The white bandage on Si Jiangchen's chest was horribly stained with blood.
Every layer I unwrapped revealed the deep red blood seeping through the gauze.
"Does it hurt?"
Hearing Si Jiangchen's low grunt, my hands couldn't help trembling. "Why didn't you go to the clinic? Why did you come back?"
"To find you!"
Si Jiangchen simply put his arm around my waist and made me lean over him so that I could untie his bandage more easily.
"What do you want me for? I'm not..."
When all the bandages were removed, I couldn't say another word.
There was still a large patch of blood on Si Jiangchen's bare chest, but his skin was flawless. There wasn't a single wound!
"You're my medicine!!"
Si Jiangchen reached out and held my fingers. He sat up from the bed and kissed my neck. "As long as you're with me, I'm invincible. Do you understand?"
"… Mm!"
I shrank my neck and nestled in his arms when he kissed me. But there was a strange feeling in my heart, just like the kiss he gave me, which made me feel a panicky sense of suffocation.
"… How about I take you out for some fun tonight?"
Si Jiangchen glanced at the moonlight outside the window. "We've cast the net for a few days. It's time for the fish to take the bait."
I had been staying in Si Jiangchen's villa for a long time. At first, I couldn't move because of my injury. In the past few days, I had been following Granny Bai on her medical rounds every day. I was no longer wandering around with A Wen like before.
Although A Wen was just a child, Si Jiangchen still didn't allow him to stay by my side. He sent A Wen to school in Luocheng. Every day when A Wen came back, he either had endless homework or showed me his palm that had been beaten red by the teacher.
But he knew that Si Jiangchen was doing this for his own good. Although he studied hard, he never complained to me.
"Okay!"
Hearing Si Jiangchen's words, I couldn't help feeling excited. "But... what about your injury?"
I was still a little worried.
Si Jiangchen casually picked up the bandage that had been thrown aside and wiped his chest. Sure enough, under the bloodstains were healthy muscles. There wasn't a single scratch.
"Du Xinghe, we could even have our wedding night tonight."
Although Si Jiangchen was joking like this, I could feel a faint killing aura on him.
"A Chen..."
When Si Jiangchen and I got dressed and went out, we saw Lin Shuya still leaning against the door. When she saw us coming out, she quickly came over and pleaded, "… You can bite me again. I'm not afraid of becoming a monster!!"
"Sister Shuya, you should rest well. I'm already better."
Si Jiangchen didn't pull his arm away from Lin Shuya's grasp. "With Du Xinghe here, I don't need to hurt you anymore!"
"But..."
Lin Shuya's lips trembled as she looked at Si Jiangchen. "I only feel useful and needed when I'm by your side... Otherwise, I... I'm already a monster. In this chaotic world, I'll only end up dead!"
As she spoke, her tears couldn't stop flowing. They ran down her cheeks and hung on her chin. Under the dim electric light in the corridor, she looked quite pathetically beautiful.
"You don't need to be afraid of becoming a monster anymore."
Recently, I always felt that Lin Shuya was in a great sense of crisis. She was clinging to Si Jiangchen more and more often, and she always morally kidnapped Si Jiangchen with the past of him turning her into a monster.
Si Jiangchen might seem cold, but he was a man who paid great attention to cause and effect.
He was not only very kind to Lin Shuya, but also not as bad to Granny Bai as before. Because Granny Bai was really kind to me, he could see it clearly. I thought that if Granny Bai really had any difficulties, he would surely reach out to help her!
However, I didn't like Si Jiangchen being manipulated! Especially by someone like Lin Shuya with ulterior motives!
"We've already found the Soul - Returning Spell!"
I subtly pulled Si Jiangchen's hand back and stood in front of him. I said to the tear - streaked Lin Shuya, "You were originally human. As long as we force out the corpse poison in your body, you'll be the same as before!"
"… A Chen, is this... really true?!"
Lin Shuya trembled all over. Her face was full of disbelief.
"Yes! Sister Shuya, soon... Maybe we'll have a result in a day or two."
Si Jiangchen liked the feeling of me leaning against him. He squinted his eyes slightly. "My Taoist magic is quite good. I can just lift the evil curse on you."
"Really?"
Lin Shuya's face turned extremely pale. Her lips trembled as she murmured, "Am I going to be like I used to be again..."
"Yes!"
I didn't know if Si Jiangchen could see Lin Shuya's disappointment, but I could clearly feel that this woman didn't want to change the current situation at all.
"Are you happy? Go back to your room and wait for our good news."
I grabbed Si Jiangchen's hand and walked past her. "If you still can't control your desires, you might as well tie yourself up!"
I thought I was really mean. Seeing Lin Shuya still standing dejectedly in the corridor, I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for her.
"Hey, don't be afraid!"
I turned around and said to her, "You won't be the same as before..."
I didn't know if she could understand what I meant. I wanted to say that no matter what, she was Si Jiangchen's savior. Si Jiangchen would arrange a good life for her and would never let her end up in a brothel again.
"The same, the same..."
Under the light, Lin Shuya really looked like a pale zombie, repeating those words over and over again. Then she turned around and went back to her room...
Now the crescent moon was gradually sinking deep into the sky. The sky was like a piece of ink - blue velvet cloth with a few stars twinkling in it.
The night wind blowing on my face had a clear chill, but I couldn't feel the temperature, as if my body was wrapped in a transparent film. I could see and touch things, but I couldn't feel them at all.
Maybe this was the difference between a zombie and an ordinary human!
Thinking about this, I couldn't help looking at Si Jiangchen beside me. We didn't take a car or ride a horse. I just held his hand and walked in the deserted alley like an ordinary couple.
Before, I held his hand just because I didn't want Lin Shuya to touch him.
Now when I wanted to let go, he had already held my hand tightly. His fingers were intertwined with mine, and I couldn't shake him off at all.
"Where are we going now?"
The street was extremely quiet. I was afraid that Si Jiangchen would hear my pounding heart, so I turned to ask him.
"We're almost there."
Si Jiangchen curled his lips and smiled. My heart beat even more wildly. It seemed that it would be nice to be held by him like this all the time!
After walking for about half a stick of incense, I faintly smelled a sweet and greasy smell. When I looked up, I saw a courtyard built of gray bricks. The iron - black gate was closed. There was a white sign with black characters hanging on the corridor pillar beside the gate, which read: Luocheng Loving Infant Asylum.
I was shocked. I didn't know what Si Jiangchen meant by bringing me here!!