The Offstage Story: A Late-Spring Cold Snap

[Ectotherm - Cold-blooded Animals]

South of London, along the road from Winchester to Chichester, stretches for over a hundred kilometers, with green hills and dark forests.

The time was 4:00 AM on January 11, 2025.

Tang Ning drove from London to Portsmouth for a holiday with his girlfriend Masha.

The weather in January wasn't very good, perhaps due to the eruption of the Tonga Volcano a few years ago. The whole world turned cold, with continuous rain in the summer and a biting cold snap in the spring.

The Ford sedan sped along the road, and the heavens seemed to have heard the riddle left by the old lynx on this land, looking as if they were about to cry but couldn't.

A few raindrops fell, hitting the windshield, then stopped immediately.

The unusual air pressure made the man and woman inside the car feel restless and uneasy.

Thankfully, Tang Ning is a real ray of sunshine.

He is a very cheerful, healthy, positive, determined, and strong-willed person.

"I had already planned it out. We'll leave at four in the morning so we can see the sun rise in Portsmouth at 8:30 in the morning."

"This awful weather has been like this for the past few days." Masha looked listlessly out the dark window. "Really? Once we get to the beach, we can see the sun?"

Tang Ning grinned. "It'll definitely work. I asked my uncle, who worked at a weather station when he was young. He's seen this kind of weather before. The air pressure at sea is different from that on land. If we want to see the sun, we just need to go to the beach. We can see it as soon as the sun comes out. Even if a storm is inevitable, we can still get at least an hour or two of sunshine."

Masha tossed her red hair, looking preoccupied.

She was getting annoyed by the occasional patter of raindrops on the glass, which couldn't turn into a continuous, comforting white noise, so she put a CD into the old Ford car stereo.

The music drowned out all anxiety and unease.

Tang Ning eyes fixed straight ahead; his greatest strength was his ability to stay focused while driving—something Masha valued highly. Although the boy was younger than her, he inexplicably made her feel at ease.

Upon hearing the music, Tang Ning asked, "Are you troubled, Masha?"

"A little."

"Is it because of this trip?"

"Yes, I don't understand."

"We haven't seen the sun for four months. Even cold-blooded animals need to warm up, right?"

"Um."

"How about I tell you about the arrangements for this trip?"

Masha didn't answer, but simply turned her head to look at Tang Ning's profile.

To be honest, this young and strong man was quite good-looking, but his maturity beyond his years made Masha feel very strange.

She was reluctant to take the trip, feeling that the months of continuous rain might actually be a good thing.

She doesn't like crowded places; living in seclusion is her lifestyle. As a travel blogger, she doesn't need to communicate with many people.

Living alone in an old villa far from the city, beside a shimmering lake.

The Tang Ning, was completely naked; he climbed from the lake onto her dock, and then onto her bed.

During a school summer camp, Tang Ning went swimming in the lake and made a bet with someone that he could swim a round trip. However, when he reached Masha's door, he was too tired to swim back.

That's how they met, very suddenly.

It was travel photography blogger Auntie Masha who took the picture from the second floor.

I just happened to capture a photo of a blond guy with a fantastic physique climbing onto the pier. He looked just like a mermaid from a legend.

Tang Ning entered her life, and they became inseparable, their love sweet and fulfilling.

Let me guess?!

You must be wondering what strange and wonderful things this on-screen couple will encounter next, right?

Take a short rest and don't rush.

This story can be told in one chapter.

The winding mountain road is flanked by dense forests illuminated by streetlights.

Tang Ning recounted the meticulously planned trip. "We'll go to Portsmouth Naval Base first. My uncle is there. He'll take you to see the sun at the ferry terminal, and there's a chicken restaurant just fifty meters away."

Masha: "Hmm."

Tang Ning: "Then board the Ironclad Warrior and head to the Isle of Wight."

Masha: "Hmm."

Tang Ning: "Let's go to Robin Hill Adventure Park and Monkey Paradise Zoo."

Masha: "Hmm"

Tang Ning: "We're having a barbecue at Godshill campground. I brought a gun; it can kill a wild boar! Masha, are you even listening to me?"

Masha: "I'm listening."

