The Book Is Cursed.

"Ning Zhi, Ning Zhi..tell me, hurry, tell me..what happen last night?" Zhing Li has been pestering her since morning.

"Nothing happens. How many times do I have to tell you?" She shoves her hand from her shoulder and went inside the class. Before she could leave her, Zhing Li tug on her sleeves again.

"Come on. I know something must've happened between you and him..tell me...I won't tell anyone."

Ning Zhi shot her a glare. "N.O.T.H.I.N.G. We just go to the bookstore, eat and return home. That's all."

Ding! A new chatbox suddenly pops out from her phone screen.

Leaving Zhing Li at the doorway, she went to sit and take out her phone. Looking at the profile picture of the sender.

'Hm? Who is this?' She tilts her head a bit. The icon he used is a white cat with big blue eyes. Very cute.

She opens the chatbox, the sender sends her a waving emoji with a text 'Hey, morning.'

She taps her finger on the table slowly. Thinking whether she should reply it or not. After a few minutes passed, she taps her finger on her screen. Replying the chat. 'Who is this?'

'I'm a man who gifted you a book for our first date.' He put a wink emoji after the text.

'Ah~ hmm..what's was your name again?' She sends and chuckles a bit.

'Hey, Miss..how can you forget your man's name?'

'Eh...I don't remember I have a man.'

Ding! A picture of him attached with a text below it. 'Mark on your heart, I am your man.'

She looks at the picture of him. He wears a yellow cap, covers up half of his face with his hand wearing yellow g-shock limited edition watches. Look refreshing and handsome. She then shakes her head a little and her action caught Zhing Li's attention.

She immediately snatches the phone from Ning Zhi and looks at the screen.

"Oh my god! You really dated him? Oh, dear..he's so handsome." She squinted her eyes and bring Ning Zhi's phone close to her face.

"Ahem! Miss Zhing Li..if you're not interested in my class, you can wait outside until I'm done." the lecturer in front already glance at her with a bit displeased.

Immediately she put the phone on Ning Zhi's table and bow her head a little. "I'm sorry Madam Wang."

Ning Zhi slowly takes her phone and put it under the table.

After class, she went to the library and wait at the outside of the building. She sent Mr. Zi Yan's number to Zi Ye and wait for him to give her an 'Ok'.

A few minutes later, she saw Mr. Zi Yan walk out of the library and went to his car at the parking lot. This is her chance to went inside and took the book back. She already prints out the cover that Zi Ye make for her. It looks the same as the original.

Do as what she had planed with Zi Ye, she switches the book and walks out of the library without anyone notices it. After returned to her apartment, she sent a chat to Zi Ye to thanking him.

Put her bag on the bed, she takes off her clothes and find a towel, want to wash her face. While she standing in front of the washbasin, she tries to find the last page she read. Once she found it, she scrunches a bit.

"Hm? I can recite this? Isn't this is in an ancient language?" She tilts her head a bit looking at the symbol written in the book.

She closes the book and put it on the towel rack before she twirls the water tap. Somehow, she can remember what she just looks inside the book.

'The white rose will wither and turn to a bloody rose, soaring high, the empress of Phoenix shall return to its land. Bringing fortune and soul to trade. Bow to the king and immersing into a world full of wonder.'

Psshhhhh…..

"Hm?" She looks at the water which suddenly pulling her hand into it and without her knowing, once again, she was slipped into the world from her dreams before.

Blub blub blub.

"Fuwaaahhh!" She emerged from the water surface and immediately tries to stand up and breathe in.

"Hah hah hah." She presses her chest with her palm try to calm down.

"Ning Zhi!"

…

A few hours earlier, 2019.

"Haa? Isn't this my brother's number?" Zi Ye look at her phone and rub his eyes a few time.

"Yup. It's his number. Eh..but why did my brother being a 'jerk' to his student anyway?" He taps the screen to call his brother. After a few rings, Zi Yan picks up his call.

"Hey, second brother. How are you?" He started.

"What do you want, Ye?"

"Oh come on..your little brother just calling to check on you, aren't you happy to hear my voice?" He giggling a bit.

"Stop your nonsense. Tell me what you want? Or else I'll end this call."

"Wow..you never this mad before. Something happens?"

"Zi Ye!" He snarls a bit.

"Okay okay...I can't tell you on the phone. How about if we meet up?"

"Where?"

"Uh..I'll text you the address." Zi Ye look around him. Thinking about a restaurant that is a bit far from his brother's campus.

"Fine. You better had a good reason. If not, I'll beat you up." Zi Yan warns his little brother.

"Ha ha ha..okay." He laughs awkwardly. 'And now I'm finished. He surely gonna beat me up.'

Ended the call, he sends him an address to the restaurant near his university which is a bit far from his brother's University.

"Ah..at least Ning Zhi can swap that book before my brother returns back."

One hour later, they meet at the cafe near Zi Ye's campus. Zi Yan parks his car and looks inside the restaurant through the glass wall, his brother, Zi Ye already waiting for him there. Sighing, he climbs out of his car and went inside the cafe.

Zi Ye look up at his brother who just enters the Cafe. He smiles a bit. It has been so long since last he met his brother. Even though they live in the same city, they rarely meet up at the outside.

Only once awhile when they return to their hometown in another city, they will meet in their parents' house.

"What is it, that you want to see me today?" Zi Yan took a sit in front of his brother.

"Whoa..chill out, brother. You just arrive, let's order your drink first." Zi Ye smile and wave his hand to the waiter.

After placing their order, Zi Yan loosens his tie a bit. He looks a bit tired and quite messy. Not like how he used to look before.

"You know, last night.." Zi Ye glance at him a bit making Zi Yan furrow his eyebrow.

"I went to a mixer."

Zi Yan scoffs and smirking after that. "Seriously? Are you that desperate?"

Inhale, he continues again without replying his brother's question. "I met with one of your students. Well, I like her. So we went to a separate date. She told me about you."

Zi Ye stop for a while when the waiter put their drink on the table. Once the waiter was gone, he continues again. "She told me that you mad at her because she read a book from the library. And…" He looks at his brother's eyes. "I wonder why is that? My brother who I knew is not someone who will lose his temper like what she said."

Sipping his coffee, Zi Yan tries to remember which student that he has Sipping his coffee, Zi Yan tries to remember which student that he scolds before..not until one face suddenly pops up from his mind. "She's...Ning Zhi?"

Smiling a bit, Zi Ye nods his head. "Yes. Her."

Zi Yan straightens up a bit before he looks at his little brother with a serious look. "The book she read is..cursed. That is why I ask her to return back the book before she is cursed."

Zi Ye blink his eyes few times and they silent for a whole minute before he finally sighs and sips his tea.

"Is it..the same as your crush before?" Zi Ye look at his brother with a pitiful face. Zi Yan's crush has been in a coma for a ten whole year. She is basically looked like a living corpse. She is Zi Yan's professor when she was young and for some weird reason, she suddenly collapses and now has been coma for ten years.

"Yes."