In the early morning, Jiang Huai stood in front of the washbasin, doing something as mundane as brushing his teeth and washing his face. But now, he was extremely nervous.
Ever since Yue Qinshan's training began, he had to learn to control his strength in daily life.
For example, when brushing his teeth in the morning, he had to make sure the bones covered his fingers. The fragile toothbrush, when gripped, would immediately snap.
But now, at least he could hold the toothbrush firmly with his finger-covered bones.
"Slowly, steady," Jiang Huai murmured to himself, while squeezing the toothpaste with his other hand, slowly applying it onto the brush.
"Success!"
He remembered that just a few days ago, no matter how careful he was, the toothpaste would squirt out all over his face.
Now came the most important part: brushing his teeth.
Just as Jiang Huai was about to put the toothbrush in his mouth, the bathroom door suddenly opened.
Startled, Jiang Huai flinched. With the jolt, he broke the toothbrush in his grip, and it fell to the floor with a snap.
"...You're always so slow in the mornings. It's so annoying," Lu Wanyin, with messy hair and a sleepy face, walked in.
"Get out... I'm taking a shower," she said.
"Isn't today the weekend? Why are you up so early?" Jiang Huai asked.
Since Lu Wanyin started living with him, Jiang Huai had no choice but to sleep on the couch. Lu Wanyin said she didn't mind and that they could sleep together if it was fine with him.
The truth was, Jiang Huai didn't need to sleep much to recover his energy. The real issue was that Lu Wanyin's sleeping habits were terrifying.
Not only did she talk in her sleep, but at night, Jiang Huai could hear eerie giggles from her room that made him feel like he was in a horror movie.
"You said you'd let me pick a movie for us to watch today, didn't you?" Lu Wanyin shot him a glare, then started undressing.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! Wait for me to leave first!" Jiang Huai cursed as he quickly walked out of the bathroom.
Thinking back to what she said, Jiang Huai remembered that last night after he took her out for barbecue, Lu Wanyin said she didn't know how to thank him.
He had casually responded, "Since tomorrow is the weekend, why not let me take you to see a movie?"
Surprisingly, she took him seriously.
Does that mean this was a date? Jiang Huai wasn't exactly experienced with these things. Back when he was chasing Chen Ning, she would barely go out with him. Most of the time, she'd call him after hanging out with friends and ask him to pick her up... and of course, foot the bill. Jiang Huai often felt like he was more of a housekeeper than a suitor.
"What are you thinking about?"
As Jiang Huai recalled those tough times, Lu Wanyin's wet hair brushed against his shoulder from behind.
A faint, pleasant fragrance filled the air.
"Uh... I'm thinking about what to watch later," Jiang Huai replied, trying to stay calm.
Lu Wanyin flicked her wet hair off her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I've already decided. It's a Chinese animated film, 'Miracle Walker.'"
"...An animated movie?"
"Yeah. Don't like it?"
Jiang Huai thought for a moment. "Well... since it's our first movie date, shouldn't we pick something more... memorable?"
"Like what?"
...
Half an hour later, Jiang Huai stood at the cinema ticket counter.
"Two tickets for 'Hellish Mutants,' please."
After getting the tickets, he turned to look at the serious-faced girl standing by the movie poster, looking as if she was facing a life-or-death situation.
"What's wrong? Are you that scared?" Jiang Huai patted Lu Wanyin's head. "If you're really afraid, I'll still go with you to watch the animated movie."
"Hmph, you think I'm scared?" Lu Wanyin puffed out her chest and twirled a lock of her carefully combed hair. "It's all fake. I'm not scared, I'm just thinking about you. I don't want you to embarrass yourself in front of cute girls."
She turned to face Jiang Huai, her eyes full of challenge. "This is your last chance. If you cry later, don't blame me!"
Looking into her sparkling eyes, Jiang Huai couldn't help but wonder—does she really not fear anything?
...
Thirty minutes into the movie.
"You—don't be scared, I'm here, I told you I'm here. Come closer!"
Lu Wanyin had nearly squeezed half of her body next to Jiang Huai.
From the moment Jiang Huai saw her get startled when he opened his eyes, he realized this little girl was actually quite timid.
Now, seeing her squirm and cling to him whenever one of those alien creatures jumped out in the film only confirmed it.
She was clutching his arm tightly, her forehead slick with sweat. Jiang Huai figured it was time to give her a break.
"Lu Wanyin," he called softly.
"...What?"
"I need to use the restroom."
As soon as Jiang Huai said that, Lu Wanyin tightened her grip on his arm, her face turning pale.
