Chapter 54: Strawberries and Promises

Xie Wuyu shared some similarities with the villains in suspense dramas, but he had no interest in things like taking Pei Liu to watch bloody scenes as Shen Wenrui did.

Looking at someone like Gao Wenhao for even a second was an eyesore.

After carrying Pei Liu out, he took him back to the hotel.

Pei Liu obediently let him carry him without struggling, no longer fearing or avoiding him as before, like an exquisite doll without a soul.

In the past, Xie Wuyu would have likely enjoyed his obedient and submissive state, finding him a highly snuggly human body pillow.

But looking at him now, Xie Wuyu couldn’t help but frown, his disgust for Gao Wenhao growing even stronger.

He sat on the sofa in the room, placing Pei Liu on his lap, his arm still wrapped around his waist, slowly stroking his back as if comforting a startled, pitiful cub.

At the same time, manipulating the black mist, he poured a glass of water that was at just the right temperature to drink, slightly warm.

He placed the cup in Pei Liu’s hands.

Pei Liu’s fingertips were icy. Suddenly touching the warmth, he instinctively gripped the cup, but merely held it without moving.

Xie Wuyu paused, reached out to cover the back of his hands, guided the cup to his lips, and personally fed him.

Pei Liu lowered his head and drank a few sips, swallowing slowly. As the hot water entered his stomach, his body warmed up, and he felt much more comfortable.

But after drinking only half a cup, Pei Liu stopped.

“Enough?” Xie Wuyu asked.

Pei Liu shook his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to drink, but he simply felt there was no need.

Xie Wuyu saving him should have been a fortunate event worthy of gratitude, but he knew very well in his heart that the entity had stepped in not out of kindness, but simply because his food had been snatched and he wanted to take it back.

He lowered his eyes and asked calmly: “Does the game still count?”

Xie Wuyu paused slightly: “It counts.”

Pei Liu didn’t hesitate, naming his top suspect. As expected, he heard Xie Wuyu say: “Wrong.”

Pei Liu took a slow breath, accepting reality, and merely made one request: “When you devour my soul, can you give me a quick death so I don’t feel any pain?”

Xie Wuyu fell silent for a few seconds. Assuming his silence meant a refusal, the light in Pei Liu’s eyes dimmed. Before asking, he had guessed this outcome, but he still couldn’t help but harbor a sliver of hope in his heart.

With his head lowered, the back of his fair, fragile neck was exposed, looking like an obedient, weak prey that wouldn’t struggle.

Xie Wuyu touched the back of his neck and said deeply: “I won’t eat you for now.”

Pei Liu was very surprised.

So, his life was temporarily saved?

He didn’t understand the reason. Is he not eating me because he’s not hungry, keeping me as emergency rations, or does he think I’ll taste better if he feeds me for a bit longer?

Whatever the case, it was a good thing.

Pei Liu quickly accepted it and finished the hot water in the cup.

His emotions slowly settled, and his mind grew clearer. He thought of Gao Wenhao, various scenes flashing through his mind, connecting a few clues together.

He hadn’t offended Gao Wenhao; on the contrary, Gao Wenhao liked him a lot, repeatedly emphasizing that he was Yu Chu. When Gao Wenhao watched him and Shen Jin film on set, his focus was uncommonly intense. He had originally assumed it was because authors held affection for the characters they wrote, like their own children.

But thinking about it now, why didn’t Gao Wenhao focus as much on the male lead? Furthermore, Gao Wenhao was very practiced in injecting drugs and tying ropes, not looking like he was doing this for the first time. Had he killed someone before? If so, was his wife’s death really not that simple?

Pei Liu’s expression was grave: “I want to call the police.”

Xie Wuyu: “No need, I’ve handled it all. The police have already taken him away. His past crimes will also be completely exposed.”

Pei Liu had witnessed the entity’s power, so he let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Since he didn’t need to do anything, right now, he only wanted to take a comfortable hot bath and have a good sleep.

Pei Liu: “I want to take a shower.”

Xie Wuyu stood up with him in his arms. Pei Liu was startled, instinctively grabbing the fabric of Xie Wuyu’s shirt.

What is going on? Is Xie Wuyu going to wash him?

Pei Liu said in a panic: “I’ll do it myself.”

He wanted to step down, but the moment his toes touched the floor, he realized his legs were still a bit weak.

The drug’s effect hadn’t completely worn off.

But Xie Wuyu giving him a bath? He only felt like he was washing food before eating it.

Pei Liu insisted on going himself.

