Chapter 91: Bonfire
Late September, the end of summer, was a deep, inky green. The palm fronds, the camphor leaves, the grass, even the wind seemed saturated with this hue, like layers of green gauze, swirling and clinging.
The rooftop basked in the afternoon sun, the beautiful, otherworldly deity standing amidst the light, the wind lifting her long, black hair, which intertwined with thick, black tentacles, their tips glistening with slime, their suckers gently opening and closing, tasting the sea air and the sunlight.
She had just returned from battle, having devoured that enormous, monstrous fish, yet she stood there, her white dress flowing, ethereal and beautiful, a languid contentment in her eyes.
The stark contrast of the white dress and the dark, glistening tentacles. The Evil God, and the protector of humanity, an equally stark contrast.
And within that contrast, a mesmerizing beauty, a disorienting allure, like being drunk or on a roller coaster, reason and judgment suspended.
Xiang Er waved a dismissive hand:
“Keep it.”
She turned her gaze towards the white foam of the waves, lapping against the shore in delicate patterns of lace. The ocean, seemingly undisturbed by the recent chaos.
She thought, she was truly out of touch, living at home all the time, she had no real sense of the world outside.
Perhaps she should find a job.
Akhe seemed to put the bank card away. Her voice, soft and light, now always carried a gentle lilt.
She asked:
“Do you want to… spend a few days here?”
Xiang Er was about to refuse, then, looking at the palm trees swaying in the sea breeze, changed her mind:
“Alright.”
Akhe’s face lit up, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons, and she grabbed Xiang Er’s wrist, pulling her towards the edge of the rooftop.
“Let’s fly!”
With her arm around Xiang Er’s waist, she jumped!
The strong, salty sea breeze whipped against Xiang Er’s face, the world a blur of sound and motion, fading away… her ears popped, her heart pounded, her gaze unfocused, then she suddenly turned her head.
Beside her, Akhe, her hair a wild halo in the wind, her face indistinct, but her eyes, dark and bright, fixed on Xiang Er.
She mouthed the words: Don’t worry.
Xiang Er turned back, the descent seeming endless, her initial fear giving way to an adrenaline-fueled excitement.
A dive! Like a warrior into battle, the golden beach rushing towards them, Akhe slowing their descent just before impact, and they landed softly on the sand.
They were alone on the vast beach.
The beach had been closed after the monster fish attack, but Akhe and Xiang Er had the highest level of clearance, they could do as they pleased, a simple trip to the beach met with the full cooperation of the investigators, the military, and the police, their privacy ensured.
After landing, Xiang Er pulled her hand away from Akhe’s and walked towards the sea, her feet sinking into the sand. It was her first time seeing the ocean, and she was mesmerized.
Akhe followed, smiling, her steps echoing Xiang Er’s, silent.
As Xiang Er walked, Akhe carefully placed her feet in Xiang Er’s footprints, her movements precise and deliberate, more so than in battle, as if this were the most important task in the world.
After a while, Xiang Er sat down, the sand warm and soft beneath her, a comforting sensation.
Akhe sat beside her, then suddenly looked up, her brow furrowed, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
It was dusk, the first stars appearing, the night sky above the ocean a breathtaking sight, countless stars, clear and bright.
Akhe stared intently, her gaze seemingly piercing through the stars, into some distant, unknowable dimension.
Black slime, unconsciously, oozed from her, flowing across the sand, towards the sea.
Xiang Er sighed contentedly:
“The stars are beautiful.”
Akhe nodded:
“Yes…”
But her voice was distant, ethereal, and Xiang Er turned to look at her, her gaze also fixed on the stars, her expression… strange.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh… nothing.”
Akhe looked away and smiled at Xiang Er:
“Would you like… a bonfire on the beach?”
And so, that night, a group of highly skilled investigators found themselves on the beach, guitars in hand, dressed in beach shorts, tasked with creating a bonfire party for the Evil God and its girlfriend.
They took turns performing, sharing stories, dancing around the bonfire, and Xiang Er, who hadn’t socialized in a long time, felt a mixture of social awkwardness and genuine enjoyment.
She also noticed that, at some point, the investigators and Akhe seemed to have developed a rapport. Although still slightly intimidated by her, they would occasionally chat with her, even crack jokes.
But Akhe seemed distracted tonight, her replies brief, rarely engaging with Xiang Er.
The firelight, like a golden veil, flickered on Akhe’s white dress, her dark eyes reflecting the dancing flames, her gaze distant and unfocused, as if lost in thought, even Xiang Er’s presence seemingly unnoticed.
This wasn’t like her. But Xiang Er didn’t ask, enjoying the evening.
After two nights at a luxurious beachfront villa, they returned home.
The days flowed by like water, and Xiang Er, having asked An Yue to help her find a job, waited. An Yue had submitted the request, but her superiors were still deliberating.
