Qin Yan waited for Song Heqing to come along the next day like a cat hunting a mouse, bunching his plant fibers. It was all he could think about so he didn’t even eat another person the next day, which was relief, really…

Song Heqing showed up at the usual time. He had no choice. He also had no choice but to water the main stem of Qin Yan’s plant where the roots reached into the soil, and that required walking across all of Qin Yan’s vines.

Reasonably, Song Heqing had a cold sweat. 

If he didn’t water, then he could be killed if the eggplant withered.

If he did water and the eggplant attacked him, he was ill-equipped to defend himself.

Although the eggplant hadn’t harmed him yesterday, seeming to mock his defenselessness instead, demons are fickle things and there was no telling when he might be endangered. In the first place this eggplant had always been strange. It was so vine-y, but eggplants were supposed to be stocky like a bush, not sprawling all over the place like a squash plant. Most of all he was especially frustrated that even an eggplant could have the leisure of bullying him. 

Watering the garden had originally been Song Heqinq’s favorite chore. It was impossible to mess up, did not create immediate danger to his life, was not grotesque or sickening, and these green plants were just about the only non-sinister living thing he saw throughout the whole day. If a plant from this very same garden ended up being his downfall after all his careful planning, every bit of pride he threw away to survive...

Of course, Song Heqing was long used to sucking it up. Crying, lamenting, and whining would do no good besides getting himself killed, so after a moment of hesitation he stepped over the first vine.

Qin Yan did not attack...for now.

Song Heqing stepped over the second vine…

...then the third, still tense as a bowstring.

Qin Yan was waiting for the best moment, thrumming with anticipation.

When Song Heqing let out a thin sigh, about to stoop down and water, Qin Yan struck.

“Agh!”

Qin Yan stole the watering container while simultaneous looping vines around Song Heqing’s waist, wrists, and ankles. They were firm enough to keep him in place, yet merciful in strength. 

“Let me go…” hissed Song Heqing, but he had no chance of struggling free. “…don’t…!”

*Frustration +7—

Song Heqing was a fierce child, his face a distorted and hands pressing against the vines with all his might, willing to fight tooth and nail to survive. 

Qin Yan almost felt guilty. Tormenting a minor like this would be a violation of countless regulations and laws in his previous world, but it was for the points. He brought out his smallest, softest tendrils of growth and rubbed back and forth under Song Heqing’s chin like the brush of a feather. It was one of the most vulnerable parts of a human being, and extremely sensitive in many cases.

Tickling was a SUPER effective attack.

“No! S-stop…”

Cringing, Song Heqing bit his lip trying to hold back, but soon, his body could not withstand it.

His lips parted and he started laughing in a crazed, clear tone. 

***Humiliation +16—

**Anger +11—

Qin Yan stopped almost as quickly as he started. He didn’t dare take it too far.

Tickling can actually be a form of torture, after all. Its use was most prevalent during the Han dynasty, and victims can suffer mental damage, become unconscious, suffocate, choke, or even have an aneurysm if tickled too long. Qin Yan really didn’t intend to do any of those, so he released Song Heqing within a few seconds and set the watering container upright on the ground.

Song Heqing buckled over a little. His arms shuddered and his chest lifted with shallow breaths. He'd thought he was done for...but seeing that the eggplant once again spared him, Song Heqing plucked up his watering container with a scowl and sprinted to the other side of the garden.

Qin Yan did not get watered that day…

The next day Song Heqing had his hair tie pulled out, and all his silky strands flew chaotically in the wind.

The day after, Song Heqing tried to hold back the intruding vine tendrils, batting at them like one would bat at a naughty dog, but he failed. Then he was tickled again.

The day after the day after, Qin Yan lifted up the back of Song Heqing’s robe and sent a shiver up his spine.

Some days, Qin Yan would not do much other than tug on Song Heqing’s robes. Other days, when Song Heqing looked tired, he stole the watering container and watered the plants for him. There was nothing much else he could help with, as he was literally rooted into the ground, even if there were times he wanted to bring Song Heqing food or heal his wounds. Thankfully the boy could usually watch out for his own skin, and rarely gained serious injuries. 

Just like that, Qin Yan continued to tease Song Heqing every day.

For much of his initial growth Qin Yan had been partially asleep and dormant. Whenever he awoke it had been dark. Even after he awoke, he couldn’t do anything and was bored to death. Now he had something to look forward to. Although he seemed to care less and less about gathering points and getting a new body, doing this daily ritual with Song Heqing made him feel like both a productive and mischievous eggplant. 

There were also many more times that he ate strange creatures and people…

He tried not to do it, ignoring the thought, restraining himself, but he’d end up eating them anyway. He went into a zombified daze and just…acted. It was like an addiction to junk food, his favorite spicy ramen or shrimp flavored corn puffs, but the catch was that some kind of drug was added to it. As with most people who downed an entire liter of Pepzi at once or emptied a family-size bag of potato chips, he would experience an instance of gratification that rapidly turned into a vague unpleasantness.

At least Song Heqing was here to keep the remaining portion of Qin Yan’s humanity company.

Although, Qin Yan often wondered if Song Heqing disliked him. The boy often gave him eye rolls of exasperation and intentionally stepped on his vines...but Qin Yan was assured that he was at least tolerated! That was because the amount of anger points he gained didn’t increase at all. Song Heqing would scowl in his direction and curse at him under his breath, but Qin Yan was still being watered almost every day.

He wanted to believe that even if Song Heqing didn't like him, he didn't hate him either. 

Amarathia

Extra: The truth 

Servant A: That one eggplant really takes up space, but doesn't have any fruit. Should we pull it out?

Song Heqing: It had fruit.

Servant A: What? ...really?

Servant B: Song Heqing's in charge of harvesting, so wouldn't he know if it had fruit or not? I've seen eggplant in the kitchen.

Servant A: Huh...I guess that's true.

Song Heqing: *Had gotten the fruit from a different eggplant nearby, but says nothing*