Although it was difficult, Pei Liu dragged his limp, trembling legs into the bathtub. Enveloped by the warm water, he couldn’t help but sigh in comfort.

It’s great to be alive.

Even now, he felt a sense of unreality as if he were in a nightmare, his heart still fluttering with fear.

But he didn’t want to make things hard for himself. After all, he didn’t even know how much longer he could live, so being happy was the most important thing.

He soaked for half an hour before slowly getting up, drying himself, and putting on his pajamas.

The moment he stepped out of the bathroom, he made unguarded eye contact with the entity sitting on the bed.

Pei Liu paused, silently shifted his gaze, and lay down on the edge of the bed.

He would sleep first.

Having experienced such a terrifying incident, his mind was already exhausted, and almost the moment his head hit the pillow, he drifted off.

He didn’t show any reaction to Xie Wuyu pulling him into his arms, his consciousness already blurred.

He slept well during the first half of the night, but later, he had nightmares.

Pei Liu dreamed of Gao Wenhao holding a chainsaw and grinning at him. Terrified, he tried to run, but his body couldn’t move.

At this moment, Xie Wuyu on the bed heard his pained groans and reached out to stroke his back.

Pei Liu instinctively burrowed into his embrace, his body trembling, as if seeking shelter.

Xie Wuyu allowed his closeness, naturally wrapping an arm around his waist.

Feeling warmth and comfort, Pei Liu slowly quieted down, his furrowed brows relaxing as his expression grew peaceful.

The nightmares didn’t return, and he slept until dawn.

***

While Pei Liu was sleeping, the world outside had changed.

The news of Gao Wenhao’s criminal detention for murder was reported by various major media outlets, instantly rushing to the top of the trending list.

The cause was Gao Wenhao’s car accident. Passersby called the police, and the traffic police unexpectedly discovered suspicious signs of a crime scene on the car. They immediately launched an overnight investigation, successfully found evidence, and slowly pieced together the truth.

It turned out that Gao Wenhao’s wife hadn’t died in an accident; she had been murdered by him.

This incident left netizens completely shocked and horrified.

Because they were a famous, loving author couple. Even a divorce would have bewildered people, let alone such shocking social news. The motive had nothing to do with common issues like affairs, domestic violence, or financial disputes; it was merely because Li Xiyue had hit a writer’s block and couldn’t continue. She didn’t want to write suspense novels anymore, wanting instead to write sweet post-marriage romance novels.

She thought she would receive her husband’s support and comfort, but unexpectedly, Gao Wenhao reacted as if he had been severely provoked, grabbing her and yelling: “You are a genius at writing suspense novels, my goddess! How can you write that garbage?!”

Li Xiyue was shocked, finding his state somewhat terrifying.

However, Gao Wenhao quickly calmed down, apologized to her with great remorse, and said he really loved her stories and had temporarily lost control of his emotions.

Gao Wenhao still passionately hoped she would continue writing suspense stories. Li Xiyue loved her husband, so she agreed. Sitting before the computer, she pondered for a long time and slowly typed. Gao Wenhao watched her every day, handling all the cooking and housework, so she only had to focus on writing.

Li Xiyue locked herself at home and wrote for a month. Toward the end, she finally couldn’t bear it anymore, wanting to stay at her parents’ house for a while. She felt Gao Wenhao had gone mad and felt some fear. Especially once, waking up in the middle of the night, she saw Gao Wenhao sitting in front of the computer reading the new story she had written, wearing a obsessed grin. That appearance instantly made her skin crawl, cold sweat dripping, and when Gao Wenhao looked over, she instinctively shut her eyes to pretend to sleep.

But in the end, she failed to escape, discovered and murdered by Gao Wenhao, who then staged it as an accidental death.

In addition to the Li Xiyue incident, the police also discovered two incomplete corpses in Gao Wenhao’s home—one male and one female—both having gone missing two months ago, and both were fans of Li Xiyue and Gao Wenhao.

The well-known author was a serial psychopathic killer, with three victims already, and one lucky survivor.

Such a sensational event sparked active discussions among the general public.

Netizens condemned the killer, sympathized with the victims, and rejoiced for the survivor. Gao Wenhao’s fan base collapsed overnight, leaving them with the nauseating feeling of having eaten day-old feces.

The resourceful netizens even used clues to dig up the story of how Gao Wenhao and Li Xiyue first met, discovering they had known each other long ago, and that Gao Wenhao was a loyal fan of Li Xiyue’s.

“To put it bluntly, a loyal fan killed his own goddess. Bah, don’t insult the word ‘fan.’”

