Chapter 20

By the time the two of them arrived at the military base, the sky was already growing dark.

The guard opened the gate for them, smiling as he greeted them.

When his eyes fell on Wen Jianxin, there was a brief flash of astonishment.

“This must be sister-in-law? Sir, you’re really blessed—she’s so beautiful.”

He had heard the commander was married, but had never once seen his wife. He hadn’t expected her to be such a stunning woman.

A hint of envy rose in his heart.

When would he be able to marry a wife of his own?
And would his wife be as beautiful as this sister-in-law?

Xu Wangzhi rested one hand on the steering wheel, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I’ll give you wedding candy another day.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The guard was delighted, watching as his car drove away.

Wen Jianxin glanced at him.

The man whose mood was always unpredictable was now smiling, his face free of its usual ruthless expression. Instead, he carried a rare air of righteousness.

She felt a surge of contempt.

A man who had done every evil deed under the sun, and yet could put on such a decent front.

The car pulled into the family compound.

Xu Wangzhi got out and carried her from the vehicle.

The keys were in his pocket, a little inconvenient to retrieve.

So he lowered his head, looked at Wen Jianxin, and ordered in a low, commanding tone:

“The keys are in my pocket. Take them out for me.”

Wen Jianxin glared at him coldly.

“Get them yourself. I can walk on my own.”

She made to get down.

But Xu Wangzhi refused to indulge her. Instead of letting her stand, he clamped her under his arm and, with his free hand, reached into his pocket to pull out the keys. With swift, practiced movements, he unlocked the door.

Wedged under his arm, Wen Jianxin was nearly suffocated, her head pressed tightly against his chest. Her arms were pinned, powerless to move. She couldn’t even struggle down, and in her fury, she opened her mouth and bit into his chest.

“Hiss—”

Xu Wangzhi inhaled sharply at the pain, and flung her to the ground.

“Are you a dog? Biting people at every turn!”

Wen Jianxin landed hard, her face twisting in pain.

Realizing he had just thrown her, Xu Wangzhi quickly bent to pick her up again, though his mouth still refused to concede.

“Serves you right—who told you to bite me?”

Wen Jianxin slapped him hard across the face.

“Get lost!”

She shoved him away, struggling to rise with a limp, turning to leave.

Xu Wangzhi hurried to grab her.

“Where are you going? This is the family compound—your home from now on. Come inside and have a look.”

She yanked her hand from his grip.

“Who wants to live here with you? Get out of my sight.”

She turned and made to leave, seething inside, every inch of her body aching.

That fall had been brutal.

Already injured, now with new wounds piled on, she had no idea how long it would take to recover.

As they tussled, a voice cut in from the side.

“What are you two doing there?”

It was a stout middle-aged woman.

Xu Wangzhi looked over, a trace of helplessness on his face.

“Auntie, this is my wife. We had a quarrel, and I was trying to make peace.”

Wen Jianxin nearly clapped at his performance, her lips curling in icy mockery.

“Acting so convincingly. Where was that strength when you threw me to the ground just now? Shameless.”

Li Kuihua, unable to suppress her gossiping nature, squinted her beady eyes as she pried:

“You’re Commander Xu’s wife? He really threw you on the ground? You’re so pretty—he’s truly ruthless.”

The moment Wen Jianxin spoke, she regretted it. Seeing how nosy the woman was, she pressed her lips together.

“Auntie, I still have things to do, I’ll go ahead.”

She pushed open the family compound gate and went inside. Her steps were wobbly, clearly still hurting from the fall.

Xu Wangzhi followed close behind, catching her hand.

“Where does it hurt? Tell me, I’ll get some medicine and put it on for you.”

“Don’t touch me!”

She shoved him off.

“Hypocrite!”

Before her lay a spacious courtyard: three rooms, a well, and a large tree.

The sight lightened Wen Jianxin’s mood somewhat.

This little courtyard, unexpectedly, felt warm and homely.

Noticing the slight softening of her expression, Xu Wangzhi felt a weight lift from his chest. His lips curved into a smile.

“You like it? I built it all myself, hoping that when you saw it, you’d be happy.”

Wen Jianxin’s faint smile vanished instantly.

“No. Don’t flatter yourself.”

At the doorway, Li Kuihua peeked in at them.

The newlyweds looked more like enemies than lovers—truly a rare sight.

