Chapter 136 Spider 23
A web of golden spider silk resembles an oval bird's egg, radiating the warmth of spring sunshine. After mating, the female spider, bearing offspring, weaves a pouch for the tiny eggs.
The spiderweb Lin Yue spun from his shed skin served a similar purpose as a pouch. The spider he was mingling with seemed an unknown species, perhaps a terrifying ancient monster. It had no male or female sex and was far more powerful than ordinary spiders.
Simply because it was mating with a male body, during the molting period, the end of Lin Yue's front pedipalps swelled into pedipalps - the mating organ of the male spider.
He lay in the spiderweb he had woven himself, his back, chest, abdomen, legs, and belly pressed against the warm silk. How could he possibly be cold? He had hastily crafted this last night. While weaving the web, he had imagined countless times what it would be like for the person inside...
Lin Yue lowered his eyes, a dense shadow falling over him. It was unclear what he was thinking, but beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. His delicate features, shrunken and beautiful, betrayed a pitiful, unbearable pain from the discomfort of shedding skin.
He reached out his hand from the golden net bag, shook it twice in the air, and accurately grasped the corner of Xu Zhao's sleeve. His cool fingertips seemed to touch her wrist inadvertently.
"Any more clothes?"
Xu Zhao looked embarrassed. Lin Yue didn't have many old clothes to begin with, and Zhao Chunhong had only given her a few scattered pieces. The torn ones were unwearable and had to be thrown away. Xu Zhao currently only had two sets of clothes. Besides the one she was wearing, the other set was still washed and not yet dry.
"I'll think of something... Can you still produce spider silk? This golden spider silk is warm."
"I'll try," Lin Yue replied, his belly entangled in the spider silk, hanging backward. Despite Xu Zhao's anxious curiosity, she could only squat in front of him, awaiting the result. Within seconds, beads of sweat began to form on Lin Yue's forehead. He raised his eyes half-heartedly, his watery eyes fixed on her nervously, as if afraid of her condemnation. "...No, Xu Zhao, I, I'll just rest for a while, maybe that'll be enough."
Xu Zhao watched Lin Yue's dejected expression. She felt a surge of self-condemnation, even though she hadn't done anything wrong. She crouched before Lin Yue, feeling like a wicked mother-in-law forcing her pregnant daughter-in-law to do the laundry and cooking.
She didn't understand the spider's molting process, so she could only associate it with a cold. Lin Yue was weak at the moment, and he treated her like a friend, relying on her, telling her he was cold. But she told him to spin his own silk—how was that any different from telling him to figure it out on his own when he was too weak to ask for help, regardless of his life or death?
"I," Xu Zhao took a few steps forward. Lin Yue's fingers rested lightly on her wrist, a juxtaposition of coolness and warmth. Perhaps he lacked the strength, and the moment his hand touched her wrist, it slipped away. Xu Zhao caught it, holding it in his palm. He was like a cold jade, and she couldn't help but shudder, thinking to herself, "He's really cold."
"...Will this make you feel better?"
Lin Yue blinked and nodded his chin slightly. His cheeks flushed. Seeing his expression, Xu Zhao thought to herself, "It really works." Her temperature was high, so she took two more steps forward.
Almost clinging to the spider web. A net, as thin as a cicada's wing, was inserted horizontally between Xu Zhao and Lin Yue. Lin Yue rolled over, the suspended net swaying a few times, and she and Xu Zhao were completely pressed together. A strand of white spider silk with blister-like protrusions inadvertently clung to her skin.
Lin Yue quietly curled the corners of his lips.
…
This was very different from what he had imagined. Lin Yue tilted his head and looked at Xu Zhao, who was squatting outside the net bag and gradually fell asleep due to boredom.
The hand she held exerted a little force.
Wanting to pull her into the net bag——
Sure, Lin Yue.
The bed she sleeps on is hard and uncomfortable. She needs a warm and comfortable environment to rest well. Looking at the dark circles under her eyes, you also want her to get a good night's sleep, right? Pull her in. Wrap her in the spider silk you created, wrap her up, and let her be filled with your scent...
Lin Yue moved his fingers.
The rich herbal fragrance silently invaded the air every time Xu Zhao breathed. This familiar scent with Lin Yue's mark made Xu Zhao trust it.
She curled up her knees, and her chin slowly fell into the harbor formed by her arms. Accompanied by the rich scent that Lin Yue deliberately exuded, she fell into a sweet dream.
In her dream, the gem held in her palm actually slowly emitted a scorching light. The beautiful and delicate bead exuded a fiery passion.
She was burned and wanted to let go, but it was too late. The bead was firmly stuck in her palm and could not be shaken off no matter how hard she tried.
She felt her body move.
Outside the dream, a strange voice broke in. Xu Zhao opened her eyes in shock—she had nearly fallen into a spider web! Lin Yue was curled up in it. What if she fell in and crushed him?
"I'm sorry, I was sleep deprived."
"It's okay," he said.
Lin Yue's eyes were misty with tears, concealing a dark and indistinct emotion. How could this be possible? Lin Yue's eyes were always clear and pure, never the look of a vicious dog. Xu Zhao took a few steps back, putting some distance between them. Looking more closely, they were as pure and innocent as ever, like a flowing spring.
