Chapter 103: The Married Beta Feeds Honey (Chasing Wife 1.0)

Chapter 103: The Beta Husband Feeds Honey (Wooing His Husband 1.0)

Early morning, sunlight like liquid gold streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, narrow patches of light on the floor.

The spacious room was immersed in a sleepy silence, the air still carrying the afterglow of last night's intimacy.

A white shirt was tossed carelessly over the back of the sofa, and a man's expensive wristwatch sat on the coffee table, its second hand moving silently.

Bai Yu woke up in Situ Jing's warm embrace, gathered his thoughts, then quietly lifted his head to observe the man.

Situ Jing's eyes were closed, his expression calm and relaxed, bearing the satisfied look of spent passion, sound asleep.

Bai Yu gently moved his arm away, lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to the sofa to pick up his clothes.

After putting it on, Bai Yu suddenly realized all his shirt's buttons had popped off.

Last night, from the moment he entered the bedroom and was stripped of his clothes, he hadn't worn anything and hadn't set foot on the floor. Even dinner was eaten while being held in Situ Jing's arms.

Bai Yu looked down at the kiss marks covering his body—wearing an open shirt like this wouldn't do.

Last time he left, he had already packed and sold all his clothes. Had Situ Jing prepared new clothes for him?

Bai Yu threw on Situ Jing's oversized shirt, opened the bedroom door, and went to the guest room diagonally across the hall to look for clothes, only to find the door lock had been replaced with a fingerprint lock—he couldn't open it.

"What's this about?"

Since he couldn't open the door and couldn't find suitable clothes, Bai Yu simply headed straight downstairs wearing Situ Jing's shirt.

Ever since that drunken night, his stomach hadn't been bothering him, so he decided to fix himself a cup of honey water.

Entering the kitchen, Bai Yu opened the double-door refrigerator and found a jar of honey among the fresh ingredients, fruits, and vegetables. Just as he was about to take it out, he suddenly heard a voice behind him, "What are you doing?"

Bai Yu startled, turning to see Situ Jing standing behind him without a sound.

"You're awake?"

"Otherwise? Sleepwalking?"

"..."

Situ Jing had woken up the moment he felt the emptiness beside him, opened his eyes, and came out to look for Bai Yu. He saw Bai Yu, with a lock of hair sticking up from sleep, wearing his oversized shirt and heading downstairs, so he followed.

He didn't know what was going on in that little head—maybe just spacing out—but Bai Yu didn't respond when called.

Situ Jing looked at the honey jar in Bai Yu's hand, "Making breakfast?"

Bai Yu shook his head quickly, "No."

After making baked apples for Situ Jing last time, he had been told not to make food for him anymore. Professional tasks should be left to the chef.

"My stomach isn't feeling great. This might help."

Situ Jing drew Bai Yu into his arms, placing a hand on his flat abdomen, "Where does it hurt?"

Bai Yu pressed on the left side, "Here, probably the stomach."

Situ Jing gently stroked the left side of his abdomen, "Does it hurt?"

Bai Yu's ears reddened—being held while a man stroked his stomach in the kitchen felt... really strange.

The warmth from Situ Jing's palm still warmed his abdomen.

"It doesn't hurt... just uncomfortable. Probably from that night's tequila."

Situ Jing's hand on Bai Yu's stomach paused, a peculiar feeling shot through him—perhaps related to guilt.

"Should I call Jiang Ming to take a look?"

Bai Yu lifted the honey jar, "No need, some honey water will do. I can handle something this minor myself."

Situ Jing frowned, "Are you sure?"

Bai Yu nodded emphatically, "Really, honey water is good for the stomach. Do you want a cup too?"

"No, you have it."

Bai Yu extricated himself from Situ Jing's arms, scooped a spoonful of honey into a bowl, poured in warm water, and stirred.

Situ Jing stood behind Bai Yu, watching him in the oversized shirt that didn't fit him, a kiss mark visible at the collar, "Didn't you find your walk-in closet?"

Bai Yu looked puzzled, "Walk-in closet?"

Situ Jing said, "I had a walk-in closet designed for you, right where the storage cabinet used to be."

Bai Yu tried to recall where the storage cabinet in the bedroom was—there were indeed signs of renovation, probably about the size of the guest room's wardrobe.

