Chapter 57: Cleaning Up
On a gloomy, overcast morning, the sun vanished without a trace, the wind howling like a sharp blade, tearing through the city. Many trees in the south still held their green leaves, but they seemed coated in a thick layer of dust, their branches swaying anxiously in the fierce wind.
Something had changed, unnoticed by Xiang Er.
Xiang Er fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, a sense of unease holding her back. She looked at Shen Yuhe, her eyes filled with trust and apprehension, and asked:
“What… what is it?”
Shen Yuhe’s expression was gentle and serious, tinged with a rare melancholy, her brow furrowed, as if troubled.
Her voice, soft as a melody, said:
“You’ll see when you come in. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
She entered the room first, leaving the door open, and stood by the desk, looking at Xiang Er, the black slime on her clothes dripping down in thin, dark streaks.
Xiang Er sighed:
“Okay.”
Shen Yuhe would protect her.
She stepped inside, and her hair immediately stood on end, the scene before her shocking.
The room was a disaster! Black slime covered almost every surface, furniture overturned, a chair leg broken, even the bedsheets torn, a large hole in the pillow, as if something had smashed into it!
Black slime trails dripped down the walls, forming a grotesque pattern… Xiang Er’s head buzzed!
Thankfully, it was only black. If it had been red, it would have looked like a murder scene!
Shen Yuhe, beside her, took her stiff hand and led her towards the bed:
“Look at this.”
Xiang Er, her stomach churning at the sight of the mangled bedding, exclaimed:
“What happened! This is my favorite bedding set, who did this?!”
The next second, she saw the culprit.
A fist-sized thing was partially hidden beneath the torn sheets, several black tentacles peeking out, holding up the quilt, half of an eyeball looking out cautiously.
Who else could it be but the small eyeball?
Xiang Er almost wanted to laugh in exasperation! What was this? The large eyeball that had been clinging to her, now back in its small form, showing off in front of her? And it had trashed her room, what was it doing, seeking revenge?!
Xiang Er was about to roll up her sleeves when the small eyeball, seeing her, rolled out from under the covers.
It raised two thin, black tentacles, their tips touching above the eyeball, forming a heart shape.
The small eyeball, completely defenseless, formed a perfect heart shape, its single eye shining with a mixture of timidity and eagerness.
Xiang Er froze. She remembered the silenced alarms, the small eyeball clinging to her wrist, accompanying her everywhere. It had even dealt with General Manager Cheng… during that time, knowing the small eyeball was there had given her a strange sense of security.
She had known then that the small eyeball wouldn’t hurt her… but after it grew larger, everything had changed, that dream, that reality beyond the dream, had truly traumatized her.
Shen Yuhe’s voice, gentle and soft, spoke beside her ear:
“It was quite large when I came in. After fighting with me, it shrunk to this size. Its mental capacity is now like a three-year-old child’s. According to protocol, I can’t kill it, I can only contain it for now.”
Xiang Er turned to her, puzzled:
“What kind of protocol is that? Showing mercy to a monster? What happens when it grows up, won’t it harm humans again?”
Shen Yuhe was silent for a moment, then said:
“It won’t grow any larger. If it does, I’ll kill it. Even monsters are living beings.”
The wind howled outside the broken window, the cold air carrying the metallic scent of winter dampness, the world holding its breath.
Xiang Er considered Shen Yuhe’s words, and she realized that she was right, even monsters were a form of life.
But this kind of life, appearing in the human world, harming humans, would naturally cause panic. But like wild animals, as long as they were properly managed, perhaps a harmonious world could be achieved.
Perhaps this was the intention behind the protocol, perhaps this organization, with its vision of a changed world, wanted monsters and humans to coexist peacefully, to create a space for monsters in this vast world. It was also a display of compassion… after all, even the most ruthless of humans rarely harmed the young of their enemies.
Xiang Er’s gaze returned to the small eyeball in front of the quilt.
The small eyeball was still making the heart shape, its large, red pupil swiveling, following Xiang Er’s gaze, a clear yearning in its single eye.
This thing… did it truly only have the mental capacity of a three-year-old? Then, when it climbed into her bed, had it already reached the age of… desire? Did monsters mature so quickly?
Xiang Er turned to Shen Yuhe, her expression serious:
“You promised that if it grows any larger, you’ll kill it?”
Shen Yuhe nodded solemnly, her gaze intense, fixed on Xiang Er:
“It seems to consider you its closest companion. It specifically came to your room from outside, and even after I almost killed it, it refused to leave.”
