Little Pink Starfish

Zhang Qiu knelt on the ground, not daring to turn his head. A chilly sensation crept over his shoulders, and a childish giggle rang out—just like the eerie laughter of a ghost doll in a horror movie.

“Don’t cling to me!!!” Zhang Qiu screamed.

A pair of shoes appeared in his sight, making him tremble. Slowly, he raised his head and saw a face so perfect under the moonlight that he instantly felt relieved.

With a “pfft!” sound, Zhang Qiu immediately knew what had landed on his shoulder.

Spit bubbles again.

“Ba-ba, hungry!”

His hair was grabbed by a small, icy-cold hand. The little creature tumbled over his head with agile movements, clutching his collar while crawling downward. When its head nestled into his chest, it finally stopped moving.

“Hungry, ba-ba, milk!”

Under the moonlight, the little one revealed two small tiger teeth that gleamed with silver light. Zhang Qiu met its dark, shadowy eyes and felt an eerie chill. He quickly averted his gaze. Sensing Zhang Qiu’s fear, the little creature pouted and suddenly burst into loud wails.

Zhang Qiu was at a loss. The crying annoyed him, but he also felt pity—this child and he were both victims. It was all Li Shu’s fault!

“Don’t cry.” Zhang Qiu said stiffly, but the little creature in his arms only cried harder.

Zhang Qiu looked around; fortunately, no one was nearby. He awkwardly supported the child’s bottom with one hand and patted its head with the other. The soft, fluffy hair was pleasantly cool—like hugging a mobile air conditioner.

“Hungry,” the little creature mumbled, teary-eyed.

Zhang Qiu’s heart softened. Still keeping a stern face, he said, “No crying. I’ll get you something to eat.”

The little one sniffled, finally stopping its sobs. Its previous tears still rolled down, dampening Zhang Qiu’s T-shirt. He felt a sticky sensation on his chest and a pang of sadness in his heart.

He glanced at Li Shu. “You didn’t feed him?”

“He ate.”

Zhang Qiu still felt uneasy talking to Li Shu. “What did he eat?”

“Milk powder.” Li Shu paused. “Or blood.”

Zhang Qiu shivered when he heard the latter. He looked down at the little one’s sharp teeth and felt a chill run through him. This wasn’t just a jiangshi—it was practically a vampire.

“Milk powder it is, then.”

Thinking about his bare cupboards at home—let alone baby formula—Zhang Qiu held back the urge to throw the little creature away. He opened his backpack and stuffed the little one inside.

“Shh, I’ll buy you food.”

The little creature seemed to understand, rolling around inside the bag. Now aware of its own nudity, it sat cross-legged on Zhang Qiu’s T-shirt and shyly covered its mini chick. Then, it nodded eagerly.

“Milk!”

Zhang Qiu couldn’t help but smile. “Good boy.”

He carried the backpack in front, leaving the zipper slightly open so he could still see the little one rolling around inside.

Behind him, Li Shu followed at a steady distance—not too close, not too far. Though Zhang Qiu had been terrified after learning Li Shu’s true identity, he oddly felt a sense of security with him now.

At the supermarket near the school entrance, Zhang Qiu originally planned to buy only baby formula, but remembering his empty fridge, he decided to stock up. As he pushed the shopping cart, he placed his backpack in the front basket. The few customers inside all turned to look—not at him, but at Li Shu behind him.

Stupid humans. So what if he’s good-looking? He’s still a scumbag!

Suddenly, an unfamiliar hand grabbed the cart handle. Zhang Qiu looked up—it was, unsurprisingly, Li Shu.

“I’ll push it.” His voice was cold.

Zhang Qiu immediately let go. Fine, fine. Who are you trying to impress with that icy face?

They headed to the baby formula section. Without an employee to help, Zhang Qiu was overwhelmed by the shelves packed with different brands. There were even stage-based formulas. He peeked at the little one in his backpack. By logic, it should drink the formula for 0-3 months, but it looked far older than a newborn—except for its small size, its teeth and features resembled a two-year-old.