"Are you listening?" Tang Ning just kept looking at the road and driving. The young man was a little anxious. "But you seem to be full of resentment? Is it because of me? Is it because I woke you up at four in the morning? I've discussed it with you many times, and you promised yourself that you would come with me on this trip!"

Masha: "Agreeing is one thing."

Tang Ning casually pressed the pause button on the CD player, turning off the music. "Darling, I love you so that we can both be happier. Why do things that make us unhappy?"

The car gradually slowed down, as if it were about to stop on this lonely, cold, rainy night road.

"Don't stop the car." Masha couldn't explain herself; she didn't understand why she was so agitated. She turned on the CD player again. "I don't know, I don't know. Anyway, it's all your decision. I don't mean to disobey you, but I just can't be happy. I feel terrible."

Tang Ning: "Very bad?"

Masha: "I had a vague feeling that something was following us along this road."

Tang Ning's expression froze. The young man looked in the rearview mirror and slowly reduced the car's speed.

He slowly, very slowly, focused his gaze on the rearview mirror—

Masha followed her boyfriend's gaze, trying to spot something amiss in the rearview mirror, but she saw nothing.

Masha asked nervously and in a low voice, "What's wrong? Did you see something?"

Tang Ning swallowed hard, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Masha pressed on, "Don't stay silent. Is it a ghost? Or some kind of monster? Inside the car? Outside the car? Why did you slow down? I'm scared, Tang Ning!"

"I saw..." Tang Ning's voice trembled, as if an electric current had struck her. "Nothing at all! There's nothing in the back seat! It's terrifying!"

Immediately afterwards, the young man became all smiles and grins.

"Who do you think would go hiking at 4 a. m.? Takumi Fujiwara?"

He joked with his female companion, Masha, while keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead, without the slightest sign of distraction.

"The scariest creatures at night are wolves or bears, but we have guns, so don't be afraid! Masha, I'm here with you! Even if it's a vampire, I'll be a cold-blooded animal and blast him apart with my beloved hunting rifle!"

Masha was both angry and amused, feeling that the young man was full of energy.

What on earth is going on in your head?

Tang Ning: "Did I scare you?"

Masha nodded, her face alternating between red and white. "It's terrifying."

Tang Ning: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have set the departure time for four in the morning. But you know—if we come during the day, we won't be able to see the sun over the Portsmouth coast."

Masha smiled and shook her head, "I didn't mean to blame you. Just don't do that again, I have a heart condition."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Tang Ning took a moment to salute, "Your knight Tang Ning will certainly protect you!"

Upon hearing this, Masha didn't know what to say. In the end, she just looked down at her phone, scrolled through messages, updated her Instagram, took pictures of the scenery outside her window, and wrote a new travel log.

Tang Ning then asked, "Masha, what is that vague feeling of unease you're talking about?"

Masha immediately replied, "I can't explain it, it's like when we suddenly become quiet, just like now."

Five full seconds passed, and neither of them spoke.

Only on the quiet mountain road could one occasionally hear the whooshing sound of stones being crushed and sent flying by wheels.

Aside from the soothing music playing on the CD player, there was also the drowsy classical music.

Dust billows under fluorescent lights inside old vehicles.

There are also the lower halves of two faces illuminated by a blue, cold light source.

There's nothing else besides that.

Masha finally said, "That's the feeling. I always feel like there's something else on this road."

Tang Ning said nonchalantly, "I won't scare you again, don't worry! Don't overthink it."

Masha was very serious; she showed the red spots on her arm.

"I'm probably just overthinking. I have a skin condition; the doctor said it's neurodermatitis. When your physical health isn't good, your mental health will suffer too, so that's probably it."

Tang Ning immediately nodded. "Yes, you can watch less TikTok. I've been secretly checking your viewing history lately, and it's all stuff about gods and ghosts. It's kind of scary!"

Masha pouted and immediately turned on her phone.

--Showcase works by the Mimir Hot Spring Market Orchestra or passengers.

"This isn't just mythology or ghost stories! It's a whole series! Look at these green screen effects! And this dragon, it's so realistic!"

The video happened to play the scene where Wen Bucai fell from the sky.