“Damn! Gao the scum was guided into the industry by Li Xiyue; she taught him how to write. How is this any different from killing your own parents?!”

“I knew Gao Wenhao’s style was too similar to Li Xiyue’s. Some people bite the hand that feeds them, but he’s even more impressive—killing the donkey once the grinding is done.”

“I heard he committed the murders by mimicking the methods in the novels Li Xiyue wrote?”

“I suddenly remembered, the drama Qin Wu and the others are filming was written by Gao Wenhao, right? With this happening, can it still be filmed? It’s impossible for it to be broadcast, right? The production crew is so unlucky. Bring over a brazier to step over and ward off the bad luck.”

“No!!! It wasn’t written by Gao Wenhao! It was the final legacy of Li Xiyue’s life; he had stolen her work!”

***

When the incident was starting to ferment online, Pei Liu woke up.

After calming down, he decided to go to the police station to tell the police everything he had experienced. Recalling the process of being kidnapped and the feeling of being eaten away by fear wasn’t pleasant, but he still insisted on finishing, answering all the police’s questions seriously and doing his best to assist in solving the case, hoping Gao Wenhao would be brought to justice soon.

The part where Xie Wuyu saved him naturally couldn’t be said. Under the entity’s power, they glossed over it.

Throughout the process, Shen Jin accompanied him.

Pei Liu already knew his identity. He was surprised for a moment, but on second thought, felt it made sense.

Admittedly, with him around, Pei Liu felt very safe.

After all, he was such a powerful entity; even ghosts were no match for him, let alone a human like Gao Wenhao.

Considering the victim’s emotional state, the police didn’t forbid Shen Jin’s presence.

After returning home from the police station, Pei Liu stayed inside.

In this situation, the production crew was naturally affected and immediately halted filming. He temporarily didn’t have to work.

His manager, Sister Yu, rushed over in a panic upon hearing the news, asking if he was okay, cursing Gao Wenhao fiercely, and carefully asking if he needed a psychologist.

Pei Liu shook his head and said no.

Just then, a sound came from the kitchen, and a handsome man with waist-length black hair walked out, holding a plate of washed strawberries, and naturally sat down beside Pei Liu.

From beginning to end, he didn’t look at the manager once, as if she didn’t exist.

Sister Yu froze: “…Who is he?”

The entity’s identity naturally couldn’t be said. Pei Liu said vaguely: “A friend, he’s the one who saved me.”

But Sister Yu had been a manager for many years and had sharp eyes; she wasn’t so easily fooled. She saw at a glance that the atmosphere between them was different. Although there were no intimate gestures, they seemed to exist in their own world, a feeling that no one could intrude upon.

Furthermore, the clothes this man wore… if she remembered correctly, they belonged to Pei Liu, didn’t they?

Sister Yu’s mind raced, already imagining how to handle the public relations if their relationship were to be exposed in the future.

…Wait? why did this thought feel somewhat familiar?

She didn’t stay long, telling Pei Liu to rest well, instructing him not to go out lately to avoid media and paparazzi, and to call if anything came up, before leaving briskly. She still had many things to handle.

This incident of Pei Liu’s could have been used to leak information and market him well, gaining the public’s sympathy and traffic.

But Sister Yu didn’t do so. She felt that popularity and making money were important, but they also had to consider the artist’s mental health. Otherwise, mercilessly draining a person’s value was like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, which wasn’t beneficial for stable, long-term development.

The fact that Pei Liu was the lucky surviving victim was kept very quiet. Apart from a few people around him who knew, it wasn’t widely circulated on the internet.

Logically speaking, in this information age, keeping a secret is hard. It was truly rare for it to be kept so under wraps.

This was because Pei Liu had asked Xie Wuyu to help cover it up.

He didn’t want his parents to know; it would scare them half to death. He didn’t want them to worry.

He pretended nothing had happened and finished the phone call with them in a relaxed tone.

In the days that followed, Pei Liu stayed at home.

Although he had stayed at home for long periods without going out before, choosing to stay in and being forced to stay in were still different.

Before long, he grew bored.

Xie Wuyu’s gaze landed on him, asking: “Bored?”

Pei Liu nodded listlessly.

Xie Wuyu: “Then let’s find something to do. Remember what you promised me before?”

Pei Liu was taken aback, instinctively beginning to think back.

Xie Wuyu walked toward him step by step, and in the blink of an eye, he stood right in front of him. His hand rested on his shirt collar, his fingers moving nimbly to easily undo the first button.

“I want to paint you.”

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