Chapter 8: A Brief and Peaceful Life

In no time at all, Serena and Wuming were sitting together playing games.

“Is this how you humans pass the time?”

“So much fun!”

“Take this punch, Wuming!”

When the big K·O appeared on the TV screen, Wuming silently set down the controller.

This girl learned way too fast!?

This was only the fifth round, and Serena already had him completely pinned with no chance of turning it around.

Wuming had thought he could crush her, but instead she was the one dominating him!

“Let’s play another round, Wuming.”

Serena said excitedly, clearly lost in the joy of the game.

But Wuming did not want to keep playing with her.

It was not because he could not beat Serena. He was simply too tired and wanted to sleep.

He had not closed his eyes once from last night until now.

“You play by yourself, Serena.”

Wuming set the controller down, stood up, stretched, and yawned. 

Then he looked at Serena.

“I’m going to rest, Serena. You play by yourself.”

“…”

“Is it because I’m too good, so you don’t want to play with me anymore, Wuming?”

Serena’s words carried a pitiful tone.

“It’s just a game. I don’t care about winning or losing. I’m just really tired and need rest. I haven’t rested at all since I saved you yesterday. I need to recover my energy properly.”

“Tomorrow I still have to clean out the storage room to give you a place to sleep.”

“For tonight you’ll have to make do with the sofa.”

“…”

After saying that, Wuming went to take a shower, leaving Serena alone in the living room staring blankly at the TV screen.

A room, huh…

Serena set the controller down as well.

Now that he mentioned it…

Serena looked around. This place would be where she lived for the next few days.

“I never thought I would really get to stay…”

Serena sighed once more.

She had half-forced Wuming to let her stay, even impulsively thought of marriage as a way to make him keep her.

Thinking back on that, Serena regretted making such a stupid decision.

She looked at the ring on her finger, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

It was said that blood clan only formed this kind of ring when they wanted to spend a lifetime with someone, to prove to the other person or to outsiders that they were their beloved.

Yet she had “offered” this ring to Wuming simply to make him let her stay.

There was zero romance in it.

Serena mocked herself inwardly.

Doctor Wuming… beloved…

If she left, he probably would not even try to keep her, let alone love her.

“Meow—”

At that moment Wuyi suddenly jumped onto the sofa and curled up on Serena’s lap to rest.

“…”

Serena stroked its fur.

A peaceful life…

Was this what people called a peaceful life…

For her, it was probably only a brief period of safety.

When would she be dragged back into danger again?

And when could she finally escape all of this?

Serena asked herself.

While Serena was still thinking about these questions, Wuming came out of the bathroom with a towel draped over his shoulders.

“I’m going to rest now, Miss Serena.”

“Good night.”

Under Serena’s gaze, Wuming returned to his room to sleep.

“…”

Wuming… her “husband.”

He had saved her when she was gravely injured. She had to repay this kindness…

But Serena still could not think of any way to repay Wuming for the time being.

Did she have to… do that?

But Wuming did not seem willing.

Maybe the best repayment for him would be if she just left.

That was what Serena thought.

She clenched her fist and felt strength slowly returning. 

She was even a little surprised at how fast she was recovering.

She had thought it would take a full week, but at this rate it seemed she would be fully recovered in two or three days.

That was good news, at least.

“…”

Serena lay down on the sofa. This was the first relatively safe place she had found in so long where she could actually sleep.

And once a person relaxed, memories would start flooding back.

Serena was no exception.

Being captured, turned into an experimental subject, finally escaping only to be hunted.

Scene after scene of experiments and pursuits flashed through Serena’s mind. She could not help clenching her fists tighter.

Everyone who put me through this, just wait!

I, Serena, will definitely get my revenge!

***

In the dead of night.

Wuming woke up groggily from his dream.

A full bladder forced him to get up and use the bathroom before going back to sleep.

He glanced at the time on his phone. It was already three in the morning. He climbed out of bed, opened his door.

The living room light was off, only the bathroom light still on. After finishing his business, Wuming looked toward the sofa in the living room.

“…”

He walked over quietly. The blood clan girl was curled up on the sofa, sound asleep.

He had thought blood clan were all nocturnal…

Turns out they kept normal hours too.

Wuming went back to his room, took out a thin blanket and a pillow, and returned to the living room to put them on Serena.

