Chapter 145 Spider 32
Most of the living creatures in the surrounding area were preyed upon by giant spiders. They were greedy by nature, never satisfied with their hunger. They wrapped up whatever they could catch within a ten-mile radius in their webs, hanging them from tree branches or clinging to their spread webs.
From a distance, it looks like a white lantern covered with paper, and it has an eerie aura.
Xu Zhao kept glancing at the frozen lanterns. With Lin Yue by his side, he wasn't afraid at all, and he longed to go forward and investigate. However, Lin Yue turned a corner, skirting the path leading forward and stopping by the stream.
Lin Yue lowered his eyes to hide his obvious panic and uneasiness: "We are going to cross the river, Xu Zhao."
He briefly explained the situation. He wasn't lying. The forest was filled with a chaotic mix of auras. He'd searched this side of the river last night, but to no avail, so he'd gone to the other side.
There's no need to panic... His eyelashes trembled a few times, and he pursed his lips. He wondered if the person Xu Zhao was looking for was still alive, or if he was tied up in a spider web. If that was the case...
Lin Yue suppressed his inner remorse and twisted his fingers. A sinister undercurrent suddenly surged over him, drowning out the faint unease and condemnation. It was nothing. He simply wanted to monopolize Xu Zhao's attention, to keep her by his side forever. Was there anything wrong with that?
Xu Zhao withdrew her gaze. Zhao Wenqing had no relationship with her and she was not enthusiastic about this mission. She came here with the determination to die. Unexpectedly, she not only did not die, but also made friends. It was a good thing for her.
She hummed and lowered her eyes to look at the stream.
The stream water had been warm a few days earlier, but after a few days, it had cooled with the weather. A few stirs of her fingers brought a chill. Just as she was considering whether to continue following Lin Yue, she saw him tug at her sleeve and look at her with watery eyes, "...Let me carry you, Xu Zhao."
The big belly hanging behind her raised slightly. Xu Zhao didn't refuse, and said with a smile: "Okay, then I'll trouble you." She naturally walked around his back, frowning and thinking for a moment, her big belly hanging behind her was really a bit of a hindrance.
Seeing her calm expression, without a trace of disgust, Lin Yue felt relieved: "Just step on it."
Xu Zhao blinked. Although she had stepped on it before, she still felt a little uncomfortable. After all, she was no longer a child. It had weight. Would it break if she stepped on it? She asked, "It looks soft and plump... Well, it feels soft to the touch too. Will it be okay if I step on it? Will it hurt?"
Lin Yue smiled gently: "No."
With his words, Xu Zhao felt relieved. She stepped on one foot and observed Lin Yue's expression. He kept smiling faintly, and occasionally when their eyes met, he would quickly lower his eyes to cover the bright and dazzling look in his eyes.
Xu Zhao put his arm around his shoulders. Lin Yue had already bent his back, making it easier for her to climb up. When her arms came up, he hugged her legs. Because his cheeks were flushed, he only looked down at the water: "Hold on tight, I'm going in?"
Xu Zhao hummed, thinking, "So what if she didn't hold on tight? He had his spider belly to catch her. She wouldn't fall into the water anyway." The thought of sitting on the spider's belly made him laugh.
As they walked forward, Xu Zhao naturally moved closer. His flowing hair brushed against the hood, clinging to the slender white neck and gradually reddening cheeks.
Lin Yue waded through the gurgling stream. The sound of his chest began to beat again and again, like a drum, mingling with the gurgling sound. In the dim morning light, the boy's cheeks suddenly ignited a cluster of fire, burning all the way to the tips of his ears and the back of his neck.
Xu Zhao was surprised, staring at Lin Yue's skin that looked like it had been burned by fire. He reacted belatedly and patted his shoulder: "... Let me help you put on the hat." Lin Yue had been burned by the sun and his body was covered with blisters. Looking at his current appearance, his skin was red and not in much better condition.
She picked up the hood of his coat and put it on him. She pressed her cheek against his, staring at his trembling eyelashes, which looked like a thick little fan. Is it painful? She couldn't help but ask worriedly, "...Are you feeling uncomfortable? You don't have to eat eggs. Just find a place away from the sun..."
Before he finished speaking, Lin Yue turned his head and looked at her, his eyes still with water, like a pool of rippling spring water.
He said, "It's...it's just a little hot." This was the only excuse he could think of. Otherwise, how could he explain his red neck and ears?
With his arms firmly supporting Xu Zhao's legs, he walked steadily through the increasingly turbulent water, his tone calm and gentle: "...The dark and humid environment does make me comfortable, but the sunlight is not that unbearable."
Xu Zhao: "But you were covered in blisters before!"
Lin Yue thought of that ugly look, bit his lip, and asked her, "Is it really ugly?"
Xu Zhao was confused: "Ah, huh?" What did she mean? She frowned: "...Don't be so stubborn. If you really feel uncomfortable, let's find a place to hide for a while..."
Lin Yue suppressed his anxiety and panic. Thinking about how he had been swaying in front of Xu Zhao with ugly and disgusting blisters on his body, he felt annoyed and wished he could go back to the past and cover his naked body with a tattered mat.
