Returning His Prey
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Qiu Yu was already on edge, like a startled wild cat, always ready to pull out the handgun at her lower back. But the sudden mention of Chen Cebai’s name did not make her nervous—rather, it made her even more agitated.
Almost irritably, she said, “Don’t mention him.”
This sentence could be interpreted as both “Don’t mention him” and “Dissatisfaction with Chen Cebai.” So, Pei Xi analyzed the latter possibility and asked calmly, “What happened between you two?”
If this topic was discussed in private, Qiu Yu might have confided in Pei Xi.
But now, besides Pei Xi, there was also a bone-chilling, eerie gaze secretly watching her in the dark.
Qiu Yu could only swallow her complaints and vaguely replied, “It’s nothing. You already know what my relationship with him is like, don’t you?”
Strangely enough, as soon as she said that, the spying gaze disappeared.
As if it had never existed at all.
Qiu Yu couldn’t help but press her shoulder where that gaze had fallen—it still tingled with pain. It was not an illusion.
Why had it disappeared?
Had the observer lost interest?
Yet, Qiu Yu had a strange intuition that the observer was not using electronic devices to monitor her.
She couldn’t explain why she had this feeling. It was like the deep forest’s chilling rustle that sent a white-tailed deer fleeing, even though it didn’t know why it had to run.
The only explanation was that it was an instinct, ingrained deep into the bones.
If she didn’t escape, she would die.
From a biological instinct, she felt that the observer’s gaze had fallen directly upon her.
But why?
How had he done it?
Realizing this did not ease her tension. On the contrary, it made her entire body tighten, and from the depths of her heart, she felt an eerie chill.
This was a highly advanced technological society. Humanity had already initiated a preliminary lunar colonization plan and was deeply exploring exoplanetary star systems.
Many mechanical jobs had been completely handed over to AI, and scientists were even considering granting AI personalities. Even Christian missionaries were using biotech-engineered biochemical chips for preaching.
Yet, she felt as if she had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.
Not to mention that others wouldn’t believe her—she herself didn’t believe it either.
Qiu Yu ate her meal without tasting it, occasionally engaging in idle conversation with Pei Xi.
As if he noticed that she wasn’t in the mood to chat, Pei Xi chuckled softly and stopped talking. He focused on eating, occasionally refilling her tea, handing her a napkin, and every time he added food to her plate, it was exactly to her taste.
Not to mention Chen Cebai—even her father wouldn’t be more attentive than Pei Xi.
Qiu Yu felt a little embarrassed. “…I’m not in great spirits today and don’t feel like talking much. I’ll treat you to a meal another day when I feel like chatting.”
Pei Xi didn’t refuse. With a smile, he said, “Alright.”
After the meal, Pei Xi took the initiative to pay the bill and walked her out.
As usual, he stepped ahead of her and pushed open the restaurant’s glass door.
This was actually a very normal action. Pei Xi was well-mannered—whether it was Qiu Yu or any other unfamiliar woman beside him, he would have done the same.
The issue wasn’t with opening the door—it was that when the glass door was pushed open, Qiu Yu saw Cebai in the distance.
He was standing sideways, his figure tall and upright. Even as a mere silhouette, he exuded an air of cold elegance and striking beauty, causing many people around him to turn their heads.
This restaurant was located in the city center, where many corporate elites dined and conducted business meetings. Running into colleagues was common. However, this was the first time she had ever encountered Chen Cebai here.
He didn’t seem to like places crowded with “office workers.”
Even when it came to biotechnology gatherings, he avoided them whenever possible.
The moment work hours ended, he would leave the lab. He would rather provide remote guidance from his living room than stay in the company to earn a high overtime salary.
His aversion to “corporate elites” was so obvious that even someone as careless and slow to notice things as Qiu Yu had picked up on it.
So why was he here today?
Qiu Yu couldn’t quite figure it out. She hesitated, unsure if she should go over—if he was meeting someone, and she walked up to him, wouldn’t that only create an awkward situation?
Qiu Yu had long mastered the art of dealing with Chen Cebai: she must not overestimate her importance.
After thinking it through, she decided to remain still if he did the same. She tugged at Pei Xi’s sleeve and asked, “Where did you park your car?”
Pei Xi had already noticed her car—a pure black sports car with an aerodynamic design and a low chassis, only released in the European Union. Worldwide, fewer than fifty people had managed to purchase this model. Qiu Yu’s parents were among them.
Pei Xi glanced toward Cebai, and his expression carried a faint trace of mockery.
If it weren’t for the fact that he had developed a neural-blocking drug, someone like Chen Cebai wouldn’t have had the slightest chance of ever crossing paths with a girl like Qiu Yu in his lifetime.
Pei Xi harbored deep hostility toward Chen Cebai.
This hostility did not only stem from the fact that Chen Cebai had taken away the girl he had admired for so long, but also from Chen Cebai’s terrifyingly high intelligence.