She couldn’t resist calling out.

“Commander, you two haven’t eaten yet, right? Why don’t you and your wife come to my house tonight? I’ve got ribs simmering—smells heavenly. Sister-in-law is so skinny, she ought to eat more meat.”

Wen Jianxin turned back.

“Thank you, but no. I’m injured and not convenient to walk around. Next time, I’ll invite you.”

Li Kuihua’s small eyes narrowed into slits, almost disappearing altogether.

“Sister-in-law, you’re too polite. Since you say so, I won’t insist. Next time then. Your injuries aren’t serious, are they? If you need anything, just call me. I live right next door—you only need to shout.”

Her warmth was overflowing, her gaze on Wen Jianxin oddly intense, as though she were staring at a slab of pork belly.

Feeling uncomfortable, Wen Jianxin averted her eyes, replying politely:

“If I need anything, I’ll call you.”

Li Kuihua nodded.

“Then I won’t disturb you and the commander. See you.”

Her burly figure slowly vanished.

Xu Wangzhi was pleased to see her converse amicably with a comrade’s wife. To him, this meant she truly wished to live a good life with him, only angry because of past mistakes.

Truth be told, he was terribly self-absorbed.

Wen Jianxin had merely been polite out of courtesy. That did not mean she accepted him.

In truth, she wanted nothing more than to leave this place. Out of sight, out of mind—his very presence sickened her.

She limped inside, sank into a chair, and began to think about what to do next.

She didn’t want to stay, but her body was too weak to leave on her own.

When she saw him follow her in, her disgust only deepened.

Xu Wangzhi leaned close, reaching to lift her clothing.

Wen Jianxin stopped him immediately.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your injuries.”

“No need.”

She clutched at her clothes tightly. With only her shirt left, her lower half bare, she shivered from the cold, glaring at him furiously.

“Give me back my pants.”

Xu Wangzhi tossed them aside.

“I’m just checking your wounds. What’s there to be shy about?”

Once again, she was left speechless. Still, she clung desperately to the fabric covering her chest.

“I said no. Give me my pants.”

But her strength was no match for his. In no time, he had stripped her completely bare.

He scrutinized her body thoroughly, leaving nothing unchecked.

Wen Jianxin trembled, her skin prickling with goosebumps.

It was as though he were examining her with a magnifying glass.

Unable to bear it, she slapped him hard across the face.

“Get out!”

Xu Wangzhi’s face darkened completely. He raised his head, his gaze shadowed.

“You hit me again!”

Wen Jianxin sneered.

“Because you deserve it.”

Ignoring her nakedness, she snatched up the clothes from the floor and put them on.

Her heart seethed with humiliation.

Being handled like some plaything, under the guise of “checking injuries,” while his hands strayed where they shouldn’t…

Xu Wangzhi’s expression shifted once more.

“You just don’t want me touching you. But you’re my wife. I can touch you however I please. You have no right to refuse.”

With a vicious kick, he smashed a chair to splinters.

Wen Jianxin jumped in fright. Half-dressed, she was suddenly swept up in his arms. He strode quickly into the bedroom and flung her onto the bed.

His voice was harsh.

“The more you resist me, the more I’ll touch you.”

Wen Jianxin struggled, but her body was wracked with pain.

He marked her with kiss after kiss, and then—

Her eyes went wide, her body arching in agony. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, soaking her face.

It hurt. It had never hurt like this before.

Her body felt ruined.

Like a ragdoll, she was tossed about and ravaged.

Xu Wangzhi’s voice, like a demon’s whisper, pressed into her ear.

“Hate me. I’d rather you hate me than not love me.”

“Beast!”

Her spirit seemed to drift from her body. The pain grew so intense it dulled to numbness.

Xu Wangzhi’s eyes flashed with anguish.

“Why won’t you love me?”

He asked her, and perhaps himself.

Wen Jianxin’s gaze went hollow.

“Why? There is no why. I just don’t love you. No matter what you do, I never will. Do you understand?”

Xu Wangzhi shook his head.

“No. You will love me. I won’t allow you not to.”

His force grew more desperate, as though he wanted to fuse her into his very soul.

Then Wen Jianxin fainted, her face deathly pale, all vitality gone.

Xu Wangzhi didn’t notice—he was lost in his frenzy, reckless and crazed.

By the time he realized it, it was already too late.