CHAPTER 144: EXECUTIONER

Xu Si was taken aback and instantly looked into those ashen eyes, only to notice they were filled with bloodshot streaks.

Deceive?

She lowered her eyes and said in a soft voice, "I thought you wouldn’t admit it, Azhen. Why did you deceive me? You clearly dare to go out on your own, not afraid of fainting. What else have you deceived me about?"

The night and the passage of time were as silent as death.

A SCRAPE echoed as the sofa shifted on the carpet. In the blink of an eye, Pei Zhen buried his face in her hair. He seemed to cherish this position. Though his status was noble, powerful, and willful, he devoutly left his back exposed to Xu Si, who was in the dominant position, displaying his fragility, sensitivity, and profound vulnerability.

"A lot. Do you want to hear it?"

"..."

He said, a lot. That definitely meant it wasn’t just a few things. The atmosphere felt strange.

She could guess some of it. Some of it had no evidence, while other parts did. She also knew Pei Zhen might have deliberately revealed flaws to let her guess.

What was done, was done. But some harsh words just couldn’t be brought out.

"Listen." Xu Si resigned herself to his embrace and said, "Will you answer whatever I ask?"

At this moment, Pei Zhen was like a tamed wild beast. He sniffed the cedar scent he could never get enough of, contentedly retracting the fangs that could tear out a person’s throat.

He nodded cooperatively, gave a cool "Mm," and then said, "An exchange."

She didn’t know when it started.

He had also learned her merchant-like way of bartering.

Xu Si took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

"Why did you go to great lengths to take me to that funeral?"

Pei Zhen’s slow, casual voice indicated he wasn’t focused on this question-and-answer game at all. "Because of the tense situation in the Triad Society, I need a wife. To me, no one can replace you. Moreover, you also needed that gathering."

At this moment, the remaining answers regarding deceit didn’t seem to matter anymore.

Xu Si closed her eyes. The bite mark on her neck began to itch. "Then the side effects on your body, do they follow a pattern? If you use poison to suppress them, does it hurt? And when do you feel the urge to drink human blood?"

Pei Zhen’s voice noticeably brightened. "How many questions is that?"

When he didn’t answer immediately, Xu Si lowered her lashes. She wasn’t disappointed, as he had just mentioned the tense situation within the Triad Society. Therefore, his physical condition was likely a secret. The leader of an organization like the Triad Society had to be the strongest and couldn’t afford to show any weaknesses.

It was only natural for him to be unwilling. No one wished to list their fatal weaknesses for others to hear, not even family or lovers. If it were her, she would never hand over her hidden vulnerabilities to anyone else either. But she seemed to have forgotten something. Pei Zhen never possessed common human sensibilities.

His lips were close to her ear. As if afraid of startling her, he spoke in a very low voice.

"No pattern. It’s painful. I don’t know. If you want to know the specifics, I can have my private doctor report to you."

Three questions had resulted in three vague answers.

The only thing clear was that using poison to alleviate the side effects was a painful ordeal.

Xu Si pursed her lips and switched to a different question, "Then my sleepwalking... Never mind. To avoid hurting you, I should still..."

...leave.

The word remained unspoken.

His deep, ash-grey, solemn gaze swept over her. Pei Zhen carefully reached for her wrist and fastened an ice-cold metal object around it.

Xu Si looked down.

It was a pair of brightly shining handcuffs, brand new and unused. Her unfinished words were swallowed, replaced by an incredulous, suspicious question:

"You had this prepared? Can you predict the future?"

Pei Zhen chuckled lightly. He tilted his head up, carefully adjusting the fit of the handcuffs for comfort.

"I don’t have that ability. These have always been kept here. After all, this is the Underground City."

Xu Si was momentarily stunned, then laughed. She didn’t take the well-made handcuffs seriously, her tone lilting as she earnestly considered where they would sleep tonight.

"So, where do you plan to handcuff me? There’s nothing pillar-like near this sofa. A table leg could work, though. Cuff me tightly; I don’t want to wake up and find I’ve jumped out a window."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the JANGLING sound of the chain connecting the handcuffs.

Pei Zhen lifted his own wrist, opened the other handcuff, and single-handedly locked himself in as well.

Adjusting the angle, he said, "Locked here. As long as I don’t die, you won’t either."

Xu Si pressed her lips tightly together, looking at the chain that now tethered them. The corners of her beautiful eyes lifted slightly, her tone somewhat hesitant: "What if I sleepwalk like yesterday? I might not be able to stop myself from hitting you."

Pei Zhen unlocked her handcuff, carefully wrapped a layer of gauze around her wrist, and then fastened the handcuff again. His eyes held a hint of a smile, yet not quite: "Then remember to hit me lightly. Otherwise, we’ll just have to die together. That would be fine too. I’m willing."

"How can you be so..." Faced with such maddening obsession, Xu Si suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

That night, the moon sank slowly in the west.

Unable to resist the drowsiness brought on by the timely medication, Xu Si fell asleep on the familiar, spacious, grand bed.

Pei Zhen sat on a stool he’d brought over, propping his chin in his hand as he watched over her.

He held a book, but he had no mind to read it.

His smoke-grey eyes drifted to her beautiful sleeping face from time to time.

Listening to her light, even breathing, he felt a profound sense of comfort throughout his body.

The handcuff on his wrist occasionally jangled. It symbolized one thing: tonight, she definitely wouldn’t suddenly disappear.

He smiled with satisfaction, elegantly picking up the glass of water beside him and taking a sip.

This is much better.

Finally, his eyes were filled with nothing but her.

Xu Si slept in a proper posture. The soft blanket was tucked around the edges of her body, and along with Pei Zhen’s presence, it gave her an absolute sense of security.

Unfortunately, for the past few days, strange nightmares had invariably accompanied her punctual drowsiness.

She began to dream of all those terrible things again. But this time, it was different.

Outside her dream, her brow furrowed. She trembled for a second, and it seemed she heard a different voice. Someone was gently holding her from behind, their cool, ethereal voice whispering intimately:

"Don’t be sad. What you’re seeing now are all illusions, all nightmares. They’ll end soon. I’ve experienced this before, trust me."

"Those wretched things are long past. Mr. Xu is dead. The people who helped him cover up his despicable deeds will eventually die. Those who hurt you that day will all face retribution. Not a single one will escape."

"Try to think about those people who deserve to die. Don’t be afraid of dirtying your hands. Let me be your blade. Tell me, who do you want to kill the most?"

The voice was clear and pleasant, carrying a power that made one instinctively believe.

Xu Si’s turbulent, ever-changing dreams seemed to truly stop at that moment. They transformed into a collage of images as she envisioned the hideous faces of every participant in her dreamscape.

Aged, evil, depraved.

And...

...inhumanly handsome.