Li Shu casually grabbed a can. “Anything works for him.”

“But still—” He’s my kid too. He shouldn’t be eating so poorly. Zhang Qiu swallowed his words and carefully picked two cans. “I’ll buy Stage 1 and Stage 2.”

He also bought toiletries, fruits, vegetables, rice, and meat.

At checkout, the supermarket became unexpectedly crowded. Behind them, a little boy clung to his mother’s leg, crying for a toy. His mother ignored him, scrolling through her phone. The child’s cries grew louder—one of those ear-piercing, fake sobs. Zhang Qiu frowned, annoyed.

He didn’t notice that the zipper on his backpack was slowly being pulled open.

“I don’t care! I don’t care! I want it! I want a toy!” The boy screeched, voice sharp and shrill. Then, suddenly, he let out a terrified scream.

“Mom! Something bit me!”

Zhang Qiu’s heart skipped a beat. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He quickly looked down. The backpack was unzipped. Inside, the little one sat cross-legged, its mouth red. Seeing Zhang Qiu’s gaze, it quickly licked its lips and gave a sweet, obedient smile.

To Zhang Qiu, that smile was downright terrifying.

Behind them, the boy’s mother finally looked up from her phone, glancing at his arm. Her face changed instantly.

“What happened? Why is there a bite mark?!”

Zhang Qiu panicked. He shoved the backpack into Li Shu’s arms and muttered, “Yours.” Then, he bolted.

Only when he reached his apartment complex did he realize—he had left the keys in the bag with Li Shu.

His mind was still reeling with the image of the little one licking its lips, stained with blood.

Would Li Shu be like that too? Zhang Qiu had seen Li Shu eat normally, like a human. But he and the little jiangshi shared the same nature. Did that mean, in Li Shu’s eyes, Zhang Qiu was just walking food?

“Ding—”

The elevator arrived.

Zhang Qiu jumped, his nerves frayed. He listened carefully. No footsteps. Just as he relaxed, Li Shu appeared, carrying three bags of groceries and the backpack on his chest.

Li Shu glanced at him. Zhang Qiu shivered. That cold gaze—it was the same as when they first met on the train.

As Zhang Qiu’s anxiety spiked, Li Shu took out the key and opened the door.

On his arm, the little one clung tightly, eyes watery, its bare bottom red—like it had been spanked.

Li Shu shoved the little jiangshi into Zhang Qiu’s arms.

Zhang Qiu froze. The little one wailed, sniffling.

“Hungry… hungry. Eat… got hit. Hurts.”

Li Shu stepped inside like he owned the place.

Still standing at the door, Zhang Qiu hesitated.

“Come in.” Li Shu commanded.

Against his better judgment, Zhang Qiu obeyed.

Inside, Li Shu turned on the lights, instantly making the room bright as day. Zhang Qiu felt slightly more secure.

The little jiangshi was still sobbing, and Zhang Qiu finally understood—it had been starving and couldn’t help but bite the boy. Li Shu had smacked its bottom in punishment.

“Ba-ba, don’t… don’t want me… I won’t bite again.”

The little one sobbed pitifully, sniffing.

Zhang Qiu felt his heart soften again. The fear from earlier seemed to fade under the little jiangshi’s tearful gaze.

But he couldn’t let this habit continue. What if it got addicted to blood? He suddenly pictured a scene from a movie—jiangshi feasting on corpses, unable to stop.

With a stern face, he said seriously, “If you ever bite someone again, I… I won’t want you anymore.”

The little jiangshi immediately clung to Zhang Qiu’s neck, wrapping its small arms around him. Tears streamed down its face as it cried, shaking its head.

“No… no! Only drink milk!”

Seeing it cry so miserably, Zhang Qiu felt a twinge of heartache. He wiped its face, then placed it on a tissue box on the table. “I’ll make you some milk.”

