Jiang Huai's heart, still connected to his blood vessels and tissues, was ripped out.
Immediately after, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The blood splattered onto Shen An'an's face, and instead of flinching, she extended her tongue and licked it.
"Darling... close your eyes."
Shen An'an leaned down, bringing the still-beating heart to Jiang Huai's face.
But Jiang Huai remained strangely calm.
There was only one question in his mind.
Why is my heart ripped out, yet I'm still alive?
There was no pain, only numbness.
He could only watch helplessly as this creature used its sharp teeth to pierce his heart.
Then, it greedily sucked the blood that sprayed out.
But Shen An'an's actions slowly stopped. Her mouth was full of blood, and when she opened it, the smell of blood filled the air.
"This isn't the core... then where is your core..."
Clearly, she hadn't found what she was looking for.
Suddenly, Shen An'an seemed to remember something. Her eyes slightly curved as she revealed a terrifying and deeply meaningful smile.
"I know where your core is now, naughty boy. Do you like big sister this much?"
Shen An'an sat on Jiang Huai's body, leaning slightly backward as her hand casually moved to Jiang Huai's thigh.
Her expression was teasing, and her sharp nails lightly hooked the waistband of Jiang Huai's pants.
"Then I'll satisfy you this once. Big sister will let you die at the moment of your greatest pleasure."
Jiang Huai slowly turned his head, looking around to see if there was anything that could help him escape this situation.
Unfortunately, there was nothing around him that could aid him.
He could only remain silent, letting the creature begin unbuckling his belt.
This absurd life would be better off ending.
Just then, a shadow appeared outside the window.
It seemed to contradict all of Jiang Huai's thoughts of wanting to die.
Jiang Huai initially thought it was just his imagination.
But in the blur, he saw the young girl outside the window smile gently at him and then raise a finger, signaling him to be quiet.
Before he could react,
The girl broke through the window.
As the glass shattered, the shadow that had broken through the window moved with lightning speed, pouncing on Shen An'an.
"Close your eyes."
A calm yet pleasant voice echoed in Jiang Huai's ears.
The voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, and Jiang Huai immediately closed his eyes.
Then he heard Shen An'an's roar and the sound of metal cutting through skin.
Next, Shen An'an let out a short, sharp scream.
"You can open your eyes now."
The voice spoke again.
Jiang Huai weakly opened his eyes, and only then did he see the face of the voice's owner.
The girl had a delicate yet stern face and long black hair like a waterfall.
She wore a black-and-white uniform, accentuating her graceful figure, especially her proud chest, which made Jiang Huai momentarily lose focus.
In that instant, Jiang Huai recognized her in the moonlight.
Lu Wanyin.
She was a classmate in Jiang Huai's department at the university.
They hadn't spoken much.
In Jiang Huai's impression, she was always the lively, cute, and well-liked girl in the department.
Her laughter was clear and sweet, like a bell in the spring, always bringing joy and energy.
But now, Lu Wanyin was completely different from Jiang Huai's impression of her.
She stood by the window, holding a scythe that was almost taller than her.
The blood-red liquid was dripping from the blade's edge.
The blood belonged to the now-dead Shen An'an.
Shen An'an.
No, or rather, the creature, had died completely.
"Target confirmed as a deeply infected individual, code name 'Parasite.' The original host of the body has probably been dead for about a year."
"Mission completed, Death God has finished the task and is conducting a site investigation."
The girl lightly stepped over Shen An'an's fallen body, reporting something into her earpiece as she approached Jiang Huai.
"Supplementary: This mission has involved a civilian."
She crouched down, looking at the hole in Jiang Huai's chest. Gently, she cupped his face.
"Alas... you're completely dead, your heart's been ripped out."
The girl softly held Jiang Huai's hand, sighing when she saw his eyes still open, even in death.
She then slowly placed Jiang Huai's hand on her own chest.
"May your soul rest in peace. May you suffer no more in your next life..."
