TL: I'm bored to death studying for finals, so...one chapter! I'd say, after doing a 14k words synthesis chapter, tling jeopardy is so refres.h.i.+ng (4k words in comparison )

Volume 2, Chapter 55: Residual limbs, Broken arms

TL: flarewk

"Done."

After her wet tongue had entirely licked the dripping blood clean, it, together along with her soft lips, left my face.

"Already, cleaned."

"Mm? Oh, uowoh...........thank you..."

I actually felt a little reluctant. By my count, this was already her third time using this way to 'comfort' me.

It would be a portion of my face every time. The first time was near to the eyes, second at the forehead, and this time, from my philtrum all the way towards my lower chin.

Well then, would it be my cheeks next time? Or would it be the bridge of my nose?

I actually had started to be eager for the next occurrence when she would be patronizing my face.

Hastily placing my gaze aside, I used my hands to messily wipe my mouth, wiping off all those saliva of Xue Qing's which were sticking on the surroundings of my lips, with my cheeks becoming way much more drier and my nosebleed stopping its flow.

It's such a miracle, as for the nosebleed this time, I hadn't even raised my head upwards for it to have the bleeding halted.........Xue Qing's saliva must be with like Xiang Yue Xun's, possessing healing properties, huh?

Thinking up till this point, I opened up my palms and glanced: there's not even a trace of blood sticking onto my hands. Xue Qing had really cleanly ate up all of the blood that I was dripping, by using her mouth.

Glancing at her face afterwards, Xue Qing currently had her tongue stretched out, as it went around surrounding her lips in a circlish fas.h.i.+on, licking off all those blood that had stuck to her lips, as well as those nearby regions of her lips. But because she was unable to see onto her own face, she couldn't make her face entirely clean throughout.

I stretched out my hands and pasted it on her cheeks, using my thumb to sweep off those blood traces that she couldn't lick off.

Speaking of which, when I saw her at the park earlier, her face was just like that, being covered up in traces of blood.

Just after killing a person, her entirety still persisted a saturated cloud of killing aura, with the colors of her pupils being the complete opposite of right now, it displaying out a crimson-red color. Her hair had became fully white as well, she completely being the opposite of her current atmosphere right now.

Which was then the real Xue Qing?

It can't be that she was just like Lian Bing, having a duo-like personality as well?

Or was it that it was actually her true personality.........?

Perhaps I would need to understand her even more deeply, to gain understanding about her true ident.i.ty.

But, before that, let me first pay the price for the actions that I've made.

"Umm, Xue Qing, I........."

"Mm."

She replied with a response, indicating that she's listening, and I deeply breathed in as well, re-adjusting my mood before opening up my mouth to speak.

"I indeed have done some very terrible things to you, so I won't try to explain anything for my actions.........which means, it's absolutely alright for you to want me to compensate you in any way! I'll definitely agree to your request!"

Xue Qing tilted her head, as she grabbed onto the area which she doesn't understand, and asked me.

"Terrible, things?"

"Err........it's, that......."

Wanting me to say it out right from my own mouth really made me feel unequivocally ashamed, it's a little like that sensation during elementary school when admitting a mistake right in front of the homeroom teacher. Speaking of which, the homeroom teacher right now, Xiao Zhen-laos.h.i.+, was of an even more younger loli compared to Xue Qing, but, right in front of Xiao Zhen-laos.h.i.+, even if I'm considered to have made a mistake, I also wouldn't feel upon feelings of shame..........was it because I had always been treating Xiao Zhen-laos.h.i.+ very casually? Looks like the feelings of apologeticness would indeed have a direct correlation with the other party's looks and size..........

Ah, no wait, my thoughts had once again went awry, I'd better quickly pull myself back to reality.

Just like from what I've started to learn since young, I must be courageous to undertake onto my own mistakes.

Strongly resisting the sensation of shame, I pressed onto Xue Qing's shoulders, and in a fas.h.i.+on of despondency, loudly yelled.

"That is, I seized the opportunity when you're sleeping to grope you!"

"Mm, I know."

"Ohhh..........ahh? ! You knew! ! !"

"Mm, I felt it."

