Chapter 17: "No Cheating."

That was probably the fastest reaction I've ever had in my life.

Liang Zhiting barely turned his face slightly, and I quickly stretched out both hands, gripping his cheeks firmly and forcing his face back around. If I had been any stronger, or if his neck any more fragile, that might have been a lethal chokehold.

Liang Zhiting was completely bewildered by my sudden maneuver. His eyes blinked rapidly, and after a while, he half-laughing, half-crying, asked, "What’s going on?"

My focus was entirely on the clueless doll behind him who was rushing headlong into danger. My mind raced to come up with a suitable excuse to smooth things over, but at that moment, Liang Zhiting volunteered, "Not had enough hugs yet?"

I couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking, but it was definitely a way to defuse the tension. Before I could answer, he bent down and hugged me close, whispering, "Alright, you can hug me for as long as you want."

I had no headspace to enjoy his embrace. While Liang Zhiting wasn’t looking, I quickly waved at that thing still heading our way from not far off, making shooing gestures and silently roaring in frustration, trying to stop it right there.

I couldn’t make noise or make big movements. Sweat broke out on my back from the panic. Luckily, it seemed to understand my signals and slowed to a stop.

Relieved beyond words, I pointed towards the residential gate, mouthing “Go inside.”

It tilted its head, as if trying to understand, but then took a cautious step toward me. I shot it a furious glare, my index finger stabbing the air repeatedly, eyes blazing with deadly red lasers willing it to burn in place.

After a long moment, it finally got the message, hung its head, turned, and slowly headed toward the gate, fading into the dark.

The breath I’d been holding finally escaped my chest.

And with that exhale, my body started trembling, delayed in reaction.

Liang Zhiting noticed and loosened his hold a bit, looking down at me. I hadn’t had time to mask the expression on my face, and when he saw how bad I looked, he asked, "Are you feeling unwell?" He touched my hand, frowning with concern. "Your hand is so cold."

I forced myself to muster some strength and shook my head. "No, it’s just... I’m a bit tired from all the fun today."

"Then go rest earlier. I’ll..."

"No need." I interrupted quickly. What a joke! If Liang Zhiting walked me home, he’d definitely run right into that thing again. I barely escaped that once!

Liang Zhiting only meant well. Worried he'd be upset by my refusal, I hurried to explain, "I’m fine on my own. I really enjoyed today, thank you. You should get home early and rest too."

He stayed silent for a moment, looked at me steadily, then smiled. "Alright, I’m off. Good night."

"Good night."

After saying goodbye, the smile I’d been forcing immediately faded as I hurried toward the gate. Sure enough, it stood beneath a ginkgo tree near the guard’s booth, bathed in the orange-yellow glow of a distant streetlight.

A flawless, perfect doll.

I approached with a dark expression, grabbed its wrist, and walked away with it.

I didn’t speak a word as I dragged it back home. Only once the door shut did I feel safe enough to fling its hand off and unleash the anger I’d been holding back: "What the hell do you think you’re doing? Who told you to go out?!"

My raised voice echoed through the room.

It reached to hold my hand. "To pick you... up."

"No need! Are you crazy?!" I yanked my hand away, refusing to let it touch me.

Just thinking about how close it had come to being spotted by Liang Zhiting—and what consequences would follow—made me terrified. "I told you to wait at home. Who gave you permission to open the door yourself? Who told you to strut around showing your face? Can you not cause me any more trouble?!"

It stepped closer. I was still furious and snapped, "Stay away!"

It didn’t stop—ignoring my resistance, it grabbed my wrist tightly and pulled me toward the bedroom. Pointing at the TV, it said smoothly for the first time in a long sentence, "Husbands always bring their babies home."

I looked up, frustrated, and sighed heavily.

More stuff it learned from movies. Should I stop letting it watch? Look at what it’s picking up!

Yes, the sentence was fine, but it didn’t understand the fundamental difference between itself and a normal person.

It’s not human. It’s just a toy without a brain.

And it’s precisely because it’s brainless, understanding nothing, that frustrates me so much.

I pushed it away with my shoulder, shoving it back several steps, ignoring it as I silently changed my clothes. A photo from my pocket slipped out, fluttering down at the doll’s feet.

