Chapter 103: Shattered
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Cheng Yao’s mind blanked for a moment.
He held the bleeding Bai Xiao, as if transported back thirty-five years. Helpless, unable to do anything, all he could do was watch Bai Xiao’s life slip away.
No, Bai Xiao could still be saved.
Her grip on his hand remained strong.
He had encountered the monster clinic and received treatment from the doctor, who had even revived Bai Xiao.
Thirty-five years had passed, times had changed.
Cheng Yao suddenly lifted his head.
The sound of rain and wind engulfed Binjiang Park. The scattered streetlights flickered dimly, barely discernible. Across the river, the landscape architecture was obscured by the raging storm, blurred from view.
Gone were the shattered neon signs, gone was the glaring incandescent light streaming from the monster clinic’s entrance.
Anxiously, Cheng Yao looked around and saw only “Fang Xi” kneeling on the ground. Suddenly, he felt a strange resonance with this monster.
At this moment, he desperately hoped the monster clinic could pierce through the surrounding darkness.
He recalled clutching Bai Xiao’s corpse, stumbling out of the cemetery.
Back then, the clinic that appeared by the roadside was like a miracle, a salvation.
He wished for that salvation to appear again.
He had once, like this monster, sought that faint hope amid despair.
The monster raised its head, its crimson eyes fixed on Cheng Yao.
Though reverted to human form, it had not given up.
Suddenly, it lunged at Cheng Yao, instantly growing larger before his eyes, reaching out to grasp his throat.
Cheng Yao instinctively raised his hand to block, only to see the monster’s hand morph into a serpent, bypassing his arm to reach Bai Xiao.
His expression changed; he clearly felt his reflexes lagging. His muscles, bones, and blood vessels seemed to weaken, or rather, he lost that incredible strength.
Grimacing, Cheng Yao flipped his blocking hand and clutched the monster’s shoulder. His fingers tightened, gathering all his cellular strength into that left hand.
The wedding ring on his left ring finger shattered under the sudden force, fragments scattering and vanishing in the storm.
His hand instantly crushed the monster’s bones.
Yet the monster’s hand was unaffected. Its serpent mouth opened, transforming back into five fingers, then suddenly into octopus tentacles, the countless suction cups pressing against Bai Xiao’s head.
The monster, wearing Fang Xi’s face, pressed close to Cheng Yao’s, its crimson eyes reflecting his gaze.
In Cheng Yao’s mind echoed the monster’s threat: “If you don’t want her to die…”
Before the words finished, the monster screamed in terror.
Its octopus-tentacle fingers loosened, reverting to human form.
Cheng Yao’s eyes grew icy. His hand remained locked on the monster’s shoulder. The monster twisted and struggled, howling hysterically, but could not break free. He even felt Cheng Yao’s grip growing stronger.
“This is impossible! You reptile! You lowly creature!” The monster’s eyes bulged, its face contorted again, not by disfigurement of features but like a deflated balloon—skin shriveled and sagging visibly.
Its eyes turned fully red, no distinction between pupils and whites. It snarled fiercely, “You’re courting death!” Yet its tone suddenly carried excitement.
The monster abandoned struggle and instead clutched Cheng Yao’s throat from behind.
They began a silent battle; their bodies rigid, muscles tense, but no further motion.
The monster’s “leakage” ceased.
Cheng Yao sensed resistance beneath his palm. He could no longer absorb that “thing” from the monster; instead, he felt a reverse pull. Meanwhile, the substance he had just absorbed began to change.
Previously, whether the “thing” inside him or within the infant, it resembled unconscious cells—obedient to commands, even remotely controlled, like programmed machines, not truly independent lifeforms.
The “thing” Cheng Yao had just taken from the monster was the same. The monster was even more miserable than the infant. At the moment those “things” were drawn out, the monster’s body changed drastically.
Bai Xiao was right about its weakening; it had not lied. The monster’s claim of seeking the doctor to prolong life was probably true.
The injection the doctor provided was powerful, a genuine miracle. It could revive the dead, cure diseases, but it did not grant immortality.
The monster before him showed no external aging and could still fight fiercely, but inside, it was exhausted. It was entirely sustained by those “things,” like a patient on life support—once the machine shuts off, death is immediate.