"I see, I'll change after drinking the honey water."

Situ Jing stood beside Bai Yu, watching as he held the bowl with both hands, taking small sips of the honey water.

The warmth spread through his stomach, immediately making him feel better.

Bai Yu let out a satisfied "Mmm~", his expression blissful, as if drinking some nectar of the gods.

Sensing the man's quiet observation, Bai Yu couldn't help but look up, "Want some?"

"I took it from your fridge. The jar has a red maple leaf on it—must be imported honey. It tastes really good."

Situ Jing just gazed at Bai Yu impassively, neither accepting nor refusing.

Bai Yu grabbed a spoon, scooped some honey water, and brought it to his lips, "Ah~"

Situ Jing stared into Bai Yu's bright, animated round eyes, opened his mouth, and took a sip.

Bai Yu asked, "Good, right? Pure honey without water is tasty too, like freshly harvested honeycomb from the mountains."

Situ Jing reached out and stroked Bai Yu's moistened lips, "These lips taste even better with honey on them."

Bai Yu: "Huh?"

Situ Jing hoisted Bai Yu onto the kitchen counter, tasting and sucking on his lips, deepening the kiss as the sweetness of the honey gathered.

"Mmm~"

Bai Yu tried to pull away, but Situ Jing wrapped his arms around his waist, holding him tight. Amidst the honey-sweet kiss, the spoon fell to the floor.

Just then, a shriek sounded from nearby.

Situ Hui took off his brown sunglasses, revealing a lazy smile. His flashy leopard-print shirt was unbuttoned low, and he carried an orange high-end luxury bag as he ambled in slowly.

Bai Yu, jumping like a startled rabbit, immediately hopped down from the kitchen island and licked his lips clean.

Though the two brothers didn’t look much alike, they were still family—both had silent footsteps.

Situ Hui plopped the bag he was carrying down on the island, tilted his head to look at Bai Yu, and had to tease him, “Is little assistant working here now, or did you get a promotion?”

Bai Yu: "..."

At the after-party when Situ Jing and Alex were fighting, and Bai Yu had asked Situ Hui to break it up, Situ Hui already knew the truth about him and Situ Jing.

Even Bai Yu, dense as he was, could tell Situ Hui was ribbing him.

When he went to ask Situ Hui for help that time, he’d unfortunately also run into Situ Hui with that dreadlocked rapper—seemingly in the middle of the rapper trying to win him back.

Bai Yu peeked out from behind Situ Jing and cryptically whispered a word to Situ Hui: “Ra—”

A flash of surprise crossed Situ Hui’s eyes, as if he hadn’t expected Bai Yu to retaliate. His smile widened. “So cute.”

Situ Jing reached out and pulled Bai Yu protectively into his arms, stroking his cheek gently. He asked coolly, “What brings you here today?”

Situ Hui took a black tie out of the bag and handed it to his brother with both hands. “I saw this tie and thought it would suit you, so I bought it for you.”

“Just for this? Gift received. You can go now.” Situ Jing took the tie and headed upstairs.

Situ Hui hurried after him. “I want to get my car serviced. Can you give me some money?”

Situ Jing glanced at him. “Didn’t you just finish filming a variety show? Isn’t the pay enough?”

Situ Hui sighed and explained, “The show hasn’t aired yet. I won't get paid until later, but my car really needs servicing. I… accidentally scraped it up when I was out last night.”

Situ Jing sneered. “What are you good for besides causing trouble?”

Situ Hui raised his voice. “It wasn’t me—someone cut me off on purpose!”

Situ Jing continued up the glass staircase, with Situ Hui tagging along after him. “Jing, have a heart. I just need two million yuan.”

“No.”

“Yes, you do. Yes, you do.”

…

Bai Yu finished drinking his honey water and went upstairs to the bedroom to change clothes. He saw the two of them enter the study one after the other.

He walked into the bedroom, opened the walk-in closet for a look, then closed the door.

“Wrong place? No.”

He opened the door again and stared in shock at the rows of clothes, jewelry cabinets, and shoe racks inside, stunned into silence.

Had Situ Jing knocked through the wall to the adjacent room to make a separate walk-in closet?

Bai Yu stepped inside, his fingers trailing over the glass cabinet filled with exquisite accessories. From among the clothes, he picked out a white hoodie and held it up against himself. Confirming it was his size, he pulled it on.

