TBWE Extra 1

The damp, cold mist drifted over the mountainside.

Deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountain, winter was beginning to set in, and the dew on the grass and trees condensed into small ice crystals.

Cold air surged into the bathroom through the two outward-opening wooden windows.

“Yuan Bao, play the morning news.”

“Yes, master. Location set to Lin City, Hu Province. Now playing Lin City morning news for you. According to reports, geologists went to the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountain in Shannan County to investigate the sudden earthquake from two months ago. The positioning equipment has repeatedly malfunctioned, and they have yet to find the epicenter or cause of the earthquake…”

Chu Li turned on the faucet, cupped some cold water in her hands and splashed it on her face. The cold drove away the remnants of sleepiness.

The breath she exhaled turned into white mist, fogging up the mirror.

Noisy sounds came from outside the window, accompanied by the steaming aroma of food and the clamor of voices.

The reconstructed ancestral compound stretched along the mountain terrain, retaining the ancient outline of upturned eaves and corners, but upon closer inspection, everything had completely changed.

Communication towers stood among the cedar forests, telephone poles were scattered throughout the ancient architectural complex. The once-sacred sacrificial plaza had been converted into an open-air drying ground, where children chased each other across newly laid stone bricks, leaving behind trails of cheerful laughter.

The morning news broadcast was interrupted by a phone ringtone.

Chu Li answered the phone. “Hello, who is this?”

“Miss Chu?” A tentative female voice came through the receiver.

“Dr. Chen?” Chu Li was stunned, not expecting the call to be from her former psychologist.

“It’s me! I’m so glad you could answer the phone! I’ve been calling for follow-up visits but couldn’t get through… Is your condition stable now?”

She fell silent for a moment, her voice very soft. “Thank you, Dr. Chen. My illness has recovered.”

Dr. Chen on the other end seemed relieved and was genuinely happy for her, saying she could visit the hospital when free for another comprehensive psychological assessment.

Chu Li quietly listened to the gentle reminders and politely thanked her in response.

The mist condensed into water droplets that slid down the mirror surface, gliding over the beautiful brows and eyes reflected in the mirror, as well as the pitch-black pupils.

Black like an unfathomable abyss, with an inhuman quality that became apparent when stared at for too long.

Shadows flowed behind her, condensing into the outline of a slender body. A pale, cold hand appeared in Chu Li’s field of vision, offering her a towel.

She wiped the wet droplets from her face and was about to turn around when an icy chest pressed against her back, arms encircling her waist, trapping her in front of the washbasin. At the same time, thin tentacles intimately wrapped around her wrist.

“Are you going back?”

Chu Li looked at Him through the mirror.

Pale skin, deep black pupils, still that excessively beautiful face with an inhuman quality.

She couldn’t help but feel dazed.

How exactly had they come to this kind of relationship?

Perhaps it was Xi Chu’s single word: “Same kind.”

Or perhaps it was when He was about to be sent away, He gazed at her and silently said—”Devour me.”

A deity willingly allowing itself to be consumed by a human, to coexist with them.

This was all He could give.

It wasn’t a deity’s mercy toward humans, but a sincere heart.

Those pitch-black pupils seemed capable of capturing souls, staring directly at Chu Li, seeing through the deepest fear in her heart.

After the backlash was removed, she too would become a monster with endless life. She would live in isolation, facing the gradual passing of friends and family.

“So, devour me, coexist with me.”

Through those eyes, Chu Li heard the voice in His heart.

As if possessed by ghosts and gods, she lowered her head and kissed Him.

It couldn’t be called a kiss; it was more like gnawing.

The altar’s formation was terminated, tentacles and red threads entangled the deity, beginning the devouring process.

Chu Li withdrew from the memory.

“Yes, after today’s ritual ends.” Red threads wrapped around the tentacles, dragging them away. She pushed back against the body behind her, “I need to go out.”

Xi Chu clearly felt the warm softness of the body in his embrace, as well as the power flowing beneath the human exterior that shared the same source as His.

He felt a nearly parched hunger.

This thirst didn’t show, except that His pitch-black pupils became even more profound. Pressing against Chu Li’s cheek, His tone was calm. “Li Li, good morning kiss.”

