“Big brother!” Xia Ying urgently reached out to pull him, but failed to hold him back.
“Xia Ying, what are you doing here?” Zhou Qingbai, who had fallen to the floor, ignored the pain and immediately propped himself up by the bed, looking up to ask.
One on the bed, the other on the floor—from her elevated position, Xia Ying looked down at Zhou Qingbai’s currently astonished yet earnest face, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart. This tall, sturdy, and imposing man, sitting on the floor and looking up at her like this, actually seemed a little… cute?
Ignoring this inappropriate feeling, she was about to speak when a loud “bang” sounded from outside the door.
Her mother-in-law, Xiang Meilan’s shrill curses grew even louder: “Why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? How dare you think you’re worthy of a girl like Xia Ying? Zhou Qingbai! Open this door! You beast, once I get this door open, I’ll skin you alive!”
Xia Ying watched Zhou Qingbai and saw a flash of fierceness quickly pass through his eyes.
Indeed, this man was not someone to be trifled with. In her previous life, after a fierce argument with Zhou Zheng, he had circled back and severely beat up Zhou Yiming. It was that beating that had left Zhou Yiming bedridden for three whole months, causing him to miss the college entrance exam that year. Zhou Yiming was furious, but by then he had already left, and Zhou Yiming had no chance to seek revenge later.
Ignoring Xiang Meilan, Zhou Qingbai muttered in confusion, “If you’re here with me, then where is Jiao Qinqin?”
Could she be with Yiming?
Thinking this, he shook his head, as if finding the speculation ridiculous.
Xia Ying, however, gave him a definitive answer: “I think so. Zhou Yiming and Jiao Qinqin have been together for a long time. They just couldn’t get married because their families didn’t agree. Now that I’m here with you, Jiao Qinqin must be with Zhou Yiming.”
Zhou Qingbai’s expression changed: “Zhou Yiming and Jiao Qinqin have been together for a long time?”
He knew he was supposed to marry Jiao Qinqin from the same village. He also knew that because the family didn’t have enough money, Zhou Zheng and Xiang Meilan had decided that he and Zhou Yiming would get married on the same day.
Like most young men in the countryside, he lived a life of toiling under the sun, with no leisure or inclination to fancy any particular girl. So whether he married Jiao Qinqin, Wang Qinqin, or Li Qinqin, he didn’t much care. His stepmother might try to harm him, but surely his own father wouldn’t—after all, Jiao Qinqin was the marriage partner Zhou Zheng had chosen for him. As long as she was honest and hardworking, such a wife would be enough.
As for the two brothers getting married on the same day, it was true the family had no money. Since Zhou Yiming and the Xia family had no objections, and the Jiao family had agreed, he naturally had nothing else to say.
But he never expected that Zhou Yiming and Jiao Qinqin had been secretly together all along!
If they had been together for so long, why would the family arrange for Jiao Qinqin to marry him?
Did they not know either?
No!
Zhou Qingbai slowly shook his head. He didn’t pay attention to Zhou Yiming, so he hadn’t known. But Zhou Zheng had high hopes for Zhou Yiming—he couldn’t possibly be unaware! And if he knew and still did this… Zhou Qingbai closed his eyes. When he opened them again, something flickered rapidly in their depths.
He stood up, holding onto the edge of the bed, and looked down at Xia Ying, who had wrapped herself in the quilt to cover her chest. A trace of sympathy flashed in his eyes. But then, thinking of himself, that sympathy turned into a self-mocking smile. What right did he have to pity Xia Ying?
“Wrap yourself up properly,” he said, then turned and strode over to pull open the door.
Xia Ying, however, did not wrap herself up tightly. At eighteen in the countryside, where conservatism prevailed, it was rare even for married women, let alone young girls, to expose their arms and legs. But in her previous life, having lived to thirty-eight, she knew that people in those days didn’t just bare arms and legs—exposing backs, navels, and even thighs was considered normal attire.
Although such boldness was uncommon in the countryside, she didn’t mind revealing her shoulders and arms.
Moreover, when facing Xiang Meilan and Zhou Yiming later, she even felt this level of exposure wasn’t enough.
The door was flung open violently. Zhou Yiming, lacking sufficient strength, was still pushing against it, and so he stumbled unluckily into the room. With nothing to block his way, he staggered forward a couple of steps before crashing heavily to the floor.
“Ah—!” he cried out in pain.
“Yiming!” Xiang Meilan, disregarding everything else, rushed forward to help him up. “Yiming, are you all right? Are you hurt?”
How could he be all right?
He had thrown nearly all his strength into pushing the door, and now, tumbling headlong into the room and falling to the ground, he felt as though his bones were about to shatter.
Zhou Yiming trembled as he pushed Xiang Meilan away and looked up at Xia Ying on the bed.
For a wedding, the bed was naturally covered with a quilt of bright red fabric, veiled by a red gauze canopy. Xia Ying’s snow-white skin contrasted sharply with the crimson quilt, her dark hair cascading loosely around her, her face wearing a dazed expression. For a moment, Zhou Yiming found himself holding his breath. He knew what Xia Ying looked like—he had seen her twice before the wedding—but with his heart already belonging to another, he had only glanced casually, never giving her much thought.
But now, even just this glimpse of her delicate, fair skin was enough to captivate him utterly.
