Chapter 72 ☆ Punishment

Cheng Yaoyao’s pitiful voice made Xie Zhao smile. He removed his hand, his palm damp with tears. “You thought I was going to hit you?”

Cheng Yaoyao exclaimed, “You hit me!”

Xie Zhao gently wiped the tears from Cheng Yaoyao’s face. Cheng Yaoyao resisted his touch, shaking her head and refusing to cooperate. “It hurts so much!”

“I didn’t use much force,” Xie Zhao said.

Cheng Yaoyao’s face scrunched up in pain. Xie Zhao noticed a few red marks on her fair skin and paused. He realized that even though he hadn’t used full strength, his actions must have caused her considerable pain.

Xie Zhao’s tone softened. “Be good. Wipe your face clean.”

“You, Xie Jiahe^[1] is a nickname Cheng Yaoyao uses for Xie Zhao, likely to show frustration or to make her point more strongly., domestic violence offender…” Cheng Yaoyao grumbled as Xie Zhao held her still. She wiped her face clean, still upset, “You hit me so hard…”

Xie Zhao observed her carefully. After wiping her face, Cheng Yaoyao looked pretty again, but the red circles around her eyes and the tip of her nose made her appear very pitiful. He suggested, “Shall I hit you harder so you can compare?”

Cheng Yaoyao puffed up her face in anger and burped in frustration.

Seeing her anger but inability to speak, Xie Zhao seemed to reconsider and gently smoothed her hair. “Does it really hurt?”

Cheng Yaoyao glared at him with an expression of “Isn’t that obvious?” Unfortunately, her delicate peach blossom eyes made the glare look less fierce.

“Let me take a look,” Xie Zhao said.

Cheng Yaoyao’s vision went dark, and she tried to rise by holding onto the bed. “Don’t even think about it!”

As Xie Zhao bent down to kiss her, Cheng Yaoyao’s nose bumped against his chin, sending a sour feeling to her forehead.

Cheng Yaoyao covered her nose and tears streamed down her face. Xie Zhao, surprised, tried to remove her hand but she resisted and curled up on the bed, looking pitiable.

Feeling his heart ache, Xie Zhao embraced her and spoke softly, “Sister?”

Cheng Yaoyao mumbled, “My nose is broken…”

“No, don’t worry.” Xie Zhao’s tone was anxious as he stroked her hair. “Let go of your hand, dear.”

Cheng Yaoyao negotiated, “Then will you still hit me?”

“No,” Xie Zhao said without hesitation.

Cheng Yaoyao rolled her eyes. “What about the punishment?”

“No more punishment,” Xie Zhao said, still anxious as he watched the back of her hand. He kept soothing her, “Be good, let me see.”

Hearing this, Cheng Yaoyao burst into tears and raised her hand to hit him. “I’m in such a state and you’re still acting like a hooligan!”

Xie Zhao: “…”

Cheng Yaoyao moved her hand away, revealing the tip of her nose, which was slightly red but without any scratches. Xie Zhao narrowed his eyes and asked, “Does your nose not hurt anymore?”

Cheng Yaoyao quickly covered her nose again, putting on a pitiful expression. “But it still hurts so much…”

“Rubbing it will stop hurting,” Xie Zhao said meaningfully.

The intimidating aura from Xie Zhao returned. Cheng Yaoyao, realizing she had irritated him by pretending to cry, turned and fled.

A large hand pressed down on her lower back, making her feel pinned down. Cheng Yaoyao struggled, kicking her legs wildly and shouting angrily, “Xie Zhao, you bastard! Let me go, you’re dead!”

Cheng Yaoyao’s attempts to escape were futile as she grabbed at the soft mosquito net. At that moment, Xie Zhao turned her over, causing the mosquito net’s support pole to fall, and the net collapsed around them like a web, entangling them both.

The punishment lasted until the afternoon, and the intimate moments that occurred were too private to be shared.

The courtyard was closed off, creating a secluded world. The only sounds were the cicadas chirping, and if one listened closely, the muffled cries from the wing room could be heard—soft and filled with longing.

Cheng Yaoyao was so exhausted she barely had the energy to move her fingers. Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall, gently swaying with her movements.

Xie Zhao noticed her breathing had become steady and gradually ceased his actions. Cheng Yaoyao, her eyes still closed, murmured, “Don’t stop.”

