I Have Yet to Become a Doll Today

Because the hand was too noisy, like a person with hyperactivity disorder, constantly picking and scratching around the room creating squeaking sounds. The noises only stopped if the hand was locked in the storage room.

Bai Youwei did not want to be disturbed by it at night.

…

After laying out clean bedding, they could finally lie down and rest. If one ignored the howling wind and the candlelight’s flickering glow, the accommodation arranged by the scholar was not bad.

From time to time, whispers came from the adjacent room, mostly Fu Miaoxue chattering with Du Lai occasionally joining in.

As Bai Youwei lay on her bed, fatigue quickly washed over her.

“…what time is it now?” She rolled over, keeping her energy alive to ask Shen Mo.

Shen Mo was lying next to her, he lifted his wrist to check his watch, the minute hand having stopped at the moment they entered the game, at thirteen past ten.

“It should be around midnight.” Shen Mo estimated the time.

Bai Youwei thought to herself, “So it is almost midnight, it is normal for me to feel sleepy…”

“Now that Fu Miaoxue is a puppet, I wonder if she’ll feel tired.” Bai Youwei muttered with her eyes closed.

Shen Mo chuckled, “You can ask her tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to ask.” Bai Youwei snuggled into his embrace and hummed, “She has such a bad temper.”

With a smile on his lips, Shen Mo kept quiet. But in his mind, he thought: When I first met you, you were not much different from her, easily set off.

After a moment of silence, he heard Bai Youwei softly say in his arms, “But if I found out that I was becoming a puppet, I would probably be freaking out.”

Shen Mo gently stroked her head, whispering softly, “Sleep.”

His low, hoarse voice seemed to carry a hypnotic power, and Bai Youwei really fell asleep…

…

In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard someone singing an opera.

The unintelligible tunes were jarring to her ears and she tossed and turned restlessly in bed.

But the singing grew louder, heartbreaking and melancholy… Each line struck her heart, discomforting and suffocating her, making it hard to breathe.

Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Youwei opened her eyes.

The room was dim, with tree shadows flickering on the window. Shen Mo was lying quietly beside her.

Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, sensing something amiss.

Shen Mo was usually the most vigilant one. Why was he sleeping soundly now? Was he not hearing the loud singing outside?

At this thought, Bai Youwei became a little scared…

She was not omnipotent, facing such a scary and creepy environment naturally caused her heart to flutter with fear. Particularly when the man always protecting her was sleeping soundlessly, it made her terribly uneasy!

“Shen Mo, Shen Mo…” She gently nudged his arm.

Shen Mo woke up quickly.

He opened his eyes, looking questioningly at Bai Youwei, and asked: “Why are you up?”

Bai Youwei said, “There’s a noise outside.”

“A noise?” Shen Mo looked confused. He concentrated keenly for a moment, only hearing the gentle sound of the rain.

He asked Bai Youwei: “What kind of noise is it?”

Surprised, Bai Youwei blurted out: “How can you not hear such loud opera singing?”

Shen Mo really couldn’t hear it. He thought for a moment, got out of bed, and opened the door—

The sound of falling rain was clearer, the melancholic opera singing was intermittent, but audible.

“There is indeed a noise, but…” Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei and said, “at least to my ears, the noise isn’t loud and seems very distant, like it’s coming from the village.”