Chapter 46: Her Boyfriend Could Slap a Flirt to Death with One Hand (9)

Half a year ago, at dusk, Bai Yao walked through a patch of mist and entered a small town called Arctic. Perhaps because this place was so remote, she couldn't find it on her phone; navigation failed, and the very moment she set foot in the town, she lost her way.

The sun had set, darkness was falling, and in the quiet town not a soul could be seen. She couldn't even find anyone to ask for directions. As the night deepened, she decided to look for an inn and stay for the night.

She followed the street ahead, and as she passed a white house, she heard a faint rustling sound.

Bai Yao stopped and looked in the direction of the noise. She noticed that something seemed to be moving within the bramble of roses beyond the white fence. Assuming a small animal was caught in there, she crouched down, intending to help.

She reached towards the flowers, but was suddenly seized by a hand darting out from the brambles.

The thorns parted slowly, and in the night she saw the silhouette of a young man sitting on the ground.

He was dressed all in black, his dark hair falling over his eyes, and the deep shadows beneath them made his pale face appear even more bloodless. His eyes were an inky black, too intense, and through the fence, he watched her in silence from within the brambles.

In the natural world, many predators, upon discovering their prey, do not immediately pounce and tear into the fragile body before them. Instead, they contemplate, deciding from which spot to take the first bite so as to savor the most delicious part.

The night was so still that not even the wind stirred. It was the perfect time for something bloody and terrifying to shatter the tranquility with a scream.

His grip on her wrist tightened.

Suddenly, the girl grasped his hand with her other one and said, "You're hurt."

He blinked slowly, lowering his gaze to see the hand she was holding. The skin was scratched by thorns, the blood stark against his already unusually pale skin.

At that moment, she noticed a dark red glow flicker over him for an instant before vanishing. Certain that he was the fated lover she sought in this world, her eyes curved with a gentle smile as she softly asked, "Do you have a bandage?"

And so, on that strange night, she entered his house.

Bai Yao only learned later that he had been hunting mice that night and hadn't cared that he crawled into the brambles. Such minor scratches were nothing to him.

But after being spoiled by Bai Yao for so long, he began to make a fuss over the slightest pain. Just the other day, bored, he picked at a hangnail until it bled a little, then proudly presented his finger to her, his face twisted in mock agony, insisting that it hurt.

His current delicate inability to endure even the smallest pain was a far cry from his former self.

The living room, lit warmly, felt cozy and safe. Under the glow, he clung tightly to her, the sofa sinking again and again beneath their weight.

In the end, he refused to let her go, pressing her close in his embrace. His possessiveness reminded her of scenes from nature documentaries—how, in the act of mating, the male uses his strength or a unique physiology to ensure the female can't escape, thus increasing the chances of conception.

Xue Yan picked her up, pressing her against him, cradling her in his arms. He bowed his head to shower her with kisses—his favorite part of the aftermath. At this moment, their bodies mingled with each other's scent, which filled him with an extraordinary sense of satisfaction.

Though she didn't want to overthink it, Bai Yao couldn't help but compare his behavior to a dog marking its territory on a lamppost.

Realizing the absurdity of her own thoughts, she was almost exasperated with herself.

She pushed his face away with a lazy slap. "I want to take a bath," she said.

Xue Yan obeyed, carrying her into the bathroom. But ten minutes later, the girl's voice rang out from inside: "Get out and clean up!"

Soaked and wrapped only in a towel, Xue Yan was chased out. Pitifully, he stood at the door and said in a small voice, "Yao Yao, can I help you scrub your back?"

Soaking in the tub, Bai Yao retorted irritably, "Is that what you call scrubbing? I'm hungry—go make dinner!"

She had planned to play the tail-touching game with him after dinner, but he was so excited today that he pounced on her the moment they got home.

Although Bai Yao didn't mind doing these things with someone she loved—it was, after all, good for body and soul—too much was too much. As the only rational person in this house, she had to make sure his "hardware and software" wouldn't have any problems in the future.

Xue Yan dared not defy her. Crestfallen, he waited by the door for a while, hoping she'd change her mind and let him back in to play, but she never called. So, head lowered, he changed into clean clothes and slowly tidied up the mess in the living room.

Then, like a dutiful husband, he headed into the kitchen to wash and cut vegetables. In truth, he never used to cook—he would simply eat whatever he caught.

But since Bai Yao had to work every day to support him and still come home to cook, he began to watch short videos on her phone in secret.

One video said: "Your husband works all day and still has to cook and clean when he gets home. And you? You don't work, you stay at home, and can't even cook! Over time, he'll only feel more stressed and won't want to come home. Girls, as the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Cook well and take care of the home so your husband can work outside without worry—that's what we should do!"

That day, watching the video felt like a spiritual awakening for Xue Yan. Every time Bai Yao went to shower, he would sneak her phone to study the cooking tutorials.

He learned quickly, pouring all his energy into mastering the art of cooking.

Now, he placed Bai Yao's pink phone on the kitchen counter and followed the video step by step. He didn't need a scale; his hands were precise to the gram. However, sometimes he encountered things he couldn't understand.

Like now, when the woman in the video said, "Just add sugar to taste."

What does "to taste" mean?

Xue Yan stood there, spatula in hand, frozen in confusion.