Chapter 130 Spider 17

Xu Zhao slept soundly in the first half of the night. The wind was chilly, and she seemed to wrap herself tightly around something soft, like a cotton-filled quilt. Warm, and permeated with a faint, comforting fragrance. Her sleep deteriorated in the second half of the night. She slept soundly, but nightmares plagued her. It felt as if countless bottles of glue had been poured all over her head and body, making it impossible to move.

After waking up, Xu Zhao saw the scene in front of him. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She hadn't known spiders before. She only knew they spun webs in corners, occasionally entangled with flying insects and even butterflies. The silk they spun would appear before her eyes from time to time, and every time she touched it, Xu Zhao trembled with fear. She feared the small, dark, eerie-looking spider would crawl into her clothes. This gave her a negative impression of spiders.

But now, she was wrapped in a thick blanket made of countless spider silk strands, even pressed heavily against the bed. The silk wrapped around her wrists felt different from the usual dryness. Instead, it felt wet, sticky, and extremely sticky.

She pulled her wrists, which were firmly stuck to the bed.

Perhaps because it was Lin Yue who spit out the spider silk, he not only did not feel fear or disgust, but also felt a little helpless.

Xu Zhao stared at the beams for a moment, then, bored, turned to look at Lin Yue, who lay soundly asleep beside the bed. He struggled to break free from the sticky spiderwebs that bound his wrists and settle down. Lin Yue folded his arms over the bed, half his face pressed against them, the other half facing Xu Zhao.

If you only look at his upper body, he looks no different from a human - if you ignore the two spider eyes hidden in his hair.

Through his messy hair, he could faintly see two wide-open spider eyes, covered with a hazy mist. Could this be what he did when he was asleep?

The spider's single eye, without eyelids, was like two glass beads embedded in its forehead. In the daytime, it was a glittering gem. But now, it looked like a gem covered in dust.

Lin Yue's sleeping appearance was not much different from his waking state. He was just as quiet, gentle, and shy. Half his face was hidden, and the remaining half was exquisitely beautiful, like a perfect work of art meticulously crafted by a sculptor over years.

The only thing that marred this face were the two dark circles under her eyes. Xu Zhao thought, let him sleep a little longer. Anyway, the spider silk that clung to her wrists, ankles, waist, and even more skin was soft and gentle. Apart from being sticky, it didn't cause her any harm. It just meant that she couldn't move for the time being.

Xu Zhao dozed off for a bit. She was a light sleeper, easily awakened by the slightest movement, but in the thatched hut, she slept surprisingly soundly. She didn't open her eyes until sunlight streamed through the cracks, warming her cheeks. Then, she stumbled into Lin Yue's eyes, which were filled with self-blame and guilt, yet also concealed a thick layer of shyness.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Before Xu Zhao woke up, he only dared to touch the spider silk lightly. The sweat secreted through the pores of his palms prevented him from being affected by the sticky spider silk. He pulled off the spider silk one by one, but unexpectedly woke Xu Zhao.

"...I fell asleep and don't know what happened. It wasn't like this before. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Xu Zhao."

Lin Yue kept his eyes downcast, only daring to peek at her when she woke. When she woke up and looked him in the eye, he lowered his head again. He rubbed his palms against the spider silk, frantically breaking strands one after another. The sticky threads broke, leaving noticeable wet marks on her skin.

Xu Zhao moved her body tentatively, and most of the spider silk wrapped around her broke. She sat up and turned her stiff wrist.

"It's okay. The spider silk I've seen before was dry, but why is this sticky? It's also a little wet and cool. It must be very comfortable in the summer."

Lin Yue approached the bed, leaning forward and leaning against the edge. He glanced at the sticky spider silk lingering on her skin. Seeing she didn't show any disgust, he explained, "...When spiders weave webs to catch prey, they secrete sticky silk along the web. Prey gets stuck in the web and can't escape..."

"At first, I could only secrete dry spider silk. I don't know what happened last night... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

As he spoke, his voice began to sob. Xu Zhao wiped the remaining spider silk on his wrist with his fingertips. It was sticky, and the place where his palm touched was like it was coated with oil.

Lin Yue didn't understand what she was thinking, so he explained anxiously, "These oily liquids can prevent the spider silk from sticking...Xu Zhao, can I, can I pull the spider silk off first?"

Xu Zhao responded: "Okay."

He lowered his eyes and looked at Lin Yue.