Biotech possessed the world’s top research team, yet it had been completely helpless when it came to neurological diseases caused by chips. However, Chen Cebai, in less than two years, successfully developed a blocking drug with a significant inhibitory effect.
Most critically, he held the patent and authorship rights to this blocking drug.
Although Pei Xi had never worked in biotechnology, he had heard some inside stories. A researcher with no background but extraordinary intelligence could easily become a company’s puppet.
Yet, Chen Cebai had managed to retain both the patent and authorship rights to the drug he had developed.
This meant that in just two years, not only had he fully understood the pathogenic mechanisms of the chip, but he had also grasped the company’s survival rules with absolute clarity. Just how terrifying was that level of intelligence and strategy?
But fortunately, Qiu Yu and Chen Cebai had always been a couple who maintained only surface-level harmony.
Pei Xi believed that as long as he put in enough effort, he could win Qiu Yu back.
He didn’t need to do anything underhanded—he only needed to let Qiu Yu get used to his gentleness and attentiveness. Once she became accustomed to it, she would inevitably compare him with Chen Cebai.
One day, she would realize that the one more suitable to be her husband was him, not a high-IQ genius devoid of any human warmth.
Pei Xi shifted his gaze away and smiled faintly. “I took a cab here.”
Of course, he had driven here. However, he hadn’t parked on the surface but in the underground garage. Qiu Yu found underground garages too large and troublesome to navigate, so she always parked by the roadside.
Qiu Yu didn’t think much about it. “Then I’ll drive you back. We live close to each other anyway.”
“Alright.”
Qiu Yu pulled up the virtual interface on her retina and searched for her car key. Since the interface was semi-transparent, her vision was veiled by a layer of fuzzy light, and she didn’t notice someone approaching. She instinctively stepped forward—and bumped straight into someone.
At the same time, Pei Xi reached out and grabbed her wrist.
As she stepped back toward Pei Xi, she apologized, “Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized that the person in front of her had a scent that was all too familiar.
Like the cold, aloof air of a snowy mountain, mixed with the sharp, bitter scent of disinfectant.
—Chen Cebai’s scent.
The situation grew even more awkward.
She had accidentally bumped into her own husband—apologizing to him like he was a stranger—while retreating toward another man.
Qiu Yu was not someone who got embarrassed easily.
But every time she did, it seemed to be related to Chen Cebai.
Qiu Yu opened her mouth, wanting to greet him, but she didn’t know what to say.
“What a coincidence?”
—A coincidence was indeed a coincidence, but they were husband and wife.
Not friends, not colleagues, but a married couple who had sex every few days.
“Long time no see?”
—They had just seen each other this morning.
“You’re here for a meal too?”
—If he wasn’t here to eat, was he here to drag her back home?
Clearly, every seemingly casual greeting would only make the atmosphere even more suffocating.
In the midst of the silence, the first to speak was actually Chen Cebai.
His body temperature was naturally low, so he wore a knee-length coat all year round. Today was no exception—he had on a black coat over a neatly pressed white dress shirt.
Chen Cebai didn’t look at Pei Xi. Instead, he stared directly at Qiu Yu. “Do you have any plans later?”
Qiu Yu: “…No.”
Chen Cebai didn’t respond immediately. His gaze, cold and laced with amusement, swept over Pei Xi’s hand, which was still holding Qiu Yu’s.
Only then did Qiu Yu realize that Pei Xi was still touching her hand. She quickly pulled it away and explained, “…I wasn’t watching where I was going just now. Pei Xi was just trying to steady me.”
Of course, Pei Xi wasn’t simply trying to support her—he had seen Chen Cebai before she did, and he had done it on purpose.
He had thought Chen Cebai would react as he always did—turning a blind eye to everything.
He hadn’t expected that icy gaze to sweep over him, sending a chill down his spine.
For a brief moment, Pei Xi almost thought he was facing a highly aggressive, large predatory beast.
—Either return his prey, or fight him to the death.
Pei Xi was unwilling to admit that he was afraid.
But he did, in fact, instinctively loosen his grip.
Chen Cebai swiftly clasped Qiu Yu’s wrist—his movement was as fast and precise as a serpent striking its prey. The force pressing against her wrist bone was nearly painful.
But he relaxed his grip too quickly, and his ability to adjust his emotions was even faster. By the time she looked up at him, the gaze behind his glasses was already calm and unreadable, showing no trace of emotion.
“Let’s go.” Chen Cebai said, his tone steady and completely natural.
Only Pei Xi knew that a brief, bloodless confrontation had just taken place.
With just a few words, Chen Cebai had taken away the woman Pei Xi had been holding in his grasp.
Pei Xi smiled and bid farewell to Qiu Yu with a gentle expression, but his eyes were dark and unreadable.
—Chen Cebai was nothing like how he appeared. He was far from indifferent to Qiu Yu.
For some reason, he had no choice but to maintain a push-and-pull dynamic with her.
Pei Xi didn’t care why Chen Cebai kept his distance from Qiu Yu.
