Chapter 608: You’re Not Late

    The tears came so suddenly and inexplicably that it caught Shen Nianzu off guard, and before he knew it, his cheeks were already wet.

    Even when he was roughly dragged back inside after an unsuccessful attempt to escape or when the knife cut into his flesh, causing him immense pain, Shen Nianzu had not shed a single tear.

    Crying was useless—he had learned it from a very young age, only for this belief to be further consolidated once he entered the Nightmare Cycle. Crying was but a sign of weakness; rather than doing such a useless thing, he was better off racking his brain for a solution to the problem in front of him.

    But this time, he cried. And once he started, he couldn’t seem to stop.

    He buried his face into Jin Jiuchi’s shoulder and sobbed quietly, all of his fear, tension and apprehension melting into waterworks that poured out of his eyes. Was it because he had never expected Jin Jiuchi to come? He wondered. That must be it. Even in such a desperate situation, he had never entertained the hope that someone would come to rescue him. Not only was it such a far-fetched wish, but also because he was too used to being independent and fighting alone. Which was why Jin Jiuchi’s sudden presence hit him twice as hard.

    At this moment, he learned all over again how wonderful it was to have someone to rely on, to cover his back when he was feeling weak and vulnerable.

    "Nian’er...?" Jin Jiuchi froze when he sensed the dampness spreading on his shoulder. Flustered, he hurriedly tried to comfort his jade doll, though in his haste his words ended up becoming clumsy instead. "I-I’m so sorry... I’m late, am I not? Don’t cry, don’t cry, Nian’er, you’re making me want to cry too..." his voice cracked and trembled in the end, sounding as if he, too, was on the verge of tears.

    Shen Nianzu couldn’t help it— he let out a soundless laugh amidst his tears.

    But Jin Jiuchi misunderstood the tremble on his body and thought that he had made his Nian’er cried harder. "I’m sorry for being late, Nian’er... it’s okay, everything is okay now... don’t be afraid..." he kept repeating that again and again as he gently held Shen Nianzu in his arms as if he was a fragile little thing, not even daring to exert the slightest force for fear of hurting him.

    Seriously, why was he so... cute?

    You’re not late, Shen Nianzu wished to tell him. You’re right on time.

    He so badly wanted to say that to Jin Jiuchi, yet when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a series of dry coughs. He held his burning throat, gasping and wheezing for breath. In the end, he could not endure it any longer. His trousers ripped at the seams, and a massive tail came out, its soft caudal fin trembling against the cold air.

    The effects of the potion finally wore off for good.

    He clutched onto Jin Jiuchi’s arm and squeezed out a word from his throat with much difficulty, "Wa... ter..."

    If he didn’t get his water soon, he would most likely die of suffocation!

    Jin Jiuchi only froze for a split second before swiftly scooping Shen Nianzu up into his arms. "Okay, water!" He quickly scanned the warehouse and spotted a large tub on the corner but when he rushed there, he found the tub filled with dirty and stinky water.

    "Oh fuck," he couldn’t resist a frustrated curse. "Hang in there a little more, Nian’er... I will get you water soon!"

    This time, Jin Jiuchi bolted out of the warehouse. Shen Nianzu couldn’t even make out their surroundings because the man was running too fast, causing the scenery to dissolve into a blur. All he could do was cling onto Jin Jiuchi steadfastly and bury his face onto Jin Jiuchi’s chest, inhaling the reassuring and familiar scent from his lover.

    At some point of time, Shen Nianzu vaguely registered them entering a large vehicle and then—SPLASH!—he was unceremoniously thrown into a tank.

    It wasn’t even an exaggeration to say that Shen Nianzu felt like he had gotten a new lease of life. Even though the tank was a little cramped and he had to curl up his tail to fit his whole body in, it was the most comfortable and happiest he had ever been.

    Submerged in the water, Shen Nianzu drew in a long, shaky breath. Relief swept through him so powerfully that he almost burst into tears once more. His body sagged to the bottom of the tank, tension bleeding out of him like ink in water. For the first time since entering this damned Cycle, he could finally lower his guard and relax.

    Meanwhile, Jin Jiuchi had his hands and face stuck to the glass surface, peering at him with a silly and delighted grin on his face. "Does it feel good, Nian’er?" he asked in a slight tease, clearly in an excellent mood, yet somehow Shen Nianzu could sense the underlying concern in his tone.

    Opening his eyes, he playfully tapped on Jin Jiuchi’s nose which was flattened against the tank before blowing a string of bubbles to his face.

    Only then did he have the luxury to access his surroundings. They were currently inside a spacious hover car, a vehicle far more sophisticated and elegant than anything he had ever seen before. As for his lover... he should be a mechanically transformed person judging from his bionic arm.

    After feeling like he had rested enough, Shen Nianzu swam up and breached the surface of the water, and Jin Jiuchi followed suit by straightening up so that they were on the same eye level. Shen Nianzu had wanted to ask if this hover car was his or whether he had hijacked a random car—because honestly that sounded just like something Jin Jiuchi would do—but when he met Jin Jiuchi’s smiling yet intensely smoldering eyes, all the words got stuck in his throat and he instantly forgot what he was about to say.

    It was unknown who started first, and by the time he realized it, their lips were locked in a passionate kiss. His body temperature was naturally on the lower side, maybe that’s why Jin Jiuchi’s lips felt scaldingly hot, so much that he had a notion as if he was being burned as well.

    "I missed you too..." Shen Nianzu could finally say, his hoarse voice choked with emotion as he whispered in between the wet and lingering kisses. "And no, you’re not late. You never were."