Xie Fangzhu’s voice held little fluctuation, sounding as if he were making casual conversation.
But to Shen Yingying’s ears, it was like the call of the King of Hell coming to claim her life.
Watching her fingers being pried open one by one, her heart pounded wildly, as if about to burst. Not only her lips but even her chin trembled.
The moment he turned away, she made a swift decision and lunged forward.
Her slender hands grabbed his collar and yanked him down hard. Rising on her toes, she pressed herself against him as if bravely marching to her doom.
Her actions were far too unexpected, leaving Xie Fangzhu no time to react.
By the time he regained his senses, a cold, soft sensation had abruptly touched his lips.
His pupils constricted sharply. It felt as if all the blood in his body had forgotten to flow, and he froze completely.
With a clatter, the carrying pole in his hands fell straight to the ground.
Hearing the crisp sound of the pole hitting the ground, Shen Yingying felt emboldened.
Pressing her advantage, she released his collar and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The soft touch jolted Xie Fangzhu back to his senses.
With a bang, something seemed to explode in his mind.
In an instant, his nearly still heart began to beat frantically—so powerfully and rapidly it felt as if it might leap out of his chest.
He shoved Shen Yingying away, breathing heavily. He even forgot to pick up the carrying pole. His eyes, always calm, were no longer steady, churning with turbulent waves. His handsome face flushed crimson.
He stared fixedly at Shen Yingying, a storm of emotions raging within him.
Clenching his back teeth tightly, he wanted to berate her, but his limited education left his mind blank, unable to summon the right words. Finally, in a fit of exasperation, he blurted out:
“Shen Yingying, you’re shameless!”
Hearing this, Shen Yingying was taken aback, feeling quite surprised.
Xie Fangzhu was already twenty-six years old, yet she hadn’t expected him to be so innocent. Just one kiss had reduced him to this state.
She glanced covertly at the carrying pole at his feet, filled with regret.
Why hadn’t she pinned him down and kissed him back in the woods? If she had, she wouldn’t have suffered so much.
Being carried over his shoulder like a sack had been truly unbearable.
But Shen Yingying’s tense heart did not relax. Instead, she doubled her efforts, steadying her emotions.
The next moment, the dramatic tears welled up in her eyes again, overflowing and streaming down her cheeks.
She wiped away the tears and met his gaze directly, her voice trembling with sobs as she retorted word by word: “Shameless? How am I shameless? You’re my man. How can kissing you be considered shameless?”
After speaking, as if struck by a thought, her expression suddenly froze, and her eyes grew even redder.
The next moment, she let out a low, bitter laugh.
“Xie Fangzhu, you’ve finally spoken your mind… Now I understand why you could bear not touching me all this time…”
As if her soul had left her body, her knees gave way and she slumped to the ground. A foolish smile tugged at her lips, but her eyes brimmed with sorrow, tears falling ceaselessly as if the sky had collapsed.
“I wondered why other men get angry if their wives won’t let them touch them, but you never do. I couldn’t feel that I mattered to you, and I was always afraid. So I went crazy looking for reasons to provoke you, trying to feel seen. But no matter how far I went, you never lost your temper…”
“…I even made excuses for you. Were you different from other men? You never got angry no matter how much I insulted you—was it really because you loved me so much?””Only today did I realize how laughable it was for me to make excuses for you! What you call love? That was just perfunctory… a reluctance to deal with it… It was because you thought I was dirty, that I disgusted you, that you wouldn’t touch me…”
She murmured to herself, as if suddenly remembering something, struggling to stand up and looking at Xie Fangzhu, her eyes filled with a determination she had never shown before.
“Whether before or after marriage, I, Shen Yingying, have never slept with a man. My body is pure and clean… I can’t control what you think of me, but I have to wash away the filth you’ve thrown on me.”
She wiped her tears and walked toward him, unbuttoning her blouse as she spoke: “Xie Fangzhu, today I will sleep with you, fulfill my duty as your wife, and let you see for yourself whether my body is truly clean or not!”
Xie Fangzhu had always known Shen Yingying was skilled at shifting blame.
But he never expected her to be this skilled. Clearly, she had refused to let him touch her since their marriage.
Whenever he tried, she would act as if she had gone mad.
And now she was saying he wouldn’t touch her?!
Her words were sharp indeed! He should have retaliated fiercely, but that kiss earlier had already unsettled his heart.
Now, seeing the large expanse of snow-white skin exposed, his mouth went dry, his handsome face flushed crimson, and his heart raced even more. How could he still think of retaliation?
He quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look any longer.
But Shen Yingying wasn’t about to let him off. She continued unbuttoning her blouse, her voice hoarse from crying for so long, yet filled with unshakable determination:
“If my body has been touched by another man, you can beat me to death and I won’t utter a word. But if my body is pure, we will divorce immediately!”
As she finished speaking, the buttons of her Dacron blouse were all undone.
Just as she was about to strip it off without any hesitation, Xie Fangzhu gritted his teeth, reached out, and quickly pulled her open blouse together, using only the corner of his eye to guide him.
“Shen Yingying, that’s enough!”
He was both furious and resentful, wishing he could pin her down and give her a good beating.
But his body felt as if it wasn’t his own, burning all over as if on fire, and he couldn’t bring himself to lay a hand on her.
Not only that, but he actually began to doubt himself.
Could it be that all her harsh words toward him were just a way to seek attention in front of him?
Could it be that she went to see that man just to find a job?
Speaking of jobs, she had indeed mentioned it to him before, arrogantly ordering him to ask his uncle for help in arranging one.
He had delayed for a while and then refused, claiming his uncle was powerless.
He had married her for revenge—how could he let her live comfortably?
So, all things considered, given Shen Yingying’s stubborn nature, it seemed plausible that she might have been tricked while trying to secure a job…
After all, she wasn’t very clever and often couldn’t see things clearly…
When he realized he had already made excuses for her, Xie Fangzhu was shocked and cursed inwardly, calling it bad luck.
He had married her, and his tolerance after marriage, had only one purpose.
Revenge.
He couldn’t help but recall his childhood, when Shen Yingying sat high on a dirt ridge, swinging her feet, her face adorned with an innocent, radiant smile.
But the words she spoke were utterly cruel, commanding a vicious dog to tear into him. If not for his sheer luck, he would have died long ago.
So, whether her body was pure or not, whether her actions were merely a way to seek attention, it had nothing to do with him!
He wanted revenge—to break her legs and lock her away.Torture her, make her live in hell forever, never able to rise again.
He had completely calmed down and realized his hands were empty, only then remembering the carrying pole that had disappeared at some point.
Where was his carrying pole?
He glanced to the side and saw the pole lying quietly in the distance.
He couldn’t help but frown. When had it fallen so far away?
Just as he was about to pick it up, Shen Yingying, like a snake, clung tightly to him again, catching him off guard.
The shirt he had just buttoned up for her was open again, even slipping off her arms.
Even though Xie Fangzhu tried not to look, his eyes uncontrollably caught a glimpse of the glaring snow-white skin.
After all, he was still a man at an age prone to fiery impulses, and the calm he had fought hard to regain began to stir once more.