Chapter 2 My husband died young, it was a stroke of luck for me!

(two)

The vegetable stall owner said that the demon eats human flesh, and she had never heard her husband mention this before.

If the demon really eats human flesh, she and her cub are so thin, they wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth.

She forced herself to hide the baby behind her back and steeled herself to look at the three demons in front of her.

A man in dark blue clothes held a blood-stained longsword, a man in white stood aloof and indifferent to the side, and there was another...

The only man sitting on her small wooden stool was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit. His face was covered with a dark, ghostly mask. He was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hands were large, making the teacup look small in his palms. When he raised his hand, the muscles and veins in his arms bulged, making him look like he could kill someone with a single punch.

She had seen arms like that before; her husband had been like that before. They were indeed very strong, and she couldn't break free when they gripped her lower back.

He quietly sipped her tea, not even glancing at them.

Chu Li trembled involuntarily. Her intuition from years of begging allowed her to accurately discern who held the highest position, and she guessed that this man might be the leader of the three.

"Master, there's only this woman and child here..."

As expected, the man in the dark blue clothes was just a subordinate.

He suddenly removed his mask, looked at Chu Li, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his lips. He walked towards Chu Li, carrying the long sword that gleamed with a chilling light, his intentions all too clear.

Chu Li's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she instinctively cried out, "No!"

She can't die. She barely survived. What about Yinyin? What will happen to Yinyin?

Why did you have to come to Xiaofushan? Why did you have to choose her home? Hasn't she suffered enough in her life?

"Please, I beg you, my family has no money, and my child and I are very thin. We don't have much meat to give you..." As he approached step by step, Chu Li's eyes gradually reddened. She shielded the little one tightly behind her.

"Spare my child. You can kill or torture me all you want, but please just kill me, okay?"

The man with the knife frowned in annoyance and picked at his ear: "So noisy."

Chu Li felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. The little cub beside her trembled and grabbed her hand, his voice trembling with tears: "Mother, let's run!"

run?

Where did they run off to?

In the dead of night, with torrential rain, it takes 45 minutes to walk from Xiaofushan to the nearest village, Jixiang.

They would be captured and killed before they were even halfway there. This demon was determined to kill her; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken off the mask that concealed his identity.

Chu Li took a deep breath; she absolutely could not die.

She turned her gaze to the only man sitting at the table in the room; when asking for help, she always asked someone who could get things done.

Regardless, this is her last chance.

"Brother in black, I promise I won't tell anyone about seeing you today. If you don't believe me, I can cut out your tongue and gouge out your eyes right now." Chu Li pleaded desperately, hugging the little boy beside her tightly, and whispered, "My child is still young, he doesn't understand anything, please let him go."

The other person finally turned their gaze to her, their eyes momentarily fixed on her.

Through the mask, Chu Li couldn't decipher the expression on his face, and only kept pleading, "If you want to eat meat, you can eat mine. I can also go down the mountain and guide you; there are many villages nearby..."

"You're really heartless, leading us to massacre the village just to save your and your child's lives?" The man in the dark blue clothes looked at her disdainfully, then said in a low voice, "You think you can survive like this?"

Chu Li's heart grew colder and colder. She clenched her fingers and gritted her teeth, saying, "I wasn't talking to you. Do you think you're more powerful than your master?"

She would do anything for Yinyin.

"...?" The other person raised an eyebrow and tapped her cheek with his long sword, where bright red blood still clung. "Oh, so you know how to sow discord."

Chu Li ignored him completely, staring straight at the young man in black, and pleaded in a low voice, "Brother in black, please let me go. My husband died early, and it's really not easy for me to raise my child alone. I can endure hardship, and I can be your slave, I'll do anything for you."

In the darkness, the young man in black rubbed his fingertips against the teacup, and from some point onward, his gaze turned to her.

Chu Li's heart skipped a beat. Before she could even feel happy, she saw the other person resting their chin on their hand, their eyes filled with undisguised burning desire, and seemingly containing a smile that was not quite clear.

A sense of foreboding washed over me.

No way.

How could that be?

She watched helplessly as he casually got up, slowly walked to her, and pushed aside the henchman holding the long knife.

"Oh, don't make things difficult for a widow."

His subordinate looked stunned—exactly the same expression on Chu Li's face.

He extended his hand to Chu Li, his fingers, with their distinct knuckles and smooth, jade-like texture, resembling a fine jade carving.

His dark eyes gazed at her intently, his smile deepening.

