Spoiler-containing Warning Tags
Please refer to No.5 on ToC page.
The night had settled in, and the darkness still clung to the sky, refusing to yield to the first light of dawn.
Everyone deep down knew that regrouping would be difficult once they were separated, and that they would most likely never see Fan Yingying again. But after a group discussion, they still decided to wait until daybreak to carry out another search for her.
Xie Ying and Wang Huiwen slept on the bed, while several men crowded on a large sofa. Gao Cheng quickly started snoring. Just moments ago, he had been lamenting over Fan Yingying’s predicament. Yet, now, he nonchalantly turned over and went straight to sleep, without a shred of concern lingering in his mind.
Fang Chen found it even harder to fall asleep under Gao Cheng’s snoring. The sofa was hardly spacious, and no one else dared to be in close proximity to Nie Shi. Thus, Fang Chen had no choice but to sleep next to him, akin to huddling next to an icy slab that sent shivers down his spine.
Of course, it was a mere figment of his imagination; Nie Shi was far from being that cold. Instead, his skin was pleasantly cool, offering a bit of comfort in this weather when pressed against.
It seemed like everyone was asleep, even Nie Shi had closed his eyes to rest.
Fang Chen mumbled to himself, “What exactly are you?”
Nie Shi’s obsidian eyes flickered open, seamlessly merging with the nocturnal shadows. He reached out and gently patted Fang Chen’s head.
Fang Chen’s head drooped. It was a while before he broke the silence and spoke, “…I was acquainted with you.”
Nie Shi turned his head to look at him. “Mm.”
Fang Chen was caught off guard as he suddenly caught sight of that partially rotting face, with features contorting slightly. Upon seeing it, his eyes welled up with a pool of water. Looking at this face in the darkness was undeniably a bit too provoking; his heart raced faster and faster. At the same time, Nie Shi’s arm began to rot at a visibly alarming rate.
It seemed that the more frightened he became, the faster Nie Shi rotted.
“Who are you exactly?” Fang Chen voiced a question he had asked many times but never got an answer to.
“Nie Shi,” Nie Shi responded, leaving Fang Chen feeling like he was being played.
The fragmented and incomplete memories, pieced together haphazardly, left him feeling as though there was a missing puzzle piece somewhere, prompting his heart to sink and leaving him bereft of any sense of security.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“You’re not human.” Fang Chen felt like he was cursing, but when he uttered those words, he was actually genuinely afraid—fearing Nie Shi would nod in agreement, and even more so, dreading the sight of him shaking his head.
Sure enough, Nie Shi nodded as his fingers gently weaved through Fang Chen’s hair.
Fang Chen’s scalp tingled, his eyes darting around. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell others about you?”
“It’s fine with me.”
Fang Chen suddenly lifted his head; he had completely adapted to the night, and his gaze naturally fell upon the man’s “couldn’t be considered as appealing” face. Nie Shi remained calm with his eyes lowered, his lashes veiling the emotions within.
Fang Chen felt a hint of something unusual rising in his heart, yet it wasn’t fear.
“Why?” His voice tinged with a pronounced nasal tone.
Nie Shi smiled. This was the first time Fang Chen witnessed the clear curl of Nie Shi’s lips into a smile. The warmth in Nie Shi’s eyes resembled countless gentle raindrops falling into the depths of Fang Chen’s heart, enveloping him in a soft, comforting embrace.
He gently caressed Fang Chen’s cheeks and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “There are no reasons. Fang Chen, I’ll stay by your side.” The words carried a weight that felt more like a curse haunting the listener’s heart.
Something shattered, emitting a crisp sound that echoed in the air. Countless droplets fell, striking and breaking upon the lily flowers, leaving a trail of vibrant red blood along the petals as they dripped down one by one.
Fang Chen clutched his shirt collar tightly, tears streaming down his nose, his mouth agape in a struggle to breathe. Agony tore at his heart, for he had forgotten something crucial.
…
There was no dawn.
A faint glow from the phone illuminated the girl’s pallid face. The lights in this room couldn’t be turned on, yet she also dared not venture outside again. She cried intermittently a few times until numbness set in eventually.