Tang Ning scoffed, "Tch! That's so fake! What dragon looks like that? It looks like it's dead, with someone grabbing its neck, not moving an inch and not resisting at all."

Masha said worriedly, "These days, the content produced by travel bloggers like us isn't as impressive as that of special effects teams. I don't know what to do in the future, or what kind of job I can find to support myself."

Tang Ning encouraged her lover. "Fake is fake, it can never compare to the real thing! Darling, your films are the best!"

"Even so," Masha gestured with her phone, "View counts and likes don't lie."

Tang Ning whistled and joked with a smile, "God! Please grant my wish! Send some werewolves or vampires! Let my lover's Instagram account see a huge surge in followers! ~ Or at the very least, a ghost would do!"

Masha wasn't happy at all when she heard the joke.

She said with a hint of anger, "You're just teasing me! I'm going to scare you back!"

Tang Ning: "How do we do it?"

Masha: "Pretend to commit suicide."

Tang Ning: "You did this before, lying in the living room pretending to have a heart attack. I kissed you for a long, long time before you finally got up [hahahahahaha]."

Masha: "Then how about cutting your wrists to bleed out?"

Tang Ning: "Don't waste the ketchup!"

Masha: "I don't care, I'm going to scare you!"

[Pain and Lus]

Before the words had even finished --

--Tang Ning's pupils contracted slightly.

Ahead on the road, the car headlights illuminated a blurry black shadow.

At the critical moment, Masha suddenly swerved the steering wheel!

Immediately following was the screeching of brakes as the old Ford sedan crashed headfirst into the guardrail.

Masha felt her body being violently pulled, bouncing between the seatbelt and the seat.

Tang Ning's mind was hazy, but the kid was very reliable; before losing consciousness, he grabbed the short-barreled shotgun in the car's glove compartment.

In just over ten seconds, the young couple regained consciousness. Thanks to Tang Ning's good driving habits, he was able to maintain the vehicle's posture during the high-speed maneuver and eventually bring it to a safe stop.

"Honey, don't do that again." Tang Ning put down the gun.

Masha, her face covered in cold sweat, exclaimed, "Didn't you see?!"

Tang Ning: "What do you see?"

Masha: "We almost bumped into something!"

Tang Ning: "What is it?"

Masha: "Looks like a human!"

Tang Ning then fell silent.

Another eerily quiet five seconds passed.

Tang Ning asked, "Shall I get off?"

Masha shook her head. "No!"

Tang Ning said seriously, "I have to get out of the car and check. If I hit a person, I have to save him. It's so late at night, you can't even see the moon—this guy ran into the middle of the road without saying a word, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Masha pouted, her face full of displeasure. "Who would come to this godforsaken place at a time like this? We came here with our lights on and music playing! This guy should at least give us a wide berth!"

Tang Ning stubbornly insisted, "This person was probably attacked by wild animals in the forest. He lost consciousness due to blood loss. He barely saw us and didn't have time to think about anything else."

Masha didn't understand. "How can you let your guard down at a time like this? What if we're mistaken? What if it's not a person, but a wild boar? A bear?"

"We have to go check it out. I have a gun." Tang Ning insisted on his idea. "Music and lights will drive away wild animals; only people will be attracted to these things."

"Fine! Fine! I don't know who's gone mad!" Masha said, but still gripped Tang Ning's arm. "Please, darling, don't go."

Tang Ning gently stroked Masha's face.

His eyes held only tenderness and love.

"I love you, I'll be back. Just to take one last look. I need to make sure the car is okay. If the brakes or radiator have burst, we'll call the police immediately. This isn't just about protecting the strange shadow we just encountered, it's about protecting ourselves."

Masha was terrified and on the verge of tears. "Please, please! You've been acting like you're possessed lately. You've bought so many strange things on online shopping platforms, and now you want me to come with you to Portsmouth! What's wrong with you? Are you under some kind of evil spell? I'm scared! Tang Ning!"

Tang Ning unbuckled his seatbelt.

Masha yelled, "I'm scared! Can't you hear me? Are you fucking deaf?! We're leaving now! Get out of here! No matter what you hit! No matter if it's a person or a ghost! Get out of here right now!"

