Shen Nianzu’s eyes widened as he could not believe what he had just heard. W–Who was eating whom?! Was he talking in a literal sense, or was it only a figure of speech?? He couldn’t have possibly devoured soone else, right???
However, when he recalled how defective Jin Jiuchi’s taste buds were, suddenly he was not so sure anymore...
Seeing his adorably dazed look, Jin Jiuchi burst out into a fit of hearty laughter, "Hahaha! Nian’er, don’t tell ... do you really believe that?"
"You’re lying?!" Fuming, Shen Nianzu sprung up and grabbed hold of his collar. But on second thought, how could that be possible? Jin Jiuchi was under the binding effect of the skill card now. He ought to give honest answers to the questions Shen Nianzu asked him, unless...
"—hiss!" Shen Nianzu’s head suddenly throbbed in searing pain as if an invisible force had struck him from behind. The world around him spun in a dizzying whirl and his body turned soft, collapsing against Jin Jiuchi. Gasping for air, he felt an intense heat raging within him as though his insides were being consud by flas. He struggled to speak through the agony, his words strained on the edges, "W–What is..."
Damn it, was this the side effect of using a skill card that was not originally his?! Just like how using Zhi’s ’Fla Larceny’ gave him blisters on the spot where the fla burned him, he had also been prepared for the side effects of using ’Song of a Depraved Siren’, though he did not expect that it would be so... intense!
Struggling to peel open his heavy eyelids, Shen Nianzu peered at the blurred figure looming above him. "H-hot..." he gasped, his body caught in a tornting battle between scorching heat and bone-chilling cold. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, and a delicate flush tinged his pale cheeks.
He had a faint inkling that there was sothing he could do to relieve his condition, but unfortunately, it was simply impossible to achieve in his current form.
srized, Jin Jiuchi was unable to take his gaze off the boy in his arms. The tousled silver strands, the watery purple eyes, and the feverish flush on his skin painted a picture of exquisite beauty — an offering, a sacrificial lamb destined solely for him.
"How pretty..." he reached out to caress Shen Nianzu’s cheek, his icy touch sending a shiver coursing through the jade doll’s body. "Are you hot, Nian’er? It’s okay, I will hold you like this all night, okay?"
"N-No... ...go..." Shen Nianzu murmured with knitted brows, yet the rest of his words were lost into an inaudible whisper.
He continued to shiver in Jin Jiuchi’s arms, his lips turning blue from the intense clash of temperature of his inner core and the chilly air around him. However, it was as if Jin Jiuchi did not notice anything at all. He cradled the unconscious boy in his arms, gently rocking him back and forth as if he were soothing a sleeping baby. Only when he sensed Shen Nianzu’s weakening breath did he lower his gaze in surprise.
"Look at you. You’re dying, Nian’er."
He pressed his fingers to the side of Shen Nianzu’s sweaty neck and clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Still a little too weak. Oh well, it’s not like I can’t do anything about it..." A wicked grin spread across his face. Gripping a handful of silver hair, he forced Shen Nianzu to bare his vulnerable neck before the predator.
Jin Jiuchi’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, and his teeth transford into sharp, jagged fangs of a beast. "Bon appétit..." he whispered lovingly, and the next second, he descended upon Shen Nianzu’s shoulder, sinking his teeth into the sa spot he had bitten before.
***
"...en!"
"...shen!!"
"Xiao Shen!!!"
Shen Nianzu jolted awake, his eyes snapping open with a gasp. He stared at the fabric ceiling of the tent above him, his mind still muddled from the remnants of a haunting dream. He dreamt that he had been ensnared by a colossal python and in the end, that cold-blooded animal sank its fangs into his flesh, spreading its venom all over his body.
"Xiao Shen?!" Xinxin’s voice grew increasingly concerned, piercing through the haze of his thoughts. "Are you okay? I have been calling you a few tis, but you didn’t answer..."
Shen Nianzu propped himself up on his arms, groaning. "I’m fine," he was surprised by how coarse and feeble his voice sounded, and he cleared his throat to repeat again, "I’m fine. Sorry, I’ve just woken up."
