Chapter 151 Spider 38

After brushing her teeth, Xu Zhao spat the water into the mud in front of the house. At first, she didn't have a toothbrush or toothpaste, so she could only rinse her mouth with mineral water and some salt. Later, she found daily necessities in the supermarket and packed them all up.

After washing her face, she took the towel Lin Yue offered her. He squatted beside her, like a clingy dog. While she washed, he acted as a towel rack, draping his arm over the towel. Once she had wiped her face clean, he handed her a cup of water at the right temperature.

Xu Zhao frowned, and for no reason she thought of the family dramas on TV, where gentle and virtuous wives surrounded their husbands, preparing breakfast early when their husbands were fast asleep, tidying up his clothes and handing him a briefcase when he went out to work... She was thinking too far ahead, and the corners of her mouth twitched twice, and she glanced at Lin Yue out of the corner of her eyes.

Lin Yue, noticing her gaze, straightened his back suddenly and stared at her nervously: "Is the water hot?"

Lin Yue's throat felt as if it were being clenched. He clenched his hands and bit his lip. Xu Zhao gave him a puzzled look. Two forces were battling within him. Finally, he decided to confess, "...I, I just boiled some hot water and left it out for a while. I didn't know the temperature, so I took a sip. I'll get you a new cup..."

Lin Yue said as he was about to take the cup of water from her hand.

He spoke in a hypocritical tone, but only he knew his dirty thoughts. He could have tested the water's temperature with his palm, but he chose to taste it with his mouth—could this have helped him become closer to Xu Zhao?

Of course not. Just thinking about the cup wall he was touching, the same one Xu Zhao would soon touch, the scent of his, made him shudder. The longer he spent with Xu Zhao, the more his desires became unsatisfied by her mere companionship. He longed for a closer, more intimate presence. He wanted to treasure her scent, her hair, even the touch of the cup wall when she drank...

So that's why. Did he think that he would dislike his dirtiness? To prevent Lin Yue from overthinking it, Xu Zhao quickly protected the cup and drank all the water inside. He then handed the empty cup to him and said with a smile, "I'm done. The temperature is just right."

Xu Zhao was preoccupied with something, thinking about going to the town to find Zhao Wenqing to discuss leaving, so she didn't notice Lin Yue's next move. She returned to the house, holding the plate, grabbed the omelet with her hands and stuffed it into her mouth.

Lin Yue held the water cup, pursed his lips, and smiled reservedly. He filled it with water and took a sip bravely. His lips were stained with water, and Xu Zhao's saliva remained on the wall of the cup. He took it into his mouth without mercy, then squinted his eyes in satisfaction and came to Xu Zhao again with the water in his hand.

Hand it over.

Xu Zhao's discomfort and the guilt she felt about being served gradually faded under Lin Yue's increasingly skilled and attentive gaze, and she enjoyed his service with peace of mind. This kind of life was something she had never dared to dream of before; it truly embodied the meaning of "having everything provided for you."

——Even if I can’t leave, it seems nice to stay here?

When this thought popped into his mind, Xu Zhao actually thought about it for a while and smiled indifferently.

At this moment, a loud shout was suddenly heard.

It seems to be Zhao Wenqing's voice?

He should be recuperating in the hotel now, how could he run into the forest?

Xu Zhao put down the plate and asked, "Did you hear any sound?"

Lin Yue shook his head.

"...A loud noise? Perhaps it was made by a giant spider..."

Xu Zhao wiped his fingers twice with a tissue and picked up the long stick at the door. "I heard someone calling my name. It seemed to be Zhao Wenqing. I'll go over and take a look."

Lin Yue wanted to keep her, but Xu Zhao ran towards the town, so he had to follow him.

…

The huge net covering the forest was filled with a cold and terrifying atmosphere. Zhao Wenqing didn't dare to approach it rashly, but he couldn't leave too far either. The forest was full of dangers. If Xu Zhao encountered an accident inside and called for help, he would be able to rush over in the first time.

However, something unexpected happened. A giant spider pounced towards him, its body tightly stuck in the spider web. Its waving tentacles almost scratched his waist, and finally hooked his pants and dragged him into the forest.

Zhao Wenqing's heart leaped into his throat, and his entire body froze! Unarmed, his five fingers dug into the rough mud. Just when he thought he was about to be bitten to death by the spider's fangs, a long stick suddenly appeared, and a blade tied to the top of the stick chopped off the spider's tentacles.