Tang Ning opened the car door and went to check the vehicle without hesitation.

Masha finally calmed down, because getting angry was useless.

Tang Ning has always been this kind of person.

Like a cold-blooded animal--

--Never considering her feelings.

Under the bright headlights, Tang Ning walked around the vehicle in the rain.

There was no blood on the bumper.

He then circled around to the bright red taillights, but found no trace of blood.

Looking into the dark, damp road, there was no sign of any so-called "dark shadows" --

"--Come back! Tang Ning!" Masha screamed, almost hysterically, overwhelmed by fear. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

Tang Ning turned on his phone's flashlight and carefully felt his way along the road.

He eventually found three bloodstained broken bones on the wet road.

The bones were soaking in a pool of thick blood, which contained a lot of sticky liquid, like snot and saliva.

Masha: "Come back! Don't go any further!"

Tang Ning remained undeterred; he could still discern the shape of the bones.

--It looks a lot like a human canine tooth and part of the nasal cartilage.

He came to the iron railing beside the road and found that the railing was deeply dented, as if it had been violently rammed by some wild beast.

Some black cloth was hanging on the railing, scraped off from the rough edges of the iron bars, and a strange document was tucked inside the cloth.

So that means --

--Just now, someone did roll down the low slope in the forest.

You can tell from the scent on the clothes that this is a woman, wearing Gucci perfume.

She was severely injured; her entire mouth and nose were rotten away.

After hitting the iron railing, she lost consciousness and stumbled onto the road, nearly getting run over and killed by Tang Ning.

There was nothing else around.

Tang Ning retreated step by step, filled with immense fear.

He didn't know what these things represented, but he knew that this woman who dressed up and meticulously used Gucci perfume was neither dead nor a monster—a monster wouldn't care about its own scent on a cold, rainy night.

However, this was not his concern. He could hardly imagine what kind of terrifying impact the iron bars had suffered to cause such violent deformation.

He retreated step by step, holding his gun and looking into the distance, before getting back into the car.

Masha breathed a sigh of relief and immediately leaned over the gearshift lever.

They embraced tightly, as if they had escaped death, and kissed each other passionately.

Tang Ning: "It's alright, darling."

Masha: "Let's go, let's go."

Tang Ning started the car. "Don't you want to ask me what I saw?"

Masha rolled her eyes. "I don't want to know! I! Absolutely don't want to know!"

Tang Ning simply put the teeth and nasal cartilage into a plastic bag, intending to hand them over to the police officer, and decided not to scare his girlfriend any further.

The vehicle restarted, and the music started playing again.

Masha was still unsettled.

She felt that Little Downing seemed to have become a different person during this period.

He started tinkering with some mysterious magical items, researching various alchemical instruments, and acquired a large amount of silverware. He then turned all the silver into small beads, without knowing what he was going to do with them.

Tang Ning put down the gun and grabbed her lover's hand.

"Don't worry, Masha."

Masha gradually calmed down, Little Downing's palms were burning hot and very warm.

B106 mountain road --

--In a makeshift public toilet.

9527, clutching his severed arm, had just finished stopping the bleeding and was hiding next to 3301.

330 was completely disfigured; half of his face was gone, his teeth and mouth were exposed, and his body was trembling and convulsing in pain.

Two best friends huddled together in a room, hiding from a monster's pursuit.

9527, pale from blood loss, whispered, "Where did these beasts come from? Do you have any clue?"

3301, with no nose and gaping teeth, sobbed, "They say it's a virus artificially synthesized from holy blood and rat glomerular cells. More than 500 years ago, someone used this formula to turn a mortal into a vampire."

9527: "Can you still smell them?"

3301: "My olfactory glands are all damaged. I think you're just making things difficult for me."

9527: "How do we kill them?"

3301: "We don't have sterilized ammunition, we need silver bullets! We need silver bullets!"

9527: "I never expected that the price of a long holiday would be this kind of field assignment. What bad luck!"

3301: "Do you have Universal Elixir? Can you get me some?"

9527 shook his head. "It's all used up."

3301: "Why did you only bring two?"

