Chapter 24: Rest
The room, like an old music box, stopped playing at Shen Yuhe’s words. Time seemed to freeze in a crack, the dust motes ceasing their dance, the old wardrobe standing wide open, revealing its motionless shelves.
Xiang Er thought she must be hallucinating. She had actually heard Shen Yuhe whisper in her ear, saying she wanted to move in, to stay with her.
How could that be possible?
Although Shen Yuhe had never mentioned her background, Xiang Er instinctively felt that her elegant demeanor and refined manners weren’t something an ordinary person possessed. How could such a mysterious beauty be willing to live in this old, rundown apartment complex?
It must be a hallucination. Xiang Er stood silently, not saying a word, her heartbeat like the ancient drums of a sacrificial ritual, gradually growing louder in her ears.
But the hallucination returned, even… intensified.
Shen Yuhe’s fingers lifted, gently brushing the fine hairs by Xiang Er’s ear, carefully tucking them behind her ear, one by one, as if deliberately using her fingers to caress her ear repeatedly.
The delicate, pale ear quickly turned a translucent red, the fine hairs on the tip trembling with the touch of Shen Yuhe’s fingers, sending a tingling itch through Xiang Er.
Amidst this subtle itching, Shen Yuhe repeated her words:
“Let me move in, okay?”
She couldn’t dismiss it as a hallucination any longer. Xiang Er’s ear itched almost painfully, her neck stiff. She turned her head slightly, unable to look directly at Shen Yuhe, her neck at an awkward angle, only able to see half of Shen Yuhe’s face.
That exquisitely sculpted face rested against her shoulder, its entire weight pressing down, her expression and gaze like a painted rose, looking at Xiang Er with romantic intensity.
Xiang Er’s neck stiffened, the vein in her temple throbbing. She finally spoke, carefully controlling her breathing, trying to sound calm:
“No.”
The moment she uttered the word, Shen Yuhe’s brow furrowed.
She turned her head, her beautiful eyes filled with genuine surprise:
“Why not?”
Xiang Er steadied herself, lifted a hand, and placed it on Shen Yuhe’s chin, gently but firmly pushing her away.
Shen Yuhe allowed herself to be pushed, still seemingly stunned by the rejection, and stepped back.
With Shen Yuhe’s warmth and scent gone, Xiang Er’s mind finally cleared, her thoughts flowing more smoothly.
She started to explain:
“Well, it’s like this. My roommate used to live here, and now she’s… missing. She might come back, and this room is hers, I can’t just rent it out to someone else. Also, I don’t think this neighborhood is very good, you shouldn’t live here, it’s not very nice. If you’re looking for an apartment, I can help you find a better place nearby…”
As she was speaking, Shen Yuhe suddenly stepped forward, her presence overwhelming, the scent of roses and something sharp and bitterly cold filling the air.
With a thud, Xiang Er was pressed against the wall by Shen Yuhe, forced to look into her eyes.
Shen Yuhe’s eyes were dark and deep, like a gathering storm. Her expression was cold, an expression Xiang Er had never seen before, her voice low and intense:
“But you’re not anywhere else!”
The words echoed in the room, reverberating like a dropped object clanging against the floor.
Xiang Er was completely stunned, her mouth slightly open, struggling to comprehend the meaning of those words.
What? Not anywhere else? Why would she care about her?
A bold guess began to form in her mind: Did she rent this apartment… for her? To be with her?
As Xiang Er pondered this, her cheeks flushed. She was enveloped in Shen Yuhe’s intense fragrance and warmth, Shen Yuhe’s arms pressed against her sides, anger burning in her eyes, clearly on the verge of exploding.
But Xiang Er’s mind wandered.
She was thinking, she’s here for me… She really came for me! She stayed with me all night, and she wants to live with me, to protect me, to take care of me, she… she wants to be friends with me!
Xiang Er felt a surge of gratitude and disbelief. How could she, of all people, have such a beautiful, intelligent, and kind person actively seeking her friendship?
And it was all real, not a hallucination!
Looking at that beautiful, angry face, she suddenly smiled.
A bright, sunny, utterly contented smile bloomed on her pale, thin face, like a vibrant flower blossoming in an icy wasteland, unexpectedly captivating.
