Chapter 2

Six months ago.

“To Bai Wei,”

“It’s been a year and a half since we last saw each other. I interrupted my exams and traveled all the way back home for you, my childhood friend, to attend your wedding with that damned lucky guy. And what happened? You and that guy eloped right before the wedding? Didn’t even attend your own wedding? Left me standing there like an idiot, listening to the roaring of the old folks at your place…

Of course, I eventually understood. This must be what you wanted. You’ve been deeply oppressed under your grandfather’s control since childhood, haven’t you? To be able to marry the one you love, break away from your original family, and have the right to start a new happy life… I must admit I’m a bit jealous. Of course, jealous of that lucky person who married you. (crossed out)

But now, a year and a half later, you rarely reply to my messages, you don’t post new updates on social media, and the only proof of your existence is the new drafts your editor receives. I found out your current address from your editor and sent this letter to you. How are you doing? Are you so busy being happy that you’ve decided to cut off communication with the outside world?”

“Anyway, I want to know how you’re doing now. You, who have always been serious, focused, and perfect since childhood, must be living a perfect life, sticking to every decision you’ve made, right? But now, it seems like something might be wrong. Of course, if you have any troubles in your life… if you can… please don’t hesitate to send me a message.”

“Even though you’re married now, I will always be your friend, Li Yuan.”

—-

Bai Wei finished reading the letter on the bench at the doorway. His fingers were pale, his expression weary. Under the curious and probing gaze of the mailman, he folded the letter, which still carried the scent of earthy perfume, and put it in his pocket.

“Is this a letter from your friends in the big city? I’ve never seen such a beautiful envelope before,” the mailman asked curiously.

“Yes, it’s from an old friend,” Bai Wei replied politely.

Just as he wouldn’t reveal a single detail of the letter’s contents to the mailman, Bai Wei was equally unwilling to share his current troubles with Li Yuan, his childhood friend who was worried enough to send him a letter. Bai Wei had been raised by his grandfather to be very traditional. Li Yuan was his childhood friend, and their grandfathers had been close friends.

In other words, whatever Li Yuan knew could easily reach Bai Wei’s grandfather.

Bai Wei brushed off the non-existent dust from his clothes and stood up from the bench. The bright sun shone on the red roof of the post office, children’s laughter echoed from the fountain square, and passersby rode their bicycles, humming as they passed by. Everyone seemed content with their lives.

Except Bai Wei. No matter how long he stayed here, Bai Wei felt out of place in this small town.

He had nothing to do. As a writer, he was creatively drained. Sometimes he would sit in the small grove in front of the post office all afternoon, pretending to read the newspaper, just to feel the presence of people around him and convince himself he was normal.

Bai Wei found it quite pointless. No one cared if he was there reading a newspaper; no one would hand him a flyer, nor would anyone notice that he was desperately trying to act like a normal, emotionally stable person.

Maybe his precautions against Li Yuan were also pointless. After he eloped for this marriage, his grandfather’s family had cut off all contact with him, decisively abandoning their disobedient grandson.

—–

In the evening, all the children would hold their parents’ hands and go home. Bai Wei had lost his old family, and now, except for his new family, he had nowhere else to go. But the new family he married into to escape the old one, despite appearing to be a perfect match, was actually a living hell.

“Bai Wei! Buying groceries again? I’ve been seeing you here a lot lately,” the shop owner greeted, laughing with someone nearby. “I used to believe you when you said that couple’s relationship wasn’t good! How can a couple with a bad relationship be buying groceries and cooking every day?”

“It wasn’t me who said that; it was on the internet. Didn’t a neighbor who lives on the same street as them tell the reporter? Something like ‘The ten years after tracking the genius boy: famous writer Sang Zhong Yong, eloped to the countryside, unhappy marriage, his brain turned to mush from reading too many books.’ Meanwhile, another control group… Oh, oops, I forgot you were still here,” the vendor handed Bai Wei a wilted bunch of scallions, pretending it was a peace offering. “Don’t mind what people say online and in the papers. Who even reads those anymore?”