“Ba-ba, milk!”

Li Shu was already mixing the formula with practiced ease. Zhang Qiu had a strange feeling—something seemed off ever since they returned, but he couldn’t pinpoint what.

When Li Shu set the bowl of milk down, Zhang Qiu suddenly realized—they hadn’t bought a baby bottle!

The little jiangshi smelled the milk, crouched by the bowl, and lapped it up like a puppy.

Zhang Qiu sighed, his head throbbing. “Li Shu, you’re raising him way too rough. I’ll have to buy him a bottle tomorrow.”

Li Shu ignored the little jiangshi and casually picked up Zhang Qiu’s backpack, heading straight into the bedroom like it was his own.

That’s when Zhang Qiu finally realized what had been bothering him—Li Shu was way too familiar with his home.

Not only that, but despite him being away for almost a month, the apartment was spotless, without a speck of dust. The bedding had even been changed, carrying the fresh scent of sunshine.

Zhang Qiu hesitated at the bedroom door before asking, “How did you know I lived here?”

“I called Hua Ting and asked.” Li Shu casually unpacked Zhang Qiu’s clothes.

“What time did you get here?”

“Four in the afternoon.”

Zhang Qiu imagined Li Shu arriving at his home so early, cleaning everything up like a dutiful housekeeper, and felt an odd mix of emotions. There was even a tiny bit of… happiness?

Still, he huffed, “Breaking into my place without asking first—do you know I could call the cops on you?”

“Would you?” Li Shu raised an eyebrow.

Zhang Qiu was instantly speechless. He fumed as he watched Li Shu unpack his things—until Li Shu suddenly pulled out his underwear and casually pinched the fabric between his fingers.

Zhang Qiu’s face turned bright red. It was as if Li Shu wasn’t holding his underwear, but directly touching him!

Flustered, he lunged forward and snatched them away, shoving them into a drawer.

Suddenly, Li Shu hugged him from behind.

Zhang Qiu’s whole body stiffened. He could feel Li Shu’s cold breath against his ear as he spoke in a low voice.

“You’re afraid of me, Zhang Qiu.”

It was the first time Li Shu called him by his full name. For some reason, it felt like when a parent scolded a child—it sent a shiver down Zhang Qiu’s spine.

His mind was in chaos. He didn’t know how to respond.

Then Li Shu chuckled coldly. “Zhang Qiu, since you’ve already provoked me, I won’t let you escape.”

“Who provoked you?!” Zhang Qiu felt wronged and shouted back. “You were the one who came onto me! You even lied to me! What, am I just your emergency food supply?!”

“Yes.”

For a moment, Zhang Qiu felt his heart drop into an icy pit.

He had been afraid that Li Shu saw him as nothing more than a snack—but hearing it confirmed still stung. His fear evaporated, replaced by burning anger.

He glared at Li Shu, wanting to shove him away, throw him out along with the little jiangshi.

Then, Li Shu smirked and leaned in. “Zhang Qiu, right now, I just want to make you cry.”

His tone was dark and sinister.

Before Zhang Qiu could react, Li Shu suddenly bit his neck—not hard, but enough to make Zhang Qiu’s whole body tremble.

Li Shu let out a soft laugh. “That’s just the interest for today’s punishment.”

Zhang Qiu didn’t even know if he was scared or… excited.

When Li Shu said he wanted to “make him cry,” he should have pushed him away, should have rejected him.

Humans and jiangshi weren’t meant to be together. They were different species.

But why does my heart feel so excited?

The bite didn’t hurt. Instead, it sent shivers down Zhang Qiu’s spine, like tiny sparks of electricity. His legs nearly gave out beneath him.

Damn it, men really are ruled by their lower halves. One little touch and I forget he’s a jiangshi!

His mind was now flooded with inappropriate thoughts.

No! Stay composed! There are things we need to talk about first!

