The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 298: Stargazing

“You awake?” Gao Yang asked quietly.

Fresh Snow opened and closed her mouth before croaking, “Gao Yang...I’m sorry...”

After a pause, Gao Yang cracked a smile. “Why are you apologizing?”

Fresh Snow’s eyes reddened, her weak voice brimming with guilt. “I almost ate you... I don’t deserve to be your good friend...”

She rolled to her side and curled into herself, not knowing how she should face Gao Yang.

Under the moonlight, her pale shoulders trembled as she sobbed silently.

Staring at her from the back as she blamed herself, Gao Yang said after a pregnant pause, “It must be really painful when you starve, Fresh Snow.”

She didn’t say anything.

Gao Yang continued, “Does this happen every time?”

Still no answer.

“We’re good friends. Good friends don’t keep secrets from each other.” Gao Yang pulled the ultimate trick.

After a good moment of silence, Fresh Snow spoke weakly, slowly, “It didn’t used to be so bad, but recently, it’s been getting worse and worse. Sister said that I was close to my limit...”

“Your limit?” Gao Yang’s heart sank.

“Ghosts don’t live long, and we die if we starve.”

Gao Yang got closer to her. “How old are you, Fresh Snow?”

“I’m 27.”

Gao Yang was shocked. How can that be? You look no older than 17!

Fresh Snow could tell what he was thinking. “My sister and I are twins, but I turn into a cat often and sleep for a long, long time, and while I sleep, I don’t age or feel hungry.”

Realization dawned on Gao Yang.

Under normal circumstances, Fresh Snow should’ve grown up at the same pace as her sister. However, she was special in that she could turn into a white cat, and the white cat was sort of a state of hibernation. The good part was that hibernation stopped her from feeling hungry; the bad part was that during hibernation, she stopped growing physically and mentally.

That was why Fresh Snow was still effectively a young girl despite her being 27.

“Gao Yang...” She still had her back to Gao Yang, and the tremor in her shoulders never stopped. She choked out with childlike petulance, “If only I weren’t ghosts...”

Gao Yang’s chest tightened.

There was a time when he had thought that way, too.

If only Li Weiwei weren’t a monster, if only Wang Zikai weren’t a monster, if only Wan Sisi hadn’t died, if only his family would all turn out to be human...

But ‘if only’ was the most pointless phrase in this world.

The reality was that Fresh Snow was faced with the choice between eating people, or starving to death.

Gao Yang was human. He believed eating people was a sinful, terrible act.

Fresh Snow, however, was a Spectre, and humans were food to Spectres. What place was there for moral judgment in a creature eating what they considered food?

Gao Yang’s head was a mess, and he felt torn.

He couldn’t find a middle ground between fighting for humanity and feeling for Fresh Snow.

He had never been this confused.

He wanted to do something, but whatever he did would seem hypocritical.

Then, at least, he could make Fresh Snow happy.

He lay down by Fresh Snow’s side with his hands pillowing his head. “Fresh Snow, do you want to look at the stars? Let’s do it.”

Fresh Snow gradually stopped crying.

She said in a weak voice, “I don’t wanna go out. Don’t wanna go anywhere...”

“Don’t worry. I know magic. I can make stars appear for you.” Gao Yang put on a mysterious act.

Curious like a small animal by nature, Fresh Snow immediately perked up and turned to Gao Yang, staring at him seriously with her large, tears-pricked eyes, her heartbreak forgotten for the moment.

“First, you lie down like me and close your eyes,” said Gao Yang.

“Yeah.” Fresh Snow wiped the tears on her face and meekly lay down, closing her eyes.

Gao Yang grabbed the remote on the nightstand and made a click.

“Okay, open your eyes.”

Fresh Snow did.

Clack, clack.

The wooden ceiling of the room slowly opened sideways into a skylight. On the other side was the deep night sky and the brilliant stars.

Moonlight fell upon their faces like a gentle embrace.

“Whoa!”

Fresh Snow looked more innocent than ever, and her beautiful ruby eyes lit up slightly, recovering a fraction of her usual spirit.

“So pretty!” Fresh Snow couldn’t be happier.

“Fresh Snow.”

Gao Yang stared at the sky and suddenly remembered what his grandmother had told him when he was young. “When we die, we return to the stars, so don’t be scared. One day, we will see each other again up there.”

Fresh Snow thought about it before pointing at the brightest star in the sky. “Gao Yang, I like that one.”

“Sure.” Gao Yang chuckled. “Let’s call it Fresh Snow.”

“Yeah.” Fresh Snow gave him an earnest smile and leaned in to nuzzle his arm with her head. “I’ll wait for you on the star, Gao Yang. You have to visit me someday.”

Gao Yang’s smile froze.

For some reason, he felt an intense urge to burst into tears at that moment.

He didn’t dare look at Fresh Snow, so he kept his eyes on the brightest star, named Fresh Snow, until his eyes were sore.

After about ten seconds, Gao Yang spoke up with honest feelings.

“Fresh Snow.”

“Hm?”

She turned to him with questions in her eyes.

Eat me, now.

I may regret it in a minute, but at least at this moment, I want you to live.

I’ve led a blessed life. I have so much more than you do.

I don’t want you to return to the stars before I do. I don’t want you to wait up there on your own, so far away and so lonely...

Buzz.

The sound jerked him out of his thoughts and returned to him his rationality.

He rolled to a sitting position and checked his phone. It was a message from Vermilion Bird, telling them to meet up for the mission.

Gao Yang patted Fresh Snow on the head. “I’m going outside, Fresh Snow. Rest well.”

“Yeah.”

Fresh Snow nodded quietly, flashing Gao Yang a smile.

...

Private Water Villa, Falling Star Island of Naldives, eleven o’clock at night.

When Gao Yang arrived, the others were already there.

They each had their weapons of choice and a supply bag on their backs. Green Tea stood out in particular, dressed in military camouflage with a submachine gun on his back. Hanging across his chest were magazines, and two grenades dangled on his waistband.

Gao Yang wondered how he had even brought all those gears here.

Still, he believed Green Tea was doing it right. Although the possibility was slim, there was still a chance that they could be put into a crisis like the total silence they faced in the Eleventh High School. Then firearms would be incredibly useful.

Inside the living room, White Rabbit, Qing Ling, and Wu Dahai sat around a dining table, talking about something quietly.

Ronnie and Can sat on the sofa, both visibly nervous, evident in the way their eyes kept shifting.

Chen Ying, Green Tea, and Joker claimed the other sofa, and the three of them were talking about something in a low voice too.

Scarlet Fox stood before the bedroom door, his hands clasped together as he kept watch with an impassive expression.

“Where’s Elder Vermilion Bird?” Gao Yang asked.

“In the room,” Scarlet Fox said concisely. “Questioning a body.”

Gao Yang was a little taken aback. “Whose?”

“I don’t know. Elder White Tiger brought it here...”

Creak.

The door opened. Scarlet Fox immediately stepped to the side, and Vermilion Bird and White Tiger filed out of the room.

Vermilion Bird looked a little tired. The usually cynical look on her face was even more pronounced now, and there was a line of worry between her brows.

White Tiger still looked as relaxed as ever. He talked into his phone with his other hand on his hip. “Alright, yeah, yeah. Stop dallying about and move. We’re setting out too. Yeah, I will. You guys be careful too.”

He hung up and turned to Vermilion Bird. “What do we do with the body?”

“We’ll take it back to base after the mission.” Vermilion Bird waved a dismissive hand at him before walking toward the bathroom. “I’m going to wash my hands. We’ll set out ASAP.”