Chapter 4: A Scar and a Promise

Though the young woman’s voice was melodious and soft, Lu Chen found himself instinctively drawing his sleeve down, effectively concealing the scar beneath.The scar on his wrist served as a stark reminder of the foolish act he had committed in the immediate aftermath of his lover’s disappearance, a period when his mind had been clouded by despair. Should Xia Shi catch sight of it, he knew she would inevitably shoulder an undue burden of self-reproach.

“Really, it’s nothing…”

Leaning closer to Lu Chen, Xia Shi’s gaze, intense and burning, abruptly cut off his words.

“Give me your hand. Let me see.”

The girl’s tone was imbued with a persistent firmness, her beautiful eyebrows subtly arched. Both in the past and in the present, whenever she wore such an expression, Lu Chen found himself utterly incapable of refusing her.

“…Alright.”

With a sigh of resignation, Lu Chen placed the pear on the bedside table. Then, with a noticeable hesitation, he extended his arm, holding his forearm still before the young woman.

Xia Shi lowered her gaze, carefully rolling up his sleeve with movements so delicate and gentle, it was as if she were appraising a precious artifact.

As his sleeve receded, a faint, linear scar became visible, appearing somewhat pale under the warm glow of the lamp and the young woman’s unwavering gaze.

Gently cupping Lu Chen’s wrist, she lifted her eyes to meet his, asking in a hushed tone.

“May I touch it?”

Lu Chen nodded. The young woman then lowered her gaze once more, her eyes fixed intently on the shallow scar. Her slender fingers traced the skin’s texture, moving upward and repeatedly caressing the faint mark.

Aside from their reunion that very afternoon, Lu Chen’s last intimate contact with Xia Shi had been a full year prior, and he had long since forgotten the warmth of her skin and the specific nuances of her touch.

Now, however, a familiar warmth and a subtle, almost ticklish sensation spread across his skin once more, causing Lu Chen to feel a bead of sweat forming in his palm.

Perhaps to facilitate her delicate touch, Xia Shi subtly shifted a fraction closer to the bed, closing the distance between them until their breaths were almost intertwined. Continuing to caress the scar, she then spoke.

“When did this happen?”

“About ten months ago, I suppose.”

Xia Shi’s movements faltered, and a subtle dimness entered her eyes.

“So much time has passed already. The scar is still so clear.”

A noticeable heaviness in Xia Shi’s tone prompted Lu Chen to quickly offer a dismissive smile, trying to lighten the mood.

“It’s not very noticeable, really. Nobody usually sees it.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than Lu Chen felt the pressure on his wrist suddenly intensify. Simultaneously, the young woman lifted her head to meet his gaze, a faint trace of indignation flickering in her eyes.

“I can see it. No matter what happens in the future, you are forbidden from ever doing something like this again.”

“Yes, of course.”

At his affirmative reply, Xia Shi’s lips curved upward, revealing a long-absent smile.

Lu Chen’s heart fluttered, and he found himself speaking without thinking.

“Um, I have a request too.”

“A request?”

The young woman tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her expression. Lu Chen gazed at her face, then spoke.

“May I touch your face?”

Xia Shi’s body stiffened momentarily. Though her expression remained perfectly still, a faint blush swiftly bloomed across her earlobes.

She offered no verbal reply, merely resting her hands back on her lap while simultaneously lifting her face towards Lu Chen.

Outside the window, leaves rustled softly, while within the room, the faint, intertwined sounds of two nervous yet expectant breaths filled the air.

Lu Chen gazed intently into the young woman’s bright eyes. He gently raised a hand, sweeping aside a strand of her soft, dark hair. After a brief pause, he cautiously placed his palm against Xia Shi’s fair, soft cheek.

Xia Shi’s shoulders trembled imperceptibly as a vibrant, undeniably real warmth spread from his palm, radiating all the way to Lu Chen’s very core.

Lu Chen heard his own heart pounding a frantic rhythm, and tears, utterly beyond his control, welled in the corners of his eyes.

The young woman gently bit her lip, and from her beautiful eyes, crystalline tears simultaneously streamed, falling onto Lu Chen’s trembling palm.

A torrent of long-held sorrow, now mingled with an uncontrollable surge of joy, overwhelmed Lu Chen’s heart. He released her face, moving his hands around to the back of Xia Shi’s neck, and pulled her into a tender embrace.

Burying his head deep into the young woman’s shoulder, he strove to minimize the tremor in his voice.

“…Welcome back.”

Xia Shi extended her arms, embracing Lu Chen’s shoulders, and in an equally trembling voice, she responded against his ear.

“Yes, I’m back.”

Unable to resist, Lu Chen tightened his embrace around the young woman. Yet, just as they were fully lost in their tender moment, Lin Wan’s voice, brimming with unbridled fury, erupted beside his ear.

“Tell me, young master and young lady, is a forbidden embrace exceptionally warm and sweet?”

Lu Chen was startled into alarm, hastily separating from Xia Shi.