Xiang Er waited patiently, it was understandable, after all, she had a Evil God living with her, it wasn’t exactly a normal situation, finding a job wouldn’t be easy.
But… Xiang Er had noticed that Akhe seemed… different lately.
For instance, she would occasionally burn the food while cooking, a rare occurrence for someone with Akhe’s now-proficient culinary skills, but it had happened several times since their return from the beach.
And she would often be lost in thought, seemingly distracted, not even paying attention to Xiang Er. A few times, Xiang Er, testing her, had deliberately left the apartment and wandered around the streets alone, and Akhe hadn’t even noticed for almost half an hour, a stark contrast to her usual, almost instantaneous response.
A few more days passed, Xiang Er’s job search still fruitless, and Akhe’s gaze, whenever it fell on her, seemed to intensify, a hungry, possessive look, filled with yearning, yet also… a strange sadness.
Xiang Er, unnerved by this scrutiny, her skin crawling, feeling like a piece of meat waiting to be devoured, would snap at Akhe:
“Creep! Why are you staring at me?”
Akhe would just smile and shake her head:
“Because you’re beautiful.”
Xiang Er would frown, retreat to her room, and Akhe, unlike before, wouldn’t follow.
Akhe’s affection had indeed cooled.
Xiang Er’s feelings were a tangled mess, she had thought that after their trip to her hometown, they could try again, she hadn’t expected this sudden withdrawal from Akhe.
She wasn’t going to force it, but… she felt… a pang of sadness.
She had almost forgotten the name “Shen Yuhe,” and the lies and betrayal it represented, couldn’t Akhe give her more time? Or was an Evil God just a Evil God, inherently fickle, its promises and vows meaningless?
That was… truly evil.
Xiang Er also grew colder, her expression, when facing Akhe, as frigid as the snows of Kilimanjaro.
But Akhe seemed… oblivious to her coldness, lost in her own world, even disappearing from the apartment for hours at a time.
Until one day, at the end of October…
Xiang Er woke up to find Akhe’s beautiful face inches away from hers.
She whispered:
“You’re awake? Are you free today? Will you come with me somewhere?”
Xiang Er was surprised. Akhe hadn’t greeted her at her bedside in a while, what was this, a change of heart?
Xiang Er sat up, and, trying to sound annoyed, said:
“I’m busy.”
Akhe, however, said:
“It’s your real birthday today.”
Xiang Er froze. The orphanage had always used the day she was found as her birthday, and since middle school, she had stopped celebrating it, the date long forgotten.
Akhe continued:
“I know I haven’t been… very attentive lately, so as an apology, and to celebrate your birthday, I have a gift for you.”
Xiang Er looked at her, her brow furrowed, wanting to appear aloof, but she said:
“You’ve finally noticed?”
Damn it, that sounded too eager… Xiang Er bit her lip, regretting her words.
Akhe smiled, her eyes deep and mysterious, like distant nebulae, and she lifted Xiang Er’s hand to her lips, gently kissing her fingertips.
Starting with her pinky finger, then her ring finger, her middle finger, her index finger, then her thumb, then turning her hand over, kissing each knuckle, then her wrist.
A pleasant tingling sensation, a long-forgotten warmth, spread through her hand like an electric current, and Xiang Er gritted her teeth.
Akhe’s full lips pressed against the delicate skin of her wrist, and she looked up, her eyelashes long and dark, like a peacock’s feathers, her eyes beautiful and alluring:
“I’m sorry, okay? Come with me, I’ve prepared a gift, it took me a long time…”
Xiang Er:
“…”
This temptress!
She pulled her hand away:
“Fine.”
Akhe chuckled softly, stood up as if to leave, then suddenly turned back and pulled Xiang Er into a tight embrace.
Akhe was standing, Xiang Er sitting, and in this embrace, Xiang Er’s face was pressed against Akhe’s flat, soft stomach.
The embrace was unusually tight, not just a hug, but as if… Akhe was trying to absorb her.
Xiang Er felt a surge of fear, and a strange premonition, and she tried to push Akhe away, but it was no use, Akhe, when she didn’t want to be moved, was as immovable as a mountain.
Akhe’s arms were around her head, tentacles probably also involved, holding her back, her waist, even her legs, and Xiang Er, helpless, stood up, trapped in the embrace.
Her face buried in the crook of Akhe’s neck, she couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, only the cool strands of Akhe’s hair against her cheek, like willow branches swaying in the spring breeze.
Akhe, with her tentacles and her human arms, held her tightly, her lips pressing against the top of Xiang Er’s head.
Then, her voice, low and resolute, a vibrating hum, echoed in Xiang Er’s ear:
“No matter what happens, remember… I will always love you, always.”
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