His Demoness

55 ⚔️ Bittersweet Days

Days of freedom turned into weeks – something which she always wanted. But sadly, her happiness didn't last that long.

It all started with a whisper, which progressed to ghostly voices. It didn't stop there, because she began dreaming of a hand grabbing at her feet and dragging her into the shadows. But that was not the end. Eventually, the face of her enemy emerged; lips curling into an evil smile.

With a startled gasp, Xiaoyu jolted awake, her eyes wide and terrified.

Her hair was a mess, her face slicked with sweat. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart hammering against her rib cage as if she had been running—which she did.

In her dream, a huge, black mass had chased her, caught her and ate her alive. Reduced her to nothingness. A cold burn seared across her skin accompanied with a chilling voice whispering in her ears, before she finally woke up.

An involuntary shudder went through her. She wrapped her arms around herself, taking a good glance at her surroundings. Still dressed in her nightgown, she realised she wasn't in her room, but on the cold, dirt floor right outside the house.

Tonight wasn't the first time she found herself waking up in odd places. It started a few nights ago. There were times where she found herself in the backyard, at the gate, or even outside a neighbour's house. And each time, she would slip back into her room quietly, hoping that no one would notice her disappearance.

Her stomach tightened. Thinking about her dream made her feel sick and nauseous.

She wasn't certain if sleeping in a separate room from Zhijian was the reason why her nightmares returned. They may be different from before, but they still evoked the same feeling from her — fear.

Zhijian was her amulet. As much as she wanted to run into his arms for safety and comfort, she held herself back. If she told him the truth, he was going to worry, something which she didn't want to happen. She didn't want to ruin the good days – the peace that they had worked so hard for.

When she returned to bed, she couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. By the time morning arrived, she was exhausted. The nightmares occurred for several days afterwards, more vivid than ever, and she didn't know how to stop them. The dark bags under her eyes gradually grew visible and her face was losing her glow. It wasn't long before the people around her started noticing the signs.

One morning, when she was preparing the ingredients for breakfast, her sister stepped into the kitchen to interrupt her work and pull her aside.

"What's going on?" Lanying asked, running her eyes over her. "You look terrible."

Xiaoyu masked her fatigue with a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. It's that time of the month for me."

"Oh." Lanying was quick to believe her lie, her frown dissolving into a look of understanding. "Do you want something warm to drink?"

"I'm good," she replied, burying the guilt in her heart. "Thanks."

Jiang Yuhan appeared in the kitchen then, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders and whispering affectionate words into her ears. When his eyes met Xiaoyu, he simply gave her a quick nod of acknowledgment.

Knowing how she found his presence uncomfortable, he respected her and would always maintain a distance from her. A couple of times, she had caught him shooting her a look of suspicion and yet, he didn't question her weary state. The only oblivious person in this house was Jiang Ming, because most of the time, he was out playing with his friends. Ever since his friend had made a move on her, he was avoiding Zhijian's wrath as much as possible.