Four Years Ago, Her Husband Cheated on Her Body - Chapter 1

“Ah, I died again…”

Jia Qiao curled up in the soft, gray cashmere sofa, like a salted fish who had lost its dream, lazily flipping over.

He was wrapped in a thick, fluffy blanket, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes that stared mournfully at the screen’s bright red ‘Game Over.’ The backlight illuminated his slightly furrowed brow.

“What a terrible game… It really won’t do without a power-leveler. Why isn’t Zhu Nanyu home yet!”

His voice was soft and sweet, carrying an unconscious, habitual hint of a spoiled whine.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the torrential rain poured down as if the Heavenly River had burst its banks, blurring the boundary between heaven and earth in the black night.

Inside the house, the light was bright and clear, the air filled with a sweet fragrance, warm enough to make one drowsy.

On the coffee table next to the sofa—at the perfect, easy-to-reach height—snacks, fruit, and milk tea were piled into a small mountain.

The fresh, green grapes were meticulously peeled, mixed with thick Greek yogurt, and sprinkled with chocolate and nuts. The plate next to it was full of crimson pomegranate seeds, each one carefully stripped of its white membrane and de-seeded. The plump lobster meat was de-veined and skewered on bamboo sticks, ensuring Jia Qiao’s hands wouldn’t get dirty.

Jia Qiao wasn’t nearly this high-maintenance before they were married.

It was all due to a certain person’s boundless doting.

No matter how busy he was with work, he would always find time to sit patiently beside Jia Qiao, acting as a lap pillow, while peeling shrimp and pomegranates with the same hands that usually signed nine-figure contracts, listening to Jia Qiao grumble about the game being too difficult.

As if catering to his wife was the single most important thing in the world.

In the center of the coffee table sat a uniquely shaped cake.

On top of the cake, sugar paste was used to sculpt a chibi, two-headed mermaid figurine that bore a striking resemblance to Jia Qiao, lazily yawning with its left eye squinted.

Next to the little person were two number candles, ‘2’ and ‘0’.

Leaning against the wall was a huge gift box, taller than Jia Qiao himself, tied with an exaggerated pink ribbon. No one knew what on earth was inside.

When it was first delivered, Jia Qiao tapped and knocked on the box, his curiosity piqued.

“It’s so big… Could it be a 1:1 life-sized inflatable doll of Zhu Nanyu?” Jia Qiao’s mind wandered to outrageous thoughts, almost driving him half-mad. In a fit of embarrassed rage, he kicked the bottom of the box. “I’ve told him a million times, I don’t like using props!!!”

The hanging digital clock quietly displayed: October 13, 23:55.

Only five minutes remained until Jia Qiao’s twentieth birthday.

In the room, which had been decorated early for the birthday celebration, he was still the only person present, making it feel a little… lonely.

Yet, not long ago, Jia Qiao was an expert at spending long stretches of time alone.

He was once the Original NPC of the Infinite Dungeon, given only one command: Kill every creature that appeared before him without being killed himself.

He had executed this command countless times since gaining consciousness.

It was monotonous, mechanical, and numb, but his completion rate was 100%.

Because of his excessively outstanding ‘performance’ (?), he became notorious, dubbed the “World-Ending Boss” by the players entering the Infinite World.

Jia Qiao thought he would have to guard that void forever, until he was eventually killed by a player.

Unexpectedly, the Infinite World collapsed without warning.

Heaven and earth overturned, rules disintegrated, and everything returned to the void.

As the only surviving NPC, Jia Qiao was forcibly sent to the so-called ‘real world,’ becoming an 18-year-old fragile youth with nothing but his name.

Just as the former World-Ending Boss was seriously contemplating whether ‘becoming a professional assassin’ or ‘robbing a bank’ was the quicker path to wealth based on his professional skills, he met Zhu Nanyu.

A very ordinary (except for being handsome), run-of-the-mill (except for being very rich) ‘honest man.’

Jia Qiao, with the mindset of just having a little fun, pretended to be a delicate, pampered, ‘green tea’ canary who couldn’t live without a man, intending to be kept by Zhu Nanyu for a couple of years, make a huge fortune, and retire.

The plan went smoothly; he made a large amount of money.

The problem, however, was that Zhu Nanyu was exceptionally serious about their relationship, insisting on ‘proper marriage’ and refusing to skip a single step of the required procedure.

Jia Qiao had no choice but to cooperate with his troublesome and old-fashioned sense of ceremony: six months of dating, six months of engagement, and now six months of marriage.

In total, it had only been a little over five hundred days—a mere blink compared to the long stretches of time he had once endured.

It was only when he snapped back to reality that he realized the former World-Ending Boss, who had held no expectations for human warmth, had devolved into a super salted fish: demanding to be waited on, complaining “noob, carry me” to his husband when he lost a game, and even handing his dear, long-suffering husband unopened water bottles, whereas his hands could once tear through steel and bone.

