I saw my wife’s anonymous account on a foreign website.
She was playing a strange game.
“Challenge 1: Kick him, completed.”
“Challenge 2: Pull out three of his hairs, completed.”
“Challenge 3: Punch him, completed.”
…
“Challenge 51: Kiss another opposite – sex person, completed.”
…
By the end, I was in a cold sweat.
“Challenge 100: Kill him.”
“To be completed.”
1
It took me a long time to find out that this was a very popular dark game on the foreign website: “100 Challenges to Destroy Your Partner”.
The thinking behind this challenge is really strange. It advocates “love yourself rather than others”, and because of loving oneself, one has to complete 100 challenges to harm one’s lover.
It progresses step by step, with increasing difficulty.
The 30th challenge starts to draw blood, the 50th challenge involves infidelity, and the 80th challenge turns perverted.
It’s hard to imagine how a normal person could come up with these 100 challenge items. Ethics, morality, law, and even human nature are being trampled on.
I didn’t have the heart to imagine the creative process either. My wife had already completed most of the challenges.
As if to prove the authenticity of her challenges, many of them had photos or videos attached.
She kissed another man in Challenge 51. Although the photo was blurred, his lips and tongue were visible.
“Challenge 52: Tell another opposite – sex person that you don’t love him, completed.”
“Challenge 53: Reveal his shameful privacy to another opposite – sex person, completed.”
“Challenge 54: Make a sexual innuendo to another person of the opposite sex, completed.”
These three challenges used the same video. The screen was dark, but it could be seen that they were in a car. A man was lying in the passenger seat, and she was whispering in his ear, “I don’t love him at all. I could never marry someone like him. Just thinking about it makes me sick. You know what? He’s not like a man at all. He’s a beast. By the way, I bought new stockings. Do they look good? If you want to see, I’ll let you see enough…”
My wife’s voice was charming and amorous. I had never heard her speak like this before.
She showed her most feminine side to someone outside.
I clenched my fists, my mind went blank, and all the blood in my body seemed to be rushing around in the wrong blood vessels.
I desperately told myself to calm down, but my eyes and fingers couldn’t help but keep scrolling down.
“Challenge 55: Actively stick to another opposite – sex person, completed.”
“Challenge 56: Show your most sexy underwear to another opposite – sex person, completed.”
…
“Challenge 60: Tell another opposite – sex person your favorite position, completed.”
…
“Challenge 70: Hold hands with another opposite – sex person and walk on the busy street, completed.”
…
“Challenge 80: Spend a night with another opposite – sex person, but nothing should happen, completed.”
…
“Challenge 90: Have a physical relationship with another opposite – sex person, to be completed.”
Suddenly, the page refreshed automatically.
“Challenge 90: Have a physical relationship with another opposite – sex person, completed.”
2
Just yesterday, my wife said she was going on a business trip to another province. We had talked on the phone an hour ago. She said, “Honey, I just arrived at the hotel and checked in. I’m so tired. I want to go to bed early tonight. I’ll have to sleep alone tonight.”
She’s not wronged.
She should be quite satisfied.
In the photo below, there was dim light, a hotel bed, her sexy bathrobe, and behind her was a sleeping man.
Although her face wasn’t shown in the photo, I was 100% sure it was her.
The voice before was hers, and the photo now was also hers.
Shen Xi, my wife of three years.
I immediately took out my phone to call her, but stopped my finger at the last moment before pressing the call button. I forced myself to suppress my anger, rushed to the bathroom, and turned on the cold water to counteract the impulse all over my body with the biting cold.
Shen Xi’s betrayal wasn’t exactly unexpected.
She was the campus belle and an art pacesetter. During her college years, all kinds of sports cars and luxury cars were parked outside the school every day, and hundreds of roses were sent to her dormitory every day. Wherever she went, there were boys who came to see her out of admiration.
Her marriage to me was just a coincidence.
Her parents were imprisoned for economic crimes, and the rich second – generation guys around her immediately scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing without a trace.
When she was most alone and helpless, I showed up, gave her support and comfort, and helped her return to a normal life.
There should be some feelings.
But love? I wouldn’t dare say.
Back at the computer, I was shivering all over from the cold. When I touched the mouse, the post scrolled to the end.
“Challenge 100: Kill him, to be completed.”
3
I carefully read through all the challenge content, and by then, it was already dawn.
This challenge is either against human nature or against human life. Because it’s too dark, many large platforms have banned this game, and only some small websites still allow it tacitly to attract some traffic.
Shen Xi had completed 90 challenges quietly, and I didn’t notice at all.
I was being played with, hurt, and publicly humiliated by the woman I loved deeply, and I didn’t know why she was doing this, nor did I know how far she would go.
But I knew she had just slept with someone else.
Although this relationship had no chance of being salvaged, it was necessary to understand clearly.
I tried to leave a comment on her post in English.
“Amazing! I’ve never seen such a wonderful challenge process on the forum in 5 years. Please continue. I promise I’ll be your loyal fan. I’ll sing for you on the Caribbean coast.”
I registered my account 5 years ago, but only used it to look up information, so I had never posted anything, had no avatar, and even my name was a randomly generated number by the system.
