Chapter 14: The Gu Tribe 13

The young girl’s face was filled with panic and unease, as if she had just endured an immense terror. Her black hair, damp with sweat, clung to her face, and her slender body trembled slightly. At that moment, the cold scolding from the man startled her into a shiver, and tears slipped down her cheeks.

She trembled as she lifted her eyes, tear-blurred, looking up at the man.

He was very tall and strikingly handsome, gazing down at her with a cold, condescending air.

His pupils were deep black and narrow, with a trace of contempt lingering in their depths, making Zhou Zhou feel somewhat uncomfortable.

She pressed her lips together, inexplicably sensing he looked familiar, but the fear clouding her mind prevented her from recalling where she had seen him before.

“Zhou Zhou,” the system’s voice clearly reminded her, “he is the player you saw earlier inside the house.”

Zhou Zhou froze, a vague impression beginning to form in her mind.

She hadn’t expected to encounter the player she wanted to see again so easily.

The man looked coldly at the fragile girl. “You hit someone and now you want to run away?”

The system silently observed.

Shameless, bullying a fool like this.

“Sorry… I’m sorry…” she stammered helplessly, looking pitiful, “I really didn’t mean to…”

While apologizing, Zhou Zhou secretly glanced behind her, filled with fear. She was afraid the cursed insects would catch up to her.

Her whole body trembled; her toes curled anxiously. Tilting her head, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes.

The pitch-black insects that had been relentlessly pursuing her were gone.

The insects... had flown away?

This eased the terror in her heart somewhat.

“Playing the victim won’t work on me.”

At that moment, the man’s iron-like hand gripped the girl’s slender shoulder. He could feel the trembling of her delicate frame beneath his grasp, but so what?

He looked at her coldly. “Where’s your brother?”

“Why did he leave you here alone?”

Zhou Zhou didn’t know how to answer.

Could she say that after her brother forcibly kissed her, she lost consciousness?

Obviously, that was not something a fool could say.

So she could only sob quietly, saying nothing.

The man didn’t expect her to respond anyway. Narrowing his sharp, phoenix-like eyes, he recalled the clues from the cave and scrutinized the girl carefully.

This fool runs out in the middle of the night—what exactly is she trying to do?

The girl’s pale face was as thin as paper wings. She fluttered her long, beautiful lashes, and her slender, frail neck and shoulders seemed as if a single pinch could break bones.

He sneered. So weak.

If such a fragile person were truly abandoned, the outcome would be predictable.

“Zhou Zhou, right?”

The man’s tone was cold. “Looks like your brother doesn’t want you anymore, leaving you here…”

“Is he hoping I’ll become a free little sister for someone?”

“No…”

Zhou Zhou shook her head fearfully, stumbling over her words, lying, “I… I just got lost…”

“Lying.”

“There’s the scent of blood on you.”

Chu Mingxiu gripped her shoulder with force, regardless of whether she was genuinely or feigning stupidity, and spoke coldly.

“What exactly were you doing? Did you do something wrong? Why are you trembling so badly?”

“N-no…”

“No? Then why are you panicking?”

His voice was malicious, though he didn’t understand why he kept wanting to treat the girl harshly.

“P-please don’t be angry with me… I really didn’t do anything…”

Her only response was a low, soft, fragile voice.

The man’s ears flushed involuntarily, and an unexpected dark heat surged through his body.

His face turned completely cold. “Shut up.”

His gaze was murderous, and the girl’s body stiffened.

“…It hurts… so much.”

Zhou Zhou clenched her pain, afraid to make a sound.

Though she had been told to shut up, when the girl truly lost her voice, Chu Mingxiu grew restless and irritable.

Did she not know how dangerous the cursed insect village was?

And yet she still dared to run around recklessly.

Earlier, he had searched for clues and found a record about the Insect God in an ancient book.

There were strange, archaic blood characters: “You use blood insects to prolong life, with life you summon me.”

Blood insects, prolonging life, summoning…

Chu Mingxiu was no fool. A moment’s thought connected these clues, leading him to a conclusion.

The villagers in the cursed insect village raised insects to extend their lives.

And this girl...

Chu Mingxiu stared intently at her delicate, beautiful face—so harmless, with the intelligence of a ten-year-old. Could someone like her also raise insects?

“I... I’m so scared…”

The girl grasped the long, cold hand pressing down on her shoulder, clutching it tightly. A soft, fragrant scent wafted to the man’s nose, causing him to pause.

“There were insects here…”

“So many insects…” She looked pale and truly pitiful. “They kept… kept chasing me…”

The man silently observed her for a moment, then gradually loosened his grip.

“Hiss…”

The girl took a shallow breath. The exposed skin on her shoulder was covered in a large purple bruise. She let out a low, aggrieved sob.

Though the tears were initially unstoppable, after that sob, she forced herself to hold them back, not daring to let them fall. Her flushed cheeks were moist, long lashes wet, and her nose twitched faintly as she trembled silently.

She dared not speak again, as if suppressing her grievance.

“Just now, there really were many insects chasing me… I… I was very scared…”

Her lashes drooped, and the pain in her shoulder seemed unusually sharp, seeping deeply into her bones. She bit her teeth, cold sweat pouring down her face, and her black hair was soaked and clinging tightly.

“I didn’t do anything…”

Her pale face had lost all color, like a thin sheet of white paper. Trembling and sobbing, she repeated in a faint voice, “I was really scared…”

“Can you please… not be angry with me…”

Silence.

The atmosphere was awkward yet tinged with something unspoken.

Zhou Zhou felt a bit embarrassed. What was she doing, speaking so coquettishly in front of someone who bullied her?

He wouldn’t fall for such a thing.

“…Don’t cry anymore.”

Chu Mingxiu only then realized that he had hurt her.

“…I apologize.”

His voice was thick with difficulty, and his heart felt as if countless small claws were scratching at it, struggling to contain an inexplicable emotion.

The girl stared at him blankly, tears streaming like broken pearls.

Why did she have to look so pitiful...

His Adam’s apple moved with difficulty.

As the top-ranked mature player on the newcomer leaderboard, Chu Mingxiu rarely showed such emotional fluctuations, but now...

A strange sense of guilt surged within him.

It wasn’t really his fault; the girl simply looked too pitiful. Anyone who saw her would feel an overwhelming urge to protect and cherish her.

“My fault.” The man lowered his head, looking at the little fool seriously.

“…Sorry for hurting you.”