Zhong Xiwang coaxed him for a while longer before Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow’s body finally stopped trembling. Quietly, he used his uninjured hand to continue sucking blood.
Zhong Xiwang’s hand clenched into a fist, wrapped in the long, barbed tongue.
Suddenly, she felt her hand resembled a giant lollipop.
And the big guy before her, who had just been crying pitifully, was like a giant baby licking that lollipop.
“Alright, no more sucking.”
Sensing Zhong Xiwang was about to withdraw her hand, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow reluctantly gave it one last lick over the wound before letting go.
Zhong Xiwang quickly found gauze and bandaged it.
Turning back, the “giant baby” was still lying on the floor exactly as before.
She chuckled softly and approached. Just as she crouched down, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow dragged himself toward her with one arm, resting his head against her leg again.
“Hey, don’t you think you should do something about these wounds first?”
She reached out and gently poked the claw marks on his chest.
Claws spaced so widely apart—could a bear have broken into the house?
At her touch, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow’s body flinched slightly.
Zhong Xiwang then used the gauze in her hand to wrap his wounds.
Afterward, she stood up, laid out his favorite red quilt cover and plush toy on the floor, and guided him to lie down there.
Once he had the toy to hold, he became less clingy, though he still craned his neck to watch her every move.
Only then did Zhong Xiwang begin cleaning up the floor.
The door, which had been securely locked, was easily opened without any damage to the lock. Yet, it had inflicted such terrifying injuries on Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow.
Her mind raced with questions: What exactly had broken into the house?
Moreover, if Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow hadn’t been home, she wouldn’t have noticed at all. What if she had encountered it alone…
The more she thought about it, the more fearful she became. Zhong Xiwang felt it was absolutely necessary to move.
Especially after seeing the lightning-like crack on the pristine white wall.
But then, she sighed silently. Her current funds likely weren’t enough to cover the expensive repair costs here.
With no other choice, Zhong Xiwang told Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow that next time she went out, if anything broke in again, he must hide and not confront it directly. Instead, he should come find her.
As she rambled on, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow’s gaze fixed on her moving lips.
Zhong Xiwang helplessly rubbed her forehead. Not understanding was a big problem too!
Remembering she hadn’t eaten yet, her stomach felt numb from hunger now.
But skipping a meal might leave her starving and anxious in the middle of the night, so she sat at the dining table, lost in thought, eating hastily.
Behind her, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow smelled the food, drooling incessantly.
By the time Zhong Xiwang noticed, a patch of the quilt cover beneath him was already soaked.
Amused and exasperated, she fed him the portion she had brought for him.
After eating, Zhong Xiwang tidied up briefly, barricaded the door, locked the windows, and prepared to go to bed.
Seeing this, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow, ignoring his wounds, quickly grabbed her.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Noticing Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow trembling slightly, she thought he might be in pain and hurried over to check.
Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow shook his head, though it was unclear what he meant.
Zhong Xiwang comforted him for a while. After a busy day, she was now yawning repeatedly.
“If you’re going to heal on your own, then lie down properly. I’m tired too, and I have work tomorrow.”
Zhong Xiwang stood up but was once again entangled by Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow.
“What do you want, exactly?”
Frowning, Zhong Xiwang looked at Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow, who kept shaking his head.
Seeing his head bobble like a rattle drum, Zhong Xiwang forcibly pressed it back down.
Her tone grew more serious: “Lie still! No moving!”
Hearing this, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow still clung to her tightly.
It seemed to be desperately begging her not to leave.
Zhong Xiwang frowned deeply, crouched down, and softened her voice: “I’m just on the bed next to you, not going anywhere. You rest too, okay?”
Only upon hearing her gentle tone did Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow slowly release its grip.
Finally freed, Zhong Xiwang pulled back the blanket and saw two huge, soaking wet patches spread across the entire bed.
When pressed, water even seeped out.
Zhong Xiwang squeezed her eyes shut and let out a heavy sigh.
“You!”
Turning around, the culprit had already rolled over with its back to her, curling into a ball, with the red pig plushie perched on its head—as if hoping it could shield him from the surging fury.
No wonder she had seen the guy looking like disaster had struck as soon as she returned today.
If it weren’t for his injuries, Zhong Xiwang would have yanked out his tongue today, chopped it up, stir-fried it, and force-fed it back to him!
Zhong Xiwang rubbed her cheeks with both hands, desperately suppressing the volcano about to erupt.
“Heh heh heh…” She covered her eyes, a string of light laughter escaping her throat, her chest rising and falling with it.
People can still laugh when they’re utterly furious and speechless.
She took deep breaths, silently repeating: “Don’t get angry, don’t get angry, no one will take care of you if you ruin your health…”
Zhong Xiwang was physically and mentally exhausted, with absolutely no desire to deal with the mess on the bed.
Coincidentally, Vincent sent her a message just then.
Vincent: 【Asleep yet? (cute emoji)】
Zhong Xiwang: 【Already dead, do not disturb!!】
Vincent: ?
That angry?
Tossing her phone aside, Zhong Xiwang grabbed a pillow and headed for the sofa.
Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow, who had been secretly watching her from under the plushie, quickly hid its face upon seeing her gloomy expression.
Not long after lying down, she heard faint sounds on the floor.
Opening her eyes, she saw the resilient Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow, holding its own ‘gear,’ transforming into a Cocoon Crawler and inching toward her.
Noticing Zhong Xiwang’s gaze, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow immediately froze, butt in the air, its chin-propped head seemingly fixed on her.
Zhong Xiwang gritted her teeth, not wanting to see him anymore, and angrily turned away.
Realizing she wasn’t stopping him, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow crawled over faster, carefully lying down beside the sofa.
With limbs too long, it could only curl its legs and rest its arms above its head.
Seeing the red hair dangling from the sofa, still carrying the scent of shampoo, soft and smooth.
Unable to resist, it rubbed its face against it before settling down.
Suddenly, Zhong Xiwang extended an arm from the sofa. Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow happily reached to hug it, only to be swatted away.
The arm swayed, pointing toward the light switch.
Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow lifted a hand somewhat dejectedly and turned off the light.
The arm withdrew without a hint of reluctance.
In the middle of the night, Zhong Xiwang, sound asleep and not yet accustomed to the suddenly narrow sofa, rolled over and tumbled down, landing right on Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow below.
Zhong Xiwang gasped sharply.
This was worse than falling on the flat floor—it was hard and bruised her painfully!
Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow thought Zhong Xiwang had forgiven him and was actively throwing herself into his embrace, happily wrapping his arms around the small toy.
Only after being slapped several times did Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow realize it had thought too much.
After she lay back down, Tall and Thin Ghostly Shadow rubbed the spot where he had been hit, feeling wronged.
The little toy didn’t hurt physically when it hit, but the pain seemed to be internal…