However, unlike a patient lying helpless, the monster was still active.
Cheng Yao felt not only unable to absorb the “things” inside the monster, but the recently assimilated “things” inside him fragmented and began attacking his own cells.
His grip weakened, but he was not frightened.
Not only was the monster aging; it was essentially a collection of those “things” wearing Fang Xi’s skin. Its decline was due to the decay of those “things” within.
The once excited monster now showed panic again and struggled anew.
“No! Impossible! Father, Father! You can’t let him do this! Father! Save me!” it wailed incoherently.
The voices in Cheng Yao’s mind grew wild, no longer human language but meaningless sounds.
He re-assimilated the “things” and resumed absorbing from the monster.
This time, there was no resistance.
His arm ached; he looked down at Bai Xiao. Unnoticed, her bleeding had stopped.
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Bai Xiao opened her eyes, watching the monster Cheng Yao gripped. Noticing his gaze, she smiled and reached out toward the monster.
Like a beast teaching its young to hunt, Cheng Yao held the monster’s body steady and helped Bai Xiao touch it.
The moment she touched the monster, Cheng Yao felt its transformation.
The monster’s desiccation accelerated exponentially. Its indecipherable sounds softened.
Its skin rapidly aged, losing youth and vigor. Its body shriveled, spine hunched, muscles wasting away, resembling a shriveled mummy. At a glance, one might mistake it for the skeleton of a monkey or some other creature.
Bai Xiao’s wounds healed during this process. Like a blood-sucking demon, she drained not only the “things” Cheng Yao had infused into her but also the monster itself, becoming healthier and stronger.
Bai Xiao squinted.
She withdrew her hand.
Cheng Yao felt his grip loosen; the mummy-like figure dissolved in the storm and was carried away by the wind, leaving no trace.
The spikes and blood that had marked the ground vanished without a trace.
Bai Xiao rose from Cheng Yao’s arms.
Standing before him, head bowed, as if intently gazing down at him.
In the howling wind and rain that night, Cheng Yao suddenly could not clearly see Bai Xiao’s face.
Most of the “things” inside him had been transferred into Bai Xiao.
He felt a bone-chilling cold.
Soaked by rain, the wind stole more warmth, as if Bai Xiao’s departure took something from him.
He instinctively clenched his fists, roughened hands, left ring finger bare.
Looking down, he saw familiar hands.
Rain pelted his wrinkling, drying hands—a sign of aging, much like the cold he now felt.
The storm raged on, and Cheng Yao’s mind grew blank and dim.
He looked up and saw Bai Xiao’s outline.
She stood quietly, so near yet so far. Rain soaked her as well.
Without his special vision, seeing Bai Xiao like this was like seeing her covered in blood earlier.
He thought again of that day thirty-five years ago.
The chaotic memories suddenly became crystal clear.
Back then, Bai Xiao was not drenched in blood; she leaned weakly against the passenger seat.
“I’m stuck... You go out first. Don’t worry... don’t be afraid... Take care of Mom and Dad for me... Husband... I... you... you must take care of...”
You must take care of yourself.
You must live well.
Her lips moved, unable to make sound, unaware, just shaping those words.
Her eyes slowly lost their light.
Yet they still reflected his panicked, helpless face.
In her final moments, she worried about him.
Cheng Yao stared at Bai Xiao before him, but his gaze was unfocused.
His mind flooded with memories.
Bai Xiao thirty-five years ago, Bai Xiao thirty-five years later…
Their meeting, acquaintance, love, and parting by life and death;
Their reunion by his grandparents’ tombstones, next to which was Bai Xiao’s memorial photo;
He dug up the grave, held the zombified Bai Xiao and her ashes, and saw the monster clinic for the second time;
He met Liu Yu, the man Bai Xiao mentioned;
The monstrous Mao Mao stormed into the clinic and vanished with it;
After returning Mao Mao’s corpse, he sought comfort by holding Bai Xiao tightly;
That stormy night, through the clinic’s glass door, he killed Zheng Yichao outside while Bai Xiao stood inside;
After being thrown out of the clinic, the doctor deliberately showed him the infant’s medical record;
He and Bai Xiao extracted the “things” from the infant;
Bai Xiao’s silent gaze upon waking at night;
That Bai Xiao who appeared near Old Zhang’s house;
Bai Xiao drenched in blood, seeking his help…
A hand reached toward Cheng Yao. Bai Xiao’s body slowly bent forward.
