Chapter 123 Spider 10

Xu Zhao disliked the town's residents, including the seemingly benevolent mayor. It was an overstatement, but so far, she hadn't met anyone she felt comfortable with. They looked at her with a murky, dark gaze, as if she'd been rolling in a stinking ditch.

Lin Yue was different. Although he had a strange and terrifying spider-like body... Xu Zhao hadn't dared to observe him closely until now, his eyes were clear and bright, occasionally filled with tears. Most importantly, he had given her the spider web that day, asking for nothing more. Just that she return to the hotel safely.

Xu Zhao frowned, staring at the floating debris in the pool of blood, swallowed his saliva, and looked away, staring at the relatively clean wall.

"We are strangers, to be honest. But seeing you in danger, and knowing I could help, I decided to save you. Besides, those spiders aren't as scary as you might imagine; they're tough on the outside, but they're weak on the inside. Their shells are like brittle skin, easily broken with a poke. It's the claws and teeth at the front that are a bit tricky."

She lowered her head, and Lin Yue stared at him stubbornly, his fingers gripping the corners of her clothes so tightly that they turned white. He bit his lip, as if trying to endure the pain.

Yes, how could it not hurt? His body felt like it was about to break apart.

Seeing that he was about to die, Xu Zhao felt soft-hearted and wanted to say something kind to comfort him. He looked so pitiful at the moment, like a poor man who had been bullied but had nowhere to turn.

Xu Zhao curled her fingers together. She recalled what happened yesterday, the sudden sadness on Lin Yue's face when she mentioned the townspeople.

Perhaps when Lin Yue was fighting the spider, the townspeople he had protected abandoned him? This was the cruelest thing Xu Zhao could imagine.

She said, "I don't know what happened to you, but at least you're alive and still have some human consciousness. So keep living and don't give up on yourself... A spider bite hurts, right? If you want to die, you don't have to do it this way."

Lin Yue: "It doesn't hurt."

Xu Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly. She didn't believe his nonsense. If it really didn't hurt, then why were his eyes so red? His cheeks were already pale, and the two bright tear marks were particularly conspicuous. Especially those eyes, which were stained with mist, looked at her as if tears were rolling down their cheeks.

Xu Zhao glanced at his battered body with a reluctant expression: "It's too late to talk about life and death now. Considering that you helped me yesterday, is there anything you haven't fulfilled? I might be able to help you within my ability."

Lin Yue opened his mouth. The wound hurt, and the blood ran cold. He lay in the cold, sticky pool of blood, clutching the edge of Xu Zhao's shirt tightly with his clean fingers. He almost forgot his fingers were still stuck, unwilling to let go.

He leaned on his elbows and approached her casually.

"I...I'm not dead."

"Um."

Not dead yet, but almost dead, right?

Xu Zhao glanced at her backpack, which contained medicine. She still wanted to struggle. Lin Yue had been able to merge with the spider into a bizarre half-man, half-spider form, while others had been dragged away by the spider and only become food. Perhaps he could still be saved.

She reached for her backpack.

He successfully hooked the strap and dragged him to his side. Lin Yue's fingers loosened at some point, and he lay face down on the ground. Perhaps he was breathing his last. Xu Zhao quickened his pace, digging out the medicine he had brought. He glanced at Lin Yue's bleeding abdomen.

Xu Zhao took out a piece of clean gauze: "... Stop the bleeding. If it keeps on flowing like this, you'll die. It's going to hurt a lot, just bear with it."

She didn't expect Lin Yue to answer her. He was breathing weakly, his dark eyes vacant. The moment his eyelashes fluttered, his eyes moved slightly. When Xu Zhao pressed the ball of gauze to his wound, he suddenly hummed.

The movement of his hands suddenly froze. Xu Zhao felt the fingers that had touched his bloody mouth go stiff. Lin Yue was a very handsome young man, his face and chest as exquisite as a meticulously crafted painting. Even his sweat-soaked hair was beautifully and alluringly plastered to the sides of his forehead, revealing a smooth forehead. Two obsidian eyes stared at her silently.

"If it hurts, tell me and I'll be gentler."

Lin Yue bit his lip: "...Yeah."

He should have thanked her, but the pain in his abdomen made it impossible for him to speak. He could endure the pain when the spider's fangs pierced him, but when it came to this man's hands, he couldn't even bear the pain.

She bit her lip tightly, but still let out a sound.

Xu Zhao had no medical knowledge, let alone experience treating such a large wound. But with no one to help her, she had no choice but to apply gauze to the wound. Unable to find any extra gauze, she took off her coat and tied it around his waist.

Her wrist accidentally touched the bristles on the legs, and surprisingly, they felt soft. She glanced at Lin Yue with a bit of embarrassment, but he didn't notice, his eyes closed as if he was asleep.

The sky darkened. Lin Yue lay on her side, sleeping peacefully. Perhaps she had fainted from the pain. Xu Zhao stared outside. Ever since she'd killed the spider last night, the townspeople had looked at her with undisguised disgust and hatred. Zhao Chunhong had repeatedly accused her of being an evil spirit, a sinner who brought disaster, to the neighbors. She cried about her bad luck, how the inn had been taken over by an evil spirit.

Xu Zhao just felt confused.

She couldn't understand why killing a few spiders was such a big deal. She thought she was brave and worthy of praise and encouragement, but she didn't expect to get the exact opposite.

If the townspeople said that those spiders couldn't be killed and that killing them would bring disaster, then she would have suffered retribution long ago. How could she still be alive?

Besides, if the spider is a god as the townspeople say, it's really ridiculous. How could a god brutally kill people and watch the world turn into hell?

