Chapter 34.1

After a while, Li Xiao suddenly laughed, leaned closer to Jiang Rou, and asked casually, “Have you cooled down? Do you want me to let you hit me again? ”

However, Jiang Rou couldn’t muster a smile. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him seriously and said, “Li Xiao, we’re married now, and you have a daughter.”

Jiang Rou’s voice was calm but laced with concern as she spoke to Li Xiao. “I know you have your own considerations, but have you ever thought about me and An An before doing anything? You believe everything is under your control, and you think you can handle those people. But what if you aren’t always so lucky? Uncle Wang got injured just by walking down the street. He was just like you, thinking that he was just going to a simple banquet. But look at him now; he hasn’t recovered yet.”

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing, “Accidents happen every day, every moment. Some people are lucky, but others aren’t. When you get into a fight, have you ever considered that the other person might have a knife? What if they impulsively stab you? Even if it’s not you, what about someone else? Your friends have families, wives… You might be able to, but can you compare that to a human life?”

Her tone grew more intense: “They dared to smash your stall because they’re unreasonable and impulsive people. Dealing with unreasonable people will only lead to more harm.”

“There are countless ways to resolve problems. You are smarter than many people; why choose the most violent and harmful means?”

Jiang Rou wasn’t trying to scare him. These were real cases she had heard about or witnessed firsthand. 

There were too many examples of accidental deaths in fights. A small incident could lead to irreversible consequences. You could call her timid or overly cautious, but she didn’t want anything like that to happen to Li Xiao or the people around him.

She remembered her own brother, who used to be involved in gang activities. Despite their parents’ attempts to control him, it was only during his second year of high school, when a fight broke out during evening classes, that he witnessed someone being struck on the head with an iron rod, leaving the victim in a lifelong vegetable state—paralyzed for life. 

Everyone involved in the fight was expelled, but her brother had avoided the disaster simply because he hadn’t attended school that night.

Afterward, her brother was terrified. He straightened out his life after that incident, knowing that if he had been there that night, he might have been scarred for life.

A vibrant life had been reduced to a vegetative state, destroying not just one person but an entire family. 

And such accidents were entirely preventable.

Li Xiao met Jiang Rou’s serious gaze and suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

Jiang Rou pulled her hand away, managing to do so quickly this time. She didn’t leave, but after returning to the bed, she turned her back to him.

Li Xiao stared at her back for a moment before silently following her to bed. 

He turned off the light, and the room was enveloped in darkness.

He lay there staring at the ceiling for a while before softly saying, “I’m sorry.”

He felt uneasy, realizing that he might have made a grave mistake. 

It wasn’t wrong to stand up for himself, but as Jiang Rou had said, he hadn’t fully considered the consequences. If something had happened to him, Jiang Rou and An An would have been the ones to suffer the most.

He shouldn’t have made Jiang Rou worry.

But he still couldn’t get any response from her.

In the dark, Li Xiao turned over and cautiously reached out to hold her. When she didn’t resist, he breathed a sigh of relief and whispered again, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

He was genuinely afraid of Jiang Rou’s cold treatment.

Jiang Rou opened her eyes and stared at the wall. Her heart softened upon hearing his words. She pressed her lips together, then realized something and turned over to embrace him.

She understood that Li Xiao’s upbringing had shaped his aggressive, arrogant behavior. He had always resorted to fists to solve problems. No one had ever taught him that there were other solutions, no one had told him to ensure his safety first, that violence didn’t solve real problems, and no one had told him how important he was to others.

When Li Xiao felt her arms around him, his body stiffened in surprise.

Jiang Rou took the initiative to wrap her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest, and softly said, “Li Xiao, you’re going out soon, and the world outside is dangerous. You will face various temptations, betrayals, and schemes… It’s easy to get into trouble, and you’ll need to find ways to solve these problems on your own.”

“I just want you to be safe. I know it’s right to stand up for yourself, and I understand that Wang Yan is pregnant and Zhou Jian needs to stay here for a while to support his family. You think getting back at them and scaring them off will be enough, but what if they come back with more people after you leave?”

Jiang Rou’s voice softened as she continued, “I’m not telling you this to make you give in, but I want you to remember that before doing anything, you must first ensure your own safety and the safety of your friends. This is especially important when you’re outside.”

She paused, her tone filled with emotion. “In the eyes of others, you’re just Li Xiao, but to An An and me, you’re a husband, a father, and the most important person in our lives. If you’re hurt, we’ll be in pain; if you’re bullied, we’ll be angry.”

Jiang Rou’s voice dropped to a near whisper, “Li Xiao, you have to learn to love yourself.”

Li Xiao fell silent.

Jiang Rou’s words weighed heavily on him. 

Unconsciously, he tightened his arms around her, holding her close. 

For reasons he couldn’t fully explain, he felt as though he had been completely disarmed—defeated in an instant.

No one had ever told him these things before.

No one had ever warned him about the dangers of the world outside.

And no one had ever told him to love himself.

His heart swelled with emotion, a mix of tenderness and sourness. His voice, rough and thick with feeling, broke the silence. “Jiang Rou…”

Jiang Rou suddenly looked up, touched his lips, and ran her hand over his head. “Don’t do this again, okay? ”

Li Xiao felt a sudden sting in his eyes, the weight of her concern and care making it hard for him to breathe. 

He pulled her even closer, wanting nothing more than to hold her so tightly that she became a part of him.

At that moment, he realized he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, as he promised, “Okay, I won’t do this again in the future.”

When Jiang Rou’s lips left his, he found himself instinctively leaning in, seeking her warmth again, as if needing reassurance. 

He kissed her softly, lingering as though he was afraid to let go.

He then added, his voice tinged with a plea, “Jiang Rou, please don’t be angry at me. I really, really love you.”

His feelings for her ran deep—so deep that he wanted to hide her away, so no one could see her goodness. 

He loved her so much that she filled his heart and mind completely. 

When she wasn’t near, he missed her, and when she was, he couldn’t look away.

Jiang Rou, feeling the intensity of his emotions, reached up and gently pinched his ear, then lowered her head and buried her face in the crook of his neck, finding comfort in his embrace.

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