Xue Qing's cheeks were dyed in a layer of faint red blush, as she placed her hands covering onto the hands that I've pressed onto her shoulders, and faintly said.

"Jun Cheng, dishonest hands."

"Eeeeeeehhhhh! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"

With a 'pu tong' sound, I knelt right in front of her, with both of my palms together closed up, continually repeating the word 'Sorry' while kneeling in a wors.h.i.+pping manner.

However, if kneeling down was ever useful at all, then laws needed not to be enacted at all! What's the use with repeatedly apologizing at all, just fork out the price for it! Don't forget that you have tainted my purity, so what are you going to use to compensate me? Why not.........slice off your both arms and just hand them over to me?

It was like as if I've heard onto those voices of condemnation.

But in reality, Xue Qing didn't give out any such voices at all, and wouldn't be using such an agitated tone, and even more nigh impossible for her to be saying out so many words within a single breath.

It's me, who had wildly imagining the condemnation of my conscience to be Xue Qing's berating.

Because that way, it would be able to harden out my heart for me to be able to fork out a price!

Using my largest strength to kowtow afterwards, I maintained a kneeling stance as I said.

"Sorry! I know that just by saying a sentence of sorry isn't worth at all! So..........so! Even if you wanted to cut off my hands, I definitely also wouldn't be doing any sort of retaliation at all!"

"........"

No response.

Plus, I'm already prepared with the determination on not to get up unless there's a reply given, so the stance of me maintaining my kneeling posture still didn't change.

Although I couldn't see, but I'm able to hear Xue Qing's breathing starting to become a little hurried.........was she hesitating?

After what seemed to be like a very long time later, Xue Qing finally gave a reply.

She clutched onto my cheeks, with her lips approaching my face as she gently whispered to me.

A three paragraphical, three words response, along with sounds of breathing being carried along as they resounded into my ears.

"It's alright."

"I don't hate."

"Very comfortable."

Don't give out these kinds of responses..........you being as that would only cause me to uncontrollably want to do something towards you again.........

Seizing the opportunity when I hadn't have malicious thoughts arising yet, I lifted my head up in a sudden and ferocious manner as I held onto Xue Qing's shoulders, agitatedly saying.

"No! I must compensate you! Hurry up and say out your request!"

Please, I'm begging you to just say out a request! If not, the malicious thoughts within my mind would be just like a horse which had broke free from its reins as it crazily galloped away!

"Then.........."

"Mm, mn!"

I gulped in my saliva with a 'gu dong' sound, as I mentally readied myself.

"Hair."

"Eh? You still wanted some hair? No wait, you only wanted hair?! Can't you just want any other things instead?"

Forking out just the price of hair was being too light already, it's still not enough to offset the sense of guilt that I had.

"Then.........I also want.........."

"Ooohhhh, what else do you want? I guarantee that I'll be able to fulfill your wants.........Mm, I'll do my best to satisfy you!"

The abrupt change of words halfway was because, I suddenly remembered that Xue Qing would very likely be the corpse splitting homicidal maniac. If she had wanted onto my life, should I be retaliating, or not retaliating instead?

I still don't want to die as of right now, so I mustn't express my words out to be too absolute.

"Fingernails."

"Supporting stand?"

What supporting stand?

(TL: fingernails (指甲, zhijia) sounds like (支架, zhijia), a h.o.m.ophonic pun)

"No, it's fingernails."

Xue Qing stretched out her fingers as she showed me her white, clean fingernails, with me then comprehending onto what she was referring.

Afterwards, Xue Qing grabbed onto my hand, using the tips of her fingers to wipe onto my left thumb's nails as she said.

"I'll cut for you."

Her tone, compared to her usual self, contained an extra trace of excited agitation.

"Oohh, ohh........."

Cut my fingernails? Just that small little request?

Just when I was feeling perplexed, Xue Qing pulled onto my hands, leading me out of the bedroom, into the bathroom.

"Jun Cheng, help me take."

"Ahh? Oohhh.........."

She wanted me to help her take down those knives that were hanging on the clothes rack, huh..........was it really such a good idea to pa.s.s such dangerous weapons over to her..........Uuu, forget it! Right now, I'll need to do my best to satisfy onto her requests!

