My Girlfriend's a Monster - Chapter 38

The monster rose, nearly fully revealing its true form, countless tentacles dragging across the floor with a rustling sound. Zhong Qingxiao sensed her departure as she opened the bedroom door and left.

He sprang up instantly, quickly following her.

Has she finally lost her mind? She didn’t choose him, the closest source of food, but went out hunting instead?

With trembling hands, Zhong Qingxiao grabbed the flamethrower by the door.

A powerful sense of oppression filled the air, jolting Curly awake. Its little eyes were filled with terror as it dove under the sofa, trembling violently.

Then it saw something eerie float by, resembling a hairy monster, though it wasn’t hair but densely packed tentacles, writhing like snakes. Or perhaps it was more like a giant octopus, just with more tentacles.

Curly found the thing somewhat familiar. Nature had endowed dogs with an exceptionally keen sense of smell, and it detected the scent of its mistress on the creature. Unpleasant memories surged back, reminding Curly of the days when it was dominated by these tentacles.

Oh, it’s the mistress, so it’s fine. Curly promptly went back to sleep.

The door to Room 1801 opened, and Luo Ke stepped out. Her gaze swept over Rooms 1802 and 1803 before she leisurely strolled away.

Zhong Qingxiao followed closely, hiding himself in the darkness.

Hunting for food-when was the last time she felt full? Luo Ke’s wandering gaze landed on the elevator, recalling the satisfaction she felt after devouring the Eyeball Monster.

Her aimless wandering brought her to the storage room of Building A’s female dormitory. Inside, everyone was asleep, oblivious to the world, except for one body trembling violently.

Zhong Qingxiao watched as Luo Ke’s gaze fell upon the humans. His suspicions were confirmed-she was indeed…

A man-eater.

Never mind, Luo Ke shifted her gaze from the trembling creature and continued her search downstairs.

Did she leave? Zhong Qingxiao was stunned, then followed again.

This building is so empty, isn’t it? Luo Ke was at a loss for words, finding no trace of monsters.

She wandered aimlessly until she heard a faint meow, coming from behind a door.

Luo Ke’s eyes focused on the door number, 1503, and she approached it.

Zhong Qingxiao heard nothing. He only saw the monster effortlessly dismantle the security door of 1503, a door he remembered from their previous search for supplies. It was exceptionally sturdy, and they had given up after an hour of trying to open it.

But the monster dismantled it as if it had always been open.

The door creaked heavily in the dark night as she entered. Only then did Zhong Qingxiao hear the faint meow from inside.

His face turned pale, and he could almost imagine Luo Ke crouching down to eat the cat.

He hesitated for a moment, then instinctively hid in the storage room when he heard the rustling sound approaching again.

The monster reappeared, and Zhong Qingxiao instinctively looked at her hands, surprised to find the cat still alive, a small, frail orange kitten dangling from her grasp.

Luo Ke murmured, “You stink. How can such a small kitten produce so much poop?”

The little orange kitten, hanging from a tentacle, dared not make a sound, swaying as it was carried along.

After descending two more floors, Luo Ke dismantled another door on the 13th floor.

Zhong Qingxiao was a step behind. By the time he arrived, the monster had already emerged from the room, but he didn’t see the cat in her hands anymore.

He was contemplating whether to check Room 1302 after the monster left when a massive shadow loomed over him, and Zhong Qingxiao couldn’t help but cry out.

“Well, well, let’s see who’s been following me,” Luo Ke said with satisfaction, pleased with her discovery. Who would have thought her dear wife cared so much about her?

Face to face, so close, Zhong Qingxiao’s rationality was on the brink of collapse, especially when he realized Luo Ke intended to kiss him in this form…

“No!” He pushed the monster with all his might, but it didn’t budge, though it did stop its actions.

He couldn’t bring himself to do it, especially since he wasn’t sure if she had eaten the cat.

Luo Ke’s expression turned cold. Do pets have the right to refuse their owner? The answer was obvious.

