Chapter 4: The Self - Cultivation of a Foodie

Then, the two of them tidied up a bit and lay down on the bed, feeling completely exhausted, like two bodies without souls.

They quickly fell into a deep sleep. They slept soundly, as if they wanted to make up for all the sleep they had missed the previous night at once.

They slept until 3 p.m., and Yan Xin was the first to open her eyes.

She stared straight at the ceiling, her thoughts in a complete mess, in utter chaos.

After a long while, it was as if she had broken free from a thick fog and finally woke up completely.

She turned her head to look at Su Yue, who was still asleep, and gently pushed her. "Su Yue, wake up. It's already 3 p.m. If you sleep any longer, you'll turn into a sleeping beauty!"

Su Yue mumbled, turned over, looking extremely reluctant. With sleepy eyes, she said, "I didn't sleep soundly. I always felt that there was something on my mind, and I couldn't wake up no matter what."

The two of them looked at each other. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they had dark circles under their eyes. Their faces were haggard, like withered flowers. Their originally rosy cheeks were now completely pale.

They exchanged a glance and remained silent for a long time.

Su Yue was filled with worry, as if shrouded in a dark cloud. She murmured to herself, "What should we do in the future? Will that Ye You come looking for us again? Are we going to live in fear forever?"

Every word was like a heavy stone pressing on her heart.

Yan Xin bit her lips tightly, her brows furrowed so deeply that it seemed she could crush a fly. Her heart was filled with fear and confusion. "I don't know. I just hope all of this is just a nightmare, and it will all be over when I wake up."

But she still took a deep breath, trying to make her expression look as if nothing had happened. She pretended to be calm and said, "Don't be afraid, Su Yue. Even if he comes again, we will definitely find a way to deal with him. Maybe we can find his 'weakness'."

However, her slightly trembling voice and constantly shaking hands still betrayed the extreme fear in her heart.

They got up and washed up briefly, trying to make themselves look more energetic.

But the two haggard people in the mirror, with worried eyes, couldn't hide the unease in their hearts.

Yan Xin forced a smile, but it looked worse than a cry. She said to Su Yue, "Come on, let's go eat something first. We need to be full to have the strength, right?"

Su Yue looked at Yan Xin, tried to return a smile, and nodded. "Okay."

But in her heart, she was thinking: Can we really go back to the way things were before? The two people, who didn't want to worry each other, supported each other and went out together.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and the streets were bustling with people, full of the breath of life.

But in Yan Xin and Su Yue's hearts, there was still a thick layer of haze, as if they were out of place in this lively world.

However, the laughter and chatter of the people around them, the enthusiastic cries of the street vendors, and the scenes of children playing and frolicking gradually infected them.

Yan Xin's tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and she thought to herself: Maybe life can get back on track? This isn't going to be a "last flash of light" before something bad happens, is it?

Su Yue's steps were no longer so heavy, and she thought to herself: Maybe we can really get rid of that terrifying shadow.

For several consecutive days, nothing happened, and it seemed that they had returned to their old days.

Yan Xin would pass by a flower shop and stare intently at a bunch of colorful tulips. The shop owner smiled and teased, "Girl, these flowers are as beautiful as you. Why don't you buy a bunch to take home?"

Yan Xin felt a bit embarrassed and waved her hand with a blushing face before leaving. She thought in her heart: It would be so nice to buy a bunch of flowers if there weren't those terrifying things.

When Su Yue saw a street food stall, she couldn't resist buying a portion to taste.

Once, she bought a stick of rock sugar-coated haws. When she took the first bite, the sugar coating stuck to her teeth. Her grimacing expression made the children beside her laugh. Su Yue thought to herself: Whatever. Just be happy first. This is the "self-cultivation of a foodie".

They went shopping in the mall together. When trying on clothes, Su Yue accidentally put on the skirt inside out.

At first, she didn't notice and kept looking at herself in the mirror, feeling quite good about herself.

It wasn't until the customers around burst into laughter that she suddenly realized something was wrong. She looked down and immediately blushed, feeling extremely embarrassed. She was so annoyed with herself: Oh no, this is so embarrassing! This is simply a "social death scene"!

But soon, she saw that everyone had no ill intentions and just found it funny. She was also doubled over with laughter by this hilarious scene. While laughing, she said, "Oh, I'm so confused. I made a fool of myself!"

Yan Xin beside her laughed so hard that tears came out. She walked up to help Su Yue straighten out the skirt and teased, "You... What will you do without me in the future?"

But in her heart, she felt a trace of relief: Such days are really nice.

Some of the surrounding customers were laughing so hard that they were holding their stomachs. Others said kindly, "Don't be shy, little girl. Everyone has a moment of being confused."

Some were even enthusiastic about recommending clothes to them: "This one suits your friend. She'll definitely look good in it. This dress is a 'fashion hit'!" In this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, Su Yue's embarrassment gradually dissipated, replaced by a heart full of joy.

She and Yan Xin continued to pick out clothes in the mall, and there was a constant stream of laughter.

After shopping, Yan Xin and Su Yue walked out of the mall, carrying big and small bags, chatting and laughing.

"I haven't been this happy for a long time."

Su Yue hooked her arm around Yan Xin's, her face beaming with a satisfied smile. She said, silently praying in her heart: I hope such days can last forever. This isn't going to be the "calm before the storm", is it?

Yan Xin nodded. "Yeah, it feels like a lot of the previous haze has been dispelled."

Just then, Yan Xin's phone suddenly vibrated. The slight vibration sounded like a thunderclap in this silent atmosphere.

She took out her phone and saw the text message on the screen: "The game isn't over yet." Her face instantly turned as pale as a sheet of white paper.

"He... is coming..." Yan Xin murmured to herself.

Su Yue's smile froze instantly, as if it had been frozen by the frost of a thousand years. The two of them felt as if they had fallen into a bottomless abyss of darkness again.

The moment Yan Xin saw the text message, her hand trembled violently. She instinctively tried to grip it tightly, but her fingers seemed to have lost all their strength, going limp. The phone was teetering in her hand.

Her eyes widened extremely, and her pupils contracted sharply due to extreme fear. She stared fixedly at the phone screen. Those words seemed to have transformed into ferocious ghosts with gaping mouths and sharp teeth, rushing towards her疯狂地朝她扑来, as if they were going to tear her soul to pieces.

"What... What does this mean?"

Yan Xin's voice trembled terribly. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of her broken soul, filled with endless fear and deep confusion. It was as if the voice didn't come from her throat but from the abyss of fear.

Su Yue quickly leaned over. The moment her eyes landed on the content of the text message, she gasped in shock, and her face instantly turned as pale as a piece of paper.

"Could it be... him?"