After changing, Bai Yu stepped out of the bedroom just as Situ Jing emerged from the study, looking thoroughly annoyed, with Situ Hui following behind.

“Just two million, please~”

Situ Jing’s face was cold, clearly not planning to give a single cent. But when he looked up and saw Bai Yu, he studied his outfit carefully. “Let’s go downstairs to eat.”

Bai Yu: “Okay.”

Situ Hui winked at Bai Yu as if to say, “Watch me secure this money.”

Bai Yu wondered—would Situ Jing agree?

Given Situ Jing’s cold rationality, small amounts of money might be tossed around casually, but two million wasn’t so easily parted with. Plus, letting his brother develop a habit of asking for money wasn’t a good thing.

But Bai Yu had only met Situ Hui four times in total and really didn’t know how he and Situ Jing interacted. What if Situ Jing actually gave it to him?

Bai Yu followed the two to the dining room, where a lavish breakfast was being served.

Situ Jing had Bai Yu sit beside him, with Situ Hui across the table.

Usually, meals between Bai Yu and Situ Jing were very quiet.

With Situ Hui there, his incessant chatter filled the entire dining room.

“Ah, so sad. No one loves me.”

“My car’s scratched—how am I supposed to go out and have fun now?”

“Jing, you’re willing to open a studio for your boyfriend, but you won’t give your little brother some cash?”

Bai Yu had just taken a sip of soy milk and choked on those last words, coughing. “Cough, cough…”

Boyfriend? Not really.

Compared to their previous purely contractual relationship, things were indeed closer now between him and Situ Jing. They had an agreement, interests intertwined, making it harder to separate.

But if Situ Jing wanted to completely erase someone from his world, all it took was one cold command.

When the time came, he could cut it off just like that.

Thinking about it, Bai Yu felt his current role should be—

Permanent guest.

However, Situ Jing’s expression seemed to soften slightly. He looked up at Situ Hui. “After breakfast, come to my study for the check.”

Situ Hui grinned and winked at Bai Yu as if to say, “See? Success.”

Bai Yu peeled an egg, ate it quietly, and continued with his meal.

Situ Hui, munching on his bacon and eggs, started rambling about something else. “Why are there so few servants here? Where’s the house manager?”

Bai Yu suddenly realized it too—the house manager was gone.

Situ Jing said calmly, “Fewer people, more quiet.”

Situ Hui laughed. “These days, I have the house manager light two hundred candles every time I come home. You open the door and it’s an ocean of candles. I even hired a nanny for my hamster—someone to take care of it.”

Bai Yu’s lip twitched. “A nanny… for a hamster?”

Situ Hui nodded. “Mhm.”

Bai Yu rarely initiated conversation with Situ Hui, but this time he couldn’t help asking, “Doesn’t that take away the joy of having a pet?”

Situ Hui shrugged. “Not at all. Don’t you think it’s convenient? You get to enjoy the emotional support it brings without having to clean up after it, bathe it, or deal with all the tedious stuff.”

Bai Yu looked at Situ Hui, even more puzzled, "How is that any different from buying a ticket to see dolphins at the zoo? You get to enjoy a brief interaction with them, but it's the keepers who truly form an emotional connection with the dolphins."

"I think the happiness of companionship lies in those trivial, mundane tasks."

Situ Hui paused for a few rare seconds before resuming his lazy, carefree demeanor. "That's a rather novel perspective. But all my friends have pet sitters."

Bai Yu suddenly realized that sitting at the same table with Situ Jing and Situ Hui, he had almost forgotten that their lifestyles were worlds apart.

Maybe this was just how the upper crust lived—outlandish behavior was everywhere, and it was best not to dwell on it.

Situ Jing, with a dark expression, said coldly, "Instead of wasting your energy on this, why not study other people's acting skills and make a film that isn’t a complete flop?"

"I know that already." Situ Hui leaned his arms on the table and tentatively asked, "By the way, the trust fund Mom left is about to mature. Can I buy a private island in Southern Europe?"

Situ Jing glanced up at him. "Should I buy you a rocket and have an astronaut carve your name on the moon?"

Situ Hui propped his chin on his hand, as if considering the feasibility. "Is that possible?"