She was stunned for a moment, then heard the other person say in a polite and gentle voice, "Don't be afraid, he was just joking with you. We are just passing through, and the roads are slippery and difficult to travel in the rain. May we take shelter here from the rain, young lady?"

The voice was very pleasant, and inexplicably familiar.

Chu Li couldn't figure out where it felt familiar, nor did she have the mind to think about it. She just stared at the other person with trepidation, wondering what kind of evil scheme was brewing on that dark, inky black face.

But there was no other way at the moment, and she could only grit her teeth and force herself to place her hand in his palm.

Surprisingly, his hands were warm.

The young man in black helped her up from the ground and, to the disbelief of his men, brushed the dust off Chu Li's clothes.

The little one beside her looked worried, as if he was about to cry, and timidly called out, "Mother..."

"Kid, stop calling me 'Mom,' you'll have a new dad soon," the henchman in dark blue clothes sneered.

The young man in black glanced casually at his subordinate beside him, as if issuing a warning. The subordinate sullenly sheathed his knife and stood by the window watching the rain.

Chu Li lowered her eyelashes, still shaken, not daring to look up at him, but heard him chuckle and say, "Don't panic, these two are my servants, they are unruly. I apologize to you on their behalf."

She nodded, though she knew perfectly well that he was lying, but she had no choice but to believe him.

“The man by the window is named Gu Ye. He has an impatient temper, so please bear with him,” the young man in black held her hand tightly, as if he were glued to her, showing no intention of letting go. “The other man is named Yan Xinbai. He doesn’t like to talk, so just pretend he doesn’t exist.”

Hearing his words, Gu Ye looked at him again, puzzled. Why had he actually told this young widow in the mountains his name and was planning to stay?

"As for me."

The young man in black grasped Chu Li's hand and said gently, "I have no name; you may call me Nameless."

Chu Li paused, looked up at him, and when their eyes met, he seemed incredibly familiar to her.

His eyes were exceptionally beautiful, with sharp brow bones and slightly upturned corners that exuded a cold and noble air, and thick, fan-like eyelashes. When he looked at her, Chu Li seemed to see, through those deep, dark, smiling eyes, a scene from many years ago: someone standing under the eaves, holding a book, smiling at her in the same way.

With a slight curve at the corners of her eyes, her originally cold and deep eyes instantly thawed, like a mountain spring after a snowfall, rippling with a soft and delicate radiance.

"Ah Chu, did you sleep well last night?"

It seems so, it really seems so.

But Chu Li knew better than anyone else that the person in her memory was dead, and the person in front of her was a ruthless killer who harbored evil intentions towards her.

That's terrifying; even her husband has never looked at her like that.

She hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "My name is Chu Li."

"Chu Li, a good name, its goodness lies in..." He paused, as if he couldn't come up with a suitable word, "Which Li?"

Chu Li's voice was even lower as she softly said, "The starry night passes with the dawn, and the dawn is the dawn."

Hearing her words, Wuming chuckled in perfect agreement: "Indeed, it's a good name. Your parents have great taste."

“My husband named me that. His name contains the character ‘star,’ and he said it corresponds to me.”

"..."

Wuming paused for a moment, then stopped talking about it: "Gu Ye, heat up a bucket of water and give the child a bath."

Upon hearing this, Chu Li looked behind him and saw Gu Ye obediently carrying a bucket of water and placing it in the middle of the room. As if noticing her gaze, he curled his lips into a malicious smile.

Chu Li shuddered and immediately refused: "No way!"

They must want to cook and eat Yinyin. These devils are definitely not that kind!

Wuming gazed at her silently. After a while, he slowly approached Chu Li, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "It's fine if you don't wash it. I like to eat it raw."

Chu Li was so frightened that she pushed him away, but then she heard the man chuckle softly with glee.

She quickly realized that he was deliberately trying to scare her.

asshole.

The bucket sat quietly in the center of the room. Wuming and Gu Ye sat back down at the table, seemingly discussing something about sects or demon lords.

Chu Li touched the baby's cold face and bit her lower lip.

She couldn't afford to get sick; she had seen too many people die of illness on the streets. Although she now had the money to see a doctor, not every disease in the world could be cured, and people could die if things went wrong.

She brushed the stray hairs from the little one's forehead and kissed him lightly: "Yinyin, go take a bath."

The little boy said timidly, "Mother, I'm scared."

