The Otherworldly God I Serve Is Actually a Demon - Chapter 8

Just call me, and I shall come.

On the coffee table sat a small cake from the bakery Ruan Jiao loved. Mrs. Chen, one hand on Ruan Jiao’s forehead and the other on her own, spoke with concern.

“Jiaojiao, you seem to have a bit of a fever. Maybe skip evening self-study today and rest at home. I’ll make you something delicious.”

Ruan Jiao wasn’t actually feverish. She covered her face somewhat awkwardly, feeling guilty. “I’m not feverish. I probably slept too deeply under the covers, so my face feels warm.”

Mrs. Chen was still worried. “Could it be that your condition is acting up again? Have you been feeling like someone’s watching you lately?”

“No,” Ruan Jiao shook her head.

And it won’t happen again, she added silently.

Only after confirming that Ruan Jiao was truly fine did Mrs. Chen relax. A colleague had swapped shifts with her today, which was why she’d returned home so early and even stopped by to buy her daughter’s favorite cake on the way.

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself with your studies. Just do your best. Even if you’re not sick, you can still take a break. If you don’t feel like going to school, just tell me, and I’ll ask for leave for you.”

Ruan Jiao nodded but didn’t mention taking leave. She actually enjoyed going to school, university life was vibrant and full of variety.

Mrs. Chen, who had finally returned home early, hurried out to buy groceries after making sure her daughter was fine. Usually too busy with work to take proper care of her child, she wanted to prepare something special now that she had the chance.

Only after her mother left did Ruan Jiao return to her bedroom and bury herself in the bedsheets.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of Jun Gongyu, Jun Gongyu from her dreams, Jun Gongyu in reality…

She was going crazy.

“Jiaojiao.”

She heard someone calling her. Looking up, the figure she’d been thinking of stood by her bedside, watching her.

Jun Gongyu stood there with an indifferent expression, her entire being exuding a cold, aloof aura. She seemed much more vivid than when they’d first met yesterday, at least she no longer spoke like an antique.

“I’m so hungry, Jiaojiao.”

Jun Gongyu’s gaze fell on the girl’s fair neck, and her tongue began to salivate uncontrollably.

Do deities feel hunger too? Ruan Jiao was stunned for a moment before realizing that Jun Gongyu might be asking for offerings. She hadn’t had time to prepare any today and didn’t know what the deity preferred.

“Divine One, what offerings do you like? I’ll go prepare them for you right away.”

Ruan Jiao mentally calculated whether her pocket money would be enough to buy them. If not, she’d ask her mother for an advance on next month’s allowance.

“Flesh and blood.”

“Like livestock? Would pork or lamb work?”

“Human.”

“Huh?”

Jun Gongyu watched as Ruan Jiao’s face instantly paled with fear, and a faint smile involuntarily curled at the corner of her lips.

So adorable, it made her want to tease her a little.

“Half a bowl of fresh human blood as a daily offering. It’s best if I can drink it directly.”

As she spoke, she leaned closer to Ruan Jiao, as if about to bite her.

Ruan Jiao’s face stiffened. She mentally calculated how many times her small frame could withstand having her blood drawn and whether it would be enough to meet Jun Gongyu’s daily needs.

The conclusion was: no.

Jun Gongyu would need at least 29 more believers to barely ensure a daily supply of fresh blood. Of course, Ruan Jiao was thinking from the perspective of sustainable development.

If sustainability wasn’t a concern, with her alone eating a bit more blood-nourishing food each day, she could probably barely last a month. Then she would die from excessive blood loss.

Wuwu, so scary.

But since she chose this deity herself, she had to serve her even if it meant kneeling.

Ruan Jiao hesitated for a moment, then said shyly, “Deity, I’m a little afraid of pain. Could you be gentle?”

“I’ll be very gentle. Close your eyes. It might hurt a little at first, but you’ll feel comfortable soon.”

What a terrible conversation.

Jun Gongyu looked at her slender neck, feeling an itch in her teeth. She really did want to take a bite.

Ruan Jiao was both afraid and, surprisingly, felt a little anticipation. The thought of Jun Gongyu holding her, biting her neck with her teeth, and drinking her blood made her legs go weak.

Of course, it wasn’t out of fear, but for reasons that couldn’t be written.

Jun Gongyu looked at her flushed face and said seriously, “Jiaojiao, don’t look at me like that. I might not be able to resist eating you.”

She said it as a statement.

Ruan Jiao’s face turned even redder. Her thoughts were indeed dirty, but why did Jun Gongyu’s words always sound so suggestive?

Seeing that teasing her any further would turn her into a cooked shrimp, Jun Gongyu finally decided to let her off.

“I was just teasing you. Offering some fruit will be enough.”

Hearing that Jun Gongyu wouldn’t bite her, Ruan Jiao felt a little disappointed.

She felt that Jun Gongyu wasn’t like the emotionless deities in legends. Although she appeared cold and noble on the outside, getting a little closer revealed that she had many human emotions.

This made Ruan Jiao want to rely on her even more.

“Divine One, if I leave home, will you no longer be able to appear and meet me? Can you leave the area around your body?”

Ruan Jiao wanted to go out to buy offerings, but she was still hesitant about leaving the house. Going up the mountain in the morning didn’t count because she was going to find Jun Gongyu.

The peeping ghost from last night had left a deep psychological scar on her. Only when she was with Jun Gongyu could she temporarily forget those memories.

What if the peeping ghost came looking for her again when Jun Gongyu wasn’t around? She was already a timid person, and she never wanted to experience that kind of fear again in her life.

Ghosts couldn’t be killed, so wouldn’t they haunt her forever?