Only then did he belatedly realize that Lin Wan was already standing rigidly by the bedside, her expression so fearsome it could rival the underworld deities, Black and White Impermanence, or Ox-Head and Horse-Face. The newspaper in her hand was clutched so tightly it resembled a vajra scepter.

Xia Shi immediately wiped away her tears, springing from the chair to bring her feet together and bow deeply in apology.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m reflecting on my actions! There won’t be a next time!”

Lin Wan mercilessly raised the newspaper, delivering a swift, decisive thwack to the heads of both Lu Chen and the young woman.

“Instead of wasting time with fake apologies, hurry up and come back with me! If those sticklers from the Security Department get serious, we’ll have to redo the entire process!”

Following a sharp round of scolding, Lin Wan unceremoniously picked up the young woman, much like one would a small chicken, and dragged her out of the ward. Their figures swiftly vanished down the corridor.

Lu Chen watched the closed door for a moment, then, with a sigh of resignation, lowered his head.

As he savored the lingering sweetness of their recent conversation and embrace, he picked up the pear, bitten only once, from the bedside table. Before he could even take another bite, the door swung open again, and Xia Shi scurried back to his bedside.

Lu Chen stared, dumbfounded, and exclaimed.

“Go for your check-up already! Didn’t Sister Lin notice you’d slipped away again?!”

“Of course she noticed, and she’s rushing back right now. So, I can only stay for a few more seconds today.”

Speaking at the fastest pace she had managed all day, Xia Shi simultaneously pulled a bracelet from her pocket and hastily placed it beside Lu Chen’s pillow.

“For you. Don’t break it again this time.”

“Th-thank you, I’ll cherish it. But gifts can be given later, you know!”

“I have to give it to you now because I’ve enchanted this bracelet.”

“…Enchanted? With what?”

Xia Shi’s lips curved upward, revealing a meaningful smile.

“It’s a magic of remote sensing. If you want to meet, just shake the bracelet vigorously.

“Then, I will find an opportunity to come over immediately—”

“Xia Shi! I really am going to restrain you!”

Before the young woman could finish speaking, Lin Wan stormed into the ward with a roar. She once again scooped up Xia Shi, dragging the young woman unceremoniously out of the room.

Lu Chen stood stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but let his lips curl into a faint smile.

Xia Shi genuinely respected Lin Wan and the regulations, yet on occasion, she would nonchalantly flout them in such a manner, invariably provoking Lin Wan’s fury and creating utter chaos. While Lu Chen found this particular trait rather endearing, he knew Lin Wan would likely find it difficult to share that sentiment.

Having lived in a daze for an entire year, he had almost forgotten these seemingly minor yet incredibly precious things from the past.

Lu Chen fastened the bracelet onto his wrist, then held it under the light, examining it repeatedly.

Just like its predecessor, the bracelet was a hand-woven red string, from the center of which dangled a transparent white crystal.

A year ago, just before the comic convention, Xia Shi had given him this very bracelet before heading off to confront the monster.

At the time, he had been convinced that his presence would be futile, and that Xia Shi would, as always, return unharmed. Consequently, he had not followed her, choosing instead to seek refuge with the other evacuees.

Yet, when the attack finally concluded and he returned to the ravaged scene, he found only shattered ruins and a ground slick with blood.

Now, as he gazed once more at the crystal-clear white quartz, he silently forged a solemn resolution.

Xia Shi was always willing to come to his side. He, too, must do the same for her.

No matter the inherent risks, no matter how utterly illogical the enemy, he would never again allow her to leave, never again allow her to face danger alone.

****

While Lu Chen’s thoughts were consumed by Xia Shi, another individual was equally preoccupied with her.

Lu Chen remained alone in the empty hospital ward, while this person sat alone in the deserted hotel lobby.

According to the schedule, a lively wedding banquet should have been held in the lobby that evening, not this desolate emptiness.

However, before the banquet even began, this individual had sought out the groom, who was tidying his hair, torn off his face, and then donned it as their own.

Under the watchful eyes of the guests and the bride, they strode into the hall, mercilessly slaughtering everyone who dared to scream or gasp in shock.

They held no personal grudge against either the groom or the bride. It was simply that their mood had soured, and the groom’s happiness had been altogether too radiant.

They were one of the seven most powerful monsters, the embodiment of “Envy.”

A year prior, they had fought alongside “Gluttony,” pushing Xia Shi to the brink of death.

Now, they sat amidst corpses, wedding dresses, flowers, and pools of blood, clutching a golden ring in one hand and a phone in the other, their eyes fixed intently on the screen.

On the screen, Fireworks, with her fiery red hair, descended from the sky, incinerating the camera monster into ashes.

Their features instantly contorted into a mask of fury, so wild it seemed they might flee their own face. They savagely bit down on their knuckle, uttering a few blood-tinged words in a resentful snarl.

“Fireworks… Fireworks… You thieving wretch deserving of a thousand needles… I’ll send you back to hell right now and reclaim the Silver Moon Heart that rightfully, and solely, belongs to me…!”