Chapter 36: Brother, Hold Me

Li Tianque turned toward the sound, realizing that, for once, Danny hadn’t lied. The man who looked on the verge of death was clutching that indescribably disgusting bowl of food, devouring it ravenously. His exaggerated movements suggested he was feasting on the finest delicacies; as he ate, a spark of life even flickered in his once-dull eyes.

“See? The food I make is really delicious!” Danny declared, turning to Li Tianque after she’d fed the man every last spoonful.

Li Tianque swallowed hard, but shook his head vigorously, refusing at once. “No, no, I’m really not hungry right now.”

“Hmph, fine then…” Danny set the bowl on the bedside table with a disappointed pout.

Li Tianque didn’t know what to say, scratching his head awkwardly. “I’m really not hungry. Why don’t you eat? You spent so much time making it…”

“It’s okay, never mind. Let’s just go to bed!” Danny said, taking his hand.

As he once again felt Danny’s soft hand in his, Li Tianque was overtaken by a rush of indescribable joy. Though he knew it was improper, his body betrayed him.

Never mind, this can’t be helped—let’s just call it an employee benefit.

Li Tianque glanced at the clock: it was nine-thirty. He’d never gone to bed this early, but with a beautiful girl being so forward, how could the long night ahead be as simple as sleep alone?

With that, Danny led Li Tianque out of the patient’s room and up to the second floor.

Li Tianque considered himself a man of principle, but he was no ascetic sage. Besides, he was all alone, and with the lovely girl throwing herself so willingly into his arms, resistance was nearly impossible.

Upstairs, he found two rooms, each decorated in a sweet, adorable style. The pink room was fragrant and airy, brimming with girlish charm.

Danny brought him into the larger room, closing the door behind them so that only the ambient lighting remained. She swayed her cute pigtails and gazed at him with sparkling, tender eyes—Li Tianque’s heartbeat quickened.

At a moment like this, it would be hard for any man to remain calm.

Danny gently drew him to sit at the edge of the bed, her skirt blending into the fluffy bedding as if she were a blossom blooming right there. She blinked her bright blue eyes and said softly, “Brother, let’s go to sleep.”

“Yes!” Li Tianque replied eagerly, though his face was already flushed pink.

By this point, his thoughts were no longer his own, and he hastily prepared to make his move.

But suddenly, Danny stopped him in alarm. “Brother, what are you doing?”

Li Tianque chuckled, thinking she was feigning innocence, and kept moving. “Well, what do you think? Of course, I’m going to—”

He wore a mischievous grin, but immediately froze. This time, he realized he was mistaken—Danny truly seemed angry.

A strange, metallic and rotten scent began to emanate from her, her eyes turning fierce and menacing. The change was so abrupt that Li Tianque’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stopped, thinking to himself that there was indeed no such thing as a free lunch.

The look on this little girl’s face was downright terrifying…

What was that strange smell? Why did she suddenly become so frightening? Could it be connected to those dreadful nuclear bugs?

With that thought, the fire within him was instantly extinguished.

Danny glared at him coldly. “Brother, let’s just sleep, alright…”

“Ah? Oh… okay, okay…” Li Tianque answered, subdued and unwilling to protest.

“Hehe…” Danny gave a chilling laugh and rolled over, lying down.

Li Tianque felt awkward and a little disappointed. Still, on second thought, he figured it was fine—after all, just sleeping with such a beauty by his side was a blessing, and it was hardly the time to force things.

With time, feelings could grow; perhaps there would be opportunities ahead. More importantly, judging by her state, if he tried anything, his life might well be forfeit.

Suppressing his impulses, Li Tianque lay down, crestfallen.

Danny’s gaze soon softened again and she said in a gentle voice, “Brother, I’m going to sleep. Be sure to hold me tight!”

Li Tianque swallowed and nodded awkwardly.

And so, Li Tianque began to sleep with Danny in his arms.

As Danny nestled in his embrace like a kitten, the strange odor faded, replaced by a sweet scent of milk and strawberries. Li Tianque’s restless heart gradually calmed; he trusted his self-control, as evidenced by the tented sheets.

But it was only ten o’clock, far too early for him to sleep. Besides, he’d already been unconscious for who knew how long, and now, hungry and restless, he found it impossible to drift off.

Unable to help himself, Li Tianque tried to chat with Danny. “Danny, are you also an employee of the Pest Control Company?”

“Um… not exactly…”

“Oh, are you Manager Lu’s relative?”

“Hehe, you could say that. What do you think of this place? Isn’t it cozy?” Danny quickly changed the subject.

“Oh, yeah, it’s great. I really like it here,” Li Tianque replied casually.

“That’s wonderful. I really hope you can stay with me forever. I get so bored alone every day, and now there’s no one to play with anymore…”

“Mm, looks like I’ll be living here for the next few years, at least. By the way, when I arrived, I saw something terrifying outside. I didn’t get a clear look, but it sounded like a beast. What was that thing?”

“I don’t know… maybe it’s a trap set by Brother Lu Mou, to protect me… He’s the best…” Danny’s voice trailed off, clearly heavy with sleep.

In truth, Li Tianque envied her peaceful state—he couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept soundly.

“So that’s it… do you go out much? The flowers you planted outside are beautiful…”

“Those flowers…” Danny began, but her words faded into nothing but gentle breaths.

Li Tianque hadn’t expected her to fall asleep so quickly.

He leaned over and found Danny already sleeping sweetly in his arms. Her long lashes curled upward, her lips glistened with a charming pout, and her profile was as lovely and enchanting as a ripe apple waiting to be bitten.

As Li Tianque admired her, he knew the comparison was cliché, but in that moment, it suited Danny perfectly.

While Danny slumbered peacefully, Li Tianque remained wide awake. He reached for his phone from the nightstand and began scrolling through short videos.

Engrossed in this time-wasting pastime, he was surprised to see that it was already after eleven—midnight was approaching.

His arm, pinned under Danny, had grown numb and tingly. He carefully slipped it out from under her and shook it out, feeling the blood rush back.

He glanced at the sleeping Danny, then continued scrolling. Most of the videos that popped up at night were reviews of restaurants or horror stories—two genres that never appeared during the day but flooded his feed after dark.

As his arm recovered, his hunger grew sharper; his stomach rumbled. He searched for food delivery, but just as Danny had said, this place was outside the service area.

Even so, looking at all the delicious midnight snacks only made him hungrier, until he could resist no longer.

He decided to look around the room for something to eat.

Carefully, he slipped out from the covers and gently tucked them back over Danny.

But just as he was about to get out of bed, a strange, hair-raising sound suddenly filled the air…