Chapter 18
It was as if the heavy, black curtain at the exit of a haunted house had been suddenly pulled open. Ning Zhixia was a little dazed: “Were you behind me?”
The streetlight cast a faint halo, elongating their shadows. Audrow glanced behind him and replied slowly, “Yes.”
The pink and white box in his hand was from a nearby cake shop, bulging as if it were about to overflow.
All the famous dessert boxes in Yucheng seemed to have become his fashion accessories. Ning Zhixia was no longer surprised.
The moonlight and spring breeze danced among the tree shadows. Spring was the time for budding and growth, but the plants in the flower stands looked droopy, only a few unfurled leaf tips shimmering faintly in the light under the window.
Ning Zhixia, relieved from his fright, thought it was a fortunate coincidence, and after calming down, invited Audrow home.
This time, he agreed surprisingly readily.
“Meowww—Meowww—”
Fatty Orange wailed pathetically from inside the carrier. Qu Banqing squatted down and opened it.
The newly neutered cat crawled out, shook its round body, and sniffed at its approaching underlings.
It was said that neutered male cats became clingy. Qu Banqing tentatively extended a finger to touch its head, and Fatty Orange abruptly turned, its whiskers bristling as it hissed angrily.
Qu Banqing said indignantly, “No canned food for you!”
Fatty Orange nudged his finger with its head, then a pair of long legs passed by. It followed, wagging its tail like it was following a scent, meowing sweetly and ingratiatingly.
Audrow settled into the comfortable recliner, his head slightly lowered as he tapped on his tablet, watching from the corner of his eye as the young man bustled around, searching for snacks.
Back in his familiar territory, Ning Zhixia was energetic again, a tuft of hair sticking up from his earlier sprint, bobbing like a small seedling.
The snacks at home had been almost completely devoured by the fox cubs. Qu Banqing looked at Ning Zhixia, then at the recliner, and said simply, “I’ll get something to eat.”
“Hmm, no need to bother.” Ning Zhixia paused, seeing his socially awkward expression, and pulled Qu Banqing back. “Let’s have some snacks together, I’ll introduce you.”
“No, no, he’s too cool.” Qu Banqing glanced at the man with silver-gray hair, retreated to the kitchen, and muttered, holding onto the doorframe, “I’ll fry some chicken nuggets, be right back.”
“…?”
Ning Zhixia was confused, so he just piled a few boxes of cream-filled cookies onto the small coffee table and wheeled it over to the recliner.
“Milk flavor, want some?” Ning Zhixia held out a long cookie stick and waved it in front of Audrow.
The light-colored eyes shifted from the screen, and Audrow leaned towards the young man beside him, his cool aura like mint leaves hidden in ice, approaching him.
As Ning Zhixia was momentarily stunned, he opened his mouth slightly and took a bite of the cookie stick, snatching it from his fingers.
The sweet taste was always pleasant. Audrow took a few bites, and another cookie stick appeared in front of him.
Ning Zhixia, as if he had discovered something amusing, said excitedly, “I think I just saw your fangs.”
Audrow tilted his head, raising an eyebrow slightly.
“But I have them too!” Ning Zhixia opened his mouth wide, revealing a set of white, even teeth with two small canines on each side. He pointed at them and said indistinctly, “Look, ah—”
When he was playing at his grandfather’s house during summer vacations as a child, his grandfather’s mahjong buddies had seen them and said they were “ghost teeth,” bringing bad luck, which angered his grandfather so much that he took him to their houses and yelled at them.
Audrow tilted his head and looked, then opened his mouth, revealing four sharp, gleaming shark teeth among his human-like teeth. His beautiful, light-colored eyes narrowed slightly with a hint of triumph—
I win.
Ning Zhixia’s pupils constricted sharply—
I lose.
As if enjoying the young man’s reaction, Audrow closed his mouth with satisfaction and continued munching on the cookie sticks.
Ning Zhixia rubbed his aching jaw and poured some ice-cold cola over his pathetic baby teeth.
He hadn’t slept well for the past few days and yawned, his head drooping.
A finger reached out and gently tapped the area under his eye.
Ning Zhixia flinched from the unexpected cold touch, looked up at those emotionless light blue eyes, and asked curiously, “What are you doing?”
Audrow made a circle with his fingers, framing his eyes, his cool voice carrying a hint of amusement: “Panda.”
“Hmph.”
Ning Zhixia pushed his hand away, stuffed a cookie stick into his mouth, and mumbled dejectedly, “I’ve been sleeping late, it’ll be better in a few days.”
Audrow stared at him for a while, then flicked the tuft of hair sticking up on his head and pushed the tablet towards him.
Ning Zhixia looked down. The cheerful yellow square was happily making Krabby Patties on the screen.
He fell silent, accepting the unenthusiastic invitation from his cartoon buddy.
It started raining again at night. Raindrops fell from the eaves, the pitter-patter attracting a group of male cats to watch the rain.
Qu Banqing munched on a chicken nugget: “Look, look, a heavy rain to mourn your lost jewels.”
Cats: “…”
“Here’s your umbrella from last time.”