9527: "Better than you not bringing any at all."

3301: "After reading the mission briefing, I thought it would be a very simple task. You know I'm a bit reckless with my medication. So..."

The two were originally there to make up for lost time during their vacation. When their employer went to Mimir Hot Spring Market, they were given a seemingly very simple field assignment arranged by the station.

The mission location is not underground, but in the Winchester countryside near London.

--Passengers spotted a mysterious bat-shaped flying object in this area.

The DNA sampling results showed that there was artificially synthesized blood from rats, Earth Dragon, and some ancient organisms, as well as many mutated molds and microorganisms caused by this blood, with characteristics of the Vita Imprint —likely related to the Madness Butterfly Sect and vampire legends.

9527 and 330 were initially thought to be on a mission to boost their performance, with a schedule of investigating during the day and returning to Sky Station at night to sleep—they would casually wander around, collect some evidence and clues, and then head back.

Unexpectedly, these bat-like beasts were very cunning and found an opportunity to break San San Ling Yi's nose.

During the continuous rainy weather, these inhuman and ghostly creatures could even swagger around the city, and when they went downstairs to buy soy milk and coffee with 9527, they fought fiercely for two whole days and two nights, using weapons and vehicles to block the roads and drive the station waiters from the complex city to the isolated and helpless countryside.

"Where is safe? We need to catch our breath." 3301 covered his tongue, stuffed it back into his mouth, and finally managed to stop the bleeding.

9527 was so angry that his blood pressure spiked, and his severed arm started bleeding again. "My phone got rained on and broke. I was having a long chat on the phone with my Xiangxiang and soft employer! Who knew that would happen suddenly..."

3301: "No, no, don't cover it!"

The two sisters stared at each other, wide-eyed, in the cramped toilet stall.

3301 helped 9527 tie his arms.

9527 helped 3301 cover their mouth and nose.

"Seven, are we going to die here?"

"Impossible! I'm so good-looking! According to the stereotypes about villains in movies and TV dramas, those with big breasts and good looks usually live a very long time!"

"But we're not villains, and this isn't a movie."

Don't be discouraged.

Will someone come to rescue us?

"I don't know. We don't have any weapons to kill them right now. We can only hide and hope the rain will wash away our scent and pheromones."

Two furry spirit wolf ears suddenly appeared above 3301's head. Hearing something, they whispered, "Shh! Don't make a sound! Silence!"

The crisp sound of high heels clicking on the pavement came from outside the restroom door.

9527 didn't dare to breathe loudly when he saw a tall woman with a swaying gait passing by through the crack in the toilet door.

Seventh Brother met her in the hotel elevator.

They went downstairs together to get soy milk and eat toast. Just a second ago, this beautiful woman was discussing the two sisters' fashion sense and perfume.

The moment she stepped out the door, her terrifying split lips were revealed, transforming her from an elegant woman into a vampire—one who would immediately open fire at the slightest provocation.

There was no warning whatsoever; it happened very, very suddenly.

I still remember that time, 9527, just finished talking with Jiang Xueming about the train station coffee shop.

The woman then pulled out her gun and called over three or five companions, who then surrounded them.

The two sisters chased and fought with these freaks, fleeing and hiding for their lives.

Two days and two nights without rest.

9527 felt like his brain was about to explode.

She was utterly exhausted, and only her fierce will to survive managed to close the Gate of Death that had been wide open.

They held their breath, withdrawing all Inspiration and spiritual pressure, lest the hunters outside the toilet arouse suspicion.

The sound of high heels quickened, as if someone had smelled a strong stench near the toilet door and was about to leave immediately.

They only felt relieved when they heard the distant, grating sounds of flesh and bone separating, deformed cavities, and fleshy membranes vibrating against the air.

The monster left.

"Let's go, San San!"

Where to?

"Change your clothes and go back to report to the boss."

A Ford sedan is parked on a deserted beach in Portsmouth, a place that has become a ghost town after several years of pandemics.

Masha and Tang Ning stood side by side on the dock.

They waited quietly for sunrise.

Masha held Tang Ning's hand. "You make me feel very warm."

Tang Ning, holding the cold gun, said, "Hmm, Masha, we've finally arrived at our destination."