"Do you really think I’m a wish-granting turtle in a fountain?"

Situ Jing elegantly wiped his thin lips with a napkin, stood up, and left.

Situ Hui raised an eyebrow at Bai Yu. "You really can eat."

Bai Yu looked down at his empty plate and said honestly, "I had an egg, a sandwich, two shumai, and a cup of soy milk. I used to eat even more—this is actually less."

Situ Jing stood not far away and, seeing Bai Yu hadn’t gotten up yet, said impatiently, "Come here."

Bai Yu quickly stood and said to Situ Hui, "Take your time eating."

Situ Hui smiled meaningfully, sipping milk through a straw. "Sure."

Bai Yu followed Situ Jing upstairs to a guest room door.

Situ Jing pressed the fingerprint lock and opened the door. "Go take a look."

Bai Yu stepped inside to find a brand-new music studio. The keys of the electronic keyboard gleamed, and professional recording equipment, a mixing console, and a high-end computer were arranged on the desk, waiting to be brought to life.

"These..." Bai Yu looked at Situ Jing in delight. "Can I try them?"

Situ Jing stood at the door, his tone icy. "They’re yours. If you had behaved yourself yesterday, you could’ve been in here last night."

"..."

Bai Yu stepped out, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then hooked his arms around Situ Jing’s neck and quickly pecked his cheek. "Don’t be angry. Thank you."

"Don’t you think that’s a bit perfunctory?"

Situ Jing cupped the back of Bai Yu’s head and captured his soft lips, deepening the kiss.

A moment later, noise came from downstairs as Situ Hui walked up the glass staircase. "I’m coming up, Jing."

Bai Yu tugged anxiously at the man’s black robe. "Mmph—"

Situ Jing released him, gently rubbed his flushed lips. "Stay here for a while. I’ll come find you after I’ve handled some things."

"Okay." Bai Yu obediently stepped inside.

Before leaving, Situ Jing asked, "Do you know how to register a fingerprint?"

Bai Yu: "...No."

Situ Jing pressed a few buttons on the fingerprint lock and guided Bai Yu’s thumb to press three times. "Done."

Situ Hui came up and, seeing the two standing at the door, asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Situ Jing ushered Bai Yu inside and closed the door without explanation. "Come with me."

Situ Hui pressed, "What’s in that room?"

Situ Jing gave him a cool glance. "Mind your own business. Take the check and leave."

Well, that thoroughly piqued Situ Hui’s curiosity.

*

The new equipment was smoother to use than the old ones. While Bai Yu was working on an arrangement, he heard a soft knock and took off his headphones.

When the knocking sounded again, he went to the door and opened it to find Situ Hui.

Situ Hui peered curiously into the room. "So you’re making music?"

Bai Yu nodded. "Yes, I’m doing arrangement for an album."

Situ Hui strolled leisurely into the room, admiring the high-quality equipment. "I’m so jealous of you. You actually have talent. Unlike me—all flash, no substance. I’m just a Z-list celebrity in the entertainment industry, all thanks to Jing throwing money at me."

Bai Yu wondered if Situ Hui had suddenly come to the residence today because he’d heard his brother had opened a studio for him—maybe he felt his brother was playing favorites or was worried Bai Yu had ulterior motives toward Situ Jing, and came to subtly warn him?

Maybe he was overthinking it, but given what happened with Lin Xiaoran before, he couldn’t help but consider the possibility.

Bai Yu said, "But I envy you."

Situ Hui leaned against the desk, arms crossed, the sunlight from the window casting a halo around his blond hair. "Why?"

Bai Yu sat on the back of the sofa, choosing his words carefully. "Because no matter what you do, you’re accepted. Even though Situ Jing might say harsh things or coldly reject you, he never actually does anything to you, and in the end, he still grants your requests. Having the freedom to be capricious is a kind of happiness."

Situ Hui burst out laughing. "You really think that?"

Bai Yu: "Yes."

If you asked on the street who wanted an older brother who could casually hand over two million to spend freely, countless people would jump at the chance.

He wanted that too—he just didn’t have it.

Situ Hui shook his head, his laughter fading. "Do you know how I see Jing?"

Bai Yu stayed silent, unsure what Situ Hui was trying to tell him.