“Li Shu,” Zhang Qiu took a deep breath. “I mean… if, if I hadn’t fallen that day, or if it was someone else who fell instead…”

Li Shu’s eyes darkened. His voice carried a dangerous edge.

“There is no ‘if.’ It was you who fell.”

Zhang Qiu swallowed. Under Li Shu’s piercing gaze, he chickened out.

Forget it. Love is overrated. Just give in to desire!

After all, Li Shu was beautiful. It wasn’t like he was losing anything.

The air between them grew thick with tension. Li Shu gently pinched Zhang Qiu’s chin, placing a kiss on his earlobe. Zhang Qiu’s knees went weak, his body instinctively clinging to Li Shu.

They exchanged a look.

The atmosphere turned heated.

“Ba-ba! I’m full!”

A tiny, cheerful voice shattered the moment.

Barefoot, the little jiangshi ran over and latched onto Zhang Qiu’s leg, nodding eagerly. “Milk is yummy! Blood is stinky!”

Zhang Qiu’s mind was still fogged with lust. He didn’t want to deal with this right now!

The little one tugged on his pants, eyes full of expectation. Zhang Qiu forced himself to put on a doting expression, bending down to pick him up.

At this moment, he felt his son was truly the most adorable thing ever.

That night, Zhang Qiu bathed the little jiangshi, wrapped him in a towel, and placed him on the pillow.

Then, he suddenly remembered something.

“Where’s Second Sister-in-law?”

Li Shu smirked slightly.

“He saw your apartment, thought it was too small, and decided to stay in a hotel.”

“Wow, he really is loaded.” Zhang Qiu commented offhandedly.

Then, he abruptly turned on the lights and rushed toward Li Shu. But remembering the little jiangshi, he did an awkward mid-air twist and ended up crashing headfirst into Li Shu’s chest.

Li Shu caught him effortlessly and kissed his damp hair.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhang Qiu propped himself up, a little embarrassed. “I totally forgot about your back injury! Let me see—”

“No need.” Li Shu blocked him.

Zhang Qiu pouted, trying to look angry. But to Li Shu, he looked like a sulky little kitten.

With a sigh, Li Shu relented. “Fine, look.”

When Zhang Qiu saw his back, he was stunned. The gruesome wounds from before were completely healed, leaving behind smooth, unblemished skin.

“How…?”

“I told you, my blood accelerates healing.” Li Shu said matter-of-factly. Then, he asked, “Are you scared?”

Zhang Qiu shook his head.

“You got hurt saving me.”

Zhang Qiu lowered his head, guilt creeping in. The more he thought about how many times Li Shu had saved him, the more he felt he had been too heartless after discovering Li Shu was a jiangshi. With a hint of apology in his voice, he said, “It must have hurt a lot back then.”

Li Shu was momentarily stunned before tightening his arms around Zhang Qiu.

No one had ever asked him if it hurt.

His eyes softened, holding a gentleness even he himself didn’t realize. Without any ulterior motives, he kissed Zhang Qiu’s forehead lightly.

Zhang Qiu clung to Li Shu’s arm, hesitating for a moment before murmuring, “At first, I was a little scared. But more than that, I was angry that you lied to me. You can’t lie to me again.”

“Okay.”

“And the little jiangshi can’t always be called ‘little jiangshi.’ We should give him a proper name!” Zhang Qiu’s thoughts jumped quickly. He suddenly brightened. “How about Zhang Xiao Jiang? ‘Jiang’ as in jiangshi! So cool, so dramatic! Imagine when he starts preschool—the teacher asks, ‘Jiang as in what?’ And he proudly says, ‘Jiang as in jiangshi!’ Hahahaha!”

Li Shu didn’t quite get the humor, but seeing Zhang Qiu happy was enough for him. “Whatever you want.”

“Then it’s decided! Zhang Xiao Jiang!”

Beside them, the newly named Zhang Xiao Jiang was still half-asleep, clueless about his fate.

Why me? What did I do? Why am I being treated like this?!