“Exactly, they bought such a big house. Long tongues. And who elopes without being in love? Otherwise, that would make them a fool,” the shop owner picked out the ripest tomatoes. “You two should join the town’s gatherings sometime, like the ones Dr. Qiao’s family always hosts… They must have invited you, right?”

Invited?

Bai Wei felt his smile must be perfect. He said, “I should be going. Luson will be home soon.”

This time, Bai Wei didn’t throw away all the groceries he bought into the trash.

But he did throw away the scallions.

Tomatoes, carrots, onions, beef, and other ingredients for making soup were neatly placed on the dining table and then cooked into the soup. The swirling rumors were kept outside. In fact, it wasn’t so bad. Compared to the well-informed big cities, the rumors in this small town were nothing but a drop in the bucket.

However, Bai Wei stood by the sink, looking at himself in the mirror.

No, the shop owner’s heard rumors were all true.

—-

The old family had suffocated Bai Wei, and his new family wasn’t much better.

His relationship with Lu sen was indeed cold and strange to the point where Bai Wei couldn’t stand it anymore. Bai Wei was a very traditional person, loyal to his marriage, which meant he couldn’t accept divorce or infidelity.

Moreover, if his grandfather found out, he would be even more disappointed in him.

Even if the reality of his marriage was more absurd than any rumor: his so-called “husband” was a zombie who had crawled out of the grave.

He had mentally collapsed, fled his old home, got engaged, eloped, and had a falling out with his publisher. He thought things couldn’t get worse until he discovered his “husband” was a zombie.

But soon, it would all end—at least part of it. Because he was about to become a widow.

Then, with the insurance money, he would leave the town, never return to his old home, and never write again. He would go somewhere else.

Bai Wei smiled at his reflection—a cold pull of his lips. He tried smiling with his eyes—looking more menacing. So, he had to turn to his phone, once again watching a livestream he had studied many times.

“How to Cuddle with Your Husband.”

Bai Wei could swear by his diploma. He wasn’t doing this to save his marriage. He was doing it just to make his stew seem less suspicious.

He and Lu sen had been distant for a long time. They didn’t wake up together, ate takeout separately at the same table, and never had sex before bed. They were no different from strangers sharing a bed. Bai Wei wouldn’t drink the tomato soup Lu sen brought with a cold face if he were in his shoes.

So, Bai Wei had to pretend. Only then could he have the chance to eliminate his “husband” without arousing suspicion.

—-

After watching the program five times, Bai Wei adjusted his expression again. This time, he was startled by his own reflection.

“Happy.”

In the mirror, the handsome young man smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming.

“Shy.”

The handsome young man in the mirror lowered his head, his face flushed with spring.

“Aggrieved.”

Crystal-clear tears hung from Bai Wei’s long eyelashes.

These expressions were truly nauseating to look at. If his old friends and colleagues saw this, they would be shocked. Bai Wei coldly returned to the kitchen.

But thankfully, it was only for today.

The dining table was covered with a lace tablecloth, and the candlelight was warm. The red soup bubbled on the stove, its fragrant aroma wafting through the air. Bai Wei had never smelled such freshly cooked, rich food in his home since childhood.

And now, it existed only to send Lu sen “back.”

“Ding dong!”

The doorbell rang.

A tall man appeared on the monitor. Bai Wei was already tall at 181 cm, but this man looked like he was almost 190 cm. His facial features were as sharp as a Greek sculpture, handsome enough to make all the women and men on the street fall for him. Even when they first met, Bai Wei thought his face was very nice—although at that time, he couldn’t understand why his traditional grandfather arranged for a man to be his marriage partner.

But soon, Bai Wei discovered many characteristics in this man that he couldn’t tolerate. Like now.

On the monitor, after pressing the doorbell, the man looked back. Then he looked at the door again and glanced back once more—it was like counter-surveillance work done by a spy.

