I Entered the Villains’ Den While Pretending to Be a Righteous Man - Chapter 7

Wang Huanxiu watched Bai Shuijin with bored indifference. The boy gave him the back of his round head, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.

“Why are you silent?”

Bai Shuijin turned his head, his spirited eyes looking at him with deep conflict. “Hubby-Ge, how about you stop asking? It’s not good.”

“How is it ‘not good’?”

It’s not good for you, obviously. But Bai Shuijin didn’t dare say it. He was just a lecherous college student who loved looking at handsome guys; he never intended to hurt anyone. If Wang Huanxiu found out about the nicknames he gave those actors, it wouldn’t be good for Wang Huanxiu, and it would be even worse for himself. The only one benefited would be the sharks in the sea, getting an extra bite of him.

In the interest of kindness, he decided to gloss over the issue. “Hubby-Ge, let’s watch anime. Anime is great too.” He fumbled for the remote, intending to change the channel.

Wang Huanxiu ignored him completely. “What do you call this one?” A long, slender finger pointed at the male lead on the screen.

“Fang Nan—”

“Hmm?”

“…” Bai Shuijin muttered under his breath. “Hubby.”

“What did you say? I can’t hear you.” He wanted him to speak up.

Bai Shuijin took a deep breath, applying the same seriousness he used for his Mandarin proficiency exam. He emitted a mournful sound from his throat: “Hubby.”

“And that one?” The finger moved to another face.

Bai Shuijin twisted his sleeve. “Also, hubby.”

“That one.”

“Still hubby.”

“…”

The surrounding area fell into silence, followed by a bone-chilling sneer that made his hair stand on end.

“You certainly have a lot of husbands.”

Bai Shuijin gave him a fawning smile. “The more the merrier.”

“Is that so?” Seeing the icy look in Wang Huanxiu’s eyes, Bai Shuijin felt a wave of goosebumps. He shook his head violently. Just act like I never said anything.

To save his life, Bai Shuijin felt compelled to defend himself. “Hubby-Ge, have you ever heard the saying?”

“What saying?”

“The more friends you have, the more paths you have; the more hubbies you have, the more homes you have.”

“…”

Bai Shuijin leaned closer to Wang Huanxiu. “Those are just for fun. There are many ‘hubbies,’ but there’s only one Hubby-Ge.” As he spoke, he tossed aside the “second child” pillow.

Begone! Roll far away! Don’t offend my Hubby-Ge’s eyes. Based on that gold card that let him buy whatever he wanted, Bai Shuijin was determined to make the man happy today.

“Then should I feel honored?”

“Hubby-Ge, no need. You deserve it.”

Sweet words and honeyed phrases. Wang Huanxiu’s expression was relaxed, but his eyes held a hidden danger—bottomless and inscrutable.

After dinner, Bai Shuijin had taken a shower, and he smelled of fresh body wash. Since the house used one brand, Wang Huanxiu was familiar with the scent. Now, Bai Shuijin sat on the sofa in cartoon pajamas, his feet in white socks resting on the carpet.

His frame was delicate. Lacking a fitness habit, his body was well-proportioned but lacked muscle. Wang Huanxiu knew that with just a bit of force, he could strangle him. The pajama collar was loose, exposing the back of his neck.

Pale, fragile, and easily snapped.

A cold touch on his nape made Bai Shuijin shudder, and his rainbow hair shook slightly. His neck was currently being kneaded by a large hand with varying pressure. Bai Shuijin looked back into Wang Huanxiu’s deep black eyes. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

“Hubby-Ge, your hands are so cold. Let me put them under my butt to warm them up for you.”

“…”

One would think the man had been holding ice cubes before touching him. Bai Shuijin’s tone didn’t sound like he was joking. As soon as he finished speaking, he actually grabbed the man’s wrist to guide his hand under his backside.

Wang Huanxiu frowned for a moment and pulled his hand back. “No need.”

One hand could be described as fleeing in panic. Bai Shuijin seized the advantage and grabbed his pinky finger in mid-air.

“It’s fine, Hubby-Ge, I don’t mind.” He gave him a sweet smile. “Actually, my butt is very warm.”

Wang Huanxiu: “…” His dark brown eyes moved down like a viper, landing on Bai Shuijin’s hand clutching his pinky.

Bai Shuijin slightly lifted his backside, making a move to cover it. He did this quite often back in the North where he went to university. Every winter brought snow and freezing temperatures that made one’s teeth chatter. The outdoor air could be the cause of death for a corpse; at its coldest, splashed water turned to ice.

The journey to an 8:00 AM class was an ordeal. Even with a will of steel, one would be frozen numb by the time they reached the classroom. Hands exposed to the cold would ache as if sliced by blades, and the drastic temperature change meant losing sensation for a short while after coming indoors.

But Bai Shuijin had a solution! Every time this happened, he’d put his hands under his butt for a bit, and they’d warm up quickly. He boasted, “Hubby-Ge, I usually warm my hands like this.”

Wang Huanxiu watched his self-satisfied expression. Everyone in their circle knew Bai Shuijin spent his days chasing Pei Zhiheng; even Wang Huanxiu had heard of it.

“Whose hands were you warming?”

Bai Shuijin raised his hands before the man’s eyes and lowered his head shyly. “Bai Shuijin’s nimble left and right hands.”

