Galsworthy stood rooted to the spot. Her feet felt as stiff as tree roots, refusing to obey her. She stared at the hazy figure, her eyes flickering with growing unease.
"Who are you?"
"Arthur?!"
"Heh, you really do have sharp eyes. You recognized me even like this. No wonder you were the first to discover the gold mine." Zeng Mu rose from his chair and beckoned her over.
She acted as though she had not seen his gesture. Most of her fear subsided, and after a long exhale, she asked, "I don't understand what you're talking about. Besides, isn't it a little rude to come into your aunt's house like this in the middle of the night?" Only then did she remember she was naked. Her ears flushed, and she instinctively hugged the pillow tighter.
Rather than getting angry, Zeng Mu smiled and slowly approached. Once he was close, Galsworthy could make out his expression. It was not friendly; it was utterly unfamiliar, nothing like the Arthur Morton she had seen two days earlier. It was as though he had become someone else. She instinctively backed away, but just before she reached the threshold, he reached out to stop her, blocking the doorframe.
With his excellent eyesight, Zeng Mu studied her face at close range in the darkness. He felt as though he were alone, admiring a night-blooming flower in full bloom. But this flower had blossomed by feeding on rotting flesh and blood. He had no desire to admire it.
"Stop playing dumb. You know what I'm talking about."
"And there's something I have to ask you. Over these past three years, whenever you were alone at night, did your conscience ever weigh on you? Were there... moments when you felt afraid or regretted what you'd done?"
Her gaze