At dusk, when hearts were restless—for once night fell, no one knew if they’d be dragged into the next brutal game—today was an exception. Everyone was hiding from the terrifying black rats. Rumor had it that these corpse-eating rodents lurked in every shadowy corner of the campus, and a single bite would spread a dreadful plague.
No one knew why the rats, usually lurking in the dark, had suddenly scurried out.
Thus, the cafeteria at dinner hour stood nearly empty, save for two figures sitting in a corner.
"Here, I’ve already added you as a friend. If you ever want to find me, just tap here to message me." Xia Miao shoved a Banana-brand phone into his hands, showing him how to use it. "The conditions here aren’t great, so I could only get you a secondhand one for now. Once we’re out, I’ll buy you a better one."
Lu Yan cradled the cold "metal brick" in both hands, staring dumbly at the contact on the screen. The profile picture was the bouquet of hand-shaped flowers he’d given her. Then his eyes landed on the contact name. Though he barely recognized any characters, something felt off.
"These two words… aren’t your name."
Xia Miao replied matter-of-factly, "Since I’m the one you’re pursuing, if your nickname for me was just my name, wouldn’t that sound too distant? So I thoughtfully changed it for you in advance."
Lu Yan squinted at one of the two characters he recognized. "‘Ancestor’?"
"It’s ‘Your Ancestor.’"
Lu Yan froze for a second before exploding, "Hey, you asking for a beating!?"
Xia Miao didn’t even glance at him, calmly chewing a piece of meat. "Swearing. Minus one point."
Lu Yan’s eyes burned with fury, but after a moment, he realized he couldn’t hit her, couldn’t curse—he was only tormenting himself. With a heavy "hmph," he grabbed his tray and chopsticks. His gaping maw emerged from the gaps in his bandages, and with a few messy gulps, he shoveled all the food into his mouth in seconds.
Xia Miao stared at him, stunned.
Her own eating was elegant and poised—back straight, chopsticks held delicately, each bite chewed behind closed lips before swallowing.
Compared to her, he devoured like a wild beast.
A strange sense of shame crept over Lu Yan belatedly.
He lowered his head, staring at the chopsticks clutched awkwardly in his five fingers like a hot potato, then set them down. Hands on his knees, he hunched further, stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye.
Suddenly, meat and vegetables landed on his empty plate.
"I can’t finish this much. Help me eat some."
Lu Yan lifted his gaze, unblinking.
Xia Miao scooted closer, nearly pressed against his side. Tilting her face up, she beamed at him, eyes crinkling. "You eat a lot, I eat little. In that way, we complement each other. Plus ten points!"
Lu Yan tilted his head. "Why are you giving me points?"
"Because the heavens are hinting we might be a match made in destiny. To celebrate, plus ten!"
His dead-fish eyes flickered with something. "We’re a match?"
Xia Miao corrected him, "Just a possibility. You’re still far from a hundred points—you haven’t successfully won me over yet."
He stabbed a piece of meat with his chopsticks, muttering as he chewed, "I’ll definitely catch you."
The boy’s competitive spirit burned like wildfire, as if he’d declared her his sworn rival to conquer. Yet under the table, his hand furtively brushed her fingers. When she didn’t pull away, he inched up her hand until their fingers intertwined completely.
The warmth sent his heart pounding erratically.
It felt like self-torture.
But the next moment, her fingers slid between his, locking them in a tight clasp.
Black smoke seeped from his bandages again.
A piece of meat slipped from his chopsticks onto the table. Unfazed, he abandoned the unwieldy utensils and grabbed the meat with his hand—only for Xia Miao to smack it away.
"Food that falls out of the bowl is dirty. Don’t eat it!"
Lu Yan had an odd obsession with food. Glaring at the meat on the floor, he snapped, "You think I won’t hit—"
His hand was snatched up. Xia Miao pulled out a tissue, gently wiping the grease from his fingers. The light, ticklish touch made his scalp tingle, his whole body restless.
The boy’s eyes gleamed, head bowed, gaze glued to her face, baffled by his own uncharacteristically meek behavior.
Xia Miao suddenly looked up. "What was that about me thinking you wouldn’t dare… what?"
Lu Yan gulped inexplicably, shrinking back. "Y-You… don’t think I’d dare to kiss you."
Seizing the excuse, he lunged forward—only for her hand to block him before shoving his face away.
"Get lost!"
Lu Yan gaped. "You won’t let me kiss you!?"
"You just ate. Disgusting. No kissing!"
Behind the bandages, his cheeks puffed in indignation.
Night was falling. A new game was about to begin.
The Headless Woman still dug through the earth, searching for her missing head.
The conjoined twins each held a large bag of red juice, stocking up energy for the night’s activities.
The old gardener, finally free after a long day, lounged in a chair under a tree, sipping chilled tea in bliss.
One twin suddenly spoke. "Where’s Lu Yan been loitering?"
The other echoed, "Yeah, haven’t seen him all day."
"Don’t tell me that idiot’s playing some love game again?"
"No way. Didn’t he kill that girl yet?"
The old gardener said, "He’s back."
The bandaged boy strode in, humming a tuneless melody. Spotting flowers by the path, he kicked them cheerfully.
Passing the Headless Woman, he suddenly gasped, patting his pockets before pulling out a chocolate. "Almost dropped the candy Miao Miao gave me!"
The Headless Woman straightened, blankly facing his direction.
A few steps later, Lu Yan paused near the twins, lifting his hand to wave it pointedly before them.
"Miao Miao made sure to clean my hands spotless. She really knows her place—worshiping me properly!"
The twins exchanged bewildered looks.
Finally arriving under the tree where the old gardener was enjoying the shade, Lu Yan plunged a hand into his own body, rummaged around, and pulled out a phone. With exaggerated theatrics, he exclaimed, "Damn it! We’ve only been apart for a short while, and that woman already sent me a message saying she misses me—using the very phone she gave me! How annoying!"
The old gardener chuckled softly, "Heh heh heh."
Lu Yan shoved the phone—whose screen hadn’t even lit up—back into his body. He cast a sidelong glance at his colleagues, his expression haughty, bearing a striking resemblance to Xia Miao’s usual air of superiority. Though he feigned modesty, his words dripped with smugness.
"Ah, how I envy you all—no one likes you. Unlike me, stuck with a girl who’s obsessed, clinging to me relentlessly. Every other day, she’s pestering me, restless unless we’re holding hands or kissing. I barely get any peace—such torment."
The conjoined twins bared their beast-like claws. "Then let us kill her for you."
A blade whizzed through the air, piercing through the twins’ bodies and pinning them to the tree.
The youth’s dead-fish eyes gleamed with a dull gray-white hue, lifeless yet menacing. His bandages smoldered, his form flickering like a mirage. His voice was a low, rasping growl: "Try laying a finger on her. I dare you."