What was even more absurd was that he kept a smile on his face the entire time.

“Your husband looks like a thief,” one of the neighbors from the town once laughed. She glanced at Bai Wei, obviously feeling superior because of him.

Bai Wei couldn’t understand how this “husband” of his, someone from a similar background, had such a habit. It didn’t match his family background or resume at all, as if he had lived in an environment where he could be attacked or assassinated at any time. If Lu Sen hadn’t always been like this since their first meeting, Bai Wei would have suspected that his husband had been replaced by someone else.

This used to trouble Bai Wei a lot. But now, it didn’t matter anymore.

“I forgot to bring my keys when I went out today…”

“Welcome home,” Bai Wei said.

Lu Sen looked up at him in surprise.

Bai Wei, usually indifferent, was now panting, standing on the stairs with a flushed face from running. The aroma of tomato soup continued to waft through the living room. A pink apron with a lotus-leaf border was tied around Bai Wei’s slim waist, looking almost too small to fit.

Bai Wei had always been very thin, as if he never ate properly. So, it didn’t feel out of place for someone tall to be doing this. Seeing Lu Sen look at him, Bai Wei lowered his eyelashes, showing a hint of nervousness. If there were dewdrops on his lashes at that moment, they would surely fall.

The man frowned, clearly not understanding this scene.

“Please change your shoes first,” Bai Wei said. “You’ve worked hard. I’ll get you a small stool.”

Bai Wei ran back indoors.

But clearly, there was no mutual understanding between him and Lu Sen. By the time Bai Wei returned with the stool, Lu Sen had already changed his shoes and was standing in the entrance. A vein popped on Bai Wei’s forehead, feeling that all his efforts had been in vain. He wanted to smash the stool onto Luo Sen’s head.

If the stool hit Lu Sen’s head, would he be knocked out? Blood would spill down from the crack in his skull, dripping onto that annoying mouth…

Lu Sen looked up at him.

His eyes were a dull gray-blue, not very pure, always making one think of steel or stone—simple and emotionless. Compared to round pupils, Bai Wei even felt that vertical pupils would suit those eyes better.

Even though Lu Sen’s mouth was still smiling: “What’s wrong?”

His eyes and mouth always seemed like two separate organs.

Bai Wei realized his gaze was too intense. He lowered his eyes and said with a slight sense of regret, “Why did you change your shoes by yourself? I brought the stool for you. Boo…”

He couldn’t fake crying.

He got stuck.

Lu Sen’s eyes filled with confusion as he focused on Bai Wei, making Bai Wei feel like he was about to lose his composure.

“You mean, if I sit on the stool to change my shoes, it would be less effort?”

Bai Wei: “…”

But soon, Luo Sen said, “Give me the stool.”

“?”

Bai Wei handed him the stool. It was small, and Luo Sen, a big man, looked a little comical sitting on it. But he took off his slippers and put on the short boots he wore when he came in. Then, he took off the boots and put the slippers back on.

Bai Wei: …..

Bai Wei fell silent, and Luo Sen stood up: “Let’s go.”

…What was this? Mocking? Acting?

He couldn’t tell if Luo Sen was happy or unhappy. Lu Sen walked in front of Bai Wei, like a perfect model, casually hanging his coat on the hook, as if it were a standard, graceful gesture.

Bai Wei scooped two bowls of tomato soup, waiting for Lu Sen to finish washing his hands. He placed one bowl in front of himself and one in front of Lu Sen.

Lu Sen’s bowl was poisoned, while his own was safe.

He lit the candle with a lighter.

In the flickering candlelight, Lu Sen returned to his seat. He was dressed in clean home clothes, and his freshly washed hands were also clean. Bai Wei, looking at Lu Sen’s clean face in the candlelight, for the first time felt that this marriage had moments that made him feel at ease.

Lu Sen lowered his eyes, looking at the soup in front of him: “This is…”

“Tomato soup,” Bai Wei added, “I made it myself.”