“Thank you,” Xiang Er said.
Shen Yuhe froze, the anger in her eyes quickly fading, replaced by… a strange helplessness.
She slowly withdrew her hands, stepped back, and leaned against the doorframe, frowning, a residue of anger in her eyes, as she stared at Xiang Er’s face, as if searching for answers.
And Xiang Er’s smile was radiant. Looking at the beautiful woman who had come for her, she couldn’t contain her joy. Her lips curved upwards, her voice filled with sweet laughter:
“So, it’s all about me, isn’t it?”
Shen Yuhe nodded without hesitation.
Even more adorable… Xiang Er asked again:
“You really want to be friends with me, don’t you?”
This time, a look of confusion appeared on Shen Yuhe’s face. She thought for a moment, nodded, then shook her head. A few seconds later, she nodded again.
Xiang Er laughed:
“Hahaha… Okay, okay, I understand what you mean. We don’t have to live together to be good friends.”
Shen Yuhe looked bewildered, then said:
“We have to live together!”
Xiang Er shook her head, her smile gentle, her gaze open and warm:
“You don’t have to force yourself to live in a place like this. Don’t worry, being friends is enough. We can visit each other, we can go out together, living together or not won’t affect our friendship. You really can’t live here, this room is occupied, I can’t give it to you.”
She finished, then added apologetically and shyly:
“I just want to say… I’m very grateful that you came to take care of me, and that you want to be my friend. I will… cherish your friendship, very much.”
As she spoke, her eyes glistened with tears, the corners reddening like a soft bunny’s. She looked up at Shen Yuhe timidly, her eyes sparkling.
She extended a pale, slender hand, gently tugging at the hem of Shen Yuhe’s sweater, and whispered:
“So, please don’t be angry, okay?”
Shen Yuhe:
“…”
Shen Yuhe stared at Xiang Er intently for a long moment, then finally nodded. Although her expression didn’t change much, the tension seemed to dissipate, her mood calming.
Xiang Er felt a little uneasy. She wasn’t good at acting cute… but at least it seemed to have worked. This was her only friend; she couldn’t let a room come between them.
Relieved, she couldn’t help but yawn widely, a wave of drowsiness washing over her, her eyes even more watery.
Shen Yuhe watched her, her lips pursed, then suddenly reached out and gently caressed Xiang Er’s cheek, her fingertips tracing the flushed skin, cold as ice, making Xiang Er tense up.
Shen Yuhe, as if studying something, touched her face with her fingers, then rubbed them together, and murmured:
“So warm.”
Was she talking about her face… Xiang Er’s face burned even hotter, the blush spreading from the base of her neck.
Shen Yuhe looked at her closely:
“Are you like last night again?”
Last night? Was she talking about the fever? Xiang Er quickly shook her head:
“No, no, I don’t have a fever today.”
Shen Yuhe frowned:
“You need to rest.”
Xiang Er nodded, then shook her head:
“I’m okay…”
Shen Yuhe, without another word, grabbed her arm, pulled her into the guest room, pushed her onto the bed, and said coldly:
“Rest.”
Xiang Er:
“…”
She had no choice but to lie down and cover herself with the quilt. She was still thinking about saying something, but the moment her head touched the pillow, she drifted off to sleep.
Having just recovered from a fever, her body was weak. She had been forcing herself to stay awake for Shen Yuhe, and now, unable to hold on any longer, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Although it was daytime, the light in the room was unusually dim, the shadows deep.
The tall, beautiful woman stood quietly by the bed, her shadow stretching across the bed, her head lowered, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er’s face.
In her sleep, Xiang Er looked thin and pale, her expression troubled, her sleep restless. She frowned, she moaned softly, lost in her dreams, unable to find her way home, or tossing and turning amidst countless dangers.
Shen Yuhe was intimately familiar with Xiang Er’s sleep, every single night.
Now, Shen Yuhe stepped closer, her face lowering, closer and closer.
She stopped when the tip of her nose was only an inch away from Xiang Er’s.
Her long hair cascaded onto Xiang Er’s pillow, creating a black curtain around their faces, enclosing them in a private space.
