Chapter 6 He Didn’t Believe in Gods or  Buddhas, but for Her, He Believed in Fate

A week later, Xia Yuan’s fever finally subsided, her mind clear and sharp, and her spirits lifted. The cold was finally over.

Xia Yuan was so happy she could cry. She had initially planned to use her illness to gain some affection points from the crazy male lead, but it turned out this method wasn’t going to work—being sick was just too unbearable.

She caught a whiff of the sour smell from her hair and skin. *Ugh*, Qin Mohuai kissed her face every day. Didn’t he have a cleanliness obsession? How could he stand to kiss her like this?

Dragging her weakened body to the shower, Xia Yuan felt like she had been reborn after bathing.

When Qin Mohuai returned home from work, he saw Xia Yuan wrapped in a creamy white blanket, curled up in a single armchair reading a book. Her long, fluffy black hair was swept to one side, revealing half of her delicate, otherworldly face.

Qin Mohuai tugged at his tie with his fingers, loosening it, and his wild, unruly blue hair buried itself against her neck, rubbing against her, while his thin lips stole a few kisses from her soft white neck.

Xia Yuan, still weak from her recent illness, twisted her stiff waist, trying to evade him, but eventually, she found herself nestled into the warm embrace of the “evil dragon.”

Qin Mohuai’s arms tightened around her, his head still buried in her neck, moving lower to her collarbone…

“Baby, you really scared me these past few days. Don’t you think you owe me a little something in return?” he murmured.

“When I’m fully better!” Xia Yuan felt a twinge of fear in her heart, afraid he might disregard her condition and force himself on her.

In the novel, the author had given this crazy male lead a certain… addiction. Yet they also claimed he had been single and celibate for twenty-seven years. But seeing how he acted every day like he couldn’t get enough, Xia Yuan seriously doubted the logic of that setup!

Qin Mohuai’s voice was muffled. “Alright, but let me at least collect some interest first.”

Xia Yuan couldn’t handle the intensity of his kisses. Her slender body sank deeper into the sofa, and her pale legs kicked in vain, only to have her ankle easily caught and firmly held by the man.

From a distance, it looked like a tall, wicked demon was feasting, a scene that appeared vicious and bloody. But who would know—the handsome demon was merely trying to please his wife.

“M-My mouth… hurts…” Xia Yuan finally caught her breath. She collapsed onto the man’s broad shoulders, her beautiful face drenched in tears.

Her weak waist stiffened as she tried to pull herself away from the man’s sugary embrace, but how could Qin Mohuai allow his wife to escape his grasp? His large hand pressed against her waist and back, occasionally soothing her with gentle strokes.

“So delicate. I didn’t even break the skin, and you’re already crying it hurts,” Qin Mohuai sighed softly. He held her close and went to find some lip balm.

Her mouth was small, but her lips were beautifully shaped and full. After applying the moisturizing balm, they looked even more like a ripe, sweet peach.

Sensing the dangerous glint in Qin Mohuai’s eyes, Xia Yuan pulled her shawl tighter around her and edged away from him.

Qin Mohuai said, “Yuzhe’s here.”

—

Xia Yuzhe was sitting in the living room, drinking beer. He’d been practicing his alcohol tolerance recently.

Xia Yuan asked, “Can’t you drink somewhere else?”

Xia Yuzhe seemed oblivious to his sister’s sarcastic tone and responded with a loud “Oh!” before explaining, “I’m a positive energy idol now. My fans are all kids, so I can’t drink or smoke on camera. I have to be as disciplined as a monk! I can’t even ‘break the rules’ in hotels or at home, because I’m afraid paparazzi will catch me with their telephoto lenses. But at my brother-in-law’s place? Totally safe. There’s no way anyone will catch me drinking here.”

Xia Yuan, sitting far from him, wrinkled her nose in disdain. “You stink.”

Qin Mohuai sat between the two of them. Despite his wild blue hair, it didn’t detract from his elegant and composed demeanor.

Sitting next to his brother-in-law while drinking beer made Xia Yuzhe feel like a kid. The younger brother, who had always loved finishing his plate, gulped down his beer, crushed the can, and tossed it into the trash.

“Yuan, have your fever completely gone down? Do you feel unwell anywhere?” he asked.

Xia Yuan replied, “I’m fine now. You two don’t need to worry so much.”

During her dizzy and feverish days, she had overheard Qin Mohuai discussing with Yang Yi that once her cold was fully cured, they would schedule a comprehensive medical checkup.

The thought of it filled her with dread; she hated going to the hospital and felt like seeing a doctor in a white coat was a death sentence.

The crazy male lead really knew how to torment her. 🙂

Xia Yuzhe tilted his head to look at her, like a little puppy. “You used to have fevers all the time when you were little. The worst one lasted two to three months, and Mom and Dad were desperate. They believed you were possessed by a mischievous spirit, so they called a shaman.”

“The shaman said you’d face a catastrophe in your life. If you couldn’t survive it… you might be in grave danger.”

“We never found out what the catastrophe was, but after the shaman came, you didn’t get as sick again.”

Xia Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. The shaman had been eerily accurate—‘Xia Yuan’ had taken a large amount of antidepressants and was already dead.

Qin Mohuai’s expression darkened. “Did the shaman mention when this catastrophe would come to pass?”

Xia Yuzhe shook his head.

Qin Mohuai asked, “Where can we find the shaman?”

Xia Yuzhe recalled, “Mom and Dad asked someone to invite the shaman. She wasn’t from our village, and she was quite old at the time. It’s been over a decade, so I’m not sure if she’s even still alive.”