When I came back after changing my clothes, Shen Xi had actually replied to me.
“Thanks, I’ll continue. I’ll complete the challenge to 100.”
My vision went dark. Challenge 100 was going to cost me my life.
I composed myself and immediately replied to Shen Xi.
“My God, you talked to me. I’m so excited. This means you’re a real person. I now officially declare that you’re my idol. I’m very interested in your story.”
“If you’re interested in my story, I’ll tell you if I have the chance. Now I have to go to work. Good luck to you.”
“That’s great. Please remember that there’s a loyal listener of yours on the other side of the earth. As you can see, I’ve never had a name on the forum. So now I declare that I’ll change my name to LoveCatK. Wish you a smooth work.”
Shen Xi had once raised a cat named KK. After KK died, Shen Xi changed all her online names to CatKinHeaven.
After typing this reply, my phone vibrated. Shen Xi sent me a voice message.
“Honey, I’m going out to work. Do you miss me? I miss you. Send me a message when you wake up. Wait for me to come back and kiss you.”
After getting married to Shen Xi, she had always been so gentle and weak, like a little girl.
If I hadn’t accidentally discovered her dark game, I really would have loved her wholeheartedly for a lifetime.
I lay on the bed, with half of my head showing, and made a video call. Shen Xi answered it quickly.
“Honey, are you awake so early?”
I pretended to be sleepy and mumbled, “I can’t even sleep well without you.”
Shen Xi smiled happily, “You just know how to say nice things. Be good and wait for me. I’ll be back in two or three days.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to my wife.”
After hanging up the video call, I took out the prenuptial agreement.
This agreement was drafted by Shen Xi and she forced me to sign it. When I showed it to the company’s legal director, Old Jack, he said he had never seen a prenuptial agreement written like this.
The agreement stipulated that the property of both parties before marriage belonged to each person, and the income of each party after marriage also belonged to each person. In other words, we were married but it was like we weren’t. We earned and spent our own money, and even bore our own debts.
If I had written this agreement, it would be understandable. But after Shen Xi’s parents were imprisoned, the Shen family was deeply in debt. This agreement was of no benefit to her at all.
But she insisted on signing it. If I didn’t sign, she wouldn’t get married. At that time, I was a little touched, thinking that after such a major change, her vision had broadened a lot.
I couldn’t figure it out, so I asked Old Jack to meet.
Old Jack had been involved in the whole process of my marriage and was most familiar with the relationship in my family. After hearing that I was asking about divorce, he said meaningfully, “I’ve read your prenuptial agreement. If you force a divorce, Shen Xi can only take away her own income, and nothing else. All the debts you paid off for her, she still has to pay you back.”
“What if I die?”
“Then it has nothing to do with the agreement. It’s about inheritance. Your parents are no longer alive, and you two don’t have children yet. Your wife is the only legal heir.”
I had thought of this, but if it was for seizing my property, why did she have to do the previous 99 challenges?
Seeing me in a daze and not speaking, Old Jack also frowned, “Mr. Qi, your wife is beautiful and kind – hearted. Every time she comes to the company, she brings small gifts to the employees. Her reputation among the people is quite good. You’d better think carefully.”
I came to my senses and cursed, “You old thing, do you think I have someone else outside?”
Old Jack quickly waved his hand, “How could that be? I’m just envious. Every family has its own troubles. Understanding is the most important.”
“You have wide connections. Find a clean way to check if Shen Xi had a male friend who went abroad before she met me.”
“Yes, his name is Zhang Weikun. I reported it to you before. You just said ‘oh, I know’.”
“Why don’t I remember at all?”
“At that time, you were about to go try on the wedding dress and didn’t want to talk to me at all.”
I remembered. Shen Xi was urging me to go order the wedding dress. Just then, Old Jack came to give me the last pre – marriage report. I was so eager to get married to Shen Xi that I didn’t pay attention to what Old Jack said.
People really only hear what they want to hear.
“What’s the situation with this Zhang Weikun?”
“Let me think…” Old Jack took a deep breath, “Zhang Weikun is your wife’s childhood sweetheart, and probably her first love. He didn’t go to a domestic university but studied abroad for a few years. Later, when something happened to your wife’s family, he didn’t come back and studied for another two years.”
So that’s it. When Shen Xi needed support the most, he stayed abroad and didn’t come back. Only after Shen Xi married me did he come back in a hurry and secretly cuckolded me.
“Check the business of Zhang Weikun’s family.”
“I remember his family is in the medical field. I’ll check it again.”
4
After seeing Old Jack off, I went home and slept. When I opened my eyes again, it was 5 p.m. Shen Xi was staring at me with wide eyes and smiling by the bed.
“Why are you back?” I asked in surprise.
“I missed you, so I came back. What’s wrong? Are you trying to bring someone back to live while I’m away?”
“Nonsense. Are you hungry? I’ll go make something to eat.”
“I’m not hungry. I finished my work ahead of schedule, so I came back. Look at you, sleeping in the daytime and drooling. Isn’t it dirty?” Shen Xi took out a tissue and wiped the corner of my mouth, then picked up the phone beside her, “Are you not feeling well? Why did you sleep until now?”
