Pitiful Widower (28)

When Xue Ci woke up, Lucius was standing by his bedside, staring at him with a clingy look on his face.

Seeing him open his eyes, she asked with delight, "You're awake?"

Are you feeling unwell? Are you tired?

Xue Ci is not tired.

I was tired at the time, but I quickly felt more energetic afterwards.

--This is what a succubus is like, drawing yang energy from men.

Xue Ci had even forgotten the details, and it took her a while to realize that the person last night was Lucius.

He awkwardly stepped back a little. "I'm not tired."

Seeing that Xue Ci wanted to distance herself as soon as she woke up, Lucius, who had been overjoyed all night, froze. "Don't you remember? It was me—"

Xue Ci immediately interrupted him, "Lucius! I... I'm thirsty..."

His intention was to get Lucius out of the room to get some water, but Lucius had already prepared both lunch and water.

Those blue eyes stared at him intently, as if he were some heartless man who had been used and then abandoned.

Xue Ci forced herself to drink half a glass of water under Lucius's watchful gaze.

He was completely distracted, thinking about whether Erland was present last night...

Are you hungry?

Lucius interrupted his thoughts.

Xue Ci her head dismissively.

"But you kept saying you were hungry last night, even though your stomach was quite full."

Xue Ci's shoulders trembled, and she almost dropped the water glass in her hand.

He pursed his lips and finally glanced in Lucius's direction.

"You... don't speak."

The poor honest man, after struggling for so long, could only manage to utter such a harmless sentence.

Lucius had mixed feelings. Last night felt like a dream. He had achieved what he had always wanted to do, and thought that when he woke up, he could at least use these achievements to gain a proper status with Xue Ci.

Ke Xue Ci clearly didn't want to bring this up.

He even pressed his finger against the Ring, fearing that Erland would be jealous.

Lucius, consumed by jealousy, said resentfully, "Erland knows."

Xue Ci's eyes were wide open, her pupils a light color, making her undeniably beautiful. Whether it was her innocent expression now or her absent-mindedness last night, it was striking.

Lucius loved both, and he wanted to see more—in other words, he wanted to marry Xue Ci and live with her, so that Xue Ci would no longer be his sister-in-law, but his little wife.

Therefore, he directly shattered Xue Ci's last bit of wishful thinking.

"Erland knows."

Xue Ci's eyelashes trembled, her voice pitiful, even more so than when she begged for mercy last night, "... What?"

"I had no experience with these things, and he was the one who guided me."

That's why I can make you feel comfortable.

Every word Xue Ci was unexpected.

He really wanted to hide under the covers.

Suppressing the burning sensation on her face, Xue Ci feigned composure. "I... I understand. Is there anything else?"

How are you feeling right now?

"... It's alright."

Are you hungry?

"A little."

"Then I'll feed you."

"..."

Xue Ci refused the other person's attempt to hold him like a baby and feed him. He was full of energy and got out of bed on his own. He obediently went to wash up and came back to sit down and eat.

The entire castle was quiet. Lunch was a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, which was clearly not made by Lucius.

Did Fu Chengsi do it?

Yes, where are the three of them?

"Those three mad dogs downstairs kept trying to come up last night," Lucius said, seeing what Xue Ci was thinking. "Unfortunately, they are only mortals and cannot break through the barrier I set up."

"One night should be enough time for them to come to their senses."

Seeing that the players' progress bars remained unchanged, Xue Ci breathed a sigh of relief, ignored Lucius's nonsense, and focused on eating her noodles.

Lucius, however, wasn't lying.

Xue Ci, who expected to be mocked both openly and subtly, was surrounded by three people as soon as she went downstairs, who said she wanted to leave that day.

Xue Ci: "So fast?"

"If we don't leave now, that blond guy will probably come knocking on our door."

Fu Chengsi looked exhausted, clearly having not slept a wink all night. He crossed his arms and leaned against the sofa. "I've found Aidean."

Xue Ci in surprise, "What? Where is he?"

It would be good if Mrs. West could meet with her violin teacher before leaving, so that she could resolve her inner conflict.