Situ Hui began, "Jing is six years older than me. When I was little, I loved following him around. Even back then, I felt my brother was different from others. Because he was exceptionally intelligent but also particularly cold-hearted. He’d throw firecrackers to goldfish to eat and watch them blow up."

Bai Yu abruptly turned to look at Situ Hui, their eyes meeting.

Situ Hui asked, "Pretty cruel, right?"

Bai Yu opened his mouth. "Maybe it was an accident while playing—"

He didn’t know why he was defending Situ Jing, or even what had actually happened back then. Maybe Situ Jing was harsh, but surely not like that.

"No, he did it on purpose. Later, Mom found out and forbade him from playing such games. She made him bury the goldfish himself, and that’s what finally stopped him."

Bai Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, his mother was there.

Situ Hui found the air conditioner remote and turned it on. "Maybe it was because of Mother's presence that he retained some shred of humanity, preventing him from sliding into even more terrifying extremes. But after Mother passed away, no one could exert any influence over him anymore."

"Being around him makes it easy to get swept along. If you compare people to energy balls, Situ Jing is like a high-mass sun—those around him are inevitably controlled by his gravitational pull, eventually either destroyed or consumed. Do you ever feel that way?"

Bai Yu had to admit, "I used to feel that way before."

Absolute obedience and control, a pathological possessiveness, the push and pull of closeness and distance—it was truly torment.

A hint of confusion flashed in Situ Hui's eyes. "You and he started earlier than I knew?"

Bai Yu said, "It began a year and a half ago."

Situ Hui sighed, leaning on the edge of the table. "Then you should understand how I feel, right? After Mother’s funeral, Jing told me not to call him brother anymore, because I would eventually leave the Situ family. I stood with him against Lin Xiaoran, but when he became the Patriarch, I didn’t get a single share of Father’s stocks or property."

"Do you still think he shields and indulges me?"

"Don’t you think he’s wicked to the core, utterly cold-hearted?"

Bai Yu stared wide-eyed at Situ Hui, unsure of what to say.

After that sunrise viewing by the sea, he had realized he shouldn’t judge Situ Jing’s family affairs, because he likely only saw a partial truth.

Situ Hui smiled as he walked toward Bai Yu, wiping his wrist with a wet wipe from the table, then extending his arm in front of Bai Yu. "Look."

Bai Yu’s view was completely blocked by Situ Hui, so he could only focus on his arm—

Where the concealer had been wiped away, several twisted, gnarled, light-colored scars were revealed, sprawling like lifeless vines along his arm and the inside of his wrist. In the half-light, they gleamed with a horrifying, waxy luster.

Bai Yu recoiled in fright, his amber round eyes shrinking with fear, like a startled deer.

"What... what is this?"

Situ Hui curled his lips into a smile, seemingly pleased with Bai Yu’s panic. "Guess."

Bai Yu said, "I can’t guess."

Situ Hui pulled his sleeve down, walked over to the light brown sofa opposite, sat down, crossed his long legs, and said slowly, "From a kidnapping. Now I can tell you something else—when I was kidnapped, Jing came to rescue me himself."

Bai Yu remembered Situ Jing mentioning this incident when he argued with his father at the old mansion.

It was undoubtedly another blow to the family, aside from their mother’s death.

Bai Yu found it incredible that Situ Hui would voluntarily share these past events with him. They weren’t close, and before this, Bai Yu had even pretended to be an assistant without telling him the truth.

Strangely, Bai Yu’s heart wanted to hear about it.

Not out of gossip or curiosity, but like piecing together a puzzle, wanting to complete the full picture of Situ Jing’s world.

Bai Yu sat back on the sofa, quietly watching Situ Hui, waiting for him to continue.

Situ Hui rested his long legs on the sofa, leaned his head on a cushion, and gazed at the ceiling, calmly recalling, "After Mother passed away, Jing was busy with his studies and the family business all day, Father grew more decadent daily, and around me were only unquestioningly obedient servants and a bunch of flattering friends. I never received genuine care or affection."

"When I was nineteen, I was abducted by a newly hired family driver and his accomplice. They locked me in a pitch-black basement, humiliating and abusing me. It wasn’t until three months later that I was rescued. By then, I was so thin I was just skin and bones."

Bai Yu’s eyes were full of shock. "Three months before you were rescued?"

