Chapter 37 : Bite You to Death

Xu Yaqiu had put on makeup, her face powdered, but traces of bruises were still faintly visible. However, she looked much better compared to before.  

Zhou Yanwen stood there, his eyes never leaving Fang Xiaoluo.  

He couldn’t figure out why Fang Xiaoluo looked even more beautiful. She seemed to be glowing.  

He tried to stop himself from staring but couldn’t help it.  

Thinking about Xu Yaqiu, he didn’t even want to glance at her.  

She wasn’t particularly attractive to begin with, and now she was injured, always wearing a miserable expression. After not being allowed to offer toasts at the wedding banquet, she came home to argue incessantly, driving him crazy.  

As for today’s visit to her parents, why they came to Honghe Village was clear, they both had their own agendas.  

Zhou Yanwen wanted to see Fang Xiaoluo. He knew she would be back today.  

Otherwise, with her living in the military compound, it was almost impossible for him to see her.  

The more he found Xu Yaqiu unappealing, the more he thought of Fang Xiaoluo. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, losing sleep over it.  

As for Xu Yaqiu, she came to mock Fang Xiaoluo.  

In her past life, on the day she visited her parents, Shen Zheng didn’t accompany her but stayed at the hospital with that fool Shen Haiping instead.  

Not only was she left alone, but even the return gifts were pitifully meager. Zheng Lanhua, that old hag, kept mocking her relentlessly, leaving her utterly humiliated.  

Now she wanted to see how miserable Fang Xiaoluo was living with the Shen family. Only then could she vent her frustration over her own unhappy days in the Zhou household.  

Their motives were different, but both wanted to come to Honghe Village, so they quickly agreed.  

The excuse they came up with was surprisingly consistent, since Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun were Xu Yaqiu’s adoptive parents, it was only right to visit them on her return day.  

But when she arrived in Honghe Village and turned a corner, she immediately spotted Fang Xiaoluo’s figure. And who was accompanying her if not Shen Zheng?  

The two of them had even brought a child. She recognized him immediately, they had brought back Shen Haiping, that fool!  

Xu Yaqiu couldn’t wrap her head around it. Why were both Shen Zheng and that fool accompanying Fang Xiaoluo?  

Pulling herself together, Xu Yaqiu said to Fang Xiaoluo, “Xiaoluo, what a coincidence! It seems you just got back as well.”  

Fang Xiaoluo directly asked, “Why are you here?”  

Xu Yaqiu smiled and replied, “Xiaoluo, how can you say that? Mom and Dad raised me for nineteen years. It’s the third day after the wedding, so I had to bring Yanwen to visit them.”  

Everyone couldn’t stay in the courtyard forever, so Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun invited them into the house.  

Xu Yaqiu nudged Zhou Yanwen, and the two placed their gifts on the table. “Mom, we brought some things for you. I hope you won’t mind.”  

Zhang Xinyan didn’t want to accept them. She had long been disheartened by how Xu Yaqiu left and how she had treated Fang Xiaoluo these past days.  

Fang Xiaoluo, knowing Zhang Xinyan’s nature, said, “What’s there to mind? Who would mind receiving gifts?”  

Shen Zheng also placed the things he and Fang Xiaoluo had brought on the side.  

The comparison between the two sets of gifts was striking.  

Xu Yaqiu had thought that she and Zhou Yanwen had prepared plenty and could outshine Fang Xiaoluo, but Shen Zheng and Fang Xiaoluo’s gifts were double what they brought.  

They were completely humiliated.  

Fang Shijun made tea, and Zhang Xinyan washed some apples and brought out sunflower seeds and peanuts. Everyone sat down together.  

Fang Xiaoluo introduced them to Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun, saying, “Dad, Mom, this is my family’s second son, Shen Haiping. Isn’t he handsome?”  

Zhang Xinyan had noticed the child from the beginning. He was indeed good-looking but very thin, with a blank expression in his eyes.  

Zhang Xinyan nodded. “Handsome.”  

She grabbed a handful of candies and stuffed them into Shen Haiping’s hand. “Good boy, take them. These are from Grandma.”  

Shen Haiping didn’t react much but kept staring intently at the brightly colored candy wrappers.  

Shen Zheng felt warmth in his heart. In Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun’s eyes, there was no trace of disdain for Shen Haiping. Instead, there was a hint of affection.  

Fang Xiaoluo took one candy from his hand, unwrapped it, and placed it into his mouth.  

The sweet fruity flavor filled his mouth, immediately satisfying Shen Haiping’s taste buds.  

He raised his head and gave Fang Xiaoluo a big smile. “Sweet.”  

Xu Yaqiu was completely stunned, Shen Haiping, that fool, could talk?  

“Xiaoluo, this child is so rude. If he can talk, why doesn’t he greet anyone? Not even Grandma and Grandpa.”  

“Children need to be taught manners from a young age. Now that you’re his stepmother, you can’t slack off in his upbringing.”  

As soon as Xu Yaqiu finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room seemed to plummet, and the temperature felt as if it had dropped sharply.  

When she turned her head, she found Shen Zheng’s expression even colder. His gaze was so piercing it seemed as if he wanted to devour her.  

Xu Yaqiu couldn’t help but shrink her neck.  

Fang Xiaoluo retorted, “Some people sure talk a lot of nonsense. Does spouting rubbish like that make you polite?”  

Xu Yaqiu pointed a finger at her. “Fang Xiaoluo, don’t be so ungrateful!”  

Fang Xiaoluo gave her a sidelong glance. “Do you know why Xiao Ming’s grandmother lived to be 99 years old?”  

Xu Yaqiu, confused by the sudden change in topic, snapped, “How would I know? Stop trying to change the subject!”  

Fang Xiaoluo continued, “It’s because Xiao Ming’s grandmother never meddled in other people’s business. Overstress leads to an early grave!”  

Xu Yaqiu shot up from her seat. “Fang Xiaoluo, are you cursing me?”  

Zhou Yanwen reached out to pull her back. “That’s enough, stop talking so much.”  

“Yaqiu, Stop talking,” Zhou Yanwen said, trying to placate Fang Xiaoluo with a smile.  

Seeing his face and hearing those words, Fang Xiaoluo felt nothing but disgust.  

Xu Yaqiu shook off Zhou Yanwen’s hand abruptly. “Stop talking? Didn’t you hear her cursing me? Whose husband are you anyway? Let me tell you, Fang Xiaoluo is already married, and you’ve married me. Stop fantasizing!”  

The two were about to start arguing. Fang Xiaoluo noticed Shen Haiping’s unusual behavior.  

She picked him up and grabbed an apple, intending to leave for another room.  

But just as she reached the door, Xu Yaqiu rushed over to block her path.  

“Fang Xiaoluo, you’re not leaving! Tell me, what kind of spell did you cast on Zhou Yanwen to make him so obsessed with you?”  

As she spoke, Xu Yaqiu reached out to grab Fang Xiaoluo’s arm.  

Shen Haiping lowered his head and bit Xu Yaqiu’s arm hard.  

Xu Yaqiu was caught off guard, feeling a sharp pain in her arm. The sensation was eerily familiar.  

When she looked down, she saw Shen Haiping biting her arm with all his strength, grinding his teeth as if he wanted to tear off a piece of her flesh.  

“Ahhh!”  

Xu Yaqiu let out an ear-piercing scream.  

To Shen Haiping’s ears, the scream only spurred him to bite harder, resembling a fierce, unrelenting wolf.