"Right behind those rabbit graves," Fu Chengsi continued. "Aidean, a national-level musician, discovered West Jenny playing the violin on the hill behind the town while visiting."

He discovered Jenny's talent and persuaded her to participate in a violin competition. After winning the award, Jenny's confidence soared, and she decided to go abroad with Aidean to further her studies. Unfortunately, Joel, who was working for the West Family at the time, overheard this. He was infatuated with Jenny and, despite knowing their social status was unequal, was unwilling to let her go. So he spread rumors to the West family that the two had an affair and were planning to elope.

That day, Jenny was stuck at home. Aidean arrived at the agreed-upon location, only to find that the person who had come was Joel.

"I suspect that Joel told Aidean that Jenny wasn't planning on leaving, but Aidean didn't believe him, so Joel killed him on the spot."

"His body was always behind those rabbit graves."

I went there a few days ago and it's been confirmed.

Lu Min's eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night. "But Joel already knows and is trying his best to stop us. I'm almost done writing the code; the place connecting the two worlds is at the Rabbit Graveyard."

"We need to finish writing it tonight. We can't delay any longer. Let's leave tonight."

Everyone waited for Xue Ci's reply.

Seeing Xue Ci nod, Lucius said almost without hesitation, "I'll go too."

Qin Zhou asked unhappily, "Who are you to him?"

Lucius ignored him.

She simply and quietly took the cross off her chest.

Xue Ci understood what this meant and awkwardly turned her face away.

Lu Min was disappointed, but seeing that Xue Ci didn't say anything, he humbly decided to add Lucius as well.

How can there be so many competitors?

If they successfully reach the modern world—he'll probably be the most ordinary one—he'll likely have to spend money to see Xue Ci.

There are plenty of people who want to spend money on Xue Ci.

Before Lu Min could say anything more, Joel appeared with several bodyguards.

The atmosphere became tense, Lucius instantly vanished.

Xue Ci obediently went back upstairs to put on her maid outfit, intending to do her last day of work.

The day before returning home was exceptionally peaceful. Soon night fell, and Xue Ci was reminded by 11 to look out the window and realize that it was a full moon.

He stared at it for a while, and then, under the full moon, a huge, dark creature flew towards him!

Xue Ci was so frightened he almost lost his soul. It was the first time he had ever seen such a huge, furry creature with glowing green eyes.

11: [Host, this is a werewolf!!! Be careful!!!]

Xue Ci remembered that werewolves were the mortal enemies of vampires.

So, did the enormous creature outside come to cause trouble because it knew that Erland was about to be resurrected?

He instinctively reached for the magic ring on his ring finger.

But he found nothing.

I then remembered that I had left the ring on the table while I was showering.

He turned to get the ring, but before he had taken more than a few steps, the glass was smashed by someone outside.

The lights in the room went out instantly. Xue Ci turned around, and when he saw the silhouette of the huge wild creature by the window, his vision went black.

He couldn't even muster the strength to use his legs.

On the night of the full moon, werewolves will revert from their human form to their original form.

They are angry, bloodthirsty, excited, and destructive.

A few humans have seen them, and on the night of the full moon, everyone stays indoors for safety.

Some werewolves also seek mates at such times.

Xue Ci was unaware of these things.

So, after being forcibly dragged away by the giant werewolf, he had no idea what he was about to face, and was even relieved that the werewolf didn't seem to be there to cause trouble for Erland.

*

The temperature was low at night, Xue Ci was dressed in thin clothes, so she had to lie on the werewolf's back.

Fortunately, the werewolf's fur was thick enough to protect it from the increasingly severe cold.

It's a bit hard.

It's even prickly than dog fur.

Xue Ci felt uncomfortable all over from being pricked, especially her thighs, which were probably rubbed red.

He was terrified the whole way, and didn't dare to struggle even high in the air, obediently holding onto its back.

Some of the hairs were unruly, so he even stroked them in the direction of the hair.

It made the werewolf beneath it gurgle.

Why do werewolves keep making that sound?

Xue Ci thought the other person was warning her, so she withdrew her hand.

It was too dark at night, so the werewolf finally put him in a simple wooden hut.

The cabin had no lights, so the other party lit a fire.

Xue Ci then got a clear look at what the werewolf looked like.