“I just wanted to lie down for a while, but I didn’t expect to fall asleep.”
I got out of bed. Shen Xi’s suitcase was still at the door, so she must have just come back.
“I brought the most delicious roast duck and steamed buns from there. They can be eaten after heating. I’ll go send a file and then come to heat them.”
Shen Xi went into the room, and I quietly entered the study and opened the forum. Soon, she updated the post again.
“Challenge 91: Let your partner touch something stained with the body fluids of you and another opposite – sex person, completed.”
My stomach started to churn. Shen Xi also posted a photo of a tissue. It was clearly used, and there were two patches of wet and sticky liquid on it.
Thinking of her wiping my mouth just now, I almost vomited up stomach acid.
“Honey, I’m heating the food.” Shen Xi shouted outside.
I endured the churning in my stomach, turned off the computer, and came out, saying, “No, I have something to do at the company. You eat first.”
Shen Xi rushed over and hugged me, “Honey, come back early. I have a gift for you.”
I took the computer, drove to the company, and continued to open the forum. Shen Xi’s continuous challenges attracted more and more users. In just a few dozen minutes, she got hundreds of praises.
In various languages and texts.
After looking for a while, Shen Xi was replying to Chinese and English comments.
“Because he is very cruel to me. He tortures me and abuses my nerves.
“He demands that I must kneel down to talk to him, otherwise he will beat me.
“He threatens me with nude photos and forces me to obey his orders.”
Some people also expressed doubts: “I carefully read all your challenges. I feel you’re lying. You can appear behind him and pull out his hair, or you can appear beside him when he’s sleeping. If he’s really a devil as you said, he should imprison you, not trust you so much.”
Similar doubts were quickly deleted.
I patiently waited until after 7 p.m. In the Caribbean, it was 8 a.m.
“Good morning, CatKinHeaven. I’m very excited to see your update. This is another step towards your goal. I’m particularly curious. How do you plan to complete Challenge 100? Won’t you go to jail for this in your country?”
Soon Shen Xi replied, “It’s night here. Good evening. Regarding Challenge 100, I have a very good way to make him die without it being my fault. Please look forward to my challenge update.”
Shen Xi’s English is really good. I double – checked for a long time before believing she didn’t type the wrong words.
She really wants to kill me.
5
At 9 p.m., Old Jack finally sent me several messages.
“Zhang Weikun’s family is in the medical device business. Their income has always been good. They made a fortune from making masks in the past two years. His father had a precise vision and sold the entire enterprise and factory at the peak, cashing out several hundred million yuan.
“After getting rich, the Zhang family invested in several enterprises, including real estate and the Internet. Anyway, they invested in whatever was popular. At first, it was okay, but in the past two years, the general situation has been bad. Except for an information service company that can still operate, the others have all suffered heavy losses.”
“And this information service company’s biggest customer is our company.
“Not long ago, Zhang Weikun’s father had a bad physical examination result and hasn’t shown up for a long time. He’s probably suffering from some difficult – to – treat disease.
“These are the news I’ve found so far. I’ll report to you if there’s any progress.”
I looked at the screen. The challenges Shen Xi was about to carry out were:
“Challenge 92: Engrave symbols representing you and another opposite – sex person on a gift, give it to him, and make him say he likes it.”
No wonder she said she had a gift for me.
I went home. Shen Xi was watching TV in the living room.
“Honey, you’ve worked so hard. Come and sit down quickly. I have a gift for you.”
Shen Xi pulled me to sit at the dining table, sat opposite me, and took out a gift box.
“Ta – da!”
I opened the gift box, and there was a watch inside.
“Why are you giving me a watch? It’s not a special day.”
“Because you’ve given me the time of happiness. I want to be with you forever. And this time, I can earn some money from this business, so I can pay off the debt I owe you earlier. Is it strange to give a gift to my creditor?”
There was a line of words engraved on the back of the watch: Sun & Zephyr
“What does this mean?”
“You and me.” Shen Xi pointed at the words, “You’re my sun, bright and warm, so you’re Sun. And I’m your breeze, gently blowing by your side. I’m everywhere when you think of me, and I’m gone when you don’t. So I’m Zephyr.”
She really managed to come up with such an obscure word.
This clearly represents the initials of Shen and Zhang.
“Do you like it?” Shen Xi stared at me with wide eyes, full of anticipation.
“Like it.” I nodded and touched her nose. “I like whatever you give me.”
I really wanted to slap myself, as if I was loudly announcing that I like the green hat on my head.
“Glad you like it. I’m going to my room to watch a drama. You can play games for a while.”
Shen Xi bounced off to her room, and soon the post was updated.
“Challenge 92: Engrave symbols representing you and another opposite – sex person on a gift, give it to him, and make him say he likes it, completed.”
This post had no photos or videos. Maybe there was no chance to take pictures in the previous situation.
In less than 24 hours, Shen Xi had updated the challenges three times.
The time left for me was running out, and every remaining challenge was heinous.
“Challenge 93: Appear in front of him with another opposite – sex person.”