It was a picture of Liang Zhiting and me.

I bent to pick it up, but a hand was faster, snatching the photo.

Its deep black-blue eyes fixed on the photo without moving for a long time. I snatched it back and said, "If you understand it, then look."

I shoved the photo into a drawer, then turned—and it stood just behind me, mere inches away. My nose almost touched its chin.

Its sudden closeness gave me an inexplicable sense of pressure, like the air around us grew thin. I pushed its chest away, irritated, "Get lost!"

"You can’t hug others," it touched my face and said, "That’s not right. It’s wrong."

I turned away, dodging its hands and scolding, "Back off!"

It wrapped one hand around my waist and pinched my jaw. My face was forced up to meet its gaze—which, bafflingly, was a move I’m used to doing to it. Somehow, it had learned it too.

Unlike me, it used enough strength to make me wince in pain.

I tried to pry its fingers loose, but they didn’t budge.

"I’m your husband. You can’t betray me." It leaned in close. Its chilly nose touched mine as it said in a low voice, "Baby’s mine. I’m the only one."

It lowered its head to kiss me. "No cheating."

I struggled with all my might, refusing the kiss, gasping for breath.

Crazy! This crazy thing! What the hell is it babbling? I have to cut off all its movies! What nonsense are they filling its head with?

I struggled for a long time but it wouldn’t budge. Soon I was out of strength, my flesh and bones aching from its grip as if I was about to fall apart. To avoid being strangled to death, I had to relax, so it wouldn’t squeeze harder and harder.

At last, my yielding made it ease up. When it kissed me, I stopped dodging and wrapped my arms around its neck in return, leading it step by step toward somewhere.

My back hit a wooden panel. I quietly reached behind, slid open a crack, then quickly spun around and shoved it inside before it could react.

It fell into the open closet. Before it could get up, I slammed the door shut with a bang, locked it, sealing off any chance of it climbing out again.

I wiped my mouth and kicked the closet door hard. "You better reflect on yourself!"

Without another word, I went straight to the bathroom to shower.

Looking in the mirror, fresh red fingerprints marked my waist. What kind of unnatural strength did this thing have?

I threw the towel on the glass—out of sight, out of mind.

When I came out, the closet rattled loudly with scraping sounds impossible to ignore.

It was restless in there, never still for a moment.

A gap had been worn in the closet door from its struggles. Its voice emerged like the wind, eerie and chilling in the dead night: "Baby."

"Baby."

I tossed a pillow at the closet, hitting the door with a thud. I shouted, "Shut up!"

It quieted down.

After a whole day and night of play, then a scare, I wrapped myself in a blanket and fell asleep. I must have been out because suddenly, in the middle of the night, I snapped awake without warning.

The room was dark and silent. My heart pounded wildly and irregularly, as if it might burst out of my chest.

Chest tight and breath short, I sat up and rubbed my hair.

I glanced at my phone: 1 a.m. Still hours before dawn.

I tossed the phone aside, about to get a glass of water. Before even getting out of bed, a sticky, creepy feeling suddenly crawled up my spine like a boneless slug, leaving behind a trail of transparent slime.

I nervously reached back to touch myself—only to find my hand wet with sweat.

I had no idea why I imagined such a disgusting thing. I went to grab a tissue from the nightstand to wipe it off. When I turned my head—

There was a pair of eyes.

One eye staring straight at me from the narrow crack in the closet door.

Our gaze met.

The thing inside spoke in a voice that sent chills down my spine: "Let me out." Its index and middle fingers squeezed out from the gap, scraping harshly against the door panel.

"Shut up," I muttered, commanding.

It didn’t stop: "I want to sleep with you."

"Shut up..."

"I love, I love you." Its eyes sparkled through the crack, fierce and predatory like a beast hunting in the night. "Let me hold you."

"I want to, baby."

I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed the alarm clock by my bed and threw it hard at the closet.

"Shut up!!"

The clock smashed against the closet and shattered on the floor. The shrill ringing intertwined with my yell, sounding like the final chaotic notes of some unknown catastrophe about to spiral out of control.