Masha: "You figured it out? Did you?"

Tang Ning: "The first time I kissed you, I noticed that your body temperature was terribly low."

Masha: "You want me to come here to sunbathe? Are you trying to cut ties with me? Are you breaking up with me?"

Tang Ning: "I love you."

Masha's body began to deform.

--Her back throbbed, tearing through her clothes to reveal two twisted fleshy buds, which then suddenly unfurled into a pair of pink bat wings.

Her nose protruded forward, her face was distorted, and her eyes turned blood red.

Sharp teeth and claws suddenly emerged, and the mouth split into four parts.

Little Downing didn't say anything, she just quietly watched everything.

Masha's voice turned hoarse and wild as she demanded, "Do you still love me?"

Looking at her lover, whose face was completely unrecognizable, Little Downing felt that it was inappropriate to say anything now.

He simply waited, waiting for a golden egg to slowly emerge from the sea in a place far, far away.

There are many questions that have no answers.

For example--

Why would a monster be willing to engage in romantic relationships with a human for so long?

Why would a human be willing to live with a monster day and night for so long?

They looked after each other, joked with each other, and scared each other.

Until Masha's body began to show traces of the Vita Imprint, like the homeland of the underworld constantly reminding her with this deadly call to return to the underground.

Until the sun rises over the sea in Portsmouth.

Little Downing finally spoke, "I love it even more now."

Sunlight can kill 90 percent of bacteria and viruses in nature.

Masha shattered into pieces in the warm light, and the White Lady who burst forth from her body died swiftly along with the twisted flesh, barely surviving for a few seconds.

Perhaps it was the momentary pain and pleasure that made Masha's heart waver.

She must transform from an immortal vampire into a gentle, ordinary girl with the Gate of Death.

Little Downing stomped his leg, sweeping all the dust on the dock into the sea.

He then picked up his gun, wiped away his tears, opened his identification, took out his train ticket from the folded pages, and prepared to embark on an unknown and sorrowful path.

On the outskirts of the ancient and mysterious South Sea City.

Taking advantage of the sunlight, they hid behind the clouds.

Lady Mary and her retinue had just flown back to the castle walls and entered the deep, spiral staircase.

Four hundred meters underground—on another Zero Platform —a train bearing the mark of the Madness Butterfly had just left the station.

Mary took off all her clothes, revealed her bright red curly hair, and talked to her best friend in the bathhouse about the strange things that had happened recently.

"It's a pity that the two little girls got away."

"You went with your entourage, how could you have failed?"

"There's no way I can touch that filth; they're hiding in the toilet. I absolutely refuse to touch it! The smell alone makes me nauseous!"

"You should have gotten rid of your obsessive-compulsive disorder about a long time ago! Sooner or later, it will become your Gate of Death!"

"Getting dirty is the same as getting ugly, and if I get ugly, I won't live much longer! Beauty is power! Besides, I really like the clothes those two girls have. People who are so beautiful should live longer. If more of them die, the terrible aesthetics of this ugly world will become more and more outrageous."

"Well, Sister Mary, I don't know what to say about you. These are your little flaws, but our little sister Masha was truly in love, and she died."

"How did she die? Maggie? Tell me in detail?"

"There are surveillance cameras at the Portsmouth docks. I think she must have loved that child very much. She didn't resist at all, just stood there in the sunlight and died, her body shattered to pieces."

"Ha, foolish."

"She originally had hundreds or thousands of years of life ahead of her. There are so many handsome and interesting men in the world, why would she risk her life for just one person?"

"Emotions can make a person weak and helpless, leading her to her Gate of Death."

"That's right! It's time to deal with the Vita Imprint on my body, sister!"

In the bathhouse--

--Lady Mary casually pulled on the valve of the brass showerhead.

Immediately, bright red, scalding blood spurted down, washing away the red sores on their skin.

The two sisters, hand in hand, jumped from a shower of blood into the large bathtub on the terrace.

She was a stunning beauty with skin as smooth as jade, a slender waist, and a wasp-like bottom.

He is a cold-blooded, ruthless killer who uses human blood as an appetizer.