“Zhong Qingxiao,” Luo Ke spoke.

Hearing his name from the monster’s mouth, even in a familiar voice, felt unsettling to Zhong Qingxiao.

“I’ve given you two days already.”

Zhong Qingxiao’s heart sank, and he retorted with difficulty, “It’s only been one day.”

“It’s past midnight now,” Luo Ke said, retracting her form and instantly returning to her human appearance. The girl’s deep eyes fixed on him, sending shivers down his spine.

He wanted to ask if she had eaten the cat but feared such a question might anger her, prompting Luo Ke to find something else to eat.

His stomach began to spasm again, loud enough for even Zhong Qingxiao to hear. Luo Ke frowned in discomfort.

“Let’s go back and cook some meat for me,” Luo Ke said through gritted teeth. As long as she could temporarily relieve the damn stomach cramps, she could endure the dry meat.

Zhong Qingxiao had no choice, being swept away by the giant tentacles.

The previous beef hadn’t been eaten because it was too tough, so Zhong Qingxiao prepared boiled beef, using spices to mask the toughness as much as possible.

The taste was quite good, with the freshness of the beef affecting only the texture.

Luo Ke graciously finished it all.

At 3 a.m., Zhong Qingxiao was wide awake. Since discovering his girlfriend was a monster, his sleep had been plagued with nightmares, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.

“You’re acting a bit off lately,” Luo Ke remarked, setting down her chopsticks and staring at Zhong Qingxiao.

His emotional fluctuations were too obvious. If it were anyone else, Luo Ke would have interfered without hesitation, but Zhong Qingxiao was different. External interference with a human’s mental state had side effects-it could make them numb and sluggish.

Like a puppet, almost lifeless.

She didn’t want a dear wife like that.

Zhong Qingxiao didn’t understand what Luo Ke meant, suspecting she had some new trick to torment him.

“Get some rest,” Luo Ke said, patting Zhong Qingxiao’s shoulder. She noticed his instinctive flinch and stiffness but didn’t want to lose her temper before bed.

Recently, she had been weaving pleasant dreams for Zhong Qingxiao, but they seemed to be losing their effectiveness.

He was remarkably adept at slipping from her control.

How to solve this problem? Luo Ke was troubled, her only solutions involving violence and coercion, both with significant side effects…

After Luo Ke left, Zhong Qingxiao sat at the table for a long time, staring at the cold soup with its oily sheen. He solemnly reminded himself for the second time that things couldn’t continue like this. He had to make an effort to change the situation, either by killing Luo Ke or accepting her.

But if he killed her, Aunt Luo would be devastated, wouldn’t she? Discovering that the daughter she had raised for over twenty years was a monster-what kind of feeling would that be?

Zhong Qingxiao took a deep breath. Yes, he had to make a decision, and he needed to talk to Aunt Luo.

Human survival continued, and the building seemed completely empty the next day. With nothing else to do, the group decided to have Zhu Yiming try to gather news from the outside world again.

“Can we send a signal to the outside this time?” Bai Lan asked. She lived close to Zhu Yiming and knew he had been tinkering with this for days.

“I’ve made some modifications, but without feedback from anyone outside, I don’t know if it worked,” Zhu Yiming said with a shrug.

He struggled to maneuver his wheelchair, placing the receiver on the walkway, the spot with the best signal. A crowd gathered around to watch.

The complete cutoff of networks and communication had left everyone isolated from the outside world, with only the world before them remaining. Everyone was eager to know what was happening outside.

Zhu Yiming fiddled with the machine, connecting to the Shencheng University channel from last time. The AI female voice was still the same, but the broadcast content had changed: “Citizens, the government has deployed the military to maintain public order. Please stay indoors, stock up on supplies, and await rescue.”

“Damn, it’s all useless talk,” Yan Cheng cursed. “How are we supposed to stock up on supplies without going out?”

The broadcasts were meaningless, and every channel said the same thing-everyone was on their own.

