Chapter 80: The Riddle Game

I sat on the couch waiting for Huang Xiaotao to fetch something from her bedroom, feeling ridiculously anxious. For a second, I even considered bolting out the door.

Inside my head, another voice screamed, "Song Yang, you useless coward!"

Those few minutes felt like an eternity.

Finally, Huang Xiaotao came out of her room with both hands hidden behind her back. She gave me a mischievous grin and said, "Guess what I've got? Here's a hint: it's plastic, has holes, and offers protection."

I froze for a moment—this had to be a trap. Then inspiration struck. "Is it... a CD?"

"What the hell?! You got it right?!" she said, visibly disappointed. She pulled out a still-sealed DVD—The Ring, a classic Japanese horror film.

After the emotional rollercoaster just now, I managed to calm myself a little and asked, "So... what did you want me to guess?"

This time it was her turn to blush—just a faint tinge of pink dusting her cheeks. "What else could it be? Just messing with you, testing your IQ."

"Hah! And you say I'm the one full of contradictions," I quipped, finally getting a chance to tease her back.

"You trying to die? Only I get to roast you—you don't get to roast me," she said, tapping the DVD case on my head hard enough to make my eyes water.

"I surrender! I surrender!" I laughed, clutching my head.

"Hmph!" She crossed her arms in mock authority.

"You've seriously never seen this movie?" I asked, still rubbing my head.

"Nope. I've only heard it's terrifying. I bought it ages ago but never had the guts to watch it alone. Since you're here now, you can keep me company. By the way... have you seen it before?"

"No," I lied, shaking my head.

"Perfect! Let's watch it together!" she said cheerfully.

She popped the DVD into the player and turned off the lights for effect. Then she curled up on the couch, hugging her knees. Her long pale legs and that subtle fragrance wafting from her skin had my heart all over the place. I didn't even know where to look anymore.

The moment Sadako appeared on screen, Huang Xiaotao flinched and began nervously biting her nails. One of her arms snaked around mine and gripped tightly.

"Aren't you a cop? You scared of this?" I teased.

"What, and you're not?" she shot back, genuinely puzzled.

"I mean, I am, but not as much as you," I chuckled.

"My coworkers told me they couldn't sleep alone for days after watching this movie," she said with a shiver.

"Then why watch it at all?"

"None of your business!"

With that, she leaned her entire body against mine. Her smooth, cool skin pressed against my arm, the scent of her hair growing stronger. Only then did I truly understand what "a beauty in your arms" meant. I had this wild urge to wrap my arm around her, but... no. I didn't have the guts.

The movie wasn't just scary—it was oppressive. From start to finish, it carried this suffocating dread. Every time an actor turned around, you braced for something to pop up behind them. The Japanese really had no equal when it came to psychological horror. I had to admit, they were on a whole other level.

Halfway through, Huang Xiaotao kept yelping at the screen. Her grip on my arm tightened so much it actually started to hurt. I always thought she was brave. Guess even tough girls have their weak spots. I reached for the remote and turned the volume down.

Lower volume made it a lot less scary. By the time Sadako made her third appearance, Huang Xiaotao wasn't even flinching. I began to suspect she might've been faking it earlier.

Then I glanced over... and realized she had fallen asleep. Her head rested softly on my shoulder, and I could hear the tiniest little snores.

I reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear. Her sleeping face was unbelievably peaceful—like a kitten curled up in a warm spot. Though her cleavage was clearly in my line of sight, I found myself more drawn to her serene expression.

God, I thought, I'm really turning into some hopeless romantic, aren't I?

That soft fragrance from her skin seemed to tempt me closer. My face inched toward her, my heart pounding out of control. But a voice in my head screamed, Song Yang, how dare you take advantage of her while she's asleep?

Then another voice replied, Bro, come on! This is your moment!

I struggled with myself for a long while, but finally, reason won. I decided to be a gentleman—at least this once.

That said, I couldn't let her sleep here all night. I'd wake up with a broken spine. So I carefully shifted my body and slowly stood up. Every move was excruciatingly cautious. When her head lost support and started to tilt, I quickly turned and cupped her neck with my hand.

Then, sliding an arm behind her knees, I lifted her in a princess carry. She barely weighed anything. Her hair brushed against my arm, tickling me as I carried her to the bedroom.

Just as I was about to lay her down and leave, she suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, making me jump. Was she awake?!

But then she mumbled in her sleep, "Don't let that guy get away..." and started grinding her teeth.

I couldn't help but laugh—she was just too adorable.

I carefully lowered my head, trying to slip out from her arms while supporting her elbows to keep them from falling on her chest. It took all the precision of threading a needle, but eventually, I managed to disentangle myself.

She flopped back onto the bed, limbs splayed. I felt bad leaving her like that, so I covered her with a blanket before heading back to the couch.

I didn't bother finishing the movie. I turned off the TV and lay down, my mind replaying every little moment from earlier. Before long, I was grinning to myself like an idiot. God, I really am hopeless.

I must've passed out quickly, because the next thing I knew, the shrill ring of a phone had snapped me awake.

I heard Huang Xiaotao's voice coming from the bedroom: "They found the body... Got it, I'll be right there."

Then she yelled out, "Song Yang! Song Yang!"

"I'm up," I groaned.

"Get dressed—we're heading to the station. A body's been discovered."

"On it!"

It was only 4 a.m. I quickly got dressed. A minute later, Huang Xiaotao emerged, fully geared up with her service pistol. She grabbed a coat and threw it over her shoulders, smoothing back her hair. In that instant, she transformed from the playful girl on the couch into the composed, badass detective again.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"You dragged me out of bed at 4 a.m.—what do you think?" I replied with a wry smile.

"That's the life of a cop. Can't be helped. If you're hungry, there's bread in the fridge."

"I'm good."

I grabbed my bag and followed her downstairs. We drove to the station mostly in silence.

When we neared the building, I said, "Just drop me off here."

"Why?" she asked.

"It's the middle of the night. If your colleagues see us arriving together, they might start gossiping... and that wouldn't look great."

She chuckled. "Didn't expect you to be the considerate type."

She pulled over. As I was about to step out, she suddenly asked, "Hey... why was I in bed when I woke up?"

"Uh..." I froze.

"Don't tell me you carried me there?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."

"And you tucked me in too?"

"I... did."

She reached out and gently stroked my chin. "Thanks," she said, soft and sincere.