“Challenge 94: Have dinner with him accompanied by another opposite – sex person.”
“Challenge 95: Make him spend a considerable amount of money for you and another opposite – sex person.”
“Challenge 96: Propose love to another opposite – sex person in front of him.”
“Challenge 97: Make him suffer a serious injury.”
“Challenge 98: Make him never be able to get back on his feet.”
“Challenge 99: Let him know all this.”
I turned off my phone, having a premonition that my time was running out.
But getting divorced without a reason was not only passive but also had big hidden dangers.
Just as Old Jack said, Shen Xi had a good reputation among people. Even he thought there was something wrong with me.
I’m good at doing business, but now, knowing that the person next to my pillow wants to kill me, I was at a loss.
In a trance, a wisp of hair fragrance brushed my face. Shen Xi leaned in front of me, looking at me.
“Honey, I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
“Promise me you won’t get angry first.”
“You’re my treasure. How could I be angry?”
“Hehe.” Shen Xi sat next to me, holding my arm. “When I was a kid, I had a neighbor surnamed Zhang. Uncle Zhang had a son. We grew up together. Later, he went abroad. A while ago, Uncle Zhang said he came back and wanted to find something to do. He asked me to ask if you have any cooperation opportunities. His family used to be in the medical device business, but they don’t do it anymore, so there’s no job left for his son.”
“Then bring him to meet me.”
“Ah? I bring him?” Shen Xi was incredulous, perhaps not believing I was so straightforward. “But you didn’t even ask…”
“He’s your first love, right?”
Shen Xi blushed.
“It’s okay. I love you and I trust you. I happen to have several new batches of business. We can talk first and then have a meal together. Let him see that you’re married well, so he won’t miss you anymore.”
“Naughty.” Shen Xi blinked. “Thank you, honey.”
“Go get the bottle of red wine that’s been stored in the basement for ten years. I’ll give it to him later. We don’t want people to say I’m stingy.”
“Ah? That bottle is worth 200,000 yuan.”
“It’s worth it for you.”
“Okay, I’m going to take a bath.” Shen Xi kissed me and bounced off to the bathroom.
Meeting, having a meal, and spending money for him. It was another chance to update three challenges in a row. She couldn’t be unhappy.
6
I pretended to have work to do and stayed in the study until midnight. When I entered the bedroom, Shen Xi was already asleep.
Asleep, she was like an angel.
Her hair, her skin, her face, and her body were all beautiful.
I lay down beside her with my clothes on and closed my eyes. The experiences of these two days felt like a lifetime ago.
I wanted to sleep but was always awakened. I always felt that there was a figure beside me taking out a knife from under the pillow and waving it at me.
In a daze, I made up my mind.
I would get divorced before I died, use money to make her stop the challenges. If she didn’t agree, I would confront her.
Before that, I had to get enough things for negotiation.
When it was just getting light, I got out of bed again, logged into the forum, and sent her a private message.
“I almost didn’t do anything all day, just waiting for your update.
“Yesterday, my father asked me to go fishing at sea, but I would lose network connection at sea. I refused him for the first time. I’m not a good son, am I?
“Just now, the rescue team came to me, saying that my father’s boat had lost contact, and they were about to set out to look for it. I’m very worried, but there’s nothing I can do. I should have gone to sea with him. I’m really damned.
“At this moment, only you are supporting me and keeping me from falling. But where are you? Who are you? Why are you so charming? God, it’s so torturing me.
“My friend told me that I can access your country’s network to find you. But I don’t understand Chinese at all. So I had to search for your name. I found these photos. Are these you? If so, you’re so beautiful. You’re the most beautiful angel in the world.”
I found some photos from Shen Xi’s public Weibo, mostly street – snaps when she went out to play.
As long as she replied yes, the owner of the post could be identified as her.
Even if the foreign website couldn’t be used as criminal evidence, it was enough to ruin her reputation.
I went back to bed again. Shen Xi hugged me.
She often did this when she was sleeping, sticking to me from time to time, or squeezing me to the edge of the bed.
Just like a cat acting coquettishly to someone it trusts.
After getting up, I told her to go directly to the restaurant in the evening. We could talk about things while eating, so as to save the trouble of arranging reception at the company.
Shen Xi readily agreed because the challenge didn’t require going to the company.
That day, I couldn’t focus on work, always distracted. I always said the wrong things in meetings. Old Jack knew I was absent – minded and forcefully dragged me to the rooftop to get some fresh air.
“I’ve decided.” I said. “Divorce. I can’t tell you the real reason. You won’t believe me even if I do. You handled my marriage, and you have to handle my divorce.”
Old Jack said with a gloomy face, “We in the legal field only believe in facts. If that person is better than your wife, I understand. If that person is worse than your wife, I also understand. Men, everyone has this white – moonlight complex.”
I cursed in my heart, thinking you understand nothing. Do you understand what it’s like to face serious injury and death?
“As long as you understand.” I said. “I’ll talk to her first. If it goes well, you just go through the formalities. If it doesn’t go well, you have to take the agreement and talk to her again.”
“Understood. You’re the boss.”
