Feed Me, Husband - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Five years later.

At 6:00 AM, a split second before the phone alarm could go off, a pale, nearly bloodless hand canceled it.

Gu Xiaonuan sat up in bed, her black hair falling along both sides of her face. She sat there with her head bowed for a moment before getting up and heading into the bathroom.

The television, set to turn on automatically, began the morning news promptly at 6:00 AM. On the screen, two enthusiastic young hosts appeared, starting the day with professional smiles and high energy.

“Welcome to the D City 6:00 AM morning news. A new day is about to begin. Here is the latest news from around the city…”

Gu Xiaonuan stood under the showerhead as ice-cold water poured down from above.

Her skin was incredibly pale, her body temperature nearly identical to the cold water. She was a size smaller than she had been a few years ago, making her look even more petite.

This was a high-rise apartment in D City, consisting of compact, clever layouts. Compared to her former residence in T City, this place was another step down in size.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

The phone on the living room table vibrated a few times. It was a message from Ji Xiangnan.

“Today is delivery day. Remember to pick it up when you get home from work.”

Stepping out of the bathroom, Gu Xiaonuan finished reading the message and replied with a simple “Got it.”

It was still the same beautiful face, but whether it was her eyes, her expression, or her entire aura, she seemed more lifeless. “Languid” or “dead inside” would be the most fitting descriptions.

She quickly changed into a set of very conservative, old-fashioned clothes-the kind that completely obscured any curves of the body.

Gu Xiaonuan returned to the bathroom, pinned her black hair behind her head, and then placed a pair of oversized glasses on the bridge of her nose.

The glasses completely obscured her eyes. Paired with the old-fashioned clothes and the bun, she looked like a middle-aged woman.

The ring on her ring finger caught a faint glint of light as she adjusted her collar, and the dark eyes behind the lenses dimmed slightly.

Not long after that day, Gu Xiaonuan had left T City.

Ji Xiangnan hadn’t stopped her; he had only given her a piece of advice. He told her it was fine to leave, but she shouldn’t go far. As long as she stayed within the delivery timeframe for fresh blood, she could choose anywhere she wanted to go.

“It’s impossible for you to even want to die. You’ll only become a walking corpse of skin and bones. You would just continue to exist like that, Xiaonuan. Think it through for yourself.”

Gu Xiaonuan had come to D City, bringing the ring Lu Yichen had given her. She chose this place, which was a two-hour drive from T City.

She lived like a real human. Her routine was the same as a human’s; she worked a normal job and even ate human food, though it still lacked any flavor.

Gu Xiaonuan stepped into the subway. She was surrounded by humans rushing to squeeze onto the train. Except for during the summer, she no longer resisted being in such close proximity to them.

“Next station…”

The announcement echoed through the carriage. The crowded mass of people surged toward the doors, and Gu Xiaonuan was pushed directly into a corner.

Her entire back was pressed against the carriage wall. A clean-cut young man was suddenly shoved right in front of her, nearly pinning her against the wall.

“Sorry! Are you okay?”

His voice blended with the train’s announcement. Gu Xiaonuan kept her head down and shook it. A second later, the doors opened, and the crowd surged out of the carriage.

The young man who had just apologized was quickly lost in the crowd. Gu Xiaonuan didn’t pay it much mind; she followed the flow out of the carriage and arrived at her current workplace in D City.

Currently, Gu Xiaonuan was a librarian at a university in D City.

The library was quiet all day long, and Gu Xiaonuan felt at peace here.

“Sister Gu, you’re here.”

In the staff changing room, someone greeted her as she entered. Gu Xiaonuan gave a small hum of acknowledgment. Her resume stated she was forty years old, and her dress and general state of being aligned with that age.

Under marital status, Gu Xiaonuan had written “widowed.”

“Sister Gu, we’re heading out first.” The two people who had finished changing into their uniforms pushed the door open and walked out, unable to resist whispering quietly. “She’s so devoted. She still hasn’t moved on after all this time.”

