The "cloth doll" jogged to catch up with Feng Ju, her little white shoes tapping out a rapid, crisp sound on the concrete.

She stood on tiptoe and tenderly draped the uniform coat over Feng Ju.

She lifted her face, the faint light casting a sheen on her pitch-black eyes:

"Did something happen? You seem very flustered."

Her voice carried just the right amount of concern.

Feng Ju’s facial muscles twitched unnaturally. He raised his hand to rub the top of the "cloth doll’s" head, forcing out a smile:

"It’s not panic, it’s surprise. I had a colleague who I thought died in the sewers, but unexpectedly... he came back alive."

He purposely emphasized his tone as he explained:

"Someone I thought was dead came back to life. That kind of surprise is really..."

The night wind swirled the fallen leaves on the ground around Feng Ju’s feet.

The "cloth doll" nodded obediently, her hair gently tousled by the wind: "Lost and found, it is indeed very surprising."

Her lips curved into a sweet smile, but there was ice in her eyes.

The residential area was silent and empty. Feng Ju returned late, and the car was parked in a very secluded spot.

"Alright, you go back now," Feng Ju said to the "cloth doll."

But the "cloth doll" hooked her arm around Feng Ju’s, swaying coquettishly:

"No, I just want to spend a little more time with you."

The "cloth doll" was sincere in her words, cherishing every moment spent with Feng Ju tonight.

If it were possible, she wished the path to the car would stretch out like a magical road in a fairy tale, allowing them to walk side by side until the end of time.

Feng Ju’s expression softened. He reached out to pat the "cloth doll" on the head. Although the night wind was cold, his heart felt warm.

Unfortunately, the night wind urged him on until they reached the car.

Walking side by side, the "cloth doll’s" little white shoes made a soft tapping sound, while Feng Ju’s mechanical arm emitted the regular noise of metal friction.

The blue and white car was indeed parked in a very secluded place, its body covered in dust, like a metal coffin waiting for its owner.

Feng Ju opened the car door and turned to look at the "cloth doll."

"I’ll be back once I’m done," his voice was much gentler than usual, "Wait for me at home."

The "cloth doll" nodded obediently, folding her hands in front of her like a delicate doll.

The night wind lifted her skirt, blooming like a white flower at her feet.

Feng Ju smiled and was about to stoop to get into the driver’s seat when he was suddenly pulled by a force.

The "cloth doll’s" slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind, with surprising strength.

She pressed her face against Feng Ju’s back, inhaling deeply, as if trying to etch this warmth into her memory.

"Mm, I know."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet, carrying a sort of morbid attachment,

"I will always be your pride."

Feng Ju’s body went rigid.

The last time the "cloth doll" hugged him like this was when she couldn’t reach the candy box on the cabinet.

Just as the memory was about to surge, a piercing cold suddenly shot through his chest.

He slowly lowered his head—

A hand woven from bloody threads was protruding slowly from his chest.

The threads writhed like living things, bringing forth tiny beads of blood from the penetration point.

In the center of the palm, a crimson heart still beat, each contraction squeezing out warm blood.

"Whose hand is this, and whose heart?"

Feng Ju’s pupils trembled violently, his mind blank.

He wanted to turn his head, but found his neck entangled by countless fine strands of hair, each one tightly cinching into his skin, pulling on the curve he wanted to rotate.

"Do not turn around,"

Came the "cloth doll’s" voice from his back, still sweet and obedient, as if merely bidding him goodnight.

Warm breath seeped through his thin shirt into his skin, yet that warmth made him feel as if he was plunged into an icy abyss.

"As long as you don’t turn around, you’ll always remember me at my most beautiful."

Hoarse breathing sounded from Feng Ju’s throat, his mechanical arm making a clattering sound, its internal gears snagged by the red threads.

"W-why?"

He struggled to move his eyes, seeing the reflection in the car window.

The "cloth doll’s" entire face was buried against his back, just like when he used to carry her as a child, her smooth long hair draped across his neck, the image warm enough to blur reality.

Yet the feeling originating from within him was vividly real; he could sense something moving inside his body.

It wasn’t pain but a bizarre, invasive sensation. Something alive squirmed in his veins, traversing the gaps in his mechanical parts, like a spider spinning a web and making a home inside him.

Pain and fear surged like a tide, and Feng Ju’s vision began to blur.

"W-why..."

He squeezed out the question again, his voice so hoarse it was almost unintelligible.

The "cloth doll’s" face gently nuzzled against his back, her warm tears soaking through his shirt, seeping into his skin.

"Don’t blame me."

Her voice was tinged with innocent grievance,

"I was just listening to you, to tread each step steadily and cautiously, never falling into danger."

The "cloth doll" tightened her embrace around Feng Ju:

"But the memory card in your pocket is probably my greatest danger. Why didn’t you hand it over to Feng Mu and instead kept it with you?"

The subsequent words Feng Ju could no longer make out clearly.

His vision completely darkened, and in his final consciousness, he felt the "cloth doll’s" cold fingers gently stroking his cheek—a touch so tender it was heart-wrenching, as if treating a fragile, precious artifact.

The blood-red threads receded like the tide, leaving only a desiccated shell behind.

The "cloth doll" carefully lifted Feng Ju’s lightened body, holding it like a delicate doll.

She placed the body gently in the driver’s seat, arranging it in a stooped posture, allowing the face she loved most to rest deeply in shadow.

"This is perfect..."

She murmured to herself, putting the shriveled heart back into the hollow chest, even thoughtfully smoothing out the creases in Feng Ju’s uniform.

Throughout, she never once allowed Feng Ju to turn his head.

As she had told Feng Ju, as long as he didn’t turn his head, her memory would always be fixed on the face of Feng Ju, proud for her.

The night wind brushed across the empty parking lot, swirling a few dried leaves, stirring the shadows resting on the ground.

The "cloth doll" stood quietly outside the car door, her face streaked with mottled tear marks.

She raised her hand to wipe her face, a streak of fresh blood trailing a bewitching line on her cheek.

But in the next moment, the sweet, endearing smile returned to her face.

Standing on tiptoe, she placed a final soft kiss on the back of Feng Ju’s head, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as her lips touched the icy, desolate surface.

"Goodnight."

The "cloth doll’s" voice was as light as a feather descending,

"Have a... sweet dream!!!"