Bai Lan stared intently at the receiver and asked Zhu Yiming, “Do you remember the Baoliyuan channel from last time? Can you still receive it?”

Zhu Yiming recalled that it was indeed the only different message they had received, but he had stumbled upon it by chance and didn’t remember the exact channel number, only the general direction.

“I’ll try,” he said, twisting the knob.

After several attempts, all they got was static or AI broadcasts, with no other signals. Just as Zhu Yiming was about to give up, Bai Lan said, “Wait a minute, this channel seems to have no sound, no static, no broadcast. Does that mean it’s connected somewhere, just with no one speaking?”

Zhu Yiming paused, realizing she had a point.

“Can you activate the transmission function?” Bai Lan asked.

Zhu Yiming pressed the red button.

Bai Lan took a deep breath and began shouting, “Su Sheng’an! Are you alive? If you are, come find me! Original location, 18th floor! Su Sheng’an!”

She shouted several times until the transmission automatically stopped, finally feeling a sense of relief.

Since hearing her boyfriend’s voice last time, this matter had weighed on her mind. She had felt conflicted, knowing that finding Su Sheng’an might not be the best idea. Today, she had finally taken action, and regardless of the outcome, at least she had tried.

“Is this Su Sheng’an your boyfriend?” someone asked.

Bai Lan turned to see Zhao Xucheng and shook her head, unwilling to reveal more about her personal life.

Zhao Xucheng smiled and didn’t press further, turning to chat with others.

No one paid much attention to the attempted contact, but by evening, someone actually arrived at the building.

The unit door downstairs had been broken by the 17th floor earlier, and a group of five or six people arrived, led by a boy with a particularly puppy-like appearance, though he looked dirty and was panting heavily as he searched the crowd.

“Hey,” Yan Cheng was instantly on alert. “Who are you people?”

He scrutinized them-two women and three men, one of the women even wearing makeup, looking quite alluring.

“Bro!” Su Sheng’an rushed forward, asking, “Is my girlfriend here? Her name is Bai Lan! I heard her signal this morning!”

Everyone was taken aback; Bai Lan’s call had indeed reached someone.

“She lives in 1803. Go find her,” Yan Cheng said.

These people looked filthy, and it was uncertain whether their arrival was a blessing or a curse. Yan Cheng’s expression was grave.

Fifteen-year-old Lu Haiyao voiced his concern, “Yan Cheng, they look like they came empty-handed. Are they going to take our supplies?”

The young man’s mind was sharp, and seeing so many people, his first instinct was to worry about resources.

This was indeed Yan Cheng’s concern. They had risked their lives to gather their food and couldn’t just give it away.

“Bai Lan really is something, bringing people here. I thought using that transmitter was a bad idea; it only brings trouble!” Hu Qiang grumbled. He had nearly been killed by that giant baby monster while searching for food, and the memory still haunted him. How could he share with these people?

Almost everyone wore a look of varying degrees of seriousness. In the apocalypse, some might feel joy at the sudden increase in human companionship, but not when they came empty-handed. No one wanted to play the savior when struggling to survive.

When the door was knocked on, Bai Lan was finishing her meal. Hearing the knock, she instinctively felt uneasy, quickly finishing her food before answering.

As soon as she opened the door, before she could see who it was, she was enveloped in a bear hug.

“Woo, woo, woo, Lanlan, I finally found you!”

Bai Lan stiffened for a moment before uncertainly saying, “Su Sheng’an?”

“It’s me! It’s me! Look at me!” Su Sheng’an quickly stood up, grabbing Bai Lan’s hand to touch his dirty face.

Bai Lan stared at him for a while before bursting into laughter. “Why are you crying?”

Then she added, “You’re so dirty.”

Su Sheng’an’s face turned red, though it was hard to tell due to the dirt. He nervously said, “I haven’t showered in ages. You don’t know what kind of days I’ve been through…”

As he spoke, the four people he brought with him watched eagerly from behind. Bai Lan felt awkward and quickly pulled Su Sheng’an inside, closing the door.