The phone battery indicator glowed red as Fan Yingying leaned against the door, her body shivering from cold and hunger. She hugged her stomach, closed her eyes, and bit her lip, feeling her stomach churn as if being gnawed by thousands of ants.
Prayers for dawn’s swift arrival escaped her lips. She was yearning to return; even if it meant facing a strange monster among the group, it was still better than being alone in despair. Besides, if she could explain the situation clearly, perhaps others would believe her, especially since Fang Chen already did…
Fan Yingying couldn’t help but think of Fang Chen. She tightened her grip on her stomach as her dishevelled ponytail fell across half of her face.
Fan Yingying had never experienced such grievances before. As the cherished only child in her family, she had always been greatly loved and indulged by her elders since childhood. Good things were always given to her first, and she would receive red packets and new clothes without having to ask during Chinese New Year.
But now, everything was different. No one would pay attention to her emotions, and there was no one to comfort her cries either; instead, she was deemed bothersome. Even Fang Chen, the man of her affection, kept his distance. Then, just when she had finally regained his attention… that man appeared!
Fan Yingying’s hunger intensified, her eyes clouding over as if submerged in murky water. She reached out and grasped the door handle, opening the door to reveal a pitch-black hallway beyond.
Unbeknownst to her, something silently trailed her in the darkness. Despite that, she still remained oblivious, consumed only by hunger—an agonizing hunger.
At the far end of the hallway, a pair of pitch-black eyes watched from the window, claws clutching the frame, yet she turned a blind eye to them. Although the baby’s cries faintly echoed down the hallway, she also appeared entirely deaf to them.
She entered the stairwell and climbed the stairs, each step echoing beneath her feet, until she reached the twelfth floor.
The moonlight cascaded onto the dining table, casting a silver glow on the tableware, as if purposely arranged by someone. Fan Yingying pulled out a chair and sat down. Before her was a bowl of rice, along with several meat dishes and one vegetable dish.
She consumed the meal, consisting of chicken and duck meat shimmering with layers of oil, alongside wilted vegetables and rice. All were cold, except for the rice, which still retained its warmth.
Darkness surrounded her, without a glimmer of light.
Crouching at the entrance of the stairwell was a malevolence, its eyes wide open, staring at Fan Yingying’s back as though sizing up its prey. Rows of sharp teeth filled its mouth, with a small tongue peeking through.
Fan Yingying remained unaware of its presence, focusing solely on devouring the food before her, relishing each mouthful of rice and vegetables, too hungry to think straight.
As she emptied the bowl of rice, the once appetizing vegetables turned repulsive, their oily, bitter, and spicy flavours overwhelming her mouth. Fan Yingying felt like vomiting, and indeed, she did, spewing onto the soft red carpet.
In the dim light of the night, the carpet took on a dark crimson hue, reminiscent of dried blood, and when combined with the indescribable vomit, it was utterly nauseating.
After vomiting, Fan Yingying staggered to the last table and found pastries, to which she devoured them voraciously. Suddenly, a long cry echoed down the hallway. Fan Yingying’s reaction was to cower under the table and continue eating. She truly felt very hungry; no matter how much she ate, she still remained hungry.
The pristine white tablecloth obscured much of her view. A pair of withered, thin hands appeared in her field of vision, delicately lifting the tablecloth. Fan Yingying widened her eyes, forgetting to chew the food in her mouth, causing crumbs of pastry to tumble out from her mouth. Fear didn’t register in her mind; instead, there was only a blank emptiness.
The table above Fan Yingying’s head pressed down slightly. She raised her head to give an upward glance and then lowered it again, only to find that the hands had disappeared. Blinking hard, she confirmed that there was nothing in her line of sight and slowly moved out.
Dust particles danced in the air. Fan Yingying wasn’t as hungry as before, and the pastry in her hand no longer seemed appealing. She pulled out a chair again and sat down, slowly nibbling on the food.
Something dropped out of the pastry, one by one, and as she focused her gaze, she realized—they were pills! The pastry was filled with small pills, colourful and vibrant. Fan Yingying flicked away the pastry that she had brought to her lips.
