Chapter 26: The Man’s Body Like a Vigorous Beast 

Xia Li looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes. 

He was like a walking clothes rack, indeed looking pleasing and comfortable. 

She motioned for him to come closer and said, “Lower your head a bit.” 

As she spoke, she reached up to tussle his short hair, pressing down the messy strands so it finally looked neater. 

The owner joked with a laugh, “Young man, look how considerate your partner is, you’re really blessed. You don’t even buy clothes; it’s all her picking for you.” 

The man didn’t hear what he said at all. 

He slightly lowered his head and kept it still, resembling a large, obedient dog with good patience. 

He let his wife reach out, moving in front of him, and the gentle touch felt like feathers brushing against his mind and heart. 

His wife lifted her head seriously to groom him. 

With her fair complexion, her delicate brows lifted like willow leaves, and her full, petal-like pink lips met his gaze. 

He found himself staring stupidly for a few seconds before suddenly dropping his eyes, his Adam’s apple moving silently twice. 

Soon, Xia Li withdrew her hand, took a half step back, and smiled slightly as she assessed him: “Looks good.” 

Then she turned to the owner to explain, “He’s my… cousin, not my partner.” 

The owner exclaimed in surprise, “Look at my mouth!” 

The shop happened to have shoes for sale as well, but with a limited budget, Xia Li only picked out a cheap pair of work rubber shoes for him. 

By the end, after adding up the clothes and shoes and rounding down the price, Xia Li was left with only a few coins. 

The owner helped pack the old clothes into a bag, cheerfully inviting them to come again next time. 

The man carried the bag as he followed Xia Li out, and they just happened to run into a light-skinned girl from a nearby shop who was coming out to throw away sunflower seed shells. 

She looked at the man in surprise, truly amazed at his new outfit, completely different from before. 

Muttering in amazement, she said, “They actually bought clothes… What does it matter that he changed his appearance? He still looks like a country bumpkin…” 

Saying this, as the man walked past her, her gaze skimmed over him, and her face flushed quickly as she blinked and turned her head away. 

Xia Li’s eyes fell on the girl’s hand, and she couldn’t help but smile as they brushed past each other. 

What was she laughing at? 

The girl felt confused. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she kept staring at the tall and good-looking man as he walked away. After looking for a while, she lowered her head to take a quick glance and exclaimed, “Ah!” 

It turned out that the sunflower seed shells were all scattered on his shoes! They were soaked with saliva, grossing her out! 

Before heading back to the village, Xia Li casually bought some spicy pepper and seasoning from the stall, and with her last bit of money, she tightly purchased some disinfectant and cotton balls from the health station. 

When they left, the man was still all wrinkled and damp, looking like a smelly rag. 

By the time they returned, he had a dignified appearance, looking quite presentable. 

However, he still wore that cold and stinky expression, which was quite intimidating. 

Despite this, by the next day, news spread that Xia Li had fallen out with her uncle and aunt, and she had brought over distant relatives from her mother’s side for support. 

It was said that the young man looked fierce, never smiled, and had a silent, brooding intensity. 

Some even claimed to have seen a scar on the back of his head, suggesting he had been in prison and was driven out of his hometown, coming all this way to rely on Xia Li. 

A strange young man appearing in a relatively isolated village would inevitably spark some gossip. 

Xia Li didn’t care. 

She took back her family’s house deed and asked the man to tidy up the old thatched cottage, ventilate it, and planned for him to move in the next day. 

This thatched house was old and shabby, with only a creaky wooden bed and a half-broken stool, nothing else. 

However, at least the roof was made of mud tiles, providing some protection from the wind and rain. 

The weather wasn’t too cold yet, so it was enough for him to live alone. 

After working until nightfall, both of them were starving and hurried back to start a fire to cook. 

The man glanced at the new clothes his wife had bought for him, reluctant to dirty them, and carefully took them off, preparing to change into his old ones to help in the kitchen. 

Suddenly, he heard a short, startled cry of “Ah!” His eyes tightened, and he rushed over to push open the door, “Wife…” 

The fire in the earthen stove flickered, illuminating the girl’s delicate and soft profile. 

Xia Li looked regretfully at the half sweet potato that had fallen into the ash pile; it was a red-fleshed one! 

The sweet potato was oozing with golden syrup, smelling sweet and fragrant, but she had accidentally dropped half of it, feeling heartbroken! 

The man rushed to her side anxiously, “Wife!” 

Xia Li raised her eyes, momentarily stunned. 

The man’s wheat-colored body resembled a vigorous, lean beast. 

His shoulders had strong lines, and his chest was solid and well-defined, boldly exposed in front of her. 

Looking down, his waist and abdomen were even more pronounced. 

His lean waist held a certain dangerous tension, radiating a wave of hormonal energy. 

His skin was slightly lighter than his face, but still wheat-colored, evoking images of a bountiful harvest, sweat under the blazing sun, or a powerful beast poised to strike in the rainforest. 

Beneath his bare muscles seemed to lie infinite vitality and wildness, making it hard for anyone to look away after catching a glimpse.