Hearing the voice, Jiang Ming was overjoyed. Had ‘Mother's' friend finally arrived?! From the sound of it, she was a woman.
He turned toward the source of the voice. Sure enough, just as he had guessed, the owner of the voice was a woman, and a breathtakingly beautiful one at that.
She wore a dark red gothic dress. Its hem swayed gently with her steps, resembling a blooming blood rose.
She held an eerie black-and-red umbrella. The patterns on its canopy looked like flowing blood, forming a stark visual contrast with her snow-white skin.
She appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. Her facial features were as exquisitely crafted as a divine artefact, utterly devoid of any flaws.
Her skin was tender and smooth, like a freshly peeled egg, supple and highly resilient.
The two hints of crimson at the corners of her eyes added a touch of enchanting mystery, rendering her soul-stirringly beautiful, like the most perfect work of art!
Upon seeing such a peerless beauty, a flash of absolute marvel crossed Jiang Ming's eyes.
He had never seen such a stunning woman. Her mere presence seemed to eclipse the entire world.
However, beneath this veneer of beauty, Jiang Ming could still faintly detect an undercurrent of bizarre unease.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw the woman before him pout, feigning anger:
“Xiao Ming, why are you spacing out? Are you not welcoming me?”
Hearing this, Jiang Ming snapped out of his daze. He shook his head and slapped a smile onto his face:
“Haha, welcome, welcome! Of course you are welcome!”
“Haha,” the woman covered her mouth and chuckled, but quickly let out an exaggerated sigh and said:
“Sigh, you must be lying to me. You aren't even willing to call me Elder Sister. I had better take my leave.”
Jiang Ming froze. How could he allow that! If she left, what was he going to do with the two abominations behind him?!
He immediately took two steps forward and blurted out with overflowing emotion:
“Sis, Elder Sister, my dearest Elder Sister! I am entirely sincere. I wholeheartedly welcome your arrival!”
“Haha, you sure have a sweet mouth. Let us go in.” The woman giggled, seemingly overjoyed.
“Let's go, let's go, let's go in.” Jiang Ming turned to lead the way, only to witness a miraculous scene.
In just one short minute, the two monsters lingering at the door had instantaneously transformed. The dog's terrifying humanoid features had vanished.
Its yellow canine fur rapidly regrew at a visible rate, and its eyes and paws returned to their rightful places. In mere seconds, it reverted to the adorable Labrador it once was. Even its gaze had become clear, carrying a hint of fawning subservience.
And Uncle Li was even more outrageous. Dragging his massive frame without making a single sound, he used those broad palms to slowly crawl across the floor. His body squirmed as if terrified of disturbing someone.
By the time Jiang Ming noticed him, Uncle Li had already crawled halfway down the corridor.
Taking in this sight, Jiang Ming remained utterly silent.
Jiang Ming took his hand out of his pocket. His left hand, which had previously mutated into a dog's paw, had already reverted to its normal human form.
His back was no longer hunched, and the yellow fur on his limbs had vanished without a trace.
Feeling his familiar body, Jiang Ming could not help but sigh in relief. ‘Mother's' friend was truly incredibly useful!
She had only just arrived, yet she completely suppressed all the anomalies!
At this moment, ‘Elder Sister' reached the doorway. Her blood-red umbrella floated automatically in midair. She scooped up the Labrador, happily rubbed its head, and said:
“Da Huang, let's go. We are going in.”
Hearing this, the dog's eyes immediately exploded with sheer delight. It barked happily, its tail wagging furiously.
Jiang Ming, who had been rejoicing just a moment ago, felt his heart violently lurch. He remembered what the dog had said earlier.
“It said it was still missing a little something. But it can speak human language, eat human food, and even walk on two legs. So what is it missing?” Jiang Ming muttered in his heart, and then a sudden realisation struck him:
“That's right, it's missing a name!”
Now, the dog had obtained a name: ‘Da Huang'. This meant it had completed its entire transformation!
It had acquired all the necessary conditions to become human!
Jiang Ming felt a throbbing headache coming on. He had already witnessed the dog's terrifying prowess when it was still missing a little something. Now that it lacked nothing, there was no telling how horrifying it would become.