His face regained its composure, and he was determined to restore his lost image: "...At that time, it was probably not long after I had a union with the spider, and my body was weak. Ever since I shed my skin, I am no longer afraid of the sun. Now, look." He took off his hat, tilted his head slightly, and the golden sunlight sprinkled on his face.
Like a butterfly dancing in the halo.
Xu Zhao stared at him for a long moment, but didn't see any blisters. His face, however, was gradually turning red. She said, "Okay, okay, I get it." Then she quickly placed the hat on his head, casting a shadow over the boy's face. She added, "...Spiders build their webs in corners. They must be uncomfortable with bright sunlight, right? It's better to wear it."
Her palm and the brim of her hat fell simultaneously, blocking his forehead. Her soft palm was only millimeters away from his eye, and as she moved, the side of her palm touched his eye, and along with the sourness, there was a sudden surge of numbness and shyness.
He had no idea... that spider parts were so sensitive. In broad daylight, just a casual touch from her palm had made his bones feel soft, as if he wanted to turn into water on the spot, enveloping her, sweeping her away...
They reached the other side. Xu Zhao had intended to jump sideways to the ground, but he misjudged the move and landed heavily on the spider's belly. Lin Yue groaned softly without warning, then dropped his head and stared at the ground. The sound was so quiet that Xu Zhao, embarrassed and thinking he'd hurt him, quickly apologized, "I'm sorry! I, I didn't mean to..."
Lin Yue blushed and said nothing.
The smell of blood was indeed less on the other side, but there were still white cocoons hanging high. Lin Yue followed the scent to where the pheasants gathered and found two or three forgotten pheasant eggs in a weedy corner.
Lin Yue quickly wove a soft "spider silk cloak" with his legs and handed it to her: "...your sense of smell may not be 100% accurate. Put it on. With my scent, spiders won't dare to come near you."
Xu Zhao took it and draped it over her shoulders, instantly enveloped by the rich, bitter aroma. She imitated Lin Yue's example, specifically searching for the eggs hidden in overgrown weeds, but her search was clearly haphazard; after all, she lacked a keen sense of smell.
"...Lin Yue! Let me go check out the front. There seems to be a sound there..."
Lin Yue hummed. There was no scent of giant spiders around, and Xu Zhao, draped in spider silk, wouldn't attract the giant spider's attention. He watched her leave his side without hesitation, his chest aching and an indescribable suffocation coming over him, but he suppressed it with his stubborn rationality.
The human Lin Yue had the upper hand. With shy and tolerant love, he was willing to give his chosen partner some freedom, even though he also wanted to tie her tightly together and not leave her even for a moment.
While sniffing the sweet smell that seemed to drift in the air, he concentrated on finding eggs and putting them into a soft net bag, which was firmly stuck to the sticky spider silk to prevent them from being bumped and broken along the way.
When Xu Zhao mentioned the red bean cakes yesterday, he quietly swallowed twice. Was he greedy? Think about it, she has been here for a long time, a lonely little girl, living in the cruel and harsh Blackwater Town for many days. Does she miss home in her dreams at night? Lin Yue pursed her lips and clutched the net bag tightly, as if she was holding Xu Zhao.
Although he didn't have the ingredients to make red bean pancakes, he could make egg pancakes. The golden egg pancakes were his specialty, and he was eager to win her favor.
The other side.
A green canopy blocked the sky, dense shadows of trees overlapped, and when the wind blew, there was a rustling sound.
Xu Zhao followed the path to the place where the noise came from and found that it was a sparrow trapped in a spider web. The spider web was so scary that he had never seen it before. It was as big as a wash basin and the sparrow's wings were stuck to it and he couldn't move.
How can there be a spider web of this size?
She reached out and easily removed the spiderweb. Freed from its web, the sparrow flapped its wings, hopped a few times on the ground, and quickly flew away. At the same time, a rustling sound came from behind the shadows of the trees, and Xu Zhao cautiously pulled out the sharp knife from his pocket.
Pushing aside the grass, she discovered a spider. More precisely, a spider the size of an adult man's palm, its legs clinging to the tree trunk. Its single eye fixed on her, as if it wanted to capture her, but hesitated due to the size difference.
Xu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and slowly backed away. Suddenly, her foot bumped against something. She bent down to take a look and saw it was an expensive watch!
The dial was inlaid with several sparkling diamonds. She had seen this watch in Zhao Wenqing's missing person notice.
The report detailed every detail of Zhao Wenqing's clothing and accessories before his disappearance. It even detailed how many moles he had and where they were located. Xu Zhao flipped over the watch strap and, sure enough, saw the letters "ZWQ" engraved on it.
Could he be nearby?
An unexpected planting leads to a great success.
She stared intently at the marks on the ground, pushed aside the weeds, and saw the dark brown ground blending into a rich scarlet color with a fishy smell. It was blood... Xu Zhao followed the blood trail and slowly moved forward. In front of her, the blood had formed a thick pool, as if it had stayed there for a long time, and the weeds on the ground were all pressed down.
Blood-stained spider silk was scattered all over the place.
Xu Zhao vaguely sensed danger, her female sixth sense taking over. She kept reminding herself that she was wrapped in Lin Yue's spider silk. It was nothing. Even if a spider appeared, it wouldn't dare treat her as prey...
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