Situ Hui said, "Yes. The two who kidnapped me—one had the nickname Tall Guy, the other I don’t know his name. They both came from an assassination syndicate, very cunning with strong counter-surveillance skills. The police and those sent by the Situ family couldn’t find any clues."

When Bai Yu heard the name "Tall Guy," a chill instantly ran up from his feet—it was the name his stepfather used for his friend.

Was it a coincidence?

Bai Yu remembered during his differentiation period, when he was feverish and uncomfortable lying on the sofa, he faintly heard Qiao Yihan and Tall Guy discussing considering a risky gambit, like kidnapping a rich person’s child.

He didn’t believe Qiao Yihan and Tall Guy would actually do such a thing.

Qiao Yihan couldn’t possibly be a killer.

Could he?

Bai Yu asked, "What year did this happen?"

Situ Hui thought for a moment. "Five years ago."

That was the first year after Qiao Yihan faked his death. The timing and identity would have provided him convenience, making it possible.

But at the time, he should have received a large sum from the accident insurance. Why would he resort to kidnapping?

Bai Yu’s face turned pale, his hands unconsciously gripping the hem of his clothes. "How much did they demand to release you?"

Situ Hui turned to look at Bai Yu. "10 million. Actually, at that time, the Situ family’s company accounts were in huge deficit, and they couldn’t scrape together 10 million in cash."

Bai Yu suppressed his rising panic and asked, "What did they want the money for?"

Situ Hui stared at Bai Yu for a long moment, then smiled. "You know? Besides the police, few people have asked me that question."

Bai Yu avoided his gaze, unnaturally picking up the water glass on the table and taking a few sips, trying to conceal his fear and suspicion. "I—"

Situ Hui cut him off. "You’re curious how someone could be so greedy, right? 10 million is indeed a huge sum. Maybe they just wanted to commit wicked deeds, or maybe they needed to prepare something to kill some people. I don’t know."

While locked in the basement, Situ Hui heard the two seemed to have been expelled from the assassination syndicate for some reason. They were planning to do something and contact some people, but they used coded terms.

No one knew exactly what they were up to.

Situ Hui ran his fingers through his blond hair, closing his eyes tightly. "At that time, the killer nicknamed Tall Guy assaulted me daily, tied my hands and hung me up, whipping me with a leather belt. The pain, hunger, and the dirty, damp environment drove me almost to despair."

"But the other killer never violated me. He was cultured, very talkative, telling all sorts of stories, seeming like an elegant gentleman. But he was a complete lunatic. He wanted to transplant my gland to his stepson. Tall Guy said that man had an obsessive fixation on his stepson."

With a crash, the water glass fell to the floor, shattering into pieces, water spreading around Bai Yu’s feet.

Situ Hui saw Bai Yu panic and crouch down to pick up the fragments. "Don’t cut yourself. Let the servants clean it up."

Bai Yu lowered his head. "It’s fine, just a few pieces."

Situ Hui continued recalling, "In terms of sheer dread, that killer was far more dangerous than the beast who indulged in physical violence."

You could say he was like Satan cloaked in an exquisite human disguise, operating alone, walking among humans, dark and dangerous.

If he wished, he could exploit others’ weaknesses at any time, a master at playing with people's minds.

"That killer told me he was in constant, sharp pain. Like Prometheus who stole fire, angering the gods and being chained to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains, suffering daily as an eagle pecked at his liver, but his liver always regenerated, the pain endless."

"He didn’t pray for a better world for anyone; in fact, he wished to inflict his pain on others—killing, traps, schemes and tricks... But even then, he felt no sense of release, because his pain was numb. Yet, his stepson could feel his pain and ease it."

"He asked me if I found it strange. I didn’t answer."

Bai Yu threw the fragments into the trash, accidentally cutting his finger.

Blood dripped from his fingertip onto the porcelain shards, but he seemed to have lost all sense of pain, only feeling an boundless chill spreading, numbing his nerves and severing his awareness of the outside world.

A man's calm voice from distant memories echoed in Bai Yu's ears.

What Situ Hui said sounded so much like Qiao Yihan's style.

Yet these words didn't seem like something Qiao Yihan would say, because he had never spoken like that before.

It was true that Qiao Yihan had wanted him to present as an omega, but only for the money. Once he presented as a beta, he lost his value—how could there be any pathological obsession?

