Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.
You Xu rummaged through the apartment keys, opening the door as she said, “I’m coming in.”
Two layers of curtains blocked out the light, making the room somewhat dim. The bed was a mess, tables and chairs were overturned, and objects of all sizes were scattered on the floor, interspersed with shards of glass and vases.
You Xu glanced around but didn’t see Duan Min, only hearing suppressed, heavy breathing echoing in the quiet room.
She carefully walked around the things on the floor and found Duan Min in the corner on the other side of the bed. He looked terrible; his eyes were bloodshot, the veins on his forehead and neck were prominent, and his whole body was extremely tense.
You Xu softly called out, “Duan Min?”
Duan Min stiffened at the sound, burying his head in his arms, curling up, his knuckles cracking.
“Are you alright?” You Xu took a step closer.
“Don’t come any closer,” Duan Min suddenly gasped, his chest heaving, and after a long pause, he said in a hoarse voice, “Don’t look at me.”
He knew he looked like a crawling monster, a monster on the verge of losing his mind and going mad— a state a normal person would never exhibit, no matter how hard he tried to control himself.
You Xu immediately looked away, not approaching him again, but instead went to open the window, her tone as usual, “Your room is always stuffy, it’s too stuffy right now.” She kept the curtains drawn the whole time, preventing any light from coming in.
Duan Min had also planted a few pots of jasmine on the windowsill, and now the cool, gentle evening breeze carried the faint scent of jasmine into the room.
You Xu continued to stand there with her back to him, not leaving.
She knew that Duan Min could easily make her leave, but he didn’t.
After a while, You Xu heard the sound of a drawer being opened and the sound of pills rattling in a medicine bottle.
You Xu remained silent, waiting quietly. After about half an hour, Duan Min’s breathing gradually stabilized, his voice still a little hoarse: “All done.”
You Xu turned around and saw him sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, one leg bent, his left hand resting limply on his knee. There were a few scattered white pills and an injection syringe on the floor.
You Xu sat down next to him. He thought she would ask questions like, “What’s wrong?” “What are these medicines?” “Will you have another attack?” But she didn’t. She didn’t ask those questions that might embarrass him.
“You didn’t eat anything this morning or at noon,” You Xu said gently, looking at him calmly. “Are you hungry now? Do you want some cookies?”
Duan Min hesitated for a moment before slowly humming in agreement.
You Xu was about to get up to make him some milk and cookies when she noticed his hesitant expression, so she didn’t move, giving him a chance to speak.
After a moment of silence, Duan Min slowly spoke, “I hate the presence of living people; it gives me both physical and psychological aversion.” He didn’t want to hide it from You Xu, but fearing she might misunderstand, he quickly tightened his grip on her wrist, saying, “Except for you.”
Actually, Duan Min had had several episodes of his illness before, but they were all within a manageable range, and he had always concealed them. You Xu knew but didn’t say anything.
This time, the attack was so severe, probably because of You Qi. Although You Qi was the female lead, she was initially considered a stranger by Duan Min, and now that she had moved in and was within his sphere of influence, he didn’t want to leave, but because You Qi was his cousin, he couldn’t kick her out, so he had to endure it.
Duan Min knew she was thinking of You Qi, and fearing she would mind, he carefully explained, “Actually, I’m taking medication; I’ll get used to it.” As he said this, he gradually loosened his grip on her wrist.
“Would you…” He lowered his head, his eyes concealing his emotions, and said in a low, hoarse voice, “Hate me like this?”
He couldn’t go shopping with her, couldn’t hold her hand for a walk, and even the people around her found it hard to accept. Before You Qi came, he had never imagined what You Xu was like outside, nor had he imagined that there were so many things he couldn’t do with her.
“I can’t even go out every day.” Duan Min lowered his eyelids, his hands clenching silently.
His pale face turned deathly white, as if he had sentenced himself to death.
“What’s wrong with that?” You Xu held his wrist, her tone gentle. “Everyone has their own way of life. You’re just a bit of a homebody. I’m pretty much a homebody too. Technology is so advanced now, there’s online shopping and food delivery, right? Staying home won’t cause any problems.”
Duan Min’s long eyelashes trembled, and he slowly raised his head, meeting her calm and bright eyes.
She had once again placed him on the same level as a normal person.
At this moment, the system notification sounded in You Xu’s mind.
“Ding— Congratulations, host, your trust value has reached 80. You are rewarded with 2000 points.”
“Please use the designated item to carry out the kill mission.”
….
You Qi had been depressed for almost a week, lacking interest in everything she did. She often held her phone, lost in thought.
In fact, as her cousin, You Xu could have easily told her things like, “You need to see people clearly,” “Who hasn’t encountered a few scumb*gs in their life? That man doesn’t deserve you,” or “Everyone stumbles sometimes.”
But You Xu felt that such preaching and comforting were meaningless. As long as You Qi was willing to confide, she could be the best listener, guiding You Qi to vent her emotions, and also providing her with companionship and care.
The only thing she couldn’t do was stand on high ground and tell You Qi, who was stuck in the valley, “Why are you still trapped down there and unable to get out?”
A few days later, one morning, You Qi suddenly went out, her eyes filled with some emotion, and her demeanor revealed a hint of urgency.
You Xu stared in the direction she left for a while. Duan Min tapped the table with his knuckles. “Should I send a puppet to follow her?”
You Xu snapped out of her thoughts. “No need.”
You Qi didn’t return until the evening of the next day. When she saw You Xu, she lowered her head somewhat awkwardly. “Cousin.”
You Xu’s expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaware that she hadn’t returned all night. She only asked, “What do you want to eat tonight?”
You Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and absentmindedly said, “Spare ribs or pig’s trotters are fine.” After saying that, she went back to her room.
You Xu opened the refrigerator, glanced at the ingredients, then he went out and bought a lot of ingredients before starting to cook.
Duan Min was fiddling with the origami cranes You Xu had folded for him in the living room. After waiting for a long time without seeing any dishes on the table, he followed her to the kitchen and raised an eyebrow. “What day is it today? You’re making so many dishes. You should have asked me to help.”
You Xu put the lid on the pot and simmered the last dish. “It’s almost done. Take the spare ribs, pig’s trotters, and sauerkraut fish out first.”
After placing the last dish on the table, You Xu went to call Yu Qi to come out for dinner.
The three sat down, and You Xu placed a piece of braised pork rib into You Qi’s bowl.
Duan Min glanced at it, poked at his rice a couple of times with his chopsticks, but You Xu didn’t notice him, continuing to serve food to You Qi.
You Qi, unusually talkative as usual, ate in silence; You Xu could see her eyes were red.
After washing up that evening, You Xu and You Qi went to bed together. They were unusually quiet that night and quickly turned off the lights.
In the deep moonlight, all was quiet. Hearing the even breathing of the person beside her, You Qi gently lifted the covers, tiptoed out of bed to the door, opened it, looked back at the person on the bed, and silently said, “Cousin, thank you. I’m leaving.”
After the door closed, You Xu opened her eyes, staring motionlessly at the dappled moonlight streaming in through the window.
The author has something to say:
Another day of loving you all~
Guys, ads are my only source of revenue, so please do not turn on the AdBlock when you are accessing this website…. Thank you, this would be a great help…
You can buy me a ko-fi and sponsor a chapter on: https://ko-fi.com/midnightrambles
Or become a Patron on: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=45665005
If you support me, I would be able to provide more chapters….
Previous • Table of Contents• Next