Lin Yue's palm not only had the warmth of a human, but also contained a sticky oily substance. He used the oily substance he secreted to slowly tear apart the spider silk that was wrapped around her, scattering it all over the ground.

Xu Zhao had to face his true thoughts——

Lin Yue, who retained his human appearance, was weak and harmless. But she had always overlooked one thing, or more accurately, deliberately ignored it: Lin Yue was the product of a union with a spider.

Whenever she came into contact with him, she only dared to stare at his eyes or his human body. As for his lower limbs, she had no clear impression in her mind at the moment.

His peripheral vision swept over Lin Yuezhu's belly, a shiny black, oval belly covered with dense hair. At the very bottom, a ball of white spider silk piled up. As he leaned forward slightly, pulling at the spider silk wrapped around her, the spinneret was still spewing out spider silk continuously.

Delicate, soft, moist and sticky.

For some reason, Xu Zhao swallowed, as if he saw some restricted scene, and looked away awkwardly.

Most of the spider silk had fallen off. The remaining strands were dry silk that Xu Zhao could handle on his own. Lin Yue seemed oblivious to this, his fingers still picking at it, pulling it apart, and throwing it to the ground. He repeated this action until Xu Zhao suddenly spoke.

"Lin Yue."

"...Hmm. Did it hurt?"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about." Xu Zhao pointed at the spider silk remaining on his wrist, his expression serious and solemn. "If the sticky spider silk is secreted to catch prey, then—are you trying to eat me?"

This is a very serious problem.

Xu Zhao must be responsible for her own safety. If Lin Yue shows any trace of greed, struggle, or pain, then she will stay away from this thatched hut that brings her a brief period of peace and tranquility, or the spider boy in front of her who retains a human appearance and makes her feel distressed...

Although before coming to Blackwater Town, she had the mentality of not caring about death.

But who doesn’t want to live a good life?

Deep down in her heart, she still longed to find Zhao Wenqing, even if it was just his corpse, to hand it over to Mrs. Zhao and get the remaining half of the funds.

This way, the little sister's nutrition after the operation can be kept up, and Xu Zhao himself can also continue his unfinished studies.

His eyes gradually became firm, and at the same time, when he looked at Lin Yue, he was inevitably wary and scrutinizing.

Lin Yue, leaning against the edge of the bed, was completely unaware of Xu Zhao's change of heart. He stared at the spider webs scattered on the ground with a bit of sadness.

Sticky spider silk is indeed secreted to catch prey. Facing Xu Zhao, he couldn't explain his feelings. He simply felt she was incredibly fragrant and sweet. The resulting hunger couldn't overwhelm his reason—it was an emotion more intense than the hunt itself.

He wanted to be close to her all the time.

Sniff her... or maybe even take a sip? She's so fragrant and sweet.

Lin Yue didn't know why, while unconscious, he had secreted spider silk to entangle and wrap around her, so that when he woke up, he was terrified to see Xu Zhao firmly stuck. Lin Yue always remembered the emotion at that time.

Rather than the initial panic and helplessness, he was more captivated by the image of Xu Zhao sleeping peacefully, wrapped in the spider web without a struggle. This image, like a trickle of water caressing the depths of his heart, brought a strange sense of satisfaction and surprise.

Why?

Lin Yue lowered his eyes. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, revealing a deep red from his frequent weeping. It looked as if he'd deliberately applied rouge. His slender, thick eyelashes, like small fans, fluttered slightly, accentuating the youth's pure demeanor like a lotus flower blooming on a snowy mountain.

A cool breeze blew, and the lotus petals trembled slightly, just like his occasionally blinking eyelashes and slightly curled up body.

In the past, Lin Yue was a trustworthy, gentle and harmless person who was consistent in his words and deeds.

He doesn't know how to lie, and he doesn't want to lie.

He has always despised such low-quality behavior.

But at this moment, that face that had always been unable to hide its emotions, when he was entangled in the depths of his heart by Xu Zhao's words, when he was thirsting for Lin Yue's sweet scent in his heart, his face showed -

It is the pitiful helplessness with tears in eyes.

Like a broken lotus root, despite Lin Yue's meticulous cleaning, a few strands of silk still clung to Xu Zhao's body. Her subtle mood swings were transmitted to him through the silk, allowing him to imagine her expression even without raising his eyes.

Are you scared?

He looked very alert. If he didn't answer well, would Xu Zhao leave him?