Situ Hui turned onto his side, looking at Bai Yu, who had sat back down on the sofa. "Although I was terrified that he might really remove my scent gland, I felt even more pity for his stepson. Because I believed my family would definitely rescue me, but would his stepson ever escape? I don't know."

"I waited and waited, until one day, the killer gave me water and bread. While I was eating, he told me the story of the *Grim Reaper and Enosh*—that was the name, I think. After finishing the story, he told me that if my life wasn't meant to end, then I would be saved."

Bai Yu stared blankly at Situ Hui. "The story of the *Grim Reaper and Enosh*?"

It had been so long since he had heard that name that he had forgotten the details of the story.

But when Situ Hui mentioned it, his mind immediately recalled the scene of Qiao Yihan sitting by a fire, telling him this story.

Situ Hui said, "Yes, I had never heard that story before, and at the time, I didn’t understand what he meant. Then, he had me blindfolded, tied my hands and feet, and took me out of the basement to the top floor of an abandoned building—thirty stories high."

The killer strapped a time bomb to Situ Hui's body, set to detonate once the thirty-minute countdown ended.

It was only then that Situ Hui understood what the killer meant by, "If your life isn't meant to end, then you will be saved."

It was literally gambling with death.

Situ Hui watched the numbers on the countdown timer strapped to his abdomen tick down, trembling with fear, while the killer laughed coldly.

Then the killer left, leaving Situ Hui alone.

The people outside had no idea that Situ Hui had been moved to the abandoned building. When they stormed the basement where he had been held, it was already empty.

The killer had given Situ Jing a secret location to exchange the ransom, threatening, "If I detect any unusual movement or police ambush nearby, I will kill the hostage immediately."

When Situ Jing arrived at the location, he found that neither of the kidnappers was there. Relying only on the clues left behind, it took him fifteen minutes to find Situ Hui's actual location, and he rushed to the abandoned building to rescue him.

Situ Hui said, "With one minute left, Jing ran up. He saw the time bomb strapped to me and had to cut one wire on a guess. But it seems his luck was good—we both lived."

Bai Yu tentatively asked, "Were those two caught?"

Situ Hui shook his head. "They took the money and ran. They haven’t been found for years. Jing sent people to investigate, but the only information he got was that the killer had murdered the leader of the assassination organization he once worked for. But he was injured and lost sight in his left eye in the process. Later, he started his own assassination organization, operating very cunningly—there’s no way to track him."

"Left eye?"

"Yes."

Chaotic, bloody images flashed through Bai Yu's mind. He felt a chill creeping up his neck, almost suffocating him.

If so many clues—the nickname, the timing, the temperament, the stepson, the gland transplant, the story of the *Grim Reaper and Enosh*—could all be coincidences, the blinded left eye undoubtedly drew a solid line through this hazy portrait.

Did Qiao Yihan have an unknown side?

The money he had taken wasn’t lost gambling or squandered away—it was used for something else. Everything was a disguise. Was he really a killer?

Situ Hui suddenly sat up, leaning closer to Bai Yu. "Sometimes I wonder, both that killer and Jing have dark sides. Back then, Jing had just inherited the company's mess and was overwhelmed. In the end, he only managed to save me but didn’t catch the killer. If he had another chance to face that killer again, would Jing kill him?"

Bai Yu snapped out of his thoughts, but his body remained stiff. "Maybe."

"Want to know how this incident affected me?"

"What?"

Situ Hui touched the scar on his wrist. "I always feel dirty. I’ve tried to kill myself several times, but failed every time. After being resuscitated, I broke down because I felt I had no purpose for living, yet I couldn’t die."

"When I failed the last time, Jing told me that as long as I didn’t harm myself, I could do anything—he would allow it."

"Later, I thought, maybe Jing won't let me call him 'brother' because he wants me to be independent and not rely on him. But he didn’t succeed. I know he won’t abandon me because we share a blood bond, shared guilt and regrets. Only when I’m involved in scandals or need his help does he show a hint of concern. So, that’s how I get his attention."

Tears welled up in Bai Yu's eyes, his nose turning red. He pretended to wipe the corner of his eye with the back of his hand.

Situ Hui laughed. "Why are you crying?"

Bai Yu covered his face with both hands, sniffing. "I'm sorry."

