Chapter 45.2

There had been similar incidents before where Xu Zhao was confessed to by girls, but he usually didn’t care and rejected them outright, leaving no room for further feelings. People initially teased him for attracting girls, but eventually, they got used to it.

However, this situation was different. Being single and married were vastly different. The former was casual, while the latter meant being committed. Married men being pursued by single women, whether they provoked it or not, often faced blame.

Zhang Xiangqian advised Xu Zhao, “I think it’s best if you don’t say anything. People love gossip, especially the women in the neighborhood. They can stir up trouble out of nothing. The more you care, the more excited they get. They might even secretly eavesdrop on your arguments with Jiang Suihan. If you handle it calmly, it’ll blow over eventually.”

He paused and then joked, “For the sake of family harmony, you should clear things up with your wife. It’s not your fault. Being handsome is something you inherited from your parents, you had no say in it.”

Even in such a serious situation, Zhang Xiangqian still made jokes. Xu Zhao was annoyed, “You’re the one who loves gossip.”

Zhang Xiangqian, unfazed, grinned, “So what if I love gossip? It’s human nature. It’s my hobby and my specialty. You can’t compete with that.”

Xu Zhao gave Zhang Xiangqian a disdainful look, “Is the gossip really all over the neighborhood?”

Zhang Xiangqian replied, “Probably. The spread of gossip is unimaginable. Don’t tell me you’re trying to find the source and cut it off?”

Xu Zhao drummed his fingers on the table, thinking that Zhang Xiangqian’s advice made some sense. Handling it calmly was indeed the best approach.

To be honest, he was quite frustrated and had a restless feeling as if he had stepped in dog poop unexpectedly.

Zhang Xiangqian wanted to ask Xu Zhao if the girl really confessed to him, but seeing Xu Zhao’s furrowed brow, he swallowed the question.

Better to stay out of trouble.

That day, Xu Zhao was distracted at work. As soon as it was time to leave, he locked the office door and left without delay.

When he reached the courtyard gate, Xu Zhao took a deep breath, entered the courtyard, and went straight to the kitchen without seeing anyone.

Jiang Suihan was busy preparing dinner. Her face looked normal, and everything seemed calm.

The calm before the storm is the scariest.

Xu Zhao cleared his throat, “Suihan.”

Jiang Suihan glanced at him, “What’s up?”

Xu Zhao hesitated, then asked, “Did the exam go well today?”

Jiang Suihan poured water into the pot without looking up and said, “It went well. I finished everything and just have to wait for the grading and results.”

Silence.

Xu Zhao asked, “Oh, did you have lunch at the cafeteria?”

Jiang Suihan replied, “No, I ate at home.”

She didn’t want to be seen with odd looks and pointed fingers, so she stayed home.

Xu Zhao frowned, “You already know?”

Jiang Suihan turned to him and asked deliberately, “Know what?”

Xu Zhao, feeling less confident, asked, “Are you upset?”

Jiang Suihan snorted and replied tersely, “No.”

Her response didn’t sound like someone who wasn’t upset.

Xu Zhao quickly explained, “I don’t know her. She suddenly stopped me and said some nonsensical things. I ignored her and just walked away.”

He felt deeply wronged, as if he had unexpectedly stepped in dog poop.

Jiang Suihan crossed her arms and looked sternly at him, “Go on. And then what?”

Xu Zhao furrowed his brow tightly. “There’s nothing else. I left already, so there’s no ‘then.’”

Jiang Suihan’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him. “Aren’t you a soldier? Aren’t soldiers supposed to be very alert? How did you not notice someone eavesdropping?”

Her three questions left Xu Zhao speechless.

When Wang Lijuan stopped him, Xu Zhao was in a bad mood and just wanted to get away from her, so he didn’t pay much attention to his surroundings.

Jiang Suihan’s tone was forceful. “Why aren’t you speaking? Do you realize what you did wrong?”

Xu Zhao was relieved that she was at least talking to him, rather than staying cold and sulking alone.

Xu Zhao reflected on himself. “It’s my fault. I should have turned around and left immediately. Then none of these rumors would have started.”

Jiang Suihan glared at him. “No, think again.”

He hadn’t done anything wrong to her; her anger wasn’t about that.

Xu Zhao quickly ran through his thoughts and tentatively asked, “Is it that I didn’t handle the situation well, and it made you feel wronged?”

Jiang Suihan continued to glare. “Still wrong. Try again.”

If he couldn’t figure it out, she decided she would make him sleep with her brother tonight.

Xu Zhao wished Zhang Xiangqian were here; he always had a lot of ideas and would surely know.

Seeing Jiang Suihan glaring at him, Xu Zhao suddenly had a flash of inspiration. “Is it because I kept it from you and didn’t tell you?”

Jiang Suihan pointed at his chest with her finger. “What do you think? We’re a family, and we promised to be honest with each other, no secrets. I know you were trying to protect me, thinking it wasn’t important and didn’t want me to worry. But if you don’t tell me and I hear it from someone else, what kind of mess are you creating!”