Someone was crying, each cry piercing her ears. Previously disregarded sounds now flooded her ears.
Fan Yingying covered her ears, retching as her vision cleared. She clutched her hair with one hand while digging her throat with the other. Saliva slid down her fingers in stringy threads, while her digging caused her throat to ooze blood, leaving behind streaks of blood.
How did she end up here? What had she just ingested?!
So thirsty.
Suddenly, a glass of purplish-red wine materialized before her, and upon closer inspection, there seemed to be something faintly shaped like an embryo curled up in the goblet.
Trembling, she reached out and downed the ‘sin’ in one full gulp.
When she first started university, Fan Yingying developed feelings for a senior a year above her. He was responsible for taking care of freshmen and treated her very well. Fan Yingying perceived it as a special treatment given only to her, akin to Fang Chen later on.
Towards the end of her freshman year, Fan Yingying found out that the senior was dating her dormitory roommate.
She always felt that it was the girl who stole what should have been hers, that she had seduced the senior. Jealousy, like tasteless transparent water, seeped into Fan Yingying’s body, thoroughly soaking her heart until it became soft, rotten, and bitter.
When the girl was in her third year, she became pregnant. Instead of having an abortion, she decided to keep the child. Both families even prepared for the engagement banquet, and the senior also appeared deeply affectionate.
Fan Yingying wondered why. The girl seemed inferior to her in every way yet had a better life than her. No matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t understand. Insomnia, hair loss, and sleepless nights plagued her relentlessly. In the end, she bought abortion pills and diligently prepared hot water for the girl to drink every day.
“Isn’t this too much trouble for you?” the girl asked, feeling sorry for inconveniencing her.
Fan Yingying smiled bashfully. “No worries. I also need to fetch water, so I might as well help you too.”
…
The girl lost her child.
Fan Yingying was doing her homework in the dormitory at the time and overheard her dorm mates gossiping. She shook her pen, thinking: Serves her right.
Later, the girl came back once, pale and absent-minded, with the senior guarding her side, helping her pack her luggage. Fan Yingying sat on the bottom bunk, staring at the floor, feeling no guilt whatsoever. She didn’t use a large dose of the drug, so who knows, maybe the miscarriage was accidentally caused by the girl herself. It wasn’t her fault.
Months passed, her dormitory mates started moving out one by one. Fan Yingying didn’t understand what was going on at first, but later, she heard that the girl living in their dormitory had died.
It was said that she fell off a bridge while walking alone, and passed away. Man, how could she be so careless? She wasn’t even a child.
Fan Yingying bowed her head, feeling a hint of confusion in her heart. Was it her fault? This had nothing to do with her, though? It wasn’t her who pushed the girl down.
The wine glass emptied, and the purplish-red liquid flowed down her chin to her neck. The liquid was bitter like bile, fishy like blood. Upon drinking it, she collapsed on the ground, shattering the goblet. Her abdomen started swelling larger and larger, like an inflated balloon.
Tears streamed down Fan Yingying’s face, transparent liquid splattering on the floor.
She didn’t want to die yet. She was still so young and should have had a happy life awaiting her.
Fan Yingying vaguely glimpsed her future—a decent job after graduation, a family with a reliable husband and children. She held them close, smiling with utter happiness. How could she possibly die now… She rightfully deserved happiness!
Her balloon-like belly swiftly deflated and withered afterward, catching her off guard before she could even be surprised at it. With each contraction, her abdomen tore open, releasing a torrent of crimson blood that seeped into the red carpet beneath her.
Fan Yingying gazed with open eyes, a smile of a future yet to unfold lingering on her lips.
In the quiet of the night, the cries of a baby echoed, each sound a mournful lament.
The lights flickered to life one by one, heralding the approach of dawn.
well THAT is fucked up-, thanks for the chapter!! <33
Me 🤝 You
Same reaction when reading that the first time ヽ(*。>Д<)o゜
Thanks for reading and commenting~ ❤️
She’s a bitch
Thank you for your translation 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
Wow- was not expecting that
Thank you for translating! This os very captivating