Chapter 31

The laboratory’s surveillance cameras rotated, leaving a blind spot every five minutes. It was during one of those moments that the man in the lab moved.

The hyphae extending from him vanished, becoming almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. Seconds later, a dark-skinned man stood up beneath the workbench in the observation room and walked straight toward Tang Xiao.

Ever since Tang Xiao had mentioned 428’s clothing to Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai had applied to have a new restraint suit custom-made. It was somewhat like the kind used to restrain severely ill patients in psychiatric hospitals: all white, with special black straps at every joint. On 428, it somehow looked rather suggestive.

The whole scene was like a magic trick. Tang Xiao couldn’t help licking his dry lips as his mind raced to figure out how it worked. What were those hyphae that had turned transparent and then vanished? Optical camouflage? Had he escaped through a gap in the ventilation duct? But the duct didn’t lead to the observation room. Just how fast was he to make it back there in a dozen seconds?

“Xiao Xiao...”

“Stop. Stay right there.” Tang Xiao took a step toward the door and raised a hand in a gesture for him to stop.

428 stood obediently where he was, his handsome brows drooping as his orange-yellow slit pupils stared straight at Tang Xiao. He looked so pitiful, like a big dog that had been refused a cuddle.

But Tang Xiao wasn’t fooled by his outer appearance. He knew what kind of monster lurked beneath that human skin.

“I won’t agree to what you suggested before about using other fluids, but I’ll give you blood like I used to. How about that?” Tang Xiao stared into 428’s eyes. “Otherwise, I’ll keep avoiding you like this... You don’t want that either, do you?”

428 looked at Tang Xiao but didn’t agree right away. “Why can’t I kiss you?”...