Chapter Two: A Strange Creature

"Where?" Zhang Bo and the others immediately crowded around Xiao Xiao, craning their necks and widening their eyes, nearly dipping their heads into the water as they looked left and right, but found nothing at all.

"Third, are you messing with us?"

"Exactly, where are these fish? I can't even see a single shrimp fry."

"Third Brother, maybe you saw wrong?"

"No way, right here—and over there—aren't there lots of fish?" Xiao Xiao instinctively retorted. The lake was clear, the dim depths occasionally visible, and the shadows of the fish could be seen distinctly.

Aren't those fish?

Xiao Xiao stepped forward again, studying carefully.

"Aren't these all... carp?" His voice grew softer as he spoke, and he couldn't help but rub his eyes.

Just then, a faint light spilled over the lake, and the shadows gradually revealed their forms.

Their bodies were spindle-shaped, mouths turned down, each with a pair of barbels on the lips and chin. Their gill rakes were short, bellies rounded, scales large and round, the lateral lines pronounced and slightly curved, and their tails deeply forked. Their color was a rare vermillion, shimmering in the ripples, dazzling Xiao Xiao until he felt faint.

He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. Yes, they were still there.

At first glance, these fish looked no different from red carp, but—good heavens—what kind of carp grows a bird’s tail and six legs?

Xiao Xiao was a little dazed. Was he just ignorant of some rare species?

He turned to the others. "You really don't see any fish here?"

"Of course not, Third, what's wrong with you?"

"Yeah, Third, maybe you should rest a bit."

"Third Brother, come sit over here."

Xiao Xiao ignored them, staring intently at the fish in the lake, when suddenly he locked eyes with one. Its eyes were lively, even a little cunning—entirely unlike any fish—and its mouth was wide open in what seemed to be a grin.

"Giggle."

A strange sound rang by his ear, tapping his eardrums like a child's giggle, innocent yet deeply unsettling.

Was that... laughter? Xiao Xiao instinctively took a large step back.

The bizarre scene sent a chill down his spine.

He quickly looked away, rubbing his ears, his face pale as he distanced himself from the lake under the barrage of concerned questions from Zhang Bo and the others.

Glancing back, the once serene, emerald waters now seemed inexplicably eerie and sinister.

Half was bright, half was shrouded in shadow, and Xiao Xiao suddenly pictured a grinning fish, making him shudder.

...

Urged on by Xiao Xiao, they quickly left the lake behind.

Perhaps luck had turned, for they soon found their way out and ran into other tourists.

"Haha, I told you, follow me and you're guaranteed to get out. See, here we are," Zhang Bo boasted.

"You're one to talk—who was panicking earlier?"

"Exactly, Big Brother, we got lucky this time, but next time..."

Xiao Xiao trailed behind, still somewhat absent-minded.

He couldn't make sense of it. Were those fish his imagination, or something real?

If it was an illusion, why did the strange laughter still echo in his ears, disturbing his peace? If it was real, why couldn't his friends see them?

"Third, what are you dawdling for?"

"Coming."

Forget it, he thought, shaking his head. If he couldn't figure it out, better not to dwell on it. In any case, they had left, and he doubted he'd ever return to that place.

...

"Giggle, a human saw us."

"Really, he looked so frightened—giggle."

"It's true, giggle, it's been so long since anyone could see us."

...

The following days of their trip went smoothly. Zhang Bo led them up every mountain around Zichuan.

While Xiao Xiao, Zhuge Yun, and Zhao Luzheng complained endlessly, Zhang Bo was adamant: "In this heat, you have to escape to the mountains!" He even mocked their frail frames and dismal stamina, vowing to whip them into shape.

At the end, he grinned slyly and asked, "Or are you just not up to it?"

None of them could offer a retort.

Well, ready or not, they had no choice. A man's pride can't be lost!

But pride comes before pain.

By the time they finally returned to school, each of them collapsed onto their beds like corpses, barely able to move.

Their backs ached so much that even Zhang Bo's sarcasm couldn't elicit a response.

...

Xiao Xiao twisted his body. Even after several days, a dull ache still lingered in his limbs.

As he stretched gently, his gaze drifted and suddenly froze.

What was that?

He'd only caught a glimpse—a long tail slipping swiftly around the corridor corner.

Whatever it was, its presence in a university building was beyond belief.

He looked around. The hallway was full of people, the air loud with chatter, but no one seemed to notice the strange creature that had just darted past.

Xiao Xiao's heart pounded in his chest, and his head throbbed. Was this another hallucination? Or was he the only one who could see it?

If it was the latter, truth be told, he wasn't keen on having such a "gift."

No—he hadn't seen anything. Taking a deep breath, he tried to convince himself it was nothing.

...

Still, in the back of his mind, he wondered whether he should visit a temple and see if he'd picked up something unclean.

At the time, he didn't pay it much heed. It was just a minor oddity—no threat to his life, no real impact on his daily routine. He chalked it up to a trick of the light, no more.

He cheerfully put the matter out of his mind.

But little did he know, his life had already veered dramatically off course, and these peculiarities—whether he wanted them or not—were about to become the new theme of his existence.

One day, he would regard these strange creatures with nothing more than casual indifference.

...

In fact, Xiao Xiao had nearly forgotten about the long-tailed creature, until one day while searching for a book in the library. Through the gap between shelves, he caught another sudden glimpse of the fleeting figure.

He stopped dead, and, without thinking, gave chase.

The eighth floor of the library—Social Sciences Archive II—was always quiet, especially near noon. The faint sound of slippers scraping the floor echoed in the stillness.

All Xiao Xiao saw was that tail, weaving through the shelves. It moved so quickly, yet each time he thought he'd lost it and was about to give up, it would mischievously flick its tail from some corner, as if toying with him.

Panting heavily, Xiao Xiao glared at the tail, already imagining a dozen tortures for the trickster.

Finally, he cornered it in a triangular alcove. The dim light and drifting dust made it hard to see clearly.

In the cramped space, his breath was ragged and tense, laced with caution.

A sense of triumph crept over him.

How about that? He'd caught it at last.

But as the shape before him became clearer, he froze.

What was this?

It looked like a rat, but had a rabbit’s head and the body of an elk.

Its beastly slit pupils were a vivid red—like a rabbit’s, yet cold and filled with a distinctly human arrogance and disdain.

Though small, it radiated a powerful presence.

Meeting its gaze, Xiao Xiao was transfixed. The dazzling red glimmered with a bloody beauty.

He felt almost entranced.

In his daze, a biting wind slashed past, a piercing whistle in his ears. Pain flared on his cheek, and something warm trickled down. Reaching up, he saw crimson on his fingers—he was bleeding.

Books tumbled from the shelves with a clatter. He looked back—the shelf ahead now had an empty patch, books scattered on the floor.

Through the gap, he saw nothing. It was as if the whole episode had been a dream.

But Xiao Xiao knew—every bit of it was real.