He only hoped that Chen Cebai would keep restraining himself, that he would never reveal his true emotions to Qiu Yu.
Ideally, he would keep holding back—until Pei Xi managed to take Qiu Yu away.
Qiu Yu was completely unaware of the silent undercurrents between Chen Cebai and Pei Xi.
She and Chen Cebai had never had much to say to each other, and they walked in silence all the way to the parking spot by the roadside.
“Unlock.” Chen Cebai’s cold and low voice sounded beside her ear.
Qiu Yu hesitated for a second before realizing what he meant, then unlocked the sports car.
“You drive or I drive?”
Qiu Yu: “You drive. I’m a little tired.”
She opened the passenger side door, sat inside, and covered her forehead with one hand, speaking in a fatigued voice, “Maybe I’ve been using the chip too much… Lately, I just can’t seem to summon any energy, and I keep getting distracted…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a shadow suddenly fell over her vision.
A cold hand pressed against her forehead, and damp, chilly breaths brushed against her ear, sending a wave of goosebumps across her skin.
Chen Cebai leaned over from the driver’s seat, yanked out his connection cable with one hand, and inserted it into the port behind her ear.
Qiu Yu’s mind went completely blank.
—Chen Cebai had connected to her chip.
What was he trying to do?
After being married for so long, had he finally discovered another way to “share the chip” between them?
But not in the middle of the street!
The car door wasn’t even closed yet!
Just as Qiu Yu was about to speak, Chen Cebai’s palm slid down and covered her mouth, coldly ordering, “Don’t talk.”
He looked extremely displeased.
She had no idea who had provoked him.
Seeing that he had no intention of “sharing the chip” in that way, Qiu Yu obediently shut her mouth and blinked at him with wide eyes.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Yet Chen Cebai did not look at her. His eyes glowed with an inorganic silver light.
He was reading her biometric data.
Qiu Yu was puzzled—why was he suddenly so concerned about her physical condition?
Normally, reading biometric data or running a full-body scan only took a few seconds.
But Chen Cebai gripped her chin and forcefully scanned her for over ten minutes.
Only when his ice-cold, dry palm had been dampened by her lips did he finally release her chin.
Click.
Chen Cebai pulled out his connection cable.
For over ten minutes, the two of them had faced each other, breathing in sync, chip connected to chip.
This was the first time they had been so physically close outside of the bedroom.
Qiu Yu couldn’t help but feel a little dazed. “What’s wrong? Did I catch some kind of virus?”
Chen Cebai didn’t speak.
He took off his thin-framed glasses, propped his forehead up with one hand, and his Adam’s apple rolled slightly. His eyes were hidden in the shadow of his palm, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
A few seconds passed before he lowered his hand, put his glasses back on, and gripped the steering wheel. His voice was slightly hoarse: “Use the chip less. Unless it’s necessary, it’s best not to use it at all.”
Qiu Yu chuckled and said, “If I remember correctly, you told me the same thing when we got married. Don’t worry, I’ve always used my chip sparingly. Nothing will happen. Besides, even if I do get chip disease, don’t I still have you?”
She tilted her head and ran her fingers lightly through his bangs.
Then, she froze for a moment—his hair was slightly damp.
In just those short ten minutes, he had actually broken into a sweat.
Now, Qiu Yu was genuinely panicked.
She knew Chen Cebai’s physical condition better than anyone. He was the kind of person who wouldn’t sweat even during intense exercise.
There was no way he had sweated because he was worried about her. They weren’t that close.
There was only one possibility that could make him sweat…
—Had she contracted some kind of terminal illness?
The next second, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Chen Cebai.
It was an instinctual reaction—something had moved before his eyes, and he had to catch it.
Qiu Yu didn’t notice this subtle detail.
She was too shaken, staring at him in confusion.
Chen Cebai seemed to realize that his reaction had been excessive.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then placed her hand on his knee, gently rubbing her pulse with his thumb as if to soothe her.
The fabric of his dress pants was thin—it couldn’t block the chilling cold of his skin, which had turned abnormally frigid due to his agitation. The icy touch made Qiu Yu’s fingers shrink slightly.
“Don’t be afraid, Qiu Yu.”
After a long pause, he finally spoke. “You haven’t contracted a virus.”
As he said this, he took a deep breath. The blue veins on his forehead flickered briefly before disappearing.
Then, he let go of her hand, pressed his fingers against his temple, and finally turned to look at her.
“But remember what I said—use the chip as little as possible. Try to rely on independent electronic devices, alright?”
It was clear that this was his first time trying to comfort someone—his tone was stiff and unfamiliar.
But when Qiu Yu met his gaze, she suddenly trembled, and her heart skipped a beat.
Maybe it was just her imagination.
Or maybe it was simply the way every medical professional looked at their patient.
But for a brief moment, she felt as if, in Chen Cebai’s eyes, there was only her.
This kind of unique and unparalleled sense of being cherished is truly moving.