After I Died, My Gentle Husband Became a Dark Widower - Chapter 1

Under the dim yellow light, Xie Qiyan was wiping down my feverish body.

His expression was perfectly serious, entirely focused on the task.

But those shimmering, seductive eyes, those soft, thin lips, the line of his waist faintly outlined beneath his clothes…

They made it very hard for anyone else to be serious.

And so, somewhere along the way, that innocent wipe-down sparked something else.

I was the first to give in. I leaned up and kissed him.

Xie Qiyan stiffened for a moment, then kissed me back, the tips of his ears turning red.

The temperature in our shabby little room shot up.

Just as things were about to get out of hand, he stopped short.

Fighting for control, he said, “We can’t, baby. Your illness…”

He had left me so wound up I could have cried.

“But it hurts…”

Blushing, he held out his fingers, their nails neatly trimmed and rounded.

“Then let’s take care of it the usual way.”

…

When it was over, I looked at him, still unwilling to give up.

“Let me help you too, honey.”

But he only kissed my temple and headed for the bathroom.

“It’s all right. I’ll take a cold shower.”

“You’re not well. Get some rest.”

Not well.

Those words again.

I looked down at my sickly body, furious with it for letting me down.

Three years of marriage, and I still hadn’t gotten to have Xie Qiyan!

Our story was simple.

He was a sweet, innocent young man.

The kind you could win over if you just kept pursuing him shamelessly enough.

But on the very first day I finally won him over—

I fell ill.

A single step left me breathless. Anything else was out of the question.

So all I could do was look at his gorgeous face, his eight-pack, and his impressive package, day after day.

My tears of frustration kept leaking out of the corner of my mouth.

How could the world be so cruel?

Are you doing this on purpose, Heaven?

As I screamed silently inside, a stream of comments suddenly appeared before my eyes.

[LMAO. Give it up, girl. You’re the female side character. You’re never getting a taste of our sweet little bottom.]

[Your only purpose is to have that incurable disease.]

[So he’ll go around borrowing money and begging for help.]

[Until some powerful top takes an interest in him and makes him his little plaything in a forced-love story. Hehehe…]

Were these even words I understood?

I stared, dumbfounded.

It took a long time for it to sink in.

…Heaven really was doing this on purpose.

Xie Qiyan was the bottom in a forced-love novel.

And I was nothing but a plot device.

My illness would never be cured. Worse, one day it would drag Xie Qiyan—

Straight into hell.

After giving it exactly zero seconds of thought, I made my decision.

I was going to die.

Being a plot device didn’t scare me.

Having an incurable disease didn’t scare me either.

But dragging Xie Qiyan down with me? That terrified me.

I had already been a burden to him for far too long.

To me, he was like pure, untouchable moonlight.

Handsome, brilliant, gentle, and kind.

He could have had a wonderful life.

Instead, ever since we got married, he had worked three jobs by day and stayed up all night taking care of me.

And now he was going to be forcibly claimed by someone else.

Even a bitter melon didn’t deserve a life this bitter.

The thought quietly strengthened my resolve to die.

There was just one problem.

How should I do it?

My life had been useless enough. Surely my death ought to be worth something.

Bang.

As I pondered that, our front door was suddenly pushed open.

Xie Qiyan stumbled in, reeking of alcohol.

He had never been a drinker. What had happened?

Startled, I hurried over to catch him.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck and nuzzled me like a puppy.

“Baby, I met someone who can help us today.”

“He promised to lend me a huge amount of money. He wants to meet at a hotel tonight to discuss it.”

He couldn’t hide his happiness.

“If I can really borrow that much, we should be able to cure you, right?”

A terrible feeling crept over me.

“…What’s his name?”

“Shen Ye.”

Shen Ye.

My breath caught.

The comments had mentioned him. That was the powerful top’s name.

So the forced-love plot was about to begin.

Without thinking, I asked, “Could you not go?”

Xie Qiyan shook his head without hesitation.

“Of course I have to go.”

“Your surgery is coming up. We need the money more than ever.”

I sighed.

Of course. The plot wasn’t going to change that easily.

Still clinging to one last shred of hope, I tried again.

“What if this Shen Ye is a bad person? I’m worried about you.”

He straightened, cupped my face in his hands, and said earnestly, “But I’m worried about you too.”

“Being sick all the time like this… How much are you suffering? How much does it hurt?”

“Every time I think about it, it feels worse than dying.”

His eyes reddened. His long lashes trembled.

“If I can borrow the money for your surgery and put an end to your pain…”

“I’ll go tonight even if it means risking my life.”

A sudden ache gripped my chest.

My heart felt painfully tender.

And in that moment, I knew how I was going to die.

Taking a deep breath, I whispered, “I understand, honey.”

“By the way, where did Shen Ye ask you to meet him?”

…

The top-floor suite at the Anle Hotel.

Through the half-open door, I saw Shen Ye resting with his eyes closed.

Several toys lay on the table beside him.

A whip, handcuffs, a collar… Every last one was obscene.

Just as I thought. He was up to no good.

I picked up a stick and crept toward him.

Then I swung with all my strength—

It was, without question, a stupid move.

Shen Ye was a powerful man who had been through countless fights. I was a patient who could barely stand a gust of wind.

He slammed me straight into the wall. Stars burst before my eyes.

“Who are you?”

His voice was murderous.

I swallowed a mouthful of blood and threw myself at him again, heedless of my life.

He kicked me away. I lunged back.

My persistence bordered on idiocy.

A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes.

He had probably never met an assassin quite this bizarre.

And so, when Xie Qiyan pushed open the door, he found me struggling with Shen Ye.

His voice began to shake with disbelief.

“…Baby?”

Finally.

Relief washed over me. I let myself fall backward through the open window.

Before I went over, I remembered to shout, “Help! Murder!”

Shen Ye looked utterly bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

“I didn’t fucking kill—”

Xie Qiyan rushed to the window, his eyes wide with horror.

“Baby!”

Watching it all as I fell, I couldn’t help smiling.

It had worked.

I knew I couldn’t beat Shen Ye.

From the start, my plan had been to die at his hands.

Maybe then Xie Qiyan would understand how terrifying this man was and stay far away from him.

The moon would remain high in the sky. Xie Qiyan would remain gentle and kind forever.

Except…

In that final glimpse before I died, why did I see him walking slowly toward Shen Ye with such a terrifying look in his eyes?

I must have imagined it…

My eyes fell shut.