Chapter 64: Cognition
“I’m sorry, I was being careless.”
Shen Yuhe apologized to Xiang Er, her expression serious.
“…It’s okay, it’s fine.”
Xiang Er replied, her lips pouting slightly, wanting to act coquettishly annoyed, but the thought of doing so in a bathroom disgusted her.
She felt like her IQ had dropped significantly… Xiang Er took a deep breath, dried her hands, and left the bathroom, heading back to the office.
Shen Yuhe silently followed, not offering any further explanation.
Back in the office, most of her colleagues had returned, and they were all excitedly discussing what had just happened. But the moment they saw Xiang Er and Shen Yuhe enter, they fell silent, turning back to their computers, pretending to work.
Xiang Er, unsure what had happened, looked at Zhu Minmin. Zhu Minmin, after exchanging a quick glance with her, then looking at Shen Yuhe with a mixture of fear and awe, quickly turned back to her computer, not daring to look again.
Xiang Er found this strange, glancing at Shen Yuhe, whose expression was cool and aloof, beautiful as a celestial being, not at all intimidating.
But perhaps her colleagues simply didn’t want Shen Yuhe around… After all, she was the CEO of another company, and with a high-ranking executive present, it was natural for them to be on their best behavior.
Although she was a little reluctant… Xiang Er turned to Shen Yuhe and whispered:
“Why don’t you… go back to your company? I can come down and find you for lunch, how about that?”
Shen Yuhe nodded, took Xiang Er’s hand, lifted it to her lips, and kissed the back of her hand, her touch lingering:
“See you at lunch.”
As she looked up, her eyes, with their sharp, golden glint, seemed to hook Xiang Er’s heart, her lips, still slightly stained with lipstick, curving into a playful, almost mischievous smile, as she turned and left.
She walked gracefully, ignoring the awestruck and apprehensive gazes of her colleagues, quickly disappearing around the corner.
Xiang Er watched her leave, feeling like she had turned to stone.
Shen Yuhe had kissed and licked her hand… she had been able to endure it then, because no one had seen them, but now, the entire company had witnessed it!
Xiang Er didn’t dare look at anyone, just quickly sat down at her desk, pretending to be busy, clicking her mouse randomly, opening and closing windows, as if working.
Just then, the company chat icon in the corner of her screen flashed, a rare private message.
It was from Zhu Minmin:
“Did you know! That elevator incident was related to your beautiful CEO! We just went to see it, the elevator looks like it’s been bombed, there’s a huge hole in it! The maintenance crew is freaking out! Your beautiful CEO was in the elevator! The security footage shows her walking out of the hole after the explosion! It’s terrifying!”
Xiang Er:
“Huh? She walked out of the exploded elevator?”
Zhu Minmin quickly sent a picture of the gaping hole in the elevator, the mangled metal and exposed wires, not like any accident she had ever seen.
It did look like it had been bombed. Xiang Er’s heart sank: Could this be… a sign of her powers?
Had Shen Yuhe used her abilities in the elevator?
Zhu Minmin’s message followed:
“She’s so strange, is she really just an ordinary human? Is she some kind of martial arts master? Do you know anything about her background? I think you should be careful, don’t get too close to her… oh, I mean, you two are a perfect match, made for each other!”
Xiang Er felt something was off about the message, and she looked up.
Zhu Minmin was sitting diagonally in front of her, and Xiang Er could see half of her profile. Just as she looked, Zhu Minmin’s lower face seemed to distort, her jaw and mouth twisting, like a demon possessed in a horror movie… but Xiang Er blinked, and Zhu Minmin’s face returned to normal.
Zhu Minmin turned to Xiang Er, a sweet smile on her face, and whispered:
“You two have to stay together! For the sake of your fans, like me, you have to stay together!”
Xiang Er was bewildered.
She looked back at her computer screen, and the message in the chat had changed:
“She’s so amazing! Surviving such a terrifying accident, she must be a very reliable girlfriend! Maybe she’s some kind of martial arts master, you two are a perfect match, made for each other!”