Lu Sen looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Bai Wei wasn’t good at looking people in the eye while lying. He held his small bowl with both hands, gazing down at the swirling soup and said softly, “I wanted to… Lu Sen, we’ve been married for over a year now…”

“Thirteen months and fifteen days,” Lu Sen said.

Does this person really need to remember the date so clearly?!

“Okay, thirteen months and five days,” Bai Wei responded agreeably. “But it seems like we’ve never really had a normal married life. After moving here six months ago, you’ve been busy with the repair shop, and I’ve been busy with my own things at home. It seems like we haven’t had a meal together in a long time, and we haven’t sat down to chat like this in a while either.”

“I just feel like, marriage shouldn’t be like this. When we left Qinghe and my hometown together, I thought marriage would be a new beginning. I thought I could leave my family behind, and you could leave yours. But since then, it seems like one accident after another has interrupted us.”

Countless moments from the past year flashed in Bai Wei’s mind, strengthening his resolve. “A month ago, it was our first wedding anniversary. But we didn’t do anything. You were downstairs watching TV, I was upstairs reading, as if it was just another ordinary day…”

“Is the first anniversary an important day for humans?” Lu Sen showed a thoughtful expression. “Oh, I mean, for us humans…”

Bai Wei felt like Lu Sen was rambling again. He was a bit irritated but ignored the comment. “I’ve thought a lot about this past month, and in the end, I think we should have a new beginning…”

Suddenly, the restaurant became extremely quiet.

There was no sound at all. If Bai Wei’s hearing wasn’t human and had become more sensitive, he might have noticed that Lu Sen’s breathing and heartbeat had disappeared. All he could see now was Lu Sen staring at him, as if hearing something he didn’t want to hear.

The smile that had always been on Lu Sen’s face finally vanished.

After a while, Lu Sen stared at him with his gray-blue eyes, speaking in an odd tone. “So, you want to leave me?”

“Did I do something to make you feel that I’m not good enough?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. My grandfather, my family, and I… We can’t accept divorce,” Bai Wei immediately retorted. “That’s actually why I made this meal today. What I mean is…”

The video said, “Combining words with actions will be more persuasive.”

Bai Wei’s hands were beautiful. His fingers were long, with prominent knuckles and well-trimmed, rounded nails, with a slight pink tint at his joints. At this moment, he placed one hand on the table, reaching across the surface to extend his hand toward Lu Sen. He lowered his eyes to avoid making direct eye contact but said, “Let’s start over.”

“Let’s start over, live like an ordinary couple, repair our relationship, and love each other like our wedding vows said. Marriage isn’t just a contract to live together, it also needs some love,” Bai Wei said. “You… would you be willing?”

Lu Sen still hadn’t reached out his hand. Bai Wei knew his speech was abnormal, but he knew he had to accomplish this today.

He closed his eyes, not expecting that his acting skills would be so proficient at this critical moment. At that moment, his voice became shaky, tugging at the heartstrings: “Or have you already given up on me… Husband?”

When he said that, Bai Wei really wanted to die on the spot.

But Lu Sen’s hand had already pressed down.

His hand was larger, warmer, and gripped Bai Wei’s more forcefully. Bai Wei looked up at him and found that Lu Sen was smiling again. “Good. I thought you were going to leave me.”

Bai Wei: “I wasn’t… I thought you were going to reject me…”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to reject you. I was just too shocked. I didn’t expect you to think like this,” Lu Sen said. “I didn’t realize that, for humans… for us humans, our previous relationship needed to be repaired.”

Bai Wei: …

Lu Sen’s performance was even worse than Bai Wei had imagined.

“Actually, this marriage has been full of surprises for me. At least before we got married, I never thought I would bring you to settle in Snow Mountain Town. I had originally thought we would stay in the Bai family with a legal status. But after arriving in Snow Mountain Town, I often felt confused,” Lu Sen said. “But you’re right, we should integrate into an ordinary life and find new goals.”