The tip of Xiang Er’s nose twitched slightly with each breath, but Shen Yuhe’s didn’t. She remained perfectly still, and Xiang Er’s nose would involuntarily lift, touching hers, then falling back down.
Shen Yuhe observed, and experienced.
Her pupils dilated, the blackness quickly filling her eyes. The strands of her hair transformed into thin, tiny tentacles, like countless small snakes, or the arms of an octopus.
They carried her desire, “Its” desire, crawling softly and quickly onto Xiang Er’s face, choosing a patch of skin to claim as their own, touching, caressing, as long as they didn’t wake her, anything was permissible.
This was the extension of “Its” desire, a desire that could extend infinitely, but this was a new sensation, and even It didn’t know where it would lead.
Would It devour her? Would It melt her, turning her into a puddle of black slime to absorb? Would It consume her soul and every part of her body? Would It turn her into an obedient, pliable servant?
But It felt it wasn’t enough.
Nothing was enough.
Its confusion seemed to lessen slightly when she said “good friends.” It liked that definition.
The thin, pale red tentacles crawled across Xiang Er’s face, like tiny red earthworms wriggling on white snow, but Xiang Er remained asleep, her dreams peaceful and calm, a faint smile even playing on her lips.
A tentacle reached her lips, which were moving slightly, forming a sound. The tentacle conveyed the meaning of the sound:
“Shen… Yuhe…”
The tentacle extended downwards, sliding along her skin, into her collar, performing a strange, writhing dance.
The god felt a surge of pleasure.
Perhaps because she had resolved the issue with Shen Yuhe and gained a good friend, Xiang Er slept deeply and soundly.
In her dreams, she felt as if someone was gently touching her, from her cheek to her ear, then to her neck, then to her limbs, even her body… A cold, soft touch, transforming in her dreams into a series of icicles in a cave, randomly falling onto her burning face and body, a sensation she didn’t mind.
When she finally woke up, it was already evening.
Dark clouds covered the sky, the city lights twinkling, their colorful glow painting the night clouds a bright red. Cars, like glittering fish in a black river, flowed and struggled along the city’s congested roads.
The room was dark, the lights off, the sounds of traffic and car horns from outside amplifying the unnerving silence within.
Xiang Er’s eyes snapped open, and she sat up abruptly, a thought overwhelming her: No! She’s gone, without leaving any contact information!
She looked around the room, but as expected, no one was there. She grabbed her phone, hoping for a miracle, but after searching frantically, she threw it down in defeat.
Then she remembered something, jumping out of bed and turning on the lights, the bright living room lights!
She searched the entire apartment, even the master bedroom next door, but there was no sign of her, none at all!
Standing in the middle of the living room, Xiang Er looked at the coffee table and shrugged in despair.
Shen Yuhe had taken away the takeout containers and dishes, but that wasn’t important!
Xiang Er was speechless, looking at the sofa where Shen Yuhe had sat, the indentation in the unyielding cushion still visible, even the sofa knew how to leave a trace, but Shen Yuhe hadn’t!
Xiang Er ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and shouted:
“Shen Yuhe! You could have left some contact information! A note would have been fine! You could have typed it into my phone! Your phone number, your WeChat, your QQ, your address, your company, your business card… anything! You could have left at least something! Didn’t we agree to be good friends…”
Her shouts were useless. Looking at the indentation on the sofa, the faint, sweet fragrance still lingered. Well, at least Shen Yuhe knew her address, maybe she would come back and look for her. Next time, she would definitely ask for her contact information!
Xiang Er turned around dejectedly, and suddenly, a gust of wind brushed against her face, something cold, slimy, and heavy coiling around her waist, making her scream. Looking down…
It was a thick, python-like, dark red tentacle, covered in countless suckers, a horrifying and disgusting sight, tightening around her waist, as if trying to constrict her!
“Akhe!”
Xiang Er cried out, her body trembling, her hands slapping at the tentacle, but the tentacle simply lifted her and dragged her into the bathroom.
Her slippers fell off, a few strands of hair drifting down, her scream seemingly muffled.
With a “bang,” the bathroom door closed automatically, only the shadows of the trees swaying on the frosted glass.
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