The so-called wedding night, with its candles and bridal chamber, was anything but beautiful for Cheng Yu.
She glanced sideways at the man snoring soundly beside her and could have strangled him on the spot.
She’d seen dogs fight over food before—this guy was no different, like he hadn’t eaten meat in eight hundred years. It was absolutely relentless!
Cheng Yu stared at the old-fashioned wall clock pointing to just past two, and finally, succumbing to exhaustion, she drifted off to sleep.
In the second before she fell asleep, she was still thinking: Xing Yanheng, you short-lived bastard—if you’re going to die, why drag me down with you? She must have committed some sin in a past life, living two lifetimes and being hounded by debt collectors in both.
What made it even harder for Cheng Yu to accept was what happened the next morning when she opened her eyes.
There was Xing Yanheng, like a dog, all over her…
The pain from the night before hadn’t yet faded. Tears blurred her vision as she pushed against the man on top of her, unable to hold back quiet sobs.
“Weren’t you all tough when I saw you last time? What’s this now—why the crying?”
“Bastard!” Cheng Yu clenched her fists and pounded against him.
Xing Yanheng wasn’t in much better shape—scratch marks from her nails covered his neck, shoulders, and even his face.
He’d only ever heard about how good having a wife was. Now that he’d experienced it firsthand and tasted the sweetness, he knew it was something words couldn’t describe.
He paused briefly, his large hand stroking the crown of her head. His deep gaze held an unspoken emotion as he looked at Cheng Yu intently.
“Stop fussing.”
“Get lost!” Cheng Yu shoved his hand away, wishing he’d drop dead that very second!
As long as he’d get off her!
Xing Yanheng wasn’t angry—he already knew her temperament by now. Curving his lips, he let out a soft laugh, then with his big hand turned her face toward him and said slowly, word by word: “You know why I married you?”
Cheng Yu cursed in fury: “Because you’re sick! You’re insane!”
Xing Yanheng looked at the little thing, all bristling like a cat, and a deep, rich laugh rumbled from his chest.
“Brother likes you feisty like this—it’s got spirit!”
With that, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head on either side. His handsome phoenix eyes narrowed as his kisses landed without any finesse.
Who knew how much longer passed before Cheng Yu was finally released from her torment.
But Xing Yanheng still refused to pull away, as if possessed, greedily lingering over her body.
“Let’s live well together from now on—Brother won’t treat you badly.” He patted her cheek and got up, thoroughly satisfied.
Cheng Yu had already cursed every ancestor in his family tree!
—You goddamn short-lived bastard, go rot in your grandmother’s grave!
…
With Xing Yanheng carrying on like a wild wolf-dog, no one could withstand it.
After being tormented by him in the morning, Cheng Yu didn’t even have the strength to get dressed. She could only silently curse his ancestors in her heart.
Fortunately, marrying into the Xing family was considered marrying down, so she didn’t have to deal with all the rules she’d faced when marrying He Zhou in her previous life.
Since she couldn’t get up in the morning, her mother-in-law Ren Caifeng wouldn’t find fault with her.
The commotion from the young couple’s room the night before hadn’t been quiet. Ren Caifeng was eager for a grandchild, so she’d gotten up early to prepare a meal and had Xing Yanheng bring it to Cheng Yu in their room.
“You eat up. I’ve got to go to work—I’ll come back tonight to pamper you.”
Cheng Yu’s shoe hit the door, but Xing Yanheng was already long gone.
Cheng Yu forced herself up to eat breakfast, then took the dishes out to wash them. Ren Caifeng heard the noise and hurried out of her room.
“Xiaoyu, just leave those there—I’ll wash them for you.”
Ren Caifeng had been quite beautiful in her youth, famous throughout the surrounding villages as a stunning beauty. Otherwise, Xing Yanheng wouldn’t have inherited such good genes.
But since her husband passed away, she’d raised Xing Yanheng alone, and the years had worn her down until she looked like any ordinary woman.
Cheng Yu noticed her hands, cracked from years of hard work, and frowned.
“I can wash them, Mom. Go back to your room and rest.”
Cheng Yu’s words were simply a sign of respect for an elder, but to Ren Caifeng, they felt like an unexpected blessing.
“Never mind that—let Mom wash them. That boy Yanheng doesn’t know his own strength. Take care of yourself.”
Ren Caifeng’s words made Cheng Yu want to crawl into a hole on the spot. Her neck and face flushed red as she dropped the dishes and hurried back to her room.
For now, there was no work for her to do in the Xing household, and it wasn’t yet time for the fields. Cheng Yu felt completely out of place in this home.
As if her only task from dawn to dusk was doing… that… with Xing Yanheng…
…
Xing Yanheng came home early that evening, carrying a big carp in his hand. In the yard, he told Ren Caifeng to cook it well.
As the door creaked open, Cheng Yu shot him a glare.
Xing Yanheng kicked off his muddy shoes from wading in the river to catch fish, shot her a few amused glances, then took a basin of water and went out.
Before long, he came back cleaned up, towel in hand, wiping water droplets from his arms as he walked toward her with a grin.
“Still mad?”
Cheng Yu turned her face away. This guy—his best trick was using that face to fool people!
After yesterday, she had him completely figured out. He was nothing but a shameless scoundrel! A two-faced rascal!
Xing Yanheng saw the little thing ignoring him and chuckled to himself for a moment before walking back to hang the towel on the rack.
Turning around, his expression grew much more serious.
“That day at your place, I thought about what you told me.”
As he spoke, Xing Yanheng came over to Cheng Yu’s side, sat down, and his hands immediately began to wander, pulling her into his arms in one swift motion.
Cheng Yu was uncomfortable from the force of his grip and tried to struggle, but froze at the sound of his words.
The man’s handsome eyes held a smile, his long lashes drooping as he looked down at her, his nose bridge high and straight, his pink lips curving open in a seductive arc.
“You told me, marry a man, marry a meal—clothes and food come with the husband. Since I’ve married you, I can’t let you suffer poverty with me, so I plan to quit my job.”
“You’re quitting your job?” Cheng Yu’s small mouth fell open in shock, and she sat up straight at the same time.
Xing Yanheng pulled her back again, and afraid she’d squirm restlessly, simply pressed her firmly against his chest.
“I’m not discussing this with you—I already submitted my resignation today. Cheng Yu, believe me, I truly want to live a proper life with you.”
Cheng Yu didn’t respond.
Because she didn’t know what to say.
In her previous life, Xing Yanheng had been sulking over the marriage arrangement, living apart from Cheng Yan in different cities, and had died in a mining disaster.
Last night she’d still been thinking about how to keep him here, yet this man had taken the initiative to stay, consummated their marriage with her, and now today he was telling her he’d quit his job.
Wasn’t this a surefire way to avoid the life-threatening danger?
“What’s with that expression? Don’t believe what I’m saying?” Xing Yanheng waited a long time without getting a reply, his brows furrowing tightly. Dissatisfied, he lifted her chin.
Cheng Yu felt uncomfortable whenever she met his eyes, especially with such disrespectful gestures—it was like he was treating her as a plaything…
She slapped his hand away and took the chance to break free from his hold.
“I’m not against you quitting your job. I’m just curious—what makes you think you can give me a life without worries about food and clothing?”
Xing Yanheng immediately clicked his tongue in annoyance.
He said discontentedly, “Damn girl, so you just look down on me, huh? You think your big brother here has nothing but a handsome face and nothing else to offer!”