“Besides, I want to know about monitoring and surveillance…”
“I advise you not to use these means to pry into your wife’s privacy. You’ll just feel bad if you really hear something, and it’s illegal. It’s not worth it. Anyway, the result is the same. Why do you need to know so much?”
I thought he was right. I’ve been wearing the green hat for so long, and people all over the world have witnessed this wonderful process. Do I still need to witness Shen Xi and Zhang Weikun getting intimate with my own eyes?
Hasn’t Shen Xi stabbed me enough? Do I have to stab myself a few more times to be satisfied?
“I believe your wife is not that kind of person. You can’t use this method on her. And once it’s exposed, it will be very bad for you.”
“I don’t care. Tonight, I’m having dinner with the two of them…” When I said “the two of them”, I always felt very awkward. “at the restaurant. You hide nearby. After it’s over, follow that Zhang Weikun and find a way to put some device on him.”
7
At 7 p.m., Shen Xi appeared with Zhang Weikun.
To facilitate Old Jack’s ambush, I booked a table in the hall.
“The private rooms are all occupied. Sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. Let me introduce. This is my husband, Qi Yu. And this is Zhang Weikun, my neighbor who I grew up with.”
“Hello, Mr. Qi. I’ve long admired your name.” Zhang Weikun stretched out his hand, and I reluctantly shook it.
The moment I thought that hand had touched Shen Xi, I couldn’t even eat a shred of cucumber.
“Shen Xi told me about your situation. Coincidentally, one of our suppliers is invested by your father, right? I know something about it. How’s your business recently?” I said as I pushed the menu to Shen Xi.
Zhang Weikun quickly introduced the situation of his family, which was similar to what Old Jack had found out. Due to the poor economic environment, several of his investments had suffered losses. Coupled with his father’s chronic illness, he had to hand over the business to his son. So he had to ask Shen Xi to introduce him to me, hoping for more support in the future.
The man needed my help, and the woman had challenges to complete. They really treated me like a pig for the New Year.
After a brief chat, Zhang Weikun was somewhat handsome and had a good conversation. Having studied abroad for many years, he had broad knowledge. No wonder Shen Xi rekindled her old relationship with him.
“By the way, we’ve been talking. This is the first time we’ve met. Xiaoxi insisted that I show my sincerity. Hurry up and take it out. This is from France…”
Shen Xi took out a wine box from the bag. I knew something was wrong as soon as I saw the box.
“… brought back from France. It’s not worth much. It’s just a little token of my husband, Lao Qi.” Shen Xi took over my words, handed the wine to Zhang Weikun, and gave me a meaningful look.
That look seemed to say, “Challenges 93 to 95 are all done.”
But Shen Xi had taken the wrong wine. I asked her to get a bottle of red wine worth 200,000 yuan, but she brought a banquet – use wine. Even two bottles of it were not worth 2,000 yuan.
“Thank you so much. I also have a gift for you two.” Zhang Weikun took out a box from his bag and opened it. Inside were two brooches made of black pearls.
“I brought these back from abroad. They symbolize that love is stronger than gold. They’re just right for you two. They’re not very expensive.”
Although he said they were not expensive, just from the size, luster, and roundness, one was worth at least two or three thousand yuan. A pair of identical ones was worth more than double.
This Zhang Weikun really went all out, just to humiliate me. The way he looked at me was like saying, “You can’t get my wife for free.”
When Zhang Weikun stretched out his hand, I saw a string of wooden beads on his wrist. It was very discordant with his suit and tie.
“This bracelet is quite special.” I said. “It’s engraved with words. Shui? Two ‘Shui’ characters?”
Shen Xi blushed immediately and said angrily, “Why did you wear this out?”
Zhang Weikun said awkwardly, “Sorry, I’m used to wearing it. To be honest, Shen Xi gave this to me when I came back to China. I didn’t think of this occasion today. I’ll take it off now.”
Shen Xi quickly said to me, “It’s not a gift. It’s a return. This was given to me by his mother before. She said… Later, I didn’t need it, so I thought of returning it to him.”
It should be a family heirloom that the mother – in – law gave to her future daughter – in – law.
I smiled and said, “Why are you in such a hurry? I didn’t say anything. Let’s eat and talk about what we can cooperate on.”
Zhang Weikun was blatantly showing off, saying that I wasn’t worthy of being the Zhang family’s son – in – law.
Because of this string of beads, the rest of the meal was rather dull. Shen Xi looked like a child who had done something wrong, with no smile on her face.
Indeed, the evidence of her affair was clearly worn on her hand. Presumably, Zhang Weikun forced her to do it in a hurry to take the upper hand.
After the meal, Zhang Weikun left on his own. As soon as Shen Xi and I got home, Old Jack called me.
“Zhang Weikun is staying in a hotel and will be there for a while. He should be visiting cooperative customers one by one. It’s not a high – end hotel.”
I hung up the phone satisfied. After taking a shower and coming out, the post was indeed updated.
“Challenge 93: Appear in front of him with another opposite – sex person, completed.”
“Challenge 94: Have dinner with him accompanied by another opposite – sex person, completed.”
“Challenge 95: Make him spend a considerable amount of money for you and another opposite – sex person, completed.”
