Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Since they were in a mall, Zhang Yu didn't crawl all the way home like he had that night. Instead, he shapeshifted back into human form.

He descended to the first floor, ready to leave.

"......"

Standing before the tightly shut mall entrance, staring at the lock hanging outside, Zhang Yu fell into thought.

Had it already closed?

The darkness didn't impede his vision, so he hadn't noticed that most of the mall's lights had already been turned off. It wasn't until he reached the first floor and saw the tightly closed glass doors that he realized.

After pacing twice before the glass doors, Zhang Yu's face fell.

He was a mollusk; if there was even the slightest crack, he could gradually squeeze through. But the mall's glass doors were too tightly sealed, almost seamless, leaving him no way out.

Left with no options, Zhang Yu could only turn back to see if any windows were open.

None on the first floor, none on the second, none on the third, none on the fourth or fifth...

After scouring the entire mall without finding a single exit, his shoulders slumped, and he slowly made his way back down the stairs.

"System, can't you just whisk me outside?"

9527 calmly replied, "Reiterating, this system does not possess teleportation capabilities. Additionally, Host, you can crawl out through the ventilation ducts."

"Ventilation ducts? What's that?" Zhang Yu was covered in question marks.

9527: "......"

My mistake. It had forgotten its host hadn't yet learned about such things.

Just as it was about to explain the structure of human buildings to this marine creature, suddenly, a low growl echoed from the stairwell below: "Who's there?!"

The voice was very familiar—slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of tension.

The motion-activated lights came on. Zhang Yu froze. He Xu?

Then it hit him—right, the mall was closed. If he couldn't get out, of course He Xu couldn't either.

He hurried down a few steps, turned past two stairway landings, and saw the human leaning against the wall.

He Xu seemed to have been descending the stairs. The sweat on his forehead hadn't completely dried, his clothes were slightly disheveled, and he appeared disheveled, but his eyes were fierce.

He stared fixedly at the corner, his face wary, like a wounded beast on high alert.

When Zhang Yu fully stepped into his line of sight, his guarded look wavered for a moment.

"...It's you?"

As if realizing there was no threat, He Xu slowly relaxed.

He took a deep breath, leaned back against the wall, and looked over expressionlessly. "Why are you still here?"

Zhang Yu took one second to quickly fabricate an excuse. "I accidentally fell asleep and woke up to find the doors already locked, so..."

"The doors are locked?" He Xu's brows furrowed.

He knew the mall should have closed by now, but he still had to see for himself and had wanted to check. That was why he'd pushed himself downstairs despite his discomfort.

"Yeah," Zhang Yu said, looking at him. "Maybe we should go to the second floor? There are couches there where we can rest."

Humans should be sleeping at this hour, right?

He Xu didn't refuse. He frequented this mall and knew that the floors were all shops, with only the second-floor lounge area having seating suitable for sleeping. Going back up was the best option.

He Xu's face was unreadable. For some reason, he seemed hesitant, but in the end, he raised his head, furrowed his brows, and snapped, "Move!"

"Okay." Zhang Yu, confused, complied without question.

He slowly climbed the stairs, with He Xu following behind. But he moved laboriously—he needed to stop after each step, interspersed with faint, strained breathing, as if the climb was agonizing.

The motion-sensor light dimmed. Zhang Yu stomped his foot, and the lights came back on.

Against his better judgment, he turned back to look at the human struggling up the stairs and suggested, "How about... I help you?"

He Xu's head snapped up, his pupils constricting as he stared fixedly at Zhang Yu, his voice low. "What do you know?"

That dangerous look returned to the human's face, his gaze locking onto Zhang Yu as if one wrong move would send him lunging forward to bite his throat.

Zhang Yu was completely lost. "Huh? Aren't you still recovering from a cold? You seem unwell."

He Xu didn't answer. His cold eyes studied Zhang Yu silently for a long moment before he finally looked away and said indifferently, "None of your business. Keep moving."

Really didn't want help? Even though his legs shook visibly...

Zhang Yu kept stealing glances back as he walked—once, then again.

Feeling the gaze from above, He Xu's hands at his sides slowly clenched into fists.

He lifted his foot to the next step, and as his muscles strained, his body's distress became undeniable.

The dragging weight in his lower abdomen was constantly fraying his nerves, bringing with it unbearably humiliating pain and a spasming throat that made him nauseous.

All because of that damn monster!

It had left more eggs inside him, and that *thing* was blocking them—he couldn't even expel them.

