"I will try my best not to become an infected one, I will become what you said... um, an 'Awakened'?"
Jiang Huai's voice carried a hint of a bitter smile.
But his eyes were firm, as though searching for a glimmer of light in the darkness.
Lu Wanyin was amused by Jiang Huai's words.
Her smile, bathed in moonlight, was especially pure and sweet, like the brightest star in the night sky, illuminating everything around her.
"You're really a fool. This isn't something you can change just by your willpower."
Her words carried a trace of teasing, but more so, they reflected her care and understanding of Jiang Huai.
She gently walked to the windowsill, where the moonlight bathed her, outlining her figure like a delicate silhouette.
The girl rested her arms on the window ledge, her gaze seemingly transcending time and space, returning to distant memories.
After a long while, she broke the silence, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor. "You must have heard about my family."
"Mm." Jiang Huai nodded.
"My parents died when I was very young, in the Beast Tide."
"That day was my fifth birthday… Everything happened so suddenly. During the Beast Tide attack, it was my master who saved me, and after bringing me back to life when I was nearly dead, he adopted me. His main job was a worker."
There was a faint sadness in Lu Wanyin's voice, but more than that, it was filled with gratitude and admiration for her adoptive father.
"As you've heard, my family was poor, but my master did everything he could to give me his best. Though it wasn't much, each item was invaluable to me."
"The Night Demon Patrol isn't as powerful as other Awakened organizations. We… owe a lot of money. But no matter whether it was my master or the others in the organization now, they've never let me experience a day of hardship…"
With that, she gently took out an old rabbit hairpin from her pajama pants.
"This was the first gift he ever gave me… No, it's not that I'm unwilling to change it. It's just that this item means so much to me."
She carefully cupped the hairpin in her palm as if it were the most precious treasure of her life.
So that's it.
It seemed Lu Wanyin cared deeply about this matter. She probably didn't want Jiang Huai to misunderstand that she was seeking sympathy.
"Your master must really care for you," Jiang Huai said with a smile.
Lu Wanyin nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with deep love for her adoptive father. "My master is the best person in the world to me. He's the only family I have now."
Her voice held a hint of choked emotion, but more than that, it was filled with resolve and pride.
So that's why you're the little sun that everyone likes in school.
In that moment, Jiang Huai had some thoughts.
He looked at Lu Wanyin, his heart filled with respect and emotion.
The Lu Wanyin in school, the one in front of him now, the one before she went on a mission.
Perhaps none of it was an act; it was all Lu Wanyin, the real her.
Her strength, optimism, and kindness were the truest reflections of her character.
"Who's stronger, you or your master?" Jiang Huai asked on a whim.
"My master is a six-star senior Awakened in the association, while I'm just a half-baked one. Actually, I… I'm afraid of fighting beasts. I'm fine with infected ones, but when it comes to beasts…"
As she spoke, Lu Wanyin clenched her hand and tucked the hairpin back into her pocket.
Jiang Huai understood that Lu Wanyin's parents had died at the hands of beasts. This must be a shadow that lingered in her heart, one that people couldn't easily shake off.
"Maybe I'm just not cut out for fighting…"
Listening to Lu Wanyin, Jiang Huai stretched and then leaned a little closer to her.
"But you still chose to fight, to face things you're not good at. To me, that's impressive."
Lu Wanyin tilted her head slightly to look at Jiang Huai, and then a guilty smile appeared on her face.
"Jiang Huai, maybe I shouldn't be telling you all this. After all, I might be the one to kill you."
In that moment, Jiang Huai saw the glimmer in her eyes.
Those eyes, reflecting the bright stars above, now seemed to have found someone she could confide in.
"Jiang Huai, I really like the food you cook… I know this sounds strange, but I really enjoyed these past two days living at your place. I…"
She trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.
Jiang Huai raised his hand and gently wiped away a tear from the girl's cheek, half-jokingly saying, "If you don't mind, we could keep this 'surveillance' going indefinitely."
"…What did you say?"
Lu Wanyin's eyes were wide with shock, and this was no act—it was the genuine emotion of the girl before him.
"It's just about having more chopsticks, isn't it?"
Jiang Huai scratched his head, laughing.
Lu Wanyin bit her lip gently.
Just as she was about to say something, a red glimmer flashed in her pupils.
Then, a short, sharp scream echoed from the alley below.
Jiang Huai heard the scream too, and just as he was about to peek outside, Lu Wanyin had already turned and rushed out the door.
Jiang Huai knew something had gone wrong.
After hesitating for a moment, he followed behind her, running out.
In the silent night, a chilling scream echoed from a dimly lit alley.
Then came the sound of dragging and the eerie noise of chewing.
Lu Wanyin and Jiang Huai arrived at the scene, and the sight before them left both of them stunned.
A woman in a white coat was being dragged into the shadows of the alley by some kind of monster.
Blood trailed along the ground, soaking the front of her clothes.
The woman was barely conscious, having lost all strength to resist.
In the weak moonlight, they could finally see the true face of the creature.
It had the lower body of a human, but its upper body was like that of a centipede, covered in countless jointed segments. At the top of its head was a twisted human face, eagerly devouring the woman's body.
The woman collapsed to the ground, her facial muscles spasming uncontrollably.
The creature seemed to be deliberately not killing her. While feasting on her blood and flesh, it even used its hand to tap her head, forcing weak groans from her.
Watching herself being consumed alive was clearly the most painful and hopeless thing in this world.
And that was exactly what the monster wanted. It seemed like a curious gourmet.
It didn't care for cooked food.
It preferred to watch the fresh, living life slowly slip away before its eyes.
As if that was what satisfied its appetite.
Suddenly, after the woman collapsed, her head tilted slightly.
It seemed she noticed Jiang Huai and Lu Wanyin hiding around the corner.
Desperately, she tried to stretch her hand out, her half-eaten face trembling slightly.
Her exposed teeth were chattering, and her voice sounded like it came from hell.
"Help… me…"
Lu Wanyin was about to rush forward.
Jiang Huai grabbed her arm tightly.
"She's beyond saving. This thing doesn't look like something we can handle."
"Then put her out of her misery."
At this moment, Lu Wanyin no longer wore the gentle or fragile expression she had shown on the balcony.
Now, she looked just like the first time Jiang Huai had seen her.
Calm, decisive, and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Her figure, bathed in moonlight, seemed especially cold, like a grim reaper coming to harvest souls, ready to carry out her mission.
But what she was about to do was not what a reaper would do.
The woman was barely alive, her intestines being ripped out by the monster, blood flowing from her face, which was half-eaten.
Jiang Huai should have known the woman. She was also a resident in the apartment.
He'd probably exchanged greetings with her before, going up and down the floors.
But the more familiar one was with someone,
The more terrifying it became when seeing them in such a state.
She lay on the ground, one eye gouged out and hanging by nerves next to her face.
She seemed to realize that she had no way out.
Tears began to flow from her remaining eye.
"...Kill... me... please..."