Wan Yue was subdued, both Nie Ran and Lang Xiao were injured. The most urgent matter at hand was to quickly take them to see a doctor in the 21st century.
However, Wan Yue’s demonic appearance definitely wouldn’t do.
Ning Xin found a small knife from his dressing table, gritted her teeth, and drew the blade from the top of his head downwards.
The dried human skin was very tough, and she had to exert a lot of force to draw a long slit.
The thought of what she was cutting made all sorts of nauseating, disgusting, and terrifying emotions rush into her brain.
Seeing her struggling hard, Nie Ran volunteered, “I’ll do it.”
She shook her head, “You’re too badly injured, don’t move around. Wait, I’ll be done soon.”
The knife couldn’t go down any further, so Ning Xin simply threw it away, and with both hands, she reached into the long slit, grabbing the edges on both sides and forcefully pulling them apart.
With her effort, Wan Yue’s body slowly emerged like a shedding snake before their eyes.
Pale, thin, after removing that layer of terrifying skin, he looked like a chronically ill young man.
Ning Xin didn’t dare to keep the peeled skin for even a second and immediately threw it into the lake.
Then she dragged him to Nie Ran and Lang Xiao and said to the two of them, “Let’s go to the 21st century now.”
Lang Xiao had lost too much blood and had reverted to human form, leaning against Nie Ran’s shoulder with his eyes closed.
The latter nodded and held out her hand.
After a dizzy spell, the four arrived at the rented house in the 21st century.
Finally leaving that terrifying and disgusting “hell”, Ning Xin breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no time to be happy. She quickly checked their injuries.
Lang Xiao was the most serious, already in a semi-conscious state, lying motionless on the sofa.
Nie Ran was awake, but judging from the wound and the amount of blood loss, the situation was not optimistic.
Ning Xin immediately said, “I’ll call 120, the doctor will come right away.”
She took out her phone, about to dial, when Nie Ran grabbed her hand.
“We don’t have identification, can we go to the hospital?”
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly said, “Of course we can.”
“Hotels are so strict, you can’t check in without identification, but you think you can go to the hospital?”
Nie Ran saw through her lie with a glance. “We’re not going. Help me buy some haemostatic medicine.”
“What joke are you making? Do you think these are minor injuries?”
Ning Xin shook off his hand, insisting on making the call, but her phone was snatched away by him.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed?”
“If our identities are exposed, how much trouble do you think it will bring?”
“Troubles can be solved. I can’t just stand by and watch you all die.”
“We won’t die.”
He said confidently, placing the phone on the coffee table and heading towards the bathroom.
Ning Xin watched the closed door, suddenly remembering a few months ago when he had also suffered a serious injury. If it were someone else, they would have long been gone, but he quickly recovered.
They weren’t living beings to begin with. Maybe they didn’t have the same limitations of life and death as humans did; they just needed time to recover?
The phone was right there, she could easily call 120.
After much hesitation, Ning Xin chose to listen to Nie Ran and stomped out of the neighbourhood to buy medicine.
There was a pharmacy just outside the neighbourhood. She rushed in, almost buying all the medicines for haemostasis, anti-inflammatory, and pain relief.
When she returned home with bags full of medicine, Nie Ran had already come out. Wan Yue, still unconscious, was tied up with a bedsheet by him, and he stood in front of the sofa, examining Lang Xiao’s wounds.
“You’re back?” He glanced over at the sound of the door opening. “Good timing, lend a hand.”
“No problem, what do you need?”
Ning Xin ran over and placed the medicine on the coffee table.
Nie Ran opened the bag, checked the instructions for various medicines, and finally selected a few items, twisting them open for later use.
He somehow got hold of a pair of pliers, poured alcohol for disinfection, and then said, “Hold him down, make sure he doesn’t move.”
Ning Xin nodded blankly and did as he said, restraining Lang Xiao’s body.
Nie Ran aimed at a wound, casually wiped it with disinfectant cotton, then swiftly and decisively thrust the pliers into it.
Lang Xiao convulsed in pain, starting to struggle.
Ning Xin watched with a pounding heart, but had to hold him down with all her might to prevent him from moving.
Nie Ran was very serious, meticulously inserting the pliers in, and as soon as he hit the bullet, he immediately pulled it out, dropping it into a dish with a clatter.
The brass-coloured bullet was stained with blood, which made Ning Xin wince, unable to imagine what Lang Xiao was feeling right now, and even more grateful that she had encountered them.
Nie Ran wiped the blood from his wound, applied the medicine, bandaged it up, and continued to remove the next bullet.
This was a monumental task that took several hours to complete.
The bullets filled a plate, and Nie Ran was already sweating profusely from exhaustion, yet he still had to tend to his own wounds.
Ning Xin couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She reached out and said, “Let me do it.”
“Can you handle it?” He had the energy to raise an eyebrow and tease her.
Ning Xin rolled her eyes at him, took the pliers, and said, “I’ll treat you like a piece of meat.”
