Chapter 40 Part 2
Jinzhu Bay had strict security. Unauthorized personnel couldn’t enter, allowing him to continue working there.
Once the hype died down, the fans would surely stop bothering him.
Most people’s infatuation with strangers was fleeting. He was no longer captain, no longer in the public eye. They would eventually forget him, their attention shifting to the new captain.
He was right, but just as the Jinzhu Bay incident subsided, another matter concerning him attracted attention.
An anonymous post appeared on a popular online forum—
[Two days ago, during the sale at xx supermarket, I went grocery shopping with my grandma, and I think I saw Captain Shi. I’m not sure, because his behavior was… unusual.]
[2nd floor: What was he doing?]
[He was holding a can of formula and a pack of diapers, competing with a bunch of elderly people for discounted eggs.]
[3rd floor: That’s impossible! Captain Shi would never do that!]
[4th floor: Obviously not him.]
[But he looked exactly like him. He was wearing a hat, and his chin was covered, but I saw his white hair, and his build was the same.]
[7th floor: You said ‘I think.’ You’re not even sure. Stop spreading rumors. My idol wouldn’t be so broke as to fight for discounted eggs.]
[9th floor: This isn’t a rumor. A friend who works at the Anomaly Management Bureau overheard Captain Shi talking to Vice-Captain Qi. He’s getting married, and his partner is pregnant.]
[10th floor: What?! My idol is getting married??? No way!!!]
[12th floor: Fake news! Who’s this friend? I can make up stories too. I also have a friend at the bureau!]
[22nd floor: Believe it or not, I’m telling the truth. According to Captain Shi, his partner is just an ordinary person.]
[25th floor: Oh my god, I can’t imagine Captain Shi marrying an ordinary person, let alone one without any special qualities. Maybe I have a chance with him now.]
[27th floor: What?! If this is true, what does this person have that attracted Captain Shi???]
…
Qi Yu was bombarded with questions the moment he arrived at work. People he rarely saw were suddenly interested in him, engaging him in small talk.
He wasn’t stupid. He knew something was up.
After dealing with them, he pulled a trusted subordinate aside. “What’s going on?”
The subordinate looked surprised. “You don’t know?”
Qi Yu, puzzled: “Should I?”
The subordinate was even more surprised. Qi Yu was usually the first to know about gossip, especially concerning Shi Xu.
“Just tell me!”
The subordinate quickly explained, “It’s about Captain Shi…”
The post, nine hours old, had already garnered nearly 10,000 replies. Qi Yu couldn’t read them all, skimming through the initial posts, his expression turning increasingly complex.
He remembered calling Shi Xu that morning. The timeline matched.
He was certain now. The person in the post was Shi Xu.
But…
Formula?
Diapers??
Fighting elderly people for discounted eggs???
Shi Xu would never do that. But the timeline matched, and Shi Xu did say he was grocery shopping.
And the background noise…
Damn it, it was Shi Xu!
He couldn’t focus on work, wanting to confront Shi Xu immediately.
Your mother is dead, you’ve cut ties with your father, you’re not close to your relatives, where did you get a baby?
Who are you buying formula and diapers for?
He fidgeted restlessly, wanting to call Shi Xu, but afraid of being overheard. Finally, his shift ended. No overtime today. He rushed to Shi Xu’s house.
Just as he was about to ring the doorbell, he realized he hadn’t called first. What if Shi Xu wasn’t home?
He heard sounds of a struggle coming from the house next door, his instincts taking over.
Before reaching the window, he saw a golden tentacle, similar to an octopus’s, but more lustrous, pressed against the large glass pane.
The newly replaced window held. Just as the tentacle retreated, a cold voice stopped it.
“Stay there. Don’t move until I tell you to.”
Qi Yu paused. That was Shi Xu’s voice.
Then, a familiar voice echoed, “Wife, I… wrong! Don’t… be angry!” The golden tentacle wriggled. A sword flashed, stopping inches from it.
Gu Sui shouted, “I won’t move! Wife, don’t cut! It took… so long… to grow… Don’t waste…” He preferred being “drained” by Shi Xu.
Shi Xu’s temple throbbed. He knew exactly what Gu Sui was thinking.
The sword fell, cleanly severing the tentacle, as thick as a baby’s arm.
“Wuwuwu, Wife… so cruel…” Gu Sui squatted on the ground, hugging the severed tentacle, crying pitifully. “Xiao Sui number two, you… can’t… serve… Wife… anymore… Don’t worry… I’ll… bury you…”
“…” Shi Xu’s eyes darkened. He lifted Gu Sui’s chin with his sword. “I want… braised octopus… tonight.”
Gu Sui swallowed, his voice trembling. “O-Okay… I’ll… make it…”
Qi Yu was confused, but one thing was clear: Shi Xu’s partner wasn’t as ordinary as he claimed.
He looked at the golden tentacle on the floor, his emotions complex.
Shi Xu was always perceptive, the first to notice anything amiss. But he had been standing in the yard for almost a minute, and Shi Xu hadn’t noticed him.
It wasn’t that Shi Xu’s senses had dulled, but that his attention was completely focused on Gu Sui.
