Chapter 504: Chapter 504

"Wait..." Su Zimai suddenly stopped Black Cocoon, who was about to remove his mask.

"Uh... at this point, what do you still want to do?"

Black Cocoon’s just-raised right hand was still pressed against the top of the mask. He looked up, gazing helplessly at Su Zimai through the eye sockets.

"I’ll take it off myself," Su Zimai said softly, staring at him. "Otherwise, I don’t know what you’re planning to do." With that, she suddenly stood up from her seat.

"Haha... should I put it back on so you can feel more ceremonial?"

Black Cocoon shrugged, his tone as if he were playing with a three-year-old child.

"Whatever." Su Zimai whispered.

"Alright. As expected of our Diaper Demon, still so domineering, making the whole world revolve around you."

Black Cocoon shook his head in resignation, then put the mask back on and pressed the fastening button on his ear, making the mask fit snugly against his cheek.

He closed his eyes and gestured with the restraint belt for her to come over.

The flickering light inside the carriage made their shadows sway.

Like a drunken dream.

Under the flickering light, Su Zimai approached Black Cocoon, then gently sat down beside him.

She lowered her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly turned her head, curiously observing Black Cocoon’s profile.

At this moment, Black Cocoon looked like a monk in meditation, with his eyes closed, motionless, waiting for her to act. The light was a dim orange, reflecting off the cold mask.

The train’s lights suddenly went out. The dim blue light of a time-space turbulence filtered through the windows, illuminating their faces.

In the dimness, Su Zimai quietly and attentively watched his profile, like an alert cat.

After a long pause, she slowly reached out her hand, stroked the metallic mask, then moved to the side of his ear. She raised her head, took a deep breath, and pressed the button.

With a "click," the mask slowly loosened.

Su Zimai held onto the mask that was about to slide off, hesitated for a moment, then slowly removed it.

The dark red metallic object separated from Black Cocoon’s face, no longer covering it, revealing a fair and somewhat delicate-looking young man’s face, with heavy dark circles, no expression, and slightly pale lips.

She stared at this face intently, a face she knew all too well, yet she scrutinized it as if she were seeing a stranger.

After a moment, she cautiously placed the mask on the seat next to her. Then she raised her hand, touched Gu Wenyu’s cheek, gently caressing every inch of his skin, his eyes, nose, cheeks, lips... as if a blind person identifying someone’s features by touch.

The carriage was silent.

She touched him so carefully, so quietly, as if she wanted to feel every inch of his skin.

Gu Wenyu remained silent, allowing her hands to move across his face, tracing his nose and eye sockets. It felt a bit ticklish, and he couldn’t help but twitch his nose.

"I say... are you satisfied now?" he couldn’t help but ask, his voice changed after removing the mask, youthful yet composed.

"Don’t move," Su Zimai whispered. "Don’t move, don’t move, don’t you dare move... or I’ll hate you forever."

"Yes, ma’am, Xiaomai."

Su Zimai wrinkled her nose, gently pinched his cheeks, and pulled at the corners of his mouth, as if trying to verify whether the face in front of her was a fake.

After a moment, she suddenly bowed her head, finally willing to remove her hand from his face.

But Gu Wenyu remained patient, cooperating with her, just like when they were young, playing a game of freeze tag on the lawn. The girl stood under the tree, turned her head and shouted, "Three, two, one," while the boy on the lawn remained motionless, and when the girl removed her hands from her covered eyes to peek through her fingers, the boy still didn’t move, only a sly smile on his face.

The light and shadows on the train flickered and swayed, and Gu Wenyu’s thoughts were numerous, but they were interrupted by a gentle voice.

"The following words are not for you to hear," Su Zimai said softly.

"If you don’t understand, ask. Then who are they for?"

"Uh... Sis, why do I feel like your head is pointed?"

"Shut up, you can’t talk, big brother."

"Alright, alright, you go ahead." Gu Wenyu sighed, "Comrade Black Cocoon is listening, I’ve already taped Gu Wenyu’s mouth shut with the restraint belt. Your brother is now a mute, unable to speak."

"Really, Miss Su Zimai, I’ve already hung that idiot Gu Wenyu from the ceiling of the library! Oh, if your good brother dares to move, I’ll whack him hard with the restraint belt, then kick his butt fiercely."

Gu Wenyu leaned back in his seat, responding perfunctorily with a translator-like accent.

Honestly, he felt goosebumps all over. He had no idea why his sister was suddenly acting up.

But since childhood, her temper was always so bad that if he didn’t appease her, she would surely get mad. Besides, he had kept things from her for so long, so the fact that she wasn’t hitting or kicking him was pretty gentle.

"Well then, butterfly, I’m going to start talking," Su Zimai said softly.

Su Zimai lowered her eyes, then looked up, took a deep breath, and stared straight at his face.

"Big, fluttery butterfly."

"Actually, I kind of like you."

Gu Wenyu paused in surprise.

He was stunned for a while, his thoughts all jumbled, and after a moment, he finally asked:

"Previously, I thought... you were like my brother—glib, annoying, but secretly caring for me. So, unconsciously, I developed a liking for you," she said softly. "When I was little, the person I liked most was my brother, and the leader told me that as people grow up, they’ll develop affection for people who resemble those they initially liked. So, I think I like someone who is very much like my brother."