The post unusually posted several photos.
The restaurant where we ate, the dishes on the table, three wine glasses, and even the date on the menu.
In the blurry focus, there were two men sitting facing each other. Of course, it was me and Zhang Weikun.
Completing three challenges at once, Shen Xi was in a good mood. She was humming while doing yoga.
“Hand in hand, one step, two steps, three steps, four steps, looking at the sky. Watching the stars, one, two, three, four, connecting them into a line…”
It was very appropriate. The challenges that were going to kill me were approaching the end one by one, two by two, three by three, four by four.
“Honey, are you really not angry about the bracelet thing today?” Shen Xi asked.
“Not angry. What’s there to be angry about? I know you and him were childhood sweethearts, and his mother wanted you to be her daughter – in – law. But that’s all in the past. I’m not a child.”
“Hehe.” Shen Xi smiled. “Then tomorrow, accompany me to return these two brooches. I don’t want to accept such an expensive gift from him. It feels strange.”
“So you replaced the 200,000 – yuan red wine with a cheap one?”
“Yes, I don’t want to give him such an expensive gift either. There’s no need.”
I let out a long sigh.
At that moment, I really hoped I knew nothing. Then Shen Xi would be such a perfect wife.
When I was lost in regret, Shen Xi replied to me on the forum.
“You don’t need to know who I am. I’ll soon complete all the challenges.”
8
Shen Xi and I went to the hotel where Zhang Weikun was staying early in the morning. It was indeed an ordinary chain hotel.
Seeing us come to return the brooches, Zhang Weikun was a bit disappointed.
Shen Xi said, “Weikun, my husband knows that we were in love before and that Auntie hoped I would be her daughter – in – law, so she gave me this string of beads. But that’s all in the past. I’ve married my husband, and I love him very much. So I hope you can also find someone you love soon. We’re returning the brooches to you. You should need them more than we do.”
Zhang Weikun said, “I understand. To tell you the truth, our family is in a very difficult situation now. My father’s illness requires a large amount of money, and his previous investments have suffered heavy losses. Just in real estate, there’s a hole of several hundred million yuan. I had no choice but to take out the things collected at home to make a good impression. I’ve made Mr. Qi laugh.”
I said, “I’ll try my best to find a way. Difficulties will always pass.”
As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I was actually comforting the person who cuckolded me.
“Your mother also gave me something, a locked box. But I didn’t take it and never saw it. Later, Auntie said she hid the thing under the yard of your ancestral house in your hometown, under the red bricks. She said she would dig it out and give it to me when I got married. It was more valuable than a mountain of gold. That’s all I know. I hope it can help you.”
Zhang Weikun’s eyes lit up, and he thanked me repeatedly.
“Let’s go, honey.”
“Let’s go. We’ll go have a drink. I have something to tell you.”
“Today? I can’t today. I have some urgent work. Wait until I come back. Oh, and don’t tell anyone about today’s things. I don’t want to be misunderstood.”
Shen Xi left in a hurry. After being husband and wife for so long, today was the last day. Whether it was a little earlier or later didn’t seem that important.
I went to the coffee shop where Shen Xi and I first met, ordered the same coffee as at that time, and quietly waited for the end of my marriage.
“Zhang Weikun has gone out. Should I follow him?” Old Jack suddenly called me.
He should be going to the old house to dig for treasure.
“No need. Go get the device back. Don’t get discovered.”
“I didn’t put the device.”
“You…”
“I have a sense of the overall situation. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
“Prepare the divorce materials.”
I leaned on the sofa, opened my phone, and browsed through the process of Shen Xi’s challenges again.
The initial challenges were like pranks between two lovers.
In the middle, it turned into mutual harm between two enemies.
Finally, it became deception, murder, and crime.
Could a game turn a person into this?
I turned off my phone, closed my eyes, and time passed by, like a long – lasting meeting.
Shen Xi finally appeared in front of me.
She was made – up, wearing an expensive suit – dress, with a proud smile on her face.
She looked at me as if she were looking at the portrait of her deceased husband.
“What do you want to talk to me about?”
She sat there upright, her two misty eyes staring at me.
“I’ve made up my mind.” I said. “We should di—”
The phone rang. It was Old Jack calling.
I hung up, but he called again. I hung up again, and he called once more.
The mood I had carefully built up was completely ruined. I had to walk aside and answer the call.
“Something unexpected happened. Zhang Weikun was arrested! Not long after he returned to his hometown, a special car was sent from the city to arrest him.”
I was confused.
When Shen Xi’s challenge was about to succeed and she and Zhang Weikun were about to be together, why was he arrested?
I returned to my seat in a daze. Shen Xi said with a straight face, “Honey, we have to go. No matter what others ask you, just tell the truth.”
I looked up and saw four policemen walking into the coffee shop, coming straight towards us.
9
The police repeatedly questioned the relationship between me, Shen Xi, and Zhang Weikun, especially what we talked about with Zhang Weikun at the hotel in the morning.