Xiang Er carefully reread the message. Was this the original version? She refreshed the page a few times, but the message remained the same, the earlier warning about getting too close to Shen Yuhe was gone.
And… the way Zhu Minmin’s face had twisted just now, it was so similar to how An Yue’s face had contorted earlier.
Was this a coincidence?
Had the message really changed? Or… was her perception faulty again?
Xiang Er remembered what Officer An had said. In just one day, she had experienced several inconsistencies between her perception and reality, this wasn’t normal!
Could it be… that the Evil God had returned?
A cold sweat broke out on Xiang Er’s back, the terrifying memories she had tried to suppress resurfacing… She had always known that the Evil God could manipulate memories, especially hers… The incident with her roommate, she had almost had a breakdown then! If the memories she relied on were fake, how could she live?
If the Evil God had returned… if It was altering her perception and memories again, even altering her memories of Shen Yuhe… then she would definitely lose her mind, she would go completely insane! She might as well be dead!
What should she do?
Her hand trembling, Xiang Er sent a message to Shen Yuhe:
“Are you having any problems with your memory?”
Shen Yuhe’s reply was almost instantaneous:
“No, why? What happened?”
Xiang Er:
“I just saw a message someone sent me, and it’s different from what I saw initially, I think that Cthul… that thing is back!”
This time, Shen Yuhe’s reply was delayed, a long silence that made Xiang Er anxious, her eyes fixed on her computer screen, silently counting the seconds. Finally, after 189 seconds, Shen Yuhe’s reply appeared:
“It’s nothing, I’ve checked the surroundings, there’s nothing strange near you. If there is anything, it must be An Yue, her abilities are weak, she might be carrying some residual pollution, I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”
Xiang Er stared at the message, rereading it three times, waiting, and seeing that it didn’t change, she finally relaxed.
If Shen Yuhe said so, then she would definitely handle it.
It was so good to have Shen Yuhe around, her mental stability depended entirely on Shen Yuhe’s presence.
Except… if only she wouldn’t do those things to her in public… that would be perfect.
Xiang Er thought of Shen Yuhe pinning her against the wall, licking her palm… and her breathing quickened. She shook her head, trying to dispel the images.
Really, why had she become so… perverted?
During lunch break, Xiang Er saw the bombed elevator. It was out of service, leaving only one working elevator, and with the lunch rush, everyone had to wait in line.
Xiang Er patiently queued when she suddenly spotted An Yue outside the line.
An Yue was pacing in the hallway, and seeing Xiang Er, she raised an eyebrow and walked towards her, her unevenly cut hair bouncing, giving her a surprisingly youthful look.
She was slightly taller than Xiang Er, probably about the same height as Shen Yuhe, but her build was much broader, her shoulders wide, filling out her blazer nicely.
Her eyes, no longer vacant, held a spark of curiosity as she asked:
“Where are you going?”
Xiang Er:
“I’m having lunch with Shen Yuhe.”
Her face was expressionless, remembering Shen Yuhe’s message about An Yue possibly carrying some kind of pollution. Although she didn’t know what that meant, she was wary, her tone cool and distant.
An Yue, seemingly oblivious to her rebuff, said:
“With Ms. Shen… can I join you?”
Xiang Er:
“Ah… that’s not very convenient…”
But An Yue had already moved to stand beside her, her voice serious:
“There are some things I need to confirm with Ms. Shen, it’s about the investigation.”
Xiang Er couldn’t refuse, and she joined An Yue in the elevator, descending to Shen Yuhe’s floor.
Shen Yuhe was already waiting at the elevator lobby.
She wore a form-fitting white blouse and black trousers, a black trench coat draped over her arm, one hand in her pocket, her posture relaxed.
As the elevator doors opened, she looked up, a warm smile spreading across her face – then freezing abruptly.
For a fleeting moment, Xiang Er thought she saw a flash of disgust in Shen Yuhe’s eyes.
But the next second, the disgust vanished, replaced by a faint smile, her voice cold and distant:
“Officer An, why haven’t you left yet?”