Lin Yue pinched his fingertips, his hands trembling slightly, tears streaming down his face. He raised his head and stared blankly at Xu Zhao. His tone was filled with a hint of confusion and fear: "... Your blood smells delicious. Perhaps it's the spider's lingering predatory instincts, but I'm satisfied with just a few sniffs. Eat you..."

He paused for a rare moment, tears streaming down his face. "...You are my only friend. Xu Zhao, if one day I do something that threatens your safety, will you kill me? Living in this body is already... painful. If I hurt you, there's no point in me living anymore."

Xu Zhao moved.

Lin Yue held his breath.

That faint emotion that he keenly captured was called - pity.

His drooping eyelashes suddenly touched something warm, something truly warm, a scent he knew and cherished. It was Xu Zhao's fingers. With his curved fingers, he gently wiped away the tears from Lin Yue's eyes.

The crystal teardrop remained on her finger. It felt a little cold. Xu Zhao's heart felt as if it were being gently grasped by a gentle hand. Under Lin Yue's tearful gaze, his impulsive thoughts suddenly overshadowed the rational signal to stay away from danger.

She thought. Lin Yue was a kind person. Even if he combined with the spider to form a half-human, half-spider form, he did not threaten her life. Moreover, if he really wanted to eat her last night, how could she still wake up?

Even if Lin Yue would eat her, so what? Lin Yue's place was the only safe place for her in Blackwater Town. What had she been thinking before?

Xu Zhao bent down and moved closer to Lin Yue.

There was an arm's length between the two of them.

"Lin Yue, don't take what I said just now to heart. It was just my imagination. I'm sorry," Xu Zhao bit her lip in self-blame. She wanted to comfort him, but Lin Yue's tears flowed uncontrollably. She felt more and more that she had done something very bad to him. She blinked panickedly, "...You are also my only friend. I believe you won't eat me, and I won't kill you. Lin Yue, it doesn't matter if you become half human, half spider, don't be sad..."

Lin Yue kept his head up.

Her expression was calm, with only tears silently flowing down her delicate, fair cheeks, leaving behind two bright tear marks.

Xu Zhao seemed speechless, holding up her finger dryly, where a tear still lay. Lin Yue's eyes were hazy, as if overflowing with spring water. She ignored the safe distance between them and wiped away the tear marks on Lin Yue's cheek with the tip of her finger instead of the side of her finger.

"Don't cry, I shouldn't have doubted you. I was wrong, Lin Yue. If you feel uncomfortable, just scold me..."

Her wrist was suddenly covered by cold fingers. Lin Yue gently pinched her wrist and slowly leaned his cheek against her palm.

Rubbed it slightly.

Lin Yue asked: "Really?"

Scold her? Xu Zhao nodded sincerely: "Of course. If anything I said or did makes you feel uncomfortable, you can point it out at any time, even scolding me is fine."

Lin Yue shook his head.

Even when he shook his head, his cheek was still pressed tightly against her palm. His temperature was a little cold, and after being pressed against her palm for a long time, it took on some of Xu Zhao's temperature.

"Is it true that I'm your only friend?"

Xu Zhao didn't react: "...Ah?"

Lin Yue was neither anxious nor annoyed, and asked patiently: "I am your only friend. Is this true?"

The expectation in his eyes is like the twinkling stars in the dark night.

Xu Zhao didn't understand why they suddenly jumped to this topic. She nodded honestly, thinking that was the end of it. However, Lin Yue's eyes became more and more expectant, and she unexpectedly understood what he meant - he wanted to hear her say it in person.

……All right.

This is not a difficult request.

What's more, Xu Zhao was telling the truth. Apart from Lin Yue, she really had no friends.

Xu Zhao: "...My life was very monotonous before. I was busy with many things and had no free time to interact with people. Therefore, I had no close friends. Coming to Blackwater Town and meeting you, well...you are indeed my only friend."

The hand clasping her wrist suddenly tightened, and a spider silk with a faint herbal scent floated over, wrapped around her wrist, and then wrapped around Lin Yue's wrist.

As if to wrap their wrists together.

But it only stayed for a few seconds before the spider silk slowly fell to the ground.

Xu Zhao naturally did not see this scene.

In her eyes, there were only Lin Yue's tears that seemed to flow endlessly, and lips that were like flower buds blooming after the rain. Slowly, bit by bit, the corners of her lips rose, and her whole face became more and more dazzling and lively.

He rubbed his warm palm fondly. He stared at Xu Zhao with tearful eyes. He said, "Me too."