Moreover, Jia Qiao had slowly learned to anticipate.

Such as this twentieth birthday, which Zhu Nanyu had personally planned, repeatedly stressed, and insisted on celebrating grandly.

Jia Qiao had no concept of the passage of time until he arrived in the real world and learned that ordinary people celebrated ‘birthdays.’

Zhu Nanyu had specifically cancelled work, cut his business trip short, and told Jia Qiao to wait patiently for him to come home so they could celebrate together.

Unfortunately, good things never come easy. The severe storm covering the entire province grounded all flights to City A, forcing Zhu Nanyu to be stranded hundreds of kilometers away.

When he received the news, Jia Qiao was huddled on the sofa under his blanket, feigning a nonchalant tone, “It’s fine, it’s just a birthday.”

He hadn’t really planned on celebrating… to begin with.

It was Zhu Nanyu’s repeated insistence that had sparked a faint flicker of expectation in him.

Unwilling to give Jia Qiao hope only to snatch it away, Zhu Nanyu immediately decided to drive himself, taking the detour from the highway to the winding mountain road, determined to get home before midnight.

Jia Qiao slowly got up, wrapped in his blanket, his bare feet touching the fluffy rug, and looked up at the digital clock.

23:57.

Zhu Nanyu was still nowhere to be seen.

The giant TV screen in the living room suddenly lit up. A news anchor announced loudly:

“Due to the extreme weather, multiple sections of the mountain roads between City S and City A are prone to mudslides and landslides. The traffic department reminds all drivers not to attempt passage…”

Almost simultaneously, his phone screen suddenly lit up. Zhu Nanyu had sent a photo:

At the entrance to the mountain road, the car’s high beams carved two holes in the pitch-black night, and the rain streaks obscured the road sign.

Jia Qiao felt a tightness in his chest, an unexplained irritation.

He had ended too many lives and had long been numb to the passing of life; he shouldn’t be moved by anyone.

But Zhu Nanyu was his hand-picked, most perfect retirement partner. Good-tempered, patient, gentle, emotionally stable, and both rich and handsome.

If anything happened to him…

Knock, knock, knock—

With only one step left until midnight, the knocking on the door broke the silence at the most precise moment.

He’s back!

The weight in Jia Qiao’s heart lifted. Ignoring the blanket sliding from his shoulder, he strode lightly on his bare feet toward the entryway, a curve on his lips that he hadn’t even noticed.

His fingers rested on the cold doorknob, which he quickly twisted open.

“Darling, what took you so lo—”

As he opened the door, he smiled and spread his arms, ready to embrace that familiar hug.

The moment of contact, time seemed to freeze.

The feeling in his arms was icy, hard, and painful against his second left rib.

The surroundings plunged into endless darkness, with only a single beam of bleak moonlight enveloping him.

Jia Qiao slowly lowered his head to look at the thing he was tightly hugging—

It was a cold, square stone tablet.

The chilling moonlight shone through the empty space in his arms, vaguely illuminating the seven eerie, spectral characters carved on the gravestone.

The Tomb of My Deceased Husband Zhu Nanyu.

“!!!”

Jia Qiao abruptly woke from his sleep, his pupils temporarily unfocused, opening his mouth and silently gasping for air.

The gentle patter of the rain outside grew louder and softer, making it difficult for him to catch his breath. Countless fragmented images flashed through his mind.

Jia Qiao sat up, pressing his left hand against his chest, while his right hand instinctively reached for the cabinet beside him, vainly trying to grasp something solid.

Snap—

A solid ceramic ornament was unconsciously crushed in his grip, letting out a loud sound.

Jia Qiao flinched in shock, finally shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. He slowly looked at the electronic clock hanging on the wall.

September 13, 20XX.

Three years and eleven months had passed since Zhu Nanyu drove off the mountain road that stormy night.

Jia Qiao closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his brow, trying his best to calm his emotions.

Hurried footsteps sounded outside, followed by two restrained knocks on the door, and then the door was gently pushed open.

The butler, Lu Min (鹿珉), rushed to the bedside, his youthful face filled with concern. He tentatively reached out and patted Jia Qiao’s shoulder.

Lu Min had been responsible for managing the household and looking after Jia Qiao’s daily needs for nearly four years since Zhu Nanyu’s death.

The reason for choosing him was simple: Lu Min was hardworking, meticulous, professional, and literally ‘tight-lipped.’

—He was mute.

Jia Qiao slowly opened his eyes and looked at Lu Min.

Lu Min retracted his hand and used simple sign language that Jia Qiao could understand to ask, ‘It’s raining again, are you alright?’

“I’m fine.”

Jia Qiao’s eyes were calm and waveless, and he answered in his usual flat and frail tone:

“Just a dream of no consequence.”

Lu Min’s gaze swept over the ceramic shards scattered across the bedside table and the floor, shattered more completely than usual.

Of no consequence… was it?