"Could you... accompany me?" Jiang Huai added quickly.
Lu Wanyin, though wanting to protest, forced herself to appear nonchalant.
"Why should I go with you? You're an adult now, you can go by yourself..."
"I'll go alone then."
Without waiting for a response, Jiang Huai started to leave. Lu Wanyin hurriedly wrapped her arms around him from behind. Though she didn't speak, she followed him out of the theater.
"Wait for me outside?" Jiang Huai asked as they reached the restroom door.
"Yeah, go ahead. You're such a coward, needing me to accompany you to the restroom~ Tsk~"
It seemed like Lu Wanyin's emotions were calming down as they stepped out of the theater. She shrugged and stretched her arms.
But her slightly trembling hands betrayed her.
After Jiang Huai entered the restroom, Lu Wanyin sat on a bench outside, pulling out her phone.
Suddenly, the signal on her phone disappeared.
"Strange, wasn't I just connected to the cinema's Wi-Fi?"
She looked at her old phone, the screen still bearing scratches from a fight she had gotten into the previous night.
Shrugging, she sighed. "Ugh, my luck's terrible. The 24-hour surveillance mission ended early, and my bounty was halved. I was counting on the money to buy a new phone."
Her voice echoed in the empty cinema hallway. At that moment, Lu Wanyin began to feel something was off.
"It's so quiet."
While the cinema should have been quiet, it shouldn't have been this silent, not a single sound.
A wave of unease washed over her, magnified in the eerie silence of the cinema.
Sssss—ssssss—
The overhead lights began flickering, casting unstable shadows that twisted across the walls, making the entire space feel more ominous and unpredictable.
A chill breeze brushed against Lu Wanyin's face, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin, every pore screaming in warning.
"This... this place, how can there be wind... Jiang Huai, are you done yet?"
She cautiously approached the men's restroom door and called out in a low voice.
But there was no reply.
Ssssss—ssssss—
The faint sound of something dragging across the floor echoed through the deserted cinema hallway. It sounded just like the alien creatures she had seen in the movie, stalking in the darkness in the dead of night.
At the same time, she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to pee, which only made her more anxious.
She considered entering the men's restroom—at least Jiang Huai would be there—but after a moment of hesitation, she turned and entered the women's restroom across the hall.
She cautiously entered a stall, trying not to make a sound, but just then, the door to the restroom swung open.
The rustling sound followed her into the bathroom, and Lu Wanyin's heart sank.
She huddled on the toilet, covering her mouth, barely breathing.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, each beat marking the approach of something dangerous.
The rustling sound stopped just outside her stall, and a shadow fell through the gap at the bottom of the door.
Lu Wanyin had always been easily frightened, which was strange since she could face infected creatures without batting an eye. But when it came to beasts or supernatural beings, she would panic.
"Miss... are you done?" A cold, eerie voice came from outside the stall.
Lu Wanyin's nerves were on edge, and she let out a tiny squeak.
"Did I scare you, miss... My apologies."
The voice outside softened, and Lu Wanyin realized it sounded like an elderly woman.
Carefully, she pushed the stall door open, only to see a hunched old woman holding a mop standing at the door.
So the rustling sound was just the mop?
"Miss, if you're done, may I clean the restroom?" the old woman asked with a smile.
"U...uh, yes... I'm done," Lu Wanyin stammered.
Though she hadn't even started, Lu Wanyin was eager to leave. She hurriedly stepped out of the stall and approached the sink.
She had to admit, she was almost scared to tears just now. If Jiang Huai had heard her, she would have been so embarrassed.
"Miss, you're really pretty," the old woman said, still facing away as she mopped.
"Thanks," Lu Wanyin replied, glancing at the reflection of the old woman in the mirror.
"I wish I could be as pretty as you," the old woman sighed. "When I was young, I was beautiful too."
"Why did I end up like this?" she muttered, her back beginning to shake, then she started to sob quietly.
Lu Wanyin felt something was wrong.
Through the mirror, she noticed the woman's clothes were starting to bulge, and a strange aura was leaking from her body.
That was... the scent of an infected.
Before Lu Wanyin could react, the old woman's back split open, revealing a large mouth filled with sharp fangs.
"You pretty women all deserve to die!!!"
The giant mouth lunged toward Lu Wanyin's head.
Swish—
A flash of black knife light cut through the air, and Lu Wanyin's face turned cold. Blood splattered across her face, making her expression even more chilling.
Then, a devilish smile spread across her lips.
"You should have told me you were infected. You scared me half to death."