Zhao Wenqing raised his eyes and saw Xu Zhao.

Bright black eyes, a cold face, cheeks flushed from running, a thin, slender figure, clutching a wooden stick, her posture exuding a fierce and heroic spirit. The moment Zhao Wenqing saw her, his heart was at peace. Regardless of how embarrassed he was at the moment, he crawled behind her, patted his chest and panted, "...Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I would have died here."

It had only been one night since they last met. Xu Zhao had changed dramatically. Zhao Wenqing gazed at his savior with gratitude, and was surprised to find that the wounds on her body had miraculously disappeared, leaving only a few scratches. Most shockingly, her complexion was so good! She looked healthy, well-fed and warm, and her every move was calm and composed, unlike him, who was constantly worried about losing his life, his face full of anxiety and vigilance.

Suddenly, a spider silk floated in front of him. The spider silk was soft and slender, but it seemed to carry a sharp momentum when it floated over. A cool breeze suddenly hit his back. He suddenly stiffened, and his eyes moved away from Xu Zhao. He looked around nervously, and the spider silk slowly fell to the ground.

——If he hadn't looked away and continued to stare at Xu Zhao, the seemingly harmless spider silk would have turned into steel wire in an instant and cut his throat!

Lin Yue stared at him coldly.

At that time, he was on the second floor of the hotel, and he saw the college students on the tour group through the window. They were young and beautiful, and the boys were wearing matching sportswear and had strong physiques. They passed by talking and laughing, and he felt envious, a jealousy without any negative emotions.

If the giant spider hadn't existed, how could he possibly hope for Xu Zhao's mercy? Xu Zhao deserved the best in the world, the healthiest person to match him... The terminally ill Lin Yue wasn't worthy, but the healthy and handsome Zhao Wenqing was barely worthy.

Compared with Zhao Wenqing, the difference between him and him is like heaven and earth.

But everything changed.

The physical pain he had endured, after meeting Xu Zhao, became a treasury he could never reach. If it weren't for the pain of gnawing, if it weren't for the pain of fusion, how could he have strong and powerful legs, how could he have the ability to build a nest, and how could he have such a strong reproductive capacity?

Lin Yue found it ironic that Zhao Wenqing acted cowardly when he encountered danger - was he worthy of this?

Xu Zhao didn't have the same complicated thoughts as Lin Yue. She carefully looked at Zhao Wenqing's condition. His limbs were intact, and apart from being a little frightened, he had no major problems. The only thing was that his face was terribly thin, and he was completely different from the sunny and handsome boy in the photo.

She held out her hand. "The spider is stuck in its web. It can't hurt you even if I'm not here. Get up! What brought you here?"

Zhao Wenqing took a closer look and saw that the spider was indeed stuck in the web. It had just been showing its fangs and claws and looked ferocious, but now it was like a rabbit that had met its natural enemy, shrinking in the web and motionless. Inexplicably, his gaze shifted slightly and looked at the spider boy who was standing silently behind Xu Zhao.

The wind blew, lifting his hair. The two shiny black spider eyes on his forehead and the boy's dark eyes stared at him at the same time, and a dull pain came over him.

This feeling was very similar to what he had felt when he left Blackwater Town, except this time the pain was more substantial, as if a voice was controlling his nervous system, issuing instructions non-stop:

No, you are not allowed to touch her!

Zhao Wenqing stared blankly at Xu Zhao's hand, the sharp pain coming back again.

No, Xu, look at her!

The corner of Zhao Wenqing's mouth twitched, but he thought it was just hallucination. He thanked Xu Zhao for his kindness, propped himself up, and stood up. He looked at the spider struggling in its web. The words "I came here because I was worried about your safety" on the tip of his tongue changed abruptly to: "...I, I was just taking a look around, and I didn't expect to run into a spider."

The reward amount offered by Mrs. Zhao was very tempting. Even though Xu Zhao had only met Zhao Wenqing a few times, he couldn't help but want to protect him. Zhao Wenqing was not just a simple person, but a huge reward.

Seeing how skinny he was, Xu Zhao suggested taking him to the thatched cottage.