Xia Yuan’s heart raced. If the shaman discovered she was an imposter, she’d be done for.

The crazy male lead despised betrayal above all else. The resilient female lead in the novel had used all kinds of methods to resist him, but she had never betrayed him.

Even with fate on her side, Xia Yuzhedidn’t dare to cross him, so how could Xia Yuan?

Although, she had already done so. 🙁

Feigning calm, Xia Yuan said, “You guys are being superstitious. Stop talking about all these ghostly things, you’re freaking me out! I’m so scared I won’t even be able to go to the bathroom alone tonight!”

Qin Mohuai gently touched Xia Yuan’s face, his deep voice serious as he said, “I have a strong fate. If the heavens won’t protect you, I will.”

He had noticed Xia Yuan a long time ago, back then simply thinking she was beautiful, with no deeper thoughts.

Until that day, when he was giving a speech at Xiangzhou Chinese University, and Xia Yuan knocked on his car door, trying to seduce him…

The first time Qin Mohuai laid eyes on her, he felt disgust. The second time, he was intrigued. By the third time, he reminded himself, *I have a wife now.*

When he heard his family had arranged a marriage for him, Qin Mohuai didn’t think of parting ways with Xia Yuan. He knew he’d never pour his heart out to love anyone else again. Even if he were to be reborn as a monstrous creature driven by slaughter, he imagined he’d still be hopelessly groveling at his wife’s skirts.

At the pinnacle of power, Qin Mohuai had only one indulgence in bed: Xia Yuan. His lower half focused solely on her, while his upper half focused on making money to buy her beautiful dresses.

One evening, Xia Yuzhe brought up Xia Mama’s small restaurant during dinner.

Business had been thriving, and Xia Mama was considering expanding by taking over two nearby storefronts.

Qin Mohuai, elegantly cutting his steak, slid the perfectly sliced piece over to Xia Yuan.

She ate without any reservation, looking like she was devouring the meal, but in reality, she had only taken four or five bites of beef amid all the fuss.

Qin Mohuai chuckled softly. “I’ll send my assistant tomorrow to help Auntie with the store acquisition.”

Xia Mama had agreed to let her daughter date Qin Mohuai, not because of his power and status, but because of the medical resources that came with his connections.

With Qin Mohuai by Xia Yuan’s side, she would have access to top-tier doctors if she ever fell ill. Xia Mama would no longer have to worry about losing her daughter too soon.

Even if the two of them ever broke up and something happened to Xia Yuan’s health, Qin Mohuai wouldn’t just stand idly by, given their history.

—

The next day, Xia Yuan called her mother, telling her not to overwork herself, as Qin Mohuai would send someone to help with the store expansion.

Xia Mama responded, “I’m only thinking of expanding because I’ve made money. It’s more reassuring to use my own money. Even if you two get married, I can’t rely on Mr. Qin for everything—that would be living under someone else’s thumb.”

“Tomorrow is your grandmother’s seventieth birthday. I’m bringing her here to celebrate, and your uncle’s family will come as well. You and Yuzhe be sure to come back.”

Xia Yuan asked, “You didn’t tell Uncle about my relationship, did you?”

Xia Mama replied, “Of course I didn’t mention it to Liang Bo. If I went out of my way to say something, it would feel like I’m showing off.”

Xia Yuan warned, “Make sure you don’t. Qin Mohuai doesn’t want anyone knowing about our relationship.”

Since Xia Yuzhe played a significant role in the novel, the author had provided some background on the Xia family.

Liang Bo had used the dowry money from his sister (Xia Mama) to open a children’s toy factory. Not only did he show no gratitude, but he also morally coerced Xia Yuzhe into endorsing his shoddy products. The foam mats from his factory were found to contain excessive formaldehyde, leading to a child developing leukemia. Under the pressure of public opinion, Xia Yuzhe eventually jumped to his death.

Xia Mama confronted Liang Bo, but in retaliation, he exposed her home address, and soon after, people began throwing feces at their door. In the end, Xia Mama and Xia Yuan’s father died from gas poisoning.

Because the media’s focus was on Xia Yuzhe, Liang Bo managed to stay out of the spotlight. He paid a fine, his factory was restructured, and he continued to profit—his net worth even doubled.

But his good days didn’t last long.

When Qin Mohuai discovered that Ouyang Jing had kept love letters written by Xia Yuzhe, jealousy consumed him.

However, Xia Yuzhe was dead, and the Xia family was completely wiped out. With nowhere to vent his fury, Qin Mohuai set his sights on Liang Bo, swiftly destroying his factory and leaving his family with an eight-million-yuan debt. Their situation became more miserable than that of beggars.

It was around the time of the grandmother’s birthday banquet that Liang Bo pressured Xia Yuzhe into endorsing his faulty products. Xia Yuan, who was rather fond of her puppy-like little brother, decided to step in and help him.

Later that night, as they went to bed, Qin Mohuai buried his wild blue hair into his wife’s soft, fragrant embrace, listening to her heartbeat.

“Your heartbeat is steady. So good.”

“If it stops, I’ll die.”

“Close your eyes and sleep. Don’t say that word again.”

Xia Yuan silently grumbled about his overbearing nature and how he always had the final say.

In the novel, Qin Mohuai was a staunch materialist, never believing in gods or spirits. He had lived his life proudly untamed and answerable to no one. So why now, after hearing the shaman’s words, did he start believing that she would die young?