Even in a relationship, he didn’t think Shi Xu would be so easily distracted, but seeing this, he had to admit, Shi Xu had found someone truly special.
Realizing this, he relaxed, knocking on the window.
Both of them turned, their faces filled with surprise.
…
“Let me reintroduce him. Gu Sui, an SSS-class pollutant.” Shi Xu pointed at the dejected Gu Sui in the corner, his tone relatively calm.
Qi Yu, equally calm, said, “This is what you call ordinary?”
Shi Xu: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I was planning to tell you.”
“I don’t mind.” Qi Yu smiled, then hesitated. “But… what’s going on here?” It was fortunate he was the one who came. If anyone else saw this… But then again, no one else would visit Shi Xu. He had bought the surrounding houses for privacy.
Shi Xu’s expression turned slightly uncomfortable. “Nothing. He misbehaved. I was punishing him.” He didn’t elaborate.
He couldn’t tell Qi Yu that Gu Sui had snuck a tentacle under his clothes, could he?
His chest was still swollen. Gu Sui offered to massage it, but he didn’t trust his intentions.
Qi Yu had arrived just as he was punishing Gu Sui. A few minutes earlier, and he would have witnessed a very embarrassing scene.
That’s why he was even angrier, planning to ignore Gu Sui until tomorrow.
Seeing his reluctance to discuss it, Qi Yu wisely changed the subject, his curiosity piqued.
Remembering Gu Sui’s jealousy, he lowered his voice instead of whispering. “How did you two get together?”
Shi Xu: “He pursued me.”
Qi Yu: “Huh?”
Shi Xu tossed a peanut at Gu Sui. “Didn’t you pursue me?” Gu Sui caught the peanut in his mouth, his earlier dejection gone, his smile sweet. “Yes! I… worked hard… to catch… Wife!” The peanut tasted sweet, like Wife. He liked it.
Shi Xu looked at Qi Yu. “See? Like that.”
Qi Yu: “…”
Was this what a relationship looked like?
More like a dog trainer and an easily trained dog.
“Why did you come here?”
Qi Yu told him about the online post, his voice filled with anger. “I hope I never find that eavesdropping gossipmonger! If I do, I’ll beat him senseless!”
Shi Xu: “I don’t care. Let him talk. It doesn’t affect me. I wasn’t planning to hide my marriage anyway.”
Qi Yu looked worried. “But they’ll be curious about your partner.”
Shi Xu chuckled. “Let them be curious. They can’t exactly break into my house, can they?”
Qi Yu paused. “But Gu Sui can’t stay cooped up in this house forever, can he?”
Shi Xu smiled, a strange glint in his eyes. “Why not?”
“…”
Qi Yu looked at the strangely smiling Shi Xu, then at Gu Sui, who was staring adoringly at Shi Xu, his heart pounding.
Did Shi Xu really mean that?
That was imprisonment!
Was Shi Xu that messed up?
As his friend, should he intervene?
After much deliberation, he decided to address Shi Xu’s dangerous thoughts, choosing his words carefully. “Shi Xu, your thinking is dangerous…”
Shi Xu: “Dangerous?”
Qi Yu: “Gu Sui might be a pollutant, but he has a human form, human thoughts. He can live as a normal human. You… you can’t keep him locked up in this house forever! That’s illegal!”
Shi Xu’s smile vanished, a hint of madness in his eyes. “Really? Talking about laws with a pollutant? Are you joking?”
Qi Yu: “I’m not joking, Shi Xu! This is dangerous! You can’t do this!”
Shi Xu stood up, walking over to Gu Sui, crouching down and caressing his face, his voice gentle. “If I locked you up, would you try to escape?”
Gu Sui didn’t hesitate. “No. I… listen to… Wife. Wherever… Wife wants… I stay…”
Shi Xu smiled, satisfied, turning to look at Qi Yu. “You heard him.”
Qi Yu: “…”
Gu Sui nuzzled Shi Xu’s hand, his voice filled with a desperate longing. “Wife… locking me up? I… become… Wife’s dog? Wife… not angry… anymore? Forgive me… I’ll be… obedient… Let me be… Wife’s dog… Woof!”
Qi Yu: “…”
Gu Sui kissed Shi Xu’s palm. Just as his tongue touched Shi Xu’s fingers, Shi Xu grabbed his mouth, his voice sharp. “Did I give you permission to touch me?”
“No.” Gu Sui blinked his wet eyes, his apology sincere. “I was wrong.”
Shi Xu: “How many times have you said that?”
Gu Sui thought for a moment. “I… don’t remember…”
Shi Xu: “Do you even understand what you did wrong?”
Gu Sui hesitated. “N-No.”
Shi Xu sneered. “Until you do, you’re staying here. Nowhere else.”
Gu Sui’s lips thinned. “But… I’ll miss… Wife…”
Shi Xu: “Then miss me.”
Gu Sui: “Wuwuwu, Wife… so mean…”
“Hmm?”
Gu Sui: “But… I love… Wife… the most… Woof~”
Qi Yu: “…”
He was wrong!
He took them too seriously!
They were both willing participants in this strange game.
He was the fool, mistaking their bizarre form of affection for something serious.
Woof 😻😻😻