Chapter 24: A White Lie

Chapter 24: A White Lie

Chen Shouyi felt his hair stand on end. He dared not stay any longer and decided to leave immediately. Before departing, he untied the rope, scooped up the Shell Woman along with her shell, and hurried out of the passage.

Leaving the Shell Woman here would be a shame—she might die or escape.

In no time, he exited the unfinished building.

Gazing at the bustling street filled with pedestrians and vehicles, Chen Shouyi let out a quiet sigh of relief. Compared to the eerie and unpredictable Otherworld, Earth gave him a far greater sense of security. Here, there were no mysterious or bizarre creatures, no ghosts or spirits—everything put him at ease.

At that moment, he glanced at the shell in his hand and noticed that the once-vibrant magical glow had completely faded. The dazzling colors had dulled, and the surface had become mottled.

Chen Shouyi froze for a moment before realization dawned on him.

No wonder the shell had been so beautiful. No wonder the Shell Woman had chosen it as her dwelling—it wasn’t an ordinary shell.

Unfortunately, upon arriving on Earth, its supernatural qualities had vanished, reducing it to mere mundanity.

Still, he felt no regret.

From start to finish, he had never known what purpose the shell served.

Remembering the Shell Woman inside, he gently cracked the shell open a sliver.

Fortunately, she was still alive, though curled up inside, trembling with fear. The sudden change in environment had clearly terrified her.

Relieved to see her alive, Chen Shouyi continued on his way.

Passing by an accessories store, an idea struck him, and he stepped inside.

It was the first day of the National Day holiday, and the shop was crowded—mostly with women, though a few men accompanying their girlfriends were also present. Someone like Chen Shouyi, entering alone, was a rare sight.

He browsed slowly, soon selecting a roll of tape, a spool of nylon rope, a pair of small scissors, and a few sets of tiny Barbie doll clothes. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any underwear or bras, so he had to make do.

When it came time to pay, the cashier gave him a curious look upon seeing the five or six sets of Barbie doll clothes.

Half a minute later, Chen Shouyi exited the store with an impassive expression, then headed to a supermarket to buy a bottle of honey.

Earlier, he had noticed that the Shell Woman seemed to feed on nectar, so honey should be fine. Given her small appetite, she’d likely be easy to care for.

……

By the time he left the supermarket, it was only 3 p.m., and the sun was still blazing. Chen Shouyi suddenly found himself with nowhere to go.

Looking at his still-fair skin, he realized that nearly half a day of exposure in the Otherworld had done little to tan him. With a physique of 13.5, he was practically immune to UV damage.

He pulled out his phone, idly chatting with Zhang Xiaoyue as he wandered aimlessly. Only as dusk approached did he finally decide to head home.

"Mom, I'm back," Chen Shouyi said, then quickly slipped upstairs before Chen Mu could notice.

This was the busiest time for the restaurant. Chen Mu, who was carrying dishes, barely caught a glimpse of a figure darting up the stairs. Chasing after the retreating back, she scolded, "Aren’t you eating?"

"I already ate at a friend’s place," he replied. Then, pausing mid-step, an idea occurred to him—he decided to tell a white lie.

The staircase was unlit, and darkness provided the best cover. He turned around with ease and said, "Oh, right, Mom, I’ve already passed the physical requirements for the Martial Arts Apprentice Assessment. I just need to work a bit more on Swordsmanship and Archery."

"Really, son? You passed the physical part?" Chen Mu was overjoyed. She had always worried that her mediocre son would amount to nothing, but now, in his final year of high school, he had given her a huge surprise.

"Mom, haven’t you noticed how much stronger I’ve gotten lately? That’s why I’m thinking of taking a break from school. I looked into it, and there’s an intensive training program for the exam. They say the success rate is really high, so I want to sign up."

"If it helps, of course you should go. How much does it cost?" She was frugal in many ways, but when it came to her children’s education, she was astonishingly generous.

"About eighteen thousand for fifteen days." Chen Shouyi hesitated before giving the figure. There were many such training programs, and this price was standard—anything lower might raise suspicion.

"Though... I’d have to stay outside." He feigned hesitation at the end.

"You’re a grown man, and you’re afraid of staying out? When does it start?" Chen Mu chuckled, still in high spirits.

"Tomorrow morning."

"So soon? Good thing there’s still some money in the card. I’ll transfer it to you once I’m done here!"

In the darkness, Chen Shouyi watched his mother’s smiling, proud face, and suddenly his eyes stung, threatening tears.

In his memory, there had never been a single thing that made his parents proud—only disappointment, time and time again.

"But that’ll never happen again. You’ll be proud of your son from now on." He wiped his eyes and turned back to his bedroom, locking the door behind him.

……

He sat blankly at his desk for a while, lost in thought.

Then, as if remembering something, he quickly pulled out the shell from the plastic bag.

The Shell Woman lay inside, motionless, her eyes swollen and hollow, devoid of any spark.

Her mouth was sealed with tape, and her hands and feet were bound together.

Chen Shouyi gave a dry laugh, then fished her out of the shell. Picking up a pair of small scissors, he cut the nylon rope binding her limbs under her numb gaze.

Then he peeled off the tape covering her mouth.

He grabbed the Barbie doll clothes he had bought earlier and decided to dress her.

Being completely naked was far too distracting—it always made him unbearably awkward. Clothes would make things feel more natural.

Carefully, he pinched her arm and slipped the top onto her, afraid that even a little too much force might snap her in half.

In truth, he didn’t need to be so cautious. She was far sturdier than she looked—after all, she was a creature adapted to threefold gravity, not as fragile as she appeared.

Throughout the dressing process, the Shell Woman remained motionless, letting him manipulate her as if her spirit had already withered away.

Ever since she sensed the change in her surroundings and realized she had lost all her abilities—including flight—she had fallen into complete despair and numbness.

After finally managing to squeeze her into the princess dress, Chen Shouyi wiped away a nervous sweat and let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, right, there’s still the honey."

He quickly took out the honey from the bag, scooped a shallow spoonful with a metal spoon, mixed it with some warm water, and placed it in front of her.

The spoon was longer than her height, and the bowl of the spoon was three times larger than her head.

The Shell Woman's nose twitched slightly before she turned her face away, remaining completely still.

Seeing her stubborn non-cooperation, Chen Shouyi couldn’t help but poke her a few times with his finger, rolling her around on the desk. Yet, the Shell Woman refused to make a single sound.

Chen Shouyi finally gave up and left her alone. After all, going hungry for a day wouldn’t kill her.

He retrieved the Wooden Sword from under the bed and resumed his sword practice.

But the moment he executed a single Lunge Thrust— The Wooden Sword sliced through the air, producing a sharp, piercing whistle. He immediately stopped.

A short while later, there was a rapid knocking at the door.

"What is it?" Chen Shouyi asked in a low voice, pressing close to the door.

"Brother, you’re back? What was that sound in your room just now?"

"Nothing. It came from outside. I don’t know what it was."

"Oh, it scared me!"

His sister soon left, and Chen Shouyi let out a sigh of relief.

He glanced at the sword, then at his own hand. While training in the Otherworld, he hadn’t fully grasped how much stronger he had become—until now.

That last strike must have been close to the speed of sound.

It suddenly struck him how wise his earlier decision to leave home for a while had been. If he had stayed here, forget everything else, even practicing swordsmanship would have been troublesome.