He looks fierce, has a scar on his eye, and is about 2.5 meters tall when he stands up.

And she wasn't wearing any clothes.

Even without megalophobia, Xue Ci was frightened; thankfully, 11 quickly blurred out the ugliness.

The werewolf in front of them seemed unable to speak and showed no malice.

It is clearly in a bestial form, able to walk upright, and the outline of a human can be vaguely seen.

The firewood crackled and popped as it burned, Xue Ci's body quickly warmed up. He dared not speak to the other person, afraid of reminding them that he was still a piece of food.

It was so warm inside that Xue Ci began to feel drowsy.

Her eyelashes were bathed in a soft golden light from the fire, and the little succubus's face was as smooth and lustrous as mutton-fat jade.

Kuise was stunned.

He was a mercenary, paid to do his job, commissioned by the succubus clan to capture a traitorous succubus and bring her back to their tribe.

Wolves are social animals and have no tolerance for traitors.

But the little succubus in front of him was very obedient; perhaps marrying a vampire was not his own choice, but rather something he was forced into.

Kuise quickly changed his stance—he had no intention of handing the person over to the Succubus Clan.

The little succubus wasn't sleeping peacefully; her head drooped, and her brows were furrowed.

Kuise leaned his shoulder closer, wanting the other to lean on him. But he hadn't expected his hair to be so stiff and prickly, instantly waking the little succubus.

However, her face still managed to get close.

It was a very subtle feeling, like being brushed against by a small animal.

The little succubus was a little afraid of him, and immediately curled up and moved to the side.

He was so small, with such a thin waist; even the werewolves' arms, when raised, were probably thicker than his waist.

She has a small face but big eyes.

Kuise was unaware that his green gaze had already traumatized the little succubus.

He saw the other person lick their lips, then bring a glass of water from inside the house to him.

Werewolves are rude and violent under the full moon, yet they are exceptionally clumsy when performing human behaviors.

He carefully placed the water glass in front of the little succubus, observing her secretly.

The little succubus looked at herself warily, and after a while, she finally picked up the cup, smelled it, and only swallowed it in small sips after confirming that it wasn't some strange water.

Like a little rabbit.

He could probably make you cry if you were licked by the barbs on his tongue.

How could such a succubus be a traitor?

It must be the succubus race that is narrow-minded.

Kuise then brought over some dried meat.

In Xue Ci's view, the werewolf's behavior was probably to fatten him up before eating him. But after being frightened, his stomach was empty.

The aroma of the dried meat is irresistible.

Xue Ci would actually feel sleepy in this anxious and restless environment.

He closed his eyes in a daze and felt someone drape a blanket over him.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up, there was no one in the room.

The door gaps weren't properly sealed.

The surrounding area was most likely a forest, and it was pitch black outside. Xue Ci was struggling with the feasibility of escape when a sound, remarkably clear, drifted in from outside—

"You didn't deliver on your promise, and instead brought him here? Did you treat him like your own female?"

"He can't handle it."

"You've forgotten the lessons we took; just the process of watering the soil to form a knot takes ten minutes."

"His little rabbit would probably cry if you just touched it."

Xue Ci huddled in the corner.

Her eyes were red and wet with fear.

They watched helplessly as two equally tall werewolves pushed open the door and entered.

Besides the werewolf with the scar on his face, there's another one now.

The two appear to be companions.

The two large creatures cast heavy, intrigued gazes over her, and Xue Ci dared not meet their eyes, fearing that she would be eaten if she did.

As the shadowy figure approached, the poor little succubus cowered in the corner, her eyes red-rimmed. "Don't... don't eat me..."

He heard one of the werewolves chuckle softly.

Then, the beast's body gradually transformed into a handsome man.

The man had a wild appearance, and his body was still twice the size of Xue Ci's. "So this is what you look like. No wonder Erland was infatuated with you."

Xue Ci paused, her pupils filled with innate innocence. "Do you know Erland?"

"Not only do we know each other, we're quite familiar with each other." The man squatted down, his gaze sweeping over Xue Ci's face before settling on his curled-up toes.

Xue Ci's toes were rubbed red by the fur of another werewolf.