“Why did you bring others with you?” Bai Lan asked, looking at Su Sheng’an with disdain and pointing to the bathroom. “Go take a shower.”

This was great! Su Sheng’an had been longing for a shower. He said, “These people have been helping me from the start. Without them, I might have died. I wasn’t sure if you were really here, so I didn’t dare come alone.”

Bai Lan thought it made sense. With the outside world in chaos, who would dare venture out alone?

But she quickly considered the issue of supplies and said, “Our building is relatively safe now; the monsters have been dealt with, and we have patrols. Supplies are okay for now, but I doubt anyone will be willing to share food with the people you brought.”

Su Sheng’an paused as he entered the bathroom. “I’ll figure something out. We got by like this initially and won’t take your things.”

Bai Lan wasn’t worried about them taking things. They had more people and each had a weapon. If it came to a fight, these few wouldn’t stand a chance.

Su Sheng’an began undressing in front of Bai Lan. To be honest, she wasn’t very familiar with this boyfriend. They hadn’t been together long, and it was Su Sheng’an who had pursued her. If she hadn’t liked him, she wouldn’t have agreed to date him.

But after everything that had happened, the initial affection had mostly faded. She watched her younger boyfriend with some difficulty.

To be honest, she wasn’t entirely sure of Su Sheng’an’s character.

“Oh my god, why are you still standing here!” Su Sheng’an had stripped down to his underwear, shocked and blushing as he pulled his pants back up.

Bai Lan’s gaze lingered on his waistline for a moment before she closed the bathroom door with an ambiguous expression.

Su Sheng’an: “…”

He felt like his girlfriend’s personality had changed.

Dinnertime at dusk was universally acknowledged, but with strangers present, everyone ate discreetly, choosing convenient foods like bread and dry rations.

Life in Room 1801 continued as usual. Luo Meihua and Zhong Shuping even felt as if there were no monsters at all, and the relationship between the two younger ones seemed to be growing closer, often spending time together in the bedroom.

Luo Meihua expressed concern. She had watched Luo Ke grow up and knew she was somewhat naive in that regard. She trusted the future son-in-law’s character, but given the circumstances outside, what if there was an accidental pregnancy? The two kids seemed too straightforward to prepare for contraception.

Worried, she frequently glanced at the closed bedroom door, hesitant to speak.

Inside the room, Luo Ke pressed Zhong Qingxiao onto the bed, skillfully unbuttoning his shirt.

Is it happening again? Zhong Qingxiao took a deep breath. His left side hurt quite a bit; Luo Ke had bitten him too hard last night.

“Wait a moment,” Luo Ke soothed him, rummaging in her pocket before pulling out a box of cartoon band-aids.

Zhong Qingxiao was taken aback by the packaging, then watched as his girlfriend took out two pink cartoon band-aids.

“If you behave and don’t make me angry, I won’t bite you anymore, okay?” Luo Ke said in a questioning tone, issuing a command. Her fair fingers peeled off the band-aid’s plastic, gently applying them to Zhong Qingxiao’s body.

One on each side, perfectly placed, and surprisingly pretty…

Luo Ke’s gaze gradually changed.

Zhong Qingxiao quickly buttoned his shirt, but before he could finish, Luo Ke’s cold fingers caressed his cheek. She leaned in slowly, her lips tinted with familiar warmth, but this time Zhong Qingxiao no longer saw her as a kind, innocent girl needing protection.

Was she going to kiss him like that again? Zhong Qingxiao resisted internally, but he couldn’t truly refuse. The suffocating, intense sensation was a nightmare.

“It’s been two days,” Luo Ke said, staring intently at him, her eyes as dark as two empty voids. “Zhong Qingxiao, I’m still waiting for your answer.”

The ticking of the clock on the nightstand was the only sound in the eerily quiet room.

Zhong Qingxiao closed his eyes in despair, knowing he had to make his decision soon.