I told the truth. We went to return the black – pearl brooch gift because it was too expensive and beyond the acceptable standard. I didn’t say much to Zhang Weikun. Shen Xi mentioned the bracelet and a locked box, which were both given to Shen Xi by Zhang Weikun’s mother before, but I had never seen them and had never heard Shen Xi mention them either.
I was released soon, and Shen Xi was released 4 hours later than me.
She looked calm, as if nothing had happened, not even the police interrogation.
The matter of talking to her about divorce was thus put on hold. I was very tired and didn’t dare to go home to sleep. I had to find an excuse to go to the company and lie down for a while.
When I woke up, Shen Xi sent me a message.
“Let’s get divorced.”
Shen Xi said what I was going to say first. I was surprised, but I didn’t know if I should be.
I rushed home. Shen Xi had already packed her luggage.
“Honey, this is the last time I call you honey.” There was no longer a proud expression on Shen Xi’s face. Instead, there was a sense of relief and ease. “Thank you for saving me, marrying me, and giving me a complete home.”
“Why?” I pretended to be calm.
“You know I lied to you.”
“What do I know?”
“You’re the person on the forum, LoveCatK. You pretended well, but there aren’t fishermen in the Caribbean with such good conditions, who can afford the latest – model mobile phones and whose birthdays are the same as yours.”
I was very embarrassed, like a child whose lie had been exposed.
“Since you already know, it saves me the trouble of explaining. Let’s make an appointment to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau.”
“Wait a minute.” I quickly thought it through in my mind.
Shen Xi found out that I knew about her playing the dark game, so she thought it was impossible to kill me, so she simply took the initiative to mention divorce and run away.
But what did this have to do with Zhang Weikun’s arrest?
In the coffee shop, Shen Xi seemed to know that the police would come to her.
The situation was very strange. The killer wanted to give up killing and run away, while the victim blocked the door to stop her.
“You’re leaving like this. Aren’t you going to continue the challenge?”
“What?”
“I said, don’t you have several challenges left unfinished? For example, killing me?”
“Kill you? Why would I kill you?”
Shen Xi stared at me with wide, confused eyes.
I also stared at her with wide, confused eyes.
“It’s the challenge.” I took out my phone, opened the forum, “Challenge 100, kill him…”
Just as I was about to turn the screen to show Shen Xi, my eyes fell on the latest updates.
“Challenge 96: Propose love to another opposite – sex person in front of him, completed.”
“Challenge 97: Make him suffer a serious injury, completed.”
“Challenge 98: Make him never be able to get back on his feet, completed.”
I was confused.
The last time I met Zhang Weikun was at the hotel. After that, he left, and then he was arrested.
When did Shen Xi propose love to him in front of me?
When did she make me suffer a serious injury?
Never be able to get back on my feet?
Seeing my stunned face, Shen Xi let out a sigh.
“That game wasn’t for you.”
10
With my brave insistence, Shen Xi put down her suitcase.
I cooked a bowl of noodles and turned off all the lights except the one on the dining table.
The “him” in the game wasn’t me, but Zhang Weikun.
The one Shen Xi wanted to hurt, humiliate, and kill was also Zhang Weikun.
And I was indeed the “another opposite – sex person” in that game.
I felt mixed emotions. I shouldn’t be happy that it wasn’t me who was going to die, but on the other hand, my wife’s thoughts were still on her first love.
“Zhang Weikun has been a pervert since he was a child. He bullied and tortured me since junior high school. When there was no one around, he forced me to kneel down and talk to him, and he also took my nude photos to blackmail me. But our two families had a good relationship, and our families always wanted to match us up. Plus, Zhang Weikun was very good at acting in front of people, so I couldn’t get rid of him at all.”
Shen Xi quietly told me about the past.
“I coaxed him, making him think he had me under his control. At the same time, I studied desperately, just wanting to get into a school he couldn’t get into. Later, he went abroad, and I finally got my freedom. But every time he came back during festivals, he tried several times to rape me.”
As I listened, I gradually understood. Shen Xi hated Zhang Weikun so much that she wanted to take his life.
“But if he had just hurt me, I wouldn’t have wanted him to die. It was because of his family’s business that got my parents sentenced to prison. From that day on, I swore to make his whole family pay the price.”
“Then why use such a long – drawn – out way? Many of the 100 challenges are harmless.”
“Because of him!” Shen Xi clenched her fists. “He told me that if I didn’t obey him, he had 100 ways to torture me until I died. More than half of these 100 challenges were told to me by him one by one.
“There are still two challenges left.
“I can’t tell you now, or it will implicate you.”
“You’re my wife. I won’t let you go, and I won’t divorce you.”
Old Jack’s message lit up.
“I’ve prepared the divorce materials. We can talk about it at any time.”
Shen Xi glanced at the screen and couldn’t help laughing.
“Even your phone is laughing at you.”
“That was his own idea. I didn’t tell him to do it.”
“You’ll know later. Don’t ask me, okay?”
“I won’t ask if you don’t leave. We’ll live a good life.”
11
Shen Xi and I made up as before. As promised, I never mentioned Zhang Weikun or the dark game.
But I still secretly asked someone to investigate.
Zhang Weikun rushed back to the old house and dug out a box from the foundation.
