Tentlese and Succubus - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Sudden Abduction

The sun was scorching.

Li Yuan sat in the shade of the production crew’s canopy, clutching three small portable fans, yet she still couldn’t stop complaining about the heat.

Nearby, at the edge of a pond, a bizarre story was unfolding.

A traveling merchant passing through had stopped by the water to water his horse. There, he saw a woman standing amidst the lotus flowers, humming a lingering melody while tilting her head to comb her long hair.

A thin mist drifted over the water. One could only faintly see that the woman was exquisitely seductive. Her snow-white clothes, soaked by the pond, clung to her slender waist. She looked exactly like the figure that had haunted his dreams for days, yet she remained shimmering and indistinct.

The merchant stepped closer and struck up a conversation: “Lady, have we met somewhere before?“

Hearing his voice, the woman turned back and gave a tender smile. “Come closer, and then I shall tell you.“

The merchant hesitated for a moment. The woman ignored him, her jade-like fingers running through her hair as she resumed her song.

“The water flows so wide, the night is oh so long… orchids dwell by the bank, soaking my silken gown…”

The singing was light and ethereal, lingering in his ears like a drunken itch. Seeing the woman’s silhouette about to vanish into the mist, the merchant grew anxious. Ignoring the mud staining his shoes and socks, he waded into the pond.

“Lady! Lady!“

The woman looked back at him, her smile growing even more enchanting. “Closer still.“

Without him realizing when it began, the merchant’s eyes were gradually saturated by the mist, losing focus until only a void remained.

“Yes, I’m coming, wait for me…“

He frantically pushed aside the lotus leaves, wading deeper. Just as that soft, white figure was within reach—

His waist suddenly tightened.

The merchant looked down to see a thick, long, shimmering green serpent tail coiling around his waist, squeezing tighter and tighter.

“This—what is this—” The merchant’s face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling.

Before he could finish, the serpent tail jerked violently, dragging him into the depths of the lotus pond.

With a shrill scream, water splashed everywhere, and ripples spread across the surface. The white mist remained ethereal and hazy, but the pond fell into a cold silence. Not a soul remained.

“Cut!“

As soon as the director announced the pause, a swarm of staff members immediately surrounded Lin Yuanning, who played the snake demon, to fix her styling and adjust her makeup.

Li Yuan sighed. “Ugh, it’s nearly 40°C. The boss gets to stay cool soaking in the water while we suffer out here.“

Li Yuan turned around, seemingly expecting Anowei to chime in.

“It’s fine,” Anowei replied stiffly.

“And you—you wear such heavy clothes every day. Aren’t you hot?” Li Yuan looked at her with disdain, poking Anowei’s jacket with a finger.

Anowei brushed her colleague’s hand away. “No.“

For a brief moment, Lin Yuanning, surrounded by the crowd, looked in their direction. She caught Anowei’s gaze and gave a slight nod.

…Likely a thank you for the events of that night.

Li Yuan waved excitedly. “Wow! The boss is looking at us! Do you think she’ll think we’re working hard and give us a raise?“

“I don’t know,” Anowei said apathetically.

Her phone vibrated. Ouyang Qingxue had sent a command in the bodyguard group chat.

“Group one, go patrol the perimeter. We’re preparing to wrap up.“

“Finally, we can go back to the AC!” Li Yuan stretched. “Let’s go. A walk is good anyway; my legs are falling asleep.“

Because of the heat, the film studio was somewhat empty. The few people on the road were all familiar faces wearing crew badges. Li Yuan was diligent enough to finish the entire patrol route. Finding nothing unusual, she dragged Anowei to go buy some Cokes.

Anowei stopped outside a dressing room, staring at the curtains deep inside the room. The shadows there were distorted and restless.

The God smelled a thick, despicable stench of rot, saturated with desire.

“Someone is over there,” she said.

“Huh? No way, this room is usually locked…” Li Yuan walked over skeptically and pulled back the curtain.

A figure bolted out, running for the exit. A pink backpack covered in keychains featuring Lin Yuanning’s photos jingled as they collided.

Anowei gave chase. Before the figure could reach the door, Anowei grabbed their wrist and pinned them to the ground with a thud.

The thin girl struggled wildly, her eyes wide with panic as she tried to escape Anowei’s grip. “Don’t touch me! Let me go… I didn’t do anything bad, I just… I just wanted to see her…“

The God knew she was lying. Her desire was darker, more turbulent, desperately seeking an outlet. And human desire—what a petty, ugly thing, willing to sacrifice the soul as an offering.

Anowei instinctively increased the pressure of her knee. The girl’s face turned bright red, tears welled up, and her breathing became shallow. “Please… let me go… I can’t breathe…“

Li Yuan walked over and patted Anowei’s shoulder. “Don’t hurt her. Let Sister Ouyang handle it. If she goes online and starts talking nonsense, it’ll cause trouble for the boss.“

By the time Ouyang Qingxue arrived with the police to take the sobbing girl away, the two bodyguards finally sat on stone pillars outside the dressing room, drinking their belated Cokes.

The wind began to turn cool. Dark clouds gathered at the horizon.

“Thanks to you today, otherwise who knows what would have happened!” Li Yuan clinked her can against Anowei’s.

“Does this happen often?” Anowei asked.

“Every few days. That’s why we hire so many bodyguards. Even though other stars have ‘sasaeng’ fans, I feel like the number of people who are obsessively crazy about our boss is unusually high.“

The believer had told her that this woman had the power to bewitch hearts. Were these mindless fans also victims of her enchantment?