Xue Qing took out that dagger which was relatively shorter, saying to me afterwards.

"Stretch out your hands."

"Eeeh..........ohh!"

Was she going to use this thing to cut my fingernails? !

I stammeringly stretched out my right hands, and afterwards, without even affixing my hand's position at all, Xue Qing just directly swung out her blades dancingly.

Being stared at by her, my body once again became stiffened, with my both hands akin to being affixed into midair as it became immovable.

A slice.

There wasn't another slice being swung already, for my fingernail had been trimmed, with the excess bit being caught by using another hand of Xue Qing's.

I've personally witnessed what was being known as blade dancing!

Eventually, ten fingernails from my fingers used up only 10 slices for them to be trimmed.

This feeling........! It's roughly similar to that sensation last time when something breezed past my eyes! So, was Xue Qing using this blade to help me cut off my eyebrows at that time? !

With the level of skill onto utilizing a blade, even if it's performance artistes, after seeing it they would be ashamed, right?

Xue Qing kept her blades satisfiedly, afterwards grabbing my fingernails and did a small run out of the bathroom.

I blankly looked at the shadow of her figure, waiting till after she had ran out before shouting out.

"Hey! Xue Qing! Where are you going?"

I've just only stood up, wanting to chase after her when I noticed onto something very bizarre.

Wait, where's the bath water?

I remembered that yesterday, I was frantically carrying Xue Qing out from the bathroom, and had already forgotten to let out the bath water??

But right now, those bath water had already been let out!

Thinking back about it right now.........since Xue Qing simply doesn't even know how to operate a water heater, why would the water heater be always plugged in into electricity! ?

This! Don't tell me that I've seen onto ghosts..........no, wait. First, let's not go think onto those things that were unscientific.

Although Xue Qing had told me before that she was living by herself, but perhaps that there were other people living in here as well? On the second floor, weren't there some rooms that were void of dust too? For those rooms, even I had not entered right inside them.

Thinking up till this, I then walked out of the bathroom similarly, as I proceeded to the second floor.

Xue Qing seemed to be in her room, so I'll just go to the other rooms to confirm about it then.

Other than Xue Qing's bedroom, there are 3 rooms on the second floor for which their handles didn't have any dust at all.

It doesn't matter if they had dust on them or not. In any case, I'll just——open them up to confirm onto them.

I firstly walked to the neighboring room beside Xue Qing's bedroom, held down the door handle and pushed open the door.

This place looked to be like a study room. Seeing that Xue Qing usually would be carrying a book, her book collection must have not been less then.

I didn't walk inside, but proceeded onwards to the next room.

The next room was a place which was like a projecting room, with one side of the wall having an extremely huge screen being hung on, and the middle of the room having a sofa which looked to be of an extremely good quality being placed. On a small table, it was adorned with various fruits and snacks, plus there were 3D gla.s.ses as well. Under the screen, there was quite a few of those latest gaming consoles being displayed, and on the cabinets in the corner, all of them had CDs stacked upon; these probably should be film or gaming CDs.

So this place is an entertainment lounge, a place where one uses to watch movies or play video games. But, looking at the equipment here being so abundantly complete, it indeed made people feel rather envious, as many neets would all be dreaming of possessing such a room. I'm a little tempted to try that extremely big screen to play Monst** Hunter; the gaming immersiveness should be rather strong with it.

No wait, right now's not the time to play games. Shaking my head, I left this area, continuing to go investigate other rooms. I opened up the rooms that had dust on the door handles to take a glance at them; they were all empty rooms.

Looks like the rooms that were being used would then be tidied clean, huh.

Then that very last room should be that very mysterious guest's room, right?

Walking into the very last room, for a moment, I couldn't make out what it was being used for, but it looked to be like a storeroom just from the atmosphere alone, as it doesn't have any windows at all.

The corners of my mouth gave a twitch, because this means..........that Xue Qing was really living by herself!

There's really no one, huh! Then who exactly was it that let out of all the bath water! It can't be that I've seen onto a ghost again, right!

As if it's like it's trying to prove onto my conjecture, a gust of chilly air blew into my face, causing me to uncontrollably give out a cold shudder.

