Chapter 4: She’s Having a Hard Time

Xie Fangzhu’s voice was steady, almost casual, as if he were making small talk.

But to Shen Yingying’s ears, it sounded like the call of the Grim Reaper, a summons for her life.

As her fingers were pried apart one by one, her heart raced as if it would explode, and not only her lips but even her chin began to tremble.

In that instant, as he turned around, she made a quick decision and lunged forward.

Her delicate hands grabbed his collar and pulled it down sharply, raising herself on tiptoe, pressing against him as though bravely facing death.

Her unexpected move left Xie Fangzhu with no time to react.

By the time he came to his senses, his lips were unexpectedly met by a cold and soft sensation.

His pupils instantly contracted, and his whole body seemed to freeze, as if the blood had stopped flowing.

Clink—the bamboo pole dropped to the ground.

Hearing the sharp sound of the bamboo pole hitting the floor, Shen Yingying felt encouraged.

Without wasting a moment, she pulled his collar up again, her hand climbing to his neck.

The soft sensation jolted Xie Fangzhu back to reality.

Bang—it was as if something exploded in his mind.

In that split second, his heart, which had almost stopped, began to race wildly, so fiercely and quickly that it seemed it might leap out of his chest.

He abruptly pushed Shen Yingying away, his breath ragged, completely forgetting the bamboo pole. His usually calm eyes were no longer cold, but stirred with an overwhelming surge of emotions. His handsome face flushed bright red.

He stared at Shen Yingying, his heart churning with a mix of emotions.

His back teeth ground together as he wanted to scold her, but his limited vocabulary failed him. Frustrated, he could only blurt out, “Shen Yingying, you’re shameless!”

Hearing this, Shen Yingying was stunned for a moment, feeling very surprised.

Xie Fangzhu, 26 years old, and he was still so pure—who would’ve thought that a simple kiss would make him react like this?

She couldn’t help but glance at the bamboo pole on the floor, feeling regretful.

Regretful that she hadn’t kissed him back in the woods, then she wouldn’t have had to endure so much.

The journey with him carrying her like a sack was far too uncomfortable.

But Shen Yingying didn’t allow herself to relax. Instead, she pressed on, adjusting her emotions.

The next moment, her acting tears welled up again, surging uncontrollably, streaming down her face.

She wiped away the tears, her gaze locking with his, her voice trembling as she questioned him, “Shameless? How am I shameless? You’re my man, so how is it shameless for me to kiss you?”

After she said this, it seemed like something clicked in her mind. Her expression froze, and her eyes reddened further.

Then, suddenly, she let out a soft laugh.

“Xie Fangzhu, you finally spoke the truth… Now I understand why you’ve been able to endure not touching me…”

As if losing her soul, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground, a foolish smile tugging at her lips, but sadness overtook her eyes. Tears flowed nonstop, as though the sky itself had fallen.

“I’ve always wondered why other men would get angry if their wives didn’t let them touch them, but you’ve never been like that. I couldn’t feel you cared about me. I was always so scared, so I acted crazy, looking for reasons to make you angry, trying to find a sense of presence. But no matter how much I went too far, you never lost your temper…”

“…I even tried to justify you, saying you were different from other men. I’d scold you, and you wouldn’t get angry. It was because you loved me so much, right?”

“But now I realize how ridiculous it was for me to make excuses for you! That wasn’t love at all! That was just indifference… It was laziness to deal with me… You didn’t touch me because you thought I was dirty, because you found me disgusting…”

She mumbled to herself, as if suddenly realizing something. Struggling to stand up, she looked at Xie Fangzhu, her eyes filled with a resolve she had never had before.

“I, Shen Yingying, have never slept with a man before or after marriage. My body is pure and untouched… How you see me, that’s your business, but if you smear dirt on me, I will wash it off.”

She wiped away her tears and walked towards him, unbuttoning her shirt as she spoke, “Xie Fangzhu, I’ll sleep with you tonight, fulfilling my duty as your wife, and also let you see for yourself if my body is truly clean!”

Xie Fangzhu had always known Shen Yingying’s ability to turn the tables was formidable.

But he didn’t expect it to be this formidable. Clearly, it was she who had refused to let him touch her since they got married.

If he even tried to touch her, she would react as if she had gone crazy.

Now she was saying he didn’t touch her?!

Her mouth was truly powerful! He should have retorted fiercely, but that kiss earlier had already disrupted his composure.

Now, looking at the large expanse of snow-white skin exposed, his mouth went dry, his handsome face flushed red, and his heart pounded even harder. How could he have any energy to retort?

He quickly looked away, not daring to look any longer.

But Shen Yingying wasn’t going to let him off so easily. She continued to unbutton her shirt, her voice hoarse from crying too much, yet with an unshakeable determination:

“If my body has been touched by someone else, I won’t utter a word even if you beat me to death. But if my body is pure, we’ll get a divorce right away!”

As soon as she finished speaking, all the buttons of her Dacron shirt were undone.

Seeing that she was about to take it all off without any hesitation, Xie Fangzhu clenched his teeth, reached out, and, using the corner of his eye, quickly put her open shirt back together.

“Shen Yingying, that’s enough!”

He was both annoyed and angry, wanting to pin her down and give her a good beating.

But his body seemed to be acting on its own, burning all over, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Moreover, he actually started to doubt himself.

Could it be that her harsh words were just to get his attention?

Could it be that she and that man were just looking for work?

Speaking of work, she did seem to have told him before, arrogantly ordering him to have his uncle arrange something.

He had delayed for a while then refused, saying his uncle couldn’t do anything.

He had married her for revenge, how could he let her live comfortably?

So, considering everything, with Shen Yingying’s stubborn personality, it seemed normal that she might have been tricked while trying to get a job…

After all, she wasn’t very smart, and she often couldn’t see things clearly…

When he realized he had already found excuses for her, Xie Fangzhu was shocked and cursed himself inwardly.

He had married her, and his tolerance after the marriage, had only one purpose.

Revenge.

He couldn’t help but remember his childhood, when Shen Yingying sat on the high earthen bank, swinging her legs, a naive smile on her face.

But the words she spoke were extremely cruel, ordering the vicious dog to tear at him, and if he hadn’t been lucky, he would have been dead long ago.

So, whether her body was clean or not, whether her actions were just to get attention, it had nothing to do with him!

He wanted revenge, to break her legs, and then lock her up.

To torture her, to make her live in hell forever, never to rise again.

He had completely calmed down and realized that his hands were empty, remembering the shoulder pole that had disappeared.

Where was his shoulder pole?

He glanced to the side and saw the shoulder pole lying quietly in the distance.

He frowned. When had it fallen so far away?

Just as he was about to pick up the shoulder pole, Shen Yingying, like a snake, was stubbornly clinging to him, and before he knew it, she was pressed against him again.

The shirt he had just closed was open again, and even slipped off her arms.

Even though Xie Fangzhu tried not to look, his eyes couldn’t help but catch sight of the glaring whiteness.

After all, he was a man at an age where his blood was easily stirred, and his calmed heart started to race again.