Situ Hui opened a grape-flavored double-burst cigarette case, took out a slim cigarette, and held it between his fingers. "What did you do wrong to apologize to me?"

Bai Yu said, "For my lack of composure."

Situ Hui lit the cigarette with a lighter, his fingers trembling slightly, a spark flashing in his eyes. "That’s not related to my question. I asked why you were crying."

Bai Yu wiped his tears, looked at Situ Hui, and paused for two seconds. "Because the topic you brought up is too heavy. Why are you telling me this?"

Situ Hui raised an eyebrow. "Because even in a relationship like ours, bound by blood, it took going through extremely heavy experiences to earn a bit of his attention. If one day he falls in love with someone completely unrelated by blood, that would be a miracle. No one could stand him unless that person is also not normal."

"When I noticed he treats you differently, I wondered why. Are you sick too?"

Bai Yu averted his gaze, staring at the light-colored check pattern on the tablecloth. "We’re not in a relationship. He saved my sister and me. I’m grateful to him. When he gets married or has an omega, I’ll leave. Besides, I’m perfectly healthy."

Situ Hui exhaled a puff of smoke. "Is that so?"

Bai Yu said honestly, "If you’re trying to test whether I have any designs toward Situ Jing, I can tell you—I have none. I have no ambition, I’m not clever enough, and I’ve never thought about having a long-term relationship with him."

Situ Hui rested his head in his hand, giving Bai Yu a meaningful look for a few seconds, then glanced around for an ashtray. "Did Jing stop smoking? Why isn’t there even an ashtray?"

Bai Yu looked around but didn’t see anything to ash the cigarette into—after all, this was his music room.

Previously, there had been an amber ashtray in the bedroom, but it was gone now.

Bai Yu found a piece of white paper, quickly folded a simple paper box, and handed it to Situ Hui. "Use this."

Situ Hui took the paper box, examined it carefully, and smiled at Bai Yu. "You’re handy with your hands."

"You’re welcome."

Bai Yu glanced at the time on his phone. It was the weekend, and he wasn’t in a hurry, but after being so open with Situ Hui, he felt he had nothing left to say.

Situ Hui stubbed out the cigarette in the paper box and stood up. "Take this as my advice. I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want you to hurt him. If you hurt him, he won’t let it slide."

Bai Yu said, "I won’t."

How could he, when Situ Jing was clearly the dominant one in this relationship? How could it be his turn to hurt Situ Jing?

He’d be lucky if he could make a clean break.

Situ Hui shrugged. "Alright, it seems you understand the situation. At least you can enjoy his attention for now, right? He’s like your Santa Claus—any wish you make will come true."

Bai Yu said, "I will. But I haven’t thought of any wishes yet. I’ll save my wishes for later."

Situ Hui walked out, paused at the door for a moment, then turned back. "Actually, part of me hopes you can give him a sweet romance. You’re very pure."

Bai Yu paused briefly, his lips parting slightly. "I still have things to do."

"Alright, do what you need to do."

After Situ Hui left, instead of going downstairs, he returned to the study.

Situ Jing had just finished reviewing the company reports. The cold glow of the screen reflected off his handsome, sharp features. Seeing Situ Hui return, he remarked flatly, "Why are you still here?"

Situ Hui leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. "I'm curious—how can someone be such an easy crier?"

Situ Jing’s deep eyes remained fixed on the screen as his slender fingers tapped on the keyboard. "Don’t talk to him about irrelevant things."

Situ Hui tsked lightly. "Too late, I already did, and he even cried. It’s the first time I’ve met someone so emotional. Hey, aren’t you the one who hates seeing others cry the most? When I cried as a kid, you never hesitated to hit me. So, you like him that much, huh?"

Situ Jing’s fingers paused on the keyboard. He glanced at Situ Hui. "Are you done? If so, leave."

Situ Hui smirked lazily, showing no intention of leaving. "I know why you like him."

"Because you gave up your dream of playing the piano, and your fingers haven’t touched the keys since. Seeing someone like him feels different—he fulfills that deep longing inside you, doesn’t he?"

Situ Jing stared at him, silent for a few seconds.

Situ Hui immediately darted away like he was escaping. "See you next time~"

"Keep your presumptuous delusions to yourself now and focus on your own affairs."