Chapter 10

“Wait, wait a minute!”

As Lu Sen kissed him messily, Bai Wei could feel the other man’s hand trailing down his waist. Even the slowest person would understand that this time, Lu Sen wanted more than just a simple kiss.

And the so-called “duties” between husband and wife.

A once healthy sexless marriage became precarious under Lu Sen’s repeated requests. How did things end up like this? Bai Wei would always remember that at the start, he only wanted to kill his husband.

The small room had nothing Bai Wei was familiar with, and there was nothing at the bedside that could be used to smash Lu Sen’s head. Bai Wei began to resent not having a habit of anaerobic training. Lu Sen, using his overwhelming physique, pinned him down, making it impossible for him to escape. The aggressive man lifted his leg, whispering, “Darling, don’t be afraid…”

“Stop—stop—stop—I said stop!”

Bai Wei had no choice but to do the thing he hated most. He screamed loudly, repeating “stop,” as if he were an emotional, panicked victim.

Luckily, Lu Sen stopped.

Their bodies separated. At that moment, Bai Wei saw how ambiguous their position was. He was panting, his shirt fully unbuttoned, his pale abdomen with a thin layer of abs exposed under the light, from his waistline to his V-line fully visible. One of Lu Sen’s hands was still holding his left thigh. His husband looked at him with a confused, displeased, and inquisitive gaze.

“Why did you want me to stop?” Lu Sen asked. “We’re married, aren’t we?”

Bai Wei was silent. “Because…”

“Don’t you like me?” Lu Sen asked again.

What could Bai Wei say? He had to tell Lu Sen that he liked him. Bai Wei began to consider the possibility of accepting this. He was indifferent to sex; the worst-case scenario would be accepting Lu Sen’s monstrous requests, lying in bed numbly while Lu Sen took advantage of him the whole night. No, not numb. It would hurt. His body wasn’t clay to be molded but taut and prone to tearing and pain.

Moreover, considering Lu Sen’s physique, Bai Wei didn’t want to make a sacrifice that would send him to the hospital. Just thinking about being sent to the hospital in the middle of the night made Bai Wei so angry that he wanted to kill Lu Sen again.

So he took a deep breath and gave the most honest answer, the one he never thought he’d reveal to Lu Sen.

“I’m asexual,” he said, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

This sounded rather formal, so after a while, he added, “Hubby.”

Lu Sen didn’t respond for a while. There was no questioning, no comfort. Bai Wei kept his eyes closed, and eventually, he heard Lu Sen’s footsteps as he got off the bed.

—–

Ridiculous.

This is the absurd and sad reality of marriage. Bai Wei couldn’t understand Lu Sen’s inexplicable excitement these past few days, but at this moment, he finally returned to the “normal” life he was familiar with. For loving couples, this kind of situation often makes one party feel dissatisfied. Even more so for their twisted, strange family.

But Lu Sen just got off the bed; he didn’t leave the room—this room only had a bed, a small chair, and a table. Bai Wei couldn’t understand what he was doing. So, he opened one eye and saw Lu Sen, the big guy, pitifully huddled in the large chair.

Still playing on his phone.

“Oh—you’re awake.” Lu Sen looked at him. “I’m searching for what ‘asexual’ means.”

Bai Wei: …

Lu Sen looked somewhat awkward. “Actually, I don’t know much about these physiological things. I wanted to see what substance causes it. Let me check again, ‘asexual’ means a lack of sexual desire, not mating and eating the mate to replenish energy, right?”

—Is Lu Sen taking him for some kind of praying mantis?

Bai Wei once again felt that his husband was an idiot. Is this what French exchange students are like? When Lu Sen studied in France, did he pay someone else to do his homework every week?

Bai Wei took a deep breath. He wanted to leave, but the repair shop only had this one room. In the end, he lay back down on the bed, covering himself with the blanket.

This time, Bai Wei misunderstood Lu Sen. Lu Sen was searching for a paper to understand what substance might be lacking. He thought he might be able to synthesize a substance that could help with this situation. But he wasn’t sure if it would be useful for Bai Wei.

Bai Wei thought for a while under the blanket. He realized that arguing was minor, but if this issue made Lu Sen refuse to bring the car back tomorrow, things could escalate. So, when Lu Sen returned to bed, Bai Wei gathered his courage and crawled to Lu Sen’s chest, whispering, “Hubby.”

Lu Sen patted his back in comfort. This gesture unexpectedly made Bai Wei feel at ease. He lay on top of Lu Sen and whispered, “Hubby, are you angry?”

“No, I’m just thinking…” Lu Sen said. “I’m thinking about what to do…”

Lu Sen’s mind was full of adjustments he needed to make to synthesize the pheromone. He wanted Bai Wei to feel comfortable, but without too much “flow.”

Bai Wei’s expression remained cold. Luckily, he was hidden under the blanket, so no one could see his face. He spoke to Lu Sen’s chest, “Hubby, aren’t we spouses? Didn’t we promise at the altar that only death can separate us? Just because I can’t have sex with you, does that mean you don’t see me as your spouse anymore?”

“I absolutely don’t mean that.” Lu Sen reached into the blanket, wanting to pull Bai Wei out and tell him this face-to-face.

Bai Wei must be very sad right now. You see, he’s hidden under the blanket, not even showing his face, probably crying secretly…

But then there was a cold, snake-like hand.

“I have other ways,” Bai Wei’s voice was cold, soft, yet with deadly temptation. “Hubby.”

Lu Sen lifted the blanket. He saw Bai Wei lying under it. His skin was pale, his cat-like eyes shining in the dark, his chin sharp.

Like a cold, soft, beautiful, and dangerous white snake.