The thought of leaving Jun Gongyu made Ruan Jiao feel insecure. She wished she could stick herself to the other person.

A hint of unconscious pleading flashed in the girl’s eyes as she leaned involuntarily toward the “deity”, gently tugging at the sleeve of her robe that hung by the bed, looking up pitifully.

Jun Gongyu sensed her reluctance, and her heart stirred. For thousands of years, this was the first time someone wanted to be with her all the time.

It made her… quite happy.

Even though Ruan Jiao mistakenly thought she was a deity. If she could cling to her like this forever, what harm was there in pretending to be a deity for a hundred years?

“There’s an object in the altar that I wore every day when I was alive. Take it out and keep it with you.”

Jun Gongyu pursed her thin lips, as if making a promise, and whispered soothingly, “That way, as long as you call for me, I’ll come.”

Hearing that she could carry Jun Gongyu with her, Ruan Jiao visibly brightened. She boldly hugged Jun Gongyu’s waist and, finding she wasn’t rejected, gently rubbed her cheek against her.

What should she do? She really did like Jun Gongyu.

Her head was gently stroked, and Ruan Jiao narrowed her eyes, like a kitten being petted, letting out a soft, comfortable whimper.

She had to admit that she enjoyed Jun Gongyu’s touch. Whether it was caressing her or kissing her, her chest would tingle as if stimulated by a fine electric current.

Her heart raced, yet she felt utterly content.

Ruan Jiao felt she had received far too much from Jun Gongyu but had given nothing in return. She even greedily wished that Jun Gongyu would only be served by her alone.

Would it be okay if only she could see her, if only she could serve her, if only she could caress her, if only she could kiss her, if only she could be so good to her?

To be her one and only deity.

Jun Gongyu’s embrace was cold, yet it intoxicated her. With great difficulty, Ruan Jiao pulled herself out of the other’s arms.

She hadn’t forgotten that the deity she served was still hungry.

Ruan Jiao retrieved the black jar from under the bed, tore off the yellow paper sealing its opening, and opened the small jar with utmost reverence.

As the seal was broken, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted out, a scent she had smelled on Jun Gongyu many times before, but the aroma from the jar was far more intense.

The bedroom was dark, making it hard to see clearly what was inside the jar. When she reached her hand in, she felt a deep chill. Her fingers brushed against something soft and fine, like sand, within which lay a long, ribbon-like cord.

Ruan Jiao pulled out the cord to examine it and saw it was a silver-white hair ribbon.

Despite the passage of who knows how many years, the ribbon remained soft yet resilient, its material unknown but of remarkable quality.

Ruan Jiao tied the ribbon around her wrist, fastening it into a bow. Knowing Jun Gongyu disliked sunlight, she carefully tucked the ribbon entirely into her sleeve, leaving no part exposed.

“Deity, I’m heading out now.”

Jun Gongyu watched the girl leave before vanishing from sight. She couldn’t remain visible during the day, sunlight was her weakness, and even indirect exposure displeased her.

Ruan Jiao looked up online which fruits deities and buddhas might prefer, bought a selection of each, choosing only the most expensive and finest. She also ordered a small, elegant-looking altar online, planning to use it for Jun Gongyu’s jar once it arrived.

After all this, her pocket money was significantly depleted.

Ruan Jiao usually didn’t spend much, and since she commuted to school, she rarely asked her parents for money. Now, for the first time, she felt the pinch of being short on funds.

She even wanted to build a temple for Jun Gongyu, a goal that felt overwhelmingly ambitious.

The cost of building an ordinary temple might exceed the price of her parents’ house, bought on a 30-year mortgage. If only she could earn money herself, once schoolwork became less demanding, she’d look for a part-time job.

Returning home with the fruits, Ruan Jiao found her mother back from grocery shopping, sweeping her room with a broom.

Her heart sank, oh no, Jun Gongyu’s jar under her bed!

“You’re back. Oh, child, what’s the rush?”

Ruan Jiao dashed into the bedroom, dropped to the floor, and looked under the bed, the black jar was indeed gone.

“Mom!” she cried out in despair.

“What’s all the yelling? Your mother’s ears aren’t deaf yet,” Mrs. Chen said, leaning the broom against the wall and placing her hands on her hips.

Ruan Jiao was on the verge of tears. “Where’s the thing from under my bed?”

“Oh, you mean that jar? Isn’t it on your bedside table?” Mrs. Chen sighed. “Always so frantic. I saw it was covered in dust, so I wiped it clean with a cloth and put it there. I didn’t open it to see what was inside.”

Upon hearing this, Ruan Jiao finally looked up at the bedside table, where a small black jar was indeed placed.

Compared to when she had first dug it out, the jar was much cleaner now, its surface even reflecting a faint gleam.

Holding the jar in her arms as if reclaiming a lost treasure, Ruan Jiao examined it carefully, touching it here and there. Only after confirming that Jun Gongyu was unharmed did she finally feel at ease.

However, her mother had opened the window while tidying the room, letting in the sunlight from outside. Ruan Jiao immediately closed the window again and drew the curtains tightly.

“Mom, please don’t open the window in my room from now on, and don’t touch this jar either.” Ruan Jiao said, cradling the jar as if it were something precious.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. I won’t touch your things. I was just cleaning up, I didn’t go through your belongings.”

Ruan Jiao trusted her parents’ promises. Since childhood, whenever they made a promise to her, they had always kept it.

Since it had already been discovered, she simply placed Jun Gongyu on her desk. Then, she went to the kitchen to wash a slightly nicer plate and carefully arranged the fruits she had selected on it.

Her mother, who had witnessed the entire process from the side: “…”

Oh no, this child has truly lost her mind.