But despite her negative impression of the townspeople, Xu Zhao still felt that the hotel was safer than staying here. She wasn't sure if Lin Yue could maintain his human thoughts... She glanced sideways and moved her body. Lin Yue's fingertips suddenly tightened, and he uttered a vague mutter.

She dragged her chin helplessly, wanting to leave but unable to. But the way Lin Yue looked at the moment, even if he had lost his human consciousness, with his dilapidated body, he probably wouldn't pose much danger.

She casually pulled a piece of dry straw, stretched it to finger length, and bit it between her teeth, thinking quietly for a moment before deciding to fill her stomach first.

The backpack was filled with food. Mostly filling compressed biscuits or chocolate. She tore open the chocolate first to replenish her lost energy. Then she searched the backpack for something to feed Lin Yue... Could he eat human food?

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment, then found the bag of milk, tore open an opening, and put it to Lin Yue's lips.

He hummed in his sleep with his eyes closed. When he smelled the food, he subconsciously opened his lips, bit the bag, and the mellow milk flowed down his throat.

After feeding, Xu Zhao leaned back and fell asleep against the wall.

…

At dawn, Lin Yue was the first to open his eyes. The room was filled with a thick, bloody smell. The broken body showed signs of healing, with the spider half healing the fastest. Aside from the tentacles dragging on the ground, the legs had regained their powerful strength.

The most serious injury was on his waist, which was covered in red and white gauze, and the slightest movement caused a heart-wrenching pain.

Sure enough, he was not dead.

The moment the sigh came out, his whole body stiffened, his fingertips curled up unconsciously, and his palms felt a soft and unfamiliar touch.

One corner of the clothes was stained with blood and gray.

He stared blankly, his eyes moving upwards to land on the girl who was sleeping soundly with her back against the wall.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow, her face soft, her body frail, yet filled with astonishing strength. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, stained with blood and mud. Lin Yue didn't dare move, let alone make even the slightest noise. He practically held his breath, quietly gazing at her sleeping face.

The house was filthy and smelly. Lin Yue could smell none of these strange odors, only the faint scent of the girl, hidden deep within the bloody mud. It was the girl's most natural scent, emanating from her body, like the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers. He could even faintly smell the sweet scent of blood coursing through his veins.

Staring at someone for an extended period while they sleep is considered rude. Lin Yue, in the past, rarely made eye contact with others. He was reserved and shy, but not bashful by nature. He approached everything with a lighthearted attitude, from the candies and toys of childhood obsessions to the more complex friendships of adulthood, the affections of the opposite sex, and dreams... to him, everything was like a fleeting illusion.

He didn't know when his soul disappeared. He could only pay less attention to worldly things and not miss them.

At this moment, he couldn't look away. But he forced himself to lower his gaze, staring at the piece of washed-out clothing in his palm. This was the clothing he once wore; he could clearly see the cracked edges and the drug stains.

Thinking of this, he became even more afraid to look at that person.

That person, that person... He didn't even know her name.

He has no right to know.

Xu Zhao woke up and moved his body. He didn't notice that the boy next to him quickly closed his eyes, as if he was a thief, holding his breath and his body stiffened.

She actually slept the whole night without waking up.

She pulled the hem of her clothes from Lin Yue's grasp and examined his body. She was pleasantly surprised to find that he was indeed showing signs of improvement. She treated Lin Yue like a trustworthy companion, and felt genuine joy at his improvement.

After a quick meal, Xu Zhao squatted at the doorway and examined the spider's corpse. Her gaze once again focused on the two pairs of massive fangs. The knife was in her backpack, but she wanted to test the spider's toughness.

He simply grabbed the hairy chelicerae with both hands, kicked the spider's messy body with one foot, and pulled it out with force.

"……call."

Successfully pulled out.

Xu Zhao kicked the spider, holding its massive, ferocious fangs high. A smug smile curled the corners of her lips at the sight of having them again. The morning breeze blew, messing her black hair around her face. She casually tucked it behind her ear. Turning, she met Lin Yue's gaze from inside the room.

Lin Yue, holding onto the wall, stood up. He watched her movements, stunned at first, then biting his lip in bewilderment. His eyes seemed to hold a ripple of water. He raised his hand to ruffle his hair, concealing the two obsidian stones on his forehead.

"...Do you like this kind of thing?"

Xu Zhao dropped his hands in embarrassment and threw the claws to the ground.

"Not that I like it. Its teeth are sharp and can be used as weapons."

Lin Yue took a few steps forward, gasping for breath. The wound in his abdomen hadn't healed yet, and fresh blood gushed out, staining the gauze once again. He slumped to the ground, head bowed awkwardly. After a long pause, he responded to her earlier words, "...I understand."

His voice was very soft, almost like the humming of a kitten.

Xu Zhao, standing outside the door, didn't hear anything, but he saw him fall to the ground. He grabbed the spider's intact fangs with one hand and dragged it in front of Lin Yue.

Lin Yue didn't understand what she meant and gave her a questioning look.

Xu Zhao squatted in front of him, his eyes bright and his expression kind.

She said, "You are badly injured. You need food to replenish your strength and heal faster. This spider is a good choice for you to eat."

Lin Yue pursed his lips and stared at the bloody spider corpse, feeling a little hesitant.

Xu Zhao, however, interpreted his expression as weakness caused by hunger and almost stuffed the spider's corpse into his mouth.

"I saw you eat a spider before, and I thought it might taste bad? But you can't be picky about food at a time like this, otherwise how can you recover?"

Lin Yue struggled several times, grabbed the spider's corpse and bit it.