Qi Mian felt a hand wrap around her waist. She leaned into the man’s embrace, feeling secure and content, her face still showing traces of fear as she shrank back: “What was that noise just now? I think I smelled something…”
“Don’t worry about it. People around here keep a lot of animals.” He brushed her off with a few evasive remarks that didn’t address her question, his tone rising slightly with a hint of teasing. “Do you know your husband’s name?”
Qi Mian looked bewildered at his words. She remembered that she was just a girl who had been trafficked and hadn’t even had a chance to meet her buyer yet. “No—they sold me to you, and I still don’t know your name.”
Immediately, tears began to well up in her eyes again, and she asked cautiously, “Will you hit me or yell at me?” After all, her original self had come from a humble background, and she’d seen similar cases of daughters being sold off around her. For most of them, life after being bought was far from happy—it was practically hell.
The man remained silent as his cool hand covered hers. Qi Mian could only see a blurry silhouette gradually drawing closer, until finally his voice rang in her ear, sending a wave of lingering, tingling sensation through her.
“My name is Tu Ye. Remember your husband’s name. If you behave yourself, your husband will definitely take good care of you.” He seemed to chuckle softly—so faintly that Qi Mian almost thought it was her imagination.
“Let’s go home.”
Qi Mian was gently pushed away by Tu Ye. She flailed her arms in panic a few times before finally grasping his hand. “Home? Is it far from here?”
The blind girl seemed to be desperately seeking a sense of security, clinging to him as tightly as she could to draw some comfort. Tu Ye cast a cold glance around the area.
Several bodies lay on the ground—a middle-aged couple and an old man—blood flowing from their bodies, creating a blinding red pool. It was his handiwork.
This was a small mountain village. Tu Ye’s public profession was that of a painter; he had come here to gather inspiration. That night, he ran into some villagers who had come to negotiate a deal. Seeing that he was well-dressed and driving a car, they got the wrong idea.
To Tu Ye, they were nothing more than lambs led to the slaughter. He was both the villain and the protagonist of this world; blood and death would fuel his growth. His paintings—bizarre and eerie—would ultimately make him the most famous painter of his time, transforming him into a ruthless, emotionless killing machine.
After Tu Ye had taken care of everything, a girl stumbled over from a short distance away—it was Qi Mian.
By then, Qi Mian had heard San San explain the entire background to her and couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine.
[So, this Tu Ye guy has already killed eight people so far. Add these three, and that makes eleven. He’s highly intelligent and inherited a huge fortune from his parents. He always covers his tracks perfectly after each murder, so in the eyes of others, he’s still an elegant and famous painter.]
Qi Mian nodded in understanding, but she was more concerned about something else: [Can my blindness be cured? It’s really getting in the way of my missions.]
San San’s voice remained soft and adorable: [In this world, no, it can’t. This body of yours was born blind. But don’t worry—you’ve got me, right? I can describe what’s around you.]
Qi Mian sighed in resignation: [Fine.]
“Is that house back there your home?” Tu Ye glanced in the direction Qi Mian had run from, where a small mud-brick house stood.
The area was sparsely populated, with only a few poor, backward villages. If it weren’t for the beautiful scenery, Tu Ye wouldn’t have traveled this far just to find a location.
Qi Mian nodded: “Mm…” She and Tu Ye had been talking for quite a while without hearing a single sound from anyone else. She remembered her parents had gone out to do something. With her lifeless yet exceptionally clear, dark, and bright eyes fixed ahead, she asked, “Have you seen my parents? Have you guys… already come to an agreement?”
Tu Ye glanced at the motionless figure on the ground, clasped Qi Mian’s hand in a reverse grip, and spoke with a surprisingly soothing tone: “Yes, they’ve already gone back.”
Hearing this, Qi Mian lowered her head with a hint of disappointment, and the tears that had just subsided in her eyes began to well up again.
[San San, how do Qi Mian’s parents usually treat her?]
[Of course, there’s no shortage of beatings and scolding. If it weren’t for her original appearance—pretty but frail—her parents would love to make her do every dirty and exhausting chore. But since they want to sell her for a good price, they don’t dare to really harm her.]
“You don’t want to come back with me?” Tu Ye pinched her cheek, gently lifting Qi Mian’s face. He saw the crimson flush at the corners of her eyes; his jet-black gaze seemed to pierce right through her soul.
Qi Mian’s eyes widened, but her unfocused vision could only make out a blurry shadow—she knew it was Tu Ye.
“No…” Her voice was tiny, and it wasn’t hard to tell that those words weren’t what she truly meant. Qi Mian’s worry and fear were written all over her face.
Tu Ye’s gaze fell on his own fingers. The girl’s fair, delicate cheek was soft and warm; his touch had caused it to puff out slightly, and paired with her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, she looked both aggrieved and adorable.
He suddenly let go, leaving only the red mark on Qi Mian’s cheek as proof of what he had just done.
Tu Ye pursed his lips, a vague, indescribable emotion welling up inside him.
“Good. Let’s go.”
His indifferent voice rang out. Just as Qi Mian was about to take a step, the man suddenly gripped her waist, stopping her from moving forward.
“Go this way—that side’s dirty,” Tu Ye said casually, nonchalantly leading Qi Mian past the old man’s corpse on the ground and onto a patch of pavement free of blood.
She got into the car Tu Ye had parked nearby. As her hand brushed against the car’s exterior, a look of surprise flashed across Qi Mian’s face. Although her parents hadn’t told her who they were selling her to, she hadn’t expected to be sold to a wealthy family with a car.
“Husband, is this car… yours?” Qi Mian asked hesitantly.
Tu Ye glanced at her. “Yeah, did your parents tell you what kind of person I am?”
“They didn’t tell me anything,” Qi Mian shook her head.
Tu Ye was quite satisfied with this. He gazed at the profile of the clueless girl—her innocent and bewildered expression—how much she resembled an innocent, harmless lamb. As he thought this, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.
This was an unexpected bonus for him.
“Wait here for me a moment. I’m going to talk to your parents some more. Don’t come out.”
Tu Ye’s tone was neither loud nor soft, yet it gave Qi Mian the feeling that she had to obey him. He glanced back at the chaotic murder scene behind him, and only after receiving Qi Mian’s obedient reply did he close the car door tightly and step back onto the muddy, blood-stained ground.
Once he had finished handling the situation, what he saw through the car window was Qi Mian’s serene and gentle sleeping face. Her light eyelids covered her lifeless eyes, making her appear even more pure and beautiful.
[How about it? Isn’t this pose and angle the most flattering?] Qi Mian chatted secretly with San San.
San San was very supportive: [Mm-hmm! You’re so beautiful, Host. How else would I have chosen you?]
Qi Mian smiled to herself, her face serene as she slept.
She heard the car door open as Tu Ye got in. He sat in the driver’s seat, leaving Qi Mian alone in the backseat.
The man started the car and casually took off his bloodstained jacket. He silently glanced at Qi Mian through the rearview mirror. The fair-skinned, pretty girl was sleeping soundly, completely unaware that danger was right beside her.
Tu Ye watched her for a while, then suddenly spoke up, “Are you sleepy?”
Qi Mian pretended to be startled awake, opening her eyes in confusion and staring straight ahead, her lips parting slightly—
“Husband, are we home yet?”
The girl’s soft voice sounded almost like she was being coy, and Tu Ye’s eyelid twitched.