Chapter 80: The Devil’s Sacrifice (30)
Yu Jiao didn’t know that this so-called, sudden kiss was not just a simple touch of lips and teeth. For Nie Hongshen, it was a secret code, a sure proof.
—It was a means Nie Hongshen, as a natural heteromorph, had to hide from the light, an inducement he had planted in Yu Jiao’s soul. Nie Hongshen had not told anyone, not even Yu Jiao, who had “reincarnated” back.
At this moment, facing Yu Jiao’s oblivious, deliberate distance, Nie Hongshen changed his previous murderous aura. Nie Hongshen smiled good-naturedly and, looking at her deeply, he gave in in a low voice:
“Then in your opinion, how should we get to know each other?”
Nie Hongshen’s smile was strangely chilling, and it was very abnormal.
Before Yu Jiao could respond, Nie Hongshen spoke, his tone refined and unhurried. “Nie Hongshen, 35 years old, chairman of the Divine Moon Moth. Besides the occasional smoking and drinking, I have no other bad habits. My savings…”
“…”
Yu Jiao was speechless and asked with a sense of absurdity, “Are you on a blind date, Mr. Nie?”
Nie Hongshen was noncommittal.
In the darkness, only his rich, compound eyes were sparkling, an affectionate violet.
Yu Jiao was not moved at all and raised an eyebrow in ridicule. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re already married, right?”
This drew a low laugh from Nie Hongshen. He showed no guilt at having his moral flaw exposed, and his focus shifted:
“You’ve investigated me? Was it after we met that day?”
His voice rose at the end, filled with a brimming pleasure. As if he were saying the unspoken words—Are you interested in me?
Yu Jiao denied it three times. “No, I’m not, I’m not interested.”
—She wasn’t sure if Nie Hongshen’s peacock-like display now was because he had discovered that ‘Miss Butterfly’ was very similar to Jiao Hongyue, so he was using this kind of flirting technique to try and get another ‘substitute’.
His attitude was not what she had expected. Unsure of him, Yu Jiao didn’t dare to act rashly and was more inclined to wait and see.
At this moment, Nie Hongshen’s sharp pincer-like legs were secretly circling the hem of her skirt, like a few small fish, looking for their mother, and they slipped into her skirt, affectionately rubbing her ankles through her stockings.
“It’s alright. I’ll make you interested.”
His small movements under her feet were incessant, and Nie Hongshen’s hands and mouth were also not idle.
“I miss you, I miss you so much… Use me, Hongyue. Like before, treat me as your sharpest knife, or some other tool. I’ve been… waiting for you.”
As Nie Hongshen spoke, he was saying strange, vow-like words of love, and he was getting closer, as if he wanted to become a blood-sucking leech. All his tentacles, mouthparts, and spiracles seemed to be clamoring with desire.
Yu Jiao had the illusion of being dismembered and eaten.
The insect’s cold exoskeleton was Nie Hongshen’s eating knife, its resilient, sharp mouthparts his eating fork, and the rich, pervasive pheromones his blooming taste buds.
“…Stop.”
Just then, the servant who had been sent by Yu Jiao to call Yu Fenghe had finally returned with the legitimate husband.
“Hongyue?”
A worried call from Yu Fenghe came from the darkness.
Just as Yu Jiao was about to answer, she suddenly felt a tightening everywhere. The barbs of the pincer-like legs lightly brushed against her skin, a resentful, coquettish meaning.
Nie Hongshen’s hoarse voice hummed:
“Your husband is here, Madam.”
“…”
“I am married, and you are also married… We are a match made in heaven.”
Nie Hongshen hummed and laughed, out of tune.
Yu Jiao slightly broke free and answered Yu Fenghe’s call. “I’m here.”
In the darkness, Yu Jiao could hear Yu Fenghe’s approaching footsteps.
It was unclear if it was because he was fearless in the dream, but even with the main consort approaching, Nie Hongshen was still holding her waist, his large, warm hand caressing her ambiguously, without a shred of fear.
A strange change occurred.
A tearing, painful groan suddenly sounded—it was the servant who had been waiting not far away, who suddenly seemed to have his throat seized and was letting out a suffocating, guttural sound, and he was curled up on the ground, struggling in pain.