Her skin was either white or pink.

It certainly looks like a delicious little rabbit.

But it's so small, its back would probably break if you just picked it up. How does Erland usually handle it?

Are you friends with Erland?

In unfamiliar surroundings, anxious herbivores try to intrude and seek shelter.

Kuiren chuckled lightly, "They're mortal enemies."

As expected, Xue Ci, who had tried to come closer, shrank back into the corner.

"Don't worry, our werewolf clan is only hostile to vampires, and we don't involve their spouses."

Xue Ci pursed her lips, about to say thank you, when she suddenly heard the other person say, "But we really enjoy stealing our mortal enemies' spouses."

Kuiren said that on purpose. He found the rabbit to be very cute, and it would make expressions that pleased him, making him feel a ticklish sensation.

He has no habit of stealing other people's spouses; for hundreds of years, he has been so lonely that he could only find a cave to break stones on the night of the full moon.

"Brother, don't bully him."

Seeing Xue Ci's frightened expression, Kuise couldn't help but stop Kuiren. Of course, he was also jealous of Kuier for coming from behind and speaking to Xue Ci before him.

He scratched his head, and realizing he was still in beast form, he reverted to human form.

He's just uglier than his brother; I wonder if the little succubus will find him unattractive.

Kuise glanced furtively at the little succubus and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she didn't show any disgust or fear.

Vampires and werewolves are supposed to be mortal enemies, so Xue Ci, as a former mate of a vampire, should have been tortured in every way after falling into the hands of werewolves.

Ke Xue Ci inexplicably felt that the other party meant her no harm.

She even always wanted to treat him to food.

Indeed, there are no bad puppies in this world.

The werewolf brothers surrounded the pretty little succubus, occasionally brushing against her.

The werewolves' skin was relatively rough after they turned into humans. Xue Ci was delicate to begin with, and they squeezed her so much that she looked like a stuffed dumpling that was about to be exposed.

The two brothers prepared a lot of food and then invited Xue Ci to eat.

The jerky they gave her earlier was too filling, Xue Ci couldn't eat any more, but she didn't dare refuse. She slowly swallowed a little bit after half a minute.

Kuiren couldn't help but sigh, the succubus race is really something... even their eating is like seduction.

Xue Ci was unaware of their thoughts and answered their questions honestly.

Kuiren seemed very interested in the succubus's body, asking if it would sprout wings and a tail when it got excited.

Xue Ci hadn't changed yet, and slowly replied, "I don't know."

"When you were with Erland..., you never conjured it up?"

Xue Ci didn't catch the omitted part. He was supposed to leave tonight, but now he'd been kidnapped without cause, and everyone was probably looking for him everywhere.

Not wanting to cause trouble, Xue Ci, after realizing that the werewolves weren't inherently bad, tried to negotiate. "I have something very important to do tonight, could you please let me go back to where I was?"

Kuiren was easier to talk to than expected. "Sure, but what important matter do you have to discuss? I've heard that quite a few men are pursuing you, even Erland's brother is looking for you."

Xue Ci only answered part of the question, "I plan to go rescue Erland tonight."

"Save him?" Kuiren's tone changed slightly. "I'm afraid we can't save him."

"Um?"

He willingly fell into eternal sleep for you.

Seeing Xue Ci's surprised expression, Kuiren seemed to immediately understand something. "It seems he even erased your memories."

Although she had already guessed some of the truth, Xue Ci still couldn't help but feel sad after hearing it from others.

His lips were pale. "How... how did he die?"

Royal Garden

Want to know?

Xue Ci said earnestly, "Please tell me!"

Kuiren remained silent.

He could probably understand Erland to erase all memories of himself so that his wife could live a carefree and burden-free life.

It is said that vampires have evolved for thousands of years and have always exuded indifference.

But there are always those who are willing to make sacrifices.

Kuiren looked at the dejected face. "Never mind."

He reached out and lightly flicked Xue Ci's forehead.

Xue Ci's vision was plunged into darkness.

Xue Ci knew that the castle was not the starting point of his journey to this place.

Little did they know, he had approached Erland with a mission from the very beginning.

