Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Lian Huai stuffed the necklace into his pocket and quickly composed himself. He turned to his worried mother and said, “Mom, it’s fine. I was just looking for something.”

“What could be so important?” His mother was still clearly concerned about his mental state.

He avoided the question. “Mom, go ahead and get back to what you were doing. I’ll clean up the room when I get home from school.”

With that, he walked toward the bathroom with a composed expression.

***

Lian Huai held the necklace under the faucet to rinse it.

This was practically the death of me.

You see, the necklace is my physical vessel. Whatever he does to the necklace is effectively being done to me.

The boy kept his head lowered, not saying a word.

He turned the water down to a trickle, letting it gurgle over me.

He even took a corner of a towel and began to wipe it down bit by bit.

I stood behind him, arms crossed over my chest, my face flushed bright red.

Shameful sounds escaped through my gritted teeth. “Lian Huai, don’t…”

Right. He couldn’t hear a word I said right now.

As the water poured over the necklace, I was also soaked to the bone.

The blue dress I was wearing was the one his father had bought for me for my funeral.

Whether it rained or shone, this was the only piece of clothing I had.

It felt miserable, clinging to my body all wet and heavy.

I needed to take it off and wring it out quickly.

Since he couldn’t see me anyway, I reached back and pulled down the zipper.

The shoulder straps slid down, dangling precariously off my shoulders and exposing a large expanse of fair skin.

“This dress… is really hard to get off.”

I grunted as I twisted my arms behind my back. When I looked up, I was caught off guard by a steady gaze coming from the mirror.

Ah!

This kid… he’s doing this on purpose!

Is he trying to scare a ghost to death?

I didn’t notice when Lian Huai had put the necklace back on.

Now, he was leaning his hands against the sink, staring at me through the mirror with a dark, inscrutable expression.

The moment the water on the necklace was wiped dry, I miraculously became bone-dry as well.

But I hadn’t put my dress back on yet!

In my panic and confusion, two palms circled my waist. With a gentle tug, he pulled me up to sit on the bathroom counter.

I was trapped.

“Xingxing, are you playing with me?”

How had I never noticed how vindictive he could be?

I tried desperately to shrink back.

But what was the use? There was nothing behind me but a mirror.

Knowing that discretion is the better part of valor, I immediately tried to act weak.

“Lian Huai, actually… you were sleepwalking last night and took the necklace off yourself.”

He responded with a cold sneer.

“You don’t believe me?” I hardly dared to look at him.

He was too close.

Way too close.

He leaned in toward me. I saw his Adam’s apple bob, as if he were preparing to…

Kiss me.

Lian Huai had a very handsome mouth-soft, full lines.

When he was little, that adorable mouth would sweetly call me “Sister.”

Slowly, his voice had matured, and at some point, he had switched to calling me Xingxing.

And now, it had evolved into this.

I felt my blood pressure soaring.

His lips moved.

I nervously squeezed my eyes shut and clamped my mouth shut.

The next second, along with a puff of hot breath against my cheek, came only a warning.

“Lie again, and I’ll kiss you until your lips are raw.”

How rebellious!

Who did he think he was going to kiss raw?!

I glared at him.

The boy lowered his gaze, his long lashes half-concealing his pupils.

In a low, raspy voice, he asked, “Xingxing, where did the scar on your chest come from?”

My heart sank, and I hurriedly covered it with my hands.

Outside the door, Lian Huai’s mother’s voice appeared at the worst possible time: “Lian Huai, who are you talking to?”

Oh no!

It turned out his mother hadn’t left after all.