The hand stopped before him.
In the storm, Cheng Yao’s hands turned young again. His vision cleared.
Before him, Bai Xiao’s expression was calm, her outstretched hand adorned with a newly bought diamond ring.
This was the second wedding ring he had given her.
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Cheng Yao noticed subtle changes on her face.
Concern and worry surfaced, slowly giving way to relief. She smiled.
Bai Xiao’s outstretched hand grasped Cheng Yao’s arm, trying to pull him up.
Cheng Yao was silent, standing as she lifted him.
He realized he was not unfamiliar with this scene.
He hung his head, standing beside Bai Xiao.
The torrential rain soaked them both. Bai Xiao’s short hair clung to her scalp, as if pulled by an invisible force, giving the illusion of growing longer. Cracks appeared on her face, spreading dark veins, but the trend was quickly halted. Bai Xiao clenched her fist and glanced at Cheng Yao.
He still looked down.
“Husband, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Bai Xiao asked gently.
The rain and wind failed to muffle her voice, which seemed to appear directly in his mind.
Cheng Yao shook his head. “I’m a little tired.”
Bai Xiao reached out, wiping rain from his face, but more droplets soon covered him again.
“Let’s go home quickly,” she said tenderly, taking his hand.
Cheng Yao paused, then gripped her hand in return.
The hard ring and soft hand were enclosed in his palm.
Braving the storm, they soon returned home. Neither spoke, only holding hands tightly.
Wet footprints traced all the way to the entrance.
Bai Xiao kicked off her soaked shoes, stepping into the bathroom with squelching socks. She fetched a large towel and handed it to Cheng Yao, wiping her own head with another. “Dry off quickly. Change out of those wet clothes.”
Cheng Yao took the towel but only draped it over his head. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his powered-off phone.
“I need to call Boss Le first. I ran into him on the road; he must be worried.”
Bai Xiao paused.
“You go take a shower first. I’ll see if the phone still works,” Cheng Yao said without looking at her. After testing the phone, he went to the study to find an old phone.
Bai Xiao reminded him, “Dry off and change clothes first. I’ll shower first.”
She entered the bathroom. The door closed; water sounds followed.
Cheng Yao sat on the study floor. Water pooled beneath him.
Holding the new phone in one hand and the old one in the other, he focused on swapping SIM cards.
The old phone was dead; he plugged it in to charge.
Standing by the desk, motionless, he stared at the phone screen, repeatedly trying to power it on.
When the screen finally lit up, he stopped his mechanical actions.
The old phone’s system was slow; patiently, he navigated to contacts and found Boss Le’s number.
Before he could dial, many messages flooded in, causing the phone to freeze briefly.
The messages were all from Boss Le.
While Cheng Yao fought the monster, Boss Le sent messages hinting that Cheng Yao had gone to the monster clinic.
Just as in the car, Boss Le dared not speak plainly, only hinting obliquely with lengthy, disguised words, masking tone and identity.
A call notification appeared.
The ringtone was slightly delayed.
Boss Le was calling.
Cheng Yao answered.
“What are you doing?” Boss Le greeted familiarly. “Can you talk now?”
Cheng Yao detected a trace of nervousness in his tone.
“It’s over now,” Cheng Yao replied. “Thanks for before.”
Boss Le sighed in relief, his tone relaxing and chatty. “You scared me to death. I only dared call now, thinking the timing was right. I was afraid I’d interrupt you like in a movie... What’s going on between you and that guy? Who is he?”
Cheng Yao answered succinctly, “He’s a former patient of the doctor.”
“Oh...” Boss Le fell silent.
After a moment, he asked, “Are you really okay?”
This time Cheng Yao didn’t answer immediately.
He glanced toward the closed bathroom door, then slowly looked down at his empty left ring finger.
“I’m fine. I’m okay.”