The mere thought of those disgusting eggs rupturing inside him made He Xu shudder. He wished he had a knife to plunge into his stomach and dig them all out!

His fists clenched tighter, nails digging into his palms. He gritted his teeth, his breaths coming in suppressed bursts as waves of fury—and a thread of concealed fear—surged through him.

Even if he hadn't seen them, he'd heard of those infamous horror movies—*Alien*, *The Swarm*—where humans became breeding grounds for monstrous offspring.

This creature was no different from those movie monsters, always depositing clusters of eggs within him. It was impossible not to make the connection.

Maybe the next second, he'd be ripped apart by a horde of little monsters, his organs consumed while he screamed.

But what was even more terrifying was that he didn't know if the monster would return. And if it did, how could he possibly break free?

......

Just thirty-odd steps—a distance a normal person could cover in seconds—took Zhang Yu and He Xu nearly five or six minutes to ascend, in single file.

When they finally reached the second floor, Zhang Yu started toward the lounge area when he realized the footsteps behind him had ceased.

He paused and turned back in confusion, only to see He Xu standing still, his gaze fixed on the direction of the restroom. He seemed to want to go there, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to move.

"Are you going to the restroom?" Zhang Yu tilted his head.

He Xu didn't answer, his brows furrowed as if deep in thought.

Zhang Yu glanced at him, then at the pitch-black restroom illuminated only by the green glow of the emergency exit sign. A lightbulb lit up in his head. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

The words reached He Xu's ears, and he shot Zhang Yu an incredulous look.

Afraid of the dark? With his build, did he look like someone afraid of the dark?

He was only wondering whether the water was cut off too along with the lights in the mall. He wanted to take a shower.

Even though it had been a while and the slime had long dried, the thought of it still clinging to his skin made him deeply unsettled.

And thinking about the restroom brought to mind the storage room next to it—certain hazy, jumbled memories rushed back…

He Xu clenched his jaw, his expression darkening further.

The silence lingered, so Zhang Yu assumed he'd guessed right and said considerately, "I'll go with you."

Such a thoughtful little octopus he was~

"Shut it. Not needed," He Xu snapped, not bothering to explain. He marched toward the restroom without another word.

"It's fine, I need to go too," Zhang Yu said, thinking He Xu was just embarrassed. He even fished around and pulled out the phone the system had given him, intending to use it as a flashlight.

He hadn't used the phone before and was fumbling with the power button when he suddenly noticed the footsteps beside him had stopped. Baffled, he glanced over to see He Xu standing rigidly, head lowered, knuckles white, veins standing out, teeth gritted loud enough to hear.

Zhang Yu noticed his posture was off, as if he'd frozen mid-step, and curiously let his gaze drift downward.

The phone was still booting up, its screen emitting a faint glow. In the darkness, everything was just a blurry silhouette—but for Zhang Yu, the dark posed no obstacle. He could clearly see the small puddle of transparent liquid beneath He Xu's feet, the fabric of his pants darkened.

It clicked—oh, just his shed tentacle melting into water. That was quick.

No biggie. Zhang Yu looked back up and asked, "Still going?"

He Xu didn't respond. After a long pause, he slowly raised his head.

Could've sworn He Xu's eyes were redder, the whites streaked with veins, his expression even fiercer than before.

His voice was hoarser too, carrying a nasally undertone as he snarled, "Get lost!"

With that, he pushed past Zhang Yu and stormed toward the restroom.

Zhang Yu stood there, scratching his head. Since they'd met, He Xu had told him to "get lost" multiple times. Wait—was this a human "catchphrase"?

The phone finally finished booting up. After some clumsy tapping, Zhang Yu turned on the flashlight and approached the restroom. Pushing the door open, he was met with the sound of running water.

The restroom was even darker inside, the only light coming from the red dot on the motion-sensor faucet. But with Zhang Yu's flashlight, the room lit up properly.

He Xu was standing by the sink, halfway through taking off his jacket. He stopped, shot Zhang Yu a bloodshot glare. "Get out!"

"Oh." Zhang Yu took two steps back, then darted back in to place the phone on the floor. "For light."

Then he retreated and closed the door—remembering He Xu's supposed fear of the dark.

Once he was outside, only the sound of running water remained in the restroom. He Xu let out a breath, finally removing his jacket and setting it aside before splashing water onto his arms.

The flashlight's beam reflected off the smooth tiles, and as his eyes adjusted, everything became clearer.