At that moment,
"I'm not dead yet."
Jiang Huai was simply staring with his eyes wide open, too surprised to speak.
He hadn't expected Lu Wanyin to think he was already dead.
"Shit!!"
The girl was so startled that she fell onto the ground, and the scythe's blade immediately hooked onto Jiang Huai's neck.
"You... are you human or a ghost?!"
"Probably human, I can still breathe."
"How are you still alive?!"
"You're a little rude. Actually, I wanted to die just now, but I just couldn't die. I couldn't catch my breath."
The girl swallowed hard, her small face slightly reddened from the shock.
She kept her grip on the scythe, but with her other hand, she reached out to touch Jiang Huai's exposed broken heart.
"Not infected, no signs of awakening. The heart is confirmed destroyed, but you're still alive..."
The girl knelt beside Jiang Huai, as if she had discovered a new continent.
She tapped Jiang Huai's head with the handle of the scythe, then reached out to lightly touch the blood hole in his chest.
"Is it fun?"
"...It's okay, never encountered this before."
The girl hesitated.
Should she report this situation?
Lu Wanyin could tell that the boy before her had no traces of infection.
If she reported it, he probably wouldn't survive.
"Do you still have self-awareness?"
"Yeah, it's just that my chest feels cold."
As soon as Jiang Huai finished speaking, the girl burst out laughing.
"Are you an idiot? Of course, your chest and stomach have been opened up."
"..."
The girl's smile left Jiang Huai speechless.
Her eyes and brows curved, full of joy, like two crescent moons, radiant and dazzling.
Her delicate features radiated a unique charm. Her small nose wrinkled slightly, and two shallow dimples appeared when she smiled, making her look even sweeter and more dazzling.
The originally cold and intimidating aura completely disappeared, replaced by the lively and playful energy unique to young girls.
Originally, Jiang Huai wanted to ask, "Did you recognize me as your classmate?"
But suddenly, Lu Wanyin lightly raised her hand to cover her ear, as though she had heard something from her earpiece.
["Little Luzi, your signal is still at the scene. Is there any special situation?"]
The voice made Lu Wanyin snap back to her senses. She quickly stood up and walked toward the window.
After a moment of silence, she slightly glanced at Jiang Huai and then spoke into the earpiece.
"Nothing special, Uncle Du, I encountered a heartless cabbage."
"You're even more rude," Jiang Huai said unhappily.
Lu Wanyin, covering the earpiece, turned back and made a face at him.
After explaining the situation, the person on the other end of the line gave her further instructions.
"24-hour surveillance, no blind spots?"
Lu Wanyin asked.
["Correct, the observation period is set for one week. If no other mutations occur in his body during that time, bring him back to headquarters."]
"Got it~ Uncle Du, can I get a little extra for the bonus this time...? Hello? Hello?"
The line went dead.
"Sigh~ my life is really hard."
But Lu Wanyin didn't seem to care, merely shrugging her shoulders.
At this moment, Jiang Huai was very focused on the words she had just spoken.
Infected? Awakened?
Is this a movie?
"Oh, right, I almost forgot something. Heartless cabbage, wait for me a moment." Lu Wanyin said.
She then took out a yellowed talisman from a white cloth pouch tied to her waist, holding it between her long fingers.
She closed her eyes lightly and parted her lips, chanting an ancient and obscure incantation.
"Behold the Heavenly Way, illusions bound. Let none hear, let none speak; forbidden, virtual, and forbidden."
Then, she lightly waved her hand. The talisman floated in the air and immediately ignited.
Its ashes turned into countless black souls, which, like finding prey, pounced on Shen An'an's body, devouring it ravenously.
Soon, the souls had consumed Shen An'an entirely.
Jiang Huai watched this chilling scene and couldn't help but swallow.
But after satisfying their feast, the souls didn't approach Jiang Huai. Instead, they slowly dissipated into the air.