My Evil God Girlfriend (gl) 85

Chapter 85: The Photo

The night, soft as a veil, quickly faded into dawn.

When Xiang Er woke up, the warmth of another body still lingered, the sweet fragrance still filled the air, the mushroom on her pillow a reminder that it hadn’t all been a dream.

Her bedroom door was closed, even the small eyeball was asleep in its box, everything seemed normal.

Except… Xiang Er touched her chest, she knew, something had changed.

She sat up, got out of bed, straightened her pajamas, and went to the bathroom.

But… she couldn’t help but glance towards the kitchen.

The familiar clatter of pots and pans echoed from within, the Evil God, as usual, preparing breakfast.

Xiang Er washed up, cleaned herself thoroughly, then stood before the mirror, looking at her naked body, exhaling softly as she slowly got dressed.

When she came out, the table was set. There were slightly misshapen soup dumplings, a bowl of red date and snow fungus soup, a plate of smashed cucumbers, and tea eggs.

A traditional Chinese breakfast, surprisingly challenging to make, and although Akhe’s cooking skills had improved considerably, the dumplings weren’t quite perfect, some of them even leaking their filling.

Akhe, wearing an apron, walked over, untying it as she sat down, her face glowing with happiness, like a blooming red rose, her lips curved into a perpetual smile.

As she sat down, she said:

“Try it, the soup is very good today.”

She said this every morning, but Xiang Er usually ignored her, just forcing herself to take a bite out of politeness. But today was different.

Akhe had barely finished speaking when Xiang Er had already scooped up a spoonful of soup and taken a sip.

The warm, sweet liquid, smooth and fragrant, flowed down her throat. Xiang Er swallowed, then picked up a soup dumpling with her chopsticks.

Akhe, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of anxiety, said:

“Wait, don’t rush… the dumplings might not be very good, let me try one first…”

But Xiang Er ignored her, dipped the dumpling in the sauce, and popped the whole thing into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

Akhe held her breath, her chopsticks hovering in mid-air, trembling slightly, her expression anxious, like a defendant awaiting the verdict.

Xiang Er chewed, her face expressionless. After swallowing the dumpling, she said calmly:

“It’s edible.”

Akhe:

“!”

Akhe couldn’t believe her ears, edible! Such high praise! Xiang Er had actually praised her cooking!

Akhe was speechless for a moment, then she whispered:

“Then… eat more.”

As she said this, a slow smile spread across her face, a radiant, blissful smile.

Akhe looked at Xiang Er’s eyes, as if seeing a field of flowers blooming within them, her gaze filled with adoration and a quiet joy. The food she had made, with her own hands, or rather, her tentacles, being savored by Xiang Er, receiving such high praise, it was… it was wonderful!

Xiang Er continued eating the soup dumplings, one after another, occasionally taking a bite of the side dishes, and even finishing a tea egg.

A truly satisfying meal.

Akhe, throughout the meal, watched in astonishment, her eyes wide, worried that Xiang Er might eat too much, even saying:

“Slow down…”

Xiang Er, her mouth full, finally spoke, her first words that day:

“I’m hungry.”

Those two words made Akhe freeze, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er, tears welling up in her eyes.

It was the first time Xiang Er had said those words since… since revealing her true identity.

Those two words weren’t just about hunger, Akhe knew, they meant… that Xiang Er was acknowledging her own needs, taking care of herself.

She no longer resented being alive!

This was wonderful news! Akhe couldn’t stop smiling, even as tears streamed down her face:

“Good, good, eat as much as you want, whatever you want! There’s more soup and dumplings, and if you like, I can make more, anything you want!”

Xiang Er continued eating, not saying a word. Akhe’s cooking wasn’t perfect, the dumpling filling a bit too salty, and after two bowls of soup, she finally finished her breakfast.

From that day on, things began to change.

Xiang Er ate every meal with gusto. After breakfast, they would go for a walk in the park, and Xiang Er would join the other people exercising, even jogging occasionally, her physical health improving visibly, her complexion returning.

She started practicing calligraphy, filling expensive sheets of xuan paper with clumsy, beginner strokes, which Akhe, overjoyed, would carefully frame and hang all over the apartment.

She started reading, spending hours each day on the balcony lounger, immersed in thick, difficult classics, until sunset.

She even started playing online games, a silent assassin, her skills average, but whenever she was struggling, Akhe would discreetly extend a tentacle and help her, and soon, she became a top-ranked player, known in the game as “Tentacle Monster.”

Xiang Er’s life was finally regaining some semblance of normalcy, and Akhe, watching, felt a surge of relief. She diligently practiced her cooking, constantly bringing Xiang Er small gifts and trinkets, and although the first few attempts missed the mark, eventually, she found things Xiang Er liked.

And since that night, Xiang Er no longer locked her bedroom door.