However, the ‘Elder Sister' before him seemed completely oblivious to all this, continuing to playfully tease the dog.
So, trailing behind ‘Elder Sister', he bit the bullet and said, “Elder Sister, its name is not Da Huang.”
“Oh, it's not Da Huang? Then what is it called?”
“It is a dog. It doesn't have a name,” Jiang Ming said, blatantly ignoring the dog's murderous glare.
‘Elder Sister' laughed and teasingly asked:
“Haha, Xiao Ming, you are really amusing.”
“It ought to have a name. If it's not called Da Huang, could it be called Jiang Ming? Hmm?”
Hearing this seemingly joking remark, Jiang Ming's heart plummeted. He sensed the icy disdain lurking behind ‘Elder Sister's' smile. It was an unquestionable authority and absolute power.
An invisible pressure surged forward like a tidal wave, nearly suffocating him. Fear followed like a shadow, tightly wrapping around his heart.
Jiang Ming knew that while it sounded like a joke, there was only one correct answer. If he defied her, he reckoned he would be the one turning into Da Huang!
This ‘Elder Sister' seemed easy to get along with, but in reality, she was utterly domineering!
Having witnessed ‘Elder Sister's' might, Jiang Ming knew he could not afford the price of enraging her, especially since he still needed her help.
Thus, his only option now was to submit. Whatever she said goes.
As for the dog becoming even more terrifying?
Forget it. Even before the dog perfected its transformation, he was no match for it anyway. As the saying goes: when you have too many lice, they stop itching, and when you have too much debt, you stop worrying.
The most crucial thing right now was to appease ‘Elder Sister'. As long as she was around, that dog could not overturn the heavens!
Having figured out the crux of the matter, Jiang Ming became exceedingly compliant. He immediately broke into a smile and said:
“Haha, I was just joking with you, Elder Sister. It is Da Huang! Its name is Da Huang, absolutely Da Huang!”
‘Elder Sister' patted Jiang Ming's head and smiled in satisfaction:
“Good boy.”
Watching ‘Elder Sister' walk forward, Jiang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He securely shut the door and followed her.
The living room remained in its burnt and ruined state: the eerie blood-patterned floorboards, human-skin walls, bone-crafted table, and the toppled vending machine.
Everything was the same as before, yet somewhat different.
Seeing ‘Elder Sister' surveying the living room with keen interest, Jiang Ming hurriedly stepped up to introduce the place, spouting pure nonsense:
“You might not know this, Elder Sister, but this is currently the most popular scorched-earth battle-damage aesthetic. Mother and I spent a great deal of effort decorating it like this.”
As he spoke, he swiftly walked over and brushed the filth off the sofa.
Then, he took off his jacket, exposed the clean inner lining, and draped it over the sofa for ‘Elder Sister' to sit on. It was the absolute pinnacle of sycophancy.
“Here, Sis, take a seat.”
‘Elder Sister' sat down with satisfaction. At this moment, Jiang Ming astutely noticed that the pervasive sensation of being watched in the living room had vanished.
The temporal dissonance tearing at his own body had also dissipated. His status panel materialised before his eyes, and shockingly, his Sanity had actually gone up a point!
One must know that over the past few days, his Sanity had been in a state of constant decline outside of eating and sleeping. Yet now, just by being in the same room as ‘Elder Sister', his Sanity had slowly begun to recover!
In this instant, from his body to his soul, Jiang Ming felt the most relaxed he had been in days.
“The rules did not deceive me! ‘Mother's' friend is indeed incredibly useful!”
Seeing his ‘Elder Sister' sitting on the sofa, Jiang Ming hastily opened the bedroom door to compare its time with the living room's. He found no discrepancy.
Then what was that sensation of temporal dissonance earlier?
Before Jiang Ming could ponder any further, ‘Elder Sister's' voice drifted over:
“Hey, Xiao Ming. You have a guest, yet you don't even know how to entertain them? If you keep this up, I'm going to get angry.”
“Don't worry, Sis. I'll go wash some fruit right away.”