Anowei drank her Coke in silence. Li Yuan sighed again. “Man, if not for you, I would have lost so much pay today. Wei, I’m buying you another can!“

“Mm.” The God generously accepted this offering.

That night, several actors finished their filming and left the production, inviting Lin Yuanning to a KTV party.

The young actor playing the merchant was a newcomer, not yet used to the sudden goodbyes after a long time together. She hugged Lin Yuanning and bawled. “Sister Yuanning, you’re so kind. This was my first time working with such a famous actress, I was scared to death. I didn’t expect you to be so nice… I’m going to miss you so much…“

“It’s okay, don’t be sad.“

Lin Yuanning was likely used to such scenes, yet she still gently and solemnly wiped the tears from the girl’s face, her every word sincere. “You work so hard; you will definitely become an excellent actress. We’ll surely have many chances to work together in the future.“

The young actor cried even harder, her face a mess of tears and snot. “I’ll keep working hard! One day, I want to play a dual-lead role with you, Sister Yuanning!“

“You will.“

Anowei sat in the corner, drinking Coke from a wine glass. She watched the human drama outside the camera lens while enduring the ubiquitous light pollution of the karaoke room. Making an excuse to get more Coke, she stepped out onto the terrace for air.

A woman in a red dress followed her out. They met eyes, and the woman swirled her half-full glass. “I’m here for a refill.“

Anowei didn’t question her, leaning against the railing to overlook the quiet night view of the small city. The woman walked to her side, bringing with her a sweet, heavy fragrance. “Let me lean on you for a bit. I think I drank too much.“

Anowei didn’t agree, but her shoulder grew heavy. The woman had already leaned against her—a warm, soft bundle, like a defenseless small animal. She could hear the woman’s breathing. It was calm, steady, and carried a hint of tipsy warmth. The floating lights of the night danced across the woman’s profile, grazing the bridge of her elegant nose.

“What are you thinking about?” the woman asked.

Thinking about what kind of secret you are hiding.Thinking about why you are here at this very moment.Thinking about how to destroy a weak, cunning human, making her surrender and fall into utter defeat.

The wind grew colder, blowing past circling birds and dispersing the momentary cloudiness in the God’s heart. The woman’s soft hair brushed against Anowei’s arm, an itch like willow catkins.

The God turned her gaze away. “…It’s going to rain,” she said.

“Sister Yuanning, why are you out here? Come back, it’s your song!” someone called out.

Before turning around, the woman swapped their glasses. Holding Anowei’s Coke, she winked at her. “Shh. Keep it a secret for me.”

As the woman glided away, Anowei looked down at the glass in her hand. A partial lip print was pressed against the rim, crimson as blood. She took a sip; the sweet, mellow liquid melted on her tongue. It tasted like the woman’s lingering scent.

At 10:00 PM, the actors wanted to continue to another venue, and the second group of bodyguards came to swap shifts. Anowei went back to the hotel to rest. In the middle of the night, the storm finally broke, pouring down in torrents as if to wash away the filth of the world.

Knock, knock, knock—

She was about to fall asleep when she was interrupted by a frantic pounding on her door. Li Yuan shouted anxiously from outside: “Anowei, get up!”

“What is it?”

As soon as Anowei opened the door, Li Yuan grabbed her and ran toward the elevator. “The boss is missing!”

Anowei’s heart tightened. The woman absolutely could not die before handing over the Underworld Pact.

They rushed to the bar where it happened. An hour ago, Lin Yuanning said she was going to the restroom. By the time the tipsy actors and bodyguards snapped out of it, she had been gone for quite a while. Ouyang Qingxue had called the police, and officers were asking the bodyguards to help check the bar’s surveillance for suspicious characters.

“This girl—I saw her today!” Li Yuan pointed at the screen.

“Quick! Trace the license plate and check all city surveillance to reconstruct her route!” The police began to scramble.

The God did not need such clumsy methods.

Anowei stood in the hallway of the bar, slowly closing her eyes as her consciousness dived into the shadows. The dark corners at the end of the street, the void beyond the streetlights, the shaded side of the flowerbeds, and all the invisible shadows cast by the fears and desires in people’s hearts.

Amidst the heavy rain, the shadows whispered to her, sending a thousand fragmented images to piece together the woman’s whereabouts.

She saw a gray van bumping along as it left the bar. She saw the headlights piercing the darkness, heading toward the desolate outskirts.

“Anowei, where are you going!” Li Yuan called from behind her.

Anowei didn’t answer. She hopped onto a motorcycle and plunged into the curtain of rain. Like darkness merging into darkness.

The shadows led her to an abandoned Western-style manor. Withered ivy clung to the walls, swaying precariously in the rain; the windows looked like hollow eye sockets. The God walked through puddles and mud into the hall, her footsteps silent.

The girl with the pink backpack was dragging an unusually large suitcase up the stairs, panting from exhaustion.

CRACK—

A bolt of lightning tore across the sky, momentarily illuminating the vast hall. Only then did the girl see Anowei at the bottom of the stairs. She screamed in terror, and the suitcase slipped from her hands, tumbling down toward the floor.

Two giant, wet, pitch-black tentacles—sprouting from nowhere—caught the suitcase in mid-air and set it steadily back on the ground.

Another bolt of lightning flashed, projecting the God’s colossal shadow onto the stairs behind the girl. The girl’s face twisted with terror.

“You… what are you…”

The Unnamable God had no intention of answering such a stupid question.

“You are not worthy of knowing,” she said.