Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Sigh, have you noticed how young CEO Xie Guan seems like a completely different person lately? He lost a major international order before, but now he's secured several big deals in a row."

"Yeah, even his personality has changed a lot. I heard he used to have a terrible temper, but suddenly he's become so much more composed."

Inside the elevator, colleagues whispered among themselves. Lin Xingshu remained silent as he walked toward the subway station, his head lowered as he checked his phone. Xie Guan had sent him a string of messages.

"Wahh, I miss Ah Shu!"

"Ah Shu, I really want to come back. I can't sleep at night because I miss you so much qwq."

"Ah Shu, can I have a kiss when I get back?"

Reading Xie Guan's messages, Lin Xingshu's face slowly flushed red, and his fingers tightened reflexively on his phone.

Ever since they had made their relationship official, Xie Guan would often act playfully clingy like this. Whenever he did, his sentences would lilt upward, his deep voice turning sugary, every word oozing sweetness—passionate and bold. Lin Xingshu could never resist him.

"Ah Shu, why aren’t you replying to me?"

"Is it okay?"

Lin Xingshu's face burned even hotter. After hesitating for a moment, he typed back shyly, "Okay."

Xie Guan replied almost instantly, "You're off work now, right? Ah Shu, hurry home! I have a gift for you!"

A gift?

Lin Xingshu couldn’t help but smile. He wondered what surprise awaited him this time. Xie Guan always came up with endless tricks to delight him, never forgetting about him even when he was away on business trips.

This warm, happy feeling was truly wonderful. Even the normally boring subway ride seemed to pass by faster.

Quietly humming a tune, Lin Xingshu exited the subway station and headed toward his apartment. He kept his head down, chatting with Xie Guan, a smile lingering on his lips—completely unaware that a middle-aged man in coveralls was following him from a distance.

"Lin Xingshu—"

Suddenly, a voice called out to him. Lin Xingshu lifted his head, looking around in confusion. Had he misheard? It almost sounded like someone had called his name.

"Lin Xingshu."

The voice came again from behind him. Lin Xingshu turned around, frowning when he saw the person standing there, a spark of confusion in his eyes.

A strange middle-aged man stood before him, dressed in shabby coveralls, his mouth set in a hard line, a stern, rigid expression.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

Lin Xingshu’s frown deepened. The man looked familiar—had he seen him somewhere before?

"Hello, don’t you remember me? We met at the supermarket back in January."

"I’m Zhong Cheng."

The man spoke first. Lin Xingshu froze, the name suddenly clicking in his mind.

A few months ago, he had indeed encountered a man named Zhong Cheng at the supermarket. He couldn’t recall much else, but he remembered the man carrying a knife with him.

But how did he know his name?

Zhong Cheng studied him in silence, his hawk-like gaze scanning him before he slightly sniffed the air, like a beast.

"You smell strongly of it."

Lin Xingshu’s frown deepened. Instinctively, he sniffed his clothes—there was no strange smell.

"No, no, you misunderstand. I don’t mean it like that. What I mean is... you carry the scent of that monster. And it’s... very strong."

Zhong Cheng’s face clouded over instantly, as if recalling something unpleasant. "Did you have sex with that creature?"

"What the fuck are you saying?!"

Lin Xingshu’s eyes flashed with anger. Zhong Cheng quickly raised his hands in apology. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. But I really do smell that creature’s scent on you—coming from within you, so..."

"You’re fucking crazy!"

Lin Xingshu’s pale face flushed red with humiliation and fury. He whirled around and made to leave, but Zhong Cheng stubbornly dogged his steps, pressing on.

"If I remember correctly, your boyfriend’s name is Xie Guan, right?"

Lin Xingshu halted abruptly, turning back with a guarded expression. "How do you know that?"

Instead of answering, Zhong Cheng stepped closer, his eyes raking over Lin Xingshu once more. When his eyes landed on the bite mark on Lin Xingshu’s neck, his features twisted into something feral.

"Just as I thought. That thing tricked you into having sex with him."

"Enough! If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police!"

Lin Xingshu had reached his limit. Though Zhong Cheng had accurately named him and identified his relationship with Xie Guan, everything else he said was utterly disturbing.