There was no key, so he wanted to drive the box back to the city. On the way, he was stopped by the police.
The box was opened on the spot, and it was full of white powder.
The quantity was so large that it set a new record in the city.
Zhang Weikun was dumbfounded and immediately shouted his innocence, saying that Shen Xi had told him it was a family heirloom for engagement.
But Shen Xi said it was prepared by Zhang Weikun’s mother, and there was no evidence that Shen Xi had touched the box.
Shen Xi also had the text messages sent to her by Zhang’s mother back then, saying that she had prepared several boxes of betrothal gifts, but Shen Xi said she was just in college and refused.
The key to the box was also found in the Zhang family. Since it was something hidden in their own home for several years, Zhang Weikun couldn’t defend himself no matter how much he argued.
Zhang Weikun didn’t know where this box of things came from. He had only been back in the country for a little over a year, so the clues naturally led to his father.
But as soon as his father heard that a box of things was dug out at home, he had a cerebral infarction on the spot.
From arrest to sentencing, it only took 2 months. Zhang Weikun was about to face the end of his life.
On the day of the verdict, I took the initiative to ask Shen Xi to visit her parents with me.
Her father was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and her mother was sentenced to 3 years.
On the way back, Shen Xi finally cried.
She cried so much that I felt her usual tenderness towards me was all fake.
“Once, Uncle Zhang asked my father to borrow a warehouse to store a batch of goods. As a result, there were hidden things in that batch of goods, and my father was thus tied to the Zhang family. The Zhang family used this to blackmail my father to keep helping them transfer the goods. My parents got deeper and deeper into it. Worried that the Zhang family would have an accident and that our family’s affairs would implicate me, they set up a trap for themselves and got imprisoned for economic crimes. Before being arrested, my father told me about the box in the old house, saying that if the Zhang family dared to do anything to me, I could use this to make their whole family go down.”
Shen Xi wiped her eyes and continued, “After my parents were sentenced, our family’s factory and warehouse were all auctioned off, and the covert business dealings with the Zhang family were severed. And because they pleaded guilty and went to prison, it also reassured the Zhang family. Especially since Zhang Weikun had a crush on me and wanted me to marry into their family, so there would be no more hidden dangers. I was in great pain at that time, and you saved me.”
I was driving, but my mind was clear.
The Zhang family had been using the medical supplies business as a cover for drug trafficking.
They cashed out at a high position to avoid the limelight and wanted to do some normal business, but they were completely incompetent.
Zhang Weikun, who grew up in such an environment, was cruel, perverted, and inhumane, taking pleasure in playing with others.
He had been infatuated with Shen Xi since he was a child and was determined to have her completely.
Shen Xi’s 100 challenges to revenge him started from the day he returned to China.
“I love you, but I lied to you, and I’m likely to implicate you. After all, this is a matter that could lead to the death penalty if involved.”
“Then you could have taken revenge secretly. Why did you post it online?”
“I thought that if I died halfway, maybe someone else could continue. After all, that bastard had done so many evil things. And this is also the content of Challenge 99.”
Challenge 99: Let him know all this.
“No, no, no. I still have a lot of questions.” I exclaimed. “Challenge 51, kissing an opposite – sex person. Who was that in the photo?”
“It was you. Our first kiss was in the car. Don’t you recognize your own lips?”
“Then for Challenges 52 to 54, were you talking to me? I don’t remember at all!”
“Because you were drunk that day. As soon as you got in the car, you passed out.”
“Then…” I wanted to ask more, but my mind told me that the things that happened with the opposite – sex person in the later challenges were all done with me.
Actively sticking to me, showing sexy underwear, holding hands and walking on the street, were all with me.
“How do you explain Challenge 90? The hotel, the big bed, and there was a man behind you.”
“That was you! That was the hotel where we had our honeymoon. You… fell asleep right after. And you like to cover your head with the quilt.”
“What about 91? What was the tissue about?”
“The tissue? Oh, it was our snot. I wrapped an apple with it and gave it to him.”
I was speechless and also very embarrassed.
So she forced me to sign the prenuptial agreement to avoid implicating me in case something happened.
I couldn’t even recognize the intimate actions with my wife as being with me.
“You’ve suffered a lot over the years.”
The car drove into the garage, and I took her hand.
Shen Xi looked at me in embarrassment and said, “Aren’t you worried? Worried that I have another challenge.”
I asked, “Do you have one?”
“Of course not.”
“No, you do.”
I took out my phone and opened the memo.
“Let me think… Challenge 1: Cook him a delicious meal with braised pork elbow and curry cauliflower.”
“Challenge 2: Put on a beautiful dress and dance a dance for him.”
“Challenge 3: Have a baby with him.”
“Challenge 4: Have another baby with him.”
Shen Xi quickly blocked me and shouted, “Your challenges are progressing too fast! Shouldn’t the earlier ones be simpler? How come it’s having a baby in Challenge 3, and another one in Challenge 4? What about the later ones?”
“I’ll write them down whenever I think of them later. What’s wrong? Are you not willing?”
“I… I’m willing.”
Shen Xi’s face turned bright red, and she gently kicked me on the leg.
– The End –