This strange commotion disturbed the quiet environment.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Yu Fenghe’s voice was calm. He had clearly already gotten close. Yu Fenghe passed through Nie Hongshen’s layers of silk nets and suspended pincer-like legs, accurately took Yu Jiao’s hand, and patted it soothingly.
“Xiao Shui is a natural heteromorph. He is a walking source of pollution. People with weak resistance are easily affected and will then have a heteromorphic reaction.”
Yu Fenghe explained in a gentle voice.
Yu Jiao didn’t have much mind to pay attention to Yu Fenghe’s words, because while he was explaining in a very proper manner, Nie Hongshen was touching her on the other side.
At this moment, the darkness was the best fig leaf.
Yu Jiao endured Nie Hongshen’s actions and, at the same time, answered Yu Fenghe.
“Hmm.”
Yu Fenghe seemed completely unaware of the restraint and strangeness in Yu Jiao’s voice.
“Hongyue.”
Yu Fenghe’s voice was like a cool breeze on a scorching summer day. He said, one word at a time:
“You know, any creature has a weakness.”
As he spoke, Yu Fenghe suddenly took the gun from Yu Jiao’s waist and placed it in her palm, his gentle force lifting her arm.
“No matter how powerful a heteromorph is, as long as you aim for the vital point—”
In the darkness, the muzzle was aimed at the servant on the ground, who was in the process of heteromorphing—Yu Jiao couldn’t see, only hear its monster-like low roar.
Behind Yu Jiao was Yu Fenghe, who was very close, supporting her arm. In front of her was Nie Hongshen, who was slightly narrowing his eyes, his smile composed.
The cold muzzle was aimed at the monster, and at the same time, it was pointing at Nie Hongshen.
Under this fatal, hot weapon, which had been developed by the Yu family’s research institute, Nie Hongshen took the opportunity to lower his head and, with a lingering kiss, he kissed the hand that was holding the gun.
This was a very strange posture. It was a pity that the only one present who could see the entire scene was the monster, who had lost its reason.
“—You can easily kill it.”
A silenced gunshot was annihilated, and a special bullet was fired. Now, the only person who knew the truth of this strange, illicit affair had disappeared from this world before he could reveal it.
The heteromorphic monster did not let out a single cry of grief and was completely eliminated.
“Well done.”
Yu Fenghe smiled and let go of Yu Jiao’s arm.
“The power will be back on soon. Don’t be afraid.”
On the verge of being discovered, in danger, Nie Hongshen pulled away and, in Yu Jiao’s ear, he breathed ambiguously, a sound that only she could hear, an insect-like hiss, “See you later—”
Nie Hongshen whispered with a light laugh.
“Sister-in-law.”
In the second before the light was restored, Yu Jiao tidied her messy clothes and met Yu Fenghe’s gaze with a composed face.
Perhaps because of the sudden light, Yu Fenghe’s black and white, clear eyes were suddenly as dark as a cold fog at dawn.
Yu Fenghe curled his lips into a smile, and the gentle wind blew away the fog.
“Alright, we should go and visit Xiao Shui.”
…
This was the first time Yu Jiao had seen the true face of Nie Hongshen as Yu Shui.
His features already had the deep marks of many years later, but Nie Hongshen was much thinner and clearer, like a fruit that had not seen the sun, a green, pitiful worm. His skin was pale, his lips purple, his hair messy, and he was lying quietly in bed, not at all like the wild, unrestrained, and hands-on hooligan from before.
His slightly downturned eyes lightly swept over, his hazy purple eyes were melancholic and lonely.
He was a gender-bent Cinderella.
“Brother, sister-in-law.”
His voice was hoarse and he greeted them obediently.
“…”
Only Yu Jiao noticed the slowness with which he had bitten the word ‘sister-in-law’, and the viscosity of his gaze.
Yu Jiao stood to the side with a cold face and listened to Yu Fenghe ask about Yu Shui’s physical condition with concern, a warm scene of a brotherly and respectful brother.
Her indifference was in line with Jiao Hongyue’s long-standing persona.
Seeing this, Yu Fenghe just smiled helplessly. After a short while, a servant came to report that there was a guest, and he had no choice but to leave the space to the two of them. Before Yu Fenghe left, he gave Yu Jiao a look, hinting: Just care about him.