The mirror reflected two closely pressed figures.

The bathroom was very quiet, with only the faint noise from outside the window and the dripping sound of the loosely tightened faucet.

Chu Li slightly turned her head, and a perfunctory kiss brushed past Xi Chu’s lips, like a feather sweeping by, barely leaving any sensation.

“There.”

Just as she was about to push away, the arms around her waist tightened, forcing her to turn around. A shadow pressed down, and He said against her soft lips: “Very perfunctory.”

Scalding temperature slowly sucked and licked.

Chu Li met His eyes, filled with greed that was about to overflow.

The sucking motion unconsciously intensified. Just when she thought He was about to pry open her teeth and push inside, Xi Chu released her.

He used his fingertip to wipe away the liquid remaining on her lips and licked it clean with a calm expression.

If not for those eyes that seemed ready to strip her bare with their gaze, Chu Li might have actually believed He was calm.

From that day on, their relationship entered a strange phase.

Mutual restraint, symbiotic coexistence.

Their intimate contact was limited to two kisses—one in the morning upon waking and one before sleep at night.

Chu Li thought the monster wouldn’t be able to endure for long, but unexpectedly, two months had passed in a flash.

A monster was learning “restraint” and “respect” for her sake.

Thinking of His recent restraint and patience, Chu Li smiled slightly and, before turning to leave the bathroom, patted His cheek with the back of her hand.

A faint fragrance lingered on the skin.

Xi Chu maintained his calm expression and quickly followed, completely unaware that her action was like teasing a cat or dog.

In the bathroom, shadows churned excitedly.

****

Most of the sprawling architectural complex had been damaged before.

Chu Li passed through several newly built corridors, the noise becoming increasingly clear.

The front hall of the main ancestral building had been converted into a semi-open public space, with several long tables set up. People were coming and going, busy arranging food.

A charcoal stove was lit in the corner, simmering a large pot of rice porridge that bubbled and gurgled. On the long table beside it were several baskets of freshly steamed mixed-grain steamed buns and boiled eggs.

The table surfaces were filled with various dishes, the aroma of food filling every inch of space.

This was the ritual’s morning banquet, praying for abundant harvests and favorable weather in the coming year.

The surviving clan members chatted with bright smiles, children chased and laughed between the tables and benches, and the bolder ones secretly snatched steamed buns from baskets to eat in hiding.

“Mama, little sister is stealing food!”

Two children started chasing and playing, the girl who stole food ran around clutching a steamed bun, making faces as she ran.

She wasn’t watching where she was going, charging forward like a cannonball.

Two figures entered through the main door one after another.

“Bang!” The girl crashed into one of them, falling flat on her back as the steamed bun bounced hard on the ground several times.

The sound in the hall suddenly dropped.

Conversations stopped, the playing children froze in place with smiles still lingering on their faces, their eyes involuntarily glancing toward the door with fear showing in their eyes.

In the silence, only the rice porridge continued to bubble and gurgle.

A middle-aged woman rushed over, picked up the girl from the ground, her body and teeth trembling. “The child was being naughty… she collided with… with the Grand Nuo and Lord Nuo God…”

She held the girl and quickly bowed down in submission.

Red threads wove into a net, gently lifting them up.

Chu Li stood against the light outside the threshold, bending down to wipe the dust from the girl’s face, with a tall figure standing behind her that even light automatically avoided.

“It’s fine. Are you hurt?”

The girl shook her head mutely. “No… not hurt.”

Chu Li straightened up, faced the people who didn’t dare speak, and smiled faintly. “No need to wait, let the banquet begin.”

Another plump middle-aged woman smiled with respectful caution, bowing. “Please, Lord Nuo God and Grand Nuo, take your seats.”

Her gaze swept over the restrained and reverent clan members, and she smiled again. “No need, you eat.”

The two figures left as silently as they had come.

The frozen atmosphere gradually became lively, clan members began talking in low voices, and soon it became as noisy as before.

****

The gentle winter sunlight filled the sacrificial plaza.

The once solemn and empty plaza was now covered with various mountain goods being dried, with a huge unlit bonfire piled up. The small buildings were adorned with red silk and lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere.