“Yeah. Even though Sister Gu is forty, she’s kept her figure well. Although she looks a bit lifeless and gloomy, it shouldn’t be hard for her to remarry.”
“Sister Gu might seem cold and doesn’t like to talk much, but she’ll help you as long as you ask. Such a good person… Sigh, what a shame.”

In just a few seconds, Gu Xiaonuan had finished changing. Sitting in the dressing room, she could hear the chatter of the college students outside.

Laughter, playful banter, and cheers.

Lu Yichen must have experienced times like this when he was young, too.

Gu Xiaonuan lowered her eyes, looking at the ring on her ring finger. She stood up silently and pushed the door open.

Gu Xiaonuan was in charge of the library’s ancient texts collection. Only those with a graduate student ID or a special certificate issued by a professor were allowed entry for research.

In the entire library building, this was the quietest place with the fewest people.

In a given month, barely a few dozen people would visit.

Gu Xiaonuan sat at the librarian’s desk. The clock on the wall ticked away as she flipped through an old book in her hands, reading with focused attention.

A figure walked in from outside, and a pleasant, clear voice rang out. “Excuse me, how do I borrow ancient texts?”

“Please show me your library card and graduate student ID, or provide a specific explanation.” Gu Xiaonuan spoke without looking up, pushing a form and a pen across the desk. “Register here.”

“Alright.”

The clean, pleasant voice came from above. A pale hand reached out; his fingernails were trimmed round and neat, his nail beds clean without a speck of dirt.

They were very handsome hands.

Two IDs were handed over. Gu Xiaonuan took them, and after a quick glance, she couldn’t help but press them down onto the table.

The name on the IDs was Lu Yichen.

The features in the photo next to the name were all too familiar to Gu Xiaonuan. This was exactly how Lu Yichen should have looked when he was young.

The student standing before the desk leaned over slightly, head down as he wrote something on the form. Gu Xiaonuan stared at him blankly, looking at the head of black hair right in front of her.

“I’m finished writing.”

He suddenly looked up.

Their gazes met without warning.

He wasn’t Lu Yichen. No matter how much he looked like him, it couldn’t be him.

“It’s you!” A smile suddenly broke across the handsome face before her. “I bumped into you on the subway. I’m so sorry about that.”

Gu Xiaonuan averted her eyes and looked at the form he had filled out. He was a first-year graduate student.

How could it be Lu Yichen? The age didn’t match at all.

“You didn’t bump into me,” Gu Xiaonuan said softly. She glanced at the titles of the books he wanted to borrow and operated the computer for a moment. “Shelf C, Row 2, Section 3.”

“Thank you.”

He spoke and walked inside.

Gu Xiaonuan stared at the library card on the desk, thinking of the features she had just seen. He looked like him, yet he wasn’t him.

Lu Yichen was dead. He had died five years ago, in that church, right before her eyes.

If there really were such a thing as resurrection, how could he possibly look at her as if he didn’t know her?

Gu Xiaonuan couldn’t help but reach out and touch a certain spot on her neck.

“I really did bump into you, didn’t I? Is your neck uncomfortable?” He had returned with the books. “How about I take you to the hospital to get it checked out?”

“No need. I’m fine.”

Gu Xiaonuan spoke in a low voice. After registering the information, she handed the books to him. “The loan period is three days. Please be sure to return them on time.”

“Alright. I noticed you kept staring at my library card.”

The handsome hand took the ID back. “I’m a first-year graduate student, so there are still things I’m not very clear on. Is there something wrong with this card?”

Gu Xiaonuan looked at the computer screen, frowning slightly. “There’s nothing wrong with it. I wasn’t staring. Student, you may leave now that you’ve borrowed your books. Please keep quiet in the library.”

“Alright, my apologies.”

He took his books and quickly walked out. Gu Xiaonuan’s eyes uncontrollably followed his retreating back; his height and build were so similar.

However, this was clearly a much younger face and body.

The frequency of the heartbeat, the speed of the blood flow-everything was different.

It wasn’t until long after he had disappeared that Gu Xiaonuan withdrew her gaze.

Something on the desk made her frown slightly. It was a student ID card that had been left behind.