Chapter 38

The dark and silent alleyway was filled with howling wind.

Wei Jing’an stood there helplessly, trembling like a lamb caught in the jaws of a wolf under the man’s gaze that was unaffected by the darkness. Two conspicuous blushes colored her pale cheeks.

She slowly raised her eyes, staring intently at the wound on his fingertip.

Her pupils suddenly widened, with an indescribable eagerness.

The man’s palm seemed unusually pale in the deep night. The slightly curled fingertip was long and bony, with prominent blue veins flowing on the back of his hand. It was as if something terrifying was hidden inside, beating against the skin with the flowing blood, waiting to break free at any moment.

But Wei Jing’an only felt thirsty.

It was as if the blood hidden beneath Lin Yanzhou’s skin was a sweet juice made from fresh fruit, sweet and tempting.

She was startled by this thought and quickly averted her gaze. She reached into her pocket and fumbled around, finding a band-aid and taking it out.

She was about to hand it to Lin Yanzhou, but he stepped forward, offering his finger to her. His voice was calm, “Thank you.”

Looking at the finger that was almost poking into her mouth, Wei Jing’an struggled to look away. She wanted to step back, to create some distance between them, but she was also captivated by their current posture, which clearly crossed the line of safety.

She pursed her lips, hummed in response, tore open the band-aid, and carefully aligned it with the wound on his finger, blocking the blood that was tempting her to become abnormal.

A question came from above, “I remember you…”

Wei Jing’an’s heart leaped.

He continued, “You were in classroom 4201 today, right? If I’m not mistaken, your name is Wei Jing’an?”

Wei Jing’an couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart. She was happy that he could remember her name, even a little dizzy with happiness, completely ignoring the fact that there were hundreds of people in the large classroom, how could he have noticed her name specifically?

Young people who are dizzy with happiness are always prone to overlooking crucial evidence hidden in the details.

“I’m Lin Yanzhou.” He introduced himself in a gentle voice.

Wei Jing’an said softly, “I know.”

Lin Yanzhou didn’t intend to make things difficult for her. She looked like a startled rabbit. Rabbits have red eyes, and her whole face was red. If he continued to talk to her at such close range, he was afraid she would turn and run away.

He didn’t want to waste such a good opportunity.

After creating some distance from Wei Jing’an, her visibly relaxed expression made his chest feel tight. He silently walked a few steps forward. When he didn’t see Wei Jing’an following him and she remained standing in place, he turned back, “Let’s go. I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

Wei Jing’an hesitated for a moment, “Senior, you go back first. There’s a cat here.” She pointed to the cat lying on its side on the ground.

Lin Yanzhou followed her gaze and frowned.

He walked over and picked up the cat by the scruff of its neck. The cat let out a helpless meow, then the sound disappeared. Faced with a creature too powerful to resist, it didn’t even dare to make a sound.

His action would obviously hurt the cat that had just escaped the clutches of the devil. Wei Jing’an was anxious to take it over, but Lin Yanzhou suddenly changed his posture, holding the cat in his arms. The cat, which usually didn’t allow students to touch it, was “well-behaved” in his arms, not moving at all.

Lin Yanzhou said, “I’ll walk you back to your dorm, then take this cat to the pet hospital. It can’t stay at school anymore.”

He glanced at Jiang Chang, who was still sprawled on the pile of junk.

Wei Jing’an hummed in agreement.

They walked to the dormitory building. The light was bright here, and passing students cast curious glances at them. She would immediately lower her head, afraid of being noticed.

After bidding farewell to Lin Yanzhou, Wei Jing’an turned and disappeared around the corner of the girls’ dormitory hallway, leaving only a trail of flustered footsteps.

Lin Yanzhou retracted his gaze. The cat in his arms was unusually quiet. When they got to the car, he casually threw it onto the car seat, and the cat immediately rolled as far away from him as possible.

All of his vehicles were specially modified, with a more spacious interior and a film applied around the car that prevented anyone from seeing what was happening inside.

The tentacles that had been hidden all day stretched out without any restraint.

They flaunted behind him like a blooming peony, each tentacle thick and strong, with hints of bulging muscle beneath the moist, sticky flesh of the tentacle skin, like the bulging muscles of a man who has been working out for years. They were neatly arranged beneath the moist, sticky flesh of the tentacle skin.

Black veins flowed freely, entwining the dark red flesh like vines.

Lin Yanzhou’s expression was emotionless, his eyes cold as he looked at the window on the left side of the fourth floor of the girls’ dormitory.

Eerie, sticky, and disgusting tentacles, handsome, cold, and exquisite features, the two strangely blended together on Lin Yanzhou.

He raised his finger, the one with the band-aid, and slowly brought it to his lips, placing a restrained kiss on the skin that still retained Wei Jing’an’s warmth.

The tentacles behind him jostled and crowded, wriggling towards his chest and lips. The tentacles with their terrifying appearance gently touched the band-aid with their slightly pointed tips, only staying for a few seconds before being pushed aside by the swarming other tentacles.

They entangled the slender, white finger.

As if entwining a slender, beautiful woman.

The cat huddled on the car seat, its fur bristling. Under Lin Yanzhou’s indifferent gaze, it suddenly fainted. Its fur was stained with a bloody smell, its own scent.