Xie Zhao, feeling her exhaustion, rubbed his face against her hair and continued moving slowly around the room, holding her carefully.

Cheng Yaoyao had never imagined that her conversations with Shen Yan and Lin Jiaqi would provoke Xie Zhao’s anger, resulting in this “punishment.” Despite her pleas and tears, Xie Zhao would not relent until she promised to avoid talking to other men.

Neither of them left the room. Xie Zhao brought some snacks and tea, feeding them to Cheng Yaoyao. After satisfying his own hunger, he wrung out a wet towel to clean her.

Cheng Yaoyao, too weary to resist, clung tightly to the blanket and whispered, “Don’t wipe me…”

“Okay,” Xie Zhao agreed. He gently lifted her wet hair and wiped her face and neck. “If you’re tired, take a nap.”

Cheng Yaoyao shifted uncomfortably, feeling sore all over. The bed was still sticky, and she extended her arms towards Xie Zhao, murmuring, “Hold me.”

Xie Zhao picked her up with ease, asking, “Do you want more?”

“No, it’s fine…” Cheng Yaoyao nestled on his shoulder like a cat, finding a comfortable spot and relaxing. “Alright.”

Xie Zhao, though not feeling tired, held her carefully with one hand, strolling slowly around the room. If not for his injured arm, he would have held her even higher.

After making several rounds, Xie Zhao softly called out, “Sister?”

Cheng Yaoyao’s lips moved slightly as she buried her head in his shoulder, breathing evenly. Xie Zhao carried her to the bed, but it was too messy to use, so he returned to his room and placed her gently on the bed.

Cheng Yaoyao, sensing his presence, turned over and clutched the quilt. Xie Zhao covered her with a blanket, then went back to Cheng Yaoyao’s room to clean up.

The room was messy—clothes strewn on the floor, a collapsed mosquito net, and a small dress hanging from the window. Xie Zhao, feeling the heat in his lower body again, he quickly tidied the room, hiding the clothes and setting everything back in order. He then took another shower before returning.

When Xie Zhao re-entered the room, Cheng Yaoyao was sleeping soundly. The cold water vapor on his body caused her to open her eyes in anger. “What are you doing? Grandma is coming back!”

Xie Zhao lay down calmly beside her. “It’s still early; I’ll sleep a bit longer.”

Cheng Yaoyao, relieved, tried to continue sleeping, but Xie Zhao’s actions disrupted her rest. Annoyed, she got up, “I don’t want to sleep anymore!”

Xie Zhao, holding her from behind, said, “Sleep with me for a while.”

Angered by being kept in bed by her “punisher,” Cheng Yaoyao accused Xie Zhao of hypocrisy, but he silenced her with a kiss. “…”

Cheng Yaoyao spent the rest of the day in bed, feeling weak and pitiful. After taking a bath, she silently vowed to avoid such situations in the future.

Xie Zhao wrapped her in a bath towel and carried her back to the room, then went to find clothes for her.

Cheng Yaoyao suggested, “I’m going to wear that shirt and long skirt.”

Xie Zhao picked up a light blue cotton shirt and asked, “Aren’t you feeling hot?”

“How can I wear a skirt like this!” Cheng Yaoyao’s cheeks flushed. She turned away angrily, revealing a noticeable red mark on her neck.

Xie Zhao, seeing the mark, felt a pang of guilt. He had indeed lost control earlier, and the more Cheng Yaoyao begged him not to leave marks, the more he…

After collecting himself, Xie Zhao helped Cheng Yaoyao dress. When he buttoned the last button and adjusted her skirt, Cheng Yaoyao looked up with a cold, composed expression.

She touched the hidden side of his neck and said, “If you get caught, you’ll go to jail.”

“Yes,” Xie Zhao responded with a smile, feeling content. He handed Cheng Yaoyao a teaching stick and asked, “Do you want to hit me to vent your anger?”

Cheng Yaoyao remembered how Xie Zhao had used the stick and recoiled as if burned. She dropped the stick and kicked it away, “Throw it away! You’re not allowed to use it again!”

Xie Zhao, with a hint of regret, asked, “Then what will Teacher Cheng use to discipline me in the future?”

“Use…use your hands,” Cheng Yaoyao said, choosing the safest option.

Xie Zhao extended his hand, palm up. “Go ahead.”

