In the hotel suite, Jiang Xia sat on the birdcage bed, watching the class beauty and monitor undress under the pink ambient light. As the down jacket slipped off, it revealed a white turtleneck sweater that accentuated her graceful figure.
Li Sitong, though just turned eighteen, had a well-developed body, with everything in the right place.
Jiang Xia sat properly at the edge of the bed, his back soaked in cold sweat.
His mind raced with thoughts, questioning what Li Sitong really was. Had the original Li Sitong been hollowed out by a monster, her body taken over? Or had a monster killed Li Sitong and assumed her appearance?
"What about me? Am I the same as her?"
Li Sitong kicked off her sneakers, pulled off the red scarf around her neck, and placed her toes on Jiang Xia's chest, gently pushing him back.
Jiang Xia gripped the bedsheet tightly, his head pounding as if a heavy hammer was striking it, creating a booming sound!
This is bad! This is bad!!
Being alone with the class beauty in a room, about to engage in something indescribable, sounded incredibly tempting, with endless room for imagination.
Yet Jiang Xia felt no interest. Who knew what kind of monster Li Sitong really was? Was her body structure even human?
Li Sitong knelt on one knee at the foot of the bed, crawling slowly onto Jiang Xia, her eyes seductive, filled with affection, her fair hand moving slowly down Jiang Xia's chest.
Seconds later, her expression changed: "You think I'm a monster, so you're not interested in me?"
"No... no... I'm just naturally not capable." Afraid that Li Sitong might feel offended, Jiang Xia had to temporarily set aside his male dignity and make up an excuse.
"Nonsense." Li Sitong's eyes turned cold, and she sneered, "I actually have ways to make you capable, but that would make me seem cheap!"
She gently caressed Jiang Xia's cheek again: "Honestly, I really like you. From long ago, when I was still normal, I had feelings for you..."
"So, what exactly are we? Am I the same as you?"
Jiang Xia breathed heavily, not wanting to believe he was a harmful monster like Li Sitong. But judging by his body's reactions, he and Li Sitong were now—of the same kind!
Li Sitong traced circles on Jiang Xia's chest with her fingertips: "Anyway, you're no longer a normal human like me. You're having a hard time accepting it now because you're just beginning to change. You'll get used to it slowly."
Suddenly learning he was no longer human, Jiang Xia found it hard to accept.
What had happened? Why was he suddenly not human anymore?
Especially the undercover in his mind, what was that all about?
He and Li Sitong were the same kind of monster, yet there was a "Divine Sequence 001—Undercover" in his mind.
Did this undercover mean he was an undercover agent hidden among monsters?
Jiang Xia asked again: "Why is this happening, and how many people around us are like us?"
"A lot. On the way to the hotel, you should have sensed many similar presences. As for why this is happening, I can't explain." Li Sitong changed the subject, continuing: "You should be grateful. If you were still a normal human, you'd eventually become food."
So, this was something to be happy about? From prey to predator?
"Why do you want me to be your boyfriend?" Jiang Xia seemed to have a million questions, but the issues troubling him were indeed numerous.
"Didn't I just say? I've had feelings for you for a long time." Li Sitong smiled ambiguously, unclear whether she was telling the truth or not, then added seriously: "More importantly, I need a partner to hunt with, and you seem like a good choice."
Jiang Xia's eyes narrowed.
A hunting partner? Like what she just did to Xu Kun?
"I'm a bit full from earlier, so sleepy, I'll sleep first."
Li Sitong yawned, draped a leg over Jiang Xia, rested her head on his shoulder, hugged him tightly, and closed her eyes, leaving Jiang Xia alone to digest everything.
Initially, Jiang Xia's mind was highly stimulated, extreme shock and fear making him forget hunger. Although Li Sitong seemed unlikely to harm him, the world suddenly becoming like this was hard for him to accept both mentally and physically.
With so many monsters around, would his family be in danger? His mom, little sister, and that philandering father... among them, could there also be "kindred" like him?
Jiang Xia dared not think about it. The thought that there might be "kindred" among his family made his hands tremble uncontrollably.
Gradually, amidst extreme fear, his head grew dizzy from hunger, and before long, he drifted into a hazy sleep.
In the morning, the shrill sound of an alarm clock rang.
Jiang Xia's eyes snapped open, bloodshot.
Li Sitong, lying on his arm, looked as peaceful as a little white rabbit. The alarm made her murmur, and she burrowed into the covers, snuggling into Jiang Xia's embrace.
Jiang Xia gently lifted the covers to peek inside; no matter how he looked, she didn't seem like a man-eating monster...
Ten minutes later, Li Sitong got up, brushing her teeth in the bathroom while talking to her father on the phone.
"I'm at the hotel, just me... Dad, don't you trust me?"
Jiang Xia stood weakly at the bathroom door. After Li Sitong hung up, he asked, "If I stay hungry like this, what will happen?"
"You'll lose your mind until you eat to fill your stomach. Your family will be the first to suffer! But don't worry, you won't starve to death. Even if you eat nothing for a month, you won't die!"
Jiang Xia's eyes flickered, his heart tightened: "So if I stay hungry, I'll lose my mind and first use my family to fill my stomach?"
