Chapter 24

“Darling, do you like this grandfather clock?”

“Darling, do you want to put this ceramic cat on the bedside table?”

“Darling, this painting is so cute, what do you think…”

“Why is this painting over here so cheap?” Bai Wei asked.

Most of the paintings in the gallery were priced above a thousand yuan, but the painting in the corner was marked with a lonely price tag of “500.” While waiting for the owner’s response, Bai Wei leaned down to take a closer look. The image depicted a house in the rain, swirling clouds, blackened roses, and realistic bricks… The brushstrokes seemed no different from the others.

“Ah, this painting, we got it from the owner who was eager to sell it, so…” the gallery owner said from behind Bai Wei.

The strong Lu Sen quietly crossed over other items and silently approached the owner.

“Please tell my wife the truth,” Lu Sen’s eyes slightly glowed with a bluish tint.

“Actually, this painting was created by the artist before his death. After finishing this painting, he shot and killed his wife and children, then shot himself. After that, several families who bought this painting were haunted. There were reports of a woman in a blood-soaked dress appearing in the painting at night. The men in those households also fell ill…” The owner couldn’t control his mouth, not understanding why he was saying all of this.

It was over! Finally, someone showed interest in this painting, but now it couldn’t be sold! He thought desperately.

Then, he heard Bai Wei say, “Really? This painting has such an interesting backstory. Honey, I want to buy it.”

…Huh?

Lu Sen somewhat disagreed, but his reason was difficult for the owner to understand: “Darling, this painting is so cheap, it would be embarrassing to buy it. Are you trying to save money for me? Let’s buy the most expensive one instead.”

“No, darling, I really like this painting,” Bai Wei said, wiping the frame with a handkerchief, looking very pleased. “Look, this little house in the painting is so beautiful!”

…The owner successfully managed to sell the painting, though he didn’t even understand how it was sold. Bai Wei paid with a card and had the workers load the painting into his car. As he stood next to the counter, he asked the owner, “This is the first time I’ve seen such historically rich items in an antique shop. Do you have any other good things?”

“Ah?”

“The painting, the inverted cross, the mirror, the mask decorations, the animal skulls… Darling, I didn’t know you were a fan of folklore,” Lu Sen said.

“Honey, don’t you think they have a very special aura?” Bai Wei smiled sweetly, but in her heart, she was thinking, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you.

She carefully placed the □□ and fishing rod in the trunk. She felt that these two items would surely come in handy. Lu Sen stood by the car, and he wasn’t particularly interested in these small human-made things. The gold, silver, and jewels hidden in his warehouse were much more valuable than these antique street items.

He had taken Bai Wei to the antique street only because he had heard that Wei Lian and Qiao Min would be coming here. Human couples do go shopping together, right? He didn’t want to seem too strange. But unfortunately, Bai Wei seemed uninterested in shopping at first, until she saw the painting, and then she became happy.

For the money spent, Lu Sen never felt anything. Bai Wei was already his. The things Bai Wei bought were also his. Spending this money wasn’t a big deal. Moreover, he could use this opportunity to meet more people in Snow Mountain Town, letting others know that Lu Sen was a respected local with a perfect family and a beautiful, highly educated wife.

—-

After starting to have sex with Bai Wei, Lu Sen felt more and more that he had found his true identity. He finally found his place in the world again. Since he couldn’t become the respected local gentleman inheriting Bai Wei’s family, being a successful man with a family in Snow Mountain Town was also a good option. He would manage everything with care. From now on, he was no longer a mercenary without legal identity, a tool that could be discarded by his big boss at any time.

He was a husband!

What a noble identity!

He had already taken Bai Wei out to play, just like in TV dramas, a perfect date where he spent money. He also showed plenty of generosity and grace to the antique street owner, letting the owner know that the head of this household was a gentleman deserving respect, laying the groundwork for the family’s good reputation. And then? What should he do next? Go home?

As they drove past the farmers’ market, Lu Sen suddenly had an idea. He got out of the car and bought several packets of rose seeds, not knowing exactly why he did it.

When he got back in the car, he found a reason for himself. The supermarket owner next door had been urging him to tidy up the garden. If Bai Wei liked the painting, it was probably because of the roses in it.

He would also decorate the house like the one in the painting.

“Honey, you go cook, I’ll put the things we bought at home and arrange them.”

From above, there was the sound of footsteps. Pei Jie, sitting on the wooden board, knew that the young couple had been out all day and had now returned home.

Privately wanting to kill each other, but publicly pretending to be affectionate. This family was really interesting!

Pei Jie had been hiding in their basement today. He had treated his wounds with the first-aid kit and stolen some bread and sausages from the fridge. He spent the day recovering his strength and planned to kill the husband and control the wife once it was late at night. Pei Jie felt like a patient and deadly parasite hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment.