Cheng Yaoyao, seriously, slapped his hand. The sound of their palms meeting was crisp.

Xie Zhao felt nothing and looked at her expectantly.

Cheng Yaoyao glanced at her own palms, which were now red and swollen. “…”

That day, Cheng Yaoyao cried loudly.

As the sky turned fiery red with clouds, Grandma Xie and Xie Fei returned to Tianshui Village with many bags. Xie Fei, who arrived first, ran to Cheng Yaoyao.

In the yard, Xie Zhao was fixing the cucumber rack with one hand while Cheng Yaoyao sat on the platform, swinging her legs and eating corn.

Xie Fei hurried to Cheng Yaoyao, holding a lotus leaf package. “Sister Yaoyao, look what I brought you! Where did the corn come from?”

“My sister-in-law next door gave it to me. She left two for you in the pot,” Cheng Yaoyao replied. “What did you bring?”

Xie Fei smiled, “Don’t eat corn. Eat this!”

Cheng Yaoyao opened the lotus leaf package to find several strips of glutinous rice cakes covered in soybean powder, now a bit sticky.

Xie Fei exclaimed, “Why did it change? It looked so good when I bought it, Sister Yaoyao…”

Xie Fei felt a little sad. Sister Yaoyao had given her so many good things, and this was the first time she had given something to Sister Yaoyao, but it turned out like this.

Cheng Yaoyao picked up a piece of rice cake and took a bite. The aroma of glutinous rice was very strong. Although it was cold, it was still soft and sticky, unlike the ones sold in restaurants which were often hard. “It’s delicious! Even though it’s a little melted, it’s still delicious!”

Seeing that Cheng Yaoyao was speaking sincerely, Xie Fei’s eyes crinkled with a smile. Then she remembered something and turned around, running to Xie Zhao with the glutinous rice cake in her hand: “Brother, you should eat too!”

Xie Zhao said, “Leave it for you and Yaoyao to eat.”

Xie Fei replied, “I ate a lot at the market. This is for you.”

Only then did Xie Zhao put down his tools, wash his hands, and pick up a rice cake to eat.

Xie Fei looked at her brother strangely and asked, “Brother, what’s wrong with your face? It’s all wrinkled.”

Xie Zhao tilted his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

Xie Fei, not believing him, insisted, “It’s all swollen. Sister Yaoyao, look at my brother’s face!”

Cheng Yaoyao licked the soybean powder off her fingertips as if it had nothing to do with her, then jumped off the ground and ran to wash her hands. “What did you buy?”

This reminded Xie Fei, and she quickly ran over to Cheng Yaoyao to count the things she bought today. “I bought a roll of thread, batik cloth ^[2]refer to a type of cloth dyed using a wax-resistant dyeing technique., and…”

As they were talking, Grandma Xie came back, holding a basin with some fresh tofu in it. “It’s a pity that Yaoyao and Brother Zhao didn’t go today. The tofu shop in Bashang Village has really good tofu, and the tofu pudding is so tender. It’s a shame I couldn’t bring it back. But I did bring some grass jelly. Have some.”

“Yes, I ate two bowls,” Xie Fei quickly added. “It was delicious!”

Cheng Yaoyao pouted, “You guys didn’t take me with you!”

Xie Fei hurriedly said in a flattering tone, “Next time, next time, let Brother take us together, okay?”

“Don’t take him!” Cheng Yaoyao got even angrier when she heard that.

Grandma Xie was busy soaking the tofu in well water. It was hot in the summer, and she wasn’t sure if the tofu had spoiled on the way back home. She wanted to ensure the taste remained fresh. Hearing the conversation, Grandma Xie glanced at Cheng Yaoyao, then at Xie Zhao, who was standing beside her as if nothing had happened.

Although Grandma Xie was old, she had sharp eyes and noticed the slap mark on Xie Zhao’s face right away.

Grandma Xie cut the grass jelly, mixed it with honey, and brought it out, inviting Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Zhao to eat. “Here, eat this first. We bought it from the mountain people ^[3]refer to the inhabitants of the mountains., and it tastes different from what we make ourselves.”

Cheng Yaoyao ran over happily, and Xie Zhao sat beside her. She huffed and pulled the small stool away. Xie Zhao smiled good-naturedly and helped her set the spoon down.

Just as they were arguing, there was a loud slam on the door: “Yaoyao! Yaoyao, are you home?!”