Chapter 79: That Day
Akhe maintained her protective posture, her head tilted, shielding Xiang Er, for over a minute.
Until the last of the monster’s remains had fallen to the ground, the sky clear, the tentacles still and idle.
Akhe continued to shield Xiang Er, her beautiful profile facing her.
Waiting… waiting for a response that never came.
Xiang Er shifted her feet, brushed off some dust, and stood up.
Without even glancing at Akhe, she turned and walked away.
Her demeanor was calm, indifferent, as if nothing had happened.
The scene was unexpected, the investigators watching from a distance, disguised as ordinary passersby, exchanging surprised glances.
What was this reaction? What was going on? There was no protocol for this!
Beyond the small area shielded by the Evil God, the ground was covered in the monster’s remains, a corrosive, sizzling mess, its flesh clearly toxic, a single touch deadly to humans.
Xiang Er reached the edge of the clean area and, without hesitation, stepped onto the sea of blood and gore.
Several of the newer investigators almost couldn’t contain themselves, she was just an ordinary human! How could they stand by and watch her… one of them even called out:
“Hey!”
But the next second…
As Xiang Er’s foot landed on the gore, black slime oozed from beneath her shoe, spreading outwards.
Wherever the black slime spread, the monster’s remains vanished, absorbed into the slime.
And wherever Xiang Er stepped, a path of black slime appeared, shielding her from the toxic remains.
The investigators stared in astonishment: Was this… the Evil God’s protection?
The rookie who had called out covered her mouth with her hand, a cold sweat breaking out. The intel had been very clear, the Evil God could read minds, and for a moment, she had doubted its love for Xiang Er, she had practically invited death! She was so sorry, she was wrong, the Evil God truly loved her! They were a match made in heaven! A perfect couple!
Silence fell upon the street, the cars still frozen, the pedestrians, all investigators in disguise, holding their breath, quietly retreating.
A Class S pollutant, which would normally require a team of highly trained investigators to subdue and contain, had been so easily… destroyed by the Evil God… A Evil God with such power, yet in love with a human, and that human, so… unique, so independent, this was a complicated situation…
If the Evil God failed in its pursuit, the fate of the earth was uncertain. But as humans, they also knew that love couldn’t be forced.
The safety of the world, it seemed, rested on the shoulders of a single, fragile human girl.
At first, they had been focused on the Evil God, but now, their anxious gazes were fixed on the girl.
Countless eyes watched her, their emotions as complex as the Evil God’s.
And the slender girl at the center of their attention, walked calmly on.
Her frail body swayed slightly in the wind, her face pale, her eyes half-closed, her lips pressed together in a thin line, her expression blank. No fear, no gratitude, just… indifference. She was like a walking statue, each step leaving a trail of darkness, her emotions hidden beneath a thick shell, impenetrable, unreadable.
Even to the Evil God.
Xiang Er wasn’t just walking aimlessly. She deliberately changed directions, walking towards the piles of gore, several times even attempting to touch them, but each time, the black slime appeared, absorbing the remains before her hand could reach them.
Frustrated, she picked up an eyeball from the slime.
The blood-red eyeball blinked at her, and Xiang Er, with a cold smile, crushed it in her hand.
The eyeball burst, its viscous fluids splattering across her palm, the stench filling her nostrils.
Xiang Er casually flicked the remnants away, like throwing a snowball, and it landed on a nearby tree.
The splattered eyeball clung to the tree, which quickly withered and died, its leaves falling, and within half a minute, it was a bare, lifeless trunk.
Xiang Er stared at the dead tree, a strange stillness in her gaze.
Then, Akhe’s voice, soft and magnetic, echoed beside her ear:
“I can heal it, don’t worry.”
Black slime crept onto the dead tree, and it quickly revived, new buds sprouting, then unfurling, growing rapidly, and within half a minute, the tree was restored, its leaves lush and vibrant, as if reborn.
Akhe said:
“See? Everything can be fixed.”
Xiang Er turned and finally looked at her.
Akhe looked back at her, the corners of her eyes as beautiful as a peacock’s feathers, her lips curving into a hesitant smile, a mixture of hope and trepidation. Under Xiang Er’s gaze, she felt… honored.
But Xiang Er just looked at her coldly, her voice flat:
“That monster… you arranged that too, didn’t you?”
Akhe was taken aback:
“No…”
Xiang Er raised a sharp eyebrow:
“How could it not be you? That time with my boss, wasn’t that you?”
Akhe froze.
Black, viscous substance covered the street, the resurrected tree swaying gently in the breeze, the world strangely silent.
That day, in the quiet rain, Xiang Er had been attacked by a monster, and “Shen Yuhe” had appeared, a heroic savior, even getting injured, her blood dripping onto Xiang Er’s face.
It was after that incident that Xiang Er had let down her guard, her feelings for “Shen Yuhe” deepening, even inventing the “investigator” story.
How similar to today!
Xiang Er now understood, it had all been a charade, so how could this time be any different?
With the Evil God’s power, how could an ordinary monster even get close to her?
Xiang Er, finding the whole situation ridiculous, laughed, a wild, unrestrained laugh:
“Hehehe… hahahahaha! I was so stupid back then, hahahahaha! So pathetically deceived!”