He opened a crack in the basement door and listened to the sounds outside. For some reason, the soundproofing in this basement was so well done that even using an electric saw to dismember someone wouldn’t be heard. Pei Jie didn’t know if this kind of soundproofing was intentional or accidental.

Lu Sen was cooking in the kitchen while watching TV. Bai Wei was running around the house, decorating. Anyone who didn’t know the situation would think they were a sweet couple. Pei Jie heard Lu Sen say, “Darling, if you like these things so much, we can drive to the neighboring town tomorrow to see more. What do you think?”

Bai Wei’s voice came from afar, “What did you just say?”

“I said… Oh, I forgot something. Darling, I seem to have forgotten you’re a writer. So much has happened this month, has it affected your work?” Lu Sen said, flipping the pan while looking at the content on TV, where the female lead in the drama didn’t want the male lead to interfere with her work.

“I seem to? Forget? You’re a writer?”

Pei Jie froze for a moment and then scoffed. It seemed now that this husband was completely abnormal. He didn’t even know his wife’s profession, and hadn’t even considered whether their schedule was affecting her work…

These two were practically playing house. One of them wanted to kill the other, while the other pretended to be living a happy life.

From upstairs, Bai Wei’s faint voice was heard: “Don’t worry, my work has been ongoing.”

Lu Sen replied, “Okay.”

During dinner, the two of them sat across from each other. Since Bai Wei had commented that Lu Sen’s cooking was strange, his culinary skills had improved immensely after watching cooking videos, even reaching Michelin-star levels. Pei Jie, hidden in the basement, was salivating.

After they went to bed, he would climb up to replenish his energy… The two at the dining table really did seem affectionate.

“Honey, take a bite.”

“Ah—”

“Honey, try this.”

“Thank you, darling.”

The two of them were affectionate, watching TV on the sofa, and Bai Wei even poured some wine. After the show ended, Bai Wei kissed Lu Sen’s head: “Honey, I mopped the floor, wait until it dries before walking around. I’ll go to bed first.”

“Okay, wife, I’ll heat up two cups of milk and come up.”

At this point, Pei Jie smiled.

This couple really was affectionate. But Pei Jie wasn’t worried because he had already put sleeping pills in the milk. The dosage was enough to put a cow to sleep for two whole days.

If there were poison in the house, it would be perfect. Sadly, Pei Jie hadn’t found the right poison.

Lu Sen finished heating the milk in the kitchen and said, “Are the stairs still wet?” There was no sound from him downstairs after that. Pei Jie guessed he had gone upstairs, had drunk the two cups of milk, and waited until the night was deep before coming out of the basement again.

This time, he was no longer the cowardly mouse, but the arrogant assassin.

Pei Jie didn’t rush to move. He stood just below the bedroom, listening for any sounds inside, but there was no noise. So, he leisurely dragged his injured leg, grabbed some snacks from the coffee table, and took a sip of the red wine that had been placed there.

This wine has a strange taste… Pei Jie frowned as he put the glass down after the first sip. After all, Lu Sen had drunk this wine before, and it was still healthy. He didn’t think the wine was poisoned. It was probably just poor quality.

The stairs were long, leading to the paradise he was about to destroy. Pei Jie held the gun and elegantly dragged his leg as he walked up the stairs. Since Lu Sen had come up these stairs before going to bed, he felt reassured.

Just then, he heard the mechanical sound of a “click.”

“There’s danger… Damn!”

An arrow came flying towards him with great force, grazing his shoulder as it passed and finally embedding itself with a sharp “clang” into the newly hung painting on the wall.

—-

In the painting, a red shadow that had just appeared was pierced and shattered by the arrow.

That arrow was full of murderous intent. With Lu Sen’s height, it could probably pierce his skull. Pei Jie felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the arrow.

Thankfully, he had a long “health bar.” He had been through countless battles, fought on the battlefield… Wait.

I—damn!

Sounds began coming from upstairs. Pei Jie collapsed onto the stairs—his lower leg bone had broken again. He chose to crawl back to the basement, screaming while clutching his leg in pain. As he closed the door behind him, he heard Lu Sen and Bai Wei arriving by the stairs.

“What happened?” Lu Sen asked.

“Honey, I left the crossbow on the stairs… Do you think the crossbow malfunctioned just now?” Bai Wei covered his mouth. “Oh my god…”

“Did you leave the bolt in the crossbow?”

“Honey, is that not allowed? I didn’t expect the crossbow to malfunction, wuwu…” Bai Wei started crying.

“Darling, I’m not blaming you. Don’t cry…”

Crossbow? Malfunction? Damn! Pei Jie didn’t believe Bai Wei’s nonsense. When he was heading upstairs, he clearly felt something thin under his feet, a wire. That was obviously a trap!

But Lu Sen had also gone upstairs, why didn’t he step on it?

At that moment, Pei Jie felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.