Ye Yao looked at her husband from her past life and did not yield because of his few words, simply saying calmly, “If she truly knows she was wrong, she should apologize to me in person.”
As if his authority as the eldest brother of the house had been challenged, Xie Moyan furrowed his brows.
Since they were in the wrong, he immediately said in a deep voice, “Zhu’er, hurry and apologize to your sister-in-law.”
Ye Hanzhu’s eyes turned red with anger, and she glared fiercely at Ye Yao. However, she dared not disobey Xie Moyan, so she had to pinch her voice and put on a pitiful appearance.
“Sister, I know I was wrong… As long as you are not angry, I will do whatever you ask.”
“Is that so?” Upon hearing this, Ye Yao took the opportunity to slide down the slope, shoving the shovel in her hand into Ye Hanzhu’s arms, and said with a smile, “Since you are so sincere, Sister, then this chore of shoveling pig manure is yours.”
Ye Hanzhu, “…”
Her face twisted for a moment, and she almost snapped on the spot. But with Xie Moyan standing by, she dared not vent her anger and could only curse Ye Yao a thousand times over in her heart.
Ye Yao did not care what she thought, and seeing the two of them stumped felt incredibly satisfying. This feeling of satisfaction lasted until Xie Hanshuo finished his work and returned.
Seeing the smile lingering on her lips and her great mood, he asked in confusion, “What are you laughing at?”
“I’m happy,” Ye Yao said, not hiding it at all, straightforwardly, “I am happy to be married to you.”
Now that the family depended on Xie Hanshuo to earn money, from now on, whoever dared to give her attitude, she would make them go hungry! Thinking of this, how could she not be happy?
Xie Hanshuo did not respond.
She turned around and saw him turning to walk outside, leaving her only a cold, rigid back, with no hint of emotion to be seen.
Ye Yao was stunned for a moment, and by the time she chased him to the door, he was already gone.
Well, never mind. She could not be too hasty.
Ye Yao felt that she was still young and had plenty of time and ways to handle this.
However, this certainty only lasted until nightfall before it almost fell apart.
Xie Hanshuo was running away again!
“It’s late at night, where are you going?”
Ye Yao sighed helplessly, “You want to go sleep in the cowshed again, don’t you?”
Xie Hanshuo’s footsteps froze.
Ye Yao stepped forward to grab his hand, but he side-stepped to avoid her, “You don’t need to worry about me.”
He did not want to force things. Since Ye Yao was not willing, why should he bother with such feigned compliance? That kind of thing should be based on mutual desire. Xie Hanshuo insisted on leaving, and no matter how Ye Yao tried to block him, she could not stop him, so she became desperate.
“Xie Hanshuo! You stand still!”
She looked straight at him, “Do you… not like me?”
Xie Hanshuo clenched his fists, the dark tide churning in his eyes.
When he turned back, he saw his wife’s eyes slightly red, as if she were about to cry, and a trace of panic immediately flashed across his cold, rigid brow.
Xie Hanshuo’s tone could not help but soften; his ears turned red, and he said dryly, “I already told you last night… why… why do you still ask.”
Hm?
What did he say last night?
Ye Yao looked blank, “You… what did you say?”
Could it be that she was reborn at the wrong time and missed something?
Seeing this, Xie Hanshuo curled his lip, “Forget it, it’s nothing.”
With that, he turned and walked away, showing no lingering attachment.
“Hey! I’m asking you a question!”
Where exactly did this “dog of a man” get such a temper?
Ye Yao really could not understand.
How could he run away at the slightest disagreement?
Could he not speak properly?
Damn Xie Hanshuo, did he think this was enough to make her helpless?
Want to run? No way!
Even if he did not like her, he would have to sleep in the same place as her.
She would keep him under her nose every day to see where he could run.
Once she made up her mind, Ye Yao immediately rolled up her bedding and gave chase.
Wasn’t it just sleeping in the cowshed? She would accompany him to the end!
In the cowshed, Xie Hanshuo had simply laid out a straw mat and was about to lie down. When his father was still alive, the family was fairly well-off and could afford to keep an ox. But after his father passed away and his elder brother became chronically ill, the family gradually fell apart. Now, they were so poor they had even sold the ox, leaving only the bare shed.
Xie Hanshuo closed his eyes, ready to sleep, when a heavy quilt suddenly hit him.
Before he could react, Ye Yao flew over and pressed down on top of him, quilt and all.
The woman’s body was soft and carried a faint, refreshing fragrance. Her limbs were pressed tightly against him, and although there was a layer of quilt between them, Xie Hanshuo was at an age of vigor and hot blood—how could he withstand such teasing?
Not to mention, last night, his hand had even touched her…
He felt he would never forget that sensation for the rest of his life.
“Ye Yao,” Xie Hanshuo said, each word punctuated, his voice cold and rigid, “get down.”
She was so fierce when biting him last night, and now she was clingy and would not let go. What exactly did she want? Was she really trying to drive him to his death?
“I won’t.”
Ye Yao wrapped herself around him like a vine, her arms tightly hugging his neck, her red lips almost against his ear, “Xie Hanshuo, you are not allowed to run! Just try leaving me, and see if I don’t dig up your ancestral grave—do you believe me?”
Xie Hanshuo, “…”
He was left speechless by these words. Also, when did he ever say he was going to run?
Xie Hanshuo frowned in confusion. Just as he was about to speak, a loud boom sounded in the sky, and thunder rolled in.
Immediately after, large raindrops came pattering down.
The roof of the cowshed was tattered and could not block the rain at all. Fearing Ye Yao would get soaked, Xie Hanshuo immediately wrapped her in the quilt, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and strode toward the house.
Ye Yao, “!!!”
When had that sickly husband from her past life ever possessed such strength?
She could not help but let her mind wander; it turned out a man could be like this.
Then… when they consummated the marriage, it should not be as difficult as it was in her past life, right?
Just as Ye Yao was lost in her thoughts, she heard the man say, “It’s raining, hurry back to the room, don’t mess around.”
Afterward, Xie Hanshuo stubbornly added, “Tonight, I will go sleep in the woodshed.”
Ye Yao, “…”
Xie the Second, you really are a chaste and upright man.
She was completely at her wit’s end.
Xie Hanshuo threw her back into the room, quilt and all, and turned to leave.
Ye Yao had truly never seen anyone so impervious to reason. She was also furious; seeing him about to walk away again, Ye Yao lunged forward and grabbed his waist with all her might, “Xie Hanshuo, you are not allowed to leave!”
Outside the window, thunder rumbled, and the autumn rain was cold and wet.
At this moment, with warm fragrance and soft jade in his arms, who could bear to leave?
Xie Hanshuo’s breathing suddenly became heavy.
He had been repeatedly teased by Ye Yao. If it were not for his stubborn nature and fixed principles since childhood, he would probably have been unable to stop himself from forcing her tonight.
“Let go, quickly.”
The dark tide in his eyes churned, his fists clenched tight, as he tried his best to make his voice sound cold and heartless.
Ye Yao bit her lower lip.
Having been rejected to this point, a bitter feeling spread in her heart.
In two lifetimes, she had never been able to meet a husband who loved her; what kind of bad luck was this?
Fortunately, she was still clear-headed—in this life, as long as she kept Xie Hanshuo and did not let him run away, that would be enough.
“I want to sleep with you,” Ye Yao said, casting aside all shame, and said it once more.