This made her angry. If he had told her last night, she would have been mentally prepared and wouldn’t have been caught off guard this morning, almost becoming the laughingstock.

She was indeed a bit angry, not because of his actions but because he was trying to protect her in a misguided way. She understood she couldn’t entirely blame him; they had been married for just under a month, and they still needed to adjust to each other.

Xu Zhao took Jiang Suihan’s hand and blinked. “Don’t be angry. You’ll look less beautiful when you’re angry. I promise you, I’ll never hide anything from you in the future. If you tell me to go east, I won’t go west.”

Jiang Suihan held back her smile and said grumpily, “I’m not unreasonable. If someone told me today, would you have kept it a secret forever?”

He was now using her brother’s trick, looking at her with innocent eyes, making her both amused and frustrated.

Xu Zhao touched his nose sheepishly and remained silent.

Jiang Suihan pushed him away, saying, “Go away. Looking at you makes my eyes hurt.”

Xu Zhao quickly grabbed her hand, his eyes clear and bright, reflecting her figure. “I see you’re very happy, especially happy.”

Jiang Suihan kept a stern face, trying to suppress her laughter, and pressed her lips down. “Sweet talk doesn’t work on me. I don’t want to hear it.”

She wanted him to know she wasn’t so easy to appease.

If it were when they first met, Jiang Suihan wouldn’t dare act like this. Only someone who is loved can be so willful in front of their loved one.

Ultimately, it was just a little marital playfulness.

Xu Zhao glanced at the yard and didn’t see Jiang Leyun. He might have gone out to play and hasn’t returned yet.

He pulled Jiang Suihan into his embrace, one hand around her waist.

Jiang Suihan tried to stay calm. “What are you doing?”

Xu Zhao’s ears turned red. “Can I kiss you?”

Jiang Suihan was momentarily stunned, her face reddening. “If I say no, will you not do it?”

Who asks if they can kiss before actually kissing? How should she answer—yes or no?

Xu Zhao said “oh” and then quickly lowered his head.

When his lips touched her soft ones, Jiang Suihan only then reacted that he had ignored her words and taken the initiative.

He had just said he would listen to her from now on, but now he wasn’t.

Indeed, you can’t believe everything a man says.

Noticing Jiang Suihan’s distraction, Xu Zhao gently bit her lip. Jiang Suihan snapped back to reality and glared at him, signaling him to let go.

Xu Zhao chuckled softly and deepened the kiss.

“Ah! I’m going to get a stye!”

A sharp scream interrupted the romantic and ambiguous atmosphere between them.

Jiang Suihan thought, oh no!

She quickly pushed Xu Zhao away, and Xu Zhao let go, both of them turning to look.

Jiang Leyun, the little troublemaker, stood on the opposite side, covering his eyes with his hands but peeking through the gaps, curiously and excitedly watching his sister and brother-in-law.

Jiang Suihan took the initiative. “Jiang Leyun! Don’t you know what ‘don’t look’ and ‘don’t listen’ mean?”

Seeing her and Xu Zhao being intimate made her feel like she had corrupted the innocent mind of the young boy.

Jiang Suihan glared at Xu Zhao; it was his fault for causing her more embarrassment.

Xu Zhao’s face was unpleasant, feeling awkward and a bit ashamed.

Her younger brother was indeed here to collect a debt.

Jiang Leyun made a face at his sister and defended himself. “It’s not like I did it on purpose. If you don’t want to be seen kissing, you shouldn’t do it right at the kitchen door. I’m not blind; how could I not see?”

Seeing his sister and brother-in-law hugging, he widened his eyes in shock, immediately turning away. But since they didn’t seem to notice him, his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned back around.

Xu Zhao maintained his composure. “Since you’re back, let’s eat first. The food will get cold.”

He completely avoided the previous topic.

Jiang Suihan shared the same thought, wanting to quickly forget the earlier scene. She asked Xu Zhao to take Jiang Leyun to wash his hands while she went to the kitchen to bring out the dishes.

Having spent a lot of time with Xu Zhao, Jiang Leyun was no longer afraid of him. “I knew it! You like my sister!” he said with absolute certainty.

“When I asked you back then, you were so reluctant. Now look, you can’t escape my sister’s grasp. She’s so beautiful, skilled in everything from studying to cooking. A girl like her—if you don’t like her, you must be blind.”

The child raised his chin in pride, as if he had a tail it would be wagging high.

Xu Zhao didn’t know how to respond. His brother-in-law’s mouth had gotten more and more slick, and he seemed to have a natural filter when it came to his sister.

Xu Zhao said nonchalantly, “You’re right. Let’s not talk about this outside.”

Children often speak without thinking. If Jiang Leyun accidentally mentioned this outside, it would be embarrassing for both him and Jiang Suihan.

Jiang Leyun scoffed, “I’m not stupid. Of course I know not to spread it around.”

He wondered if his brother-in-law had become foolish, needing to be taught such a simple principle.

Xu Zhao realized that the kid was quite shrewd and not easily fooled by a few words.

He didn’t know much about raising children, having never done it before, but he took it as a learning opportunity.