—–

The next morning, after waking up, Bai Wei had a blank expression and washed his hands three times in the bathroom.

After everything was over, he leaned against the bathroom door and let out a long sigh.

Last night, Lu Sen decided to help him first. It was hard to imagine, but Lu Sen’s large hands were so soft and his joints so flexible. If there were any criminal gangs in the world, they would definitely need Lu Sen’s hands.

However, no matter what Lu Sen did, Bai Wei didn’t react at all.

Bai Wei wasn’t surprised by this. He had already tried this when he was fifteen. Whether with women or men, he didn’t experience any pleasurable physical responses. The check-up showed that everything was normal with him; perhaps there was some substance missing in his brain that prevented him from feeling this “pleasure.”

Later, Bai Wei suggested helping Lu Sen, but when his hand touched halfway, Lu Sen rejected him. Lu Sen seemed quite frustrated. He thought the night shouldn’t be enjoyable for just him alone. He didn’t want it to be a one-sided night.

But Bai Wei’s hand had already touched Lu Sen’s. This was why he repeatedly washed his hands.

Before heading out to handle business, Bai Wei took a moment to calm himself on the chair. He was still very uncomfortable, like someone had suddenly barged into his own room. What made him particularly uneasy was being honest with Lu Sen—though they were under the blanket and couldn’t see each other, it felt like they were being honest with each other.

“Maybe, after six months or a year, when he’s dead, I’ll forget about this. It shouldn’t be hard,” he thought, suddenly recalling a sentence from a book when he fainted after being punished by his grandfather at eleven.

“Life won’t always be so painful.”

Lu Sen went into town to retrieve the car from the previous day. He used this opportunity to drive to a nearby town on the edge of Black Harbor City to get some keys made. In Black Harbor City, as long as you have money, things can get done. The key shop owner didn’t ask any questions and turned two bars of soap into two keys.

“Did you hear? Those ‘outsiders’ pissed off the Black Harbor City cops. Yesterday, they had a chase all over the streets,” two people were chatting near the shop.

“Black Harbor City’s getting weirder by the day. Those ‘outsiders’ say they’re just here to find serial killers. Once their task is done, they’ll leave. They have a form with all these weird codes on it…”

“Hah? Serial killers? Aren’t there serial killers everywhere in Black Harbor City?”

The two thugs casually tossed their cigarettes and gum onto the street. Bai Wei stood in the dim corner of the key shop, watching them with a cold expression.

Black Harbor City used to have a clean coastline. Twenty years ago, he lived here with his mother. Until these big companies, drug addicts, and homeless people from all over turned Black Harbor City into what it is now.

Bai Wei felt the urge to clean again, but it was interrupted when the blacksmith shop owner suddenly called him inside.

“I’ve finished one key, but the other one costs extra,” the old man with glasses said.

“Why?” Bai Wei looked at the old man, who was charging extra.

“Hey, it’s not price gouging, don’t misunderstand. It’s risk management,” the old man raised both hands, “You’re copying the key to the best underground bank’s vault in Black Harbor City. Why wouldn’t I charge extra?”

“The underground bank’s vault key…” This sentence stunned Bai Wei.

“The vault key for the underground bank clients…” the old man warned, “If anything happens, don’t go blabbing about me.”

Bai Wei had no time to think about cleaning up the city. After getting both keys, he drove back to Snow Mountain Town. On the way, he kept thinking about two things in disbelief.

The first thing was that he didn’t get the key to the basement! He had even bought clothes for Lu Sen because of that!

The second thing was: how did Lu Sen get the key to the underground bank’s vault in Black Harbor City?

The underground bank’s vault only served private clients, especially those with large amounts of wealth who couldn’t be exposed. Lu Sen was introduced by Bai Wei’s grandfather as a potential match. His family had immigrated overseas a few years ago and ran two department stores—well-off, but not rich. Lu Sen had studied abroad, did some business as an international businessman, and had little knowledge, especially of basic common sense. After coming to Snow Mountain Town, he became a mechanic due to his interest in car modifications during his studies. This was what both his grandfather and Lu Sen had told him.

How could someone from such a simple family like “Lu Sen” possibly have the key to the underground bank’s vault in Black Harbor City?

He returned to the repair shop, started rummaging through the place, suspecting something about Lu Sen’s family background.

He didn’t find the basement key—imagine what might be hidden there. But he found that the repair shop’s ledger was gone. Lu Sen must have hidden it.

Bai Wei sat alone in the repair shop, thinking. His expression shifted from stormy to clear. Just a week ago, he thought things were simple—he would kill his resurrected husband again, collect his life insurance, and leave Snow Mountain Town. His plan was supposed to be straightforward.

But now, things had become more complicated.

Bai Wei had always known Lu Sen wasn’t a good person.

Before dying, Lu Sen pretended to be charming and knowledgeable, looking normal except for deceiving Bai Wei about his career. The day before he was shot, Lu Sen refused to explain his concealment of his professional matters but still planned a trip to the museum with Bai Wei.

After being shot and crawling back from the grave, Lu Sen became a completely bad person. He no longer pretended, especially after arriving in Snow Mountain Town. From that moment on, Bai Wei saw Lu Sen as a disgusting, terrifying monster, a walking dead.

And a liar.

Lu Sen wasn’t a scholar but an idiot who couldn’t even distinguish a PhD from a master’s degree (so where did his cultural knowledge come from?). He didn’t know basic ballroom etiquette. Lu Sen could fly planes and submarines but never explained how he acquired these skills. He claimed to love art but could differentiate the slightest material difference between two engines but couldn’t tell the difference between Van Gogh and Picasso… Lu Sen, full of lies, even fooled him about death. Perhaps due to a lingering soul, he crawled out of his grave and naturally continued to be his husband.