Seeing that Audrow was about to leave, Ning Zhixia took the umbrella from the large vase and handed it to him.
As the door opened, the damp air drifted in. Audrow opened the umbrella and stepped into the fine rain, glancing back.
Ning Zhixia was holding Fatty Orange, waving its paws. “Bye-bye, be careful on your way home.”
Fatty Orange licked its lips reluctantly: “Meow~”
Audrow, as if hearing something novel, tilted his head, nodded at him, and turned to leave, carrying the pink and white box.
The black umbrella caught the light from the streetlamps, the empty street appearing and disappearing intermittently. His leisurely pace crossed a puddle, then gradually stopped.
A few meters ahead, a human-shaped shadow stood motionless at the corner of the alley. As if sensing some unseen rule, it opened its crescent-shaped mouth wide.
Audrow walked past it without a glance, a hint of mockery in his cool voice.
“You’ve chosen the wrong target, fools.”
“Good night…”
Ning Zhixia, hugging his pillow, stood at Qu Banqing’s door, muttering pathetically, “Friend, can’t I really sleep with you?”
“No, I grind my teeth and snore in my sleep, what if you kick me off the bed!” Qu Banqing was unusually stubborn tonight, insisting that Ning Zhixia be an independent adult and sleep alone, ruthlessly pushing him back to his own bedroom.
Ning Zhixia burrowed under the covers, wrapping himself tightly like a burrito, not even leaving his toes exposed, as if creating the world’s strongest magical barrier.
Qu Banqing asked from the doorway, “Ready?”
Ning Zhixia nodded, pouting: “Ready.”
“Then good night, brat.”
Qu Banqing turned off the light with a click and closed the door.
The last bit of light was swallowed by the dark corridor. He leaned his head against the door, his soft hair covering his eyes, his expression hidden.
After a while, Qu Banqing turned and walked away, muttering softly, “Just sleep, and you’ll see there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Mmm…”
Ning Zhixia muffled his breathing under the covers. Often, after watching horror movies, he wouldn’t feel scared, but when he was alone, all sorts of strange thoughts would run wild in his mind.
To avoid letting his mind wander, he closed his eyes tightly, trying to fall asleep. If he were to dream of non-human beings, he preferred cute ones like the fox cubs.
As he was lost in his thoughts, a soft, gentle melody seemed to swirl in his mind, soothing his occasionally tense nerves, sleepiness washing over him like a wave, his eyelids growing heavy.
The glass door to the balcony had been opened at some point. The night breeze, carrying damp air, drifted in, his silver-gray hair swaying gently behind him.
The person who had left and returned sat on the bay window seat piled with stuffed animals, his lips moving, the ethereal melody like the gentlest brushstrokes, painting a sweet dream in the darkness.
The person in bed had his eyes closed, his hands raised above his head in surrender. Perhaps feeling too warm, the burrito-shaped figure unfolded, the blanket kicked aside, only a corner covering his gently rising and falling stomach.
The edge of the bed dipped slightly. Audrow leaned over him, the passing car headlights illuminating the faint dark circles under his eyes.
The fantastical creatures in fairy tales were not gentle and harmless. Their power made them disdainful of seduction. Like harbingers of fear and despair, they were ruthless pirates, lost sailors, treasure-seeking nobles… No one’s soul could find peace in the melodies of the mist. Lungs swelled with icy water, the sea surface painted with the most vivid colors, carrying shattered bodies to their final resting place in the depths.
It was a game to relieve boredom, and also the purest malice from the deep sea.
A slightly unfamiliar, gentle melody was clearly not enough to steal the soul of the person before him, but it could block out the sounds of fighting in the corridor outside.
Audrow traced the sleeping man’s features with his fingers, his movements as gentle as a lover sharing a pillow, but his deepening eyes held no tenderness or affection.
It was as if he was simply observing an interesting little fish wagging its tail, his caressing hand sliding down, resting on the warm spot over his heart.
Through two ribs, the beating heart pulsed beneath his palm, a flicker of interest appearing in his light-colored eyes.
After a long while, the other party shivered uncomfortably.
Audrow, slightly dissatisfied, moved his hand away, his cold fingers poking the soft flesh of his cheek. The sleeping person wouldn’t react, so he boldly touched the soft corner of his lips.
Warm breath brushed against his fingertip. Audrow tilted his head, pressing again and again. The person whose sleep was disturbed muttered in his sleep and opened his mouth, biting down.
Ning Zhixia sucked on it like a popsicle, tasted nothing sweet, frowned, and pushed the intruding object out with his tongue.
A soft, warm sensation enveloped him. Audrow let out a soft “ah” and quickly withdrew his finger.
The fighting outside gradually subsided, dark figures swiftly retreating in the moonlight.
Audrow didn’t care, his eyes fixed on the moisture remaining on his finger. He brought his finger to his lips, his scarlet tongue tracing the faint teeth marks.
A moment later, the door opened a crack, and a long, mechanical-looking tail hooked the blanket that had fallen to the floor back onto the bed.
Audrow looked up, his eyes meeting the gaze from the crack in the door, and put a finger to his lips.
The door closed softly again.
