During her second year of graduate school, Xu Zhiqiu and Naraku began living together.
They had technically lived together before, but that had been in a university dorm, where Naraku had to remain a spider most of the time.
Xu Zhiqiu's roommate broke up with her boyfriend and wanted to move back in, so Xu Zhiqiu could no longer openly keep Naraku the spider.
She therefore looked for a suitable apartment in a residential complex outside campus and rented a two-bedroom place with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and balcony.
The Jade Spirit had one room, and Xu Zhiqiu had the other. As a spider, Naraku could simply live in the little nest on Xu Zhiqiu's desk.
The first time Naraku took human form was late at night.
Xu Zhiqiu was sound asleep when she felt a weight pressing down on her. Something brushed across her neck, making it tickle. She frowned, thinking a ghost was pinning her to the bed, but when someone touched her lips, her eyes flew open.
What greeted her was a pair of eyes glowing red.
"Ah-!"
Xu Zhiqiu screamed, raised her knee, and kicked straight at the person lying on top of her.
"Ugh..." Caught completely off guard, he tumbled off the bed.
Click-
Xu Zhiqiu pressed the light switch. The pitch-black bedroom instantly lit up, and she got a clear look at the person just getting up from the floor.
When she saw his face, her eyes widened, and her voice trembled. "Naraku?"
"Yes, it's me," Naraku replied, rather embarrassed. He had meant to sneak a little intimate touch with Xu Zhiqiu and surprise her tomorrow, but he had lost the rice without stealing the chicken, and now his lower abdomen throbbed faintly.
Having just taken human form, Naraku still had that long,