This girl was sleeping pretty soundly…

She must have been exhausted.

Wuming thought as he gently slipped the pillow under her head, trying not to wake her so she could keep sleeping.

But the moment Wuming’s hand reached toward Serena, she suddenly opened her eyes and grabbed his wrist.

“—!”

He saw the look of terror on Serena’s face in the dark.

“Doctor Wuming…”

Seeing it was Wuming, Serena released his hand. The terror in her eyes vanished.

“Why are you so on guard, you silly girl.”

Wuming withdrew his hand and tossed the blanket and pillow to Serena so she could cover herself.

“Cover up, so you don’t catch a cold.”

“…”

Looking at the blanket and pillow in her hands, Serena thanked him.

“Thank you, Doctor Wuming.”

“…” Seriously.

“No need to thank me.” Wuming waved his hand. He could not let Serena sleep on the sofa like that.

“Go to sleep. We still have cleaning to do in the morning.”

With that, Wuming returned to his room and slept until the next morning.

When the next day came.

Serena was woken by noise from the kitchen. Wuming was making his breakfast.

“Good morning, Miss Serena.”

“Morning…”

Seeing the blanket and pillow on her, remembering how Wuming had worried she would catch a cold and brought them to her last night, a warm current inexplicably surged in Serena’s heart.

No one had ever done that for her in so long…

Wuming ate his breakfast while Serena took a blood bag from the fridge and started drinking.

It had to be said, blood clan were actually quite easy to take care of.

They only needed blood.

After finishing breakfast, Wuming began the morning’s plan.

He was going to clear out a sleeping space for Serena.

He had even postponed all patient appointments to the afternoon, devoting the entire morning to the room.

He never thought the day would come when someone would actually live in his storage room.

“Let’s get to work, Miss Serena.”

“Oh…”

***

Wuyi sat neatly at the edge of the sofa, watching Wuming and Serena go in and out of the storage room.

Just moving everything out took a full hour. Most of it was boxes from figurines Wuming could not bear to throw away after buying them, plus all kinds of miscellaneous items and books.

“Finally done moving…”

Looking at the mountain of boxes, Wuming wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He had not realized he had bought so many figurines without noticing.

There were even some unassembled models.

It was definitely not because he was lazy that he had not built them. Work had been too busy, so he kept putting it off.

Besides, as a gunpla fan, hoarding was perfectly reasonable, right?

After all that trouble, I still have to build them myself.jpg

Come to think of it, a few kits still had not shipped. Who knew when they would arrive.

Thinking about it made Wuming’s model addiction flare up again. He wanted to pull out his phone and check if any new kits had gone up for pre-order.

No, no.

If I buy more I won’t have money for food.

Wuming silently put his phone away and stopped thinking about it.

“What should I do with all this stuff…”

Staring at the figurine boxes and models, Wuming fell into deep thought, unsure what to do.

“Just throw them away, wouldn’t that solve it?”

Serena, who had just finished sweeping the floor, came out of the room and happened to hear Wuming muttering.

“They’re all empty boxes, right? Why keep them?”

“No! Can’t throw them!”

Wuming suddenly spoke with firm determination.

“These are all good stuff! I worked hard to collect them, how could I throw them away!”

“What’s the big deal…”

Serena could not understand. They were just empty boxes, yet it was as if throwing them away would kill Wuming.

“You don’t understand.” Wuming picked up an empty figurine box. “This thing is limited edition! It’s out of print now, understand?”

“…”

“So?”

Serena asked in confusion.

“It has extremely high collectible value! In a few years, or ten years, these can turn into cold hard cash!”

“…”

Wuming’s words left Serena somewhat unconvinced. After all, she was not in the circle.

“Then… if you want to keep them, where are you going to put them?”

“This…”

Wuming was also pondering the problem.

Putting them in his own room was impossible. His room was already packed full of figurines and models with no space left.

But where else…

“So, Wuming, just throw them away.”

“It’s fine.”

“…”

You say that so easily. They’re not your things, of course you don’t understand their meaning!

No matter what, they’ve been with me all this time!

No choice. Wuming could only temporarily stack the boxes in the living room and figure out arrangements later.

Throwing them away was something he truly could not do!

Another two hours of cleaning and Serena’s room was finally spotless and ready to live in.

