The Widower’s Secret

● Opening Today's a Lucky Day in January. The blurb is below, please add it to your collection qaq

● Check out my upcoming novel in my author profile, Unconventional Dating Lessons. It's a dog-training romance!

Xu Zhao is a socially anxious shut-in, gloomy as a damp strand of seaweed growing on the ocean floor.

The "Widower" is a weird, misshapen monster from the depths of the sea. One day, it catches the scent of the protagonist and has a romantic encounter with him. Due to its species' traits, it has a brood pouch like a male seahorse.

One day, Xu Zhao discovers that a frail, beautiful, pitiful widower has just moved into the apartment across from his. He also hears that the man was abandoned by his husband as soon as he became pregnant...

Xu Zhao: "He can't do anything, so he came to me for help."

"He brought me pastries, and turned down the handsome dentist downstairs."

"The pastries smell a little fishy and taste strange. The handsome dentist downstairs has moved away, though I don't know when... Also, he asked me if I like children..."

"I think I've fallen for him."

The beautiful widower asks Xu Zhao once again to help unclog his drain. He also says there's too much stuff in the fridge to deal with, and the washing machine's drain is blocked.

In the drain, Xu Zhao finds some strange, fishy-smelling scraps of meat. He helps clear out the fridge, though he doesn't quite understand why fish organs need to be stored in there too.

The washing machine seems to be covered in blood, but the beautiful widower merely says he washed some seafood that was difficult to handle in it.

Later, the beautiful widower invites Xu Zhao to dinner. He makes a table full of dishes and lights rose-scented candles. In the warm, yellow candlelight, his face is alluring, like a legendary siren. His lips are crimson as if stained with blood, and his neat teeth are especially white and sharp.

Xu Zhao decides to confess his feelings.

1. Lovecraftian horror, nonhuman character.

2. This is a shameless story about a pretty widower seducing someone!

Upcoming

Today's a Lucky Day

Song Ling lost his parents young and apprenticed himself to a no-name master, learning all sorts of unorthodox skills. His abilities are lacking, but his gift of gab makes up for it. He cons people, ghosts, and gods alike, and is doing spectacularly well.

Someone says, "He catches ghosts and summons gods. He looks just like an immortal descended from heaven, slaying evil spirits with a single sword strike. Even the offerings he accepts are rather unusual..."

Another says, "He finds dragon veins and burial sites, and moved my ancestors' coffins for me. He really helped me rise through the ranks! Though his fees were steep."

Someone else says, "He can foresee everything and knows it all. I wanted nothing more than for him to solve my troubles, so I gave away my entire fortune. I just didn't expect him to take all of it..."

No matter what people say, Song Ling just smiles and hands a business card to every rich person he meets.

"They say life and death are fated and wealth comes from heaven, but I can defy fate and change your destiny."

"All you have to do is pay me ^ ^"

Then one day, he takes on a huge job and nearly loses his life. He fools a powerful man by claiming to be the wife destined for him.

He presses himself against the man and confesses sincerely, telling him he regrets this life and looks forward to the next. With damp lashes and a pitiful expression, he kisses the man's lips, then promptly throws up a mouthful of blood all over him and passes out.

Song Ling takes three days to wake up, only to hear one good piece of news and one bad one.

The good news: He was saved, and he didn't lose any limbs.

The bad news: The man believed him and introduced him to everyone he knew. Song Ling heard the man say with a grave, formal expression, "Hello. This is my wife."

"Hello."

"This is my wife."

Song Ling: "?"

A silver-tongued, scheming fake Taoist priest uke x a blunt, simple-minded seme who can really "get the job done" when asked

1. A husband-and-husband team, bloody and spicy, they'll eat anything!

2. The Taoists, ghosts, monsters, magic, talismans, and other elements in this story draw on Taoist texts and folk traditions. Please don't overanalyze them.

Theme: Stay strong and keep living even when life gets hard.