Chapter 13: The Daughter-in-law Left Me Behind

This time, Xia Li was definitely not going to that seemingly social dinner that was actually a matchmaking event.

Xie Shuangxiu knew in her heart that marrying her young niece off to an old widower would eventually lead to gossip, so she planned to let the owner of the meat shop take the initiative and gain some advantage, forcing Xia Li, a shy young girl, to have to agree.

Therefore, she didn’t dare to publicize this dinner in advance, only saying that Xia Li should come over for a casual meal without mentioning the matchmaking aspect.

Naturally, Xia Yingzhen had no idea that her mother had invited this guest for the purpose of matchmaking Xia Li.

Xia Yingzhen was known for her straightforward temperament.

Now that she suddenly learned the truth, she stormed back home, not knowing how to make a scene.

As for Xia Li, she didn’t care anymore. If Xie Shuangxiu dared to pull such a disgusting trick, then let her own daughter deal with it.

Xia Li placed the bamboo basket in the courtyard and suddenly felt that something was off at home.

There was a strange feeling…

Her heart sank, and she calmly pushed open the kitchen door, finding everything seemingly normal.

She opened her own bedroom door, and everything appeared to be in place, with no signs of disturbance.

Xia Li turned her head to look at the slightly ajar door of another room.

As she held her breath and focused, she wondered if it was just her imagination?

However, before she could reach out to push the door open, a rustling sound suddenly came from inside.

At the same time, a tall, imposing figure appeared at the doorway.

A man’s deep, hoarse voice sounded.

“Wife…”

“You forgot about me.”

“My wife left me behind.”

“…Fortunately, I remembered the way.” The man’s voice was barely less obscure.

When he saw Xia Li looking up at him, his tone even seemed to feign a triumphant relief, but the heavy look in his bloodshot and anxious eyes could not be hidden.

Seeing him like this, Xia Li’s almond-shaped eyes widened, and her disbelief instantly transformed into another emotion.

She opened her mouth, slightly raising her eyebrows, unsure of what expression she wore.

“You…”

Not knowing what to say.

Wanting to tell him that she was not the wife he spoke of.

Wanting to ask why he didn’t listen to the police and stayed at the station.

Xia Li was actually a little worried.

But she couldn’t fathom that this dazed man had returned without a word.

However, she quickly asked, “How did you get in?”

The man immediately looked like he had made a mistake, his face serious as he struggled to contain himself, his eyes filled with caution.

Honestly, he said, “I couldn’t wait for my wife, and I was afraid they would come and catch me… I had to climb over the courtyard wall to hide.”

“They”? Probably referring to the police.

In the dim light of the room, Xia Li could see that his complexion was not good at all.

How did he find his way here? He actually remembered the way after just one trip, looking as if he was afraid of being abandoned by her.

“Abandon”?

She actually thought of this word?

Her eyes flickered, and she sighed helplessly, her delicate brows furrowing.

The man fixed his gaze on her expression, his large hands unconsciously tightening at his sides.

His wife frowned; she was unhappy.

He didn’t want to think about the difficult and cruel reality that his wife might really want to throw him away, that she didn’t want him anymore.

She must have just been careless and forgotten about him.

It had to be that way.

He forced a smile, his tall and weary face pulling into a grin as he changed the subject:

“Wife… Li, are you hungry? I’ll go catch some fish for you, a lot of fish. How about that?”

Saying this, he ran to the backyard to get a fishing spear.

Only then did Xia Li notice that he moved a bit awkwardly, walking as if his body were stiff and tense, his steps unsteady.

She instantly thought of the injury on the back of his head.

“Wait.” She gently called out to him, “Don’t go. You… come here first, let me see you.”

The man halted abruptly, paused for two seconds, then turned back.

In the living room, Xia Li turned on all the lights and had him sit down.

She then gently pressed on the back of his head, and sure enough, he frowned, his thin lips slightly pursed.

She used scissors to trim some of his hair at the back, and upon closer inspection, she saw a large area of skin already scabbed over, looking as if it had been injured from a fall or a blunt force impact. It was quite alarming.

Based on the scabbing, it seemed he had been injured for at least several days; the wound hadn’t been treated and must have reopened repeatedly.

She stared at the blurred scabbed wound, momentarily lost in thought.

The man’s short hair was black and coarse, very thick; after she cut away part of the hair at the back of his head, it didn’t look strange at all.

Looking further, she noticed that he was not much shorter than her while sitting.

From behind him, she could see the sharp contours of his face from above.

A handsome forehead, a high nose bridge, and when his brows were relaxed, there was still a hint of sternness.

“Li,” the man hesitated to speak, looking up at her with his pitch-black eyes.

“My head doesn’t hurt; you don’t need to worry.”

Knowing that his wife had seen the injury on his head, the man felt a bit nervous, seemingly afraid of being disliked.

His tone was casual, masking his anxiety: “It’s fine, really, it doesn’t hurt at all. I won’t bleed and scare you, Li; it’ll be better soon.”

Seeing Xia Li’s serious expression, he immediately stood up as if nothing was wrong, ready to reach back and scratch his head to prove his words.

Xia Li, already worried about the injury, furrowed her brows and raised her voice: “Don’t touch the wound; sit down!”

The man immediately dared not move again and obediently sat down.

Xia Li glanced at him, then silently cut some clean cotton cloth, dampened it, and used it to clean the dirt and bloodstains from the back of his head.

If he were at the police station, she wondered if the officers could take him to a health clinic for treatment.

But seeing him gaze at her with eager eyes, Xia Li sighed internally, realizing that sending him back once more would be even more difficult.