“…”

Even while showing off his hands, Bai Shuijin didn’t let go of that pinky. He intended to let Wang Huanxiu experience a commoner’s “hand warmer.” He’d be warm after sitting for a bit; it’s not like he could sit a hand to death.

“Hubby-Ge, come on.” His little face looked as if he were making a grand sacrifice.

“No,” the man refused coldly, trying to pull his pinky away.

“Are you shy?” We’re both guys, nothing to be shy about. “Come on.”

The two entered a tug-of-war on the sofa.

“No.” “Come on.” “No.” “Co—”

CRACK—

A sharp sound instantly silenced the room. Bai Shuijin’s hand, which was pulling on the finger, froze. What was that? The sound was familiar; he felt like he’d heard it before. He thought back carefully. Aha! The lightbulb in his head flickered on. He remembered a roommate slipping in the shower once and breaking a bone—it made that exact same crack.

So, it’s a fracture…

One second after the thought, Bai Shuijin!

His limbs went stiff. He raised his eyes to peek at Wang Huanxiu’s expression and met a gaze that looked ready to commit murder. A shiver traveled from his head down to his tailbone.

He gulped. “Hubby-Ge, are… are you okay?”

He gently let go. The butler, arriving with a fruit platter and snacks, let out a piercing scream at the scene.

At 10:20 PM, a black Lincoln drove into the hospital. Bai Shuijin stood in the consultation room with his head down, looking dejected. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant. Overnight, he had gone from a youthful college student to an unscrupulous domestic abuser.

Wang Huanxiu’s left hand was X-rayed. The pinky was fixed with a small splint and bandage. Now they were waiting for the doctor’s advice to see if a cast was necessary. Bai Shuijin peered at the X-ray film along with the doctor. On the blue-black negative, the bones of Wang Huanxiu’s hand were visible.

Bai Shuijin whispered into Wang Huanxiu’s ear, “Hubby-Ge, your bones are actually quite good-looking.”

“…”

The doctor stroked his chin while looking at the film. “The injury isn’t heavy; no cast needed.” This fracture was unusual. A pinky is fragile injuries are usually either extremely light or extremely severe. This break was perfectly balanced; just a tiny bit more and it would have required a cast. Though the doctor found it strange, he had seen plenty of odd people in the hospital.

He asked, “What caused this injury?”

Wang Huanxiu said coldly, “Bai Shuijin’s nimble left and right hands.”

“…” The doctor looked at the person behind him.

The originally dejected Bai Shuijin instantly became bashful. I’m not actually that powerful.

But having broken the man’s pinky, Bai Shuijin was filled with guilt and anxiety. Anyone with a conscience would feel bad about causing an injury. He was full of shame would Wang Huanxiu slice him up for the sharks right now? Even if it didn’t show on his face, the man was surely holding a massive grudge. Bai Shuijin wanted nothing more than to throw himself at the man’s legs and beg for mercy.

As the doctor typed out a prescription, Bai Shuijin pulled over a chair and sat next to Wang Huanxiu. He said softly, “Hubby-Ge, I’m sorry.”

His eyes were full of self-blame. He was the type of person who’d feel sad for a beggar because he didn’t have any spare change; his intention was to warm the man’s hand, but he had bungled it and turned him into a patient. At this moment, even his rainbow hair seemed to lose its vibrancy.

“I just wanted to warm your hands. I saw they were quite cold.” His voice grew smaller and smaller until it was just a whisper.

Wang Huanxiu glanced at the “de-colored” Bai Shuijin for less than a second before looking away.

The doctor shook his head while printing the forms, knowing Bai Shuijin was the culprit. “You family members really aren’t careful at all.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Bai Shuijin nodded.

“I don’t know what you were doing, but you shouldn’t do such dangerous things in the future.”

“Mhm, mhm.” Bai Shuijin’s head hung lower and lower.

Wang Huanxiu: “You’re about to fall into my chest.”

“…” Wang Huanxiu grabbed the back of Bai Shuijin’s neck and lifted him up.

The doctor continued, “You, young people are used to being rough. Now…”

Wang Huanxiu interrupted coldly, “How long until the fracture heals?”

The doctor blinked at the sudden interruption. “A bone injury takes a hundred days to heal. Plus, this is your hand, which you use often. You must be careful to avoid bumping it.”

That’s a long time, Bai Shuijin thought dejectedly. A fracture must be painful. He remembered his roommate crying all the way to the hospital, saying he was going to heaven and hoping his girlfriend would move on. He’d even written a will, allocating the expired chocolate in his drawer to “Senior A-Huang.” Senior A-Huang was a dog; his roommate was both kind and cruel.

The roommate had wailed like a ghost, but Wang Huanxiu was incredibly stoic. He hadn’t even frowned when the pinky broke, let alone cried. He hadn’t uttered a sound of pain from the house to the hospital. It was as if he weren’t the one injured; the butler’s cries were far more heart-wrenching.

“Hubby-Ge, doesn’t it hurt?”

Wang Huanxiu gave him a look, telling him to figure it out himself.

Bai Shuijin: “…”

The treatment was finished. Once the medicine was collected, they could go home. “Thoughtful” Bai Shuijin was back online. “Doctor, are there any medical orders my Hubby-Ge needs to follow?”

The doctor stroked his chin, looking as if he had one but also didn’t. Bai Shuijin grew anxious: “Doctor, tell me!” Why are you hiding it?

The doctor glanced at Wang Huanxiu. “Stay far away from Bai Shuijin’s nimble left and right hands.”

“…”