Several children were playing in the plaza, a shuttlecock bouncing back and forth among them.

Suddenly, someone kicked too hard, sending the shuttlecock flying onto the bonfire pile.

The shuttlecock got stuck in the high logs, and they looked up dejectedly. The one who caused the trouble was almost in tears.

A red thread glided over, wrapped around the shuttlecock and pulled it out, dropping it from the sky in front of the children.

“Wow, it came down!”

They picked up the shuttlecock excitedly, and when they turned around, they saw two figures not far away.

Before the children could speak, Chu Li pointed toward the hall and said, “Stop playing, go eat the morning banquet.”

The children nodded timidly and ran away, pushing and shoving each other.

The child who got the shuttlecock slowed down, stopped and turned back, his face flushed red, saying crisply, “Th-thank you!”

Chu Li was stunned, a smile spreading from the depths of her eyes, filling her brows and eyes.

The child’s face turned even redder, nearly tripping when he turned around, pulled along by his companions as they ran away.

As soon as they left, Chu Ruoying came looking for her.

During this period, Chu Li had been busy handling the businesses left by the Chu family. This huge family had left behind too many industries, like a hot potato. Her aunt had helped a lot.

Chu Ruoying walked quickly, pausing when she almost reached Chu Li, bowing to that figure. “Lord Nuo God.”

Xi Chu glanced at her indifferently.

Chu Ruoying’s back tensed. She could keenly sense the other’s displeasure, perhaps because she was the only living relative Chu Li had left.

This special status made the possessive monster very dissatisfied.

“Little Aunt.” Chu Li happily went to meet her, grasping her hand. “Did everything go smoothly?”

Chu Ruoying grasped her hand in return, knowing she no longer felt cold but still instinctively rubbing to warm her hands. “Smoothly. I went out of the mountains to visit the various branch families and selected eleven reliable ones.” She took out a name list. “These people understand business, have some assets, and most importantly, their backgrounds are relatively clean.”

“Relatively clean?”

Chu Ruoying: “They’ve taken some benefits. But they never actively served as the main family’s enforcers, and they don’t have blood on their hands.”

Chu Li nodded. “Then let’s go with these people. Categorize and organize the industries for them to manage, with you overseeing. From now on, there’s no need to restrict the clan members’ freedom—whether they want to study, do business, or try something else, all expenses can come from the accounts.”

“Alright, I’ll handle things here and make sure everything’s managed properly.” Chu Ruoying’s eyes crinkled with smile lines. “It’s time for the morning banquet to start. You’re the Grand Nuo, you should go open the banquet.”

“I went already, they’re eating. I make them uncomfortable when I’m there. You go eat, little aunt.”

Chu Ruoying sighed silently, gazing at her tenderly. “Xiao Li, what are your plans?”

The warm sunlight shone on her body as Chu Li looked up at the vast sky.

“Mm… I plan to return to Hai City, visit friends, continue school.”

Even though she had become a non-human existence, she still couldn’t accept not getting her diploma, having studied for so many years after all.

“As for future plans, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll travel around. Anyway, I’ll come back to see you every New Year.”

Xi Chu stood like a shadow, silently behind Chu Li.

Watching her curved eyebrows and eyes, her lively smile and speech. Watching that human stroke her face.

They chatted casually for quite a while, until Chu Ruoying felt the gradually intensifying killing intent and reluctantly touched Chu Li’s head, saying goodbye.

Chu Li stood in place watching her leave.

A shadow blocked her view, also blocking the glaring sunlight. 

She looked up. “What’s wrong?”

Xi Chu stepped forward, his expression calm, his pupils unfathomably deep. “Li Li, why do you always smile at others?”

Clearly, they were the same kind now.

Chu Li still couldn’t understand His possessiveness, but now that their power was equal, if He still wanted to act unreasonably, she would kick Him.

She reached out to press against the chest that was too close, putting on a stern face. “No interference with private life.”

Beneath the chest was a simulated human heartbeat.

Xi Chu grasped that hand, pressing it to his heart. “When you smile at others, this place hurts.”

The heartbeat transmitted through her fingertips, creating a subtle resonance within Chu Li’s body.

The monster lowered his head, gently pleading:

“Smile at me more too, okay?”