Xiang Er’s heart stirred, and she looked back at the small eyeball.
The small eyeball, still diligently holding up its tentacle heart, bounced excitedly when Xiang Er looked at it, like a small, black ping pong ball, its movements surprisingly energetic.
Xiang Er asked cautiously:
“Then… it doesn’t have any… strange abilities now, right?”
Shen Yuhe said:
“No, it’s too small to do anything.”
Xiang Er stared at the small eyeball, the small eyeball stared back at Xiang Er, its tentacle heart swaying, as if offering it to her, wanting her to see it clearly.
Silence fell upon the room, only the howling wind, and the now-dried black slime trails on the wall.
Shen Yuhe watched Xiang Er’s profile, as if studying her expression. Xiang Er frowned at the small eyeball, her mind troubled. The small eyeball, its gaze fixed on Xiang Er, eagerly swayed its tentacle heart, bouncing closer and closer, until it reached the edge of the bed.
Shen Yuhe suddenly broke the silence:
“So… will you let me… keep it… I mean, contain it?”
Xiang Er sighed. It seemed she had no choice. She said to Shen Yuhe:
“You can keep it on your side, just don’t let it come over here.”
The small eyeball immediately jumped three feet in the air, its tentacles flailing wildly in delight, as if it had heard the most beautiful music, its single eye crinkling in what seemed like a smile.
Xiang Er raised an eyebrow and said to the small eyeball:
“However, you have to clean this room. Do you know how to clean?”
She frowned and continued, her tone stern:
“If you don’t even know how to clean, I’ll throw you away!”
The small eyeball, thoroughly intimidated, immediately rolled towards the black slime trails on the bed, absorbing them as it rolled, and after a few rotations, the bed was clean.
Xiang Er, feeling slightly less aggrieved, nodded:
“Very good. Now clean the entire room. I’ll get you some tools.”
She left the room, returned with a broom, a rag, a mop, and a bucket of water, placing them on the floor.
The small eyeball had already removed the torn bedding, placing it in a pile. It bounced and extended several long, thin tentacles, grabbing the broom, the rag, and the mop.
Then, its small eye narrowed into a determined, energetic crescent, and the tentacles, moving independently, began wiping the tables, sweeping the floor, and mopping.
Its small, spherical body swayed precariously in the air, but it remained focused on its task, diligently cleaning.
Xiang Er watched from the doorway, and Shen Yuhe’s amused laughter echoed behind her:
“Pfft… you’re quite resourceful.”
Xiang Er, her arms crossed, her chin raised, her face serious, said:
“Look how good it is at cleaning! It can do all the housework from now on, freeing up our hands.”
Shen Yuhe chuckled again, then suddenly reached out and pulled Xiang Er into an embrace.
As she spoke, her breath caressed Xiang Er’s ear, like a silken thread, reaching deep into her heart, making her heart skip a beat.
“Thank you for forgiving me… and I really like that term you used: ‘Our home.’”
Shen Yuhe’s tone was serious, not playful.
But her sweet fragrance, and the way her voice resonated in Xiang Er’s ear, made it difficult for her to focus on the words.
She leaned into the warm, soft embrace, smiling at Shen Yuhe, and whispered:
“I thought… you wouldn’t like me saying ‘our home.’ After all, you’re only living here… because of your mission, right?”
Shen Yuhe’s voice was firm:
“No, this is our home, it was, and it always will be.”
She gently kissed Xiang Er’s ear, a tender, loving gesture, and with one arm, held Xiang Er tightly, sighing contentedly.
Xiang Er, equally content, lost herself in the embrace and the kiss, basking in the warmth, forgetting to question the meaning behind them.
She thought, perhaps this was what they called the honeymoon phase… She felt that Shen Yuhe must also like her, but she wasn’t sure how much, and it was this uncertainty, this anticipation, that made it so exciting, every moment a new thrill.
Since that time, when Shen Yuhe had been injured protecting her, Xiang Er had understood her own feelings: She liked Shen Yuhe.
Not just as a friend, but romantically.
But… for now, she wouldn’t say it out loud.
Xiang Er, lost in Shen Yuhe’s sweet embrace, like a drowning person falling in love with the lake, didn’t want to leave.
She heard Shen Yuhe’s voice above her head:
“When will you… like the real me…”
Her voice was soft and indistinct, like a murmur in a dream, and Xiang Er, confused, just hummed in response, not quite hearing the words.
She only felt Shen Yuhe’s hand tighten around hers, almost painfully so, then her hand was guided, pressed against something soft.
It was Shen Yuhe’s heart.
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