Chapter 144 Spider 31

Xu Zhao's cheeks flushed from the heat. She ate slowly, finishing small mouthfuls of noodles in several bites. They tasted truly delicious. Lin Yue had made this bowl of noodles while she was asleep. When she opened her eyes, she saw his gentle, smiling face, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Honestly, she wasn't willing to share with anyone, not even Lin Yue. She could make him a bowl of the same or even richer noodle soup, but she wasn't willing to have the bowl in front of her.

Hearing that he really didn't want it, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But... Xu Zhao picked up the noodles and blew on them to her lips. The white hot steam rising from the sunset drifted slowly to the face of the person next to her. She glanced over inadvertently and saw that Lin Yue still kept his chin in his hand, his eyes fixed on her face. After their eyes met, the infatuation quickly disappeared and turned into a clear and gentle smile.

Realizing that Xu Zhao showed no resistance to his approach, Lin Yue moved his feet silently, shortening the already tiny distance, and leaned forward. His hoodie naturally slid down, revealing his broad, white chest.

His cheeks were completely buried in the lingering heat, as if lingering mist. He sniffed, his face salivating at the aroma of the noodles. "They smell so good. Can I have a bite?"

Xu Zhao held her chopsticks in a daze. She hadn't expected him to say that. Of course, it was no problem, but his expression made it seem like it was a difficult task. An image automatically played in her mind—

A cute-looking Lin Yue squatted before her, his hands clasped together, staring intently at her bowl of soup, saliva dripping from his lips. But Lin Yue's delicate features didn't seem disgusting, instead, he had a certain cuteness that came with being a cute-looking guy. A chat box above his head kept playing: "Please, please, Xu Zhao, just give me a taste!"

She was amused by the imagined scene and nodded. Just as she was about to say let's take a pair of chopsticks and eat together, Lin Yue leaned over to her, bit her chopsticks, and sucked up all the noodles on the chopsticks.

Well...it's nothing.

Xu Zhao was a bit of a mysophobia, not used to sharing chopsticks or water cups with others, but she could tolerate Lin Yue's words. She stared at the chopsticks silently for a few seconds, then casually glanced at Lin Yue's lips, which were moist with soup stains, as if she had found a precious treasure. Her eyes narrowed with joy: "...It tastes a bit salty to me? Is this the taste you like? Or should it be lighter, or something else..."

Xu Zhao slurped his noodles again as if nothing had happened: "It tastes just right."

After Xu Zhao finished eating, Lin Yue used the remaining bone broth to make another bowl of noodles. Actually, he'd rather eat fresh flesh and blood than the bland soup, or even the fragrant ribs, but that was fine; he could tolerate it. Food was insignificant to him.

For example, when he was a child, his tolerance allowed him to live in a less conspicuous place at home, and he could stay quietly in a corner without being constantly criticized and abused for no reason.

For example, now he gave up his monster taste and ate bland noodles and pork ribs cooked without any blood taste like a human.

His fangs itched slightly, and he wanted to gnaw on something, but he could only bite off the bones and swallow them down his throat.

Whether in the past or now, tolerance is for the sake of getting something.

As a child, what he wanted was to be like the Invisible Man, completely invisible and unnoticed at home.

Now, he hoped Xu Zhao wouldn't notice his abnormality. He had completely become a monster, wanting her to get used to life with him by her side. Gradually, like air, he was invading her completely, making her unable to bear the days without him...

But there is an essential difference between the two.

The former is tolerant, while he is miserable and humble.

The latter's tolerance made him faintly excited and restless, wanting to wait for that day to come soon...

…

The supermarket brought in quilts with various fillings and fabrics. The once hard bed was covered with soft bedding, and lying on it felt softer than any bed Xu Zhao had ever slept on. But she didn't sleep well, tossing and turning several times until she smelled a faint, familiar fragrance and gradually fell into a sweet dream.

After waking up, Xu Zhao discovered her wrists and ankles were tangled in varying degrees of white spider silk. The silk wasn't sticky, but she twisted her wrists slightly, and the silk slid off. The clean quilt was covered in soft, white silk. She turned around and saw Lin Yue sprawled on the edge of the bed.

Just like the day he first arrived, Lin Yue folded his arms, resting half of his face on his forearms, his face calm and composed.

A golden net bag hangs in the corner. How did he end up sleeping here?

Xu Zhao moved softly, thinking not to wake him. She still had the impression that Lin Yue needed care. Although he looked healthy at the moment, with a healthy blush on his face and his body still thin, he looked like a powerful bow or a sharp, ornate sword. His beautiful eyes were covered, and even his sleeping face was full of temptation and allure, lurking a hidden danger.

"Hmm..." Xu Zhao had just put on his shoes when Lin Yue woke up, rubbing his eyes. Perhaps it was because he had just woken up that he didn't have so many complicated thoughts. He followed his instinct and leaned forward to press against Xu Zhao's waist. His lips raised, and his eyes suddenly brightened. The two single eyes not covered by his hair also shone brightly. "Morning, Xu Zhao."

The legs followed instinct, and the front legs - the first pair of legs gently pressed against her calves. The bristles pierced the fabric of the pants, and the moment they touched the skin of the legs, they became gentle and harmless, like an ordinary plush toy, or a kitten or puppy, with soft fur.

Xu Zhao blinked her eyelashes and was about to respond to his good morning when she suddenly found that the surrounding environment was completely new, which was incredible!

The food was neatly stacked by category, mostly pasta with a long shelf life. The floor was clean, and in the corner were a few brightly colored stuffed toys, a vibrant addition to the hut.

He put all the things he brought back neatly together, and decorated the thatched hut with everything he could.