Akhe’s voice was soft:
“But… I didn’t lie to you. Your boss’s obsession was you, he came for you, my injury was real, only the… the healing was fake. And… that day, I was actually planning to tell you everything, to reveal my true identity.”
Xiang Er’s laughter stopped abruptly.
She frowned and looked at Akhe in disbelief, her gaze lingering longer than before.
Akhe looked at her, her beautiful eyes filled with sadness, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Now, she wouldn’t lie anymore, even though her posture was hesitant, her gaze was clear and honest, she dared to meet Xiang Er’s eyes.
Everything she said was true, even if Xiang Er thought she was a liar, she believed that as long as she kept telling the truth, eventually… Xiang Er would believe her.
Xiang Er stared at her, her gaze searching, probing, looking for any sign of deceit.
But… there was none, she couldn’t find any.
Xiang Er narrowed her eyes and whispered:
“You’re getting better at lying. But I don’t believe a word you say.”
She turned to leave, then stopped, looking back at Akhe with a mocking smile:
“So even you admit that you orchestrated this, right?”
Akhe:
“No, I didn’t…”
Xiang Er had already turned and walked away, not listening to her excuses.
Akhe stood there for a moment, then sighed sadly and continued to follow Xiang Er, like a loyal black serpent.
The investigators, who had witnessed the entire scene: …
This was… this Evil God was truly… sigh… they didn’t know what to say… it was just… sigh… this mission was so difficult!
At noon, Xiang Er sat on the edge of a flower bed, observing the bustling street scene.
She had walked for over a mile, reaching the edge of the city, a place she had never been before, a place filled with ordinary people, living their ordinary lives.
She vaguely sensed that some people were following her, some cars as well, but she didn’t care, just wandering aimlessly.
This entire planet, to her, was just a giant prison, what did it matter where she went?
Akhe’s voice echoed beside her:
“It’s time for lunch, you didn’t eat breakfast, you have to eat something now.”
Xiang Er ignored her.
Akhe gently helped her up, a tentacle subtly wrapping around her waist, leading her to a nearby restaurant.
The restaurant was quiet and elegant, filled with young people, mostly couples.
All of them, in reality, investigators in disguise.
Xiang Er, of course, didn’t care. She allowed herself to be led by the tentacle, her face expressionless, and sat down.
Their table was by the window, the sunlight warm and gentle on her face.
Xiang Er turned her head slightly towards the window, suddenly feeling hungry.
Akhe immediately asked:
“Do you want to order, or should I?”
Xiang Er closed her eyes, basking in the sunlight.
Akhe, looking at the menu, said:
“I’ll order then, I know what you like… you don’t like spicy food, right? Then no Mapo tofu, no spicy pork… you like mushrooms, how about stir-fried mushrooms?”
The waiter approached, pen and notepad in hand:
“What would you… the two of you… like to order?”
Akhe, seeing the waiter’s trembling hand, glanced at Xiang Er, relieved that she wasn’t looking, hadn’t noticed anything.
Akhe quickly rattled off her order, and the waiter, scribbling it down, said:
“We… we hope to see you again!”
Then quickly turned and left.
Akhe glanced at Xiang Er again. Xiang Er was still staring out the window, lost in thought.
Just then, a couple at the table behind them started arguing.
The woman slammed her hand on the table and, pointing at the man, shouted:
“You lied to me!”
Xiang Er’s eyes flickered open, and she glanced back, clearly seeing the arguing couple.
The man, his head shaved, his appearance sharp and capable, was now bowing and scraping, apologizing profusely:
“I was wrong to lie to you, I apologize, but you have to understand, I only lied because I love you!”
The woman, her hair in a ponytail, her arms, despite the dress she wore, surprisingly muscular, slammed her hand on the table again, making the dishes jump.
She said:
“Even if you love me, you can’t lie! Love has to be based on honesty!”
The man was about to reply when Xiang Er suddenly scoffed:
“Stop acting, it’s boring.”
Akhe:
“…”
The two investigators, pretending to be a couple:
“…”
The two investigators froze, unsure whether to continue their performance. Akhe extended two tentacles, grabbed them, and deposited them at the restaurant entrance, then said softly:
“Let’s just eat.”
Xiang Er closed her eyes again.
Akhe:
“How… how did you know they were acting?”
Xiang Er opened her eyes:
“A person can only be fooled once.”
Akhe:
“…Then it’s a good thing you were fooled by me.”
Xiang Er:
“…Shut up.”
Akhe:
“Okay. Let’s eat!”
The food arrived, and Akhe, expertly wielding her chopsticks, filled Xiang Er’s bowl.
Xiang Er, unusually, picked up her chopsticks and meticulously removed all the chili peppers from her dishes, placing them in Akhe’s bowl:
“Eat.”
Akhe:
“…Thank you, darling.”
She picked up the chili peppers, one by one, and ate them. Although they weren’t particularly spicy, her face instantly flushed crimson, and even her tentacles turned red.
Xiang Er narrowed her eyes. It seemed that the liar wasn’t lying about everything, at least… not about her inability to handle spicy food.
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