Chapter 198 - 197: Peach Wants to Sleep with Asher

Chapter 198: Chapter 197: Peach Wants to Sleep with Asher

Riverside Road, Demolition Area.

The car was parked a good distance away, so I walked from there.

Asher was silent the entire way, unsure how to stop me, but he wasn’t happy about me seeing Peach, either.

I was mad at him. He was always like this, trying to stop me without ever telling me why.

If he had just clearly explained the reason, like if Peach was aggressive and might hurt me, or any other reason at all, I could have accepted it. But he said nothing, just stubbornly trying to block my way. How could I possibly be happy?

"Cece..." He could tell I was angry, so he let his head hang and silently followed about ten feet behind me.

Seeing that I was about to enter the demolition area, he called my name in a low voice.

I glanced back at him. He was tall and slender, and in his baggy sweatshirt, he had a sort of broken beauty, as if he’d just been picked on.

I huffed and ignored him. I couldn’t give in every time; I’d spoil him rotten.

When he saw that I was ignoring him, his eyes reddened slightly. He sniffled and kept following me from a short distance.

I deliberately walked faster, as if I were throwing a tantrum.

’I’m a normal person, aren’t I? My husband is hiding things from me and even protecting the person who killed me. Of course I’m going to be angry! Why should I be rational with the man I love? I want to throw a fit! Shouldn’t he indulge me and just tell me the truth?’

Fuming, I huffed and turned into an alley.

The alley was a mess, with a few punks and loiterers smoking inside.

I have an innate fear of people like them, probably because of what Julian Fletcher put me through at Nocturne.

"Hey there, gorgeous. What’s your price?"

"You selling?"

They spouted obscenities, acting as if any woman who came here was dirty.

I ignored them and tried to walk past quickly, but that seemed to pique their interest. They reached out to block my path, still spewing vulgarities.

I was getting scared and instinctively looked back for Asher.

The moment I turned, I bumped right into his chest. He wrapped an arm around me, comforting me in a low voice. "I’m right here."

The men clicked their tongues in annoyance, but they were intimidated by Asher’s cold glare and wisely backed off.

Asher took my hand and led me through the long alley.

"Asher, do you think I’m being a handful?" I asked him quietly.

Asher squeezed my hand and glanced back at me.

"Cece... you used to ask me what fear felt like, what reliance felt like, what terror felt like..." Asher said softly, as if speaking to me, but also to himself.

"You said you were a monster, born without emotions. You wanted to experience a normal life. You envied simple-minded people, envied the girls who liked to hide behind boys. You said you’d willingly give up all your reason and intellect in exchange for a foolish life..."

Asher spoke softly, leading me forward step by step.

The alley was long and deep, dim and damp, as if it stretched on forever.

In that moment, I thought I saw the Asher of the past.

He was wearing ill-fitting clothes, walking through alleys, clearing one obstacle after another for me.

"So, Cece, I don’t think you’re a handful. I’m actually happy. Happy that you finally succeeded. You have a new life, Cece... This is what you wanted. I just want to protect all of it for you," Asher said, his voice hoarse.

I didn’t quite understand what Asher was saying.

’Does he mean that the old me was too smart, like an emotionless machine, and that I wanted to throw away my intelligence and become dumber, just so I could become a person of flesh and blood... so I could be difficult like I am now?’

I furrowed my brow and tugged on Asher’s arm. "So what you’re saying is, you *do* think I’m a handful."

Asher smiled and shook his head innocently. "I don’t."

I huffed, shook off his hand, and turned to head upstairs.

Asher stayed behind me, keeping his distance but never falling too far back.

’With him there, I actually felt a sense of security.’

"Bitch, cut the act!"

"AH!"

I heard a pained scream, followed by a man’s cursing.

A door was thrown open, and a man stormed out of Peach’s room, cursing angrily. "I’m doing you a favor giving you 200."

Peach, her cheek red and swollen, chased after him in a daze. She was crying and stammering, unable to get her words out clearly. "Please, it was 500... please."

Peach kept pleading, her body trembling violently.

’She seemed desperate for the money.’

"Get lost!" The man had lost his patience and shoved Peach away. "What a fucking jinx. Idiot."

’But aren’t they all just taking advantage of the fact that she’s slow? Everyone else gets 500, but they only ever give Peach 200.’

"I need the money. I really need the money, I’m begging you," Peach pleaded, kneeling on the ground and wringing her hands.

I stood at the end of the hallway, and watching Peach’s pitiful begging made me deeply uncomfortable.

"Give her the money. You agreed on 500, so you give her 500. Otherwise, we’re calling the police. If you’re not afraid of the humiliation and a trip to the station, then go ahead and test us!" I stepped forward and angrily grabbed the man.

The man got angry and tried to shove me, but Asher immediately pinned him against the wall.

In the end, the man threw three hundred yuan in cash on the ground, cursing, then turned and ran.

Peach shakily picked up the money from the floor, looking fearfully at Asher.

’She seemed terrified of Asher.’

Peach scrambled to her feet and ran back to her room, trying to lock the door.

Asher was faster. He moved forward and held the door open. "Open up!"

Only then did Peach fearfully open the door, backing away nervously. "A-Asher."

Asher looked at Peach without a word.

Peach secretly tucked the cash under her pillow and glanced at me nervously. "It wasn’t... I didn’t mean to push her."

’She was afraid because she’d pushed me that day.’

’Did Asher come looking for her?’

Asher didn’t say anything, just stood in the doorway, looking at me.

I tried to calm Peach down. "Peach, can we talk?"

Peach lowered her head, refusing to look at me.

"I can give you money." Seeing how desperate she was for it, I pulled some cash out of Asher’s pocket and offered it to Peach.

Asher grunted in displeasure.

’Actually, I was a little curious. Peach is Charlie’s sister, and Asher is so close to Charlie. If Asher has money, there’s no way he wouldn’t look after Charlie’s family. So why was he so reluctant when I asked him to bring some cash earlier?’

"I don’t want it." Peach shook her head vehemently and backed away. "Charlie said you can’t get something for nothing."

I froze for a second. "But what you’re doing is illegal, and besides..."

’I found it hard to say. What she was doing was just wrong.’

Peach tilted her head and shook it again. "Charlie said I can’t get something for nothing..."

’She was so simple-minded, it was as if that was the only sentence she’d ever memorized.’

"Doing this is also getting something for nothing," I said, trying to correct her logic.

She looked at me fearfully, then glanced at Asher. "Then so are you! Do you earn your own money? You... you sleep with him, and he gives you money."

Peach pointed at me, then at Asher.

"..." I was exasperated. "We’re a legally married couple. The money he earns is for me to spend."

Peach pouted. "Shameless."

"..." I was completely baffled. I looked at Asher. ’How am I the shameless one here?’

All the while, Asher stared warily at Peach, as if he didn’t see her as a simpleton, but as someone extremely dangerous.

"I have a question for you. Can you answer it?" I asked, testing the waters.

Peach muttered under her breath, "You give me money."

I quickly tried to hand her the money.

But she just repeated, "Can’t get something for nothing."

"Then what do you want?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Peach pointed at Asher. "Have him sleep with me. Then give me money."