After saying that, she imitated his manner and earnestly started removing the bullets.
Although she joked about treating him like a piece of meat, looking at those horrifying bullet holes, she was not only shocked but also felt a twinge of reluctance.
Look at those abs, look at those arms…
Such a beautiful physique, she hadn’t even had the chance to enjoy it yet, and it was already riddled with bullet holes.
“Even if they heal, will there be scars?” Ning Xin asked, touching him tenderly.
Nie Ran held her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it, his gaze burning with intensity, making her blush and her heart race.
“A man with scars, isn’t he even more sexy?” he said.
Ning Xin pulled her hand back with a forced calmness and rolled her eyes. “One scar is sexy, but being covered in scars is just being a thug.”
“Haha,” Nie Ran couldn’t help but laugh, inadvertently causing pain to shoot through his wounds, making him inhale sharply.
“Serves you right,” Ning Xin scolded him with her mouth, but her movements on his wounds quickened.
As the sky darkened, they finally finished tending to each other’s wounds, wrapping them up like mummies and sitting side by side on the sofa.
The coffee table was filled with bullets, blood-stained gauze, and disinfectant cotton. Ning Xin prepared to take it down to dispose of it, fearing someone might misunderstand if they saw it, so she used a black garbage bag.
After disposing of the trash, she also bought some food on the way back.
With a house full of injured people and considering her own previous dislocated foot, heavy food wasn’t suitable. She spent a lot of money at a restaurant, buying several portions of black chicken soup and pork rib soup, and carried them back home.
Nie Ran’s right hand was more severely injured, but his left hand was fine, so he awkwardly drank the soup with a twisted posture.
Lang Xiao, on the other hand, couldn’t manage at all. Ning Xin hurriedly drank a bowl herself and then started feeding him.
He kept his eyes closed, seemingly lacking the strength even to open his mouth. It was all up to her to pry his lips open with a spoon and pour the soup in.
Ning Xin managed to feed him a little, feeling worried.
“Maybe we should still go to the hospital. I’m really worried about him not getting better,” she suggested.
Nie Ran protested, putting down his spoon. “If you have the leisure to worry about him, why don’t you worry about me?”
“Didn’t I bandage you up?” she retorted.
“…I’ll just stuff the bullets back into him right now.”
Their bickering livened up the atmosphere a bit.
Suddenly, a moan came from the floor, and both of them leaned over to see Wan Yue furrowing his brow, as if he were about to wake up.
He had been brought over unconscious after being knocked out. It was important to explain things properly when he woke up, to try to convince him to stay and not cause trouble again.
Ning Xin hastened the pace of feeding the soup. When Wan Yue fully regained consciousness and opened his eyes, he saw her squatting in front of him with a smile on her face, holding a bowl of chicken soup.
“Are you hungry? Have some food,” she said, offering him the spoon.
Wan Yue turned his face away and looked around, his expression turning grim.
“Where is this?” he asked.
“My other home. Don’t be afraid, it’s safe here,” Ning Xin reassured him.
Not even Wan Yue, let alone a fool, would believe such words after being knocked unconscious and brought to a strange place.
He tried to stand up but found himself bound and unable to move. His expression grew even more unpleasant as he struggled.
“Let me go! Let me go!”
There were neighbours next door, and if they were disturbed and came knocking, it would be troublesome.
Ning Xin hurriedly advised him not to shout. He closed his eyes as if trying to manipulate something, but in this world, nothing changed no matter how hard he tried.
When Wan Yue opened his eyes again and saw the unfamiliar ceiling light above, he felt like a lamb in the jaws of a tiger, helpless to resist.
Seeing that he had finally quieted down, Ning Xin offered him the chicken soup again.
“Try it, it’s still hot,” she said.
Wan Yue wrinkled his brow in disgust. He didn’t want to drink it at first, but the rich aroma wafting into his nose was irresistible. It was a delicious scent he hadn’t experienced in years, and he unintentionally swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Ning Xin took the opportunity to feed him, and he choked a bit, coughing a few times before pursing his lips. The aroma lingered between his teeth.
“Want another sip?” she asked.
Wan Yue didn’t say anything, and she proceeded to feed him another mouthful of soup.
This was followed by a third, a fourth…
Nie Ran passed by and remarked softly, “If you keep feeding him like that, we should go to the hospital.”
Ning Xin stopped at this, asking him, “Are you full now?”
Wan Yue licked his lips, still savouring the taste.
Feeling satisfied in his stomach and somewhat calmer in his mood, he looked around again, taking in the unfamiliar furnishings.
Strange tables, strange chairs, walls painted off-white, and curtains made of an indistinguishable material.
Although he had never seen it before, from the size and atmosphere, he could tell that this was probably a very ordinary residence.
“What place is this?” he asked.
“The 21st century. You were born over a hundred years earlier,” Ning Xin replied.
Over a hundred years…
Could there have been such significant changes in such a short time?
Wan Yue wanted to go outside and see, but his gaze only reached the nearby window.