"Don't be afraid, Mother is here to protect you." Chu Li took off his soaked clothes, and his body was also ice cold. She felt heartbroken and quickly carried the naked little boy to the bathtub.

I tested the water temperature with my hand, and it was just right—neither too hot nor too cold.

Only then did she feel relieved enough to put the cub in, and she carefully stood guard by the bathtub.

Inside the inner room, the three were playing bamboo dominoes out of boredom, as if they really considered this place their home.

Wuming held the cards, glancing at Chu Li out of the corner of his eye from time to time, his thoughts clearly revealed.

She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she had an indescribable charm.

Wuming always felt that he knew what kind of porcelain-white skin and bones were under that soaked, thin outer garment, soft to the touch, with a very slender waist that could be grasped in one hand, and a red mark would appear with the slightest touch. He also felt that her crying voice was very beautiful, and she would hug him and call him "husband" until her voice was hoarse.

It was really strange; he seemed to be possessed, his mind filled with these lewd scenes.

"Horned Wood, Necked Metal." Gu Ye tossed down a few cards, saying meaningfully, "This place is so small, how are we going to sleep at night?"

“Bi Yue, Shen Shui… I won.” Yan Xinbai held the cards and gently placed them on the table. His gaze casually swept over Wuming, and he said in a low voice, “There happens to be a bamboo forest outside. Why don’t you practice your sword with me?”

Gu Ye immediately understood his meaning, chuckled, and stretched lazily as if to say, "Then what are you waiting for? Let's go?"

Why even bother playing cards? Someone's eyes aren't even on the cards.

After they left, Wuming remained in the same spot, lost in thought.

Seeing them leave, Chu Li excitedly stood up, only to find that there was still a man left in the room.

The nameless one still exists.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she realized what was happening. She quickly ran to the stove, grabbed a kitchen knife, and hid it in her sleeve.

If he dares to do anything to her, she'll castrate him with one stroke... although she'll never actually manage to cut him, and might even provoke him.

Chu Li put the kitchen knife back, tears welling up in her eyes. It seemed that she had no choice but to accept her fate.

Light, slow footsteps came from the inner room, each step seeming to pound on her heart, making her heart sink deeper and deeper.

Chu Li closed her eyes briefly and whispered to the little one, "Be good, Mommy will be back soon."

As she was about to leave, she turned around and met Wuming's gentle, smiling eyes.

"Are you done washing?" he asked softly.

The little one poked half its head out of the bathtub, timidly hiding behind Chu Li: "I'm done washing, I'm very clean."

If you're going to eat meat, then eat him, not your mother.

Chu Li quickly pressed his head back behind his back and whispered with mixed feelings, "Don't let the child see this. Come with me."

Wuming looked slightly taken aback as he watched her clean up the baby and dress him.

"Yinyin, wait for your mother here, don't run around."

After instructing the little one, Chu Li took a deep breath and looked at the tall man in front of her: "Let's go."

Wuming raised an eyebrow in surprise, then followed behind her, and was led to the bedside.

The next moment, Chu Li's eyes were filled with tears as she slowly untied the belt around her waist.

Wuming's breath hitched slightly, his gaze fixed intently on her every move, and he suddenly chuckled softly.

Chu Li paused, turned to look at him, somewhat bewildered: "Aren't you going to take it off?"

He leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, and looked at her meaningfully.

Chu Li was unsure of his thoughts, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue taking off her clothes. When she took off her outer garment, the other man suddenly moved closer.

She stood frozen in place, watching him reach out his hand to her from his superior position.

Those slender fingers had distinct knuckles, covered with slightly undulating blue veins, and their wrists were adorned with jet-black sandalwood beaded chains.

The slight coolness at her fingertips made Chu Li's body tense and unable to move. Her breath caught in her throat, and she slowly closed her eyes.

The hand traced her eyebrows and eyes as if sketching, the movements were very light, slowly and deliberately stroking her cheeks, gradually moving towards her lips.

With a light touch of her fingertips, Chu Li pressed her lips, and Chu Li couldn't help but tremble for a moment.

"Young lady."

He placed his sash in her palm, lowered his eyes to look at her, and spoke gently and softly.

"Could you help me take it off?"

Chu Li opened her eyes in shock.

Are you sick in the head? Why are you acting all cute?

A note from the author:

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Your husband is dead? That's wonderful. Oh no, that's not what I meant. I'm very sorry about your husband's death; it's truly a blessing in disguise. No, you misunderstood. I meant that life is unpredictable, but your husband's passing was quite timely.