Have sex with a monster?! He had never even seen any monster!

"Lin Xingshu, I’ve laid it all out for you, and you still don’t get it?"

Zhong Cheng’s hand rested on the hilt of his knife, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Fine, I’ll just say it outright."

"The Xie Guan by your side right now isn’t the real Xie Guan. He’s a monster—a creature that can mimic human appearances. You can call him a ‘Pseudohuman.’ The real Xie Guan, your actual boyfriend, is currently recovering at my place."

"If you trust me, I can take you to see him right now. Not only that, I can help you kill this monster and get your life back on track. What do you say?"

Zhong Cheng finished speaking, his eyes fixed on Lin Xingshu, who stood stock-still, his mind reeling. Zhong Cheng let out a frustrated sigh.

"I know it’s hard to accept, but sooner or later, you’ll have to face the truth—"

"You’re fucking crazy!"

Before Zhong Cheng could finish, Lin Xingshu cut him off, staring at him as if he were a madman, pure terror in his eyes. He recoiled a few steps before turning and bolting. Zhong Cheng barely had time to react before Lin Xingshu had already vanished into the distance.

"Lin Xingshu—!"

Zhong Cheng called after him futilely, but Lin Xingshu only ran faster, disappearing around the corner in seconds.

Watching the direction Lin Xingshu had fled, Zhong Cheng’s jaw clenched in frustration.

Damn it, some people just refused to listen to reason. Lin Xingshu was truly an idiot. If it weren’t for my organization’s orders to eliminate the monster, he wouldn’t have bothered with Lin Xingshu’s fate at all.

But orders were orders. That monster had to die.

*

"Crazy... what monster? Total psycho!"

Lin Xingshu mumbled to himself as he arrived home. Just then, a message from Xie Guan popped up: "Ah Shu, are you not back yet? qwq"

Seeing the message, Lin Xingshu couldn’t help but smile, pushing Zhong Cheng’s words to the back of his mind. He typed a reply while unlocking the door.

"Just got back."

No sooner had he sent the message than a strong hand seized his wrist and yanked him inside. The next moment, he was tightly embraced from behind, the force so great it nearly crushed him against the other’s body.

"Hngh—!"

Before Lin Xingshu could scream, a hand gently covered his mouth, and a low voice whispered in his ear, "Ah Shu, don’t shout. It’s me."

The cold, familiar puff of breath against his neck. Startled, Lin Xingshu turned around, but the room was swallowed by darkness—he couldn’t see the man’s face.

"Xie Guan? Why are you here? Weren’t you on a business trip?"

"I missed you. As soon as I finished, I rushed back… wanted to surprise you."

Xie Guan buried his face in the crook of Lin Xingshu’s neck, his icy lips grazing the skin there. Lin Xingshu’s breathing grew uneven as a damp, cold sensation spread over his neck—Xie Guan was licking him.

"Stop it…" Lin Xingshu murmured, his voice trembling.

Ever since they’d gotten together, Xie Guan had always been like this, licking him like an animal. At first, Lin Xingshu had resisted, finding it hard to accept, but over time, he’d come to crave it…

Their bodies pressed tightly together. Xie Guan’s hand had somehow found its way to the small of his back, fingertips brushing lightly before his cold lips trailed up Lin Xingshu’s neck, lingering near his ear.

"Ah Shu, being away was unbearable. I thought about you every day. I ached to hold you, to claim you. Ah Shu, you smell so good…"

Lin Xingshu instinctively clutched at Xie Guan’s clothes, his face burning. "S-stop saying things like that…"

"Ah Shu, you promised you’d kiss me when I got back."

Xie Guan’s palm cupped his cheek, his thumb stroking gently. Lin Xingshu was so embarrassed he wished he could melt into the floorboards, his fingers knotting in the fabric of his clothes, too flustered to speak.

He regretted it now—he never should’ve made that promise.

They’d kissed plenty of times before, but Xie Guan had always been the one to initiate. Lin Xingshu had never taken the lead.

"Ah Shu, my dear Ah Shu, you promised…"

Xie Guan was whining again, his voice lilting in that cloyingly sweet tone.

"I know, I—I’ll try…"

Lin Xingshu mumbled, grateful for the darkness hiding his flushed face. Tentatively, he slid his arms around Xie Guan’s neck, and Xie Guan dipped his head obligingly.

