Chapter Ten: Is He a Man-Eating Old Monster?
“Zhao… Zhao He?”
Feeling that familiar warmth, Tang Wange’s heart instantly relaxed.
“I thought you wouldn’t come back,” Zhao He’s voice lost its usual teasing tone, instead sounding unusually low and serious.
“What nonsense are you talking about? If I don’t come back, where else would I live?”
Tang Wange thought he was mad at her for losing him, so she reached out to push him, but her hand met no resistance.
His cool breath brushed against her ear as he spoke with a sincerity she had never heard before, “You live in my heart. You don’t need to go anywhere else.”
“…”
Tang Wange’s heart pounded fiercely!
“Aren’t you touched?”
Suddenly, he let go of her and turned on the light, holding up the romance novel in his hand with a smile. “When I read this line, I was moved too!”
“…”
Right now, Tang Wange just wanted to pull out those two shining, sharp fangs of his!!!
“Little flat chest, I’m so hungry.”
“Good! Starve to death, then!”
“Little flat chest, you’re so cruel.”
“Well, you just haven’t met anyone more cruel!”
“…” Ah, how adorable she was~
“…” Why was this ghost such a jerk??
The two of them—one human, one ghost—bickered all night, but in the end, Tang Wange softened and cooked some beef for Zhao He to eat.
That finally shut his noisy mouth.
But when it was time to sleep, she faced another dilemma.
“Little flat chest, lie down here~”
Wearing white casual pajamas, he leaned half against the headboard, patting the spot beside him with his long hand, offering a tempting smile…
She really wanted to refuse.
But refusal was always useless.
No matter where she went to sleep, she would inevitably wake up in the middle of the night embraced by him…
She could only yield to the evil force.
Outside the window, the night was peaceful. Inside, moonlight spilled over the large bed where Zhao He gently held her under the warm covers with one arm.
His other hand supported his head as he slightly lowered it, watching Tang Wange’s sleeping face.
---
Her eyelashes were long, and she looked so docile when asleep, occasionally frowning as if having a nightmare.
Since the day he met her, he had lost count of how many nights he had watched her fall asleep like this.
On the old street, he had heard and seen Lin Chao’s confession to her.
He was angry, so he left without looking back.
If Tang Wange liked someone else, what would he do? Who else would cook meat for him every day? Deep down, he refused to accept it, unwilling to see Tang Wange with another!
Besides, no matter how he looked at it, he didn’t believe that person would treat her better than he did, nor would they hold her as tenderly, or cook the porridge she loved, or tell her the stories she liked…
“Why must someone as good as me die so early?”
Zhao He sighed regretfully, “Perhaps talent is envied by heaven, brilliance too easily cut short!”
“Heh, I think it’s because you did too many wicked things, and heaven forced you offline!” Tang Wange grumbled irritably, woken up by his words.
Then she suddenly realized she had never heard Zhao He talk about what kind of person he was in life.
“Zhao He, tell me, what did you do before?”
“Me?”
Zhao He frowned.
Buried memories, mixed with the metallic scent of blood in the soil, surged up, making him close his eyes involuntarily.
“Zhao He? Are you asleep?”
“No. I just don’t know how to tell you, afraid I might scare you.”
“Ah?”
Tang Wange turned over, curious, looking at Zhao He’s face, dimly lit by moonlight.
“Actually, I used to be a ruthless old monster who devoured people whole. My favorite dish? Little girls like you, with tender skin and soft flesh!” He said in a sinister tone, suddenly lunging forward, pointing at her cheek, face inches from hers!
“…”
Tang Wange’s hair stood on end.
“Scared?”
Zhao He grinned proudly. “If you’re scared, then listen to me from now on, keep away from those weird people. Hanging out with them wastes time and delays my meal…”
“Liar…”
Instead of being afraid, she seriously grasped his finger.
“The Zhao He I know would never be a man-eating monster.”
In the dim night, her face shone like the rising sun at dawn.
His eyes, once dazed, suddenly relaxed. He took her cold little hand and tucked it back under the warm blanket.
“Little flat chest, if you don’t sleep soon, dawn will come.”
“Oh…”
Tang Wange pouted and closed her eyes.
A long, long while passed.
---
The room was quiet except for the sound of her deep breathing and Zhao He’s soft sighs.
“If I really were a monster who did nothing but evil, what would you do?”
He himself had long forgotten his past.
All he knew was that for decades, centuries, even millennia, this wandering soul had roamed alone on the banks of the River of Forgetfulness, witnessing the world’s upheavals and transformations.
Countless mortals passed through the gates of reincarnation, yet he was neither saved nor savior.
“Ding—!”
The first class bell rang through the campus.
Tang Wange sprinted into the classroom, dropped her bag, and pulled out her textbook in one swift motion!
She blamed Zhao He for chatting so late last night, nearly making her oversleep.
Just as she thought this, she glanced down and saw yogurt and nuts piling up in her desk.
These must be expensive, right?
At least, they were high-end items she had seen on shelves but never dared to buy.
“Lin Chao personally delivered these early this morning. All the girls in our class are so jealous!” Ling Fei raised her book to shield her face, then leaned in and said quickly before sitting properly, afraid of being sent out for punishment again.
“Ah? How can I accept this…”
Tang Wange recalled the confession under the flower wall that day, her cheeks instantly flushing.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice a small figure jump out from her school uniform pocket and swagger boldly into the desk…
After several classes in the morning, Tang Wange listened attentively, completely focused, while Ling Fei grew increasingly distracted.
When lunch break came, all the students rushed to the cafeteria, but Ling Fei’s attention remained fixed on the pile of snacks in Tang Wange’s desk.
“Have you eaten the things Lin Chao gave you?”
Ling Fei closed her book slowly, her gaze drifting meaningfully toward under the desk. “He’s really generous to you. Many of the things he bought aren’t available in regular supermarkets… I’ve seen them but never dared to spend money on them.”
“I don’t usually eat snacks much either. Ling Fei, if you like, I can give these all to you?”
Tang Wange sensed the meaning behind her words and quickly pulled out her chair, intending to pack up the snacks for Ling Fei.
But in the desk… where were the snacks?!