Xiang Meilan followed his gaze. When she saw Xia Ying’s exposed shoulders, her expression abruptly changed. She opened her mouth to curse, but then, remembering Xia Ying’s generous dowry, she swallowed the harsh words that had risen to her lips. She hurried toward the bed but suddenly stopped, a chill running through her heart again and again. Trembling, she called out to her younger daughter at the door, “Xiao Cao, go quickly and close the courtyard gate. Unless it’s your father, don’t open the door for anyone!”
Zhou Xiao Cao was also Xiang Meilan’s child.
Her brother, Zhou Yiming, was meant to be a standout success, while she, Zhou Xiao Cao, was treated as insignificant as a blade of grass.
Xia Ying couldn’t help but look over at Zhou Xiao Cao, who had met a tragic end in her previous life but now appeared as a fourteen-year-old girl. Hearing Xiang Meilan’s words, she turned and ran without a word. Soon, a loud “bang” echoed from the courtyard as the gate slammed shut.
Xiang Meilan’s expression relaxed immediately. She had been foolish, letting her anger get the better of her and raising her voice too much. Such a scandal was best kept hidden. After all, this was Yiming’s wife, yet she had spent the night in bed with that little beast Zhou Qingbai. If others found out, how they would mock Yiming!
Yiming was her lifeblood—she would never allow such a thing to happen!
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and stepped forward, pulling the quilt tighter around Xia Ying. “Good child, you’ve suffered. Don’t worry—I won’t let that beast get away with this!”
Zhou Qingbai’s head was still spinning, but upon hearing this, he let out a mocking laugh.
Before he could speak, however, Xia Ying said, “Mom, are you serious? Will you really stand up for me?”
Xiang Meilan grew even more affectionate: “Of course! Didn’t I tell you long ago? When I was picking a wife for Yiming, out of all the girls in the surrounding villages, I only had eyes for you. You’re beautiful and generous—I love girls like you. I even told your mother before that when you marry into our family, I won’t just gain a daughter-in-law, I’ll gain a daughter, a dear daughter just like Xiao Cao!”
Hah, Zhou Xiaocao was her dear daughter, but in her past life, hadn’t she been given away to an old man old enough to be her grandfather just so Zhou Yiming could climb higher?
That old man was a pervert. Otherwise, how could Zhou Xiaocao have died so young in her past life?
Xia Ying sneered inwardly but showed nothing on her face. She just grabbed Xiang Meilan and pointed at Zhou Yiming, who was still sitting on the ground: “I thought it was just rumors spread by others. I thought you and Jiao Qinqin weren’t involved in anything improper, but today reality slapped me hard in the face! I’m the one who married you, but what did you do? You conspired with that vicious woman Jiao Qinqin to drug mine and Zhou Qingbai’s drinks! Mom, you said you’d stand up for me. You have to keep your word—no matter what, you have to give me an explanation for this!”
Xiang Meilan instinctively wanted to deny it. What was so great about Jiao Qinqin? Aside from her face and the flesh on her chest, she had nothing else. The Jiao family was even poorer than theirs, and Jiao Qinqin only had an older sister who was already married. If Yiming married her, wouldn’t he have to support her parents for the rest of his life?
No benefits, only drawbacks—she’d have to be crazy to want a daughter-in-law like that.
“Impossible! Yingying, there must be some misunderstanding!”
Just as Xiang Meilan was trying to come up with an explanation, Jiao Qinqin rushed in.
For a woman’s first time, those who fare better might only feel a bit tired, but for the more severe cases, some can’t even get out of bed the next day. Jiao Qinqin fell somewhere in between, so getting up, getting dressed, and coming over took her a bit longer.
But upon hearing Xia Ying’s words, her reply came swiftly: “Nonsense! That’s not true!”
Xia Ying said coldly, “Not true? If it’s not true, then what’s that on your neck? If it’s not true, why were you screaming early this morning? Did you and Zhou Yiming just chat under the covers last night?”
Actually, from this distance, Xia Ying couldn’t see clearly at all, but Jiao Qinqin, feeling guilty, immediately covered her neck.
Xia Ying didn’t say anything, just sneered and looked at Xiang Meilan.
Xiang Meilan’s face turned pale, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it: “There must be a misunderstanding here, Yingying. Don’t worry, let me help you ask. Don’t worry, you’re the properly married daughter-in-law of our Zhou family. Even if the sky falls, no one can shake your position!”
Xia Ying had heard these words in her past life too.
Back then, she had been moved, thinking that even though Zhou Yiming was excessive, her mother-in-law Xiang Meilan was still good. But hearing these words now, she almost wanted to laugh. “No one can shake your position”—if someone didn’t know better, they’d think Zhou Yiming was an emperor and she was sitting on the empress’s throne!
She didn’t respond.
But Jiao Qinqin grew anxious.
She was already Zhou Yiming’s woman and had made up her mind not to give up her position as Zhou Yiming’s wife. So she could deny drugging them, but she couldn’t admit that she and Zhou Yiming had done nothing all night.
Her eyes darted around, and she pointed at Xia Ying, shouting loudly: “Hah, you have the nerve to talk about me? Didn’t you and Zhou Qingbai do everything you should and shouldn’t have done? We’re both the same—you have no right to judge me!”