Lin Yanzhou wasn’t picky when he was hungry, but this cat was one he had promised Wei Jing’an. His Adam’s apple slid up and down involuntarily. He averted his gaze and drove the cat to the pet hospital.

Back at home, he opened his phone and clicked on the WeChat he had just added.

Wei Jing’an’s body was changing unconsciously. She vaguely remembered the reason she was abandoned as a child, it seemed to be a heart problem. Although her memories of her childhood were already blurry, after being taken in by her grandmother, her chest would ache as if it were about to break when she was emotionally excited or exercised vigorously.

Her impoverished family and frail body were the reasons she was chosen by the village chief and recommended to the kindhearted person.

With that money, she went for regular checkups at the hospital.

The doctor said incredulously that she was a medical miracle. The heart that had been scarred and unable to sustain itself for long since her birth was actually slowly healing.

It was already ten o’clock when she got back to the dorm. The bathroom at Qingda University was a public bathroom, and it was the busiest time of day. Wei Jing’an walked in with her head down, facing the wall, only showing her back.

Below her chest, there was a scar that looked like it had been torn by a ferocious beast.

Grandma said it had been there before she found her, perhaps a birthmark she was born with. Although she comforted herself that it was in an inconspicuous place, the hideous dark red birthmark still made Wei Jing’an unwilling to expose herself in front of others.

After taking a shower, Wei Jing’an returned to the dorm and sat on a chair to dry her hair.

The moment her phone lit up, her heart skipped a beat. When she saw who it was, she didn’t even know whether to open it or not. The result of liking someone too much was that she wanted to be close to him, but she would also shrink back when she got close.

A conflicted and tangled psychology. She dried her hair, put down the towel, used a comb to untangle her knotted hair, tidied her clothes, straightened her back, and opened her phone with a dignified posture.

The latest message was: Busy?

Wei Jing’an quickly replied: No, I just finished showering.

Too honest. So honest that she immediately pressed the undo button.

But the other side was faster than her: Mm.

Her fingers froze on the screen, and she braced herself to see what he would say next.

He said: Think about what I told you.

Wei Jing’an scrolled up.

At the very top of the screen was the first message he had sent: Did you see the news recently? There will be a meteor shower this month, the day after tomorrow. Some people in our class are organizing to go to Tanshan Park to watch it. I won’t have time, but I thought you girls might like it. Do you want to go? There’s a big bus, and there are a lot of empty seats.

Tanshan was the most mysterious mountain forest in Qingcheng City. There was only one winding path leading to the top of the mountain, surrounded by tall trees. The centuries-old Qingtan trees were lush and leafy, with thick trunks, concealing the entire mountain.

Even in broad daylight, when the sun was at its brightest, one couldn’t see the light. There was only a sea of green and a faint mist.

No one had ever successfully explored Tanshan.

Only Tanshan Park was built halfway up the mountain. The trees here were younger, their trunks still young, unable to block out the sun. Instead, the air in the forest was filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance.

Wei Jing’an had no interest in such a remote place, especially since Lin Yanzhou didn’t have time. She wouldn’t go either. She was about to reply, but the message from the other side came immediately.

He said: If you want to go, I’ll go.

He said: It’ll be a lot of fun with you there.

Wei Jing’an stared blankly at the popped-up message, her cheeks unknowingly turning red as if they had been doused with hot oil. She felt like her whole body was about to burn up. What did he mean by that? She held her face, pondering what to reply.

After a long time, she replied: I want to go.

Wei Jing’an prepared food to replenish her energy and warm clothes for staying overnight at Tanshan Park. Actually, she regretted agreeing to Lin Yanzhou. Her physical condition was very poor, and she would be a drag in activities that required physical exertion.

But she really didn’t want to miss the chance to have a shared memory with Lin Yanzhou. She gritted her teeth and decided to go.

With her essential medication, Wei Jing’an arrived at the designated place.

There were many people participating in this activity, organized by the president of the mountaineering club.

Along with Wei Jing’an’s WeChat message came the president’s words: “I know most of you are here because of Lin Yanzhou, but he has something urgent… Don’t leave, don’t leave. He’ll come himself tonight. We’ll go first.”

The WeChat message and the president’s words were identical.

Wei Jing’an was a little disappointed.

She got on the bus and found a corner seat by the window. The seat next to her was immediately occupied. She didn’t mind, resting her chin on her hand and looking out the window.

The bus didn’t smell very good. There were too many people, and there were all kinds of smells, but the smell of the person next to her wasn’t unpleasant. Most of the people sitting behind were boys, some were meticulous about personal hygiene, while others were messy. The boy next to her was clearly clean and fresh.

He seemed to have sprayed perfume, a light, refreshing mint scent.

Wei Jing’an casually glanced at him.

The boy immediately straightened his back. He had finally waited for this moment. His whole face seemed particularly excited and nervous, and the curve of his lips was a little stiff.

He quickly glanced at Wei Jing’an, suppressing his violently beating heart, and used a steady voice to say the draft he had rehearsed several times in his heart.

“Hello, classmate. We’ve met before. I’m Zhao Jingze. Do you remember me?”