Shen Yingying finally let go of him. When the kerosene lamp went out and darkness returned to the room, she hugged him again, wishing she could cling to him like an octopus.
Xie Fangzhu lay flat on his back, finding the position too uncomfortable. Helpless, he turned on his side and pulled her into his embrace.
With the clean, fresh scent filling her nostrils, Shen Yingying felt much more at ease and mumbled, “Xie Fangzhu, I was really scared just now.”
Holding her soft, delicate body, Xie Fangzhu felt somewhat unsettled.
Certain beastly thoughts couldn’t help but surface in his mind.
He cursed himself for lacking self-control—how could he think of such things at a time like this? Wasn’t that just being an animal?
He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down, while gently stroking her back. “Mm, I know. It’s fine now.”
Once nerves stretched to their limit relax, exhaustion quickly sets in.
Shen Yingying was no exception. Moreover, Xie Fangzhu’s embrace felt incredibly safe, and the rhythmic stroking on her back soon made her eyelids heavy. Before long, she fell asleep.
Listening to her steady breathing, Xie Fangzhu’s restless heart gradually settled.
She was right there in his arms, yet in a daze, Xie Fangzhu felt an almost unbelievable sensation.
Just that morning, she had felt like an enemy, but now she had become his most intimate person.
Such a drastic shift felt almost like a dream.
He had never been this close to anyone before, and the feeling was strangely wonderful, carrying an inexplicable sense of security.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, he couldn’t help but lose himself in it.
…
Shen Yingying was jolted awake by a nightmare.
In the dream, a giant python coiled around her, opening its huge mouth to swallow her whole.
Terrified, she quickly opened her eyes, only to realize it was just a dream. She was in Xie Fangzhu’s room, not some remote forest.
Once awake, she couldn’t help but recall the snake that had crawled onto her stomach the night before. A shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
Instinctively, she glanced to the side, only to find the bed empty. Xie Fangzhu was nowhere to be seen.
Remembering how she had coaxed and tricked Xie Fangzhu into sleeping separately before bed, only to lose control in the middle of the night and cling to him like an octopus, she felt utterly embarrassed. Hugging the blanket, she wished she could twist herself into a worm.
Slapping herself in the face sure stung.
But Shen Yingying was resilient, and she quickly talked herself into acceptance.
After all, they had already slept together. As long as they remained married, they would inevitably share a bed again someday. Sleeping separately didn’t really make much sense.
Besides, sleeping together was a two-way street.
Men could sleep with women, and likewise, women could sleep with men.
Xie Fangzhu was handsome, strong, and had an incredible physique. When he wasn’t acting crazy, he was downright pure. Being able to sleep with such a top-tier man wasn’t a loss at all—in fact, she could even say she had hit the jackpot.
With that thought, her mood brightened, and she got out of bed.
Opening the door, she was greeted by bright daylight outside.
She stretched lazily and went to the original owner’s room next door to fetch her toiletries, only to find its door wide open.
Inside, Xie Fangzhu was kneeling in front of a cabinet, his body poised as if ready to strike.
Suddenly, his hand shot under the cabinet, and when he pulled it back, he was holding a snake.
The snake was long, easily over a meter in length.Its body was covered in alternating black and yellow patterns, and it was unclear what it had eaten. A large bulge protruded from the middle of its slender body, looking extremely terrifying. At that moment, it was struggling weakly in Xie Fangzhu’s hand.
Xie Fangzhu used his other hand to support the snake’s body, wrapped it around his arm, picked up a black burlap sack nearby, shook it out, and tossed the snake inside.
The entire series of actions flowed smoothly, and his expression remained so calm that not a single ripple of emotion could be seen, as if he were simply discarding a piece of clothing.
Outside the door, Shen Yingying had long been terrified, goosebumps rising in waves.
Xie Fangzhu tied up the black burlap sack and turned his gaze to Shen Yingying, who stood at the doorway, too afraid to enter, her face filled with horror. He explained, “It’s a rat snake, non-venomous. These snakes are very greedy, and since you forgot to sprinkle sulfur last night, it took the opportunity to sneak in looking for food.”
As he spoke, he glanced around the room, which was so cluttered there was hardly any space to stand, then looked at the beautiful woman outside the door, who seemed to be bathed in a layer of golden light. He couldn’t help but frown.
