In the original novel, the author never described Xie Fangzhu’s appearance, so Shen Yingying had always imagined what he looked like based on his behavior and the original host’s inhumane attitude toward him.
From his actions and the way the original host treated him like livestock, Shen Yingying had always assumed he was an ugly, sleazy man.
After all, a man who obeyed her every whim yet was still cursed like an animal was likely hideously unattractive.
But as she looked at the man before her, Shen Yingying realized how naive she had been.
He was tall—at least over six feet.
His features were sharp and well-defined, refined yet undeniably masculine. If not for the terrifyingly sinister and murderous aura in his eyes, one would find it hard to look away.
Shen Yingying was utterly shocked.
With such a perfect face, how could the original host have been so cruel to him?
If she had treated him just a little better, softened his heart even slightly, perhaps the ending wouldn’t have been so tragic.
And she, an innocent person from the 21st century, wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess to take the blame.
The more Shen Yingying thought about it, the more wronged she felt. She couldn’t help but curse the original host’s ancestors eighteen generations back.
All she did was read a novel—what had she done to deserve being thrown into this world to shoulder the blame?
And not just any blame, but a rotten mess that might even cost her a limb.
Though her mind was flooded with chaotic curses, she showed none of it on her face, maintaining a panicked expression.
“No! No! Xie Fangzhu, you’ve misunderstood.” She hurriedly denied the accusation he had thrown at her while subtly gathering her strength.
The next moment, tears welled up in her eyes—a true performance.
With teary eyes, she looked at the man with his sinister expression and gently wrapped her hands around the one gripping her chin.
“I lied to you about the reason for taking the money. It’s true—I didn’t intend to save it. That was wrong of me, my fault.”
She bit her lip, her long, fluttering eyelashes trembling slightly. Her voice was choked with sobs, as if she had suffered a grave injustice.
“But you can’t accuse me of eloping. I wasn’t eloping—I went with that person to work. He told me he was a factory manager and that for 500 yuan, he could arrange a job for me at a state-owned factory. I wanted a job so badly, and I was afraid you wouldn’t agree, so I lied to get the money…”
She sniffled and looked into Xie Fangzhu’s eyes.
Xie Fangzhu’s gaze unexpectedly met hers.
Her pitch-black eyes were filled with tears and brimming with grievance.
Yet they were clear, honest, and free of any guilt.
Xie Fangzhu felt his heart twitch uncontrollably.
Shen Yingying continued, her eyes red-rimmed. “Even though I haven’t treated you well, I’ve never done anything to betray you. I’m innocent. It’s just… just that I saw so many girls at the mine with jobs, and I envied them so much that I made this mistake…”
She closed her eyes in pain, tears rolling down her cheeks and falling onto Xie Fangzhu’s fingers, which were still gripping her chin.
The tears were warm, but Xie Fangzhu felt as if they had scalded him.
Her reaction was completely unexpected.
He had thought that, given Shen Yingying’s temperament, she wouldn’t admit to anything. Instead, she would stubbornly deny it, turn the tables on him, and curse him to the high heavens.
But he never expected her to respond like this—not admitting to the accusation, yet with such an attitude.
For a moment, he was stunned, and the hand tightly gripping her chin involuntarily loosened.By the time he realized it, his hand was already unconsciously held in Shen Yingying’s grasp, her soft palm pressed against his rough, large hand.
“Xie Fangzhu, I know I was wrong. I won’t do it again, I promise. Please don’t be angry with me, okay?”
She tilted her head, long eyelashes dotted with teardrops, looking at him with a pleading expression.
Her voice, still tinged with a sob, was soft and sweet, even carrying a hint of coquettishness.
Xie Fangzhu felt as if something had struck him, his heart trembling, and he actually began to wonder whether he should let her off today.
When he became aware of this thought, he was shocked and abruptly pulled his hand from hers.
He had always been a man of firm resolve; once he made a decision, no one could sway him. Yet just now, Shen Yingying had managed to shake him.
He had originally thought Shen Yingying was a foolish, pretty face with no brains, but he hadn’t expected this side of her. He had underestimated her!
Thinking of everything he had suffered at the hands of the Shen family, Xie Fangzhu’s expression grew colder and colder.