But whenever Akhe knocked, asking to come in, Xiang Er would still refuse.

But after Xiang Er fell asleep, Akhe would sneak into her room, hold her close until dawn, and sometimes, Xiang Er would wake up, but… she wouldn’t ask Akhe to leave, just move slightly away.

Spring arrived, the flowers blooming, and Akhe would take Xiang Er to see them. Akhe bought a new camera and would secretly take pictures of Xiang Er, the early attempts clumsy and awkward, then she took a photography class, her skills improving rapidly, even learning how to pose Xiang Er.

Xiang Er just wanted to enjoy the flowers.

But Akhe, her hand on her hip, holding the camera, her smile sweet and eager, her voice soft and pleading, would say:

“Please, just try this pose, it’s very simple, look how beautiful it is here!”

The flower viewing spots were usually crowded, and a beauty like Akhe always attracted attention. Xiang Er, afraid of embarrassing herself, of being stared at, would reluctantly comply, posing for the camera.

Once, beneath a fiery red kapok tree, Akhe took countless pictures of Xiang Er, still seemingly unsatisfied.

Then, a thought occurred to her, and she looked up at Xiang Er:

“Have we… never taken a picture together?”

Xiang Er froze, her memories flashing back, all the time she had spent with Akhe… Shen Yuhe, and she realized, they had never, for some reason, taken a proper picture together.

A wave of sadness washed over her. So she and the non-existent “Shen Yuhe” didn’t even have a single memento. Those memories, that person, had vanished without a trace, and although she had tried to move on, to focus on the present, the pain… still lingered.

A thorn in her heart, occasionally pricking her, not fatally, but still, a sharp pain.

Akhe, putting down her camera, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er, walked over to a young woman, a university student, and after speaking to her for a moment, handed her the camera.

Then, parting the crowd, she walked towards Xiang Er.

Xiang Er stood beneath the kapok tree, lost in thought, tears welling up in her eyes, motionless.

But soon, Akhe was beside her.

Akhe’s arm gently wrapped around Xiang Er’s shoulders, and she whispered in her ear:

“Anyway, we can take a picture together now. Look at the camera!”

Xiang Er instinctively looked up, her gaze meeting the lens. Akhe’s hand tightened around her shoulder, pulling her closer, a possessive, almost forceful embrace.

The two of them, side by side, a beautiful picture, and the young woman, smiling, said “Say cheese,” and pressed the shutter button.

A click, and a flash of light.

The moment, along with the blossoming red kapok tree, was captured, frozen in time.

Two figures, one human, one god, a vast chasm still separating them, their faces unsmiling, yet standing together, their bodies close, the fiery red blossoms of the kapok tree a vibrant backdrop, a sea of red.

It was their first picture together.

Spring quickly passed, and summer arrived.

By the time summer came, Xiang Er had gained some weight, her face even looking slightly round and healthy, earning her compliments from the vegetable vendor.

Akhe had bought her several apartments, one by the beach in a neighboring city, perfect for a summer getaway.

As the weather in the city grew hotter, Akhe repeatedly suggested they move to the beach apartment, but Xiang Er refused.

“I’m used to living here, I wouldn’t be comfortable in a fancy apartment.”

Xiang Er said, and Akhe didn’t press the issue, just bought a new air conditioner, keeping the apartment at a comfortable temperature.

But Xiang Er had developed a habit of exercising in the mornings, and she would always come back sweating. Akhe’s persistent suggestions to move finally annoyed Xiang Er:

“You go if you want! I’ll finally be free when you’re gone!”

Akhe’s voice was filled with sadness:

“You still think I’m restricting your freedom?”

Xiang Er nodded:

“What else could it be? Have you ever let me go out alone?”

Akhe was speechless, looking at her with reproach, then changing the subject:

“But it’s dangerous outside.”

Xiang Er scoffed:

“Excuses.”

The argument ended there, but Akhe took it to heart.

So, one morning, Xiang Er woke up and discovered… that no matter where she looked, Akhe was gone.

Even the small eyeball was gone, not a single tentacle in sight.

Xiang Er went to the living room, and on the breakfast table, a delicious meal was laid out, along with a note: Go find your freedom.

Xiang Er frowned at the note, ate her breakfast, put on her workout clothes, and left the apartment, looking around the compound as she walked.

Had Akhe… really… set her free?

The thought made Xiang Er’s body tremble slightly, she wasn’t sure how she felt, but she started running, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

The taste of freedom, it had been a long time.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the building, a tentacle firmly covered the small eyeball’s mouth, muffling its screams, holding it down.

Beside the small eyeball, a large, black, slimy monster, with numerous thick tentacles, its movements surprisingly agile, was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, following Xiang Er.

Let her go? As if! It had finally captured its beloved, warmed her up, it wouldn’t let her go so easily!

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