…
Before long, Jiang Ming brought a plate of freshly washed fruit and placed it before ‘Elder Sister'.
‘Elder Sister' casually picked up a banana and began peeling it. Jiang Ming probed from the sidelines:
“Sis, how long are you planning to stay this time? Why don't you stay for a few more days?”
‘Elder Sister' munched on the banana and mumbled indistinctly:
How long should she stay?
Did this question even require deliberation?
Jiang Ming desperately wished he could tie this anomaly-bane of an ‘Elder Sister' to his side forever, so he could completely avoid those life-and-death crises.
Thus, Jiang Ming spoke with almost zero hesitation:
“Sis, my dearest Sister, I have food, drinks, and even a dog for you to pet here. Why don't you stay for three days before leaving? I promise to treat you incredibly well.”
‘Elder Sister' had just finished the last bite of her banana and chuckled:
“Mhm, Xiao Ming is so thoughtful. So, how are you going to entertain your Elder Sister?”
She deliberately drew out the final syllable, making her sound playful and cute.
Like an absolute lackey, Jiang Ming peeled another banana, handed it over, and flattered:
“Your little brother may lack talent, but my culinary skills are passable. Since you came over so early, Elder Sister, you probably haven't had breakfast yet. I shall personally cook a meal for you.”
“Wow, is Xiao Ming that amazing? Do your best, Elder Sister believes in you.”
“Just wait a moment, Sis.”
…
An hour later, Jiang Ming served a steaming bowl of rice to ‘Elder Sister'. Several home-cooked dishes sat upon the table:
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with green peppers, braised pork belly, Strike chicken wings, and three-delicacy soup.
Though they were ordinary dishes, they were perfect in colour, aroma, and taste. It was also the most lavish meal Jiang Ming had prepared in days.
Jiang Ming poured a glass of Strike from the remaining half-bottle for ‘Elder Sister', then filled his own glass. Substituting alcohol with Strike, he toasted ‘Elder Sister', brewing his emotions before speaking with fervent passion:
“Sis, I swear, as long as you are willing to stay here for the next three days, I, Jiang, am willing to work like a horse and toil like an ox to serve you well.”
“Sigh, I'm a crude speaker, so please don't mind me. But my feelings are genuine. Say no more, bottoms up!”
Jiang Ming downed his glass in one gulp, radiating a heroic aura!
‘Elder Sister' sat by the side, watching this scene with a beaming smile. She also took a sip of Strike. Seemingly finding it tasty, she took another large gulp.
Seeing this, Jiang Ming eagerly refilled his ‘Elder Sister's' drink while attentively picking food for her:
“Sis, don't just drink. Eat some food. These Strike chicken wings are my speciality, have some more.”
“Mhm, Xiao Ming is so considerate.”
“You flatter me, Sis. Try this one, this is delicious too…”
The two of them enthusiastically feasted at the table, while the dog lay on the floor, glaring at them as it reluctantly ate its dog food.
…
After three rounds of drinks and partaking in all the flavours, Jiang Ming placed the final Strike chicken wing into ‘Elder Sister's' bowl and asked:
“Ahem, well, Sis, the food should be pretty decent, right?”
‘Elder Sister' nodded in satisfaction and picked up the remaining Strike chicken wing:
“Of course I'm satisfied. Your culinary skills are quite good, Xiao Ming!”
Jiang Ming rubbed his hands together and asked with utmost sincerity, “Then, Sis, for the next three days, do you want to stay here?”
‘Elder Sister' took two bites of the chicken wing, her eyes narrowing as she spoke:
“Hmm, let me think about it. The next three days…”
Before ‘Elder Sister' could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a violent bout of knocking from outside the door:
Bang, bang, bang!
Jiang Ming was just about to lose his temper. Why did that fake Uncle Li arrive so quickly today?
Could he not see that Jiang Ming was in the middle of crucial business?!
Jiang Ming was furious.
But in the very next moment, the unfamiliar voice drifting from beyond the door instantly plunged him into an icy abyss:
“Hello, is Xiao Ming home?”
“I am Auntie Zhang. Your mother asked me to look after you for a day. Hurry up and open the door!”