It was an odd statement, but does this mean… he agrees?

After receiving Lu Sen’s consent a minute later, Bai Wei felt it wouldn’t be unusual to stop now. He withdrew his hand and wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye. “I’m so happy…”

“I’m happy too,” Lu Sen smiled.

His smile was identical to the previous one, and Bai Wei couldn’t tell if he was really happy.

“To celebrate, let’s drink some soup,” Bai Wei said, scooping up a spoonful of soup. He noticed Lu Sen also took a spoonful but was staring at him without moving.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Wei’s mind raced. He thought over and over and felt like everything had dissolved into the soup.

Lu Sen looked at him with a curious expression. “Could you call me that name again?”

Bai Wei: …

The word caught in Bai Wei’s throat, but he finally forced a fake smile and got the word out. “Husband.”

Clearly pronounced.

Lu Sen: “Oh…”

He picked up the bowl and drank the entire bowl of soup in one gulp. After a moment, he said, “I guess I forgot to use the spoon.”

Bai Wei, holding the spoon: …

Such impolite behavior. No wonder he felt like he couldn’t go on with Lu Sen.

Lu Sen: “So, people in a marriage always call each other by nicknames, right?”

Bai Wei remained expressionless, slowly finishing his own portion. When he looked up again, Lu Sen had poured red wine into their glasses and handed one to him. “Would you like some?”

“Sure,” Bai Wei smiled.

They clinked glasses in the candlelight. Bai Wei recited their wedding vows again: “Until death do us part.”

“Until death do us part,” Lu Sen said.

He gazed at his wife across the table. Bai Wei’s light brown bangs were beautifully neat, and the curve of her lower lip beneath her well-formed nose made her smile look gentle and warm. Bai Wei rarely smiled like this; most of the time, her expression was neutral, whether when they first met in Black Harbor or in the Northern Capital. At least when they first met in Black Harbor, Lu Sen never imagined that Bai Wei would become his wife.

It wasn’t until he learned about Bai Wei’s background that he realized he needed to use her family’s status to cover up his own abnormalities and blend into human society. He hid his identity as a monster and took Bai Wei home, keeping her as a memento of the new life he began after leaving his former world, just like he had kept every prize he had previously taken.

Moreover, Bai Wei herself was perfect and beautiful, which made her worth keeping.

This was the second year since he left the underground organization, escaped the pursuit of old enemies, and took on the identity of “Lu Sen.” It was also the second year since he had taken over the resume, family background, and even the “fiancée” he had never met. Moreover, it was the first year since his accidental “death and resurrection,” which his wife had witnessed.

This period had been full of accidents and twists. He hadn’t stayed with Bai Wei’s family as he had hoped, but instead, he had strangely run away with her. After seeing him come back to life, Bai Wei had run away, only for him to bring her back. They lived quietly in Snow Mountain Town, yet everyone thought their relationship was bad… People had already started to investigate Lu Sen’s life. Lu Sen felt that if this continued, it would be easy for him to slip up.

He also didn’t like the feeling of failure that others seemed to associate with him.

He just wanted to live like an ordinary person, so why was it so difficult?

In fact, a few days ago, he had been thinking about packing up Bai Wei and moving to another small town. Lu Sen would try to restart his “normal human life” there.

But then, Bai Wei spoke up.

Clearly, his life had taken a turn. After a long period of messing up human relationships and not understanding society, his wife had started to show warmth toward him.

At that moment, he felt a strange stirring in his chest. He touched his chest, confused by the feeling.

Bai Wei had been watching Lu Sen’s actions. She was thrilled and immediately asked, “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“I feel something strange…” Lu Sen said.

The poison had taken effect!

“It must be because you’re so happy, darling,” Bai Wei said, smiling brightly.

So, this was the happiness that humans longed for?

Was this the happiness those he had killed had cursed him never to find?

Had he found it now?

Lu Sen wondered.

That night not only was his chest moving, but his stomach began to ache too. Pain spread from his belly.