Eyeing the countless marks on his arms, He Xu scrubbed methodically, his expression blank, until his skin turned red and every trace of stickiness was gone.

He glanced at the closed door, hesitating for a moment before disgust overpowered him. Seizing his shirt's hem, he stripped off the rest of his clothes.

The mirror threw back his reflection.

His muscular build was the same as always—broad shoulders, defined muscles, a towering height of 188 cm that made him imposing to anyone.

But now, his body was covered in marks.

Like some cheap rentboy, he thought coldly.

He scrubbed roughly, the icy water numbing his skin, icing out any residual heat.

The unwanted reactions faded, but He Xu didn't stop, drenching himself again and again.

Water sloshed across the floor, much of it spilling out under the door before it could drain.

Outside, Zhang Yu watched the water seeping out, his instincts itched.

He hadn't soaked in water all day. Ignorable until now—but now it was right in front of him. Just a quick soak… who'd notice?

Gaze locked on the door, listening to the rushing water inside, Zhang Yu quietly extended a tentacle into the puddle.

The cool water against his skin made the marine being sigh blissfully, reveling in the sensation.

Heavenly~

He squirmed happily, trying to soak as much of his tentacle as possible, mindlessly nudging the door ajar.

By the time Zhang Yu realized, the water inside had stopped. Only a strained, held-back breath could be heard—low but rapid.

Shit. Busted?

Panicked, the sea creature yanked his tentacle back and rapped lightly. "He Xu? Are you done?"

Silence. Then a hoarse voice replied, "...Zhang Yu?"

"Yeah. I didn't hear anything, so I thought you were finished. Uh… need some tissues?" Zhang Yu's ears strained, terrified of exposure.

Fortunately, the person inside didn't seem suspicious. After a pause, He Xu muttered, "No," and resumed washing.

Phew. Zhang Yu thumped his chest, relieved.

Inside the restroom, He Xu's eyelids lowered slowly.

The moment Zhang Yu had spoken, that telltale slithering noise disappeared. No matter how hard he listened, it was gone—as if he'd imagined it, and the monster hadn't really returned.

It probably hadn't… Otherwise, with that twig's frame, he wouldn't stand a chance against even one of that monster's tentacles. He'd be a screaming puddle by now.

Tension seeped from his muscles, his racing heart calming as he cupped water in his hands.

He thought of the curly-haired boy outside, standing guard, attentive to his every move. Though he hated to admit it, right now, the presence of another person gave him a fragile sense of safety.

...

Zhang Yu waited outside a while longer before He Xu at last stepped out.

He Xu was still wearing the same clothes, his hair damp and his body carrying a cold dampness.

"Let's go." He glanced at Zhang Yu and headed toward the seating area.

Zhang Yu blinked. Hmm? Why did He Xu's voice sound quieter, as if he was drained?

Unbeknownst to He Xu walking ahead, his rare moment of speaking gently was mistaken by a certain fish as a sign of exhaustion. When they reached a corner of the arcade, he collapsed onto a long couch, draping an arm over his eyes, ready to sleep.

Zhang Yu circled around and lay down on the opposite sofa, gazing blankly at the ceiling with dull fish eyes.

He was used to sleeping in water, and even after coming ashore, he usually slept in a water-filled bathtub. Without it now, he had no idea how to fall asleep.

Mimicking He Xu, Zhang Yu closed his eyelids, placed a hand over his eyes, and lay quietly on the sofa.

After a while, he turned over. Then, after another while, he turned again.

Tossing and turning like a fish on a griddle, he finally sat up abruptly.

That's it! He needed water!

Sneaking a glance to the side, the person on the sofa lay motionless, apparently sound asleep.

Zhang Yu quietly stood up from the sofa, creeping toward the bathroom to soak in some water. But as he passed He Xu, he abruptly realized something was wrong.

The person on the sofa had curled into a ball, brows furrowed, eyes tightly shut, body trembling, and his temperature was much higher than before he fell asleep.

The sensors embedded in his skin clearly detected the heat radiating from the human. Zhang Yu paused, reaching out to touch He Xu's face in surprise. "System, he's so hot! Humans actually get warmer when they sleep? That's amazing!"

If he were this hot, he'd be half-cooked.

System 9527—having already scanned the antagonist's physical data: ...

The mechanical voice replied flatly, "He didn't get hot from sleeping. He has a high fever. He's on the verge of death."