Gu Wenyu stared blankly at her, falling into silence. After a moment, he snapped back to reality and averted his gaze from her face.

"Do you mind if I put on the mask and voice changer?" he asked.

"All right, just give me a moment..."

In the pitch-black carriage, Gu Wenyu tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling in a daze for a moment. Then he quickly slipped into character, as if he were playing house with her like when they were kids, always remembering that he was Black Cocoon, not Gu Wenyu.

He coughed a couple of times and, using his usual quirky tone, said in a muffled voice:

"And then? What are you trying to express, Miss Su Zimai."

"Guess, what kind of ’like’ am I talking about?"

Gu Wenyu took a deep breath, his eyes twitching slightly, "Come on, sis... although Comrade Black Cocoon’s persona is awakening to womanhood, that’s not the reason you should be falling for him. I support all sexual orientations, and I support you being a lesbian, but trans love is a bit beyond..."

"Don’t use your own tone to speak! I’m not saying it for you to hear, you can’t judge!" Su Zimai interrupted him, lowering her head and glaring fiercely into his eyes.

"Are you trying to force me into a split personality?" Gu Wenyu shrugged, "I don’t want to be like you, having the left brain attack the right brain."

Su Zimai glared at him, so angry that her eyes were almost red. Although they were already a bit red.

"Got it, got it." Gu Wenyu hung his head and sighed.

"Then I’ll continue."

"Mm-hmm, I’m listening, Miss Su Zimai."

"That day at the auction, you saved me, I was so scared my legs wouldn’t move, and you carried me away from there. It was raining heavily in Tokyo, so cold, I felt like I was about to freeze, but when you held me, I felt so warm..."

Gu Wenyu remained silent, the flickering light a bit dazzling, so he simply closed his eyes.

"Honestly, at first I really disliked you, but the more I got to know you, the more interesting you seemed."

"You act so carefree, yet you’re reliable in crucial moments; despite constantly teasing me, you actually care a lot, so gradually I stopped getting angry."

"Whenever there’s danger, you’re always there to help me; you’ve saved my silly brother several times too, like at the plaza, and that time with Mu Long."

"It’s my first time liking someone, I honestly didn’t even know what ’liking’ was... I just knew that after finding out who you were, I felt so empty inside."

Gu Wenyu suddenly stopped responding, just staring blankly into the darkness with his eyes closed.

"When I found that cardboard box under your bed in the morning, I was spacing out alone in your room for a long time. I wanted to call you, to hear your voice, but I held back... Impressive, right?" she continued in a soft voice.

"Actually, I told you a long time ago, if you knew who I was, you’d definitely regret it," Gu Wenyu said, opening his eyes and turning to meet her gaze quietly.

"So, do you regret it?" he asked curiously.

Su Zimai thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I feel like those are just your illusions, like the suspension bridge effect where people who’ve been through danger together tend to feel closer. Plus, teenage minds are immature, it’s not surprising to overvalue someone who saved you... When you grow to my age, you’ll see how childish you are now." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚫𝙣𝙚𝙩

After saying this, Gu Wenyu silently added in his heart: Even though I’m only twelve, by the time you get to my age you’ll probably have to grow backwards, Diaper Demon.

"Alright, can I bring Gu Wenyu back out?"

"Big fluttering butterfly... Give me my brother back."

"Okay, I’ll bring Gu Wenyu out from the library..." Gu Wenyu hadn’t finished his sentence when he suddenly froze on the spot, Su Zimai lunged forward and embraced him, burying her head in his chest.

Her eyes were red, tears uncontrollably flowing from the corners of her eyes. The warmth emanating from her made him daze for a long time.

"What’s wrong now?" Gu Wenyu came back to his senses and couldn’t help but ask softly.

"Why..." She pressed her head against his chest, her voice hoarse, mumbling, "I can’t act spoiled with others, can’t I even act spoiled with my own brother?"

Gu Wenyu looked down at her face, hesitating for a moment, then reached out, gently patting her head. The girl’s hair flowed like water through his fingers.

"I really hate you, always playing me, is tricking me that fun... I can get hurt too."

"This has been your way since we were kids, always picking on me because I’m not smart in the family..."

"I thought I’d gotten stronger, that I could protect you... didn’t know you’d keep me in the dark all along."

"You... you care so much, why don’t you just tell me?"

"Who asked Gu Wenyu to be such an awkward person? Sometimes, I don’t even know who I’m pretending to be, Gu Wenyu or Black Cocoon... or maybe, right from the start, I was never anyone," Ji Minghuan suddenly lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes.

He smiled wryly to himself and turned to look out at the chaotic currents outside the window.

Neither spoke again. But you could hear the girl’s even and calm breathing.

The carriage was quiet.

The train continued rumbling forward, heading to an unknown distance, Gu Wenyu sat in his seat, reading with one hand, gently stroking the girl’s head with the other, as the girl in his arms slowly calmed down, her eyes no longer as red.

"I’m here, I’m here."