In the dark, Lin Xingshu pressed his lips lightly against Xie Guan’s. They were cold.

Xie Guan’s body temperature had always been like this—abnormally cold.

Recalling Xie Guan’s usual movements, Lin Xingshu hesitated before parting his lips slightly. When their saliva-slick lips met, Xie Guan suddenly fisted in his hair and kissed him fiercely.

"Ah Shu… I missed you so much."

Xie Guan’s voice was rough, muffled against his lips. Drunk on the kiss, Lin Xingshu let Xie Guan manhandle him toward the bedroom, an arm wrapped around his waist.

Panting harshly, Lin Xingshu fisted the sheets beneath him. Xie Guan was always like this—kissing him with a desperate, consuming need, as if he wanted to devour him. Especially his tongue…

It was long, snakelike, and Xie Guan always worked him until he sobbed.

In the darkness, their gasping breaths tangled with the rustling of fabric.

Xie Guan’s kisses trailed downward, worrying at his pulsepoint. Just when Lin Xingshu thought he’d move further, Xie Guan suddenly stopped.

"Ah Shu, did you meet anyone strange today?"

Lin Xingshu blinked, his thoughts still syrupy, unsure why Xie Guan would ask that. He tried to see Xie Guan’s face but couldn’t make it out in the dark.

With his lover, he had no reason to hide anything. "How did you know? Yeah, I ran into someone. He knew your name and said you were some kind of monster…"

"Ah Shu, did you believe him?"

Lin Xingshu laughed softly, looping his arms around Xie Guan’s neck. "Why would I believe that? He was spouting deranged nonsense."

"Besides, monsters don’t exist."

"But how did you know I met someone like that?"

Xie Guan was silent for a moment before answering, "I heard there’s been a madman around here lately, spouting nonsense. I was worried about you."

He leaned down, crushing Lin Xingshu against his chest.

"Ah Shu, if one day… I no longer had this pretty face, would you still like me?"

In the dark, Lin Xingshu frowned. Why was Xie Guan asking such strange questions?

Since returning from his trip, Xie Guan had seemed uncharacteristically vulnerable.

Lin Xingshu didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he rubbed his cheek against Xie Guan’s palm, brushing featherlight kisses to it before fluttering his eyes open in the darkness, his gaze liquid with devotion.

"Whatever form you take, I’ll always—mmph!"

Before he could finish, Xie Guan cupped his face and kissed him fiercely, his lips moving from Lin Xingshu’s cheeks to his mouth before trailing down his neck. He licked and nipped at the skin, fangs scraping just enough to bite—only to soothe it with his tongue.

"Ah Shu, I’m so happy… I want to make you happy too."

Xie Guan released his face, slithering lower. The whisper of fabric moving followed, and the next moment, Lin Xingshu’s eyes blew wide.

"Xie Guan! Wh-what are you—"

"Stop! Don’t—!"

Lin Xingshu arched, buckling weakly to push Xie Guan away, but Xie Guan twined their fingers and dragged him under. A punched-out moan escaped before Lin Xingshu could clamp a hand over his mouth.

Tears welled in his eyes as he bit his lip, clawing at Xie Guan’s shoulders.

Right now, he was like a small boat adrift in the ocean, helpless against the riptide. A sudden swell crashed over him, pulling him under, drowning him in the tide.

In the storm, the boat finally capsized, swallowed by the waves.

"Ah Shu."

Xie Guan called his name, icy kisses trailing up his thigh before stopping at his neck.

"So sweet. You’re delicious. Thank you, Ah Shu. I love it."

***

The rising heat, the mingling sweat—a breeze slipped through the window, lifting the curtains, letting in a sliver of light.

Exhausted, Lin Xingshu lay sprawled on the bed.

Xie Guan loved this position—like an animal.

Oddly enough today, Xie Guan had refused to turn on the lights or let him touch his face, yet he’d whispered endless filthy promises in his ear.

The lace curtains trembled in the wind. Dazed, Lin Xingshu turned his head—and froze. The moment he saw Xie Guan’s face, his blood ran cold, and all color drained from his own, leaving him sheet-white.