“…”
Without Yu Fenghe’s warm, gentle voice as a mediator, the empty, cold room was dead silent. The weak, sorrowful aura around the patient on the bed was gradually fading.
Nie Hongshen propped himself up, and the blanket slid down, revealing his thin chest. The faint veins formed the shape of an insect’s carapace, with a glistening, colorful sheen, a dangerous beauty.
His face was still pretending to be pitiful. “Sister-in-law, why don’t you come and sit?”
As he spoke, he coughed so hard he was like he was about to die. A flush from the exertion rose on his pale, thin cheeks.
Nie Hongshen looked at Yu Jiao pitifully, his voice weak. “Are you disgusted by Xiao Shui’s sickliness?”
—I really don’t know what he’s pretending.
A vein almost popped on Yu Jiao’s forehead. This person is getting more and more annoying.
Yu Jiao didn’t come over, so Nie Hongshen got up and walked towards her.
At this moment, Nie Hongshen was already a head taller than her. He was not strong, but was sickly thin. His loose clothes were hanging on him like a shroud, and the gloomy, dead air dyed his handsome features with a terrifying beauty.
His face was already thin, which made his eyes look even bigger. When he looked at her directly, he was like a newborn vampire, hungry for blood.
Nie Hongshen curled his lips. “Sister-in-law, long time no see.”
“…”
Just now, while calling her sister-in-law, he had been so close. Now it’s long time no see.
But Nie Hongshen’s gaze was dark and serious, with a hint of an unconscious, strange danger.
Yu Jiao sneered. She had no intention of playing a role-playing game with him. She looked up and asked directly, “Yu Fenghe said that any creature has a weakness. Does a natural heteromorph also have a weakness?”
Her question was just short of putting her thoughts on the table: What is your weakness? How can I kill you?
Nie Hongshen was not the least bit offended. Instead, it was as if he were being caressed on his vital point, and a thrilling pleasure rose within him.
“Want to know?”
Nie Hongshen raised an eyebrow and, without a word, took Yu Jiao’s hand and brought it down.
Just as Yu Jiao thought this person was being a pervert in broad daylight and was about to slap him, she suddenly paused.
There, under Nie Hongshen’s loose clothes, his hard exoskeleton was slightly open, and Yu Jiao could see the soft subcutaneous tissue, rising and falling with his breath, like mycelium, or like silk, with a soft, delicate, faint light.
It was hard to imagine that a heteromorph with such sharp, terrifying pincer-like legs, mouthparts, and carapace would also have such a harmless, soft, and beautiful structure.
Nie Hongshen brought Yu Jiao’s hand and held it suspended over that soft whiteness.
Yu Jiao could almost feel the slight wave of air, stirred by the “mycelium” as it breathed.
“It’s right here.”
Nie Hongshen said softly.
A glint flashed in Yu Jiao’s eyes.
Nie Hongshen curved his eyes, his voice deep, as if he were telling a fairy tale. He said slowly:
“If you stab me here, I’ll lose my mobility in just two breaths. If you cut me from here, in just the blink of an eye—”
He paused.
“I’ll die.”
As he spoke, Nie Hongshen lifted his eyes, and his purple hawk eyes, which seemed to foretell death and disease, were unblinking. “Want to try?”
He made an invitation.
“…”
Yu Jiao snorted and, accepting the invitation, she lowered her fingertips. With a hint of disbelief, she touched that glistening whiteness.
It was a little cool, and the touch was light, soft, and resilient.
Yu Jiao made a judgment. She continued to explore the intricate texture—should the blade be inserted horizontally or vertically?
As she was estimating how to stab him so that he would die a painful and quick death, Yu Jiao suddenly heard a muffled sound.
A suppressed, guttural sound, dry, low, and hoarse, like a bowed string instrument, a trembling moan.
“?”
Yu Jiao looked up, puzzled, and saw his face flushed, the corners of his eyes crimson, and his once-purple lips were bitten until they were a watery red.
…This vital point was indeed extremely sensitive.
“…”
No?
Why does it feel like, compared to the pain, Nie Hongshen is more stimulated?
“…”
—Nie Hongshen was enjoying it again.
Realizing this, Yu Jiao’s face darkened.