has it. Now, there is no tradition of setting off firecrackers, sticking red couplets, and wearing red clothes in every household. Ye Qing said.

I was so excited that I almost jumped up, "That year beast is in the breeding period now?" ”

"Watch the news. If tomorrow you see news of a large number of headless corpses, it's that it's multiplying. Ye Qing said, "My advice is to let your family and friends escape from this city. ”

My hands and feet are cold.

Escape, to put it simply.

But it's the Spring Festival, the train and plane tickets are sold out, so I have to drive away by myself, where do I go after leaving? Can't book a hotel, right?

The prompt sound of the mobile phone is constant, and it is all the message in the group.

"I'm going back, my house...... My parents and sister are at home...... They're still at home,......" I said, a little dejected.

My family will post Spring Festival couplets every year, but they will not wear red clothes, and fireworks are not released at all now.

Thinking of the terrifying scene Ye Qing said, I couldn't stay for a moment.

Even if Ye Qing said that I can't kill that year beast now, I can't sit here stupidly and wait to see tomorrow's news report.

"You're going out now to find death." Ye Qing said coldly.

"Then I can't stay here!" I roared.

I don't know if I should regret it or rejoice now.

If I hadn't come to the office today, I hadn't seen Ye Qing, I would still be at home now, and I would have been keeping a warm New Year with my parents and sister, but in the same way, if I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known that kind of monster would have appeared in Minqing City and appeared beside me.

"If you stay with them, you'll only lead the year away." Ye Qing said.

I was dumbfounded, and my head went blank.

"Let them change into red clothes, and put red paper on all the doors and windows." Ye Qing said again.

I hurriedly called back. When my sister answered the phone, I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible so as not to scare them.

"Brother, what the hell are you doing?" My sister didn't quite understand.

"Just do it. This is...... It's a way to pray for good luck this year. "I'm talking nonsense.

My sister is obviously not the kind of person who likes to retweet koi fish casually, and she doesn't believe in any way to pray for blessings.

I could only ask her to call her mother, who was a middle-aged woman who was retired at home, and as long as it didn't cost money, she would do it.

Mom really agreed. I bought a lot of New Year's goods at home, as well as couplets and red envelopes of various gifts, and it is not difficult to paste them full.

I breathed a sigh of relief and told the others in the group again.

The thin man made a sad expression, "What should I do?" I still have a few years of red clothes, and I can't wear them! ”

"Squeeze it, barely put it on." Guo Yujie talks better than ideas.

Chen Xiaoqiu suddenly sent a message, "My uncle just received a report that there was a deceased in a family. The victim was beheaded while using the toilet at home, and his head was missing. ”