“Arranging work? Are you stupid, or do you think I am? Do you really think I’m that easy to fool? Shen Yingying, you’re done for today!” Xie Fangzhu gritted his teeth, his temples throbbing, his voice no longer as steady and calm as before.
He grabbed her by the waist, effortlessly hoisted her over his shoulder, and strode toward the residential area of the mining district.
He was definitely going to act today! He’d break her legs first and then see!
With that thought, his steps quickened.
Shen Yingying felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her beauty tactics had failed.
She had seen the sudden, fierce change in Xie Fangzhu’s expression the moment he lifted her onto his shoulder.
That look was filled with murderous intent—he was about to take action.
She didn’t understand why this was happening. Just moments ago, his expression had softened.
It was subtle, but she had truly seen it…
“Xie Fangzhu… I’m not lying to you, really, I swear!”
Shen Yingying panicked, tears streaming down her face—this time, they were genuine.
She was afraid of losing her legs, afraid of losing her freedom, and even more afraid of being locked in a dark room for the rest of her life.
“Don’t do this, I’m so scared… wuwuwu…”
“Xie Fangzhu… wuwuwu… I’m really timid…”
Xie Fangzhu: “…”
His temples throbbed even more violently. He had never known she could be so noisy.
Xie Fangzhu moved quickly, and it wasn’t long before they reached the residential area. A crowd had gathered at the entrance, all waiting for him.
The mining district could be considered a small-scale town, but it was still quite different from the towns of the future.
Most people here knew each other, and gossip was freely shared.
Because of this, although Xie Fangzhu had only informed the shift foreman about going out to catch someone, in less than two hours, the news had already spread among the familiar crowd.
Seeing him bring her back, the residents of the mining district breathed a sigh of relief for him while also growing indignant.
“Xiao Xie! Your woman has gone too far! Give her a good beating! Teach her a lesson!”
“That’s right! If she dares to run off with someone today, she’ll definitely do it again in the future. You have to give her a good beating! Hit her hard. You’ve been too good to her—that’s why she doesn’t take you seriously.”
When the original host was in the mining district, aside from the leadership, she hardly paid any attention to others, so she wasn’t well-liked among the residents.
Coupled with Xie Fangzhu’s deliberate efforts, when trouble arose, everyone around chimed in with their opinions, but not a single person spoke up in her defense.One woman, growing increasingly agitated, even circled behind Xie Fangzhu and pointed at her head, shouting angrily:
“A loose woman who can’t keep her pants tied will never wear them properly. I think you’d better break her legs, Xiao Xie, and lock her up at home! That way she’ll behave and stop seducing people!”
Shen Yingying was already worried about her legs, feeling both panicked and anxious, with a surge of pent-up anger she couldn’t release.
She felt deeply aggrieved but didn’t dare vent her frustration on that lunatic Xie Fangzhu.
Now, with this woman maliciously poking at her sore spot, how could she hold back?
The pent-up anger exploded.
“Which eye of yours saw me running off with someone?! My husband and I have a great relationship, and it’s none of your business! If your mouth spews filth, go spew it in the fields, not at me! It stinks! Disgusting!”
The woman who had urged Xie Fangzhu to break her legs was Liu Guizhen, who worked in the mining area’s cafeteria. She had long disliked Shen Yingying.
She thought Shen Yingying’s fox-like eyes were always wandering around, unsettling the men in the mining area.
Last time, her own husband had been given a few extra glances and spoken a few extra words by Shen Yingying, and he had become infatuated.
He spent all day staring at Shen Yingying’s backside, neglecting his family.
It infuriated her, but she couldn’t find any solid evidence to settle the score.
Now, she finally had an opportunity, but she never expected Shen Yingying to be so bold.
Not only did she curse back, but she even indirectly called her mouth a cesspit!
Liu Guizhen worked at the cafeteria window in the mining area, where everyone flattered and fawned over her. Who dared curse her like this?
How could she swallow this insult?! Pointing at Shen Yingying, she shouted angrily: “Stop pretending! Everyone in the mining area knows you’re a loose woman!”
As if cursing alone wasn’t enough, she rolled up her sleeves and lunged to grab Shen Yingying’s hair while shouting.
“You ill-bred thing! Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents—shut your filthy mouth! Stop seducing people! I’ll beat you to death!”