For thousands of years, succubi and vampires have fought to the death for territory and survival. Unfortunately, the succubi's magic is weak, forcing them to live in the dark and sunless Nether Sea. The current leader, unwilling to endure such hardship any longer, ordered his subordinates to select a young succubus to seduce the vampire heir.

However, vampires are strong-willed and not easily seduced. Fearing being caught with evidence and also fearing betrayal, the succubus clan placed a curse on the young succubus.

This curse is ancient, passed down through generations of the succubus race, and no one can break it. It is through this curse that they have been able to maintain their foothold in racial conflicts.

They demanded that the little succubus shoot the silver bullet into the heart of the heir Erland, or she would be consumed by endless desire, her body weakening day by day until death.

Xue Ci was the honest person who was chosen.

He was well-behaved, handsome, and an orphan.

Xue Ci was very loyal to his race. He had been bullied by several annoying vampires, so naturally he had no good feelings towards the cold and arrogant heir he had never met.

Everything went smoothly.

They met, they provoked each other... Xue Ci thought he could complete his mission at the hotel, but he didn't expect that Erland was really bad. He didn't give him a chance to take out the silver bullet at all, and all he did was kiss and hug him all night.

I pulled him from the bed into my arms and whispered some lewd things in his ear.

Xue Ci felt no guilt towards such a wicked vampire.

But everything that followed was unexpected.

Erland's heart was more passionate than he appeared. After their marriage, his patience and love made Xue Ci begin to hesitate.

The curse has begun to take effect.

The Silver Mark on Xue Ci's stomach appeared for longer periods each day, and the scalding heat engulfed him, making him unable to resist wanting to get close to Erland.

At first, Erland was pleased, thinking that Xue Ci was trying to take the initiative, but gradually he realized that something was wrong.

Xue Ci's sleep time has increased.

His body also became weak.

Erland took good care of him, devoting almost all his energy to him.

The more the man acted this way, the more guilty Xue Ci felt. At the same time, he was also afraid that the other party would discover his true intentions. He hid back in Bill's old house, but was found after only a few days.

That was the first time Erland gave him the cold shoulder.

She still held him in her arms and gently comforted him.

"Don't worry, leave it all to me."

Everything will be alright.

Erland's body was so cold that it could completely lower Xue Ci's temperature.

Xue Ci sometimes sleeps soundly until the sun sets.

But every time he woke up, Erland would be by his bedside, always holding his hand.

Until one day, he woke up on a bench near the church.

What... is he doing here?

Xue Ci felt dizzy and stared at her toes. Soon, a light rain began to fall.

The boy's eyes and brows were quickly soaked with sweat.

His appearance was so innocent that someone offered him an umbrella.

Xue Ci always felt an emptiness in her heart, as if she had forgotten some memory.

But it seems like I remember everything.

He remembered being an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. He lived in a game instance and needed to find players to leave this world.

Yes, he also swindled money from a man, saying he would be his wife if he paid him.

He remembered that the man spoke in a very fierce manner...

Xue Ci rallied her spirits, grabbed her umbrella, and found a carriage.

At this point, he was unaware that all his memories of Erland had been deliberately erased by the man.

After that, everything went smoothly. He had a few extra coins in his pocket, enough to cover his expenses for the next period of time; and his job application was very successful.

He successfully met those players.

Before Xue Ci could even begin to flirt with them, the men's gazes involuntarily fell upon her.

They would stare at him as he bit his lip in distress, and deliberately say strange things. Some pretentious men, though clearly concerned, would act as if they were unmoved.

So when Xue Ci stretched out her leg while playing the game, Fu Chengsi frowned but didn't move away.

The vampire husband, who had just gathered some of his essence, floated to Xue Ci's side and saw some disgusting men deliberately rubbing their thighs against Xue Ci's feet.

Jealousy surged within him, and at this moment, Erland was still unable to control his power.

And so, the workings of his little world were affected by his jealousy.

The second playthrough begins.

Xue Ci had lost all her memories of what happened before that.

Xue Ci's chest heaved violently.

The tall werewolf brothers extended their still-sharp claws and gently stroked his back.

"It really is me..."

Xue Ci's face was covered in sweat, and she looked as sad as if she had just been caught in a rain.