When she was with Lin Yue, whenever there was a choice to be made, it was Xu Zhao who made the decision. Therefore, subconsciously, Xu Zhao thought that as long as she agreed to something, Lin Yue would also agree. But when she suggested that Zhao Wenqing follow her back to the hut, Lin Yue suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Xu Zhao felt a little strange. Lin Yue's eyes were filled with aggrieved feelings and a hint of condemnation, but she couldn't figure out how she had upset him. Could it be because of Zhao Wenqing? She took the initiative to introduce him: "He's the person I've been looking for since I came here," and then introduced him to Zhao Wenqing: "This is a friend I met in Blackwater Town, um, he's Lin Yue."

One is someone you want to find even at the risk of your own life.

One is an insignificant friend.

Lin Yue had tears in his eyes and refused to look at Xu Zhao again. He lowered his eyes, but his fingers were tightly gripping her wrist and refused to let go.

Lin Yue was a shy person, and now that he was in this state, with his lower body covered in spider limbs, he must have been uneasy and nervous about being seen. With this thought in mind, Xu Zhao's gaze drifted to Zhao Wenqing. If he dared to show even the slightest bit of disgust, she would forgo any huge reward!

Back in the thatched hut, Xu Zhao took out the snacks from his backpack, all of which were fresh, and then took out some medicine and handed it to Zhao Wenqing.

"Your wound hasn't been treated yet, right? I have some medicine here."

"...We searched the town thoroughly yesterday, but found nothing. We only found some food scattered in a corner, and there wasn't even a trace of medicine. Have you been living here the entire time you've been in Blackwater Town?"

"Hmm," Xu Zhao twitched his wrist. Lin Yue held on tightly, but she gave up and let him lead her. However, the spider silk flying all over her body made her feel helpless. She was almost entangled in the spider silk in front of Zhao Wenqing, but for some reason, Zhao Wenqing's eyes were fixed on the table, not even looking at her. Why is this person so rude?

Considering the bounty, Xu Zhao said, "...I'm sure you all know what's going on with the people in town. If I lived in town, I'd never have seen you. So, you said you can't leave. What's going on?"

Zhao Wenqing glanced tentatively at Xu Zhao, his gaze drifting to the spider boy beside him. He was also looking at him, his eyes dark, as if looking into an abyss with no end in sight. Inexplicably, Zhao Wenqing felt a chill down his spine again, as if a gleaming sword was hanging over his head...

He didn't dare to stare at Lin Yue anymore, so he could only stare at the table and tell Xu Zhao everything about his experience in Blackwater Town.

"...Initially, my friends and I fled to the outskirts of town. There was a small path leading to the town, flanked by lush forests. Logically, we wouldn't have gotten lost. But when we reached the town entrance, the only path was blocked by rubble and covered in cobwebs. We had no choice but to leave through the forest..."

"The forest was full of spiders. We tried our best to find a way out, but we were repeatedly intercepted by spiders... But the good thing is that we know the route, so the worst that can happen is we can just walk it again, but..."

Lin Yue had a keen sense of smell. The smell of a disgusting masculine scent mingled in the nest that belonged only to him and Xu Zhao made his heart feel like it was soaked in acid, causing him to feel extremely uncomfortable. He could hardly bear it any longer...Xu Zhao was his, and only his.

Those damn spiders, why did they stop the tour group? If it weren’t for the giant spiders blocking the way, Zhao Wenqing would have left Heishui Town by now!

Lin Yue was so angry that he wanted to kill all the spiders in the forest. If it weren't for them, how could Xu Zhao have met Zhao Wenqing? She would only be his and only have eyes for him!

He held Xu Zhao's wrist in his hand with great force, and his emotions fluctuated violently. Xu Zhao didn't know what he was thinking. Tears welled up in her eyes and her chest heaved violently. She listened to Zhao Wenqing's words, and seeing that he didn't pay attention to her, she stretched out her free hand, placed it on his shoulder, and patted him gently twice.

Unexpectedly, her actions made Lin Yue become more aggressive. In front of outsiders, he leaned on her arms, and the spider silk he spit out floated in front of her. The rich aroma of herbs filled the air around her.

"...When we painstakingly followed the route to the town's exit, a strange phenomenon occurred. The road was clearly before our eyes, but it felt like countless steel nails were piercing our heads. A strange voice directly controlled our brains. The magnetic field was chaotic, but all the equipment stopped functioning. It was like... like our brains were being invaded, controlled by an inexplicable consciousness. Our heads felt heavy, our vision was illusory, and there was no road before us, only a dense jungle..."