"Not necessarily, but at that point, your family, those with your blood, will be more tempting to you!"
Li Sitong put down the towel, walked up to Jiang Xia, hooked her arms around his neck, their faces close, noses almost touching, clearly feeling each other's breath.
"Don't make our relationship public, and don't act too shocked to expose our differences. Live as you did before. If you expose yourself too much, those people will come to kill you!"
"Who are those people?" Jiang Xia asked.
Li Sitong placed a hand on Jiang Xia's face, caressing: "They are our prime food source, nothing provides us more nourishment. Similarly, to them, we are nourishment too!
Think of it as a game of hide and seek. If we find them first, they die. If they find us first, we die!
But don't worry too much, their numbers are few, even pitifully few, maybe not even one in a hundred thousand, but still, be cautious."
Saying this, Li Sitong stood on tiptoe and pecked Jiang Xia's forehead lightly.
"So no one sees us leaving this couple's hotel together, I'll head to school first, take your time."
Click!
Li Sitong left the hotel room, and Jiang Xia leaned weakly against the bathroom door.
Jiang Xia felt that he and Li Sitong now belonged to monsters, demons, or something similar?
The "those people" she mentioned, could they be like the demon hunters in movies?
If he was an "undercover" hidden among monsters, was he on the same side as those people?
Vaguely, he seemed to hear some rustling sounds. Looking down, his pupils contracted rapidly; his hand was changing!
His left hand was transforming from the fingertips, revealing sharp black claws, the palm becoming like a lizard's hand, covered in green scales with a white, slippery liquid.
The transformation spread from his palm to his wrist, seemingly about to engulf his entire arm. As the hunger in his abdomen grew stronger, the transformation accelerated.
His entire arm turned into a green monstrous limb, twice as thick as before. Feeling an itch on his face, Jiang Xia rushed into the bathroom.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Jiang Xia froze!
In the mirror, his left eye socket had transformed, the eyeball turned ghostly green, the red pupil vertical like a cat's eye at noon, surrounded by green scales. At a glance, it seemed as if a monster was hidden beneath human skin, trying to break free!
...
Xinghe No. 1 High School.
Class 1, Senior Year classroom.
Li Sitong sat in the first row of the second group, seemingly having gone home to change into new clothes.
Jiang Xia sat two desks away from her, having missed the morning reading session, arriving before the first class.
Out of thirty-nine students, only Xu Kun's seat was empty.
Jiang Xia observed.
Good news: He had just drunk a beverage Li Sitong left on his desk, slightly recovering his strength. He could vaguely guess what was added, but he was too hungry. Even if mentally uncomfortable, he had to quiet his stomach, or else losing his mind might unleash the monster within.
Bad news: The presence of kindred in the class had increased.
Sitting behind him, Wang Fei came from a wealthy family, being the nephew of the school's academic affairs director, and loved to show off in class. Besides his background, his height of over six feet made him the class sports committee member.
Two weeks ago, his brother passed away, and he took a two-week leave.
Just entering the classroom, Jiang Xia sensed the presence of kindred on him.
Wang Fei evidently sensed the kindred presence on Jiang Xia too, tossing a paper ball to him before the class bell rang and the teacher entered.
Jiang Xia opened the paper ball, which contained a short message: Welcome to the club!
Jiang Xia didn't reply, tearing the paper into shreds and stuffing it into his drawer.
8:21 AM.
The homeroom teacher and Chinese teacher, Yang Ruoxue, entered the classroom, glancing at Xu Kun's empty seat, frowning.
She then looked at Li Sitong and asked, "Li Sitong, did Xu Kun attend your birthday celebration last night?"
Li Sitong nodded: "Yes, why?"
"Do you know where he went afterward?"
"I don't know, why, did something happen to him?" Li Sitong's tone was light and puzzled, leaving Jiang Xia wondering how she managed to act so nonchalant and unaware.
Most likely, Xu Kun wasn't the first person she had killed this way, allowing her to remain so calm.
"Nothing, he just didn't come home last night, and his family is frantic." The homeroom teacher addressed the class: "Does anyone know where Xu Kun went, did he contact any of you after you parted last night?"
The students exchanged glances, shaking their heads.
A boy who was closest to Xu Kun said, "After the class monitor's birthday party, I asked Xu Kun to go back together, but he said he wanted to clear his head alone, and then I lost contact."
"Alright, got it, continue with your class." The homeroom teacher smiled at the English teacher at the door, taking her teaching materials and leaving the classroom.
As the English teacher entered, Li Sitong called out, "Stand up!"
"Good morning..."
Jiang Xia had just sat down when another paper ball was thrown from behind.
Opening it, Wang Fei had written: Xu Kun tasted good, didn't he?
Jiang Xia's eyes narrowed, the image of Xu Kun's tragic death flashing in his mind again.
He ignored it, tearing the paper and stuffing it into his drawer.
Soon, another paper ball was passed from the front. Opening it, he saw:
[Be careful of Wang Fei, he's very dangerous!]
The handwriting was forceful, deeply etched into the paper, clearly from Li Sitong.