"He did it willingly, you don't need to feel guilty."

Damn it.

If he had known the little succubus would be so upset, he shouldn't have told her the truth.

Xue Ci her head, looking listless.

After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "Do you know how to break this curse?"

"This is an ancient curse," Kuiren said. "Even Erland couldn't break it, so naturally we are powerless to do anything about it."

Xue Ci lowered her eyes in disappointment.

He could have easily had Kuiren send him back to the castle, then left with the Ring, completing the mission and recovering the Fragment.

There's no need to go to such lengths.

But... Xue Ci felt very sorry for Erland.

He knew they doted on him and loved him very much.

But he can't always accept this love unconditionally.

At least, before leaving, let Erland wake up.

He wanted to say something to the other person in person.

Xue Ci's mind was in turmoil, her heart pounding in her chest, unable to calm down for a long time.

His nose gradually started to sting, his eyelashes drooped, and then a large tear fell down.

"I should remember him..."

Xue Ci wasn't sure if she was referring to Erland or the string of data that had been following him.

Just that one tear, and Kuiren felt a pang of heartache. He said tenderly, "Don't cry."

"Little succubus, do you want to save him?"

Xue Ci.

"The curse cannot be touched, but our race possesses a type of necromancer that can rewind time." Kuiren couldn't bear to see his dejected state, but still warned him of the consequences, "If you were to use it, all of Erland's previous efforts would be in vain. You would still be suppressed, weakened, and consumed by desire until death."

I can give it to you.

Xue Ci saw the Book of the Dead.

Just as he was about to take it, a white light flashed before his eyes.

After a long moment of stunned silence, Xue Ci finally realized that this was the last world.

--He is an awakened NPC in the game who approaches the player in order to save her husband, and gets the player to bring him and her husband into the real world.

Aside from these settings, Xue Ci knew nothing else.

[Yiyi?]

He called out, but there was no response.

The search system did not provide any information.

Xue Ci had a vague feeling that something was wrong. He wandered around the area twice but didn't find any castle, only a church.

As darkness fell, Xue Ci began to panic.

He was both tired and hungry, and touched his deflated stomach.

He needed to eat a bowl of hot soup noodles first, and then find a place to sleep.

Perhaps because he looked so pitiful, a passerby gave him some money.

That should solve the dinner problem, then I can buy a large cardboard box.

He saw that the homeless people were sleeping in cardboard boxes.

Xue Ci the money tightly, but before she could walk two blocks, she was ambushed.

Two men who looked like thugs surrounded him, their tone flippant. "Hey beautiful, where are you going?"

Xue Ci back in disgust.

Before the thugs could even move forward, their collars were suddenly grabbed from behind.

Bill didn't want to expend any energy dealing with these people. He threw the two of them hard against the wall and then walked straight toward Xue Ci.

"Thank you... um--"

?

Xue Ci was picked up and carried like that.

The other person looked concerned, as if checking him for injuries.

Sensing that the man meant no harm, Xue Ci's tense body gradually relaxed.

Finally, he was put on the ground.

The man opposite me had blond hair and blue eyes, an unruly demeanor, and seemed rather unapproachable.

Xue Ci pursed her lips and whispered the "thank you" that she hadn't said clearly before.

Unbeknownst to him, his cheeks were now covered in dust, making him look like a pitiful stray kitten.

Bill, who had been searching for her for days and nights, suddenly felt a softening in his heart. He couldn't bear to raise his voice at Xue Ci, and simply asked with concern, "Where have you been these past few days? Are you hungry? Has anyone been bullying you?"

Xue Ci's expression was somewhat slow, but after two seconds, he gave the other person a friendly smile.

"I'm a little hungry. You beat up all the people who bullied me."

He obediently answered the other person's question before tentatively asking, "Do we know each other?"

The blond man wore a complicated expression.

The kitten awkwardly touched its nose.

Then--

Have you forgotten me again?

Bill suddenly leaned closer and gently pecked Xue Ci on the cheek. "My name is Bill."

"Your husband, Bill."

Author's Note:

Bring the stray kitten home, care for it, suckle its belly, and then make it pregnant again.