Lin Yue leaned in Xu Zhao's arms, her palm fell on his head, and he felt at ease.

I vaguely recalled what happened almost half a month ago. I woke up in chaos and met Xu Zhao. What did I think about the most at that time?

Perhaps he hoped that she would stay by his side forever and never leave him. However, he was timid and cowardly at that time, so he only dared to think about this secretly in his heart and did not dare to put it into practice...

Xu Zhao was shocked and couldn't help but have a thought: "... Could it be that the gods Wang Zhiming mentioned really exist?" After saying this, he couldn't help but smile: "... Before, if he said this, I would just think he was crazy, but now..."

Zhao Wenqing: "Yeah, who would have thought that such a thing would happen?"

Xu Zhao: "...The giant spider was affected by the underground aura and mutated into the form we see. There is a huge pit nearby. Perhaps the god Wang Zhiming believes in has truly descended. What does it want to do by leaving us here? As a sacrifice?"

Lin Yue looked up at her, then lowered his head.

In his eyes, the god Wang Zhiming spoke of was a benefactor who had inflicted pain and unexpectedly granted him a new life... If it weren't for it, if it weren't for that terrifying spider monster, he would never be worthy of Xu Zhao, let alone desire her.

What he wants is a partner, a spouse, a lover, how could it be a sacrifice?

Zhao Wenqing covered his head with his hands, and the pain like a needle prick remained in his mind. As long as he tilted his head slightly, the pain would come again. He could only curl up into a small ball and move a few steps outside the house, and the pain eased.

He felt much better. "Anyway, our people have been seriously injured. We'll probably have to stay in Blackwater Town for a few days to recover before we can continue looking for a way out...Xu Zhao, will you come with us?"

What was he asking? If he didn't leave, would he stay and feed the spiders? Xu Zhao said, "I have food and medicine here. You can take some with you when you leave. Once you're well, I'll definitely leave with you. We need to discuss what to do. What if there really is some 'spiritual' intervention? What should we do then..."

Xu Zhao is a mortal with a mortal body. She has no idea how to fight against the "gods" who have "invaded" her consciousness, and she does not have the ability to do so. The giant spiders are very powerful and can consume all their physical strength on the way out of Blackwater Town, not to mention that there are more powerful "gods" behind them. If they accidentally fall into hallucinations and lose vigilance against their surroundings, they will only end up being preyed upon by the giant spiders.

Furthermore, they had no idea what the unseen "god"—whose true or false identity was—wanted. They had no idea whether it would go on a killing spree in Blackwater Town like the giant spider had done. It was a very dangerous entity, though no one could prove its existence.

Xu Zhao thought of Lin Yue. The only person she could turn to was Lin Yue. The giant spiders were afraid of him. Perhaps she could seek Lin Yue's help when they left. However, he could help them scare off the giant spiders, but he couldn't help them eliminate the effects of the hallucination.

Xu Zhao looked at Lin Yue.

Lin Yue was also watching her. He tilted his head back, spider silk silently entwining around her. The overwhelming dark aura was completely suppressed by him. In front of Xu Zhao, he was still the shy and kind small town boy.

He asked, "Xu Zhao, do you want to leave here?"

Xu Zhao hesitated for a while. Lin Yue's eyes were red, and she was obviously reluctant to leave. All good things must come to an end. Besides, it wasn't like they would never see each other again. If she left Blackwater Town and returned to her own city, she could get the money and buy a lot of delicious and useful things to share with him.

She nodded: "...Lin Yue, although I will leave, I will come back to see you. If I can really go back, then I will bring you my favorite desserts and snacks downstairs in my house..."

Xu Zhao spoke gently, his tone soothing.

Lin Yue looked serious, but his heart was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Want to leave here? Xu Zhao, you promised to stay with me forever. It's impossible to tell whether an oath is true or false. He couldn't imagine staying alone in a dilapidated thatched cottage, counting the days until he could see her again... He wanted to hold the days they spent together firmly in his hands.

The newly spitted spider silk was sticky, and the raised blisters burst instantly when they touched Xu Zhao's skin, turning into a strong adhesive texture that stuck to her tightly.

The ignorant butterfly was flying in the forest, and fell into the giant web woven by the spider without noticing. Beautiful butterfly, with the food in your mouth, how could it be so easy to escape?

All they can do is wait hopelessly to be eaten by spiders.

——He must do something, he must do something to keep Xu Zhao.