Shen Yingying placed great importance on her personal space. Ever since the two of them started living separately, she had locked her room and refused to let Xie Fangzhu enter.
Xie Fangzhu had no interest in her room and had never tried to peek inside.
Last night was the first time he had entered her room since they began living apart.
However, due to the limited light from the kerosene lamp and the fact that all his attention was focused on Shen Yingying, he hadn’t paid much attention to the room, only noticing that it was filled with many things.
But when he went in this morning to take a look, the state of the room left him utterly astonished.
For the first time, he felt a suffocating sense of dread.
He simply couldn’t connect this messy room with Shen Yingying’s beautiful and clean appearance.
For the first time, the man who had always moved steadfastly toward his goals felt the urge to retreat.
But remembering her pale, distraught expression, he steeled himself and began rummaging through the cabinets.
Shen Yingying, who was too afraid to enter, had no idea what he was thinking and was still shaken with fear.
Recalling the huge bulge on the snake’s belly, she felt her scalp tighten and couldn’t help but ask Xie Fangzhu, “What did it eat in here?”
Xie Fangzhu hesitated for a moment before replying, “Rats. It probably cleared out the rat nests in your room.”
As he spoke, he picked up the nearby coal tongs and crouched down again.
Using the tongs, he poked around under the cabinet, and soon, a dead rat was pulled out.
The rat was drenched in a sticky, wet substance, its large body twisted in a grotesque posture, as if all its bones had been broken.
Xie Fangzhu said, “Look, this is a rat the snake ate until it was full and couldn’t swallow any more, so it spat it back out.”
Shen Yingying hadn’t yet recovered from her fear of the snake when she saw this thing, and in such a state, she immediately felt nauseated. “That’s disgusting! I’ve never seen such a big rat!”
Looking up, she suddenly noticed Xie Fangzhu staring at her, looking as if he had something to say but was holding back.
She paused, instinctively asking, “What’s wrong?”
“A snake eating rats in a room until it vomits—I’ve never seen that before either,” he coughed lightly, finally speaking with restraint. “Shen Yingying, you should pay more attention to cleanliness.”
The implication was clear: Shen Yingying, you’re amazing. You’ve managed to feed generations of rats.
Shen Yingying: “…”After dealing with the rat, Xie Fangzhu had Shen Yingying scoop water from the vat, washing his hands several times before finally stopping.
He worked the day shift, starting at eight in the morning.
But factoring in breakfast and other preparation time, he usually had to leave home before seven.
Today, catching the snake had taken up quite a bit of time. It was already seven, and he still had to lead the workers in the morning meeting, so he needed to hurry.
He picked up the black burlap bag containing the snake by the door and tossed it into the bicycle basket, saying to Shen Yingying, “I’m leaving.”
“Alright, be careful on the road.” Shen Yingying nodded, not forgetting to add thoughtfully, “Be safe in the mine too. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the still-wriggling black burlap bag in Xie Fangzhu’s bicycle basket. She paused for a moment and couldn’t help asking, “Where are you taking it?”
Xie Fangzhu replied, “To Uncle Chen. His family eats snakes. I don’t know how to handle this thing, so I might as well give it to him.”
Shen Yingying knew the “Uncle Chen” he mentioned. His full name was Chen Wenxing, Xie Fangzhu’s superior and the foreman of their shift. Xie Fangzhu had been promoted under his guidance.
She nodded, not wanting to drag the conversation on further. Her brows furrowed delicately, and she cooed, “That’s true. I wouldn’t know how to handle it either. I was almost scared to death when I saw the snake. Might as well let Uncle Chen have it and earn some goodwill.”
Xie Fangzhu glanced at her affected demeanor, his lips tightening slightly, his gaze somewhat complicated.
Shen Yingying felt a bit uneasy under his stare, wondering why he still hadn’t left.
Wasn’t he going to work?
Just as her feigned expression was about to stiffen, Xie Fangzhu finally looked away. “I’m leaving.”
Watching him push his bicycle further down the slope, Shen Yingying finally breathed a sigh of relief. With him gone, she could let loose.
But just as she relaxed, the man stopped again, turned back to look at her, and suddenly said, “Want to go to the canteen together for breakfast?”