Ning Xin understood his intention and helped him up, pulling aside the curtains.
It was evening, and the streetlights were all lit up.
Some people had finished dinner and were playing in the garden with their children or dogs, while nearby, there was a group dancing to square dance, creating a lively atmosphere.
Some people had finished dinner and were playing in the garden with their children or dogs, while nearby, there was a group dancing to square dance, creating a lively atmosphere.
Wan Yue stared at all of this in disbelief, as if he couldn’t trust his own eyes.
Standing beside him, Ning Xin said, “Look, peace and prosperity. The things you experienced will never happen again.”
His expression suddenly turned cold at her words, and he sneered, “So what? No one will accept me. They’ll only fear me, despise me, and keep their distance from me.”
“I won’t,” Ning Xin said.
Wan Yue turned his head to look at her steadily.
Ning Xin smiled. “But there’s a condition. You’re not allowed to do anything impulsive, let alone hurt anyone. Living here means following the rules of this place, otherwise, it will be difficult for us too.”
He sneered, “Hypocritical.”
Nie Ran passed by and tilted his head.
“It seems you’re well-versed in culture. Do you know what violence means?” he asked.
Ning Xin was speechless. “Why are you wandering around? If you have nothing to do, go to sleep.”
Nie Ran shrugged and went into the room.
Ning Xin turned back to him and said, “Is there anything else you need? How about I bring some water to wash your face?”
He was peeled out of human skin, with dried blood residue and a faint odour emanating from his skin.
Wan Yue said, “I want you to undo it.”
She shook her head. “That’s not possible.”
“When can it be undone then?”
“It depends on the specific circumstances.”
He was a man, and his physical strength was not something she could handle on her own. Now that both Lang Xiao and Nie Ran were seriously injured, it was too dangerous to release him recklessly. At least she had to wait until they recovered.
Ning Xin had already made up her mind. She smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you. Just focus on eating well and resting these days.”
Why did he go crazy back then? It was simply because he had endured more than he could handle, leading to his breakdown.
Now, the most important thing was to completely separate him from that environment and let him experience the beauty of real life.
Ning Xin brought hot water and helped him wash his face and body.
Wan Yue resisted strongly, seeming to be very disgusted with his own body. Suddenly, he said, “Don’t you find it disgusting?”
“How could I find it disgusting?”
Ning Xin lifted her head in surprise. “Whether you have long hair or short hair, makeup or no makeup, you look beautiful to me. I admire you more than I can express.”
Wan Yue’s eyes flickered, unsure if he believed her words.
The basin of water had turned red, and Ning Xin put down the towel, holding the basin as she stood up.
“There aren’t enough beds at home. You’ll have to make do with the sofa in the living room tonight. I’ll buy you a bed tomorrow.”
Wan Yue remained silent, still staring at the scenery outside the window, as if he could never get enough of it.
Ning Xin had been busy all day, and finally had time to tidy herself up. She turned on the hot water and stood under the shower, letting the water droplets fall on her head and face.
Every joint in her body was sore, and her muscles felt weak.
She thought of her injured right foot, lifting it up to examine. The ankle was swollen like a bun, and she wondered if it would leave any longstanding damage as Nie Ran had mentioned.
There were still two people waiting outside to be taken care of. She sighed, quickly finished her shower, dried her hair, changed into clean clothes, and walked out.
There was still a bed in the house, but Lang Xiao and Wan Yue were both in the living room. She was afraid that something might happen to them during the night, so she decided to bring the blanket and pillow to the living room and sleep on the floor.
Lang Xiao was already asleep, while Wan Yue leaned against the window, looking lost.
Ning Xin was so tired that she could hardly keep her eyes open. She took out a bottle of medicated oil from the drawer, applied it to her temples, and struggled to stay awake.
After a while, Nie Ran suddenly came out and sat on her blanket.
“Your foot.”
“Ah?”
“Applying medication for you.”
She suddenly realized what he meant. Initially, she intended to apply it herself, but changed her mind at the last moment, extending her swollen ankle.
Nie Ran poured the medicated oil into his palm and applied it to her ankle, warming it up for a while before gently massaging it.
Watching his sharp profile, Ning Xin’s heart skipped a beat, and she blurted out.
“Let’s give it a try.”
Nie Ran looked up at her.
Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head. “If you don’t want to, forget what I said. It was just a joke, haha.”
Still, he remained silent.
She suddenly felt bored and withdrew her foot.
“Never mind, just go to sleep.”
“Okay.”
He stood up, lifted her with his uninjured left hand, threw her over his shoulder, and headed towards the room.
Ning Xin was startled, then immediately realized.
“When I said ‘let’s give it a try,’ I didn’t mean this… Hey!”
With a loud bang, the door was shut.
Meanwhile, Wan Yue withdrew his gaze and continued to look out the window.
The sky was adorned with a bright moon, while the ground below was lit up with myriad lights, forming a beautiful sea of stars.
Leave a Reply