After a few seconds of silence, Lu Min raised both hands above his head, opening and closing them, mimicking a rabbit twitching its ears, while tilting his head.

‘Are you truly okay?’

“Yes.” Jia Qiao regained his composure. “No need to comfort me. I’ve gotten used to it.”

A cold answer, as expected. Lu Min sighed resignedly, pulled a notepad from his pocket, quickly jotted down a few words, and held it up to Jia Qiao.

‘A guest has come to visit.’

“Got it.” Jia Qiao threw off the blanket and walked toward the walk-in closet. “Have them wait a few minutes more. I’ll be right out after I change.”

Passing the corner of the wall connecting the closet and the master bedroom, his gaze briefly swept over the massive gift box propped against the wall, his eyes momentarily drifting away.

The wrapping paper was yellowed and curling at the edges, but the pink ribbon remained in its original state.

He lowered his head and lightly kicked the bottom of the box, his voice so soft only he could hear it:

“Might as well have sent the inflatable doll.”

Chen Caicai (陈彩彩) was a newly assigned administrator to the household registration office in the city center police station, currently being mentored by her senior, Brother Zhang.

The main work of a household registration administrator included processing registrations, transfers in and out, and canceling household registrations.

The first two were easy to handle. ‘Canceling household registration’ meant pronouncing the citizen legally deceased. Therefore, they often encountered situations where relatives, grieving too much, were reluctant to cancel the deceased’s registration.

The veteran officers in the jurisdiction felt that sending text messages was too impersonal, so they usually made a home visit to console and advise.

“Bro- Brother Zhang!” Chen Caicai panted, pedaling her shared bike, and asked the man ahead of her, “Is th- this area, seventy kilometers from the city, still under our jurisdiction?”

Brother Zhang chuckled and looked back. “This specific area isn’t, but as long as the person is in our jurisdiction, we have to see it through!”

Chen Caicai’s legs nearly sparked. Finally, a stately villa appeared before her, hidden among the mountains, standing isolated like the perfect setting for a ‘snowbound mansion’ movie.

Brother Zhang gently knocked twice at the gate. There was no sound from inside, but the large gate silently opened a dark, gaping crack, sending a chill down Chen Caicai’s spine.

“Bro- Brother Zhang…” Chen Caicai asked tremulously, “Canceling household registration… are we sure we’re talking to a live person?”

“Of course, we are! Are we supposed to expect the deceased to personally go to the police station to cancel their registration? Hahahaha!”

Chen Caicai silently chanted ‘Serving the People’ and ‘Namo Amitabha,’ steeling her nerves as she walked into the villa.

Inside the gate, she saw a person with a round face and large eyes dressed in a butler’s uniform standing in the foyer, holding a spiral notebook with four neat, large characters written on it:

‘Welcome.’

Lu Min met Chen Caicai’s shaken gaze, blinked his large eyes, and flipped the notebook to the next page.

‘My master is taking a nap. Please wait a moment in the living room. I have prepared tea and snacks for you both.’

He then flipped to the third page:

‘I apologize, I am mute and cannot wake my master. He won’t sleep for too long. I will notify you immediately when he wakes up.’

Lu Min bowed, leading them into the living room, thinking to himself: Fortunately, I am mute.

Otherwise, if he woke Jia Qiao up on a rainy day, it would be his own skull being crushed.

Not long after Brother Zhang and Chen Caicai sat down, the rain outside slowly intensified.

Hearing the heavy patter of the rain, Lu Min seemed to get some signal and hurried to the master bedroom of the villa.

About five minutes later, a very light sound of footsteps came from the end of the hallway.

Chen Caicai quickly wiped the traces of pastry from the corner of her mouth and put on a professional smile.

Looking up, her gaze froze—

The person who entered was dressed impeccably, with a pale, exquisite, and gorgeous face. His dark hair was gathered over his right shoulder, tied with a pure white ribbon at the end.

The whole person resembled snow on a spring day, about to melt—beautiful yet ephemeral.

“Officer Zhang, long time no see.” Jia Qiao nodded slightly to Brother Zhang, then turned his gaze to Chen Caicai beside him. “Is this the new administrator?”

“Yes, her name is Chen Caicai.” After the introduction, Brother Zhang’s tone became unusually stuttering. “I brought her here this time mainly to familiarize her with the work in the registration office. And also, to remind you… that…”

Jia Qiao sat primly across from them, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, quietly waiting for him to finish.

“That…” Brother Zhang avoided Jia Qiao’s gaze.

Chen Caicai thought Brother Zhang couldn’t remember what he was supposed to say, so she quickly pulled a file bag from her own bag and notified him in an earnest, business-like manner:

“Calculating by the two-year limit for accidental disappearance and the four-year limit for natural disappearance, Mr. Zhu Nanyu can now be legally declared deceased. The next of kin must go to the police station corresponding to his household registration within 30 days to complete the cancellation process.”