Speaking of which, because my jacket was being lent to Xiang Yue Xun, and with my s.h.i.+rt being put on onto Xue Qing, right now, my torso was in a current state of not wearing anything at all.

Uuu, so cold...........

I forcefully rubbed my hands and shoulders, crouching my body as I walked into this storeroom, wanting to peer inside of here to see what kind of things was being kept inside.

I first went to the bookshelves on the right to take a look. The shelves were spilt into two sections, with the top section displaying various squarish jars, and the bottom section displaying roundish jars.

What are these..........

When I distinctly saw onto what were these things afterwards, I felt a chill running down the scalp of my head, as I irrepressibly gave off an agonizingly pained look.

Because.........these things were!

Fingernails!

The fingernails were stored in the squarish little jars, with labels plastered on the top, the labels indicating the date and name. It wasn't that sort of fingernails that were being cut off by using nail clippers, but were whole, intact fingernails, and every jar contained 10 pieces of fingernails.

All of the fingernails were like bricks as they were tidily stacked upon each other.

Some of the nails were already yellowed, some were still white, and some even had blood splattered on top of it; just like as if it was just being spliced off from someone's finger.

I once again lowered my head to look at the bottom section, and what was being stored in the circlish small jars were...........

Eyeb.a.l.l.s!

Eyeb.a.l.l.s were floating within a stale-yellowish liquid formalin, and every one of those little jars contained an eyeball, with all of the eyeb.a.l.l.s all facing looking upwards in an angular way. Even though they were only eyeb.a.l.l.s, it made me feel instead that there were numerous gazes all currently staring at me...........no, staring at some kind of thing at the other side...........

I twitched my head around to go look at the other side, there's an extremely huge cabinet. Opening it up to take a look, inside was completely filled with mobile phone casing-sized little boxes, and on it too similarly had labels being plastered.

My mind gave rose to an ominous forewarning, but I still unresistingly took out a box and opened it up to take a look..........

What was being decorated inside the box, were entirely fingers.

From the thumb all the way to the pinky finger, in accordance to it's proper order, being tidily aligned and kept within the box. The sliced portion of the finger were very neat, and there weren't any fingernails at all on those fingers.

These fingers, every single finger of them were as straight as a pen, all of them pointing towards a certain direction.

And so, I once again followed these fingers which had pointed to a certain direction to investigate.........

Found onto a limb which didn't have any fingers at all.

My heart was akin to like being frozen by the chilling shock!

This place was exactly like as if someone had been conducting an exhibition of human hands and eyes anatomies, tidily displaying various portions of the human body!

What kind of a twisted mindset would one then be able to carry out these sort of things!

It's basically completely inhumane!

These were all...........these were all done by Xue Qing?

I was just like a man standing at the very edge of a cliff as I unsteadily shook about, with the pits of my heart repeatedly trading murmurs: 'It can't be?' and 'Impossible!' .

But I can't irrevocably dispute the truth being laid out right in front of me, as any sort of explanation would be futilely useless.

d.a.m.n it!

Xue Qing...........why...........!

"Jun..........Cheng?"

From my back, emanated a voice which sounded familiar, yet suddenly sounding like a stranger's.

My heart had fell down, cras.h.i.+ng to the very abyss!

-ch 55 end-

(3930 words to tl)

Footnotes:

Residual limbs, Broken arms = neta of the CN idiom, 殘枝如斷臂 which basically meant 'arms are broken like how branches are being snapped apart'.

But in this chapter, the word 'residual' have a double meaning here......

(I picked residual over leftover, coz 'leftover limbs' sounds not-so-right, :3)

A three paragraphical, three words response ("It's alright.", "I don't hate", "Very comfortable") = The original words for them, in case you're wondering (3 words each!), was: "沒關係", "不討厭", "很舒服".

My heart was akin to like being frozen by the chilling shock = The original was: 心中不寒而慄, which meant "even though it wasn't cold, my heart was s.h.i.+vering, or, to define out extreme s.h.i.+vers faced at a situation". I can't use the first expression, as it's already defined that the area was cold due it being a storeroom. Just a heads up to anyone who even cared -3-

Glossary:

-laos.h.i.+ (老師) = honorifics for 'teacher'