Her question was blunt, but An Yue didn’t seem offended, just replying respectfully:
“I heard you were having lunch with Miss Xiang, I’d like to join you, to discuss some questions with you. And I’d also like to protect Miss Xiang.”
Strange… protect her from what?
Xiang Er glanced at An Yue, puzzled, but her expression was firm and resolute.
Well, protection was good, but… she already had Shen Yuhe, she didn’t need another, less capable protector, did she? Shouldn’t An Yue be protecting other people?
Xiang Er voiced her doubts:
“I don’t think I need any more protection. You could protect my colleagues, they must have also seen that monster, right?”
An Yue turned to her, her expression serious:
“Yes, but you’re the only one who had direct contact with the entity, and you’re covered in pollu… cough, cough, cough!”
She suddenly burst into a violent coughing fit, her body shaking, the entire elevator trembling, and Xiang Er, seeing a trace of blood at the corner of An Yue’s mouth, recoiled in fear, pressing herself against the elevator wall.
What was happening? Was this the pollution Shen Yuhe had mentioned? Why was she coughing up blood, oh my god! There was definitely something wrong with An Yue!
She looked at Shen Yuhe, her eyes pleading for help.
Shen Yuhe’s face was dark, her aura heavy and oppressive, like a gathering storm.
But… her gaze softened slightly when it met Xiang Er’s.
After a long moment, Shen Yuhe sighed, a mixture of resignation and self-mockery in her voice:
“Fine… let’s go together then.”
She stepped into the elevator, the doors closing with a hum, the elevator starting its descent. An Yue’s coughing fit finally subsided, and she wiped the blood from her mouth with a tissue, her gaze avoiding Shen Yuhe’s, just glancing at Xiang Er.
“Tsk.”
Shen Yuhe suddenly clicked her tongue in disapproval.
She stepped forward, right in front of An Yue, and, pulling Xiang Er into a tight embrace, kissed her forehead lightly.
Although just a fleeting kiss, it was a possessive gesture, a declaration, a warning.
Xiang Er, her face flushing at the sudden kiss, her heart pounding, couldn’t believe Shen Yuhe’s boldness in the confined space of the elevator, with someone else present…
But she also knew that Shen Yuhe was jealous.
Shen Yuhe was such a jealous person, jealous even of this, just sharing a meal… What was she going to do with her? Would she have to eat every meal with her, go to and from work with her, spend every night with her… oh, that would be wonderful!
Xiang Er’s heart filled with sweet anticipation, her mind filled with visions of a blissful future.
She didn’t notice the strange contortions on An Yue’s face, the shifting of her facial muscles, which quickly subsided.
An Yue’s expression was calm as she followed them out of the elevator, into the sunlight, her gaze fixed on Shen Yuhe’s back, her eyes vacant.
As they passed by a camellia bush, Xiang Er said casually:
“They haven’t bloomed in a while.”
“Really?”
Shen Yuhe said dismissively, waving her hand lightly.
“Ah! There’s a flower!”
Suddenly, a blood-red camellia blossom appeared, its petals perfectly formed, blooming vibrantly, as if it were spring, not winter.
“Do you like it?”
Shen Yuhe, extending a slender, jade-white hand, plucked the flower and offered it to Xiang Er.
“Yes! I love it!”
Xiang Er took the flower, her face radiant, and inhaled its sweet fragrance.
She looked at the flower, then beckoned to Shen Yuhe:
“Come here, bend down.”
Shen Yuhe obediently leaned closer. Xiang Er tucked the camellia behind Shen Yuhe’s ear, her fingers lingering in her soft, cool hair, the familiar sweet fragrance filling her senses, and she took a deep breath, savoring the scent.
“There. Perfect! I have to take a picture!”
Xiang Er took out her phone and snapped a photo, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
In the picture, Shen Yuhe stood against a backdrop of tall buildings and green trees, the blood-red camellia blossom behind her ear, making her look like a celestial being descended to earth.
She wasn’t smiling, her eyes even holding a hint of sadness.
As if… she already knew what was to come.
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