Xu Zhao couldn't help but think of how she, curiously, had pulled the bristles on Lin Yue's legs while he was asleep, waking him. Why was she still doing this now, even though she was asleep? She glanced at the net holding Lin Yue. The golden spider silk shone brightly, exuding a warm aura. It was indeed a very desirable place. It must be very comfortable to lie in it.
He only dared to think about it in his heart. Xu Zhao was about to speak and apologize to Lin Yue again. He was already in the molting period and was weak. She was sleeping but wanted to grab his place. She must have disturbed his rest. That's why he inadvertently revealed that strange and somewhat impatient look...
"Lin Yue, when I fell asleep..." The sound coming from outside the door made Xu Zhao swallow the rest of his words.
It was the sound of stepping on thatch.
Crunch.
And the men whispering.
"What kind of place is this? Why are there spider silks all over the ground? Could this be a spider's nest? What if we run into a spider?" The man cursed, pulled off the spider silk stuck on his body, rolled it into a ball and threw it on the ground, then stomped on it a few times as if in frustration.
"Even if there are spiders here, we have to come! My brother can't just die like that. That woman killed him. Mother cries all day long. I'm filled with hatred! Unless I see her body with my own eyes..." The older man is the eldest son of the Lian family. He can be said to have taken care of Lian Jinguang until he grew up. An elder brother is like a father. He was heartbroken and his voice was dull: "...What's more, I saw someone rescue that woman that night. They were heading in this direction!"
"Brother, are you sure you didn't see it wrong? There's no one alive here anymore. How could anyone risk their life to save someone? Besides, that woman was so skinny and small. Even if she escaped that night, how could she still be alive after so many days?" The young man cursed again, "...I should have stopped my brother from going that day! We have a grudge against the Lin family. That night, Lin Jindong must have done something. Didn't he always complain about our family being ungrateful? It wasn't us who asked Lin Yue to save people! Lin Yue deserved to die..."
The eldest brother of the Lian family frowned but did not stop it.
"...Don't forget, many of the people in the tour group escaped. They fled to the forest, which is the spiders' territory. We assumed they were all dead. What if one of them survived and saved that woman? In any case, we'll search the area before dawn. If we find that woman, I'll make her pay for her brother's life!"
Xu Zhao listened expressionlessly, as if they were not talking about him, until he heard Lin Yue's name coming out of their mouths, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Don't listen to their nonsense." Xu Zhao took a few steps forward, her shoulder gently bumping into the soft spiderweb. She didn't notice, but Lin Yue's slightly cool shoulder immediately leaned over and pressed tightly against hers. His fingers unconsciously hooked on a spider silk, and he lowered his voice: "...People like them have low morals, and their words are like farts."
Lin Yue tilted his head.
She had long given up her expectations of the townspeople. It was just a few words. He was not as sensitive and fragile as Xu Zhao imagined. However, since she wanted to comfort herself - the moment her eyelashes blinked, tears naturally filled her eyes. He did not speak, but stared at Xu Zhao quietly.
Before Xu Zhao could react, she heard the men outside the door yelling, "That bitch Xu Zhao is hiding here! Look, there's a food bag at the door. She must have used it. She's alive!"
Lin Yue's face suddenly darkened, beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, and his legs wrapped in the spider web moved a little impatiently, as if he wanted to tear the net bag, break the spider web, and drive away the two men who were swearing.
The strange, low, and odd sound reminded Xu Zhao of the threatening noises a wild animal might make when protecting its young.
Xu Zhao felt a warm feeling in her heart. However, she quickly covered Lin Yue's mouth to prevent him from making any more noises that would attract the attention of the two people outside the door.
Lin Yue was shedding her skin, at her weakest. She had seen the two men outside the door; they were Lian Jinguang's brothers, very strong men. If they discovered her, they might do something. To be on the safe side, she decided to remain quiet and wait for them to leave.
Lin Yue's steps were slightly quiet, but he was still pulling the spider silk a little restlessly.
The man outside seemed to want to come in through the door, but he didn't expect to see dense spider silk. He cursed in fear, "Brother, come and see! This is too fucking disgusting, all spider silk, I dare not touch it, it's sticky, could this be... the same thing as that super giant spider before?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Let's look around again. The food bag was dropped nearby. She might be hiding nearby. We finally got here, so let's look carefully!"
The two of them huddled in the corner, breathless. The man's curses continued. Xu Zhao placed his index finger to his lips, making a shushing motion. Lin Yue nodded. Just as Xu Zhao was about to release his hand, he felt a wet, soft touch on his palm.
Xu Zhao was slightly stunned. Lin Yue stared at her with wide eyes. For some unknown reason, sweat beads were forming on his forehead, and his hair was clinging to his skin. His two spider eyes showed no emotion, but the light reflected from them was scorching hot.
Because of Lin Yue's actions, she couldn't move her hand away immediately. It was during this hesitation that the moist and soft touch came over her again.
She pulled it away as if she had been electrocuted.
His gaze fell on Lin Yue. He looked ignorant, his lips slightly parted, revealing a small piece of bright red plum petal.
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