Xia Miao had just been preparing exam questions when thunder rumbled outside, plunging the house into darkness.
Fang Min had warned her before—the old house was dilapidated, its wiring aged, and the circuits often tripped during thunderstorms. He’d prepared candles in advance, just in case.
Luckily, she’d finished her work before the power went out. Xia Miao hurriedly told her boyfriend to close the windows while she went to fetch the candles. When she returned with a lit candle in hand, she found him standing dumbly by the window, letting the wind and rain soak him.
She took his hand and led him toward the bedroom, muttering under her breath, "We’ve been together for a while now, E Gui. Why haven’t you outgrown this habit of wanting to run wild every time it rains?"
The long-haired boy’s posture was slumped, his steps sluggish, as if he were truly deadweight. He stared at Xia Miao’s hand holding his, then slowly pried her fingers open before slotting his own long, pale fingers between hers, interlacing them tightly.
"Rain… fun," he said in his usual slow, delayed manner, the words arriving three seconds too late.
Before entering the bedroom, Xia Miao stopped in her tracks. Gripping the candle, she turned to face him, her expression unamused. "Take it off."
He didn’t move.
Xia Miao: "I’ll count to three. One—"
She’d barely uttered the first number when he clumsily began to comply, shrugging off the oversized raincoat. Underneath, he wore a plain white T-shirt and loose black shorts, his feet clad in blue plastic sandals adorned with cute bear prints—a matching pair with Xia Miao’s pink ones.
"Put it away properly," she ordered.
E Gui obediently draped the raincoat over a nearby coat rack, but as he did, a cascade of objects clattered to the floor.
Knives, clamps, pliers…
All of them stained a dull brown, like long-dried blood.
Xia Miao’s face remained blank.
E Gui hastily crouched down, stuffing the scattered tools back into the raincoat—which, thanks to some kind of extradimensional pocket, swallowed them all without appearing any heavier.
Once he was done, he stared up at her nervously, his dark, inky eyes peering through the gaps in his long black hair, unblinking.
Xia Miao yanked him into the bedroom with barely restrained irritation, forcing him to sit on a chair. She grabbed a dry towel and ordered him to lower his head so she could dry his soaked hair.
His hair was thick, unruly, and absurdly long—a nightmare to maintain. It was only thanks to Xia Miao’s relentless use of hair serums since they’d started dating that it had gained even a semblance of softness.
As she toweled off the rest of his hair, he idly played with a dried strand, wrapping the pale ends around his fingers in slow, looping motions, as if it were the most fascinating game.
"No going out in the rain without my permission from now on," she said.
He hesitated, refusing to answer for a long time.
Xia Miao, sitting behind him, gave his hair a sharp tug, making his body lurch sideways.
A few seconds later, he mumbled, "Miao… it hurts."
Her temper flared. "Good. That’s the point," she snapped, releasing him. "Maybe you’ll learn your lesson. I don’t want to relive the misery of searching for you in the middle of a storm again. If you pull another disappearing act on a rainy night, I’m breaking up with you."
This time, he reacted immediately, turning his head so fast it spun a full 180 degrees. "No, break up!"
Xia Miao grabbed his head and twisted it back to its original angle. "Then don’t make me angry!"
A few months ago, Xia Miao had granted E Gui the privilege of pursuing her, and he had taken full advantage of every possible moment to do so.
For example:
At her graduation ceremony, the moment she turned around, she’d spot his shadow trailing behind her.
When she dropped her keys and bent down to pick them up, she’d suddenly lock eyes with his gaze peering out from the gaps of a sewer grate.
Even in the dead of night, she’d wake from sleep feeling an itch on her nose, only to open her eyes and see a cascade of inky-black hair draped like moonlight over her.
That lanky figure would be clinging to the ceiling, and when he realized she’d noticed him, he’d seem almost shy—his nose flushing deeper, his lips curling slowly into a grin as he clutched his hair, hiding his deathly pale face.
Back then, Xia Miao had thought—Damn, he’s adorable!
This bastard’s allure was just too strong. Every time she saw him, her heart would pound uncontrollably, as if she were teetering on the brink of death.
They say marriage is the grave of love. Well, she figured fate must be urging her to leap right into that grave.
So, she decided to accept his advances—dating, then moving in together, all in one go. Once her job stabilized, they’d get their marriage certificate!
"Listen, E Gui. You have to make me feel secure if you want me to marry you. So no disappearing acts, got it?"
"Miao… always," he struggled to say, "sticking."
He meant he was always sticking to her.
Somewhat mollified, Xia Miao finished drying his hair and tossed the towel aside. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her body against his, her chin resting on his shoulder. "You know, when the news reports someone dying in the rain and you’re nowhere to be found, I worry something happened to you."
E Gui replied, "Won’t… happen."
Xia Miao glared. "But I worry!"
She worried because she loved him.
E Gui lowered his head, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile. His fingers, which had been toying with his own hair, now gingerly pinched the hem of her nightgown. His cold body radiated warmth, and the flush around his nose deepened.
"Miao… want to."
He lifted his face, his black hair slipping aside to reveal a pallid yet feverish complexion—both eerie and mesmerizing. With his build, he could’ve easily pinned her down, yet all he dared do was clutch at the edge of her gown.
His breath came out hot, his crimson tongue flickering faintly. "Can… do?"
Xia Miao wanted to say no—she had work tomorrow.
But he’d already lit a fire in her.
Damn it, he’s this cute—who could resist?!
Xia Miao pounced. "Do it!"
He collapsed onto the bed, his hair sprawling wildly, tangling around them both. He giggled—heeheehee—until his pants were yanked off, and his laughter took on a different tone.
Breaths, sweeter than a woman’s, filled the air, becoming Xia Miao’s personal opium.
Perhaps it was too comfortable—his shadow twisted restlessly in the faint candlelight, as if the form hidden beneath his unstable skin was eager to break free. On the wall, a long, tail-like shadow coiled around the girl’s small frame.
Xia Miao’s voice rang out, "E Gui, we agreed—no using other parts except on indulgence days!"
He let out a disappointed "Oh."
On the wall, the tail-like shadow retreated from beneath the girl’s skirt.
She added, "And no extra parts! One is enough!"
E Gui pressed his lips together and grumbled another reluctant "Oh."