“Now you have a place to sleep, Miss Serena.”

“…Mm.”

Looking at the cleaned room, Serena did not know what to say for a moment.

She had been trying not to get too involved with him, to protect him…

“Thank you, Doctor Wuming.”

She smiled at Wuming. Seeing that smile, Wuming felt something stir in his heart.

A loli’s smile really is healing…

If she were not dangerous, Wuming would even want her to keep living with him forever.

After finishing the room, the two sat on the sofa to rest, watch some TV, and relax.

There was still some time before the first patient arrived anyway.

“Hey, Wuming.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

Serena, who had been watching TV, suddenly turned to look at Wuming, making him puzzled. “What question?”

“It’s just… why did you buy so many figurines? Your room is full of them.”

“You’re not… a shut-in, are you?”

“…”

“How could I be a shut-in…”

As he spoke, Wuming’s head unconsciously turned to the side.

What shut-in…

It was just a hobby, that’s all, just a hobby!

He was definitely not the type who came home expecting a loli maid to greet him with “Welcome back, Master~” or whatever!

Absolutely not!

“Just a personal interest, nothing more…”

“I just like playing games and watching anime, that’s all. Not a shut-in.”

Personal interest?

That was exactly what an otaku was…

“And besides,” Wuming suddenly changed the subject, “these are for emergencies, like people like you.”

“Me?”

Serena looked at him in confusion, not understanding how the figurines connected to emergencies, and how it involved her.

Come to think of it… Wuming had said something similar before…

“[If you want to thank anyone, thank ‘her.’ She performed the surgery.]”

Wuming pointed at the sexy doctor figurine.

Could it be that Wuming… his ability was related to those figurines?

Just as she was about to ask further, Wuming suddenly stood up.

“Since there are no patients this morning, I’ll go to the nearby market to buy ingredients and cook a proper lunch.”

Wuming stretched. Cooking was one of his specialties, but he was usually too lazy, so he often just bought takeout.

Now that he had time, he could buy more and take care of dinner too.

“You watch the house, Serena. I’ll be back soon.”

“Oh…”

Wuming changed into casual clothes and left home, leaving Serena alone in the living room waiting for him to return.

“…”

So curious.

Doctor Wuming… he really doesn’t seem like a simple person.

Serena was very curious about him.

Once outside and breathing fresh air, Wuming arrived at the market.

The stall owners here basically all knew Wuming. He came year-round, so it would be impossible not to know him.

While buying vegetables, Wuming also sent a message to Crosti, wanting to learn more about the Scarlet Night incident from the night before last and see if he could find out anything.

He might even learn something about Serena.

“[That night’s Scarlet Night, huh…]”

“[Wait, I’ll ask around.]”

Looking at the reply on his phone, Wuming silently turned off the screen.

He wondered how Crosti got her information… It looked like she had contacts.

In less than a few minutes Crosti replied.

“[Heard the bounty that night was ridiculously high, double the usual amount.]”

“[Supposedly a large group of blood clan teamed up to catch the target, but none survived. The one carrying the bounty is also missing.]”

None survived… target missing…

Reading the message, Wuming fell into thought. Then his fingers quickly tapped the screen.

“[Do you know the name of the high-bounty target?]”

Wuming asked her.

The moment he sent it, Crosti replied instantly.

“[I know.]”

“[The person is called Serena.]”

The moment he saw the three characters “Serena,” Wuming confirmed his guess was completely correct.

The one who had forced him into marriage was exactly the high-bounty target they meant.

Looked like… he had been dragged into the storm after all…

This was the situation Wuming least wanted to see.

Wuming’s phone vibrated again. Crosti sent another message.

“[What’s up, Doctor Wuming?]”

“[Why are you asking about this?]”

“[Do you want to join Scarlet Night too?]”

Join? Wuming definitely did not have the guts, and wasn’t Scarlet Night only for blood clan anyway?

“[Just asking casually.]”

“[Why do you know all this?]”

“[A few of my viewers are black households. They know what happened, so I just asked them.]”

“[Got it. Thanks, Miss Crosti.]”

After seeing Crosti send an OK emoji, Wuming turned off the screen and could not help sighing.

Sigh…

Why did I end up like this…

I said I wouldn’t get involved in trouble…