The originally dilapidated thatched cottage had a somewhat cozy feel after being decorated by him. An inexplicable emotion surged in Xu Zhao's heart. He stared blankly, his limbs actually feeling a little sore and weak.

Lin Yue leaned against her legs, his lips raised in a comfortable smile. His eyes were a picture of unadorned exquisite beauty, without any falsehood, a genuine expression of joy and happiness. He said, "Last night while you were asleep, I had nothing better to do, so I tidied up a bit. Luckily, I didn't wake you."

"I was still thinking," Lin Yue tugged at the corner of Xu Zhao's sleeve, resting his chin on her leg, tilting his head back and looking up at her. Xu Zhao felt a little awkward and nervous, pursing her lips. When she heard Lin Yue laugh softly, she reached out and touched her lips: "Don't bite."

Xu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then hummed and shut his mouth.

Lin Yue hesitantly withdrew his fingers, feeling a little dissatisfied. However, since he was so close to her, the unhappiness quickly dissipated. He talked about his plan to himself: "...The supermarket is not stable and will collapse soon. I can pick up some bricks when the time comes. I have built a house with the villagers before, so it shouldn't be difficult for me to do it myself...Xu Zhao, do you think it's okay?"

He always liked to ask her opinion on everything, "What do you think?" "Okay?" The tone at the end of each sentence was light and fluttering, which always made Xu Zhao think of the cautious, gentle and harmless stray kittens and puppies.

She thought Lin Yue meant to settle here. Then she thought, where else could he go? This was where he grew up, familiarly. Even if there were giant spiders, he was more terrifying than them. Besides...how could he possibly leave Blackwater Town in his current state? Even if he did leave Blackwater Town, where else could he go?

A feeling of helplessness and pity rose in my heart - he was no longer human after all.

Xu Zhao took a deep breath and said, "I think it's great. This thatched house is also very good. If building a house is too tiring, you can live here. And... you can build your own nest, right? That net bag is better than any other house, and it's sturdy..."

Lin Yue's smile froze as she listened to her words: "...the things I brought from the supermarket will eventually run out, but that's okay. When I leave here, tell me what you want to eat and I can bring it to you."

Xu Zhao's thoughts were far ahead. When she found Zhao Wenqing, or the day she left, she couldn't cut off all contact with Lin Yue. The few short days they'd known each other in Blackwater Town had already left him a very important place in her heart. She could come here and meet him in her free time.

She had beautiful thoughts and really regarded Lin Yue as an important friend.

Lin Yue's fingertips exerted force, and his gentle face seemed to waver like the surface of water, and in the blink of an eye, only a dark color remained. He still pulled the corners of his mouth and asked her calmly, "Are you leaving?"

Xu Zhao hummed, "There will always be a day to leave. But I can't leave now because I haven't found the person I'm looking for yet." She lowered her eyes and saw Lin Yue's furry hair and those bright black eyes. She smiled and said, "...I live near the university town. There are a lot of delicious snacks and fun places there. Hmm... If I can leave here safely and return to my previous place, I'll bring some to you to try."

Will they leave once they find someone? Lin Yue recalled the foul smell coming from the forest, and the faint cries for help occasionally emitted by the prey wrapped in their cocoons. He passed by unconsciously, as if he really didn't notice anything... Will he stay here forever as long as he can't find anyone?

Then don’t find it, Lin Yue thought maliciously.

But he was curious about her past, so he followed up on her question and asked, "What's a university town like?"

It had to be a better place than here. The city outside was bustling, with endless temptations… Reason told him he should send Xu Zhao away. What good was there here? Even he himself was filthy, like mud, like a sewer rat. Finding the person she was looking for, sending her away safely, just like Xu Zhao had said, hoping every day that she would fulfill her promise and come meet him, that would be enough…

Lin Yue lowered his eyes suddenly, and a surging tide of sinister and evil thoughts came rolling in—

not enough.

Of course not enough.

He wanted to keep Xu Zhao here forever. To keep her by his side forever. Every day, he'd open his eyes and count the days waiting for her to come, like a nagging woman. How could he endure this? What if he got seduced by those disgusting men?

What should he do?

Xu Zhao spoke of the past with apathy, as there was actually nothing worth reminiscing about. However, upon seeing Lin Yue's curious expression, he searched his mind and tried his best to describe the things she had experienced in a fun and interesting way.

Little did he know that these words, when heard by Lin Yue, were like a bitter torrent falling from the sky. He clenched his fists, feeling pained by his own meanness and insidiousness. At the same time, it was like a raging fire burning in anger. He grabbed Xu Zhao's sleeves, trying to hold her tightly in his palm.

"Do you need to cook for yourself?"

"Sometimes, but my cooking skills aren't very good. It's barely edible. If you... never mind, let's not talk about that. By the way, there's a shop near where I live that makes really delicious red bean cakes. There's always a long line, and I can never get one. If you want some, I'll definitely bring it to you."

"Really? I want to try it. If I have the ingredients, I can make it for you..." Lin Yue lowered his eyes and said calmly, "I remember I have red beans and flour at home. Do you need any other ingredients?"

Xu Zhao tried to explain a few things. The environment was simple, and Lin Yue's body was too conspicuous, so it was definitely impossible for him to return to the town. She didn't take it seriously. After the two of them finished chatting, Lin Yue offered to make breakfast. The meat he brought back couldn't be refrigerated, so he had to eat it as soon as possible.

He had tried a new recipe today. He had made beef noodles instead. While the meat was still cooking in the pot, he went to the forest to look for eggs.

Xu Zhao stood up: "I'll go too."