Xinxin released a huge sigh of relief, "It’s good that you are okay. The NPCs woke us up just now and left a few basins of water for us. They said that we have an hour to freshen up, but Jiang Shun and the others planned to go to the temple to check on Zhang Lei and Luo Qing before then. You..." Xinxin’s voice was laced with concern. "Are you okay? You didn’t get a fever, did you?"
Did he?
Shen Nianzu raised his hand and pressed his palm against his forehead, asuring his own temperature. And to his relief, it was normal. However, he could not ignore the sticky sensation on his skin as if he had sweated a lot.
What happened?
His mind involuntarily drifted to the mind-boggling conversation he had with Jin Jiuchi last night. Alas, it seed like the side effects of the skill card had set in at an unsuitable timing, rendering him muddled and sluggish.
He furrowed his brows and turned to the side, seeing that Jin Jiuchi was still fast asleep. He could have passed as a genuine corpse with the absence of rise and fall of his chest, if not for his arms that were tightly wrapped around Shen Nianzu’s middle.
’So this is where the python in my dream cos from,’ Shen Nianzu thought as he violently flung Jin Jiuchi’s arms off him.
"I have put the water basin outside your tent," Xinxin continued to say. "Can you get it yourself?"
"Yes," Shen Nianzu crawled forward to unzip his tent, and he squinted his eyes against the dazzling sunlight. After the suffocating coldness last night, the temperature had finally risen to a comfortable level. He relayed his gratitude to Xinxin upon seeing the water basin, "Thank you."
Xinxin did not have to do it, but he still did. Perhaps Shen Nianzu should rethink his decision. Soone like Xinxin who was genuine, kind-hearted and lacked malicious greed was rare to co by in the Cycle.
"Hehe, don’t worry about it," Xinxin tugged on his bangs bashfully. "But Da Shen..." he peered into the tent and saw Jin Jiuchi’s motionless form, concern evident on his face. "Is he okay? What happened to him last night?"
"Just a minor accident," he evaded the question skillfully. It was still not safe to reveal Jin Jiuchi’s true condition to anyone else. He picked up the water basin and told Xinxin, "I’m going to wash up. You should do the sa too."
"Oh okay..." Xinxin waved at him. "See you later."
Shen Nianzu zipped the tent closed and carefully placed the water basin in the corner. He then approached Jin Jiuchi, shaking him awake. "Hey, wake up. It’s morning now."
Pausing for a mont, Shen Nianzu pressed his palm against Jin Jiuchi’s cheek. Was it just his imagination, or did Jin Jiuchi feel even colder than last night?
"Nian’er...?" Jin Jiuchi opened his eyes groggily, his black eyes devoid of the usual wickedness. He turned away, burying his face in the crook of his arm, his back to Shen Nianzu. "I’m tired, you should go without today..."
Shen Nianzu scoffed. Whatever had he done to exhaust him so? It was not like he had fought last night. However, seeing the usually hyperactive and enthusiastic Jin Jiuchi beco like this was quite unnerving, and he couldn’t help but ask in a hesitant tone, "Are you... okay?"
Jin Jiuchi let out a muffled chuckle, earning him a slap on his back from Shen Nianzu. "Can’t you be serious for once?!"
"Ah, I’m okay," he drawled lazily. "I will not die, at least not yet, but it’s getting harder for to hold onto this body. The longer I remain incomplete, the weaker I will beco."
Shen Nianzu’s eyes widened, "What are you..."
"As much as it pains to admit it," he huffed. "If you don’t get him back from the afterlife soon, I will be dragged there too. Even now, it’s still calling for ..." he suddenly snapped and covered his ears. "Argh, it’s so noisy!"
"What... What is calling for you?"
"The coffin, Nian’er," Jin Jiuchi turned to him with a pitiful look. "Can you get rid of it for ? It’s giving a terrible headache."
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A/N: everyone, we have reached 1k unlocks QAQ omg thank you so much for all of your support, I didn’t expect us to be so fast, you guys are aweso!!
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