My Flash-Marriage Husband Is an Eldritch Being - Chapter 3

By the time I woke the next day, it was almost noon.

I was too sleepy to open my eyes and spent ages curled up under the covers, unwilling to move.

The culprit had already returned to his usual impeccably dressed self. He sat by the bed tidying the clothes scattered across the floor, his shirt buttoned all the way up.

When he saw I was awake, he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“Still tired?”

I huffed and rolled over, refusing to look at him.

Qi Shuo pressed himself close and began massaging my lower back.

“Be good, baby. I’ll be more careful next time.”

No sooner had he spoken than my phone rang on the nightstand.

It was a message from my supervisor.

A project originally scheduled for next week had suddenly been moved forward. I was to leave that very afternoon for a neighboring city and would likely be there for five days.

Just as I was about to reply, Got it, the hand on my waist stopped.

“Do you have to go?”

Puzzled, I turned my head.

Qi Shuo’s eyes were lowered. His fingers rested against my waist without moving for a long moment.

I had not even read the message aloud.

I glanced back at the phone. It was at least six feet away from him.

I teased, “You’ve got sharp eyes. You can read that from there?”

Qi Shuo did not look happy.

“Five days is too long.”

“That’s short. My overseas assignments used to last at least three months.”

“Can you stay?”

His question made me laugh. “Dr. Qi, I need to earn money too. If we live on your research stipend alone, we’ll both starve.”

Qi Shuo stared at me for a moment. “I can go without food.”

That struck me right in the heart, and I found him rather pitiful.

I leaned over and kissed him. “Be good. I couldn’t bear to let you go hungry.”

Qi Shuo pressed his lips together and fell silent.

After lunch, I dragged my suitcase out of the wardrobe and began packing.

Qi Shuo followed behind me the entire time, never more than half a step away.

I put my things into the suitcase and turned to look for my charger. In that brief interval, he took out the clothes I had just folded and folded them again.

I caught his hand.

“What are you doing?”

He answered calmly, “They weren’t folded properly.”

“That won’t stop them from getting through security.”

I snatched the clothes from him and stuffed them back into the suitcase.

“Don’t think I can’t tell you’re doing this to stall me.”

Qi Shuo watched the clothes fall into the suitcase. For a long time, he said nothing.

Then he suddenly crouched before me and took hold of my wrist.

“Baby.”

“Hmm?”

“Can I hide you away?”

His tone was so serious that I did not understand at first.

“Where?”

Qi Shuo lowered his eyes and glanced at his own body.

“Somewhere very safe.”

I followed his gaze. A few indecent interpretations immediately sprang to mind, and I sighed with feeling.

“Our Qi Shuo has finally learned to make dirty jokes in broad daylight. Your wife is very proud.”

He stared at me for several seconds, as though considering my words. Then he calmly leaned in again and buried his face against my chest, his voice full of hope.

“Can I?”

I refused without hesitation. “Of course not. I have to work.”

Qi Shuo fell silent.

I looked down at him, but all I could see was the crown of his thick black hair.

He crouched to one side and brooded for several minutes. Once he seemed to have finally accepted it, he got up and helped me finish packing.

As I answered work messages, I ordered him around.

“Throw my pajamas in the washer.”

Qi Shuo’s gaze settled on the pajamas I had worn, which lay on the bed. He stared at them for a moment before murmuring his assent.

I thought he had finally gotten himself under control.

But as I was about to leave, he wrapped his arms around me again and refused to let go.

He squeezed so hard I could barely breathe. I patted his back and kissed his cheek.

Only then did Qi Shuo loosen his grip a little.

I turned to pull my suitcase, but it did not budge.

I bent down to check the wheels and found nothing wrong. I pulled harder, but still could not move it, as though something behind it had wound itself around the case and was holding on for dear life.

Oh, now it was a challenge.

Planting my feet, I hauled upward with both hands.

The suitcase abruptly came free and nearly sent me tumbling backward.

Qi Shuo caught me instantly and pulled me back into his arms.

“You’re having this much trouble before you’ve even left. Maybe you shouldn’t go after all.”

I shoved his face away, dragged my suitcase into the elevator, and did not look back.

Before the doors slid shut, I glanced at him one last time.

Qi Shuo still stood where I had left him, gazing after me piteously. His face seemed a little paler than before.